The Sage's Vow

15.2 || Hidden Enemies

The realization turned into a mental and external shout. "Kidron!"

Relief, excitement, panic, desperation, all feelings that thrummed through the bond. Mara had the disorienting sense that the emotions should be a flood of intensity, but they only lapped against her before pulling away.

Her heart fell like stone. Had she lost the connection again?

Bare... through...

She released her held breath. He was still there, but distant. Painfully distant. I'm here. I'm alive, Kidron. I'm right here.

His presence curled against her. The sudden urge to cry burned Mara's eyes. She swiped a hand across her face and forced the sensation away. The bond wasn't broken or gone. This was proof that it was healing with time, just as Cale had said it would. At least she had it, even if barely.

She turned to Cale at the thought of him. He watched her, and she smiled apologetically before explaining the situation.

"I've noticed the..." He frowned as he seemed to grasp for the right word. "The block between Ezraim and me doesn't seem as thick. Hopefully this means I will hear from him soon as well."

He hid it well from his voice, but pain etched itself in the lines of Cale's face. He had been awake without his bond for much longer than Mara had. Without thinking, she reached out and squeezed his hand.

Her stomach clenched. Comforting touch wasn't exactly typical between the two of them, but she'd wanted to ease his pain somehow, to remind him he wasn't alone with the strange new dragon in this unknown world now. The last time she could remember something like this was their first meeting, when he hugged her through her tears upon finding her.

Maybe it was because Cale was always the one who offered comfort, and he did it with words, building her up when she felt at her lowest now rather than offering an embrace. She hadn't realized how much she missed physical comfort until Josh, and maybe that was why now she had slipped into it.

Her rambling thoughts froze as Cale turned his hand over and squeezed back. "Thank you, Samara," he said before sliding his hand away. Not like he was trying to escape her, but as if he'd taken enough comfort from the contact. "Can you find out anything from Kidron about what's happening on the other side?"

"I can try to ask, but a conversation right now seems near impossible," Mara admitted.

It took multiple attempts, but finally, she got her question fully through. Each of them had to transmit the same word over and over until they were sure the other knew what they meant. A sharp pain throbbed in Mara's temple, but she relished Kidron's presence. Part of her continued to ache for Cale, aware of the envy tinging his silence as he waited.

After a few minutes, she believed she had the full picture of what Kidron was trying to tell her. Before she could relay it to Cale, though, her dragon snatched at her attention again. He focused his presence through the bond, wrapping around her like a flurry of flakes.

... home... Come home.

I will, she promised. As soon as I can, Kidron, I will come home.

Her time with her dragon didn't feel enough, not when it had been so patchy, but she forced herself to focus on Cale. "Kidron says there is a rescue party here, in this realm, searching for us."

His eyes widened. "What? How?"

She almost grinned, but their dire circumstance wouldn't let her. "Someone has the same mindset as you. They used the monster's very portals to get through to here. Kidron tried to tell me more details, but it was taking too long, so hopefully he can tell me what he couldn't later when the bond isn't so strained."