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Mason froze. He had fallen to his knees, and he stared at me with wide eyes. Staggering to his feet, he ran towards me. He took my face in his hands, as though trying to prove to himself that I was truly there. I was surprised, myself. But I also no longer felt like myself any more. His eyes were wide, and his cheeks were wet with tears. I reached up, wiping them away. As I did, they steamed a little from the heat of my touch, burning away beneath my fingers.
“I thought...I thought you were dead,” he said breathlessly. “I saw you fall.”
“Clearly not,” I replied with a coy smile. “I mean, I fell, and the fire was all around me, but it didn’t burn me.” He took me in his arms, squeezing so hard that the breath was knocked out of me. I gave him a moment, then pushed him away. “What did happen to me?” He looked at me, his eyes wide.
“Blood magic,” he replied. “When our blood mixed, you must have taken on some of the abilities of the dragon shifters.” I nodded. I felt stronger. Better than I had been. It felt good.
“Can I become a dragon?” I asked, suddenly piqued.
“I don’t know,” he replied. “I just don’t know enough about my own kind. But you survived a blaze. Which means that I probably lost that ability during the ritual.”
“They wanted you dead, then,” I surmised. He nodded.
“Betrayal is considered a crime against our kind,” he said, biting his lip. I sighed, glancing around us. Burned, grotesque forms were scattered around us.
“You took care of them,” I said.
“I should have gotten you first,” he replied. “I just left you.” I shrugged.
“I was fine,” I assured him. “I am just fine. I feel...stronger and better than I was before.” I looked at the palm of my hand. The cut from the sacrificial dagger was healed, a white scar crossing my skin. He was silent. I glanced up at him. He looked to be struggling within himself.
“Let’s get out of here,” I suggested. He nodded vacantly. I took his hand and led him away from the scene. Walking back into the farmhouse, we entered through the door, which had been blasted open despite our barricade. Walking back into the bedroom, we gathered our clothes, which had been discarded earlier. We dressed in silence, quickly going to the place at the edge of the woods where Mason had hidden the truck. We got in and drove off.