by Rinelle Grey
“Are you sure you don't want me to sit in there and help you?” Lisa offered.
“I'm fine,” Karla said a little too quickly. “And besides, you need to drive. Bruce doesn't know where we're going.”
“My trip here took a slightly different route,” Bruce joked.
Karla did a double take. Was Bruce, sensible, cautious, serious Bruce, making a joke in a serious situation? Maybe she'd misjudged him too.
There was no time for pondering that though. Eager to be away from the dragon’s lair, Bruce and Lisa didn’t argue any further, just climbed into the ute and headed off, bouncing through the bush. Then Karla was far too busy holding onto Taurian, and trying to keep his body from bumping all over the place on the rough drive back to the main road.
Taurian didn't even seem to react to the bumps and twists. Was he still conscious? Karla's body wound up tight, fear coalescing in a tight wad in the middle of her stomach. The only thing that stopped her banging on the glass and stopping the ute to check on him was the way his body twitched every time she took her hand off his shoulders to clutch at the edge of the ute.
She felt so helpless. She may have been able to help him transform back into his human form, but she had no idea what to do next. This couldn’t be all there was to the Mesmer ritual. But she didn’t have any dragons around to tell her what to do next.
What if she couldn’t help him?
Was it really her problem? She wasn’t bonded to him now, the Mesmer ritual was complete. She could just step out of this problem and leave it all behind.
She should get out while she could, that would be the sensible thing to do. But there was no way she was leaving now.
She looked down at the unconscious man in her arms, studying every angle of his jaw and curve of his lips. There was no way she was leaving him. There was something here, something worth exploring further. She had no idea if they had any hope of a future together, but she wanted the chance to find out.
To do that though, she had to find a way to help him survive.
Chapter 27
The ute bumped and bounced over the rough road, throwing Taurian around like a sack of potatoes. Each bump sent daggers of pain through his body, but he had neither the strength nor the inclination to cry out.
As long as his head was cradled in Karla's lap, he didn't care where they were going, or how painful the journey. She would look after him, he was certain of that.
Besides, nothing could hurt as much as the pain of his failure. He felt like turning and burring his head in Karla’s lap, but he knew even that couldn’t keep away the shame that burned through his veins.
How had this happened? As the only surviving member of Rian clan, it was his duty to uphold his sister’s honour. A duty he now had to admit he was incapable of. He'd given it his best shot, and he'd been defeated. It was only because of Karla's former lifemate and friend’s intervention that he was alive now.
That knowledge burned worse than the rest of it.
Karla shifted under him, sending a jolt of pain through his thigh. He heard her tapping on the glass somewhere above him and a few moments later the ute ground to a halt.
The cessation of movement was a relief.
“Is everything okay?” Lisa's voice was feint, as though it came from some distance away. “Is Taurian okay?”
“I don't know,” Karla admitted. “But either way, we can't go home.”
Now that the movement had stopped, the pain and exhaustion began to pull on Taurian, trying to drag him down into sleep. But he couldn’t sleep. Not now. This was important.
He struggled to follow the conversation. What was Karla talking about?
“Ultrima knows where my house is,” she said. “And Lisa's too. We need somewhere he can't find. I don’t know how long Taurian will take to heal, it could be weeks. We can't risk Ultrima finding him before then.”
An icy cold fear washed over the burning pain, almost flushing it away. Taurian couldn’t risk Ultrima finding him even then. He hadn’t been able to defeat him this time, and he wouldn’t be able to defeat him next time. He needed to admit that, before he ended up dead. It was only by a miracle that he wasn’t already.
Bruce and Lisa had snatched Ultrima’s victory away from him at the last minute. The Trima dragon would want to claim it as soon as he had finished healing. They had a day, maybe two, and Ultrima's clan would be looking for them even if their leader was in the Mesmer.
Karla was right, they couldn’t return to her father’s home. But where could they go? Taurian’s head swum, and the more he tried to think about it, the more it hurt. It began to throb with a relentless beat, distracting him even more.
“Do you have a friend who we could call on, Karla?” Bruce asked.
Taurian wanted to growl and tell Bruce that they didn’t need his help. Even though it wasn’t true. Karla needed her lifemate now, since Taurian was all but useless. Needing the other man’s help made him feel smaller than a mouse.
He felt the movement as Karla shook her head. “I haven't lived in Mungaloo for years. Even if there are people here I know, there aren't any who I would consider letting in on this kind of secret. Besides, how can we trust anyone not to give us away if they’re threatened by a dragon? We need somewhere private and isolated.”
“How about the haunted house out near the river?” Lisa suggested. “No one ever goes there.”
“There's a good reason for that,” Karla said. “The place is falling down, it's not safe.”
“It's not so bad,” Lisa argued. “I went out there a couple of times as a teen. The rooms at the back will keep out the rain okay even.”
“What were you doing out there?” Karla's voice sounded doubtful.
“It doesn't matter.” Even with his eyes closed, Taurian could hear the strain in Lisa's voice. “You said we needed somewhere remote, where no one is going to look for us. I don't think you're going to find much better.”
The back and forth was making his head hurt even worse, and he couldn’t decide what option was best. Not that it mattered right now. He wasn’t in any fit state to be making decisions. He was totally at the mercy of Karla.
Luckily he trusted her.
There was a pause for a moment, then movement indicated Karla was nodding. “Fine then, let's go check it out. At least it means we won't have to go on any more populated roads. That wouldn’t work with Taurian in the back like this.”
A decision had been made. Taurian hoped it was the right one. But he didn’t even have the energy to evaluate that right now.
He felt himself sinking, sleepiness overcoming him, and then something hit him. He struggled to pull himself out of the darkness, and force his mouth open. But he couldn't get any words out.
Karla heard him. “What was that?” She bent her head down close to him.
Taurian licked his parched lips. Even that small action took more energy than he had. But he sucked in a breath, and forced the words out. “Your dad. Not safe.”
Those words took all his energy. He hoped she understood them, because he couldn't stay awake any longer.
Karla's voice was distant. “Pass me my phone.”
Taurian tried to hang on, to be sure she’d understood the message, but he couldn’t. The overwhelming need to sleep pulled him down, until a thought hit him with a bang. The thought jolted him back to consciousness for just a second, then it was gone, leaving him concerned and unsure.
There was something else he needed to remember, something else he needed to think of before he could succumb. Taurian fought the lure of sleep. But the harder he tried to think of it, the further away it slipped.
Just as he was about to drift off, he remembered. He tried to count in his head. He and Karla had only slept together once, hadn’t they? He thought so. He hoped so. It certainly hadn’t been twice. Had it?
He couldn’t risk sleeping with her a third time, although his foggy brain couldn’t quite remember why.
Chapter 28
&
nbsp; When Taurian went limp in her arms, Karla’s heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t die, not now. She bent over his lifeless body, trying to feel if he was still breathing. He had to be okay. Her heart pounded as she waited for Bruce to search for her phone.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt Taurian’s breath on her cheek. It was even, if laboured. She didn’t dare pull back the blanket to look at his wounds. They’d looked bad on his dragon form, and even worse when he’d transformed back into a human. If he were a normal human, she’d be calling an ambulance. They’d need stitches for sure.
The sooner they got him settled somewhere, the better. Bouncing around in the back of the ute wasn’t helping the situation any.
She tried to ignore the obvious. That even once they were settled, things weren’t going to improve much. She couldn’t call an ambulance. Taking Taurian to a hospital was more dangerous than his wounds were.
She was sure that the dragon Mesmer ritual could heal him, but the trouble was she had no idea how it worked. If he was conscious and could tell her what to do, then maybe she’d have a chance at helping him, but if he was unconscious, how was she supposed to know what to do? Could he even enter the Mesmer if he was that far gone?
Panic welled up, her hands shaking and tears of fear and exhaustion threatening. It was so tempting to give in, and admit that she couldn’t’ do this. But she couldn’t. If she didn’t help Taurian, who would?
The panic that gripped her at the thought of him dying was like a crushing weight on her chest, making it hard to breathe.
Why was this fear so strong? Why did she still feel so concerned for him? Taurian had said that the Mesmer ritual, and the bond that had tied then together, had ended after she’d slept with him. So why did she still care so much? She brushed his hair back from his forehead and stared down at his unconscious face.
The tug she felt was real. And far stronger than anything she had ever felt before. Was this some lingering effect of the magical bond? Could it be because Taurian had been wounded again so quickly?
No, this felt different. The magical bond that had connected them for a few short days had been so overwhelming it had consumed her. And it had been purely physical. She could see that now. This wasn’t. Oh, in a different situation, she was sure the desire would be there, but right now all she wanted to do was help him.
No, these feelings were completely different to the connection they had shared through the Mesmer bond. They were deeper, closer, more real.
That thought both scared and excited her.
And made her concern about how she was supposed to help him that much more desperate.
But concerns weren’t going to get her anywhere. Taurian needed her to act. He was counting on her—the way he had slumped into her lap after she’d understood his words told her that. And he wasn’t the only one. Karla squared her shoulders, took the phone that Bruce handed her, and dialled her father’s number.
“Karla? Is that you? Are you okay? Is Taurian okay?” Her father’s voice sounded strained and worried.
“I'm fine, but Taurian's badly injured,” Karla’s voice shook, but she forced the words out anyway. “Ultrima will be searching for us, it’s not safe for us to come home.” Once she started talking, she couldn’t stop. “It's not safe there for you either. We're heading for the ruined farmhouse out by the river. Can you meet us there?”
Her father was silent on the other end of the line. Karla’s stomach clenched. She'd hit him with too much all at once. This wasn’t his problem and he shouldn’t have to be dealing with it. But he wasn’t safe where he was. He had to listen. “Dad? Are you okay?”
“Yes, of course,” her father replied. “I'm just thinking I'll need to bring blankets and enough food for a couple of days and… you said Taurian was injured, do you need medical supplies?”
Karla glanced down at Taurian. He was so pale. And was that blood seeping through the blanket? A chill started to creep up her spine, but she blocked out the fear. She didn’t have time for that. If she could just figure out the Mesmer ritual, Taurian would be fine. But if she couldn’t…
“Maybe some bandages and antiseptic cream just in case. I don't know what Taurian needs.”
“Sure. I'll see you there in a couple of hours.”
Karla clutched at the phone, almost sagging in relief. Suddenly, she didn’t feel so alone and overwhelmed. “Thanks, Dad.” She hung up, her hands still shaking with the emotion that choked her throat. Her father was the best. How many people could you ring with that sort of news and have them leap into action?
The call finished, they headed off again, down more bumpy dirt roads. Karla’s whole body was tense and stiff from hanging onto the side of the ute, trying to protect Taurian from being jostled about.
When they pulled up in front of the ruined farmhouse, she sagged with relief that the bumping had stopped.
She twisted around in the back of the ute, and stared at the abandoned building doubtfully. Despite Lisa's assurances to the contrary, she found it hard to believe that any part of the building was sound.
The windows were smashed and the iron roof was almost all rust. An ancient mango tree hung over one corner, its size dwarfing the shack and dumping a century of leaves onto the roof. Even if it had been sound when Lisa had last been here, the intervening years had not improved it any.
They should find somewhere better, safer. But Karla wasn’t sure if Taurian could handle any more bouncing. His face was pale and clammy, and he didn’t even stir when she shifted under him to ease her aching legs. He was deteriorating rapidly.
Lisa wasn't deterred. She jumped out of the driver’s seat and headed around the corner of the building, calling out, “Wait here. I'll go find the best way in.”
Bruce climbed out more slowly, and stood beside the ute, eyeing the building dubiously. “There must be somewhere better than this, Karla. This place is a wreck.”
“We’re out of choices, and Taurian could be running out of time,” Karla snapped. “This is no time to get picky, Bruce.”
She felt bad as soon as the words had left her mouth. His concerns were real, and probably correct. But if this didn’t work where else would they go? “They built things strong out here in the bush, even if they don't look as pretty as they do back in England. I bet Lisa is right, and there's somewhere solid back there,” she said more gently.
Bruce turned away, but he didn't argue any further.
Karla felt guilty. She shouldn’t have snapped at him. It wasn't Bruce's fault he liked a certain level of comfort. But right now, the only thing that mattered was getting Taurian somewhere safe.
She wiped Taurian’s brow with the corner of her shirt. He had to pull through this. She couldn’t bear to lose him now. Not when she’d just realised she might feel something for him.
Her eyes scanned the ruined house. Where was Lisa? How long did it take to check a building anyway? She stared at the corner of the house where Lisa had disappeared, as though she could see through it.
Lisa, of course, bounded around the other corner instead. “Come on, I found a dry room. It's a little dusty, but we should be fine here.
Karla had to hand it to Bruce. Even though he obviously wasn't comfortable, he didn’t voice any more misgivings. Instead, he immediately started helping her lift Taurian out of the back of the ute. She felt a moment of fondness towards him, immediately swamped by guilt.
She didn’t have time for that, she’d worry about feeling guilty later.
Bruce carried Taurian under the arms with the blanket tucked in around him, and Lisa and Karla lifted a bottom corner of the blanket each. Taurian didn't move at all, not even to moan. That wasn't a good sign.
Together, they managed to manhandle him around the side of the house and through the doorway that Lisa indicated. It wasn’t so bad here, really. Karla tried to ignore the door hanging off its hinges.
Inside was dry and cool, a relief from the sun. Leaves littered the floor and in one corner the
re were signs that something had made a nest. Possums probably. Hopefully not rats. Karla hesitated, but there was nowhere to put Taurian but on the floor, so they laid him down as gently as possible.
Karla sat on the floor next to him, reluctant to leave him, while Lisa and Bruce hung around awkwardly. She needed to help Taurian, but she couldn’t even begin to think while the others were watching her.
“Bruce, why don't you take a look around the rest of the house and see if there's anything here we can use? Lisa, you check the car. Oh, and put it somewhere out of sight. No point in advertising to any passing dragons that we’re here.”
Both of them seemed relieved to have something to do and disappeared to their assigned tasks.
Leaving Karla alone with Taurian.
The weight of being the only person who could help him weighed heavily on her shoulders. She bit her lip. She didn’t even know where to start.
Her energy had helped him to shift back into his human form, perhaps it could help him heal as well. It was all she had, so she rested her hand on his shoulder.
Was it her imagination, or had the lines of strain around his face eased a little?
She lifted the blanket to check his leg. Blood oozed slowly, darkening around the gaping wound, turning Karla’s stomach. She’d never been squeamish at the sight of blood. But this was different. This was far worse than the cuts and scrapes she’d had as a child. This was serious. At least it wasn't gushing. He wouldn't have survived this long if it was.
Hopefully her father would be here soon with the supplies. It couldn’t hurt to bandage his wound, could it? But she couldn’t do that yet, she had no bandages. He just needed to hold on until then.
She slipped her hand under the blanket and laid it on his chest, feeling for his heartbeat. It thumped slowly and heavily. Was it too slow? Karla put her other hand on her own chest, trying to compare the speed.
For a second, the two beats were out of synch, as though crashing against each other. The discord hurt, as though a great weight sat on her chest. Could she be harmed by being close to Taurian? What if there was a danger to her in the Mesmer ritual?