ABIGAIL'S POV
I looked around my little cottage and breathed in the familiar fragrance of my home. 
Strangely, even though I had been away for two weeks, there was not a speck of dust to be seen. 
It was as if someone had thoroughly swept and wiped every inch of my cottage but everything was still in the exact same place. The roses that lay beside my window still looked healthy despite the fact that I had not watered them for two weeks. 
Strange. 
I heard a soft whimper and I quickly headed toward my bedroom. Edwin had sat up in bed and was now rubbing his eyes, and trying to adjust the light. They had been asleep all through the night. 
When we came back to Riota, the only place I could think of where they could stay and rest was my little cottage. 
It was hidden well away in the mountains already due to my previous notorious life, stealing bands and information from the kings and whatnot. 
No one except Anna and Micheal knew where I lived. 
Edwin looked at me confused for a second, then he looked around the room. 
I smiled at him, offering him the warmest look, I could. Then his eyes widened, I knew he was remembering. He was such a smart boy. 
He suddenly looked beside him and breathed out heavily finally relaxing when he saw Azian still fast asleep beside him.
"You two have been asleep for six hours, Azian will probably need much more rest than you, he is completely exhausted, with the use of all that power, " I explained. 
Edwin nodded gently touching Azian, "why is he so hot? " Edwin asked withdrawing his hand sharply.
My eyebrows furrowed, "what? " I asked walking quickly toward the bed. 
I touched Azians forehead and yelped loudly withdrawing my hand. 
Indeed he was really burning up. I quickly rushed out of the bedroom getting a bucket if water and a cloth, I wrung it and walked back to the room. 
By now Edwin was fully awake and had a worried expression on his face. 
I quickly put out the cloth over Azians burning forehead.
No sooner had I put the cloth on his forehead than I felt the heat coming through the cloth, making it warm up slowly, "you have to keep him constantly cool, or else the heat will go right through, " Edwin explained. 
I turned to him, despite the fact that Azian was burning up, Edwin still had that calm look. I guess rule number one for being someone's guardian was to never lose your cool."Glacies frigus pàgos krÿo" I muttered underneath my breath.
The cloth began to cool, then got colder, then warm, then colder, the warm and colder, back and forth as it fought with Azians temperature. 
Azian let out a small breath rolling to his side. His once uncomfortable-looking face relaxed.
I sighed but kept the cloth on his forehead. I turned to look at Edwin. He was looking at me intently.,"what are you? " he asked solemnly. 
I paused, "well.. I.. I"
 "I know your not a dragon because even a cobalt dragon's magic can't managed to deal with Azians headaches, Only Elzar's. "
I bit my lip, "Edwin, I'm a... a witch, " I trailed off.
He looked at me intently,"a witch? " he asked. 
I nodded wondering if he even knew what a witch was. I knew he had lived in the forest all his life and I wondered if he had ever learned that there were other species out there apart from his own. 
He looked around, "is this your home? " he asked
I nodded
"We aren't in Gard, are we? " 
I shook my head. 
where's my father? "
I paused, my ex yes shifting to the ground. 
I had no idea if he had survived, 
Alec could have killed him, and if not, he surely died when the castle fell apart,"Edwin, dear, I.. I.. "
He shook his head, a tear falling from his eyes, "no. " he said shaking his head furiously.
"I don't think he made it sweetheart, " I said softly. 
He looked up at me, tears falling freely from his eyes, "oh... Dear," I pulled him into my arms, I felt the years threatening to push out from my own eyes and I let them.
We cried together for a few. Minutes,.not talking-just crying, as Edwin sobbed into my shoulder. He was just a kid.
"Mmmmm" Azian groaned. 
Both Edwin and I snapped our heads watching him. Azian groaned again as if he was in pain. Edwin wiped his tears bravely moving to Azian, "Edwin" I whispered.
"I'm his guardian, papa always told me, I have to protect him, nothing else matters now, " he whispered the last words.
"Mmmmm" Azian groaned, even louder this time. 
I moved closer to him and touched the cloth. 
I screamed out as it burnt my hand. The spell must have worn off. It should have lasted a few hours.
 "aaaaaaaagh!" Azian shot up, shouting. 
The moment he did a flash of lightning sounded and rain began to fall almost immediately. 
"it's worse now,, " Edwin exclaimed suddenly panicking.
 
"glacies frigus pàgos krÿo," I repeated the phrase twice touching the cloth quickly. There was no change as the rain began to pound heavily.
Azian turned in bed, his eyes still shut closed. Thunder rang through the skies and both Edwin and I shivered at the same time. It had suddenly begun cold. 
Then the winds began. I closed the windows in the room as tithe dark clouds began to cover the sky making it look like it was evening. "He is really sick! " Edwin yelped, "can't you help him? "
I thought quickly as Azian groaned again. A healing spell could do it, but I didn't think I was strong enough to handle him. Suddenly we heard a loud bang. The front door had swung open. 
I quickly covered Edwin's mouth so that he wouldn't talk or say a thing, I put one finger on my lip motioning him to be quiet He nodded as I let go, his eyes wide. My heart began to beat faster as I stood up softly, the house was dark and shadowy after Azians rain clouds blocked the sun and the rest of the other clouds.
I tiptoed out of the room. 
Thump 
Thump 
Thump. My heart rang. My back was against the wall slowly moving with it until I reached the room connected to the front door. I heard someone grunt and my heartbeat quickened. 
It was now or never. 
I jumped into the room my hands up shouting the caging spell. 
"-Anna? "I asked as I came face to face with my terrified best friend. 
She looked as if she almost had a heart attack. 
 "Abigail? " she asked clutching her chest. I smiled drawing her into a hug. 
 "oh my! thank Erania! I thought you were dead!" Anna screeched tears in her eyes. 
I held her close. 
"no. I'm not, I told you I'm a fighter, " 
She smiled at me weakly before dropping to the floor. 
"Anna! " I shouted trying to pull her up. 
She was still heavily pregnant. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. 
"Anna doesn't cry, I'm here, " I eased rubbing her back. 
"M M Micheal.." she stuttered her tears falling freely. 
"Micheal? " her husband, one of my closest friends. "what's wrong... Where's Micheal? " I asked. 
"the g-g-guards, L-Lycans, v-vampires, some witches, they c c came, they... K-k-K-K " she kept stuttering 
"shhhhh... Relax... Tell me what happened, " I eased her
"they killed him, right in front of me, I managed to escape but Micheal's dead! " she sobbed.
I froze, I felt stiff and sick. I knew Micheal as a best friend would. He was a fair man, kind and generous, with a talent for getting under people's skin. And he loved his wife more than anything in this world. 
He was like a brother to me. 
I slouched beside her, absorbing this news She rested her head on my shoulder her other arm around her tummy. I rubbed her shoulder, "don't worry Anna, we will get through this, I promise. "
Tears were already falling down my eyes. We cried like that for a few minutes together. 
"Abigail? " a small voice said
 I jolted up. I almost forgot about Azian and Edwin! Anna looked at Edwin. Her eyes held confusion as she looked at me. I knew she could sense they were not of our kind.
Reading her mind I spoke up, "This is Edwin, Edwin this is Anna, my best friend, " I introduced.
Anna lifted her head from my shoulder, "What is-"
"he is a dragon, " I cut her off. 
Her eyes widened., "The-"
"Not the dragon but a dragon, " I corrected.
She stood up slowly, "so it's true, " she began, one hand on her mound.
I stood up too,  "what's true?"
"The guards said you were a traitor and made friends with the dragons, " her eyes held disbelief as she looked at Edwin. 
Anna, it's... It's not that simple... I-I.. "
"They killed him because they said you were a traitor and Micheal said you would never betray us, " she began
My eyes furrowed, knowing this was all my fault, Micheal died because King Alec saw me at the castle. 
 " I couldn't kill him, I can't kill him, I gave him my word, I have to protect him now, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for Micheal to die, no had no idea, "
She looked at me coldly, "what do you mean you have to protect him? " she paused looking behind Edwin suspiciously, " he is here, isn't? " 
I remained silent. 
"aaaaagh!! " Azian screamed as if on cue