by Bianca D’Arc
He lifted out the slightly curved needle that was about the length of his hand. This would be perfect for the job ahead.
“You have done this before,” Lizbet commented at his side. “I’ve never seen such tools. Gryphon hide is not nearly as tough as dragon scale.”
“Each Lair has a set of these diamond-tipped tools for exactly this purpose, but this set is mine. It was a gift from a friend. The diamond slides easily through the patient, allowing the sutures to cause as little additional damage as possible, and when numbed with the potion I just used, the dragon shouldn’t feel anything in the area of the wound for a few hours. The potion also cleans the wound and removes any contaminants.”
“We have something similar, but I’d love to compare recipes,” Lizbet said softly as she watched Seth thread the extra large needle.
“I would be happy to,” Seth agreed. “But for now, would you hold the cut together while I stitch it up?”
“You said this won’t hurt, right?” a worried Shara asked them in a small voice.
Sea dragons were definitely more timid than their land brethren. It was a shock to Seth, but he’d better get used to it.
“Do you feel anything near the cut now, milady?” Seth asked calmly, leaning back to look her in the eye.
“No,” she answered tentatively. “The fire went out when you doused it with that smelly water.”
Seth tried not to laugh though he couldn’t hold back a small grin. “That was a numbing potion. It will relieve the pain in the area for a few hours,” Seth said again, trying to sound reassuring and confident. “But if you feel anything at any point, just tell me, and I’ll stop, all right? You’re in control here, milady. I want to help you. I don’t want to cause you any further pain. You have my word.”
She held his gaze for a long moment and then sighed and set her head back down on the sand. “All right. Proceed.”
She didn’t sound happy about it, but Seth was confidant she would be reasonable. She was probably still scared, though.
“Xanderanth,” Seth sent his message privately to the big blue dragon. “Can you help her feel less scared?”
“I’ll try,” Xander immediately replied.
He adjusted his position so that he held her wing aloft with his hind feet, stretching and twisting his neck to lay his head next to hers. Her eyes blinked open in surprise, but then warmed, if Seth was any judge of dragonish expressions.
And then, the dragons began talking among themselves. Though Seth didn’t hear any of their conversation, he could tell by the attitudes of their heads and the look in their eyes that they were communing silently. His dragon parents got just such a look on their faces when they were talking together.
“Leo?” Seth said quietly, calling to the young knight who was watching his dragon partner with a concerned gaze. “Would you help with the supplies while Lady Lizbet holds the wound together for me?”
“Happy to help,” Leo replied at once, coming closer and positioning himself next to the supplies and close enough to hand things to Seth when needed.
All knights received training in how to help care for dragons both when they were well and when they became injured, so Leo knew what to do. Seth set to work, sewing up the long cut with precise stitches. He realized at one point that Leo was staring rather pointedly at the fair Lizbet, but she didn’t seem to notice. Or if she did, she was too polite to say anything.
“Lady Lizbet, this is Sir Leo, Sir Xanderanth’s partner,” Seth made the introductions quietly.
“Oh, yes, Flurrthith told me about you all. Thank you for accompanying him home. He is part of my family unit. His parents are partners to my parents, and we were raised together,” she explained.
“He’s your gryphon-brother.” Seth nodded as he continued working. “I understand completely. I come from a family like that, only with dragons instead of gryphons. And two human fathers, of course.” Seth spared a second to look up at Lizbet and wink.
“Trios are not unheard of among my people, but it is not the norm, I will admit,” she said, surprising him with her frankness.
“It’s not the norm where we come from either, but the soul-deep bond between dragon and knight makes it necessary. And it all seems to work out. Many say the Mother of All has Her hand in the dragon pairings, taking personal interest in the knights and dragons’ happiness. I don’t know for sure, but it certainly seemed that way for my family.”
“It’s a beautiful thought,” Lizbet admitted. “Though my people believe the Warrior Goddess helps those who first help themselves. She is a bit harsher than the Mother aspect of the many-faced Goddess.”
“You come from a warrior household then?” Seth asked, truly interested.
“Yes. My parents are both warriors, and you’ve already met my gryphon-father. He is General Falthith,” she told him.
Seth was impressed. “A warrior among warriors,” Seth complimented the winged general. “I didn’t realize Flurrthith was his son.”
“None of the gryphons in my family are boastful. They are all high achievers, but do it quietly, with as little fanfare as possible.” Seth could tell she was very proud of her feathered relations.
He set to work in earnest, spending many minutes carefully sewing up the gash in the sea dragon’s wing. Both Leo and Lizbet were of great help, and Seth found himself answering astute questions as he worked, showing them both how to do what he was doing and explaining the why of it. He was happy to pass along his knowledge—especially to Lizbet who was the de facto healer for the sea dragons who frequented Gryphon Isle.
When he finished stitching and applied healing salve and a dressing over the stitches, the other two helped. Xanderanth had kept the pretty young sea dragon busy with their silent conversation, and when she was told it was over and she could move again, she seemed truly surprised. She looked at her bandaged wing for some time before lowering her head to Seth’s level. She looked him in the eye and thanked him in a gentle voice, her polite words and tone touching him deeply.
Xanderanth volunteered to escort her into the cave she’d chosen, and the two went off together, walking slowly, Xander supporting the sea dragon’s injured wing when necessary. Seth cleaned his tools while Lizbet helped. They talked about the tools and how she wished she had a set.
“Livia can have some made on the mainland and sent to you, or even better, if you have diamond cutters among your people, I might be able to show them these before I leave. I can’t leave them here, I’m sorry to say, but I’d be happy to let your people look at them and perhaps trace their patterns.”
“That’s a really good idea, Seth. Thank you. We do have craftsmen who I’m sure would be able to make such things, but they’d need to see a working set to know what they’re supposed to look like.” Lizbet sounded enthused about the idea of having her very own set of dragon healing instruments.
“And you’ll soon have an abundance of diamond in need of reshaping,” Seth agreed. “That’s how I got these.” He put the last needle back in its metal case and closed the lid. “Livia had them made from the diamond blades Hrardorr retrieved from the bottom of the harbor. The rest of the blades were cut down into jewels and other harmless things, but she had a number of them made into sets like this for dispersal to Lairs throughout the country. Until she did that, last week, there was only one set per Lair. Now, most have two sets, which is a boon with all the fighting our dragons have been facing lately.”
Seth would have said more, but Leo came back from checking on the dragons in the cave. His gaze seemed troubled.
“Xander doesn’t want to leave Lady Shara tonight. He says he’ll stay in the cave with her, to make sure she’s all right,” the young knight told Seth, Lizbet listening too.
“To be honest, that’s a relief,” Seth told Leo. “She seems somewhat timid and afraid of me,” Seth knew his disbelief sounded in his voice, but he couldn’t help it. He’d never had a dragon be afraid of him—or of any human, actually. “I’m staying here
tonight, though, in case she needs me. And I still have to see to Hrardorr. I know he got hit a few times during the battle, but he’s been on the move since then and hasn’t wanted me fussing over him. I’m about to put my foot down, though.”
Seth looked over at the dozing dragon a few yards away, near one of the bonfires they’d lit. Hrardorr had done a yeoman’s work today and was justifiably tired, but Seth would treat his wounds while the dragon slept if he had to. There was no more reason to put Seth off. The sea dragon had been seen to, and now, it would be Hrardorr’s turn. Seth would abide no further argument.
That tough stance would work, too, since Hrardorr was so tired he could barely lift his head. If not for his huge expenditure of energy today, the dragon could easily have escaped Seth indefinitely, and they all knew it.
“I’m staying too,” Lizbet surprised Seth by saying. Her voice was musical, but firm. “Shara and I are close. I often spend time here with her when she comes ashore. I will see to my friend’s recovery.”
“Then I suggest you two see to the bonfires. We’ll need them later tonight,” Seth said quietly, seeing the way Lizbet and Leo’s gazes seemed locked in the firelight. “I’m going to treat Hrardorr.”
“Do you need our help?” Lizbet asked kindly, but Seth was already shaking his head.
“Thanks, but I think most of his wounds are relatively minor. If I find anything I can’t handle, you’ll be the first to know.” Seth walked toward the other fire and the dark dragon dozing next to it.
They’d set up several stacks of dried wood at various points along the beach and set them to blaze, lighting the area. There was one near the mouth of the cave, one where they’d treated Lady Shara and this one around which Hrardorr had settled, liking the warmth after having been submerged most of the day.
Hrardorr didn’t put up any argument when Seth started checking him over, finding a few arrow holes in his wings that needed stitching, along with a gash on his tail that required a pot of salve and a dressing. Seth worked steadily, taking his time and making sure Hrardorr was as well treated as any hero who had just saved an island full of people and gryphons, should be.
They didn’t talk much—both being bone weary—but Seth did manage to tell his dragon friend how incredibly proud he was of Hrardorr’s actions today. Hrardorr didn’t put up too much of an argument, and he surprised Seth by talking to him a bit about his encounter with the sea dragons. They chatted off and on while Seth put Hrardorr’s wounds to rights, and then, Seth guided his weary dragon friend toward the cave where the other dragons had settled. It was plenty big enough for all three dragons and their two-legged friends.
Seth watched Lizbet and Leo covertly as they worked quietly together. It was clear there was an attraction between the two, but Seth had no idea how it would all work out. Leo was a knight, and he’d become a great knight in time. The signs were clear.
If Seth felt a small pang of envy, it was understandable…wasn’t it? He still liked Leo, but he almost missed what he knew he, himself, would never achieve. Seth would never be a knight, but being Hrardorr’s friend and being healer to a Lair full of dragons was good enough. Wasn’t it?
Seth wasn’t so sure anymore.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Leo sat on the beach as the night wore on. They had plenty of light from the bonfires Xanderanth had lit before going into the big cave to sit with the sea dragon, Lady Shara. Hrardorr was in there, too, sitting slightly apart from the other two dragons, already sleeping. It had been a big day for them all.
Leo and Lizbet had added fuel to the fires, keeping them going from the piles of driftwood he and Xander had gathered earlier. Leo talked silently with Xander, checking on the sea dragon. Xander told him she was resting easily now, warm and secure, though very drained from her ordeal. She seemed to be taking comfort from Xander’s presence, and the young male dragon refused to leave her side.
Leo wondered about that. He and Xander had only been paired for a short time, but Leo had never seen his partner take such an interest in a female dragon.
Of course, the sea dragon was something special. He and Xander had talked about how awesome it would be to actually see a sea dragon. Now, not only had they seen one, but they’d helped her during a crisis, and Xander showed every sign of befriending her. If not more.
It was the more that was worrying. What if Xanderanth wanted the female sea dragon for his mate? How in the world would that work?
Leo wondered if he’d be the first knight in known history to be left behind by his dragon partner. It wasn’t a pleasant thought. And he was probably just making that up anyway. He and Xander were joined on a soul-deep level. Leo had no idea if such a link could be severed by anything other than death, and he didn’t really want to find out. Leo poked the fire he was sitting in front of with a long stick, rearranging the logs, lost in depressing thoughts.
“Shara’s asleep, finally,” Lizbet said, settling onto the long log Leo had reserved to use as a seat until it was needed for fuel. She held her hands out to the fire, rubbing them together as if chilled. “I think she’ll be all right now. She just got a hell of a scare.”
“I’m glad she’s doing better.”
Was he, though? Really? When that innocent female dragon could spell doom for Leo’s partnership with Xander?
Leo shook off the negative thoughts. Of course he was glad that the dragoness was out of danger. It had been uncharitable to even let such thoughts cross his mind. Leo was better than that. He wanted to be better than that.
“How are you holding up?” Lizbet surprised him by asking.
The fey healer had been with the dragoness most of the evening, working alongside Seth to sew up an incredible gash in Shara’s wing. Leo had noticed Lizbet, of course. He’d have to be dead not to notice such a beautiful woman. But he’d assumed she hadn’t given him a second thought. Had he been wrong?
“I’m fine,” Leo said quickly. “Are you warm enough? You could wear my cloak if you’re cold.” He got up and retrieved the special cloak knights used when flying that was both warm and weatherproof. He stepped behind Lizbet and leaned down to place it around her shoulders.
She looked up as he bent down, and their eyes met. Time stood still.
Did he move or did she? He would never know who moved, but the next moment, her lips met his, and the world as he knew it changed forever.
“What are you doing?”
Leo stood, breaking the kiss as his mind spun. He realized almost instantaneously that the question hadn’t come from his guilty conscience. It was Xanderanth, wanting to know what his partner was up to.
Sweet Mother of All.
“Just a sec, Xan,” he told the dragon silently, trying to figure out what to say to the beautiful woman he’d just kissed.
“I’m sorry,” Lizbet said shyly, pulling his cloak tighter around her shoulders and turning away from him, facing the fire. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Milady, it was not all you,” Leo had to admit. “I apologize if I overstepped my bounds.”
“No, it’s…” She turned her head quickly to look back up at him, and then, it happened again. Their eyes met, and time stood still.
“Well, I think Lady Shara should be comfortable enough for now,” Seth said in a brisk voice, coming out of the shadowy mouth of the cave, rubbing his hands together.
Time began running again, and Leo shook his head, stepping back from Lizbet. The moment had passed, but it had left him…unsettled.
What in the world had possessed him to kiss her? Was she upset with him? Had he just created some kind of international incident by accosting a fey citizen of Gryphon Isle?
Terrible thoughts raced through Leo’s brain as Seth walked closer to the fire. Thankfully, the other man seemed unaware of what he had interrupted. Either that, or he was good at dissembling.
“Now that we’ve made the dragons as comfortable as possible for the night, I think it’s time we set up something a bit more camp-like for us
. What do you say?” Seth’s voice was almost too loud in the darkness of the night. Too jovial.
Shit. He did know what he’d interrupted. Leo took a deep breath and met Seth’s gaze, finding a question in the other man’s eyes that he couldn’t answer. He had no idea what he’d been doing kissing Lizbet. Except…maybe…that she’d been irresistible.
Leo knew that lame excuse would never fly. A knight was supposed to have honor and courage. He was supposed to be able to resist temptation when necessary. Leo had failed at the first test, and he felt ashamed. Ashamed and really, really confused.
How could something that had felt so right be wrong? Was it, really? Or was he making more of this than he should? And what in the world was Lizbet thinking? That was the most important of the unanswerable questions racing through his thoughts.
“Hush, Leo,” Xanderanth’s voice came into his mind, soothing him. “I’m not sure what has you in such a tizzy, but we’re all right. You’re all right. Everything will work out. I’m here for you.”
That his dragon partner had sensed his turmoil wasn’t surprising. They were joined in spirit and soul. But though he calmed a bit, Leo still worried…for how much longer?
Lizbet’s head was spinning from the unexpected kiss. What in the world had possessed her to kiss the handsome knight? To be sure, Sir Leo was easy on the eyes, but she knew many handsome young men, and few had ever turned her head. And if they had, it didn’t stay turned in their direction long.
Lizbet had been searching for the kind of loving partnership she saw her parents share. She wanted a life mate, not just a quick tumble or a relationship that lasted a few years out of mutual convenience, then petered out.
She was young by her people’s standards, but she wanted love in her life. She had felt it was just around the corner for a long time. Could it be? Had her true mate arrived in the form of this most attractive human knight?
“If you like him, you should act on it,” Shara said in her mind, the dragoness’s advice unasked for, but welcome. “He is joined to Xanderanth. The dragon magic will keep him alive almost as long as you, so the difference in your race isn’t an impediment. You won’t lose him early because he’s human, though he is a fighting man, and there are no guarantees he won’t die in battle.” The dragon paused as if musing. “Of course, that’s all the more reason, to my mind, to grab for happiness while you’re both here and feeling the pull.”
