Fire and Blood

"There weren't always dragons in the Valley, and I miss those days," Naba sighed. His hand shook slightly as he picked up his teacup. He took a good sniff and then peeked at me over the rim, his eyes smiling. "But they make a damn good cuppa. What's this one called? Smells like hot peppers and mint."

"Dragontongue," I said. "The mint's the leaves, and the fire comes from a bit of the flower. Can't have too much or it'll numb your throat completely."

Naba nodded, then closed his eyes and took a small sip. His eyebrows shot up to his hairline as the effects hit - I hadn't been kidding about the dose.

"Down the hatch, Naba," I said, echoing the phrase he'd used to get me to take my medicine as a child. "If I'm right about the blend, you should sleep without coughing tonight."

Naba took another cautious sip, then put the cup down, daring a few deeper breaths. He raised his eyebrows again, glancing at the tea with admiration, then me. I settled back in my chair, unable to contain my grin.

"They teach you this, Arov?" Naba asked. I nodded. He picked up the cup again. This time, his hands were steadier. He drank quietly, swallowing faster as he got used to the bite. By the time he was finished, he was breathing steadily, deep and even. His cheeks picked up a little more color.

"That's strong stuff," he said. "But there's definitely something to it. Think I'll sleep well tonight."

"I washed the sheets today," I told him, getting to my feet and holding out a hand. He took it, but leaned on me less than usual, his footing more sure than it had been in a long time. Once we reached his bed, I grabbed the pail of water and knelt before him. Naba gave a contented grunt as I washed his feet, threading my fingers between his toes to stretch out any cramping. He rested his palm on the top of my head in the customary blessing.

Finally, I kissed his knee and stood up, helped him pull his shirt over his head and tucked the sheets around him the way he liked. Naba caught my hand as I turned to go, giving it a gentle squeeze of thanks.

Naba's house was next to mine, so close we didn't lock our doors. I headed across the back yard, fingering the vial in my pocket and checking the sky for wings.

My door was open, just a crack. I pushed it open with my fingertips and tasted the air inside before entering. Silver and citrus. Amil.

"Most people tell you they're coming before they make themselves at home in your kitchen," I called as I slipped my shoes off and headed back.

I could hear Amil shrug before they answered. "You and I are not most people." The thought rumbled through my head as if it had sprung from my own mind, but in the distinct cadence of Amil's head-voice.

I rounded the corner to see Amil curled against the wall closest to my stove. I went over and ran my palm over the scaled ridge on the back of their neck. I felt the ghost of the touch down my own spine, and a flow of warmth. It wasn't the overwhelming rush of need and affection Amil sometimes greeted me with, but I needed something gentler tonight. I relaxed into it like a hot bath.

"You didn't have to wait for me," I said.

"But I wanted to," they replied, their tail snaking around my waist. "I wanted to know how it went."

"It worked," I said quietly, the weight of the words finally making themselves felt in my chest. I clutched the empty vial with my other hand. "He went right to sleep. No coughing."

Amil gave me the dragon equivalent of a raised eyebrow. "He agreed to take it."

"He did."

"Even though he knew what was in it?"

I paused. "He tasted the dragontongue. He caught that right away."

Amil looked at me more intently, their tail rising to nudge the back of my head. "You didn't tell him," they said, their voice inscrutable.

"I couldn't," I whispered.

Amil shuddered, a full-body tremor that rattled their scales. "You're going to have to tell him."

"Will I? I don't see -"

"It matters."

"It's bad enough that it's dragon medicine at all -"

"He's bonded to you and he doesn't know," Amil hissed. "He had a right to decide for himself, and you took that away." Their breath got hotter, enough that I had to step back.

"Humans don't always -" I began. "Sometimes we - look. It's not the same, okay? Sometimes it's more important that a person be protected than forced to choose between their health and -"

"You think he's not going to know?" Amil shot back, sparks dripping off their tongue. "What do you suppose he's going to think when he starts feeling your feelings? The first time he sees the world through your eyes? When he hears your head-voice? He'll think he's gone mad."

I squirmed and looked anywhere but at Amil. "I'll tell him it's a side effect of the dragontongue."

Amil pulled away. Their scales had turned bright green, a color reserved for immense disgust. They spat sparks at the floor, then slid around me, heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" I called, hating how pitiful my voice sounded. "I thought you were staying with me tonight."

Amil stopped at the door, the intense green of their scales fading slightly. "I can't. Not until you tell him. Lying is...distasteful," they explained. "I could taste it the minute you walked in."

"Amil, don't. I'll tell him," I said. "Just don't leave me alone tonight. Please?"

Amil thought for a minute, then turned around. "I'll stay long enough to help you prepare the next dose and manage the drop," they said. "But if we share a bed, I won't be able to sleep."

That would have to be good enough. I pulled the vial from my pocket and set it in a holder on the kitchen table. I fetched the supplies from a locked drawer next to my spices, and sat down, stretching my arm out.

Amil's claws looked like weapons but were fantastically precise, and good for laboratory work. They expertly took the needle and slipped it into my vein so gently I hardly felt it. The vial filled quickly. Amil corked it and set the tools aside, running a warm tongue over the spot of blood that remained on my arm. It healed instantly, but I felt the lightheadedness begin as it did.

"Come on," Amil said, sliding their tail across my back. "Let's get you to bed."