Chapter 91

• [Carnelia]
• I wake to the sound of gentle snoring. The air is dry and crisp, but I am warm. Wrapped around me, Primus is in dragon form, his body protecting me from all sides, secure within a nest of pillows that he must have created while I was asleep. I don’t know how long I rested, but my body feels heavy with the ache of my struggle and the exhaustion of deep sleep. If I close my eyes, I can almost imagine that we are home in Ridgewood Keep, but then I remember the day before, and I know that we are far from home and far from true safety.
• There is a faint smell of dust and disuse that crinkles the edges of my nose as I inhale deeply. Sneezing, I feel a small shuffle to my right as my dragon protector opens a single eye. Smiling, I place a reassuring hand on his side, smoothing down his beautiful green scales. Curling into an even tighter coil, my protector snuggles next to me.