Cured by the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons Book 8)

by Jessie Donovan

  At that moment, Sid fell in love with Gregor. He would always have her back and would never truly try to curb her freedom. He also realized the importance of her work and didn’t try to dismiss it.

  Her dragon perked up at her thoughts but didn’t say anything, which was good since Sid didn’t have time to deal with her beast, let alone her feelings for Gregor Innes. “Right, then I’ll be off to Bram’s first and return as soon as possible. If anything happens with Molly, don’t hesitate to ring me.”

  “Aye, Doctor. Now, go.”

  Giving Gregor one last kiss, Sid raced out the door and down the hallway. Once she was outside, she picked up her pace until she was jogging.

  Even if she were right, she wondered if they could do anything with the information. The Dragon Knights attacking so soon again was a long shot, especially with their depleted numbers. However, Sid needed to at least try to help. She wouldn’t leave any avenue unchecked.

  She reached Bram’s cottage and pounded on the door. Stonefire’s leader opened the door. “What is it, Sid?”

  “Not here.”

  Bram motioned her inside and into his office. Once the door closed, he spoke again. “We’re safe here, lass. Tell me what’s wrong.”

  “Not wrong, exactly.” She explained her theory about the amateurs making the compound and attacking. When she finished, she added, “While I know you need to talk to Kai and Aaron, you might want to ask Arabella to search online for any Dragon Knight activity. She knows all of the secret corners of the internet where they like to hang out.”

  Bram nodded. “If there is somewhere online giving out a recipe for this thing, as well as ideas for improvement, attacks could become more prevalent.” He took out his mobile phone and typed a text message before adding, “Good work, Sid. If you’re right, then Arabella might be able to find the mysterious compound and Trahern can help formulate a cure.”

  “It’s a big if, Bram. I wouldn’t get your hopes up too soon.”

  Bram met her eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “Speaking of which, I’m going to be straightforward with you, Sid. I know you’ve been putting aside dreams of the future. First, I thought it was because of your silent dragon, but later I think it also had to do with these episodes testing your sanity. However, if you always think negatively, you’ll never have the chance to enjoy the gift you have. As much as the Scottish doctor irritates the hell out of me, I’ve seen how he looks at you. If you want my advice, give him a chance and make a future.”

  “Bram—”

  He put up a hand. “I know you’re going to say this isn’t my business. And maybe even toss in an excuse or two about your dragon being unstable. Or, how you don’t want to hurt Innes. But I guarantee he’s strong enough for anything that happens.”

  Sid raised her brows. “Can I speak now?”

  Bram snorted. “Go ahead.”

  “What I was going to say is you know full well my parents died trying to find a way to save me. I can’t have that on my conscience again. Gregor would do something daft if it meant I would live. I’m a doctor. My job is to save lives.”

  “Aye, and you do a fine job. But let me just ask you one thing—if you could do anything to save Innes’s life, would you?”

  “Of course,” she answered without hesitation.

  “Then try explaining why you can risk your life to save someone but someone else can’t do the same for you. You’re worth the world, Sid. Start believing that.”

  She opened her mouth and promptly closed it. She hated when Bram was correct.

  Before anyone could speak again, someone knocked on Bram’s door. He shouted, “Enter,” and Nikki Gray walked into the room.

  The female Protector looked between them and said, “I can tell something serious is happening. Care to tell me why you called me here, Bram?”

  “Aaron is with his mother and Kai is busy with another task. You’re more than capable of handling this and get along well enough with Arabella.”

  Nikki tilted her head. “What’s going on?”

  As Bram explained the situation to Nikki, Sid’s mind wandered to Bram’s words: Try explaining why you can risk your life to save someone but someone else can’t do the same for you.

  Damn Bram and his words of wisdom. Sid liked logical explanations and he knew it. She’d never be able to dismiss the reasoning now.

  There was only one thing to do—be honest with herself and Gregor. When Sid had a moment alone with her dragonman again, she was going to take the plunge and tell him how she felt.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Gregor finished the splint on the young red dragon’s wing and looked at the teenager named Miles in the eye. “You’re going to have to stay in your dragon form until one of the doctors clears you. I know you think you’re invincible at sixteen, but if you want to fly without pain for the rest of your life, you need to heed my orders. Aye?”

  The male dragon bobbed his head reluctantly. Gregor patted his snout and said, “I know you were trying to impress a lass, but believe me, females prefer you alive and well over lying prostrate on the ground. Displays of stupidity rarely work as well as respect and maybe a wee gift.” Miles grunted and Gregor snorted. “As you wish, lad. But if you try to fly before you’re cleared, I’m not above chaining you to the ground.”

  His dragon spoke up. You’re giving the same advice the doctor once gave us. It didn’t work then. I doubt it’ll work now.

  Maybe so, but unlike Lochguard’s old doctor, I’ll actually chain him to the ground if it means I can save his wing.

  Good luck convincing his parents.

  Oh, they may be more open to it than you’d think, given what I’ve heard about this lad getting into trouble.

  As the teenage dragon settled on the ground, Gregor put away his supplies inside the tent used for dragon-shifters in their dragon forms and moved to the exit. He gave the lad one more stern look before entering the main surgery building.

  He hadn’t taken more than two steps inside when his mobile phone rang. Answering it, Bram’s voice came on the line. “Kai and the others just arrived and they’ll bring the boy to your surgery. Be ready.”

  Gregor barely managed, “Aye,” before Bram hung up.

  Dashing toward the receiving entrance, he arrived just as Cassidy entered alone. She met his gaze. “Bram told you, too?”

  “Aye, he did.” He studied his female a second and noticed her tapping her hand against her thigh. “What’s on your mind, love?”

  She shook her head. “Now’s not the time.”

  Warning bells went off inside his head. “If it’s to do with your dragon, then tell me.”

  “No, it’s not my dragon. It can wait for later. The boy needs all of our attention. I promise to tell you once we help him.”

  He lightly brushed Cassidy’s arm and nodded.

  They stood in comfortable silence until Kai and Quinn entered the surgery with a boy on a stretcher between them. The black-haired boy was bound at the wrists and ankles, but unconscious.

  The sight of an eight-year-old boy tied up made Gregor want to punch a wall. He hoped Cassidy’s earlier idea bore fruit. The bastards responsible for the attack needed to be caught and tried for their crimes.

  Cassidy asked, “How is he unconscious? I thought he was out of control.”

  Kai answered, “He was drugged before we left with the dragon slumber drug.”

  Gregor shared a glance with Cassidy before an unknown dragon-shifter stepped into the hallway. The male said, “My name is Ronan O’Brien. I’m the junior doctor from Glenlough and I’m here to watch over my patient.”

  “Great, you think we’re going to kill him,” Gregor drawled.

  Cassidy shot him a look before saying, “Ignore Gregor. I’m Dr. Sid. Tell me what you know, Dr. O’Brien.”

  Gregor directed Kai and Quinn to the closest room as Ronan replied, “Brendan has nearly lost control to his dragon. In order to transport him safely, he was given two shots of the drago
n slumber drug.”

  “No more,” Cassidy ordered.

  Ronan raised his brows and Gregor chimed in. “An overdose can lead to permanently silencing someone’s inner dragon.”

  “He’s stable for now, so that shouldn’t be an issue,” Ronan said. Kai and Quinn transferred Brendan to the bed and he continued, “My clan leader seems to think you can help him. I’m a little less certain.”

  Gregor opened his mouth, but Cassidy beat him to it. “Look, I know clans have been secretive and distrustful for more years than I’d like to admit, but I assure you we only want to help Brendan. If you can’t accept that, then you can wait inside the Protector’s central command. I don’t need any extra negativity hindering my work.”

  As Gregor stared at his lovely lass with fire in her eyes and her chin raised, he loved her all the more for standing up to the doctor who was several stones heavier than she.

  He blinked. Love?

  Yes, as he watched his mate glare at Ronan, Gregor admitted he loved everything about his female; from her strength to her stubbornness, even her dedication to the clan. Aye, she was bonny as well, but Gregor loved more than her beauty.

  His dragon spoke up. It took you long enough.

  Hush, dragon. We don’t have time for an argument.

  Taking a deep breath, Gregor bottled up his feelings. The young lad needed his help; his own feelings and claiming of Cassidy would have to wait for whenever things finally calmed down.

  Kai’s voice garnered his attention. “There’s no time for fighting. Focus on the boy. The more doctors he has on his case, the better chance he has of survival.”

  Ronan finally muttered his assent and then added, “Then let’s hurry up and exchange information since I have no idea how long he’ll be out. This is the first time I’ve ever used more than one shot of the dragon slumber drug.”

  Ronan held out the file he’d been holding and Cassidy took it. Gregor read over her shoulder.

  As the boy twitched for a few seconds before relaxing again, Gregor hoped they could help. No, he wasn’t going to hope. Gregor was going to find a way to save the lad. Because the sooner he did that, the sooner he could finally ask Cassidy to be his mate. There was no way he was ever leaving her side.

  ~~~

  Trahern Lewis was trying his best to focus, but every time Emily leaned toward him to read the results on the computer screen, he caught her sweet feminine scent, which made his dragon wake up bit by bit.

  With a yawn, his beast finally spoke up. Her?

  Yes, Emily. Our friend.

  His dragon sighed and lowered his head again.

  Trahern wanted to shake his dragon and ask why being friends with the clever, beautiful female at his side was such a problem. But Emily tapped something on the computer screen and said, “Another negative result. I’m starting to think the moss won’t harm a dragon-shifter.”

  He focused. “A gut feeling isn’t scientific. We need to be certain.”

  Emily looked at him askance and it took everything he had not to lose himself in her deep brown eyes. “Even with decades of research, side effects are never certain. All it takes is one person with a rare reaction to add something new to the list.”

  “Decades of research is one thing. A few hours is another.” As Emily continued to read the results, he added, “Why are you here, Emily? I know you’re close to your family and by coming here there’s a chance you might not see them for a while.”

  “They moved to Australia. I won’t be seeing them anytime soon,” she stated.

  He wanted to know more but sensed Emily wasn’t going to disclose anything else from her tone. All he could do was focus on his work.

  He’d barely set up the next test when the phone rang. He answered and a female’s voice in a Northern English accent filled the line. “Trahern Lewis, I’m Arabella MacLeod. I’m bringing something up on your screen.”

  “What—”

  A new window opened for a program he’d never seen. A forum-like page with several replies filled the screen. Before he could read anything, the female’s voice continued, “This is a dark website used by Dragon Knight recruiters.”

  “Dark website?”

  “It’s a secret part of the internet that an average person can’t access. I found something you should look at. Read the first post.”

  Trahern looked at the post:

  Want to be a part of the Dragon Knights and rid the UK of our dragon problem? Then take these ingredients and figure out the best recipe to make a dragon-shifter’s dragon go insane. With heightened surveillance, we only take dedicated members now. Find the solution, document proof, and we’ll be in touch.

  The rest of the post was a basic formula, minus the proportions. Trahern read down the list. At the last ingredient, he tapped the screen. “This plant must be the mystery element.”

  Arabella replied, “I looked up the scientific name. When you translate the name used by the locals in the Amazon, it’s called dragonsoul in English. It’s indigenous to the Amazon rainforest.”

  Emily, who had been listening next to Trahern, jumped in. “I’ve never heard of it. If the attackers are getting their hands on this plant, it must be via a black market.”

  Arabella answered, “I’m looking for sources now. If these bastards are using a forum on a hidden site, they know their way around the dark web, where you can find and buy almost any illegal item. As soon as I find where they’re getting it from, I’ll let you know.”

  “Good,” Trahern said. “I’ll see what we can find elsewhere. There has to be a specific compound that affects inner dragons. If I know what it is, I might be able to neutralize it.”

  “You’ll hear from me again later,” Arabella said before she hung up.

  Trahern glanced to Emily, and she nodded as she moved to her laptop. As she typed, she glanced at him. “We’re one step closer, Trahern. Tell me the second you find anything and I’ll do the same.”

  He nodded and went searching. While he didn’t have a way to contact any of the Amazon dragon clans and ask if they know how to counter the effects of the dragonsoul plant, he might be able to find something buried in a research journal somewhere.

  ~~~

  Sid sat next to Brendan’s bed and gently brushed the hair off his forehead. Since there was nothing to do but wait, Gregor had gone to check in with Trahern while Sid stood guard with the Irish doctor. She still didn’t know enough about Ronan O’Brien to pitch ideas of future cooperation. However, she needed to work on it since adding Clan Glenlough to her network would be a boon for both her and Bram. Sid didn’t follow clan politics too closely, but she knew Bram wanted to add the Irish clan to his list of allies.

  Brendan sighed in his sleep and she focused back on the boy. Sid wondered if she had also been restless when she’d been unconscious as a teenager. She knew her parents had never left her side. Brendan’s parents hadn’t been able to come because of the Irish DDA’s more restrictive rules when it came to movement between clans outside of Ireland, but Sid would take their place for now. She would fight for him until her dying breath.

  Maybe it was selfish, but she hoped her own child never went through something so traumatic. Although, given he or she would have two doctors for parents, the child would have a better chance than most.

  She half expected her dragon to growl and say the child was hers. But for once, her dragon merely sat and observed. She was keeping her promise to not interfere until the boy was better.

  Just as Sid thought about how working with children might help her get along better with her beast, Dr. Ronan O’Brien spoke up from the opposite side of the boy’s bed. “Earlier, Dr. Innes was adamant about too much of the dragon slumber drug permanently silencing an inner dragon. I’ve never heard of that before. How do you know it’s true?”

  Sid looked at the Irish doctor and saw genuine interest in his eyes. At one time, she never would’ve shared her secret with a near-stranger. But if there was to ever be openness and collab
oration in the future between clan doctors, Sid needed to take the first step. “Because it happened to me twenty-four years ago.”

  Ronan frowned. “Your dragon is silent?”

  “Was, as in past tense. But I did go twenty-four years without my beast.”

  Ronan raised his brows. “But you found a way to bring her back, right? Shouldn’t we be able to use that with the boy, if it comes to it?”

  Sid shook her head. “No. It took the mate-claim frenzy to bring her out, which won’t work with a child.”

  Ronan’s pupils flashed. “Ah, yes. You smell like the other doctor. You must carry his child.”

  Her dragon spoke up. My child.

  Interesting. When others mentioned the baby, her dragon claimed it.

  Ignoring her beast, she answered the question in Ronan’s eyes. “Yes, my dragon is back as I’m sure you just noticed with my flashing pupils. However, she hates me for the imprisonment. It’s not something I wish on anyone.”

  Ronan paused a second before replying, “I see. Then let’s try to find another way.”

  She smiled. “I like your dedication. Your clan is lucky.”

  The Irish male averted his eyes and studied the sleeping boy. She’d hit a nerve, but Sid wasn’t quite sure what about.

  Before she could ask a question, Gregor burst through the door. “Thanks to Arabella, Trahern and Emily know the mystery ingredient. They’re working on a counter-formula.”

  Sid stood. “That’s good news.”

  “Mostly. It’s difficult to obtain what they need, so it may take a while.”

  Sid looked at the sleeping boy. “We may not have a while.”

  Ronan moved toward them. “Then let me help your team. I’ve done my fair share of chemistry over the years.”

  The Irish dragonman couldn’t be much more than thirty, but Sid didn’t know his story. “If you think you can assist, then Gregor will take you to the laboratory.”

  With a nod, Gregor guided Ronan out of the room. She trusted Gregor to fill her in once he returned; she wasn’t about to waste time asking questions when Ronan could be helping to find a way to help Brendan.