Seeking
Page 17
Free Short Stories:
Math Nerds and Mechanics
Tall Golf
Please visit my website for more information on these stories.
http://www.drgradybooks.com
About the Author
D.R. Grady is the author of over twenty-five clean romance novels. She lives with her husband near Hershey, PA and adores chocolate, laughing, collecting bags, books, and shoes. Oh, and writing clean stories that resonate with others.
Please visit her website for more information.
http://www.drgradybooks.com
An unedited sneak peek:
Chapter 1
To call Fergus the First stubborn proved too far an understatement. His lips firmed and he shook his head.
Lucy the Lucky tamped exasperation with more energy than she had expended in decades. “Fergus, you heard Eliza. She and Myrtle said it is too early.
She waited for his answer with more impatience than she had shown since she trained.
His dark eyes flashed. “I need to know.”
With a deep breath and a silent plea for additional patience, she waited until his gaze met hers. “As a fellow Aasguard warrior I understand. However, Eliza and Myrtle, renowned healers, have repeatedly told you it is too soon for you to try to walk.”
The line of his jaw tightened. “This is frustrating.”
Lucy leaned over and cupped his chin. “A day ago you suffered in intense pain. In a chamber in Atlas wishing to die. Today you are at the newly built school for Aasguard warriors, a hero to our people and beyond. A legend in the flesh.” She wanted to kiss him, but that would be far too soon. Besides, better not to reward this bad behavior. “Give it a few days. Because from what I gathered, the longer you wait, the better your chances of walking.”
“I understand that.”
“But you want to be out there training and being the Aasguard warrior you were a century ago.” She did not release his chin. “Again, the longer you wait to try walking, the better Aasguard warrior you will be.”
“How do you figure?” Lucy released his chin because the desire to kiss him overwhelmed. He reached out to grasp her hand in his large, calloused one. He desired the connection too and that reassured her.
“You have survived a vaspiris attack. What does surviving a normally fatal attack mean to an Aasguard?” As the first ever Aasguard warrior, this man had drilled this information into all the students he had taught.
“It will make us stronger.” His growled response made her hide a smile.
“Correct. But what is the qualifier?”
“You have to give yourself the proper amount of time to heal.” This emitted even more growly than the previous statement.
She sat back and waited. Even counted in her head.
“I hate this. I am in no pain now. I feel better than I have in over a century. Even before the attack.”
Lucy had fully expected the counter argument. He would not have tolerated it from any of his students and she could not allow it now.
She went for dirty pool. Still relevant, but dirty nonetheless. “All those years that Punzel stayed with you, would you repay her by ruining all chances to ever walk again? To ever stand on your two feet again?”
His snarled response was lost in the vehemence that accompanied it.
“Eliza just told you that if you give it a few days before you try to stand or walk, your chances of walking, running, and especially training rise to what extent?”
“Ninety percent.” He sounded like an unhappy schoolboy. Yet even though they had only met today, she could tell he would do as the healers directed.
Myrtle had given him another drink and she stated that she could smell less of vaspiris in his blood. This indicated that the herbal concoction she had offered him was working to drive the last of the poison from his body.
Once that poison was gone, chances were excellent that he could practice standing again for the first time in over a century. He had been on his way to say goodbye to his good friend Lajos the Swift and his dragon, Fricassa. En route, not far from Atlas, a portal opened and a nasty, poisonous creature called a vaspiris had attacked him. His dragon, Lachland had killed the creature, but died in the battle.
The poison had paralyzed Fergus from the waist down and caused more pain than he had ever endured in all his years of service. Vaspiris poison caused paralysis and pain, but the victim cannot die. Cannot will themselves to die. Fergus would have floated in the ocean, paralyzed and in pain, and probably been eaten by a sea creature if not for the sea serpent Punzel, who rescued him, after being injured herself.
Atlas, a prosperous kingdom in the Nesslock sea had experienced a giant earthquake deep in the ocean and the entire island crumbled beneath it. The city fell into the depths of the ocean, so far down that only deep sea creatures could travel there. Punzel had been close enough to be injured by the falling debris.
She had managed to get him to Lajos’s old chambers, Lajos and Fricassa had been on an errand for the king and missed the fall of the island. The sea serpent and Fergus lived in Lajos and Fricassa’s chambers for the next century plus. Until Rykert the Bold and Felicity the Valiant had discovered them today.
It had been a long day. Fergus’ discovery had sent joy and celebrations throughout the community. Many of whom had already traveled to the Aasguard School’s grand opening. They already had the hope of the school, only to learn that Fergus still lived.
A day of hope and joy that their community desperately needed.
A huge sigh dragged from Fergus’s lungs. “What is a few more days?”
“That’s the spirit.” She could not resist leaning forward to kiss him. He did deserve a reward for shouldering this news.
Fergus jerked forward to wrap a big hand around the back of her head and hold her close as he took over what she intended to be a quick kiss. Only she preferred his take on the embrace.
Their mouths opened and she enjoyed, savored her first taste of this warrior who was hers.
She released his hand to thrust both hands into his hair. Their tongues explored one another and learned each other.
When they parted, she stared into his dark eyes and fell even harder for this man. Her mate, if her instincts were correct. She suspected they were.
They had not led her wrong in the past.
“Thank you.” His voice rasped.
She smiled. “You are welcome. And thank you.”
They shared a smile that made her heart soar and her hopes to sail higher than her deceased dragon was wont.