Saphira and Niks walked slowly through the quiet night, their footsteps instfel spine the soft rath. The pack ground were breloking in the deck–i the mom casting silver reflection against the treetops, the distant glow of hesterna fickening from the houses scattered along thendscape.

She wanted to take it all in, to let herself appreciate the illness, the beauty, that her mind refined to settle.

Her dragon stirred uneasily within her, a familiar tention curling in her chest, ging at her thights,

First–when Asher had hugged her

Then when Anastasia had woken up.

Saphira knew her dragon had reacted to something–something she didn’t understand. And the uncertainty graved at her, refusing to fade in the background.

She needed to talk to biks about it, to figure out how to properlymunicate with her drapu–to understand what was happening inside he

But how?

She couldn’t exactly turn to him and say, Hey Niksb, /bwhat does it mean when my dragon bhad /bba /bstrong tion to another male on hugging me?

That was… not going to work

Her thoughts tangled further, Entration coeping in

Then

“Everything okayb?/b”

Niks voce pulled her from her spiral, and the blinked, realizing he was staring at her–watching her with quiet concem.

She straightened slightly, startled. “…ern,

But even she didn’t sound convinced.

Before she could finish, a sudden rush of movement snapped her attention forwar

A doctor came running toward them, urgency carved into every step

“bNiks/b,e quickly–Zafira is waking,”

Saphira barely had time to bprocess /bthe words before bNiks /bbturned /bsharply, his golden eyes shing, tension rippling through hin

bHis /bbgaze /bflickered to her briefly before mapping back to the doctac

Then–without hesitation–they can.

The uncertainty in her chest was forgotten in an istant

Whatever was happening–bwhatever /bher dragon had been trying to wam her about-

I would bhave /bto wall

Because right now–Zalipa was waking. And nothing mattered more than that.

b1/4 /b

As soon as they entered the room, the atmosphere was charged with spray

Doctors summunded Zafira’s bed, mixing in practiced precision–conducting this, with tention, with detrimination, with the weight of this moment.

Saphira and Nikt steed bark, watching, waiting

She scored the rooms quickly, noting that Asher and Anastasia weir as longer there

Colution prickled at her. Where did they got

Herge lickered toward the fate, searching for any indication, any sign of where they might approached then.

“I won’t be long nox,” he informed, His voice steady but carrying an undertone of pranummer, you’ll have privacy when Zafira wakes”

Saphira inhaled slowly, molding one, trying to settle the nerves twisting in her stomach.

Niks was already speaking. “Thank you. Can you send someone to informed?”

bight away!

The doctor burned, speaking quietly bto /bba /bbnurse/b, who then disappeared down the hall.

Saphira Haly noticed her focus entirely on Zafira,

Each second stretched unbearably.

Every movement from the doctors, every murmur of conversation, mery shit in equipment felt slower than it should–the time self was dragging

Then–abruptly–the actory stopped.

Like Anastasia–every doctor stepped back

Saphira’s breath caught.

Niks stiffened beside her. “What’s happening?”

One of the doctors turned, his expressionposed. “Now we wait for her to wake an her own. It should be minent.”

The silence stretched between there, thick with anticipation.

Saphire kept her eyes locked on Zafira’s still form, her pulse pounding in her bears/b.

Then–she wow it. The smallest

Asti A twitch in Zafira’s fingers, a faint charge in her breathing.

Saphira reacted iratantly, reaching for Nik hand gripping in tightly, squeezing

“This is it,” she whispered, unable to contain the page of emotion ring within ber

bNikn /bbarely breathedb. /b

Then–Bully-

Zafia’s eyelids Buttered. And she opened her eyes.

bNiks /bmoved imtantly, cousing the toom in long, popotelul dindes, his entire focus nanosing to odly Zafira

bSaphira /bstayed bback/b, watching an he reached her bedside, his bands gripping the railing like he was gronating himself against the n trality that she was finally aneske.

Zafira’s eyes fickered, shilling hon blurred confusion in quiet atlief, then–besitation

She remned the men, her gar dating between the unfamiliar summandings, her leone prilling together slightly, as if trying to

She didn’t bk /b

Didn’t react begond the carefel ticker of esporssion uning across her features.

Niks exhaled, his valor Meady but filed with weight. “Jed it on his way,” he told her, his words careful, meant to anchor her in something fambar.

Still–no response.

His eyes bdarkened /bslightly. ?i ja tightening ist enough for Saphira to notice before he turned to the nearest deter

“She isn’t speaking,” Niks bmummated/b, the concern threading beneath his voice not fully visibleb, /bbut it wit here,

The doctor nodded, his postureposed bat bcarrying /ban bedge /bof caution

“She was trapped in her dragon form for a prolonged period,” bhe /bexined. “That kind of forced transformation–specially for that long–can havesting effects.”

Niks straightened further, tension rippling through his stance. “What kind of effects?”

“Her speech may be affected temporarily,” the doctor said, his voice steady. “It’s difficult to say exactly how long, but it in’t umon. She needs time.”

Saphira inhaled slowly, absorbing the worth, feeling her dragon hum inside ber–nat meatless, but awan.

Niks bexhaled /bthrough his nose, tuming back toward Zafira ng closely now.

She was watching them, lstening–aware–but still silent.

Saphira felt the ampoken tension thicken in the room, the weight of uncertainty pressing against them all.

But Niks didn’t pull away.

bInstead/b–bNiks /breached for Zafira’s hand, curling his fingers gently over hers, bhis /bgrip firm but careful, grounding her in something steady–something real

“I’m here,” he murmured, his bvoice /bcarrying quiet strength, reassurgate woven into every vyble.

Saphira hesitated for only a moment before stepping forwardb, /bclosing thest bit of distance betwer

Without a word, bshe /bced a hand on Nikols‘ back–a silent acknowledgment, a quiet promineb. /b

They were both here for her

The Matchmaker:||

CH