The pain was worse than anything Wade had ever felt. Each breath sent it clawing at his insides, turning his blood to fire and consuming all else. He could hardly feel his own body as he slipped in and out of consciousness, aware of nothing but the transition from agony to cold, unforgiving darkness. A few dreams flickered across his mind, filled with fear and confusion. He panicked, not sure what was real and what wasn't. His horrified thoughts spun out of control, stifling the small part of him trying to remain calm.

Wade! Aurum's voice cut through the fog like a beacon of light, as sharp and clear as ice. Stay with me!

Wade clung to the dragon's voice, desperate for the sickening whirl of his mind to end. Something cold and bright flashed through him, and, for a brief moment, he returned to his body. A bitter wind tore at his clothes, and his feet hung above empty air. He tried to open his eyes, but his body refused to respond. The pain was worse now. Much worse. Maybe the darkness wasn't so bad. He felt tired . . .

Don't fall asleep! Aurum growled, his voice tearing through the confusion once more.

Aurum . . . Wade struggled to string the words together as he drifted away. Why can't I breathe?

Wade! Panic filled the dragon's mind as the gap between their minds widened.

Aurum? Wade lost focus; the world flickered and dipped away. Aurum!

Don't— The dragon's voice faded abruptly; the darkness eagerly pressed inwards, consuming Wade before he could do anything else. Then there was nothing but the frigid void.

<><><>

It felt like years had passed when the world finally settled. Wade kept still, letting his senses spread out as he untangled his thoughts. As he woke up, so did the burning line of pain that lanced his ribcage. He screwed his eyes shut. At least it meant that he was still alive.

A small part of him wished he wasn't; at least then he could breathe without tears welling up in his eyes.

A light breeze brushed against Wade's face, and he shivered. His mind cleared a little more, and he realized that he was lying on the ground, a scratchy jacket draped over him. Every inch of him felt as cold as ice, yet his clothes were stiff with sweat. Or could it be blood?

Wade forced his eyes open, wincing as light flooded his vision. Thin, spindly branches greeted him, framed against the azure sky. His father was sitting beside him, his face drawn and worried. His eyes met Wade's, and he jumped.

"Wade? Are you awake, son?"

"Father?" Wade croaked. He tried to sit up, but someone gripped his other shoulder and guided him back to the ground.

"Don't move." A different voice. Softer. Wade turned his head to see Serafina, her dark hair held back with a strip of cloth. Deep circles were gouged under her eyes.

". . . Sera?"

"Shh. You're with fever." Serafina rested the back of her hand on Wade's forehead as she spoke, frowning. He reached up and grasped her wrist, gritting his teeth against the pain.

"The Valkir . . . Ash—where's Ash?"

Sorrow rose up in Serafina's eyes, and she slowly pulled her hand away. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "We had to run."

Wade froze, the memories finally falling into place. A sword. Collapsing to the ground. Pain. A bitter curse slipped past his lips, and he clenched his fists. How could he have been so stupid? Aurum had been their best source of protection—he and Asher had practically been begging for the Valkir to make their move. He'd let this happen. He should have expected this.

His father shifted, unease flickering across his face. "Wade—"

"We have to go back," Wade interjected, trying to get up again. His father pushed him back down, shaking his head.

"It's been three days," Serafina said slowly. "We can't."

Three days? Wade hesitated. "What does that matter? We can still—"

"Wade, you're hurt. Aurum isn't much better, and your father and I are exhausted. I don't . . ." Serafina clenched her jaw, eyes falling to the ground. "I don't see how we can do anything. Not yet. We have to find the dragons first."

Aurum. Despite Wade's rising agitation, he cast his eyes around for the dragon. He was curled up some distance away, sides rising and falling with the rhythm of sleep. A pattern of deep cuts laced his scales, many still glistening with fresh blood. Kira was nestled against his stomach, also fast asleep. She looked dirty but otherwise okay.

"Ash needs us; we can't just leave him," Wade growled, averting his eyes and struggling upright. Agony tore through his chest in response; he fell back to the ground with a strangled scream, clutching his middle. Serafina cursed and held out her hands, muttering something under her breath. Wade forced himself to hold still, gasping, as the feeling began to ebb away.

"Please don't move," she finally said, leaning back. She looked even more tired than before. "I'm already struggling to keep you and Aurum from bleeding out or freezing to death."

"We can't leave him," Wade repeated, though he didn't move.

"And we won't," his father said, leaning forward. His voice was firm, but his eyes brimmed with an anguish too deep for words. "But first we must find the dragons. Serafina and I have spoken about it at length; there are no other options."

Wade shook his head, trying to still his whirling thoughts. "There isn't enough time."

Serafina winced. "There will have to be. Asher said the Valkir wanted to take him to the king, right? It'll take them weeks to reach Crisea on foot, and Aurum told me that we're only a day or two away from his kin. Aurum and I can recover there and fly back as soon as possible; with some luck, we'll reach them before they even near the city."

"What do you mean, you and Aurum?" Wade narrowed his eyes, his voice rising. "You want to leave us with the dragons? We don't even know if they'll accept us!"

Serafina lifted her head, eyes flashing. "Of course not, but I'm not going to take Kira anywhere near the Valkir again. And even with my help, you'll need more time to heal." She paused. "Besides, it's not like the rest of you will be able to do much."

Even if it was true, the statement stung. Wade snarled, a burst of anger flooding through him. "So we run away and hide. Again. What cowards we are . . ."

"Wade," his father said sharply.

Serafina bit her lip, her eyes filling with self-resentment and anger. "Do you have a better plan? Because I don't. I hardly even know how we'll survive for the next few days, much less save Asher!"

As Serafina's voice rose to a shout, Aurum's golden eyes shot open. He took one look at Wade and leapt to his feet, somehow managing to avoid disturbing Kira. Wade! You're awake! He bounded forward, shouldering Serafina aside and licking Wade's cheek.

Wade paused, stunned, before shoving Aurum's head away. Surprised laughter mingled with his anger and fear; for a moment, he didn't know how to feel. Hi.

I'm so . . . wait. Aurum hesitated and moved back, exchanging a look with Seeafina. With a start, Wade realized that they were talking to each other.

Well, it made sense. It wasn't as if he or Asher had been around to translate.

I'm sorry, Aurum said after a moment, fixing his eyes on Wade's. Heartbreaking guilt pulsed through the bond, consuming the joy and relief that had been there moments before. But we can't go back for him. We'd die.

"I . . ." Tears stung Wade's eyes as the reality of the situation overwhelmed him. His shoulders sagged. "I know. You're right." He looked at Serafina. She'd turned away slightly, anger and hurt warring in her face. "I'm sorry, Serafina. I shouldn't have said that."

Serafina waited a moment, then released a long sigh. "You're forgiven." Her eyes slid back to Kira, who hadn't stirred. "If the situation were reversed I would have done the same."

"So what now?" Wade asked, biting back his shame.

"Now," his father replied, "we need to get moving. Serafina, get Kira up. You two can ride Aurum."

Serafina nodded silently and headed toward Kira. Wade waited until her back was turned before trying to get up again. A low hiss slipped through his teeth, and he looked down at his chest. His shirt was gone, and a thick, bloodstained bandage was tightly wrapped around his ribs.

"Wade, you're not in the condition to stand," his father said. Despite his words, he helped Wade sit up, holding most of his weight.

"You said that we need to move," Wade replied, furrowing his brow. "I'll need to."

His father chuckled and jerked his chin to the right. Wade followed his gaze and saw Ember grazing nearby, nearly invisible within the shadows of the trees. How was that horse so silent? "You'll ride Ember. Do you think you'll be able to handle that?"

Wade hesitated, remembering wind battering his sides and tearing at his skin. "Has Aurum been carrying me until now?"

"Yes."

Wade shuddered, imagining himself being carried thousands of feet above the ground. "Ember's perfect, thanks." The horse was by no means easy to ride, but he was confident he could avoid hurting himself too much.

"Wade?" Kira appeared over the blacksmith's shoulder, eyes wide. A smile broke across her face. "Wade, you're alive!"

"I told you he was," Serafina sighed from somewhere behind her. "Sorry, Henry. She insisted."

"Hey, Kira," Wade said, forcing a grin and jerking his hand up in a little wave.

"You look awful." The little girl brushed past his father and gave Wade a gentle hug. He winced and patted her back. She pulled back, and her eyes widened. "Is that blood?"

"At least I'm not dead . . . right?"

Kira tilted her head. A few tears had gathered in her eyes; she quickly blinked them away. "Yes, that's good."

"C'mon," Serafina interjected. "We should get to Aurum.."

"Okay," Kira sighed. She gave Wade a sad smile and vanished. He listened to her footsteps move away and sighed.

"I'm going to take you to Ember now," his father muttered. "Brace yourself."

"Alright."

The blacksmith grabbed his legs and lifted him into the air. Wade yelped and closed his eyes as his father carried him to Ember. When he felt the horse's body by his side, he gritted his teeth and helped his father position himself on her back. One leg over, lean forward, wrap his arms around her neck. Every movement was excruciating. When it was over, Wade buried his face into Ember's mane, trying to ignore the pain coursing through him.

Wade took a deep breath and nodded, trying to move as little as possible. He could already tell that the next few days were going to be awful. "Let's get this over with."