The Time Tournament (Order of the Dragon #1)

CHAPTER 28

Elena

August 1430

I wrapped his good arm around my shoulder and half-carried him away from the rain. Despite the agony racking his body, he still bore most of his weight. Without his effort, I wouldn’t have had the strength to drag him out of harm’s way. Once inside, I laid him down gently and covered him with the cloak, my mind racing as I considered how to deal with the poisoned arrow embedded in his shoulder.

“Wait,” he breathed out. “Did you see what color the tip of the arrow was?”

“It had an on and off dark purple glow.”

“Fuck. Those forest witches came prepared.”

“What do you mean?” He didn’t answer.

“At least, let me pull the arrow,” I said.

“Don’t.” He slapped my hand away. “I’ll do it.” He pulled it out in one go. But the purple glow on the arrowhead faded.

“Even if you can’t see it, the poison is still there. One drop of this can kill you.” He threw the arrow into the cave’s void.

“Listen.” He grabbed my arm and stared into my eyes. “This is serious. I’ll need you to stay away from me until the poison wears off. It’s an order.”

“You expect me to leave you here and do nothing? That’s madness.”

“Madness is trying to do something you know you’ll fail at. Just leave me here but don’t go too far. Being separated in the woods will make our enemies more confident to attack us again. Once the delirium sets in, I’m not sure how my body will react, but I’m certain it will wear off overnight.”

“What delirium? Killian?”

But he didn’t answer. He drifted into a deep sleep, or maybe he was unconscious. I couldn’t tell.

“Killian, can you hear me?” I asked. Nothing. I repeated my question and grabbed his flushed face with both hands. Only then did he moan softly. Phew. He was sleeping. I stood next to him, bewildered by everything that had occurred. We did everything according to my training, and he still got injured. Miraculously, I wasn’t, and that’s probably because I wasn’t the main target. I ripped two pieces of cloth from my shirt. With one, I tied his arm above the injury, and with the other, I soaked in the water I had left and placed it on his forehead.

With no constraints, I peered freely at his face. The flushed cheeks and a thin layer of sheen made his already handsome face even more attractive. Several times, I glanced away, embarrassed by my daring ogling, only to revert my eyes to his features. Every time, I found new and stunning aspects of his appearance. His personality clearly didn’t do his looks justice. But now, while he rested, he gave off a calm energy. I moved to brush some hair away from his cloth-covered forehead, and he flinched. His brows furrowed, and I could still see the same Killian in these expressions.

Even though he slept peacefully now, I needed to heed his warning. I turned toward the entrance, but as I prepared to stand up, Killian gripped my arm and pulled me down.

“You’re here. You’re finally here,” he said with hooded eyes. Was he already going through the delirium he mentioned?

“Yes, Killian. I’m here. You’ll be well soon.”

“I didn’t expect it to be you…” He jolted in pain and released my arm. “Why did it have to be you? This feeling inside me…”

“You have to bear it a little longer, Killian.” I stroked his hand gently.

“I can’t take it any longer. I thought loneliness would shield me. But standing aside hurts more than breathing the air imbued by you.”

“What are you talking about?” Unease began creeping up my spine.

“I let silence become my companion. I couldn’t muster my heart’s voice to speak what I’ve always known.”

“You’re definitely going through it. Are you talking about me? Or someone else?”

“The Trojans knew for whom they were fighting. But my battle lies within me—a battle of dreams and nightmares shaped by the sincerity of your smile. Your everlasting presence in my mind’s eye should give me solace, but I’m greedy. I always want more.”

Killian the poet. Never thought that would happen. But I couldn’t blame him. The poison still ravaged his body and mind. Though I thought it strange that his delusions revolved around me. Then again, it wasn’t his fault. He simply couldn’t help it. “You’ll recover soon, Commander, and all will pass.”

“No.” He gripped my arm tighter. “Not now, when you’re finally close to me.”

Even in the process of healing, Killian was stronger than a bull. “I’m here, don’t worry. It’s only for a short time, and then you’ll be back on your feet,” I spoke slowly as if talking to a toddler.

“You still fail to understand,” he said and pulled my arm closer to him.

Then, our lips collided. In a panic, I broke the kiss. I was sure he would appreciate it when he sobered up. Except delirious Killian was too relentless to give up. For an injured man, his grip didn’t feel like it. He went in for another kiss. This time, a much softer and gentler one, and for a moment, I lost myself in it. What was wrong with me? He was my commander and a giant pain in the ass. I couldn’t let him go on. I was doing myself a disservice. He would probably crucify me if he found out. I tried to pull away slowly, hoping to end the kiss naturally. But then he released my arm and clamped the back of my head, deepening the kiss. His tongue sought entrance, and despite my better judgment, I found myself surrendering to the warmth of his touch—something I hadn’t felt in years. For once, I let myself indulge in something I knew I might never experience again. And boy, was he a great kisser. His kiss was intoxicating, his tongue skillfully playing with mine, drawing me in just enough to leave me craving more. If he was such a good kisser while injured, I feared how good he was at his full potential. He went from sucking my lower lip to deep tongue thrusts in my mouth. He teased with gentle pecks, only to suddenly claim my mouth again, each kiss a deliberate game of push and pull. I never experienced a kiss this intense in my entire life. Would I ever? After all of this would end, we would return to the world and behave like nothing happened. A delirious mistake.

He broke the kiss, his hand gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as his eyes searched mine. “Damned be the Fates, you are so beautiful.”

I lost the ability to speak. My voice failed me, only strange sounds escaping, but it didn’t matter. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed. The flush in his cheeks subsided, and his entire appearance looked healthier. I knew he was on his way to recovery. Yet, I still felt the lingering sensation of his lips on mine.

“Are you planning on sleeping all day, Rider?” a voice disturbed my peaceful sleep. I searched for that comfy nook under his shoulder but found nothing. I opened my eyes and saw Killian standing, fresh as a peach. A smile danced on his lips.

“You’ve had enough rest. We must leave before the heat swelters.”

“Wait. Are you healed already?”

“As I said, it needed a night to wear off. Or did you think it would take me a week? That’s usually a human’s fate,” he said. “The cloth you tied around my arm didn’t do much anyways.” He peeled it off his arm and threw it away.

The ungrateful bastard. I didn’t know why I even bothered worrying.

“Are you planning to sit there much longer?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t you… like… remember anything from yesterday?” I asked carefully.

“Of course, I do. We were attacked by forest witches, and I got shot by a poisoned arrow. Those dreadful hags packed this one well.” He showed me the wound on his shoulder. “Did you follow my order?”

“Yes, Commander.” I swallowed hard. “I only returned at dawn when the effects of the poison wore off.”

“Good. We’d better get going.”

I couldn’t decide if his forgetfulness brought relief or disappointment. On one side, neither of us had to define what happened yesterday. On the other, I struggled with the idea of pretending nothing happened. But did I have a choice? No, I didn’t. I exhaled, stood up, and followed Killian out of the cave.

“Unfortunately,” he said, “we’ll have to walk to the Keep. Even though my shoulder’s recovered, I still can’t bear weight on it.”

“Do you know the way?”

“I’ve lived in these woods since I was a child. I know how to avoid the forest witch lairs. By sky, I don’t care to avoid them, and sometimes they retaliate.”

“Maybe you should next time,” I said. “Avoid them.”

“Pfft. Why should I? When I’m the most powerful being ever to exist. They should be the ones fearing me. We’re not here forming alliances with enemies. I could’ve burned them to a crisp. They were lucky it was summer. The forest would’ve suffered.”

“This cocky attitude is what’s gonna get you killed,” I whispered, but he heard me.

“You forget, little human, dragons can be killed only by those who bear this mark.” He pointed to the emblem on his arm. “It’s not in vain I am called the Dragon Slayer. Essentially, I am immortal.”

“You know, a little humility goes a long way,” I said.

And he laughed. “Worrying about what others think is what gets you killed, Rider. Even now, we better focus on keeping you alive. Isn’t that your quest?” He asked mockingly.

I wasn’t one to wish harm on others, but damn, how much I wanted to throttle this jerk-faced dragon bastard.

“First, we must find a river or lake to quench your thirst. And I know one nearby.” He grabbed my hand. I flinched at the sudden touch.

He looked at me, bewildered. “What? I’m not prepared to lose you anytime soon. So we’ll have to stay connected in some form. Or would you rather I carry you?” he asked shamelessly. For a grumpy Jerk Face, he was in a chirpy mood. Did the poison jumble his brain?

“Can we hurry? I’m really thirsty,” I said, trying to hide the insane embarrassment bulldozing through my intestines.

“Of course, your human needs are my priority,” he said. His tone was serious this time, which felt even more demeaning. I was just a human he needed to keep alive—nothing else. I didn’t know what had happened yesterday, and it didn’t matter. Most likely, the delirium had gotten to him and made him say those words. So whatever fluttered in my heart now needed to be squashed permanently. There was no space for anything more between us. Only a commander and a rider. That was it .

We arrived at the lake. I went for my first handful of water in a long time. And when I turned, Killian had vanished. Didn’t he say he would never leave my sight? I almost began yelling for him when he resurfaced from the water holding three fish in one hand. That was some speed fishing if I’d ever seen one.

“Gather wood. We’ll have our meal by the lake,” he said as he came out only in his white tunic, which clung to the most prominent parts of his body. He certainly had many things to show off. To avoid a more awkward situation, I focused intently on my mission of gathering wood.

Once the logs were arranged in a campfire, I used a flint to light the fire while Killian skewered the fish. In half an hour, we had our meal and could finally enjoy the view with full bellies.

As we sat in comfortable silence, Killian suddenly broke it with, “You are such an enigma.”

Whoa, where did that come from? Did he remember yesterday’s…whatever that was?

“On one hand, you’re a feeble woman with a sharp tongue, a knack for defiance, and a stark obliviousness to your own weaknesses.” He had to go for the plural, didn’t he? “On the other hand, everyone tends to gyrate around you like moons around Earth for no apparent reason. Everyone finds the need either to protect or help you or at the very least, be around you.”

“Including you?” My mouth spoke before my mind could stop it .

A corner of his mouth curled. “Including me.” His eyes turned a deep purple.

“Did you know your eyes change colors?” Dumb question alert. I bit my tongue in a desperate attempt to stop the next one. But he didn’t seem to mind.

“Do I know my eyes change colors?” He smirked. “I do. I have seen myself in the mirror more than once.” The tone of his voice lowered, and I could feel a jolt in my core.

Oh, he knew he was handsome. An immortal dragon shapeshifter who also knew he was handsome. What could be worse? “What does the deep purple mean, then?”

“Arousal.”

I stood and made a run for it.

“Sit down. I was just teasing,” he said as he pulled me back on the ground. “The colors don’t mean anything. It’s just how I was born. Nothing more, nothing less. My sister and father are the same, and we have yet to discover what the colors mean.” As he spoke, his eyes went back to black––the “neutral” color. As much as I wanted to believe his spiel about the colors not meaning anything, I suspected there was something more to it.