For a moment I’m worried it’s James falling through the air again. But it’s Colm Ditters. Patrolling means skimming along the lake, so as I squeeze my thighs into Daphine’s side, she brushes the water with a splash and coats herself in copper before accelerating and propelling upward.
“Go,” I say. On command Daphine’s wings flap until we’re vertical, ascending so fast the wind is like a whip to my face.
I notice it then. The way Colm’s free-falling above me, his body shaped like a U. He’s unconscious.
There’s no way I’m catching dead weight unless… I’m going to have to get close, so close no one can ever prove what I’m about to do next.
“Come on,” I urge Daphine.
I let go of the reins and prepare myself for the catch, or the collision. If I can just grab his arm or torso, I can fake the rest with metal-crafting. We’ll have only one shot at this. My arms strain against the current of the wind. If I fail, he might die, his bloody and unprotected back the first to hit the water.
Daphine keeps carving upward and we’re there. Colm’s coming at melike a cannonball. I reach, but I know at once I can’t hope to grab him. My arms would be pulled from their sockets on impact. So, I ditch the idea of first contact, and I craft the remains of his armor, calling to it. The bronze obeys, sticking to my copper like a magnet is infused between us and I hug him to my body.
I don’t dare let up until we’re horizontal again. Then I press a hand to his neck to find a pulse. A life raft rests behind me on the large expanse of Daphine’s back—where I saved James’s life. This time, though, I don’t abandon my saddle. I continue to craft us together and fly as quickly as I can to medical.
Above me, the race doesn’t stop for a fallen rider. The cheers of someone’s victory overwhelm the stadium.
Dr. Burke awaits us at the medical tent. I didn’t think I’d be seeing him again like this so soon after James. As Daphine lands I drop my crafting and immediately the pressure falls and the full weight of Colm Ditters pulls at my arms. Good god he’s heavy.
Dr. Burke stands at the ready, though, and as Daphine leans forward to provide easy access, Colm all but slips from my arms and onto a real stretcher.
He rouses a second later, a hand to his head. “What happened?”
“You fell,” Dr. Burke says so dryly it almost sounds like sarcasm. “We’ll get you fixed up.”
I descend from Daphine, patting her on the neck as I slide off. Her copper has long receded to the brilliant blue of her natural scales, so I know she’s no longer nervous, but I still like to check in, thank her. “You did so good.”
She nudges my hand, the gesture as plain as words.If I did so good, where’s my reward?Her eyes beckon for treats.
“As soon as we get home, I’ll get you salmon.”
I relinquish her reins to a dragon trainer who takes her to the stables.
When I brush aside the flap of the medical tent, Colm’s bronze armorhas been discarded and he’s downing a cup filled with bronze. Dr. Burke stands behind him, assessing the wounds. What surprises me is how fast Dr. Burke works, how quickly he can whip up lifesaving medicine. What doesn’t surprise me is how annoyed Colm appears, or how ungrateful.
He gulps back the tea and slams the cup down. Then he notices me and begins his tirade. “Who won? If it’s Murphy we have to get him disqualified. Actually, we should get Murphy disqualified anyway for what he just pulled.”
He doesn’t like when I don’t answer because he shouts again. “Who won?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. Too busy saving your ass.” God, I hope it was James. For Bex’s sake, but also to irritate Colm further.
“Go check for me.” It barely comes out as a question, bordering on demand.
I backstep to escape. I’ll gladly go check and in reality, disappear. I only came in here because it’s protocol to answer the doctor’s questions about a patient after rescuing them. How long they were in the water. How I saw them get hit, etcetera.
With James, I had gotten him breathing and consuming gold dust on the ride over and he still lay in this room half dead, blood pouring from his head. A whole team had yelled instructions over him as I’d remained soaking in the corner with adrenaline making my heart slam into my chest. Afterward every question revolved around what I had seen, asking for my theory of why James had gone down. I’d answered inI’m not sures until Mr. Murphy came over and told them to leave me alone. The one time I’d been grateful for his presence, only now I know why he didn’t want anyone questioning me.
Dr. Burke rubs a metallic salve along Colm’s back. Colm flinches, but the anger seems to numb his injury better than any medicine could. “Figure out who won,” Colm insists again.
“That’s not important right now,” Dr. Burke interrupts. As I’m making to leave, he calls out to me. “Farren, please stay and watch him for a moment. Don’t let him lay on his back and don’t let him sleep. I need to get some things to test if he has a concussion.”
As much as I dislike Colm, a possible concussion is serious. Those wounds on his back will need stitches too. “Sure,” I answer, moving to stand in front of him.
Even up close Colm seems fine, angry and irritated, cursing under his breath. Awkwardness stretches between us. The last time I was alone with Colm Ditters was at a tournament year eight and he sneered and joked about me being a simple spotter in training, there to watch him win. James had beaten him badly an hour later.
“Do you have a headache?” I ask.
“Murphy is insane. Tried to kill me out there,” Colm snarls.