“Are you an angel?” A soft whisper reached him as he moved toward her. The sound of a woman near the end of her strength.
Luc was surprised enough to chuckle at her question, though he worried about the low level of life energy he could just barely feel emanating from the creature coated in fur and a crust of snow. He knelt at her side and tried to assess her condition under the thick covering of fur.
“You are very much alive, mistress.” Luc touched the pale cheek. It was soft, and colder than any living being should rightly be. “But you’re frozen clear through. What’s your name, mistress?”
“I—” The woman cleared her throat and started again. “I’m Lilly.”
“Well met, Mistress Lilly. I am Luc, and this is my partner, Shilayla. Why do you seek entrance under our Veil?”
“I seek a woman with silver hair worn swept up in complex braids. She had sparkling stones of ice among her tresses. A vision sent me on this quest.”
“I know the one of which you speak.” Luc sat back on his haunches. The woman described a vision of the Council elder. That alone made her worthy of invitation beyond the Veil. Now that he was near her, he felt the tingle of magic. It was potent, though a bit wild—almost like a child’s power—untrained and pure. That merited further scrutiny, as well. “Shilayla and I will take you under the Veil.”
The smile that lit the girl’s face transformed her from merely pretty to exquisitely beautiful. Luc was not unaffected by her earthy loveliness.
“Bless you.” Her voice was weak, but he could easily read the relief in her tone.
“Can you stand?”
To her credit, she tried to move, but her strength was gone. Luc grew even more concerned when the effort seemed to tax what little energy she had left, and her eyes drooped.
“She is sick,” Shilayla said with great distress. “Her light fades.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it.” Anger burned in Luc’s belly. He’d only just found this beautiful waif. He was not going to lose her now. The strange thought should have bothered him, but this woman’s presence changed all the rules. It didn’t matter that she was human. It didn’t matter who or what she was. His soul recognized her and knew she had to survive.
To what end, he had no idea, but his task was clear. He had to help her. To make her warm and bring the light of life back to her sparkling eyes.
He pulled off Lilly’s threadbare hat, exposing lustrous dark hair that fell in waves down her back. The wrapping of damp fur and hides she’d used for warmth was removed in short order, exposing a body that was far too thin and much too cold.
“Shi, can you give us some more heat? She’s frozen.”
The dragon did an unexpected thing, scooping one of her massive wings under the girl so she rested not on the cold ground, but on warm dragon scale. Luc was surprised any dragon would pin themselves to the ground in such a way—even if only temporarily—but today had been a day of strange occurrences where Shilayla was concerned.
Luc removed Lilly’s tattered cloth cloak, taken aback when he found fighting leathers worn warrior style beneath. There were facets to this woman that intrigued him, but he’d have to wait until later for answers. He peeled back the cloak and the thickest of her damp leathers until she was clothed only in a dry cloth tunic, pants, and the dragon’s warmth. Color seemed to return to her cheeks as blood began to flow, but she was still incredibly weak.
“What ails you, mistress?” Luc stroked her cheek when he’d finished making her comfortable in the dragon’s embrace.
“Nothing that rest won’t cure. I overtaxed myself in the last village.”
“In what way?” He watched her face with concern, sensing she was uncomfortable with their words—or worse yet, trying to hide something. He would not allow her to hide anything. Not if he was going to take her under the Veil. He must uncover all her secrets, for that reason, and for others he didn’t care to examine at the moment. “The dragons scent magic around you.” He tried a different tack. “I’d prefer to know just who and what it is I invite into the heart of our enclave.”
“It’s nothing dangerous.” She turned away, and he saw a flicker of annoyance in the cast of her eyes. “It’s damned inconvenient, as a matter of fact.”
“What is?” He grew more intrigued by the moment as she began to breathe easier and the spark of life took hold within her being once more.
Those luminous dark eyes turned back to him. “Healing.”
“But that is a noble calling.” Luc didn’t understand the consternation that passed over her lovely face.
“It’s new to me and draining. It pulls at me, demanding service whether I wish it or not.”
“What happened in the village?” he asked more gently.
“An accident. A young boy. I couldn’t let him die.” It seemed her small amount of strength had peaked and now began to wane as warmth returned to her body.
“Are you a true healer, then?” Luc was intrigued by the idea. True healers were rare among human folk.
Lilly nodded, a bemused expression on her face. “The power rose a few months ago. It drains me, but never before to this extent.”
The sheltering wing lifted so Shilayla could poke her head underneath. “Is she all right?” Worry filled the dragon’s tone.
“I don’t know.” Luc spoke into the dragon’s mind so as not to worry the woman who shivered in the dragon’s warmth. “She’s thawing, but slowly. I fear she’s frozen through, but more troubling is her weakness. I’ve heard that true healers drain their own energy in order to heal others.”
“I can do something.” Luc was surprised by Shilayla’s gathering power. She was still a comparatively young dragon and had never manifested the healing fog known as the Dragon’s Breath, though Luc saw evidence of white wisps of mist gathering around her head as she leaned closer to the frail woman.
He was further shocked when Lilly reached up with one trembling hand and touched Shilayla’s scaled cheek.
“So beautiful,” she whispered, wonder and trust in her eyes that was rare to see among those who did not know dragons. The awe in her expression touched Luc deeply. Shilayla was the dearest being in his life. Even his family came second to the bond he shared with his dragon partner—his heartmate.
The healing mist intensified, and Luc felt the wash of Shilayla’s power against his skin, though it was directed toward the frozen woman. She dropped her hand, a beatific smile lighting her face as she fell into unconsciousness, but Luc wasn’t worried. Shilayla’s energy was restoring the drained healer even as it overwhelmed her.
When the Dragon’s Breath subsided, Lilly looked much better. Her skin had a rosy glow, and her temperature increased steadily. Luc redressed her in the driest of her fur wraps, adding a thick blanket from his pack as he bundled her up. It was time to go. She was out of danger for now and would rest easier beneath the Veil. Shilayla straightened from her awkward position on the ground and shook out her wings, staying close to Lilly all the while.
Luc gathered up her things and put them in his saddlebags, then lifted her onto Shilayla’s back and mounted up behind, holding Lilly’s limp body in his arms. She felt unaccountably good there.