Chapter 272 - 271. The Predator’s Plan (3)
We returned to the inn where I had reserved a room specifically for the child. No one but myself or Lyall was allowed inside. The boy needed a safe space to recover without interference.
While Lyall handled matters upstairs, I had taken the liberty of bringing Asher along during the kidnapping of the Pope. The so-called holy man was now confined in the underground torture room, shackled and awaiting interrogation.
Asher, on the other hand, was resting in the adjacent room. I had yet to heal him. For now, my focus remained on the child who lay in front of me, his small frame rising and falling with each breath. The light from the burning oil lamp shimmered over his blue scales.
His wounds had already healed, his innate healing magic working faster than expected.
I stayed in Ocean’s male form. With Mirielle no longer required, I could finally let her persona rest.
The child stirred, his body shifting uneasily before he jolted awake. His wide, panicked eyes darted around the room until they landed on me. Instinctively, he pressed himself against the wall, chest heaving as if bracing for an attack.
"Calm down, child. It’s me," I said softly, keeping my voice steady and reassuring.
He froze for a moment, his breathing uneven, before recognition dawned on him. His tense body relaxed marginally. Slowly, he glanced down at himself, his expression clouding as he took in the half-transformed state of his Lesser Dragon form.
I offered him a gentle smile. "I’ve taken you out of that horrible place, child. You’re free from the Temple now."
His lips parted, but the cursed blessing spilled from his mouth instead: "May your life be filled with the grace and blessings of our Holy Saintess and the strength of divine Dragons."
He covered his mouth in alarm, his Dragon-like eyes flickering with guilt and shame. The raw emotion reflected in them was far more vivid than anything his human form could convey.