Tempting the Dragon

by Karen Whiddon

  “There’s an emergency,” her mother cut her off. “How quickly can you make it to the hospital in Kingston?”

  “Are you okay? What’s happened?”

  “It’s your cousin Diamond. I’m here with my sister. We’ve just learned two of her friends are also pregnant and are seriously ill. Now it appears that whatever they have, Di has it, too. They’re both in comas on life support. As of right now, Di is still conscious. But we’re afraid it won’t be long until she’s in the same state as them.”

  “What?” Stunned, Jade pulled into a gas station, aware she needed to focus on the phone call rather than drive. “What’s causing this? What do the doctors have to say?”

  “No one seems to know anything.” Amber’s voice contained both anger and sorrow. “Emerald is beside herself. She and I have talked and, besides Libby, she knows you’re the only one who can help. Please, how quickly can you get here?”

  Help? “I’m on my way,” Jade answered. “Um, Mom? I can lend support, but you do know there’s little else I can do, right?”

  “Oh, that’s where you’re wrong, my darling daughter.” The grim note in Amber’s tone sent a chill down Jade’s spine. “With Libby’s assistance, you have a few other abilities as Guardian. So far Libby has never saw fit to bestow them on any of her Guardians. Maybe this time, she will.”

  A chill snaked down Jade’s spine. How did her mother know? On top of that, she’d just given her word to Libby not to reveal anything they’d just discussed.

  “Where did you hear this, Mother?” Wary, Jade rubbed her suddenly aching temples.

  Silence. Then Amber sighed. “There are books. I swear, I put them away and forgot about them, until recently. That’s why I’ve never shared them with you. These books are a history of our family’s role as Guardian, dating back to when Libby first appeared in Forestwood Lake.”

  “Mother, I’ve been Guardian for nine years. How could you not have given me them then?” Stunned and outraged, Jade gripped her phone.

  When Amber spoke again, her tone was quieter. “Honestly, I didn’t think about it. I only skimmed through them once or twice, several years before you took over as Guardian.”

  Deep breaths. “Ok. I’ll try to let that go, Mom. I will never understand, but I can’t dwell on it now.”

  “You’re right and I’m sorry.” Amber sighed. “But you and Libby seemed so close, while she and I... well, we never clicked. I was jealous, so I put the books away. I know I was childish, but over time, I convinced myself that you didn’t need to see them. The two of you clearly connected, so I assumed you had everything under control already.”

  “Under control?” A wave of sadness choked Jade up. She gave herself a mental shake. “This is crazy.”

  “I agree. I hope you can forgive me someday, but right now we’ve got bigger worries,” Amber said, a pleading note in her voice. “Your cousin is in trouble. I need you to use your extra abilities to save Di.”

  Aware of her oath, Jade swallowed. Libby hadn’t granted her any healing powers. Heck, she didn’t even think Libby could heal herself.

  “Well, if I have any extra abilities, Libby hasn’t told me about them.” Unless she counted Libby being able to go inside her head. Jade didn’t think that would count as an ability.

  “Call her,” Amber urged. “Tell her what’s going on and ask her if you can help. I know Libby and there’s no way she’d simply let Di and her unborn child die.”

  Jade agreed. Anything she could do to help her cousin, she’d try. “I’ll do that,” she said, and ended the call. Maybe this—whatever it might be—might be what had caused Libby’s sense of foreboding.

  Phoning Libby, she outlined the situation in a few short sentences.

  “Oh, honey,” Libby commiserated when Jade had finished. “You know—and so does Amber—that my abilities don’t include healing.”

  “Yes, but from what my mother is saying, the doctors are stumped. They have no idea what this illness is or what’s causing it. Can’t you use your abilities for that?”

  “I hadn’t thought of that. But it’s possible. Actually, since we’ve become linked together, I should be able to do it through you. Go to the hospital, visit your cousin and then call my name. Together, we’ll figure something out.”

  Relief flooding her, Jade agreed and hung up. Then she headed toward the hospital, dialing Amber as she drove.

  * * *

  Eve. Knowing she still lived brought Rance a bit of relief. Not much, since he had no idea what the hell Jim was planning. Why the other man would take his seriously ill daughter out of the hospital, Rance couldn’t fathom. He pictured her the last time he’d seen her, blue eyes too big in a wan face, valiantly trying to smile so he wouldn’t look so worried. She’d told him so, telling him to stop it because he was scaring her.

  When he’d learned she’d died, he’d thought he would die, too. But he’d shored up, braced himself and headed home for her funeral, only to learn she wasn’t dead, after all.

  Joy filled him at the knowledge Eve still lived, but for all he knew, she could be in mortal danger.

  He missed her with a wild pain akin to the grief he’d felt when her mother had died. He wanted a drink, as badly as he ever had, and resisted the urge with every fiber of his being.

  The craving for a drink never left him. Every beer commercial, or restaurant advertising its drink specials, made his mouth water. Still, he’d persevered, and he’d done it without attending a single meeting and declaring to anyone that he was an alcoholic. Of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to completely rule out the possibility that he would need to find a group of supporters someday, but he hadn’t needed them yet.

  Now, though, he sorely did. This was almost worse—not knowing if Eve was dead or alive, safe or sick and terrified, ate away at him the way a glass of rotgut whiskey once had.

  * * *

  The Burnett family had taken over the hospital waiting room. The instant Jade walked in, Pearl and Sapphire ran to her. Grandma Opal had even brought Sam, Jade’s grandfather. Due to his dementia, he hardly ever left his room and right now he appeared overwhelmed and confused.

  “Where’s Mom?” Jade asked the twins.

  “In with Di,” Pearl answered, her expression solemn, her huge green eyes welling with tears. “The doctors are acting like she’s going to die.” The plea in her voice broke Jade’s heart.

  “It’s okay, honey.” Jade shook her head. “Doctors don’t know everything. I’ll go see what I can find out. Which way?”

  In unison, they both pointed past the nurses’ station toward a set of double doors. “She’s in there. Room 12.”

  “Thank you.” Nodding a greeting at the rest of the family, Jade pushed her way through the doors. She straightened her spine and tried to prepare herself for the worst.

  Right before she reached Room 12, she remembered Libby’s instructions. Grasping her necklace, she took a deep breath. “Libby,” she said out loud, feeling slightly foolish. “Libby, Libby.” She waited a second or two, to see if she felt any different. When she didn’t, she then had to wonder how she’d know if it worked.

  It did. Libby’s voice, very faint, inside her head.

  “Okay,” Jade muttered.

  You don’t have to speak out loud, Libby told her.

  “Thanks.” Jade took a deep breath and entered the room.

  Both Amber and Emerald looked up when she entered. Amber had her arm around her sister and judging from their reddened eyes and blotchy complexions, they’d both been crying.

  Di lay unconscious in the hospital bed, hooked up to three different machines.

  “Where is Uncle Jack?” Jade asked. Di had been the apple of her father’s eye ever since she’d been born.

  “He went outside to get a breath of fresh air,” Amber an
swered.

  Em nodded. “This is very difficult for him,” she said. She appeared to have aged ten years overnight. The anguish in her expression tore at Jade’s heart.

  “I imagine it’s difficult for you, too.” Jade went to her aunt and hugged her. “Have the doctors come up with anything concrete?”

  “No. Only that it’s somehow related to the baby. Di has two other friends who are pregnant. They’re both here in ICU with the exact same symptoms.”

  Jade swallowed hard. “What I have to ask you is very important. Has Di told you anything about the father of her baby?”

  “No.” Em’s mouth tightened. “All she would say was that he was a prince. Sure he is. Some prince. Dumps her once he’s gotten her with child.”

  “What about the other girls? Do you know who the fathers of their babies are?”

  For a second, Em appeared startled. “No, I can’t say I do. When they each got pregnant in such a short time, so close to each other, this seemed to cause a rift in their friendship. I would have thought they’d have grown closer, so they could lean on one another through the pregnancy. Instead, they’re not even speaking.”

  Jade wondered if she should tell her aunt about Cai. From the deepest portion of her mind, Libby asked her to wait. She wanted to touch Di and see if she could use her powers to see what exactly might be wrong with her.

  Moving carefully, Jade went to her cousin’s bedside. She reached out and placed her hand on Di’s swollen belly, hoping Libby would be able to tell something.

  If she did, Libby didn’t comment on it.

  “I’d like to see the other two girls as well,” Jade said. “Do you mind if I talk to their parents?”

  “Not at all. They’re both here in the ICU. The nurses claim only family can visit, but they don’t seem too strict in enforcing it.”

  “I’ll say I’m family,” Jade said.

  “Why do you want to talk to them?” Amber’s sharp gaze missed nothing. “Do you think this has something to do with their illness?”

  “I don’t know,” Jade answered honestly. “But it doesn’t hurt to explore every angle.”

  The scenes in both of the other rooms felt eerily similar. Comatose patient, worried and grieving parents. Once Jade explained who she was, both of the other girls’ mothers said something similar to what Emerald had said. Their daughter refused to talk much about the father of their baby and would only say he was a prince.

  Which might explain the sudden friction between them. Judging from what Jade had seen, Prince Cai apparently took pleasure in charming women, making them believe they were special and then, once he’d impregnated them, sending them away.

  Not to mention carrying a Fae child requires a special kind of fortitude, Libby informed her. These changelings are different than your ordinary halfling. Not only are they able to shape-shift, but they have Fae magic. They’re able to accelerate their gestation period if they decide to be born sooner. This can wreak havoc on the mother’s body.

  “But both Di and her friends are shifters,” Jade argued silently. “Only a silver bullet or fire can kill us, you know that.”

  I didn’t say they’d die. But what use is a ruined body? Once the child is through with them, they might wish they were dead. Your cousin—and her friends—might be left in a vegetative state.

  Jade shuddered. “This is why you spoke of danger.”

  Libby considered. When she finally answered, she sounded as puzzled as she had before. I don’t know. This is part of it, for sure. Right now, that doesn’t matter. We’ve got to concentrate on saving both mother and child. While I can’t actually heal, there’s got to be some way to stop this.

  Jade kind of liked this method of communication. Like talking on a cell phone, only inside her head.

  “Any ideas as to how we accomplish that?” she asked.

  Unfortunately, I do. It won’t be easy. And you can’t do it today. You’ll need to go home, regain your strength and wait. I’ll make everything clear later.

  Though Jade wasn’t a fan of mysterious statements, she had no choice. She headed in to tell her mother and aunt goodbye, promising she was working with Libby on a solution.

  And then, feeling even more bereft, she headed back to Dogs Off Leash to help close up for the day.

  Chapter 13

  Aware he’d reached a dead end in his search for Eve and Jim, Rance once again suppressed the urge to head into a bar and drown his sorrows. Instead, he headed back to Bush Intercontinental and purchased a plane ticket to fly back to New York. From there, he’d rent a car and drive up to Forestwood. He missed Jade, an admission that shocked him to his core. Yet he couldn’t deny that through this entire ordeal, he’d found himself turning to tell Jade something, only to find she wasn’t there. Several times a day, he’d grabbed his phone with the intention of calling her, but he’d held back. Intellectually, he knew the last thing he needed at a time like this was a relationship. Emotionally? Well, that was another story entirely.

  Part of him craved Jade the way he’d once craved alcohol. He felt as if he’d known her his entire life, even though he knew better. He also knew a woman like her would never want a life with a man as broken and battered as him. Once the sizzling attraction between them had faded into the easy comfort of a stable relationship, she’d see him—really see him—without the haze of desire.

  Which meant he’d have to give up his desire for her the same way he’d quit drinking. Cold turkey, all at once, without stopping to think too much about it.

  Not yet, though. He needed her to help him find Eve.

  The flight from Bush Intercontinental to LaGuardia passed uneventfully. He tried to sleep, but he alternated between worrying about Eve and picturing Jade’s reaction when she saw him. He had to admit his heart took a skip or two when he let himself imagine her greeting him with a sexy grin and a kiss. Hell, he even indulged in a fantasy or two of a much more passionate reaction.

  Jade. Again and again, it came back to the way she made him feel. If he wasn’t so cynical, he’d allow himself to believe she might be able to heal him, which was sheer and utter foolishness. Seeing her once more could be dangerous. The last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt her. Yet he had no choice but to give in to the longing he tried to ignore, and contact Jade again. He needed Libby’s help if he wanted to save Eve. As for himself, he knew he was beyond saving. Any hurt that came his way out of this, he had no doubt it’d be well-deserved.

  The rental car he’d reserved was ready. This time, he hadn’t been able to get a sporty Mustang and had to settle for a run-of-the-mill sedan. Driving out of the city went like it always did—traffic and horns and crazy taxi drivers. But once he’d left civilization behind, things calmed down. Heading northwest, he relaxed and prepared to enjoy the drive.

  The car rental agent had warned him the Catskills would be crowded this weekend as it apparently was prime fall foliage viewing time, or “leaf peeping” as she’d called it. Rance had to admit the color of the trees was pretty spectacular. Constantly, he itched to pull over to the side of the road and take some photos, but he didn’t. He couldn’t afford to waste any time. His stomach churned with both worry and fear, anticipation and, yes, desire.

  The closer he drew to Forestwood, the more impatient he grew for the sight of Jade’s beautiful face. Once he told her his stepdaughter had not died and filled her in on what had actually happened, he knew she’d promise to help any way she could. She had a big heart, which was one of the many things he liked about her. If only he could convince himself to consider her a friend rather than the woman he craved. If he could manage to keep his desire under control, he’d be all right. They’d both be better off.

  Dusk had fallen by the time he reached Forestwood. The soft glow of the setting sun gave the town a surreal light, broken up only as the streetlights came on
.

  Checking the time, he headed straight to Dogs Off Leash. Jade would most likely still be there, meeting with her clients as they arrived to pick up their pets. If he was lucky, most of them would have come and gone and she’d have sent her employees home for the night. He hoped he’d catch her alone, locking up the place for the night.

  As luck would have it, the sight of her lone green SUV in the parking lot kicked his heart rate up to high gear. He parked next to her, mentally rehearsing what he’d say, then decided the hell with it. He’d wing it.

  Opening his car door, he got out and headed for the door. As he stepped inside, he smelled the strong odor of antiseptic, which he figured meant Jade was somewhere cleaning up. So he went in search of her. At the end of a hallway he saw her, back to him, while she scrubbed at something on a small platform.

  The sound of his footsteps on the concrete floor alerted her and she turned. Shock and then a brief flash of pleasure lit up her face before she shut down. “Rance,” she said, her voice faint. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

  Then, despite telling himself he wouldn’t, he went to her and pulled her into his arms. Covering her mouth with his, he kissed her as if he were starving—and maybe he was.

  And she—she opened her mouth to him just as hungrily, wrapping her arms around him tight, as if she never wanted to let him go.

  When they finally broke apart, both were breathing hard. Jade eyed him, her gaze glazed with desire. “You came back,” she said, sounding as if she didn’t really believe it. Lust surged through him at the joy in her voice and it took every ounce of willpower he possessed to keep himself leashed.

  “Yes.” Trying like hell not to show how much he ached to kiss her again, he smiled instead. “I came back. Jade, I have a lot to tell you and I’m going to need your assistance. Is there someplace we can go to talk?”

  “Definitely,” she instantly agreed, her color still high and her pupils remaining dilated. “And you should know I also have stuff to tell you. We’re in a bit of a crisis here. I’m going to need your help, too.”