Quinn

“Quinn!”

It sounded like her name, though it came fuzzily through the fog clouding her brain. Was that her name? What was her name? No thoughts seemed to make it to conclusion in her brain as she hung forward in the chair, supported only by the restraints keeping her upright.

Sleep. I need to sleep.

“Stay with me Quinn! Don’t you close your eyes!”

“Tired,” she mumbled, wanting nothing more than to lie down in bed. The bright, comfortable covers appeared in her mind. So close. All she had to do was reach out and grab them, wrap them around her, and she would be able to sleep for as long as she wanted. The pain would be gone.

Something cold and wet splashed all over her face and Quinn sat up with a shriek at the icy sensation.

“Quinn, it’s me. It’s Asher. I’m here. You’re safe now,” a blurry face said in front of her.

It sounded like Asher. But how was he here?

Where was here?

She blinked rapidly and the room dizzily swam in and out of focus, threatening to make her stomach sick.

“I don’t feel so good,” she said aloud.

“I’m going to get you to some help. I need to get you out of the house first though. Can you stand?”

He ripped the restraints off her and Quinn almost pitched forward onto the floor.

“Shit,” the male voice said, an arm snaking around her upper body to keep her from falling over.

“I can’t. Leg. Stand up. Hurts.” The words just sort of tumbled from her in a jumble. She was probably not making any sense.

Strong arms hoisted her to her feet, careful to avoid touching her wounded leg.

“Where?” she asked, wanting to know where they were going as she stumbled forward, unable to keep herself balanced.

Quinn knew she was likely going to die. That thought was crystal clear in her mind. The wound in her leg was deep and now it was infected with something Loran had poured over it, something that had made her scream in agony, worse than when he had first ripped it open.

“I need to get you help,” he said firmly. “I don’t know of anywhere else to go.”

Through the haze, she suddenly understood where he meant.

“No,” she protested, her voice feeble and weak, but loud enough for him to hear. “No, you can’t, she said, her fear for him breaking through the cloud surrounding her. “You can’t do that, Asher!”

“I have no choice,” he growled.

“You’ll get expelled from the Academy if you do. Probably worse, you’ll get put up on charges. They might even kill you as well!”

She heard him laugh, despite the situation. “They won’t kill me. Anything else will be worth it if you survive.”

Quinn let her other leg collapse under her. “No. I won’t let you.” She looked up, the night sky swimming into crystal clarity for a brief moment before it blurred out again.

Asher set her down and then moved away. Why was he moving away from her?

“I’m sorry,” she said.

He paused. “For what?”

Tears streamed down her face. “For everything. For lying to you. For putting you through everything I did.” A sob racked her body, shooting lances of pain up from her leg. “For treating you and the others like nothing when I first came here, as no more than animals for a photoshoot.”

Quinn was surprised with her own ability to speak, but she had to get it out. “You don’t need to feel bad over me dying. I got myself into it; this is my fault. I don’t hold this against you at all,” she said, knowing she was starting to babble as the pain and delirium overcame the few moments of lucidity she’d managed to have.

“Stop being stupid,” Asher said firmly as he moved farther away.

“Come back!” she tried to cry out as he moved into the darkness. “Stay with me, please.”

There was a brief pause, and then a giant head appeared out of the darkness. A dragon head.

“I will stay with you forever, Quinn,” it said, then moved past her as four giant talons closed around her, keeping her secure as the powerful dragon lifted from the ground, bouncing somewhat awkwardly on one foot to gain height.

The words rattled around in her head as she realized they were flying.

I’ll stay with you forever, Quinn.

Had he truly meant that? Even if he had, how would it happen? She wasn’t allowed in Cadia, and he wasn’t allowed out. Quinn couldn’t be a prisoner for the rest of her life. Afraid to go outdoors. She loved nature too much for that!

But the conviction with which Asher had spoken floored her. Though the words had been in his sibilant dragon hiss, it was impossible to miss the utter seriousness with which it had been said. Gentle and tender mixed with a strength of belief that caught her off guard.

Did she feel the same way? Would she stay with him forever? Her forever would be much shorter than his. A handful of decades and change, and she would be old, feeble, and ready to pass from the earth. Asher, on the other hand, would likely look much as he did now. Young, strong, and full of life.

She couldn’t put him through that sort of pain. Of being forced to watch her grow old and die before his very eyes. She would rather pass away now, their love having burned bright but short, than to force him watch her sputter and die of some age-related disease.

Her strength fled her as she came to that conclusion, giving up on that tentative hold on life. It was time. She was so weak already…it would be so easy to just let go. To wrap herself in the covers of the bed once more. She could do it. She could. All she had to do was give in.

An image floated before her eyes. It was her. And Asher, standing next to each other, his arm looped around her as she leaned her head on his shoulder. It was romantic and endearing, but it wasn’t what caught her attention.

There were three figures rolling on the ground in front of them: a big gap-toothed smile from the oldest, and giggles from the other two as they looked up to their older brother.

Children.

She and Asher could have children.

The image and its implications stunned her, shocking her heart back to beating.

“Asher!’ she cried.

“Quinn?” The dragon head flowed down and around on the long flexible neck, until the eyes were focused on her. “Are you okay?”

“I’m not giving up, Asher.” The moment of strength faded. “I’m not giving up. We’re going to have…” Her jaw stopped working. She fought for control, and managed to smile at him. “We’re going to have—”

Blackness rose up in an impenetrable wave, and closed around her like a wet blanket, dragging her down into the depths with it.

The light from the bed with its comfortable covers went out.