He lowered his hands and gave Pia a grim look. She whispered, “We’re lucky you’re alive, and you remember as much as you do.”
Lucky.
Slipping an arm around her shoulders, he leaned his forehead against hers.
Early that morning, in the first blush of dawn, he had speared into her body as she cried out his name, and he had been incredulous at the newness, the raw magnificence of it.
Yes, he was so damned lucky. More lucky than he ever deserved.
After a moment, Kathryn said, “There’s another important aspect of memory—emotion. The most vivid memories tend to be tied to emotion, so it’s possible those might come back the easiest. Imagery can also be used to stimulate further recall.”
As Dragos turned his attention back to the doctor, his eyes narrowed. “Pia told me about Graydon, but I didn’t remember him until I saw him.”
“That’s a great example,” Kathryn replied. “I suggest you go through all the photo albums you own. I can also put together some exercises that might help. Just remember, having someone remind you of an event—like killing the Dark Fae King—won’t stimulate true recall. But, now that you’ve started to remember some things, I think you can hope for more periods of spontaneous recovery.”
“Yet there’s no guarantee I’ll get it all back,” Dragos said.
Kathryn smiled. “No, but life doesn’t come with any guarantees, does it? Your recovery has already been pretty astonishing. Try to be patient and give your brain time to reroute new pathways. You never know what you might be able to achieve.”
There was truth in that. He had a mate and a son.
And he remembered a time when he never thought he would have either.
He met Pia’s gaze.
She mouthed at him, “Lucky.”
His lips tightened, but then he smiled and nodded.
After staying for another half an hour or so, Kathryn left, with a promise to return for a follow-up exam the following week.
Graydon sent for the rest of the sentinels, and afterward, the two men went out to the patio area, while Pia wandered off to make another phone call.
Graydon carried two bottles of cold beer from the kitchen. They had begun to sweat in the heat of the day. He handed one to Dragos, who inspected the label.
Oh, yes. He liked this beer.
He took a long pull, while Graydon sat forward and leaned his elbows on his knees. “They’ll be here in a few,” Graydon said. “They were hanging out at a dive bar in town.”
Dragos tested out a few words. “Who… got the short straw?”
Graydon’s head came up, a smile lightening his craggy features. “Grym stayed in New York.”
Grym.
Scowling, Dragos tried and failed to recall what that sentinel looked like.
Graydon promised, “Maybe you have to see him, like you did with me. We’ll Skype with him later.”
His jaw tightened. “Kathryn said I might not get everything back. That means you and the others need to be extra vigilant, because the gods only know what I won’t recall.”
Straightening, the other man took a long, deep breath. “Okay,” he said. “We’ll handle it. We’ll teach you everything we know.”
“And we need to keep this quiet,” Dragos said. “The last thing we need is for this to leak out.”
Graydon rubbed the back of his neck. “A lot of people were at the construction site, and news of the accident has already gotten out to the public. But the only ones who know you lost your memory are the sentinels, and the doc.” His frowning gray gaze met Dragos’s. “It might take some fancy tap dancing, but we can keep this under wraps.”
Pia came into sight, and both men paused to look at her. She had her head bowed, as she concentrated on the person on the other end of the phone.
Graydon said in a quiet, telepathic voice, When you disappeared, she handled things like a boss. She got a plan in place that covered everything—she coordinated the search for you and even drew up a will. Just in case. Then she climbed up that mountain and healed your ass. It was a good thing she was around to save the day.
As she glanced toward them, Dragos smiled at her.
He said aloud, “Pia saves me every day.”
“Amen to that,” said Graydon.
They clinked bottles.
Pia hung up and walked over to them. She looked both excited and worried at once.
Dragos stood. “What is it?”
“Liam’s going to be here in a few minutes.” She bit her lip. “They’re driving in with the sentinels. Eva said to be braced.”
“What does that mean?”
Her worried expression deepened as she lifted her shoulders. “I don’t know! All she would say is that he went through another growth spurt.”
Together, they both turned to stare at Graydon, who winced at them apologetically. “Nothing’s wrong.” He held up both hands. “Liam is fine. So we decided it was best to not disturb you, until you had the capacity to deal with it.”
“Deal with what?” Dragos demanded.
His sharp hearing caught the sound of approaching vehicles, so without waiting to hear a reply, he strode through the house, Pia close on his heels.
Two SUVs pulled to a stop, containing Eva and Hugh, and five tall, strong-looking people, all of whom Dragos knew immediately.
Aryal and Quentin. Bayne, Constantine, and Alex.
All his sentinels, except for Grym, who had drawn the short straw and stayed in the city.
Pushing past him, Pia ran down the steps toward the SUV that carried Eva and Hugh. Belatedly, Dragos realized that what he had taken for a space in the backseat was actually filled with a car seat.
Of course it was.
Eva leaped out of the passenger seat, one hand held out toward Pia. “He’s all right, it’s all right. Aw, shit, there’s no way to make this easier.”
“What the hell?” Pia exclaimed at her angrily. She pushed past Eva and yanked open the rear door to look inside.
Silence fell over the group, as they stood watching, all except for Dragos, who strode rapidly toward the SUV. His stomach clenched as Pia whispered, “Oh, my God.”
She reached into the backseat and lifted out a smiling, tow-headed boy.
A big, beautiful boy. A much bigger boy than the toddler Dragos remembered. He was no expert on children, but Liam looked to be twice as big, maybe four years old.
“What the fuck?” he whispered.
Pia sank to her knees, hugging Liam tight, and the boy threw his arms around her neck. “What did I miss?” she cried. “What did I miss?”
“I missed you,” Liam told her. “Bunches and bunches. Hi, Mom.”
The boy talked.
Reaching their side, Dragos sank to his knees beside them.
“Look at you,” Pia breathed. She ran her hands compulsively over Liam. “How did this happen?”
Liam beamed. “I’m being a big soldier.”
Her eyes went wide, and she looked as if she’d been punched.
The boy cocked his head, and his smile started to dim. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”
Immediately she snatched him tight, kissing him all over his face and hugging him fiercely, as she sobbed, “Of course it is. You’re such a good, good boy. You’re the most amazing boy I’ve ever seen. It’s okay to stop growing now. It really is. You can stop for a while. Dear God, you’re big enough.”
Liam kissed her back then turned his attention to Dragos and grew still.
Sensing Liam’s change in focus, Pia looked at Dragos, too. With obvious reluctance, she let her arms loosen and let Liam stand on his own.
Dragos wanted to reach for him, but Liam hung back, leaning against his mom.
Dragos asked, “Are you afraid of me?”
Shaking his head, the boy asked a question of his own. “Do you remember me?”
“I do,” he said, a little hoarsely. “I remember you so well, and I really don’t want you to be afraid of me.”
Liam looked into his gaze. It was an old, deep look from those violet eyes, a look that did not seem to come from a child.
Then Liam smiled and patted him on the cheek.
He said in a gentle voice, “You’re a good dad.”
Astonished, broken wide open, Dragos felt something slide down his face. He touched his cheek and discovered wetness. Feeling a fullness and depth of emotion he had never felt before, he watched as Liam slipped around him and skipped toward the house.
Thank you!
Dear Readers,
Thank you for reading Pia Saves the Day. Dragos and Pia remain near and dear to my heart, and I’ve been excited to share their latest story with you. I hope you had as much fun visiting with them as I did!
Would you like to stay in touch and hear about new releases? You can:
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Reviews help other readers find the books they like to read. I appreciate each and every review, whether positive or negative.
Pia Saves the Day is the second novella in a three-story arc featuring Dragos, Pia and their son Liam (aka Peanut). The first story is Dragos Takes a Holiday (November, 2013 release), and the third and final story is Peanut Goes to School (July, 2014 release).
Happy reading!
Thea
Coming July 2014
Peanut Goes to School (An Elder Races short story)
Dragos Cuelebre is no longer the only dragon.
Dragos’s son Liam Cuelebre (a.k.a. Peanut) is springing into existence, reminiscent of the first of the Elder Races who were born at the beginning of the world. At just six months of age, he has already grown to the size of a large five-year-old boy. He can read, write in complete sentences, and his math skills are off the chart.
A white dragon in his Wyr form, Liam also holds more Power than almost anyone else. In an effort to give him a taste of normality, no matter how fleeting, his parents Pia and Dragos enroll him in first grade.
They hope school will help teach Liam how to relate to others, a vital skill that will help him control his growing Power. But school has a surprising number of pitfalls, and relating to others can be a tricky business.
When a classmate is threatened, Liam must quickly learn self-control, how to rein in his instincts, and govern his temper, because there’s no doubt about it—he is fast becoming one of the most dangerous creatures in all of the Elder Races.
Look for these titles from Thea Harrison
THE ELDER RACES SERIES – FULL LENGTH NOVELS
Published by Berkley
Dragon Bound
Storm’s Heart
Serpent’s Kiss
Oracle’s Moon
Lord’s Fall
Kinked
Night’s Honor (*September, 2014)
ELDER RACES NOVELLAS
Published by Samhain Publishing
True Colors
Natural Evil
Devil’s Gate
Hunter’s Season
The Wicked
OTHER WORKS BY THEA HARRISON
Dragos Takes a Holiday
Pia Saves the Day (*June, 2014)
Peanut Goes to School (*July, 2014)
GAME OF SHADOWS SERIES
Published by Berkley
Rising Darkness
Falling Light
ROMANCES UNDER THE NAME
AMANDA CARPENTER
E-published by Samhain Publishing
(original publication by Harlequin Mills & Boon)
A Deeper Dimension
The Wall
A Damaged Trust
The Great Escape
Flashback
Rage
Waking Up
Rose-Coloured Love
Reckless
The Gift of Happiness
Caprice
Passage of the Night
Cry Wolf
A Solitary Heart
The Winter King (*July, 2014)
Pia Saves the Day Page 10