shook as a growl came from the black dragon and a deep growling voice filled his head. “You are mine!” Then the dragon opened it huge jaws. Legon didn’t even have time to register the gaping mouth flying toward him.
Pain erupted in his head as once again he snapped up, hitting the ceiling by his bed, but this time the pain was welcome. Welcome because only the living felt pain, not people who had just been eaten by a dragon. He still hadn’t opened his eyes he didn’t want to, just on the chance that it hadn’t been a dream. He felt cold clammy hands on his neck and face.
“You’re ok, Legon. It was just a dream, you’re ok.” The voice was Sasha’s.
He opened his eyes to see her in her nightgown, looking terrified. He must have been talking in his sleep or making some other noise. His heart was racing and he was covered in icy cold sweat. He started to shiver uncontrollably. Sasha sat behind him and wrapped her arm tight around him, the same way he would do to her when she was having an episode. Her hands began to warm as her fear subsided. The warmth was most welcome. He didn’t feel worthy of the love and comfort, but he took it anyway. Warmth began to make its way through him as his ragged breath slowed and heart calmed.
His voice was slower to respond and he began to stammer, “I’m… I’m his… he’s going to get me… I, I . . .”
“It’s ok, it’s ok, it was just a dream, you’re fine. No one is going to get you.” Her voice was calm and reassuring as she stroked his hair. He leaned back against her and forced his body to relax.
“I was on a mountain and…”
“Not tonight. You can tell me in the morning. Now relax.”
After a bit his heart resumed its normal rhythm and he felt himself start to drift. He was so tired. He felt Sasha run her fingers through his hair one last time and he fell asleep.
* * * * *
Sasha did not fall asleep. She sat gently stroking his hair, wide awake and her mind so full it almost hurt. She was scared. Legon had been having some horrible dream and she knew it wasn’t the first. She heard him talking in his sleep last night or the night before— she couldn’t remember. Tonight when she heard him she had gotten up to go to his room. She knew that it was not uncommon for people to talk in their sleep, but it was what he was saying and doing that sent fear coursing through her.
When she entered the room he was whimpering almost like a little child who was hurt, but soon he was thrashing in his bed, his arms flying around and his legs pumping like he was running. He was covered in sweat and the look on his face was one of panic. As if this wasn’t enough, he had all of a sudden stopped moving and just lay trembling in bed. Up to this point she’d planned on waking him up so he could relax and go to sleep, but it seemed to be over. She began to turn when Legon sat up in bed and looked right at her.
“You are mine.”
He then lay back down.
The hoarse voice was not his, and she thought that it wasn’t aimed at her, but rather at him. As soon as his head hit the pillow he jolted back up fully awake and terrified.
She wanted to know more but he needed to sleep. She could find out more later. Something inside her whispered that this had to do with his tattoo, but she didn’t know how.
Her parents had explained to Sasha how Legon had actually been found early in the evening while Legon was still out walking. She was horrified to hear what had taken place, and her fears only seemed to get worse when he walked in, covered in dirt with vomit on his chin. No one had said anything, but they all were worried. He had also found her diary, which she assumed he had found at their picnic site. She had a hunch that he read part of it, but she wasn’t sure how much or what. She didn’t mind if he saw the entries on her normal days, but on the days she had an episode …. She didn’t plan on asking him about it because she