Damar's grip on me was tight enough to bruise, his fingers digging into my shoulders as he pulled back just an inch.
His emerald eyes were wide, scanning every centimeter of my face, his nostrils flaring as he caught the scent of the copper-thick blood on my hands.
He didn't look at the dead red-scale at my feet with curiosity; he looked at it with a chilling, raw terror. Like he could rip it apart all over for having to put me through this.
"You put yourself in danger," he said, his voice trembling with a vibration I felt deep in my own chest.
His hands moved to my neck, his thumbs frantically wiping at the crimson spray on my collarbone.
"Ari, you were supposed to be behind in the Palace. You were supposed to be safe."
"I was safe, Damar," I started, but I was interrupted by the heavy, thudding footsteps of Noah and Fenric as they skidded to a halt in the mud beside us.
