He chuckled. "He took that as a challenge didn't he?"
                          
I smiled. "I would have loved to have Kailo as my mate, he was kind and beautiful and we had grown up together. But he was weak and I wanted a strong mate. When the day came for the warriors to fight, he stepped forward and I thought he was going to die but he won. He told me he trained with my father so that he would be strong enough to be my mate when the time came."
                          
"He sounds like he loved you."
                          
I dried the tears on my face, clenching my jaw. "Yeah but it doesn't matter anymore," I said quickly.
                          
"Did you love him?′
                          
I looked over at Kellan with a small frown. I didn't want to answer but I felt like I had to. "More than anything," I told him.
                          
He nodded a little, smiling to himself as he laid down.
                          
"Why do I keep answering your questions?" I asked with a small growl.
                          
His smile disappeared. "Accidental hypnosis."
                          
I blinked. "What?"
                          
"One of the things a dæmon does is increase a witch's power, that's why we have them. I can make people do what I want, but with Janessa I do it on accident sometimes," he sighed.
                          
"So you can make me answer your questions?"
                          
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to. I don't like to do it but sometimes I can't control it."
                          
I made a small noise but didn't respond as I turned my attention towards the wall again.
                          
"Lyzaria?"
                          
"Hm?"
                          
"Do you want to sleep?" he asked slowly.
                          
I paused. Can he make me sleep?
                          
Tell him yes, Mitalonys growled.
                          
"Yes."
                          
He stood up and carefully picked his way around the fire before kneeling beside me. "Look at me," he murmured.
                          
I inhaled sharply when my gaze met his. His yellow eyes glowed in the darkness, flickering in time with the flames. I heard a low hum in my ears and my eyelids grew heavy.
                          
"Goodnight Lyzaria."
                          
***
                          
I opened my eyes with a sharp inhale. My shoulder was burning badly and it felt like it was spreading along every nerve in my body.
                          
"Oh my gods," I gasped, my mouth twisting into a grimace.
                          
"Wait don't move I still need to—"
                          
His words were cut off by my scream. Blinding white pain shot through my shoulder and I couldn't hold back my sobs.
                          
My fisted hands were shaking and I couldn't see anything through the tears. Each beat of my heart sent a painful throbbing straight to my shoulder.
                          
Just breathe Zari, my dragon said.
                          
I closed my eyes and did as he said. I sucked in a shuddering breath that shook my chest. I let it out slowly and the pain started to fade.
                          
"Are you okay?"
                          
I opened my eyes. "What did you do?" I growled through my sobs.
                          
"I'm sorry you were supposed to stay asleep!" He muttered in frustration.
                          
"What are you talking about?"
                          
He sighed. "Your wound is starting to get infected and the poison isn't going away. I needed to cut away the damaged flesh otherwise you will lose your whole arm," he explained.
                          
"How the fuck would I have stayed asleep while you out a knife to my shoulder!" I shouted angrily.
                          
"Because I told you to sleep! You should have remained unconscious until I told you to wake. I don't understand why it didn't work," he mumbled under his breath.
                          
"Does it normally work on dragons?"
                          
"Yes it works on dragons—it works on everybody!" he huffed. "I've never tried it on dragon royalty I guess—you're not all that different from the other dragons though, right?"
                          
My eyes widened. "Um no not really, we're a lot more powerful though," I said. Mitalonys laughed in the back of my mind. We?  he asked in amusement. 
                          
He doesn't need to know about you, I snapped.
                          
Kellan stared at me. "I suppose," he murmured. "It would make sense. Except I still made you fall asleep."
                          
I scowled. "I was already exhausted, you just enforced a desire that was already there."
                          
"Fine whatever, I tried to do it the nice way but apparently your dragon is more powerful than me so you get to deal with the pain," he said with a scowl.
                          
Damn it Mita! I growled.
                          
Do not yell at me. Without me you would be dead right now, he retorted.
                          
"Okay well I think I got most of the damaged flesh off so we should be fine for now. I may have to do this again tomorrow," Kellan sighed.
                          
"Can't you just let me die?" I groaned.
                          
He chuckled lightly. "Oh come on the dragon queen has to survive to rule over what's left of the world once the wolves die out."
                          
"Don't call me that."