“Please leave, Eva,” he said quietly. When she didn’t answer, he sighed. “Eva, it’s all right.”
“No, it’s not.” Tears shined in her brown eyes. “I saw you. I saw your pain. It’s not all right.”
“The burns will go away. See?” He pointed at a large one on his arm, already healed and fading, the skin pink with new flesh. “Dragons heal quickly. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Tears spilled down her face. He choked as remorse flooded him, and he reached for her hands, but didn’t grab them. “Hey, I promise, I’m all right.”
She squeezed her eyes tightly and fought back a sob.
But she didn’t run away. She wasn’t hysterical. Upset and frightened, she remained beside him, and Balthazar inhaled sharply as an unfamiliar emotion washed over him. Gratitude. He wanted so badly to hold her close and comfort her.
She sat down so she faced him. Her presence calmed him, soothed his nerves, while his dragon remained suspiciously quiet. “I want to help you.”
He laughed at that, the action hurting his throat. “I’m sorry, but there’s nothing anyone can do for me.”
“Except find your scale.”
He raised his head.
“I’m going to find it.” Her voice held conviction. She scooted closer. “It’s possible that the dig by Lysuhóll Volcano may have turned up something. Let me go to the museum and see if it’s there.”
Balthazar shook his head, the effort shooting needles of pain through his neck. “Not safe.”
“This isn’t good for you.” She smacked the cage with her hand. “You shouldn’t be locked up like some animal.”
“I have no choice.”
“Yes, you do.”
He looked at her face, filled with determination. “You have me, and my archeological expertise. You also get the stubbornness that comes with it. I’ll do whatever it takes to find your scale and make you better.”
For one crazy moment, Balthazar wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe that everything would be as it should be, and he would reclaim his birthright.
“In the meantime, I think we can let you out.”
She was stubborn, he granted her that. “And why in Odin’s name do you think that?”
Eva reached for the padlock on the cage. “You haven’t had an episode since I got here.”
He looked down at himself. It was true—his flesh continued to heal, there were no new wounds, and his shoulder throbbed with pain, but not unbearable. The fire within had subsided considerably, and as for Bal, he remained silent. Eva’s presence had quieted his dragon spirit. Even with the Equinox almost upon them, Bal wouldn’t fight with her nearby. “So it would seem.”
She hesitated. “Is it okay to open the cage?”
Balthazar waited for several minutes before finally nodding, and he watched Eva as she produced a key and fitted it into the lock. “How did you find the key?” he asked suspiciously.
She smiled. “I can be very charming.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
“I gave Thorsson an ultimatum.”
An image of Eva bossing around the blond giant came to mind. It hurt to laugh.
Eva took the lock off and backed away. It was good that she continued to remain cautious.
Balthazar waited for several more minutes to see if Bal would attack him again. He didn’t, but his dragon spirit did something unexpected. His tight coil of anger stretched and relaxed throughout his body. The dragon heat remained, but now it smoldered quietly. It felt content.
And Balthazar knew Eva’s presence affected it. She affected him as well. He hadn’t felt passion in ages, worried that he could die at any moment. But Eva had cracked the wall he had built to keep people out, and his dragon knew it. Knew it, and accepted her, despite her being human.
He opened the cage door. Eva sat close to the staircase, a good idea, in case she needed to get away fast. “How are you feeling?”
“Better.”
She nodded at him. “Your injuries are healing.”
He looked down. The cracks that once oozed blood and dragon flame were now closed with a healthy pink tinge. He carefully checked his mental barrier, and to his astonishment, discovered that it was whole. Bal hadn’t tried to crack it open again after Eva’s appearance.
Balthazar looked at her. She sat quietly, watching him with interest. She wasn’t frightened at all, though tears stained her cheeks. Thorsson would have grabbed his artillery and body armor before even attempting to come down here. She had done so with nothing but her confidence.
He climbed out and stood beside the cage. He was covered in sweat, and his body ached, but he wasn’t in pain, and he raked his hair back with one hand.