Carpathian 23 - Dark Storm

made it clear
     that it was impossible.
    “Where do you want to live, Dax? We never talked about it.”
    He drank her in, his gaze moving over her, studying her body for any signs of discomfort.
     “I would like to make our way back to the Carpathian Mountains and see the new prince.”
     He laughed softly at himself. “I guess he’s not really new. He’s been the prince for
     some time, but he’s new to me.”
    “That sounds like fun. I’ve always wanted to travel to other places.”
    “I’d like to see where you grew up,” he added. He brought her hand to his mouth and
     nibbled on her knuckles. He hoped the hot water would take some of the pain from her
     body when the time came. “After we’ve traveled the world, you can choose a place you
     want to make our home base.”
    A look of alarm crossed Riley’s face. She tried to let go of his hand, but Dax tightened
     his grip. The Old One stirred. Dax pushed gently into her mind, and she pushed back
     hard to keep him out, vigorously shaking her head.
    “I don’t want you to feel this with me, Dax.” Again, Riley tugged on her hand, her
     body hunching. “I can’t worry about how distressed you are.” She took a breath, pressed
     her hand to her stomach and turned her face away. “I should do this alone, in privacy.”
    And she would. That was one of the things about her that turned him inside out. Dax
     waved his hand toward the rich, dark earth. The soil peeled back to provide a deep
     bed.
    “I’m going to be sick.” Riley turned, leaning over the side of the pool, and wretched
     over and over.
    When Dax put his hand on her back, her outside shell was cold while inside she was
     on fire, her organs twisting and reshaping. Her body convulsed and would have slipped
     beneath the water had he not caught her and laid her down on the natural lounge, so
     that the water covered her skin. Her muscles were hard knots, great lumps all over
     her body, rigid with tension. The springwater, fed by the volcano, was hot and helped
     to ease the knots from her body.
    The pain came in great waves that sometimes lifted her up and slammed her down. Dax
     cushioned the fall while her body twisted and writhed. Her eyes were wide open, but
     she didn’t look at him. With glazed eyes she looked up at the gem-studded ceiling,
     the glittering rubies that flowed over their heads. She breathed through the pain,
     and Dax found himself breathing with her, trying to stay on top of the waves rather
     than succumb to them.
    In one of the brief moments of reprieve, she touched his face, frowning as her hand
     came away with beads of blood. “I’m alright, Dax. I can do this,” she assured.
    “I know you can,” Dax replied, his stomach in hard knots as well. The conversion was
     brutal and there was little he could do to help her. He’d ignored her command to stay
     out of her head. He tried to take her pain on himself, but it was impossible. Trying
     not to show his growing alarm, he brushed kisses over her eyes until the next big
     wave.
    The Old One began to struggle for supremacy, needing to stop the terrible pain taking
     Riley. Dax had never experienced panic, but it was setting in fast. The hot water
     was no longer doing any good. Nothing could stop the violent convulsions, and it was
     dangerous with so much rock around. She was sick constantly, her body fighting to
     rid itself of toxins.
    He lifted her into his arms. I’ve got her, Old One. She isn’t dying.
    She is, you fool. We’re going to lose her.
    Riley’s hand moved. Smoothed his hair. Soft amusement spilled into his mind despite
     the pain and fever raging in her body. Men are definitely the weaker sex. I’m getting through it. Stop fighting you two.
    That fast the amusement was gone as the next brutal wave took her, robbing her of
     breath, nearly tearing her out of his arms as her body locked rigid, nearly breaking
     her bones.
    She was a child of the earth and he was counting heavily on that. He carried her to
     the open soil and floated them both down, placing her body in the cool dirt. Instantly
     the whispers started, female voices, soothing, reaching.
    The Old One subsided, but Dax felt him reaching, touching the only thing he could—Riley’s
     soul. The threads binding Riley to Dax stretched to include the soul of the Old One.
    Be certain , Dax cautioned, shocked at the generosity of the old dragon. His time had passed,
     yet he had given his soul to Dax to aid in destroying evil.