procedure, Herpetes ordered the dragon to drink a few potions, after which he fell asleep straight away. As he was leaving, the healer assured the colonel that there was nothing to worry about and that by morning Draco would be as fit as a dragon… In other words, just as usual.
‘Everything all right?’ Gizel sat down beside him and placed a glass of wine in his hand.
‘Yes, it seems so.’ He instinctively emptied the glass without even realising what was in it. ‘Herpetes said Draco’s fine. He’s exhausted, mind you, but he hasn’t hurt himself.’
The elf breathed a sigh of relief and downed a drink herself. For a long time, they sat shoulder to shoulder, in silence, gazing off into the distance. Their nerves, frayed by anxiety over the pupil and the earlier exhaustion from a hard day’s work, were beginning to take their toll. Darius’s eyelids felt heavy, and his thoughts moved ever more slowly and sluggishly.
‘Has he fallen asleep?’ Gizel’s quiet voice roused him slightly.
‘Yes, after those potions, he’ll sleep until morning.’ He nodded and glanced sideways at the elf. ‘Oscar’s staying with him, and he told me to get some rest.’ He complained, but there was no enthusiasm in his voice. He didn’t have the strength for it.
‘I think he was right.’ Gizel leaned in and gently brushed her lips against his cheek. ‘Good night, Darius,’ she whispered in his ear.
Before Bleist could even recover, the elf had melted into the darkness of the night like a dream-like apparition. Yet the warmth she left behind was very real indeed.
