by Mills, Julia
Deciding to answer instead of be an ass, she said, “I’m scared and frustrated and heading towards pissed. I don’t understand any of this. Why in the hell would you have medical facilities in your home? Why does your family have its own Healer? What can this Healer do that I can’t” For Christ’s sake I am a doctor. Why can’t I go down there and help? Is he really okay or are you just preparing me for the worst? I know you don’t know much about me, but everyone I ever cared for has passed away. If he’s already dead, just tell me.” She fired questions one right after another. The lump that had been growing in her throat since she sat down caused her last words to be barely more than a whisper.
Both women were frantically shaking their heads. Kyndel was the first to speak, “Dammit, I’m so sorry we’ve freaked you out. Lance isn’t dead, honey. It takes a hell of a lot more than what he’s been through to take out one of our guys,” she said as she made a circle indicating the three of them and continued. “What we need to talk to you about is the reason why Rayne and the others haven’t let you see him yet. I’ve had to argue with my lovely husband for the better part of an hour to get him to let us talk to you. He still thinks we need to wait for Lance to get better, but I know if it was my man laying down there on a gurney and I had no idea what was happening, I’d be tearing the doors off the hinges to get to him. Am I right?” Her southern accent only accentuated the meaning and feeling behind her words.
She nodded her head. Of course she wanted to get down there. She had no idea what kind of future they had together, if any. But she was falling in love with the big lug, and knew she could help him, if they would just let her down there. Motioning for Kyndel to continue, she took a sip of her coffee.
It was Grace that picked up the conversation, “Okay, what we’re about to tell you is going to sound insane, especially because you haven’t known us for long. When Lance wakes up, I’m going to kick him in the shins for not talking to you before he went running off, but then again, I remember what the first few weeks are like,” she got a dreamy look in her eyes. Sam smiled, knowing exactly what the other woman was talking about. Lance was a force to be reckoned with. All she was wanted was to have him safe and sound and in her arms.
Kyndel swatted Grace’s arm, and both ladies giggled like schoolgirls. They had the kind of friendship Sam had always wished for, like sisters. Maybe if things worked out with her blue-eyed hero they would all end up friends? Stranger things had happened. Interrupting her wayward thoughts, Grace spoke again, “I can only think of one way to tell you all of it, and that’s to start at the beginning. When Aidan told me all of this, he asked that I not ask any questions until he was done, but I’m not like that, so if at any time you need to stop me or ask a question, just jump right in, okay?”
Sam nodded, growing more leery by the minute. Grace took a deep breath and started, “You know all the stories you’ve heard of knights and dragons?” Sam nodded. “Well, they’re absolutely true. But there’s a huge twist they left out of the story books we were read as children and the history books we studied in school. They were as real as the ones in Dragonheart about 1500 years ago, but they aren’t like that now. As time progressed and the world became more populated, the dragons weren’t able to hide their existence any longer. They enlisted the help of a very powerful mage.” Sam felt her brow furrow, and both women sitting across the table from her grinned.
“I know what you’re thinking, but I assure you, we are completely sane. There really are mages and magic, and a whole lot of other shit, but that’s for another time. Back to my point, the mage was able to combine what made the dragon special, its soul and its magic, with the knight of its choosing. The knight had to possess all the characteristics necessary to protect their clans, to fight for those that needed a champion, and keep their race from falling into extinction.”
“King Arthur,” Sam felt her eyebrows shoot up almost to her hairline and her eyes get big.
Grace laughed but continued, “Yeah, that guy was real too. But I have no idea about Guinevere, I do however know that your mate was named for a great warrior from that time, but you’ll have to ask him about that. Anyhow,” she drew a breath and shot a look at Kyndel, who was sitting on the very edge of her chair, “King Arthur had like a code of conduct for his knights, a list of sorts, of characteristics that a man had to have to even be considered to be one of his knights. The dragons looked for men that had the same qualities as the knights they fought beside for thousands of years. These warriors had to be courteous, honest, generous, courageous, loyal, just, discreet, wise, brave, and honorable. They made sure these qualities were so ingrained in the individual, that they were an integral part of that individual’s bloodline. It was imperative they ensure their power would never be abused. You see, dragons are fire made flesh, and fire is power.
“The men you’ve met here are descendants of the men that were given this honor. It all started in the sixth century, shortly after King Arthur disappeared. From that point forward, every male from the chosen families has gone through a transformation between the ages of 18 and 21.” Grace stopped and looked Sam right in the eye, “You okay so far?”
She thought about it for a minute and decided she was as good as she could be and wondered when both of these obviously intelligent women were going to yell PSYCH! “Yeah, I’m good.”
Grace and Kyndel exchanged a knowing look, and she braced herself for what was to come next. Kyndel spoke, “I can see from the way you are looking at us that you think we’ve lost our minds, or maybe we’re just messing with you to keep you from thinking about your man, but that could not be further from the truth. We’re telling you all this so that you can get down there with him. Once you’re down there you will see and hear things that defy all rational explanation. It’s going to be real, I promise, but you’re still gonna freak, even though we’re telling you all of this.
“So Grace told you all about the dragons, but now let’s talk about the guys, and what it all means right here, right now, okay?”
Sam nodded her head, and wondered exactly what the fiery red-head with the emerald eyes and southern accent could possibly say that would be any crazier than what she had already heard. “Well, now she,” Kyndel motioned towards Grace, “said something about a transformation. Before I go down that path, I wanna ask you a question. You know that tattoo on Lance’s chest, the big dragon that looks like he’s flying off to battle?”
“Yes…” Jealousy ran through Sam at the thought of Kyndel looking at Lance’s chest. She shoved it down but still felt antsy. First of all, she’d never been jealous in her entire life, and had no clue what the hell had caused it to happen now. Then there was the fact that it was obvious Kyndel was head over heels in love with her husband. Other men had ceased to exist to her. Shaking her head, she said, “Go on…”
“All right then, keep that tattoo in mind while I’m telling you the next part of our family’s history. See, after the boys go through what is called their transformation. The men they have become can then call forth the dragon that lives within.” Kyndel paused and Sam could feel how much she wanted her to believe what she was saying, but there was no way any of this could be true…was there?
Kyndel continued, “By calling forth, I mean they can actually shift from man to dragon, and back again. Now, I can see that you think I’ve been smoking something really good or maybe I drank the Kool-aid, but I’m telling you the absolute truth, and if you’ll bear with us just a bit longer, I’m going to prove everything we’re saying. Can you do that? Will you do that for Lance?”
Kyndel wasn’t playing fair if she was going to throw Lance in her face. She wished she could say it didn’t matter, but that would be a lie, and she really tried to never be dishonest. Two deep breaths later, she nodded.
“Now the men we love and their brothers, they consider it an honor that their families were selected. They take the duty associated with it very seriously. They protect the dragon way of life, and help those in ne
ed whenever possible. They are kind of like superheroes without the capes,” the ladies both burst out laughing. It didn’t take long before Sam was laughing right along with them. It felt good to let go of some of the tension thrumming through her body, but it did not negate the fact that they were both certifiable.
When the laughter died down and they all had a fresh cup of coffee, Kyndel continued, “I have a question for you Miss Sam. Has there ever been a time when you were talking to Lance and he seemed to be about a million miles away, and when you asked him about it, he made some excuse?”
“Yeah, it’s happened, why?” Sam asked suspiciously, preparing for what was to come.
“When the man and the dragon were merged, they began to share the magic that is inherent to the beast. One of the many benefits of that sharing is that the warrior can speak directly into the minds of other dragon shifters or vice versa.”
Kyndel reached across the table and touched her arm, “Think about it before you call the men in the white suits. Haven’t you always felt like there is something different about Lance? Something special? And when you met his brothers, didn’t the weirdness kind of get hiked up a notch or two?”
She had to admit that everything Kyndel was saying about Lance being different, and the interaction between him and his brothers being anything but normal was true, but really? Dragons? Telepathy? Could any of this be true? The longer she thought about it, the more she decided that she really needed to know the truth for her own sanity, and for the growing love she felt for the goofy man with the hypnotic blue eyes.
“I know what you’re saying about the guys is right. They do act ‘different’ when they’re together, and there have been times when I could have sworn Lance was carrying on a conversation I couldn’t hear, but all of this is just too crazy. I mean, really? Psych ward, shock treatment, institutionalized for life, crazy.” She looked out the window, and then back to the two women that had been nothing but gracious to both her and Sydney. Resigned that she was going to listen to all they had to say, if for no other reason than to get to Lance, she said, “I’m listening…go on.”
Both women smiled, and Grace started again, “One of the most important milestones in a dragon shifter’s life, other than his transformation, is finding his mate. The one female in the entire world created just for him. She is the other half of his soul, the completion of the man and his beast; the peace, love, and light that both man and beast need to survive the many years they have left in this life and the next. This woman grounds them, makes them whole, and is the single most important person to both entities, ever. They’ve existed longer than we can imagine before meeting their mate, but only truly begin to live when they’re able to share their life and love with the one the Universe designed for them.
“We believe,” she motioned between herself and Kyndel, “And so do the men, that you are Lance’s mate. The one meant for him.” Sam started to shake her head, and Grace held up her hands. “Just seeing you two together solidifies that belief and if I had any doubts, they all went up in smoke when I saw how hard you’ve fought to get down there with him. The fire in your eyes says it is a need inside of you to protect what is yours.”
“Yes, I care about him, and I owe him my life, but I seriously doubt that I’m his…mate. He’s a nice guy, and we’re getting to know each other, but I have plans for my life and my career. Those things have to come first. I’ve been trying to get down to him because I know that I can help him. I am a trained doctor after all.”
Grace looked at Sam like she was sure the woman had looked at many defendants across the courtroom in her life, and when she spoke there was steel in her voice, “You can lie to yourself, that’s fine, but I’ll tell you one thing. Lance believes you’re his mate and that may just be the one thing that saves his life.” She paused and Sam could tell she was deciding what to tell her.
“What is it? Just tell me.”
Grace shrugged, “The bond between mates is almost immediate, but very weak in the beginning. The more time you spend together and the more…intimate that time is, the quicker and stronger the bond grows. Because he believes you are his mate even though he’s in his ‘healing sleep’ which is kind of like a coma, he will seek you out. That’s the main reason Kyndel and I decided we needed to tell you everything we could, so that you can go down there and be with him. Help him heal.”
There were several seconds of silence that stretched on like an eternity. Sam refused to be the first one to speak. They could give in first. She was not the one telling fairy tales while the man they all cared for was hurt and needed their help. Sure their standoff would go on forever; she jumped when Sydney’s little hand touched hers. She looked down, and the little girl was smiling. The little one made a ‘come here’ sign with her finger then she whispered, “They’re telling the truth, Dr. Sam…promise.”
Sam jerked back, and stared in the little girl’s eyes. There had always been a maturity to the child that exceeded her years, but at that moment there was a look of resignation and belief, attempting to relay that all she’d heard had been the complete truth. Unsure what to do, she asked “How do you know that, Sydney?”
“I can hear them when they talk to each other, up here.” She placed her chubby, little finger on her temple, and grinned.
“You can...hear them?” Sam asked, not sure what was happening but afraid she might miss something if she blinked.
“Not what they’re saying, but I know when they’re talking to each other,” Sydney nodded, and continued, “I told Lance, and he said we would talk about it when you weren’t around, but then he got hurt. Hope he doesn’t get mad that I’m telling you now.” She stopped and squinted like she was thinking really hard about something, and then said, “Nah, he won’t get mad. He loves us, right, Dr. Sam?”
She felt her eyebrows shoot up, and breathed deeply, trying to think of some way to answer the child that looked at her like she had all the answers. In the blink of an eye, it all made sense; he did love them. What other man would rescue a woman from certain death, and ask for nothing in return? Or watch after the same woman for months on end without ever making contact? Even more than that, what normal man would willingly take on the responsibility of a little girl that needed protection, and then go after the man that had tried to kidnap her? The list of things he had done for her was unimaginable. No other person she had ever known, aside from her parents, had given her so much. There was no denying there was something between them. He looked at her like no other ever had. He touched her, and it was a though there had never been any other man, and there never would be…ever. He made her feel like she could be Sam, the Sam she was meant to be, and nothing or no one would stand in the way of her dreams. He wanted her for her, nothing more, and she didn’t even care that he called her ‘Doc’. If she was honest, she liked it. It was his name for her. “Yes, Baby, he loves us,” she answered.
Her thoughts went on and on, leading her to the dream she’d almost forgotten. At least she thought it was a dream. It seemed like a dream. What else could seeing a golden dragon flying over the woods behind her house be? With her new ‘information’, she figured it could be almost anything. She was almost yelling but couldn’t stop, she had to know. “Is Lance’s dragon, golden?”
Both women smiled so brightly that she could feel their relief. Kyndel spoke first, “Yes, Sweetpea, his dragon is a brilliant, glittering gold.”
Not able to sit any longer, she stood and paced the floor, soon realizing that Sydney paced alongside her. Sydney had said she could hear when Lance and his brothers were talking in each others’ minds. Could that be true too? Could all of what they had just told her be true? It was completely mind boggling and more than a bit disturbing, but she was beginning to believe at least some of it. She thought about the amazing man that had haunted so many of her thoughts for so long. If what they were saying was the truth, he needed her more than she’d originally thought, and she was wasting time questioning everything. There
would be time later. Lance was all that mattered.
“All right, let’s say I believe at least some of what you’re saying. Can I please go down and see him now?” she asked, unable to keep the pleading tone from her voice.
“Absolutely, Honey, just one more thing,” Kyndel responded, and Sam worked hard to not roll her eyes.
“The only thing that can kill one of our boys is silver poisoning or beheading. Right now, Lance has part of a silver blade sticking out of his chest, and from what I’ve heard it was coated in liquid silver as well. The dragon within him is able to dispel the silver but only after the blade has been removed…”
“Then why the hell haven’t they removed it?” she interrupted.
“Because the blade is in the bottom part of his heart and, Siobhan, our Healer, is afraid that he won’t be able to heal fast enough to keep from bleeding to death. His dragon was weakened during the fight too. His beast is unable to help with healing as much as he usually would, and that’s where you come in. We’re all praying that your strength, plus your medical knowledge will help get that blade out of him and get our pain in the ass back to his lovable, irritating self.”
She worried her lip with her teeth and slid into doctor mode. It was way safer for her emotions and her heart than girlfriend or mate or whatever the hell she was to him, mode. Thinking of her rotation in Cardiac Care, she remembered a case study she’d read about an army surgeon that had been able to remove large pieces of shrapnel from a man’s heart on the battlefield, and the soldier had survived. All she had to do was get down there and see if the same procedure would work for a silver blade.
“What the hell are we waiting for?” Done wasting time, she turned on her heels and headed towards the door that was still being guarded by the young man whose name she couldn’t remember. When he stepped in front of her, she looked him dead in the eye and in a low ominous voice said, “You’re probably a hundred times stronger than I am, but I promise, if you try to stop me from going through that door I will fight as dirty as I know how to get past you. I was a foster kid, we know how to fight dirty and we know how to win.”
