Page 50 of An Accident Waiting to Dragon

More light.

She was almost out.

A groan, long and drawn out, and his body arched, like he was trying to chase her touch, the sound he was making something closer to pleasure.

“Fuck,” Ladon muttered, then, “You’re killing him.”

He reached for her, hands grasping her wrists and she batted him away. “He’s dead if I don’t.”

More light.

Gwen was breathing hard by now.

This better do it, because as she gave one final push of light, she was out. That was everything.

Asher’s body went deathly still beneath her touch.

Gwen opened her eyes and her stomach pitched at the sight of a black, tar-like substance oozing out of his now glowing wound.

“Roll him to his side,” she said. “With the wound down.”

Thank the gods they listened, not bothering with questions.

“Is it draining?” she asked, sitting in front of Asher’s front.

“Yes.” Ladon made a face. “But I don’t think it’s helping?—”

Gwen put her ear to Asher’s chest again.

No beat. Not that she could hear.

No sound at all.

No movement.

Just…nothing.

Something inside her broke. Snapped clean through. He was a dragon. Dragons were indestructible.

Nothing ever hurt him.

Except me.

She grabbed his hand, gripping it with both of hers and put her ear to his chest. “Don’t go,” she whispered, her voice cracking around the words. “Don’t leave me here alone.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Asher

* * *

Consciousness came to Asher slowly. As if he was emerging not from sleep but from a dreamless sort of darkness that felt…cloying, like fingers were trying to drag him down. Keep him down.

Groggy.

That was the word for it.

Hells, even his dragon felt heavy, like they’d both been sedated.