Shadow on the Water

by Katya Moore

  I heard my name, heard Galen roaring and fighting his way toward me. In the distance, I heard Chase shout.

  Then, I didn't hear anything at all.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Galen

  With the Chosen gone, the rabble started to cry for a retreat. I grinned despite my bruised ribs. Damned if I was going to let them. I raised a concrete spike into the kidneys of a dog-faced sorcerer and swung a stone-coated fist into another one.

  "Let them go!" Kane shouted, dropping a foot soldier with a claw to the jugular. "They've got him!"

  I looked over to the cottage. Chase and Dario were at the door, a limp form dangling between them.

  "Shit," I gasped. I shoved aside a fearful-eyed foot soldier and started to run for the cottage. "Jared!"

  Jared was pointing away from them, eyes wide. I followed his gaze just in time to see Sia toppling over.

  "SIA!" I screamed. All thoughts of Aric fled as she crashed to the ground. The glow of her scales sputtered, then began to fade. I scrabbled out of the throng of combatants, tearing at flesh with my talons until I was free of the crowd. I could hear the cultists behind me following my lead and scattering to the hills, but I didn't care.

  She was shrinking down to her human form when I skidded to her side, crumpled in a ball in the wreckage of what was once someone's porch. I reached down and lifted her off the broken boards, carrying her to the softer grass of the side yard. She was light in my arms, motionless, but breathing. Thank the Eldest. I cradled her close to me, reluctant to set her down.

  Jared came bounding over. I waved him off. "She's breathing. Get to Aric. He doesn't look good." Jared hesitated a moment, then ran over to the cottage.

  "Mmph." It was the sweetest sound I'd ever heard. Her face was nestled against my chest. "Can't...need to..."

  "Shh," I murmured. "It's me. It's Galen. You're safe."

  "Aric..." she moaned.

  I held her closer. "We'll take care of him. You rest."

  "Mmph." She closed her eyes again, weary beyond measure.

  Chase and Cass came over. "They've scattered. Quinn and the McKinnett’s crew are watching the perimeter. Is she..." Chase's voice was tight.

  "Exhausted. She used the last of what she had in her to get over here. Even taking in life force, she couldn't keep it up forever." Reluctantly, I passed her to Chase, who took her and cradled her close. "Take care of her. I have to help Jared. She'd kill me if I let anything happen to the little jerk."

  "Get over there quick. Jared’s looking..." Cass looked over at the cottage and shook his head. "Vapor-locked."

  I shook my head and dashed over to the cottage.

  Aric was lying on the street in front of the cottage. Jared stood over him, staring at him with vacant eyes. Dario was screaming at him. Kane was holding Dario back, barely. I ignored the three of them and knelt next to Aric. In my professional opinion, he looked like a pile of hamburger. His face was a mass of contusions and swollen to twice its normal size. His eyes were closed slits. He didn't appear to be breathing at first, but his body jerked in a raspy gasp as I placed a hand on his carotid to check for a pulse.

  "He's dying," Jared said faintly as I found Aric's pulse. His heart was working in fits and starts. Jared wasn't wrong.

  "Perry!" I screamed across the street. "Get my bag!" Perry jumped into action and tore down the street like his ass was on fire. Good instincts. As he raced off, I grabbed Jared's leg and squeezed his calf hard. He yelped and stepped back. "Jared, I need you down here. Snap out of it."

  "But...I don't...there's no equipment. We're not... I..." He swallowed hard. "I don't know what to do out here. Out in the field. We need a hospital. He needs a hospital."

  I squeezed my eyes shut for a second and took a deep breath. "Look, man. He's not going to make it to a hospital if we don't stabilize him. Also, he's a dragon. So are you. Get. Your. Ass. Down. Here. Now."

  "But, I..." he stammered. I looked at him a little closer. Shit. He was in shock.

  Frustration overcame training. I stood up, caught him by the collar of his polo shirt, and slapped him across the face. Hard.

  He grabbed his cheek and stared at me like a wounded puppy. Then he blinked a couple of times. Focus started returning to his eyes. "I... I'm sorry," he managed. "We need to..."

  "We need to be earth dragons for a second. Think you can manage that?" I said as calmly as I could.

  He nodded silently. I shifted. He followed. I caught him by the arm and pulled him down to his knees.

  "I'm worn out. I know you are too. But we have to get him stable." I grabbed his hands and held them tight. "Put as much as you can into him."

  I found my center, my dragon, and slowly stretched its neck. I could feel the healing energy pouring down my arms. Thankfully, Jared pulled his shit together and did the same. We poured the energy into Aric. His body jerked, as though it was fighting the earth's healing.

  "They've loaded him up with venom," I growled.

  "We need serum for that. Or a shadow dragon," Jared said.

  "Shadow dragon's sleeping it off." Perry ran up and dropped my medic bag next to me. "Well-timed, man. Thanks." I started rummaging through the bag, cursing my talons as they snagged on various bits of plastic packaging. I found what I was looking for in a pouch inside the bag. "Here." I handed the pouch to Jared.

  "Why me?" he asked.

  I looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "We need this to be as effective as possible. I don't have a lot of serum, and it has to get into his system fast. We need to get this into his heart. I thought you'd want to do the honors, since you're a fucking trauma surgeon and I'm a tech."

  "Oh." He shifted down to human and pulled out the vial of serum. I handed him a long spinal needle, and he drew it up. As he steadied himself, I tore open Aric's bloodied t-shirt. His chest looked as bad as his face. I could see the distortion of broken ribs. This was going to be a minefield to work through. As much as I hated to admit it, I was glad Jared was there to do it. And I hated to admit that.

  Dario spoke up. "Don't fuck this up, Jared."

  "Thanks for your confidence, Dario," Jared deadpanned as he positioned the needle over Aric's chest. "Kane, please restrain Dario. This isn't going to be pleasant." With a steady hand, he plunged the needle into Aric's chest with a nauseating crunch. Aric's back arched and a long loud shriek of agony tore itself out of his throat. Jared had been right to be concerned. Kane had both arms wrapped around Dario's chest as he roared in rage and fear.

  "What the fuck did you do? What did you do to my brother, you bastard?" His cries were heart-rending to hear. I’m never sure what’s worse, a patient's pain or the pain of the people who love them. In that moment, my doubts about Dario's feelings toward his brother were set to rest.

  Aric writhed on the ground, moaning in unspeakable agony as the serum battled against the venom in his veins. I heard a soft cry behind me. Sia pulled herself from Chase's arms and staggered over.

  Dario whirled on her. "You bitch! This is all your fault. We're throwing our lives away on you. What's so great about you?" He stabbed a finger at Sia. "If it wasn't for you... he... we..."

  Sia ignored his shouting and slowly walked over toward him, tears in her eyes. Dario stopped fighting against Kane's arms and hung there, fury spent. Sia stepped up to him and put her arms around him. He flinched, jerking away. She kept her hand on his arm. I could see the war going on inside him. A tear trickled down his face. Sia put her arms around him again. This time, he sank into them, sobbing helplessly in her arms.

  "He hates me. He hates me, and he should, and he's going to die hating me," he wept in the tones of the utterly broken.

  "He's not going to die," Sia said firmly. "Galen's got him. Jared's got him. He's strong. He'll get through this."

  Watching her comfort Dario gave me an uneasy feeling. I shook my head. Not the time for jealousy, man. She's counting on you. You heard her. I turned my attention back to Aric. The flailing had died down to twit
ching. I took his pulse again. Stronger this time, steadier. I breathed a sigh of relief.

  "It's working." I looked at Jared, then slapped him on the arm. "Good shot, doc."

  Jared nodded silently, then met my eyes. "Thank you. For everything." He rubbed his jaw ruefully. "Even the bruise."

  "It adds character," I smirked.

  Sia released Dario at last and knelt down next to me. She leaned her head on my shoulder as she stroked Aric's swollen jaw with trembling fingers. I put my arm around her and pulled her close.

  "He'll be okay, won't he?" she begged in a trembling voice.

  I held her close and kissed the top of her head. "We'll see."

  Chapter Nineteen

  Sia

  "We've got him resting now," Jared said as he came out of Aric's room. "He'll live. Whether he'll be happy about it remains to be seen."

  I chewed my lip, fighting back tears. "How...how bad is the damage?"

  "Broken ribs, broken fingers, contusions everywhere. Probably some bruised organs. And the after-effects of Chosen venom poisoning are never pleasant." Jared's voice was cold, clinical. "Fortunately, dragons heal faster than other creatures. Unfortunately, that can cause problems with how well things heal."

  Galen glared at him, then turned to face me. He took my hands in his. His voice was gentle. "We did the best we could do, getting everything set. We don't think they did anything permanent to his spine. That's the real tricky bit on dragons... if it gets broken and doesn't heal right, we can have trouble shifting. And with finger bones, they're small and can heal wonky if you don't get them set in time." He smiled at me. "We set them in time. I'm sure of it."

  "Why can't we bring him to a hospital? Get him x-rayed? Check to make sure everything's okay?" I asked, clutching his hands.

  Jared sighed softly. "We can't explain to non-dragon doctors why his bruises are fading at an accelerated pace. We might be able to smuggle him in, but the second a human doctor looks at his chart and sees how quickly he's healing..."

  "We'll have problems," Galen finished. "He's better off here, with us."

  I pulled him close and kissed him. "Thank you. Thank you both, for working together on this."

  Jared nodded, gave a half-bow, and walked away.

  I leaned against Galen's chest. "Thank you."

  "Of course. He's my friend too," Galen rumbled into my hair. "Besides, you'd have kicked my ass if anything permanent happened."

  "Damned right," I mumbled into his chest.

  "Miss Bellmont." Sanders stood at the top of the stairs, looking worried. "Your presence is requested in the study. There is an... altercation."

  "Shit. I mean, thank you." I pulled away from Galen and booked it toward the stairs.

  I could hear the shouting from the foyer. Galen was right behind me as I dashed to the study.

  "It's a valid point of concern," Dario was saying, looking unflappable as Chase stared him down. "Aric had terrible marks in torture resistance at the Proving Grounds. We don't know what he could have given up while he was down there."

  "He's your own damned brother, Beauvais," Chase snarled. "And you want to sell him down the river? Because you think, maybe, possibly, he may have said something? With no evidence?"

  "Yes. He's my brother. We've established that." Dario's voice was cool. "And I'm very glad he survived. But now, we have to be practical. The Elders just want to talk to him."

  "The Elders never 'just want to talk.'" Chase crossed his arms and glared at Dario. "They're going to work him over worse than the Chosen did. On your mere suspicion that he might have told them something. You saw how he looked! Do you think they would have worked him over that hard if he had given up information?"

  "I think they would have worked him over that hard for being a dragon in the wrong place at the wrong time," Dario shot back. "They're savages. They worship the Great Serpent. They are not nice people. They are not the petty mobsters that haunt your pub. They don't believe in mercy."

  "Neither do you, apparently," Chase spat. "Your brother's been through enough. At least let his ribs knit before you throw him to the wolves."

  "Those 'wolves' are your Elder Council. Show some respect," Kane barked.

  "ENOUGH!" I screamed as I walked through the door. "What the hell is going on in here?"

  "Dario wants to turn Aric over to the Elder Council for interrogation. He thinks that, because Aric was tortured, he might have given up information on our operations here." Chase turned his back on Dario to face me.

  "Aric does not have the best track record under pressure. I merely want to have the Council talk to him and find out what went on in there." Dario's voice was placating, smooth. Oily.

  "Get the fuck out of here." I was having none of it.

  "Excuse me?" Dario raised an angry brow.

  "You heard me. Get the fuck out of here. Go home. Let your brother mend." I pointed to the foyer. "All of you. Out. Now."

  Quinn and Kane filed out. Dario paused in the doorway. "You haven't won," he said flatly. "The Elder Council will hear about what happened, and they're going to want answers. Good luck throwing them out."

  "Out." I turned away from him and found myself face to face with Jared.

  "I understand you're upset, but I'm reluctant to leave a patient," he said warily.

  I studied his face. Then I delved deeper. I could feel his sincerity. "I appreciate that. You can come back in the morning to check on Aric. Galen should have it covered tonight."

  "Thank you." He followed the rest out the door.

  I slumped against the doorframe, exhausted.

  "Has anyone told Aric's parents?" I sighed.

  Mrs. Beauvais was closing the door to Aric's room as I walked up the stairs.

  "Is he sleeping?" I asked.

  She startled slightly at my presence. "No. He... wanted to be alone."

  "Oh." I swallowed my disappointment but apparently didn't hide it well.

  Mrs. Beauvais smiled at me as warmly as she could manage. "He'd probably want to see you, though. He just wasn't in the mood to talk to me."

  Can't imagine why. On a good day, she was as maternal as an iceberg to him. I smiled at her and walked up to the door. She bowed slightly as I approached. Her deference raised my hackles a little. I was never sure exactly what she wanted of me. I got the feeling that she wanted to say something more as she watched me rest my hand on the doorknob.

  "I hope you won't fault Dario for his brother's actions," she said at last.

  "Beg pardon?" I raised an eyebrow.

  "His carelessness in getting caught. Any information he may have divulged while captured." She wrung her hands nervously. "I know Dario wanted to rescue his brother to prevent him from revealing anything. He shouldn't have brought you into it."

  I frowned at her. "I brought myself into it. Aric is my friend. He got caught protecting me, and I wasn't going to leave him to be tortured and killed." My mouth tasted sour. "Also, I care about him. So does Dario."

  "But we can't let those emotions endanger you, dear. You're our one hope for bringing back the glory of the dragons." She looked at me as though she'd imparted the wisdom of the ages.

  I bit my tongue. "I know. But I'm not going to compromise who I am. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to see my friend."

  Her eyes widened slightly, affronted. She recovered quickly, bringing her face back to a pleasant-looking neutral. I could see where Dario got it. "Of course."

  I opened the door and ducked inside, closing it quickly behind me.

  "Is she gone?" a muffled voice groaned from the far side of the room.

  "Yeah," I replied.

  "Thank the fucking Eldest."

  I chuckled. He settled back against a stack of pillows on his bed and turned his head to face me.

  "What brings you to my lair, yer maj?"

  I looked around. I'd never been in Aric's room before. It was...not what I was expecting. There was a desk in the corner, covered in computer equipment and assorted
bits of technology, and a walk-in closet with the door closed. The walls were stark white, with a thin line of midnight blue marbled trim running along the top third of the wall. Above that, a line of shelves glistened with crystal. Small animal figurines, tall graceful vases, simple orbs, complex interwoven geometric designs, all in clear, shimmering crystal.

  I gestured at the shelves. "Your hoard?" I asked, succumbing to my curiosity.

  He shrugged, then winced. "Whatever. It's shiny. And cool." The look on his face dared me to deny it.

  I looked around at it in awe. "It's beautiful."

  He looked up at the ceiling. "Whenever my family really got to me, I used to smash a piece of it." He paused. "You probably don't know about that, though. Destroying a dragon's hoard... it hurts. Not physical hurt, but..." he paused, looking for words. "It hurts your soul." He laughed humorlessly. "It was my version of self-harm. Get pissed off, rip apart my own insides."

  I walked over to the side of his bed. It was a plush, spacious affair with a lot of pillows and a beautiful midnight-blue and silver bedspread. Unfortunately, it matched his face. I fought a wince as I looked at him.

  "Yeah, I look like shit. I know." His voice was dull. "Laugh it up."

  My throat closed up. I hiccuped, fighting back the tears that were charging to the surface.

  "That's it... laugh it..." He turned his face toward me and his eyes widened slightly. "What? Wait... no..." Panic rose in his voice.

  The tears spilled forth. I was half-sobbing, half-laughing at his reaction. I reached careful fingers toward his face. He started to bat them away, then yelped and dropped his hand to the bed’s surface. I pulled my hand back apologetically, resting it on his pillow instead.

  "I...I'm sorry. I..." I coughed, trying to get my voice back. "It's all my fault. We shouldn't have been there. I should have..."

  A heavily bandaged hand landed on mine. "Fuck that. You're the queen. We're your guards. All that happy horseshit." He snorted, then moaned. "Shit, my nose. Anyway, it's my own damned fault. I walked right into that pile of sorcerers like I was some sort of badass. Forgot I was a water dragon for a second."