Page 104 of Dragon Charmed

She shook her head.

“You came here all by yourself.” He could see where the back of her shirt was torn from her wings. “Did you see this place in one of your pictures?”

She nodded.

“You don’t have to hide, Lily. We won’t let anybody take you away, okay?”

Lily tucked her head under his chin.

Eric blew out a hard breath. “Let’s get her home.”

Ben took a few steps, but the cave walls started to spin and he stumbled. “Eric, take her!”

He handed Lily to his brother and grabbed his head as images flooded his brain, starting with the attack, and then more images bombarded him as they started moving, becoming reels of scenes that he recognized. His life coming back to him.

Way.

Too.

Fast.

They became a blur. He closed his eyes and prayed for the spikes of pain to stop in his brain.

He could hear Eric yelling and then other voices, but they couldn’t stop the pain.

Chapter 40

What was taking so long? Tessa’s neck ached from keeping it tipped back, watching the sky. Megan stood next to her with Bella asleep in her arms. Tessa didn’t blame her for taking her baby out of her crib. Megan wanted to have Bella near her. Like Tessa wanted Lily. When had that little girl taken up so much of her heart?

Sienna came outside. “Ian just arrived. He’ll check Lily over when they return.”

When, not if. She had to have a positive attitude like Sienna.

“There!” Sienna shouted.

Tessa saw someone flying toward them. Black wings—it was Marcus. Where was everyone else?

Sienna grabbed her arm. “He has Lily.”

Tessa couldn’t see that far, but she trusted Sienna’s dragon sight.

A couple minutes later Marcus touched down on the deck, and Tessa held out her arms for Lily. Once she was holding her, tears fell and she breathed Lily’s strawberry little-girl scent. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”

Lily nodded.

She turned to Marcus. “Where’s everyone else?”

“They’re bringing Ben.”

Tessa checked the sky again as her heart seized. “Bringing him? Is he hurt?”

Marcus hesitated.

“Is he okay?” Sienna asked.

“They found Lily hiding alone in the cave where Ben was attacked. When he went in to get her, he collapsed. They’re working on getting him out of the cave now. Eric had me bring Lily first.”

“Did he hit his head or something?” Megan asked.