Zoe blinked her eyes open, trying to focus on something, anything. The sky above her was different. It was the wrong color. No longer was it a blue-gray mixture of smoke and open air. Instead it was a strange, swirling white. And the ground was no longer hard and stony. Instead it felt soft, like feathers.
Before Zoe could process what all of this meant, a smiling face appeared directly above her own face. The sudden change in view to that of a woman with dark brown hair, bright blue eyes, and perfect red lips shocked Zoe somewhat. It took her a moment to realize who the face belonged to.
“Izzy?” Zoe asked.
Izzy’s smile deepened. “Welcome back, Zoe. How are you feeling?”
“Uh…” Zoe took a moment to consider. The last thing she remembered was casting a Crepitus spell on the army attacking Shadowdale. She’d been thrown backwards, blacked out, then regained consciousness just long enough to see that Grayson was there. Zoe smiled at the memory. Grayson had come for her. Zoe wriggled her arms, legs and neck, expecting to find spots of extreme pain. But everything felt relatively normal. Slowly, she sat up. That’s when she realized that, of course, she wasn’t still outside in the middle of Shadowdale’s town square. She was in a hospital room. The softness beneath her was a feather bed. The white above her was the room’s ceiling.
“I feel pretty good, actually,” Zoe said, reaching for a bottle of water that stood on the bedside table next to the large hospital bed. “How long have I been out.”
“About a week,” Izzy said.
Zoe choked on the water she’d just swallowed. “A week?”
Izzy nodded, then sat in a chair next to the bed, her easy manner soothing Zoe’s nerves. Zoe liked Izzy. Izzy was one of the best doctors in Falcon Cross, and had been assigned to do medical checks on Zoe before and during the special training exercises Zoe had participated in. Izzy had always been down to earth, and had never looked at her in that annoying, googly-eyed way that so many other wizards had after they discovered Zoe’s special powers.
Zoe looked around again, taking the room in. This was some sort of room for long term hospital residents, she could see now. It was large, with several chairs for visitors and its own private bathroom. A large table across the room was loaded down with dozens of huge bouquets, cards, and teddy bears. On the wall above the table, hung two framed pictures of the city of Falcon Cross.
Zoe glanced back at Izzy, a thousand questions filling her mind. She started with the easiest one.
“Am I back in Falcon Cross?”
Izzy nodded. “Yup. You’ve been back for almost the entire week.”
“What happened?” Zoe asked. “I mean, I remember casting a Crepitus spell, and Grayson coming over. But that’s it. Everything else after that goes completely black.”
Izzy sat up a bit straighter. “Yeah, you cast a Crepitus spell. From what Grayson has told us, and what we figured out by doing an exam on you, you’re lucky to be alive right now. You were quite weak already by the time you cast the spell, and you were expending the majority of your magic energy on a shield to protect the people of Shadowdale. The spell was too much for you. It wasn’t even a full Crepitus spell. You didn’t have enough energy for that. But, at least, the spell you did manage to cast knocked out enough enemies for Grayson to step in and finish off the rest.”
“Grayson,” Zoe said softly, savoring the sound of the name. “Where is he?”
“He’s around here somewhere, and I have no doubt he’ll be back soon,” Izzy said. “He’s barely left your side, but I made him go get some food and go home to take a shower. I purposely waited until he wasn’t here to bring you out of sedation.”
“Sedation?” Zoe asked.
“Yeah, we’ve kept you nicely sedated for most of the time you were here. Early on, you were quite, um, spirited. Thrashing about and trying to fight us like we ourselves were Saul’s soldiers. Like I said, the Crepitus spell did a number on you when you cast it. Any weaker wizard would have died instantly. Even you, as strong as you are, had to be resuscitated. Your heart stopped for a minute there.”
“What?”
Izzy nodded serenely. “Right after you woke up and saw Grayson, you passed out again. Your heart stopped, but luckily there was an emergency room doctor nearby who knew how to resuscitate you. I’m not clear on the exact details, because Grayson was a bit too distraught to take note of exactly how everything went down. But, in short, you got emergency medical attention, your heart was restarted, and as soon as you were stable you were transferred to Falcon Cross. You’ve been under my care ever since.”
Zoe blinked a few times. “Wow.”
Izzy laughed. “Yeah, ‘wow’ about sums it up.”
“And Shadowdale?” Zoe asked. “Are the people there okay?”
“We’ve sent an emergency team to help clean up the city and provide trauma support. A team of Advocates who specialize in wizard-human relations is there to explain the world of shifters and wizards, and to explain any questions they might have about the whole ordeal. They lost a few citizens, but overall the town is alright. Or will be alright, I should say. You and Grayson have pretty much been heralded as heroes for what you did for them.”
“Great,” Zoe groaned. “Just what I need. More hero worship.”
Izzy laughed. “Well, you were pretty incredible out there, you know? You were willing to sacrifice your own life for the people of Shadowdale. And Grayson…without Grayson all of your sacrifices would have been for nothing. The dark soldiers that were left after the Crepitus spell would have killed you, and then killed the rest of the townspeople.”
Zoe shrugged. “We just did what any soldier would have done,” she said. Even as she said it, she wondered what had changed Grayson’s mind. He hadn’t been willing to come to Shadowdale in the beginning. Perhaps what they’d done wasn’t just what any other soldier would have done. But that was a conversation she’d have to have with Grayson, not Izzy.
“And the dragon ruby?” Zoe asked, her eyes dropping to her lap. She wasn’t expecting any good news here.
“Saul has it,” Izzy said grimly.
Zoe nodded, unexpected tears pricking at her eyes. “I messed up. I let one of his informants see my broom.”
Izzy shrugged. “Well, we had a spy in Falcon Cross. The informants only knew to be on the lookout for you because someone in the Falcon Cross military had leaked to Saul’s people that you and Grayson would be flying along that general path. If not for that, no one would have been paying so much attention. It wasn’t entirely your fault.”
“A spy? Inside Falcon Cross?” Zoe asked. “But how?”
Izzy shrugged. “Saul was getting a bit desperate for information, I guess. He apparently paid a lot of money to this soldier for information. She told us everything, in exchange for a lighter punishment.”
Zoe rubbed her forehead. “So what now?”
“Now,” Izzy said, standing to her feet. “You get some rest. You’ve made a good recovery, but it would still behoove you to take it easy. I’ll keep you in the hospital for another day before sending you home, just to make sure you’re completely recovered.”
“I meant what happens now with the dragon ruby, and with Saul’s army,” Zoe said. “Are there plans to try to steal the ruby back?”
Izzy paused for a moment. Zoe got the impression that she knew, but was holding back the information on purpose.
“Just tell me, Izzy,” Zoe said. “If you don’t, then Grayson will.”
“Fine,” Izzy said. “But don’t go getting all riled up and wanting to run down to Military Headquarters to help out. You need to rest first.”
Zoe said nothing. She wasn’t making any promises, and Izzy knew it. Izzy sighed.
“Right now, the other three dragon stones are on their way to Falcon Cross from safekeeping in Texas. Plans are in the works to use the power of those three stones to fight Saul and recover the dragon ruby.”
“But the dragon ruby is as strong as the other three stones combi
ned,” Zoe said.
Izzy shrugged. “So it should be a fair fight. Now, that’s all I know. You get some rest. I know you’re going to want to be part of the army that goes after the ruby, but until I clear you to fight you won’t be allowed back on the battlefield. So you best do as I say.”
Zoe frowned, but settled back into the bed as Izzy left. The better she listened to Izzy, the sooner Izzy would let her out of here. And the sooner she was out of here, the better.
But Zoe wasn’t tired. For hours, she tossed and turned and tried to remember as much of the fight in Shadowdale as she could. All her memories kept coming back to one single point: Grayson. She wished more than anything she could talk to him right now. Her feelings were so jumbled inside of her about so many things, but mostly about him. She needed to see him, to talk to him, to sort things out.
She was about to get her wish.
Chapter Fourteen
The door creaked open, and Grayson tiptoed in. He had the impressive ability to move as silently as a little cat, despite being nearly twice the size of most normal men. Zoe watched him as he slowly closed the door behind him, the latch barely clicking. He was trying to be quiet for her sake, not realizing that she had woken up already.
“Zoe!” he said when he turned and saw her sitting up with eyes wide open. He dropped the messenger bag he’d been holding and ran to her bedside, wrapping his arms around her neck and holding on tightly, as though he might lose her if he wasn’t hanging on for dear life.
“Hi, Grayson,” Zoe said, her voice soft and muffled in the fabric of his t-shirt. Being pressed against him like that reminded her of how her face had been pressed against his chest the first day they met, when he protected her from the fangirls who had found her in the hallway of military headquarters.
“Izzy told me you weren’t sedated anymore, but she said she’d left you sleeping,” Grayson said.
Zoe’s shoulders shook slightly with laughter. “No, she left me with orders to sleep. It’s not quite the same thing.”
Grayson laughed, too. “No, not quite,” he said, leaning away from Zoe slightly so he could look into her eyes. “And how are you feeling?”
“Good,” Zoe said. “A little stiff. I got up and took a shower. I can tell that my legs haven’t been used for a week, but they should be back to normal soon enough, I suppose.”
“You got up and took a shower?” Grayson said. “Did Izzy approve that?”
“No, but she didn’t forbid it. And besides housekeeping came in to change the linens on the bed, so I had to get up anyway.”
Grayson shook his head. “You’re quite stubborn when you want to be.”
Zoe gave him a suspicious look. “Like when I insist on abandoning the dragon ruby quest to save a town of people?”
She held her breath, waiting for his reply. They hadn’t spoken since she stormed off on him. Not unless you counted the one brief moment she’d woken up on the ground in the middle of Shadowdale’s town square. Zoe wasn’t quite sure what to expect, and she was afraid to broach the subject with him. But it had to be done. The elephant in the room had to be dealt with.
To her relief, Grayson’s heartbroken gaze contained no animosity. “I’m so sorry, Zoe. You were right. Saving the people of Shadowdale was more important than anything else in that moment. I got caught up in the need for honor and fame, and I lost sight of what was truly important. I should have listened to you from the beginning.”
“What changed your mind?” Zoe said, reaching over to hold one of Grayson’s hands in her own.
“I saw the city burning, and heard the people screaming. I realized that you were down there with them. I just came to my senses, I guess. I realized that the dragon ruby didn’t matter if I let myself stoop to the level of Saul’s soldiers, of caring more about fame and riches and things like that than I did about people. So I switched course and I came to help you. In the end, it was the best choice, anyway. Almost as soon as I’d turned away from the mountain, Saul came flying out of it holding the dragon ruby. He would have beaten me to it no matter what. I’ve made peace with the situation. I’m just sad that the mission was a failure.”
Zoe squeezed his hand. “The mission wasn’t a failure. The mission was always about people. It just turned out that helping people meant letting the dragon ruby go in this case. Like you said, we wouldn’t have been able to get to the ruby first, anyway. I’m proud of you. You did the right thing. We kept our own honor and integrity, and we saved lives. That’s the most important thing.”
Grayson squeezed her hand back, and looked directly into her eyes. “Does that mean you forgive me?” he asked.
Zoe smiled. “Of course I forgive you. As long as I still have rights to say ‘I told you so’ on this one.”
Grayson laughed. “I guess I can live with that. I can live with a lot of things, actually. What I wouldn’t have been able to live with is losing you. God, I was so scared out there when your heart stopped. I felt like my whole life was coming to a grinding halt along with yours.”
“It’s weird for me to hear about,” Zoe said slowly. “I don’t remember any of it. I just remember seeing you, and thinking I was so relieved that you were there. Then everything went black and the next thing I know I was waking up in this hospital bed with Izzy hovering over me.”
“It’s probably better that you don’t remember it,” Grayson said softly. “It was one of the scariest moments of my life. And believe me, I’ve seen some scary shit.”
Zoe sat up a little more. “But you were that scared of losing me?”
The question held so many questions within it—questions that Zoe wanted so desperately to ask, but couldn’t bring herself to say out loud. Did Grayson feel more for her than just a passing physical attraction? Had he also started to fall in love? Could they see eye to eye on enough things to be able to make a future together?
Luckily, Grayson seemed as eager to discuss their future as she did. “Yes, I was that scared of losing you. I know this might sound crazy, but I realized after we slept together in Shafer’s house that I felt more for you than just physical passion. Don’t get me wrong, the physical part is pretty damn good. I mean, look at you. You’re the most beautiful creature I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
Zoe blushed and looked down at her hands.
“But it’s more than that,” Grayson continued. “I’m attracted to your soul. Your spirit. The very essence of you. You’re a beautiful person, Zoe. You make me a better man. If it had been anyone else on that mission with me, I would have kept going toward the ruby, and I would have regretted not saving the people of Shadowdale for the rest of my life. You remind me of what’s truly important.”
Zoe’s heart was pounding in her chest. She wanted to say so many things to Grayson. She wanted to tell him that she believed in him. That he was brave, loyal, and a true friend. That, even though he had his faults—and don’t we all?—there was so much more to him than just good looks, too. She wanted to tell him that she had fallen in love with him. But the words stuck in her throat. She felt nervous in a way that she hadn’t for a long, long time. Grayson had all sorts of strange effects on her. He got to her in a way that no one else did. And she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
“Scoot over,” Grayson said, and Zoe did, making room for him on the hospital bed. It was easy to do. The bed was surprisingly large, and feather soft. Zoe imagined that it was one of the better rooms in the hospital. She supposed there were at least a few perks to being a celebrity, and getting the posh hospital suite must have been one of them. She’d take it.
Grayson snuggled in next to her, reaching to hold her hand once again. For a few moments, they were silent, just enjoying the feeling of being pressed up against each other. But Grayson didn’t let the silence linger for too long. It seemed he had a lot on his mind, and wanted to clear the air between them just as much as Zoe did.
“Have you ever heard of lifemates, Zoe?” Grayson asked.
Zoe scrunched her
brow. Her hand felt warm and safe inside of Grayson’s. “No. I’ve heard of soulmates, but not lifemates. Is it sort of the same thing?”
“Not exactly,” Grayson said. “Lifemates are more serious than soulmates. You see, we shifters believe that each of us is born with a destined lifemate. This lifemate is someone we are fated to be with for life. From the moment we are born, fate is working to bring us together with this person. Once lifemates find each other and sleep together, the lifemate bond is formed. This bond is unbreakable. It ties lifemates together for the remainder of their days, and makes their hearts beat as one. When one lifemate is in danger, the other lifemate can sense it. When you are near your lifemate, especially when you are being intimate with them, you can feel the bond as a deep heat in your very core.”
Zoe looked at Grayson with widened eyes. “Grayson…when we were in Shafer’s house…I…”
“I know,” Grayson said, his voice dropping to a low, husky tone. “I felt it, too. The warmth. The connection. The lifemate bond. I honestly didn’t expect it. Don’t get me wrong, I think you’re a wonderful girl, and that’s just the problem. It never occurred to me that I would be lucky enough to have someone so wonderful as my lifemate. Once I realized that we were destined to be together, I freaked out a bit. I wasn’t sure how to process all of my feelings. Then, when we argued over the dragon ruby mission, I tried to tell myself that I hadn’t really felt what I felt for you. That I had only imagined the lifemate bond.”
“But you didn’t imagine it,” Zoe said quietly. She already knew, from the way she herself felt deep down inside, that she and Grayson were meant for each other.
“I didn’t imagine it,” Grayson agreed. “When you were in trouble in Shadowdale, I knew it. And I was terrified that I was going to lose you. And now that I haven’t lost you, now that you’re here next to me, safe and healthy, I don’t want to let another moment go by without telling you how I feel.”
Zoe took an emotional, shuddering breath as Grayson reached to grab both of her hands in both of his. She bit back tears as she looked into his eyes and saw how intense his feelings were.
Courage and the Dragon (Redwood Dragons Book 9) Page 12