Page 49 of Knotted By the Triad

That wasn’t why we snarled. We didn’t want her to touch it and hurt herself.

“Princess.” Allie had moved around me. “Look at it.”

Zuri crouched. I followed her gaze. Blue veins of light had spread outward from the wound. Allie's face paled.

“What is that light?” Zuri asked.

“I don't know,” Allie told her.

I wanted to tell her it was a magical shard. But I couldn’t. Not in this form. Zuri looked toward the dead dragon. Then back at me.

“Can dragon scales normally be stabbed through that easily?” she asked Allie.

“No,” Allie told her. “No shard should’ve done this kind of damage. And it shouldn’t cause these blue lines to form on his side.”

“With these types of lines, I think he’s...” Zuri swallowed. “He’s been poisoned.”

Poisoned? Kai needed to know these shards could poison a dragon. Zian needed... My vision blurred again. The ground tilted. I was falling. No. I was shifting back into my skin form against my will.

My dragon was weakened. What kind of poison was this? My scales disappeared as my body contracted. Bones snapped and reformed until my hands struck the ground. I dropped onto one knee.

“His clothes are gone,” Zuri screamed. “Look away, Allie, before he shifts completely.”

I heard the scuffle of feet and assumed Allie had turned around. I couldn’t see her. Everything was blurry. Only Zuri’s face remained in focus. And that was only because I was using all of my strength to keep my eyes on her.

“Daemin!” Zuri screeched.

She caught my arm before I could hit the ground. Her body wasn't strong enough to hold mine, but that didn't stop her from trying.

“Lie down.”

“No,” I groaned.

My voice sounded strange. Thick. Distant.

“You can barely stand,” she rasped.

“I can stand.”

I tried. The forest tipped sideways. Apparently, I couldn't stand. I allowed Zuri to help me lie down. The shard remained buried beneath my ribs. In my skin form, it looked worse. Blue light pulsed beneath my skin around the wound.

Zuri stared at it. “That needs to come out.”

“No,” I said, reaching out to stop her.

She looked at me. “No?”

“Don't know what will happen... if you remove it.”

“Well, if I leave it in, you’ll die. So, there’s that.”

Smartass. I almost smiled. Then pain tore through my side. My hand hit the ground.

“Daemin?”

Her voice sounded farther away. I forced my eyes open. She was right there by my side. But why wasn’t she at home, where it was safe?

“What are you doing here?” I rasped.