by Jacki James
I picked it up and handed it to Quentin. “I’ll take this one.” I paid him and we left. I walked down the street to the inn, and used the key card and let myself into Toby’s room. I grabbed the things he’d requested and quickly left. We went out behind the inn so I could call Sindri and we could fly home. I gave Sindri the sun catcher, and she practically purred, tucking it into her pouch, we took off. The ride home wasn’t as peaceful as the ride into town. I had no idea what to do about Toby. I understood why we couldn’t erase the memories of our mates. That was too much power to have over another, but it would be convenient in this situation. I couldn’t let him go and I couldn’t let him stay. What was I supposed to do?
We swooped over the water and turned sharply to the right, landing in the LZ. Sindri quickly took her wyrmling form and made for the stairs. When we returned with a prism, she always went to her room to hide it as if anyone here would think of taking it from her. As I hauled the bag of Toby’s things upstairs, I prepared myself to see him. I had no idea what I’d say, but it needed to be nice, polite, and distant. What I wasn't prepared for, however, was to walk into a living room full of stunned young men watching as Toby oohed and aahed over the prism Sindri had picked out at the store. I stood in the doorway and watched as Toby tried twice to give the prism back to Sindri, and both times, she pushed it back toward him.
Sindri, what are you doing?
I am giving our human a present.
You want to give him one of your prisms? Sindri, like most dragons, didn’t share her pretties. Ever. Of course, Toby had no way of knowing what an honor it was for her to want to give him one of her prisms.
He is ours. He should have one from me to remember he is ours.
Sindri, he doesn’t know or understand that he belongs to us.
He will. Humans are just slow. Pretty, but slow.
I tried not to laugh, but I couldn’t help it. Everyone looked up, and I tried to cover the laugh with a cough. “Sorry, Sindri wants you to have it as a gift, Toby. She collects prisms and wanted to give you one.”
“Oh, well, that’s sweet. I’ll keep it and treasure it always,” he said as Sindri hopped up in his lap and let out a contented sigh as he stroked her.
Chapter Six
Toby
During the time Azaran was gone, I sat and watched as the guys rubbed a scented oil on their dragons’ scales. They said it was necessary to keep their skin from drying out. I wasn’t sure about the drying out part, but the little beasties loved every minute of it.
All three of the brothers acted friendly, but I couldn’t get them to tell me why they weren’t able to erase my memory. Apparently, all I needed to know was a snag existed that prevented it, and honestly, I was kind of glad. I didn’t want to forget these brothers, or the unusual creatures they shared a life with. But without erasing my memory, they couldn’t just send me on my way.
I’d be more concerned there was something really wrong, but once they knew I had whatever weird thing I had that kept them from doing their memory-erasing voodoo, they’d become much happier to have me here. It was weird but also a little nice, like I’d suddenly become someone important to them. Well, everyone but Azaran who couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
As soon as they got back with my stuff, I planned to head to whatever room they put me in, take a hot bath, and think this mess through. I heard someone, or something, barreling up the stairs, and then Sindri leaped at me, landing in my lap. She had a lovely suncatcher of colored crystals hanging from her mouth, and she shoved it into my hands.
“Oh, look at that. Did you go to the bookshop in town? I saw these hanging there and thought they were so pretty,” I told her. “I love the way the light refracts when it goes through the prism.” I tried to hand it back, but she used her paw to push it back toward me. I tried again, and again she pushed it back.
“Sorry, Sindri wants you to have it as a gift, Toby. She collects prisms and wanted to give you one,” Azaran said.
“Oh, well, that’s sweet. I’ll keep it and treasure it always,” I told her. “I’ll hang it in a window so I can see the pretty rainbows on the floor when the light hits it.”
She curled up in my lap and sighed as I reached to pet her. No, I wasn’t sorry at all that they couldn’t take my memories of this. I sat there like that for a minute enjoying the feel of her. I’d never really been a pet person. I spent too many long hours at either the clinic or the hospital to have a pet, but having her so content curled up in my lap made me wonder if this is what I needed. I sat there and watched the boys play video games as they joked and gave each other a hard time about their skills. Eeli seemed to be doing pretty good. I’d given him another dose of the painkiller, and while he wasn’t as into the game as the other two, he was still enjoying himself. I noticed that Azaran didn’t join in. He stood there looking longingly for a minute at his brothers like he wished they would ask him to play, but they didn’t, and then he mumbled something about having work to do and left the room. I wondered if he ever let go and had fun or if he was always so serious.
He wandered back in a little later to check on everyone, and I took the opportunity to try and get settled for the evening. “Azaran, could you show me where I’m staying tonight? I’d like to take a bath if that’s possible, and then maybe get some sleep.”
“Of course, I have a room all ready for you. Let me show you. It has a nice full-sized en-suite bathroom, so you should be all set,” he said, reaching for my bag.
“I can carry my stuff,” I said, taking it from him.
“Whatever,” he grumbled, leading me down the stairs one flight with Sindri trailing behind. We went through a doorway and down a hall. It reminded me of a hotel it had so many rooms. It occurred to me that we’d gone down, but the windows in the living area looked out over the yard.
“Are we down underground?” I asked.
“We are. We only have living areas and a couple of guest rooms on the ground floor, but our quarters are underground. I wanted to put you here with us. They are much nicer than the ones upstairs, but we can go back up if you want.”
“No, really, this is fine. I’m just trying to orient myself.”
“Great. So the far door at the end is mine, then Malachite’s, Zale’s, and Eeli’s. I’m going to put you in the blue room. It’s down this way.” He turned and led me the opposite way from their rooms to the far end of the hall. It wasn’t lost on me that he’d literally put me in the room the farthest from his. We walked inside and it was every bit as nice as the fanciest hotel I’d ever stayed in. It was almost more like an efficiency apartment than a room. It had a small kitchenette, a sitting area with a television, and a king-sized bed to die for. “The bathroom’s through there. If you need anything else, tell one of us and we’ll get it for you.”
He turned to leave, but first, he looked around; his eyes finally finding Sindri who’d made herself comfortable on the couch. They stared at each other and I’d swear they were talking; oh, who was I kidding, they probably were. I had no idea how dragons worked. “Sindri’s staying here with you. She wants to make sure you’re comfortable and aren’t alone.”
“Your choice or hers?” I asked, trying to decide if I had a companion for the evening or a guard dragon.
“Hers. She wants to stay,” he said with a shrug. “If you need anything, you know where to find us.” And with that, he turned and left.
“Well, I guess it’s just us, girl.” I walked through the bathroom door and there was a huge tub calling my name. I went back into the bedroom, grabbed my bag, and started to go in. Then I realized I’d be leaving her all alone in the bedroom. “I might be a while. Do you want me to turn on the TV for you?” She jumped up excitedly and grabbed the remote with her mouth and brought it to me. I flipped through the channels a bit, but when she got really attentive when I paused on an episode of Planet Earth, I left it there. “Okay, I’m going to take a bath now,” I told her as she settled down on the couch, enthralled by the
school of fish swimming on the TV screen.
The bath was wonderful, and it gave me plenty of time to think. I was in quite a pickle. I didn’t blame Zale for bringing me here. He’d been worried about his brother and he’d believed it’d be easy to send me back home. I wished I understood what made me different, but seeing as how none of this made sense, it was no surprise I had no idea. I knew the brothers didn’t want to hurt me, but they couldn’t just let me go. I knew I was trustworthy, but they didn’t. From there, my thoughts drifted to Azaran. He was surly and difficult and absolutely the most beautiful man I’d ever laid eyes on.
He’d taken his hair down at one point, and it fell around his face down to his shoulders. It looked soft and seriously touchable. Unfortunately, his attitude made him untouchable. He’d made it obvious he didn’t want me here but didn’t know how to go about getting me gone. Well, join the club, grouchy, I didn’t want to be here, either. I soaked for a while longer and when the water chilled, I thought about draining some of it and warming it back up but decided sleep would be the better option. I got out and dried off with one of the softest, most luxurious towels I’d ever touched and put on some sleep pants. Sindri had moved from the couch to the bed and had curled up in a tight ball, still watching the television. I turned off the lights and crawled into bed leaving the show on. Once I got comfortable, she moved over next to my side, and it didn’t take long before she started making little snoring noises. Guess I had a guest for the evening. Not that I minded, it was actually nice not to be alone considering the situation.
I woke up the next morning to find her still curled up next to me, but when I stirred, she sat up and looked at me like she was trying to figure something out. I had no idea how dragons’ minds worked, whether they were like animals or more like people. “Hey, girl, you ready to go get breakfast?” I asked, and she hopped down and went to the door. “I tell you what, just to be on the safe side, why don’t you lead me up to the kitchen so I don’t get lost in this place?”
She made a chirping noise and scurried down the hall, and I followed after her. She led me straight to the kitchen which told me she did indeed understand me. Malachite and Zale were already up and cooking breakfast. They greeted me warmly and asked me how I liked my eggs. I offered to go check on Eeli while they cooked, but they said he was already up and had left for school. I grumbled about stubborn boys with possible concussions who didn’t follow the doctor's orders. They explained that he was very serious about his grades and had a test today he didn’t want to miss. A few minutes later, Azaran came into the room.
“I thought I smelled eggs and bacon,” he said, not even looking my direction.
“Yep, enough to go around,” Zale said. “You want a plate?” Azaran nodded. We sat around the bar in the kitchen and ate. All of us knowing we had to talk but none of us ready to go there, yet.
“More coffee?” Azaran asked, motioning the pot in my direction.
“Yes, please. I have a feeling this’ll be a multi-cup morning,” I said with a smile.
He looked at me and grinned and poured more in my cup. “So you like your coffee, do you?”
“I do. I never would’ve made it through medical school, especially not my internship, without it. It’s like my very best friend,” I said, taking a drink of the hot beverage. “And this is really good stuff, too, by the way.”
“Thanks, I get it from a local guy. He roasts it fresh.” He gave me a warm and friendly smile, and for a moment, it was like he forgot he didn’t want me here and that I was a complication. That Azaran, the one that smiled at me like I was special was appealing on a level I’d never experienced before. I felt his smile all the way to my soul. But then he remembered who we were, and serious Azaran was back. He rubbed at his eyes and let out a deep sigh.
“Toby, honestly, I’m not sure what to do here. My gut tells me that our secret is safe with you, but this is too important to trust my gut.”
“Well, first, let me say your gut’s correct. This secret you’re hiding here is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen in my life, and it’s too important for people to know about. People aren’t ready for the fact magical dragons that live in tattoos are flying around. But here’s the most important thing for you to remember, I’m a doctor. What I just said sounds legitimately insane. I can see the headlines now. Doctor on vacation trying to stave off burnout goes insane. Or doctor cracks up and believes he’s found the real-life Batman riding a dragon and living in a cave on the West Coast. I love taking care of patients, Azaran, and no one will come to a crazy doctor who claims to have been kidnapped by dragons. Your secret is safe with me because I can’t afford to tell anyone.”
He tilted his head to one side, studying me like he was trying to figure me out. With everything I said, the part he focused in on surprised me. “You’re here on vacation because you suffered from burnout?”
“I guess, I mean that’s what they called it, anyway. Honestly, I was just tired of all the red tape and insurance mess that goes with being a doctor. I needed a break.”
He nodded his head. “I can see that. This is a situation we haven’t been in before, and I don’t want to make the wrong choice.”
I watched him as he weighed the options and tried to come up with a solution that worked for everyone. “I have an idea,” I said. “I have time left on my vacation. How about if I stay here with you guys? That’ll give you a chance to get to know me and my character better so you can make an informed decision.”
“I think that’s a great idea,” Malachite said.
“Me, too,” Zale chimed in.
Azaran shot them both a look that told me I was still missing part of this story. For some reason, he didn’t want me here, but he wouldn’t say why. He let out a resigned sigh. “That’s probably the best option,” he relented. “Now I have work to do. Make yourself at home.” And with that, he turned and fled the room.
Chapter Seven
Azaran
The next few days crept by. I spent most of my time out on patrol. We continued with our training each morning and Toby watched us. I wished I didn’t, but I noticed the way his eyes focused on me. He felt the attraction as much as I did, even if he didn’t understand where it was coming from. I kept my distance as much as possible and only entered the family room when I needed to talk to the guys about something.
One night, I walked in on him telling a story about some guy waving a knife around in the emergency room where he worked. “And then he just dropped to the floor?” Zale asked shocked.
“Yeah. He was waving the knife all around screaming at everyone to get back. I’m not sure who was more panicked, him or us. He yelled something about it taking too long to get seen, and how someone was going to die if his brother did. We tried to get him to explain to us about his brother, but he was past the point of reason. Then boom, he hit the floor.”
“Wow, so what did you do?” Eeli asked, enthralled with the story. Truthfully, I was caught up in the story too. As he talked, his eyes flashed and he moved his hands a lot. He was an excellent storyteller.
“Well, I rushed to the man. I tried to take the knife out of his hand, but he’d clinched it tight and wouldn’t release it. I called for Calvin, the security guard, and he rushed over, holstering his gun, and worked on getting the knife out of his hand while I checked for a pulse.”
“Why didn’t Calvin shoot the guy already?” Zale asked. I was thinking the same thing, actually.
“Because the room was crowded, and he didn’t want to accidentally hit someone else. And because our job as a hospital is to save people not to shoot them. But Calvin’s a good man. If he’d had to, he would’ve shot him before letting him hurt anyone. Anyway, so I found the pulse, and he was still alive. He’d had a heart attack right there in the emergency room. Turns out he’d brought his brother in for some reason, but he was high and not thinking straight. In his mind, it was taking too long, and we were letting his brother die and he just freaked out.”
“So what happened to him?” Eeli asked.
“I saved him and he apologized later. His brother lived. We got the guy in for some rehab. Apparently, it was just a bad trip. Last I heard, he’d found a job at the local tire factory and was doing fine.”
He glanced up and saw me watching him and gave me a shy smile. Damn, he really was cute, and kind, and brave. This really sucked. I realized I was smiling back at him; being in the same place with him and keeping my distance was hard. “Don’t you guys have chores or something to do?” I asked as harshly as possible, making it sound like they were wasting their time. I turned and left to find something productive for myself to do, something far away from Doctor Tobias Wells.
The next day, as I was finishing up my patrol, I spotted Eeli headed into the house with a bag of groceries. It wasn’t shopping day, so I wondered what was up. I flew around to the LZ and then followed Sindri up the stairs. I came into the kitchen to find the guys all unpacking the bags. “I hope these are the right ones,” Eeli said to Toby as he handed him a small jar.
“They’re perfect. So capers are kind of salty, almost briny; you don’t want to use too many, but in this dish, a few are perfect. I usually make this with white wine but since you aren’t old enough to buy wine,” he hip-checked Eeli, both of them laughing, “the chicken stock will work perfectly.”
I stood there and watched as he taught Eeli how to butterfly the chicken breasts and to my surprise, he let him pound out the chicken cutlets while he instructed the other two on what to do to help. Finally, Zale realized I was standing there.
“Oh, hey, Az. Toby’s making chicken piccata for dinner, doesn’t that sound amazing?”
“It does, too bad I already have plans in town. Actually, I’m running late. I popped in to let y’all know I wouldn’t be here to eat. I’ll see you later.” I left quickly and took Sindri with me.