Page 176 of Of Masks and Fury

“Then help me move him,” I said, already snatching up our supplies, looking around for a place where we could hide. “Now.”

Her wild gaze met mine. “Isi?—”

“I’m not leaving him to die.” The words ripped from my lungs. “Find us shelter. Anything defensible.”

Lexie was already running toward the tallest stack of boulders. Levar took to the air in dragon form to circle the area.

“There’s a cave,” Lexie called out. “It’s small, but it’ll work.”

Derren sheathed his sword and came over to crouch beside Trew. “I’ll take his shoulders. You get his legs. Quickly.”

We lifted him.

Trew groaned, his eyes fluttering open. “Can make it myself.” His body twitched, his muscles trembling with the effort to get to his feet.

Blood stained through his tunic, the scent of copper filling my nose.

“Let us do this for you,” I hissed. “Please.”

“Need to stand,” he growled.

We helped him to his feet and wrapped our arms around him, supporting his lumbering gait.

His hand found my arm, gripping hard. “Leave me. Run.”

“I am not going anywhere. Don’t argue with me.” We started moving, half-dragging him toward where Lexie was waving us forward. “You can yell at me for staying later.”

Around us, the trembling grew worse. Roars echoed from the wasteland, getting closer.

The cave entrance was barely wide enough for one person. We had to angle Trew sideways, Derren guiding him through first while I supported his other side. His consciousness started slipping again. Trew’s head lolled forward, smacking against the stone.

Rock scraped against leather as we squeezed through. Beyond, the cave opened up enough for us to lay Trew down on the uneven floor, but there was no room to spread out. I ended up pressed against his side, my body the only thing keeping him from rolling onto his wounded shoulder.

Kerralyn crawled in after us and dropped our packs on the floor. Lexie came next, our shifted companions right behind.

Dragons fly,Pherin said.Burn.

Good. They can burn it all.

The cave was barely large enough for all of us. I could touch both walls with my arms fully extended. The ceiling pressed down low enough that Derren had to hunch forward. But it was defensible, and right now that was all that mattered.

Outside, the first creature reached our abandoned camp. The sound of it tearing through made my stomach turn. If we’d stayed, we’d be under attack. There was little chance I could’ve defended myself with Trew lying on the ground, though I would’ve done my best.

I shoved the thought away and focused on him. His skin had gone clammy, fever already building beneath the surface. When I pressed my hand to his forehead, the heat radiating from him made me flinch.

“Kerralyn, he’s getting sicker.”

“I see it.” She dug through her pack, pulling out small vials and cloth pouches.

Trew’s hand shot out, grabbing my wrist with surprising strength. His eyes opened, but they remained unfocused, glazed with fever.

“Saw you first,” he muttered, his voice rough and broken. “In that mask. I knew you were mine…even then.”

My mind reeled. He was delirious, the fever stripping away all his careful control.

His grip tightened. “Couldn’t breathe when you left. Thought I’d lost you.”

It was all I could do to breathe with the pain stabbing through my chest. I tried to pull my hand free, but he held onto it like I was the only thing keeping him from slipping away.