them both. He extended his legs and pressed flat to the ground, right wing trembling from holding Kalai’s weight. Arrow cooed, the high-pitched rumble vibrating through the floor when Tauran reached them.
Tauran swore as he wrapped his arms around Kalai’s chest and dragged him off Arrow’s wing as gently as he could. When he lay Kalai’s limp body on the floor, Arrow twisted around, gently nuzzling Kalai’s chest. He extended both wings out and forward, wrapping them around both of them like a protective barrier of white.
Tauran pulled off his shirt and folded it, slotting it under Kalai’s head, then shifted his limbs into a comfortable position. “Good boy, Arrow,” he murmured, scratching the dragon under the chin the way Kalai always did. “You’re such a good boy.”
Arrow rumbled softly and closed his eyes, pressing his head against Tauran’s hand.
This episode lasted longer than the first Tauran had witnessed, although this time, he was less panicked. He couldn’t shake the anxiety of seeing someone he cared about lying unconscious, and he hated that all he could do to help was make sure Kalai was comfortable and didn’t get cold. Kalai had done so much more for him when he had come to him scared and hurting.
Tauran sat with him in the shelter of Arrow’s wings until Kalai stirred.
A small sound between a whimper and a groan escaped Kalai, and he raised his hand to rub at his eyes. “Wha...”
“All’s good,” Tauran said quietly, stroking Kalai’s hair back.
Kalai blinked and focused droopy eyes on Tauran. When he realized his head was in Tauran’s lap, he curled into him, hiding his face against Tauran’s stomach. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, voice muffled.
Tauran hushed him. “You’ve really got to stop apologizing for this.” He rubbed the back of Kalai’s neck. “So long as you’re all right, there’s no harm done.”
Kalai took a deep breath and turned back to look at Tauran. “How long was I out?”
“Eight minutes,” Tauran said, smiling when Arrow pressed his nose against Kalai’s side. “You got yourself one clever dragon. He stopped your fall.”
Kalai wrapped both arms around Arrow’s head. He looked exhausted. “I shouldn’t have pushed myself so hard. It was my own fault. I was just having so much fun...”
Tauran frowned. “Weren’t the pills supposed to stop these episodes?”
Kalai groaned as he tried to sit, arms shaking when he braced against the floor. “That was the best case scenario. They were at least meant to make them less frequent and less severe.”
“Is this less severe?” Tauran asked, supporting Kalai with a hand against his back, then shifting so he could lean against his chest.
Kalai let out a breath when he found Tauran’s support. “Not really. Kind of the opposite. By the skies, I feel like I haven’t slept in a week.” Kalai’s cheek was hot against the side of Tauran’s neck. “Guess I shouldn’t have expected the pills to work. Nothing ever does.”
The memory of Catria’s look of concern when Tauran had mentioned the pills flashed through his mind. Maybe it would be best if Kalai stopped taking them. “Screw the pills. You’re fine as you are. Take a breather,” he said. “Then I’ll hail us a coach and we can return to the archive.”
Tauran removed Arrow’s saddle, then helped Kalai back on his feet. The tower stairs were an obstacle for them both. They clung to each other all the way down. By the time they reached the bottom, Tauran’s leg felt on fire and Kalai was shivering and covered in cold sweat. As much as it pained him, Tauran left Kalai by the fence and went to search for a coach that wouldn’t mind heading into the ruined district. As he walked away, he tried to mask his limp, not wanting Kalai to see his pain and feel guilty.
In the coach, Kalai struggled to keep his eyes open, breathing heavily and swaying in his seat. Tauran pulled Kalai against him. Before they reached the archive, he was fast asleep with his head on Tauran’s shoulder, and Tauran hated having to wake him. If it hadn’t been for his stupid leg, he would have carried Kalai inside.
Kalai was a little more awake by the time they entered, but the circles under his eyes were still dark. He sat on the bottom step of the stairs and rubbed his forehead. “Can you grab me my pills? They’re in the desk drawer. If nothing else, maybe they can make the aftermath less exhausting.”