Ford's eyes opened slowly, and he blinked to clear his blurred vision.
Mia's concerned face was above him, and he tried to smile.
"Are you all right?" She asked slowly. "Are you hurt?"
It took him a moment to process the question. Of course he was hurt! His broken leg still gave him pains, and his ribs weren't completely healed yet. They kept him from breathing too deeply.
He felt them more keenly than before.
"I'm fine," He lied, trying to sit up. His bruise side screamed in protest, but he pushed through anyway, determined not to appear weak. Why wasn't his magic working?
"Clearly," Anaisa said dryly. "But we're glad you're awake, at least."
Ford looked around. He was at the edge of the forest, near the river. The sun had almost set, and the glowing remnants of the raging grassfire smoldered on the other side of the water.
"It's gone?" He asked, remembering the chimera. Daniel hopped down from a tree and bounded over.
