Caveman Alien's Riddle - Calista Skye Page 0,84

my mind, and I throw myself down on the ground immediately, closing my eyes and clenching my arms around my head. I have some idea about what will happen now.

Even with my eyes closed and a half inch from the dry ground, the white light is so bright it sears my retinas.

Whoosh.

The heat washes over me, so intense I yelp in alarm before it dissipates.

I glance up.

The two others are completely gone. I can just barely smell charred organic material.

There’s a huge, blue dragon standing on four massive feet. I can’t believe how beautiful he is, even in this form.

“You found your cache,” I observe as I get to my feet, knees trembling.

I did.

“But you didn’t heal.”

I did not.

The ichor is pouring out of his chest in a steady stream.

My face scrunches up with worry and fear. “You are very sick, Caronerax. I don’t know if I can help you.”

Your green paste works fine on smaller injuries. It was never within your power to heal mine.

He’s big and winged and impressive. But he is also trembling, and I can hear his labored breath.

I put my hand on his thick, scaled neck. “Are you in pain?”

Since the day I met you.

“I mean, are you in more pain now?”

Infinitely more.

“Is it worse in this form?”

Much worse. But it is of no concern. Nothing can stop this now. I just wanted to say something to you.

I embrace his neck so he can’t see the tears. “What?”

I love you.

I squeeze his hard, thick body. “I love you, too.”

You already said it. But I didn’t. It needs to be said, because it is true.

“Should you Change back to human form?”

No.

“I mean, if the pain is worse like this…”

I will die in this form. And I can protect you better like this. Until the time comes.

A hard convulsion goes through his immense dragon body, and he falls onto his side, wing awkwardly crunched up under him.

“Is that time now?”

Yes. His voice is weak, even inside my mind.

My world goes black. He’s dying.

Then I take a step away, cold determination filling me. “Is the poison still in you?”

It is.

In his dragon form, the scales are bigger, and the hole, too.

“Lay back,” I command. “Stay in dragon form.”

It is said that it is unwise to show one’s belly. It is more vulnerable.

“Trust me.”

Oh, I do.

He rolls over on his back, breath going fast and wheezing, wings trembling, legs shaking.

There’s nothing to lose at this point.

“There may be some discomfort.”

Very well.

I plunge my whole hand through the wound and into the dragon’s chest cavity.

31

- Caronerax -

The pain is so spectacular I almost want to laugh. It’s ridiculously powerful and fills my entire mind. There is room for nothing else.

Yes, it is fitting that death should be like this. Overpowering and terrible beyond description.

I have no control over myself, and my limbs and wings shake in what I distantly identify as death throes. I have seen it before, but not in dragons.

It has been a good life, if short. And the last few days were simply breathtaking.

I’m vaguely aware that Jennifer is saying something.

I try to focus on her with my eyes and ears.

What?

“I said, here it is. And you’re right. It’s poison.”

I focus until the fog clears in my vision.

Jennifer’s hand is covered in ichor up to her shoulder. She’s holding something up between two fingers, dripping with the golden fluid. It’s something I know well. Very, very well.

Gold, I groan. You shot a nugget of gold into me.

“Not on purpose,” she replies. “I had no idea it was there. But whoever said that dragons have a weakness for gold was more right than they thought.”

Did someone say that?

“Well, no. Not that I remember. But if they had.”

Necessary, but poisonous. I have never heard of anything like this happening.

“Gold isn’t toxic to me,” Jennifer says. “It’s pretty inert and does no harm to most creatures. But you’re not like most creatures, are you?”

I get back on my feet. The pain is very slightly less than before.

I’m glad you noticed.

“It is, if you’ll excuse the pun, hard to miss.”

Hard to miss, as in when you shot me. Yes, I get it. Most humorous.

She looks at the nugget, shaking her head. “Only a gold bullet can penetrate your scales. It must have been mixed in among the gravel that I filled the gun with.”

Mystery solved, then. I spread my wings, just because I can.

“And you are feeling better, I see.”

I am, indeed. The strength is returning to me, slowly radiating through