His eyes widened in surprise. “What are the odds of that? The one woman you have the hots for is a Healer? You should have brought her up to my apartment.”
“I thought she’d already healed you,” I answered.
He smirked. “If she had, she wouldn’t have been down in the courtyard. She’d be in my bed.”
“Yeah, you wish.”
“One look at what I’m packing and she’d have begged to try it out.”
The thought of Natalya and Javich together irritated me. “I highly doubt it.”
“Look at you,” he said, laughing. “You’re jealous, aren’t you? You want Natalya, now more than ever.”
“She’s nothing to me,” I replied, ignoring the way my manhood perked up at the sound of her name. “For one, she’s not a Dragon. For two—”
“Gah, say all you want, but you’ve got it bad for that Healer. Our bet is still on, too, you know.”
I shrugged. “Fine, it will be your loss.”
“I wonder if she’ll be the one I see tomorrow,” he said, scratching at his pelvis again. “If she is, I’ll put in a good word for you. Of course, she might not care once she sees me naked.”
I ignored his jabs. “So, you’re going to get it looked at tomorrow?”
“Unless by some miracle it disappears overnight.”
I sighed. “I’d better go with you.”
Javich smiled. “You just can’t get enough of her, can you?”
“That’s not it,” I said, grumpily. “I don’t want you trying to manipulate our bet in any way.”
“Right,” he said, still smiling at me. “That’s what it is.”
“I’m going to bed. I’ll see you in the morning. We’ll go to the clinic before we head off to work.”
“You know, I wonder if I had sex with her, she could heal me? A little skin on skin,” he goaded.
I turned around and glared at him. “Do you ever think of anything other than sex?”
“Once you’ve had it, you’ll understand why.”
“I’ve had sex.”
“Not in this form. It’s entirely different. Touching their soft, naked skin and feeling them rub against you is—”
“Enough,” I said sharply, my body responding as I thought of Natalya again, and what was hiding under the cloak. I had only touched her waist and hips, and that had driven me crazy.
He smirked. “Your eyes turn almost black when you’re angry. Did you know that?”
I cracked my knuckles. “Yours will be black and blue, if you’re not careful.”
Javich chuckled.
Chapter 12
Natalya
“What were you doing out here with the Dragon-shifter?”
“Nothing,” I replied, walking back toward the building with Ria. “What brought you out here?”
“I needed some fresh air. Did I imagine it, or were you two kissing?”
Sighing, I told her the truth. “Yes.”
“How in the world did that come about?”
I smiled grimly and shrugged. “Don’t ask me to explain. It was a very strange situation.”
She lowered her voice. “Does he know of our alliance with Cleo?”
“I don’t think so. He asked me about his friend Javich and how much he was paying me.”
“That’s confusing,” she said with a troubled look. “Why would Javich pay you for anything?”
“I have no idea.”
“When I saw the two of you, I thought that maybe you were offering yourself for me,” she said softly.
Being in Brekkon’s arms and being kissed by him had been like nothing I’d ever experienced before. Even now I was still trembling slightly from the memory.
I smiled at my sister. “No. Not that I wouldn’t, though. I’d do it if it meant keeping you alive.”
She touched my arm. “As endearing as that is, I would never allow you to do that.”
Of course she wouldn’t. “I know, but if it comes down to—”
“I mean it,” she said firmly. “Don’t you ever trade your innocence for me.”
I smirked. “And what if I’m not a virgin?”
“I know you are. You’ve never shown much interest in any of the males in our village. Besides, you’re too virtuous to give something like that up easily.”
She was right. I had never been with a man, although I’d been kissed several times. “You’re right. I haven’t.”
“Promise me, Natalya, that you won’t do anything you’ll regret. Okay?”
Sighing, I gave her a hug. “Don’t worry about me, Ria. I’m the older sister, remember?”
“Older doesn’t always mean your choices will be wiser,” she mumbled.
Obviously, she was right. Especially after the episode in the courtyard with Brekkon. It had been reckless and crazy, but he’d enjoyed it as much as me. Knowing this, I knew that there were other strategies worth pursuing.
Chapter 13
Brekkon
The next morning, Javich’s bumps were now angry blisters of green puss. At least that’s what he told me, since I refused to look.
“There’s a medical station in this district,” I said, looking at the map. “I’ll accompany you.”
“You sure? It could take a while. You might be late for work. I can do this on my own.”
“Late for work,” I said dryly. “Now that would be a crime. Don’t worry about me. Let’s find someone who can help you with this.”
He grinned. “Ah, this is still about the Healer from last night. Can’t get her out of your head?”
“That’s not it,” I said gruffly. “Besides, she’s not the only Healer on Lorn. You might be dealing with someone else entirely.”
As it turned out, there were several Healers assigned to the Forest station, which was surprising at such an early hour.
“Please, add your name to the list and we’ll let you know when a Healer is available,” said the clerk, an older grandmotherly type of Human.
Javich scribbled his name onto the list and we sat down in the crowded waiting room.
“It looks like we’re going to be here for a while,” I said, watching as more people entered the station. “Apparently, the first night at the Complex wasn’t quite as peaceful as the Intra had hoped.”
“No surprise there. Anyway, you should go,” Javich said, as a rail-thin Human with a wounded hand sat next to him. “No need for both of us to be late for duty.”
“No. I’ll stay,” I replied, watching as the Human unwrapped the shirt he’d tied around his hand. Seeing that it was still bleeding profusely, he swore and re-wrapped the cut.
“How did your injury happen?” asked Javich, nodding toward the man’s hand.
The Human explained he’d gotten into a fight at one of the pubs. “Some Meta asshole tried stealing from me. Ended up cutting me with a knife.”
“What happened to him?” asked Javich, ignoring the Meta jibe.
“She was arrested,” he replied and frowned. “Don’t look at me like that. She was almost twice my size with bigger muscles than yours. I’m lucky to be alive.”
“Apparently,” said Javich, looking at me with amusement.
“What kind of Meta?” I asked.
“I don’t have any idea. Uglier than sin, though. Maybe an ogre? I don’t know,” he said with a shrug.
“Glad we stayed away from Main City last night,” I said, watching as another injured and bleeding Human walked into the waiting room.
“Me, too. Looks like the Humans are having a rough time with things,” he murmured.
“It’s not our fault that most Metas are lying thieves,” said the Human, overhearing.
“And most Humans are whimpering little maggots,” growled a Meta sitting on the other side of me, “who don’t know when to keep their mouths shut. No wonder you got cut, pencil-dick.”
The Human stood up. “You wanna go? I got another hand, shit-for-brains. I’ll show you who’s going to be whimpering in a minute.”
It was obvious the Human was about to say something snide to me when the Meta he’d threatened started to laugh.
“What are you laughing about?” he asked.
“Go ahead. Tell the Dragon where to go. I dare you,” the Meta said, crossing his leg over his knee.
The Human’s face paled. “Dragon? No shit?”
“Yes and a very grumpy one,” added Javich. “Who’s never been laid properly. I’d tread carefully around him.”
Both the Human and Meta gave me a sympathetic look.
Grunting, I turned my head away and pretended to be interested in a painting on the wall.
“Well, what do you know?” said Javich with a smile in his voice. “This day has already gotten more interesting.”
I turned and found that Natalya had walked into the building. Just like last night, she was hiding under a robe and hood. She approached the woman at the front desk and began talking to her. Although the waiting room was noisy, I was still able to pick up most of their conversation.
“You’re late and the Head Healer, Oscow, has been asking about you,” I heard the older woman say to Natalya.
She gave her a weak smile. “I know. I’m sorry. I overslept.”
“That excuse will not sit well with him. By the way, wasn’t your sister supposed to be here, too?” asked the woman.
“Yes, but she’s out of sorts and would like to work the late shift, if that’s okay?” Natalya said quickly.
“Out of sorts?” repeated the woman, an amused expression on her face. “A Healer?”
Natalya sighed. “The truth is, she has a hard time sleeping during the night and would prefer working evenings. I told her that I would speak to someone about it.”
“You’ll have to talk to Oscow about that. He’s already frustrated that you’re late. Look at how busy we are,” exclaimed the woman, waving her hand toward us. “The other Healers have been working their tail-feathers off all morning.”
Natalya turned to look and when she noticed me, her eyes widened in shock.
“You’d best get back there,” said the other woman, nodding toward a door to the right. “Talk to Oscow.”
“I will. Thank you,” she said quietly.
I watched Natalya leave the room, my curiosity about her growing with every passing minute.
“You’d better roll up your tongue,” remarked Javich. “Before someone trips.”
I scowled at him.
Chapter 14
Natalya
It had been quite a shock, seeing the two Dragon-shifters sitting in the waiting room. Both of them had been staring at me, and I wondered if Cleo had gotten ahold of Talon. I decided to call her right after I spoke to the Healer, Oscow.
The patient rooms in the back were also very busy and it took me a while to locate him. When one of the others pointed Oscow out, I relaxed. He was an older man, with puffy white hair, weathered skin, and warm blue eyes.
“Excuse me,” I said, catching him before he went back to the waiting room. “Oscow?”
He smiled in relief. “Yes. You must be one of the Phron sisters. I was getting worried that you weren’t going to show.”
“Yes, I’m terribly sorry. My sister wasn’t feeling very well this morning, which is why I’ve run behind,” I said, deciding to forgo the ‘sleeping late’ excuse and try the truth.
He looked over my head and around. “Where is Ria?”
I explained that she was back in her apartment, sleeping.
“Actually, we were both wondering if it would be okay if she worked the later shifts? She’s able to function much better at night.”
He gave me a peculiar look. “Interesting request. Almost everyone here has wanted earlier ones. From the look of things, we’re going to need plenty of staff, around the clock, anyway. So, if she wants to work nights, that’s fine by me. What is it that ails your sister, by the way?”
“Yesterday was very trying for her. She’s young and a little terrified of this place,” I said, which wasn’t exactly a lie. “I think she just needs time to adjust.”
He nodded. “I imagine that for a young person, it’s quite overwhelming. Especially coming from a small village. She’s just turned eighteen, too, correct?”
I relaxed. “Yes.”
He patted me on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m sure she’ll come around. By the way, when she’s ill, I expect her to be responsible enough to call in sick, and not rely on her big sister.”
“Of course,” I replied. “I volunteered to do it. She’s usually very responsible.”
“Good. So, she’ll be in this evening?”
“Yes and if you’d like, I can work a double-shift today.” If Ria was going to work, I didn’t want her out of my sight.
“If you’d like. From the amount of patients we’ve seen today, I have a feeling we’re all going to be working double-shifts,” he said with a sigh.
“Yes, it’s busier than I expected.”
“This melting pot experiment is going to bring nothing but trouble. At least in the very beginning. It’s not even just the Humans and Metas fighting, it’s Metas against Metas, too.”
All I could do was nod.
“Anyway, enough talk. You’d better get started. We’ll put you in room eight, down at the end here,” he said, leading me to it. Inside was a crisp white room, an exam table, a faucet, and a cot in the back.
“First of all, every patient needs to be logged in and out. Use the scanner on the counter,” he said, walking over to the contraption. Picking it up, he showed me how to use it and then asked if I had any questions.
“No. I’m good,” I replied, still thinking about the Dragon-shifters in the other room. I was desperate to call Cleo and find out what in the hell was going on.
Oscow rubbed the back of his neck. “If there’s anything else you need, just let me, or one of the other staff, know.”
“Thank you,” I said, relieved to be working for someone who seemed so nice.
“Very well,” he said, looking weary. “We’ll start sending patients your way. If any of them give you problems, we have a couple of Intra officers on guard.”
“Okay.”
“Any other questions?” Oscow asked.
I shook my head.
“I’m sorry, but you’ll need to remove your robe,” he said, pointing at it. “It’s against regulations.”
“Sure,” I replied, reaching up to unbutton the clasp.
Nodding, he left me alone.
I hung up my robe and then called Cleo quickly.
“What is it?” she mumbled, still in her bed.
“Did you get ahold of Talon?” I whispered, noticing that she also slept in the nude.
Cleo yawned and stretched her arms. “Not yet. Why? Is Ria getting worse?”
“Yes, but that’s not why I asked.” I started telling her about running into Brekkon in the forest and how he was now at the clinic with Javich, leaving out the part of us making out.
Her lip twitched. “Relax. He’s probably just with Javich because of me. Remember, we had sex.”
“Oh, your genital infection. But, why would Brekkon accompany him to the clinic?”
She grunted. “Maybe Javich and Brekkon were together last night and he also needs to be healed. It would explain a lot.”
“What do you mean?” I said. “I don’t think Brekkon is gay. Do you?”
She shrugged. “Who knows, but he didn’t want anything to do with me. Maybe he prefers males?”
From the way Brekkon had been kissing me, I knew he liked girls, too. But, I wasn’t about to tell Cleo.
“Speaking of which, I’m stopping by today. You promised to cure me. I know I haven’t been able to get you any Dragon’s blood, but…” Her eyes widened and she sat up straight. “Wait a second, if Javich is there and seeking treatment, then taking a sample of his blood would be expected.”
&n
bsp; My heart began to race. “Yes. Brilliant idea. I’ve got to get off now. I’ll let you know what happens.”
“Good luck,” she said. “And if I don’t hear from you, I’ll assume that you still need my help.”
“Thanks,” I replied and hung up.
“Excuse me,” said a woman in her forties, peeking her head into the room before I had a chance to escape. “I was told to come to room number eight. That’s here, right?”
Swearing inside, I forced a smile to my face and went over to her quickly. “Yes. What ails you?”
“I’ve had this sore throat all night and now a headache. I’m very warm, too,” she said.
I told her to sit down on the exam table and I grabbed the scanner. After checking her in, I began examining the woman. She definitely had a fever and it was fairly high.
“So, how long have you felt this way?” I asked, putting my hand on the Human’s forehead, to begin the healing process.
“Since we arrived yesterday.”
Thankful that this would be an easy fix, I closed my eyes and concentrated on healing her. As her aches and pains began to leave her body, I felt my own grow weaker. Fortunately, Human ailments were the easiest to cure and the easiest for me to recover from.
“Thank you,” she murmured, after several seconds. “I’m feeling so much better already.”
I opened my eyes and studied her face. Her color was back to normal, as was her body temperature.
“Is your sore throat gone?” I asked, running my hand over her neck.
She nodded.
“Good,” I replied, stepping back. “I think you’re good to go now.”
“How did you do that?” she asked, smiling. “Magic?”
Although I did use magic at times, I didn’t like to discuss it with patients. That conversation usually lasted a long time, as they always had too many questions. “No, I just took over your illness,” I said.
“What?”
I explained the process to her briefly. When it came to healing, in most cases I was able to extract the virus or infection. If it was something I’d hosted before, my body had already built an immunity against it and would immediately fight it off. If it was something new, it took me a little longer to recover, but I usually did. Unlike my sister, who had taken over something that even her antibodies couldn’t handle.
Blood of Brekkon (The Complex Book 0) Page 5