Orla Kelly's voice came from behind Brenna. "Tests are all well and good, but we need more information about the stuff that did this to him in the first place."
Caitlin O'Shea, mother to Killian and Teagan, said softly, "Let them do their work, Mother. You're not a doctor."
Brenna glanced at Teagan. At the slight nod, granting permission, she answered, "Something similar happened to the sister of a member of Stonefire recently. Teagan should reach out to Bram and see if anyone can provide Dr. O'Brien with more information."
The female in question had been Delia Owens, the half sister of Stonefire's head Protector and a member of Clan Snowridge in Wales. Unlike Killian, they had found her shortly after being injected with drugs and the doctors had been able to flush her system. There were some lingering side effects, but none were anywhere near the same degree as Killian's.
Teagan spoke up. "You reach out to Stonefire, Brenna, and I'll have Aaron reach out to Snowridge."
The request wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Ever since the debacle with the other dragon leaders recently, Teagan had been giving Brenna a variety of sensitive tasks to complete.
Still, glancing down at Killian's still form, she wondered what he'd feel like if he woke up alone, without her at his side. She wasn't foolish enough to think they were more than acquaintances who were attracted to each other. However, every time one of the clan members demanded Killian remember them or a certain memory, it only made Killian angrier. She'd agreed to mate him to stay on Glenlough, yes, but she also wanted to protect the strong male who hadn't blinked twice at accepting a new female Protector into the clan all those months ago.
Teagan placed a hand on Brenna's arm. "My mother and gran can sit with him until you finish your task. I would do it myself, but I need to soothe the clan's nerves."
Brenna looked around and noticed the various clan members standing, staring, and whispering. What had meant to be a celebration to ease nerves and relax them had turned into another stressful situation.
If they were to continue accepting her, she needed to do her job and allow others to look after Killian.
Brenna bobbed her head. "I'll talk to Bram and Stonefire's doctors and see what I can find out. Just let me know if he wakes up." She lowered her voice. "If his mate doesn't check on him often, there will be talk."
Teagan looked at Dr. O'Brien. "Do what you need to do, Ronan, and keep us updated. Once your examination is finished, my gran and mother will sit with him."
Dr. O'Brien raised an eyebrow and glanced at Orla. "You'll heed my instructions or I'll toss you out, Orla. And no weapons of any kind in the surgery. I saw you tossing rocks earlier, during the mating ceremony."
Orla tapped her cane. "Fine, fine. One of the nurses can pat me down, if need be. Let's just get moving. I want to know what's wrong with my grandson."
Teagan signaled two Protectors in the room and they gently lifted Killian by the legs and armpits before carrying him away, Dr. O'Brien following close on their heels.
After everything Killian had endured already, she only hoped his condition wouldn't worsen. There was a chance he could wake up without memories again, or possibly go insane. After all, when Dr. Sid on Stonefire had lost her inner dragon, she'd come close to a mental breakdown.
Her beast grunted. That took twenty years to happen.
Keep in mind that she wasn't injected with drugs that were created to harm dragon-shifters, either.
Teagan's voice prevented her dragon from replying. "Let's all get to work and remember to keep each other informed." Brenna turned toward the exit, but Teagan's hand on her shoulder stayed her. "You're family now, Brenna. Don't hesitate to seek me out if you need anything."
With a nod, Brenna exited the great hall and headed toward the central command building of the Protectors.
As she walked, Brenna slowly packed away her feelings. No matter what happened with Killian, being a Protector was the only certain thing in her life. She hadn't worked hard to earn Teagan's trust and be made temporary head Protector of Glenlough for nothing. She needed to trust the clan to have her back.
It was time to get to work.
~~~
Killian stood next to a lake surrounded by rolling hills, the grass bright green and the sun high in the blue sky.
A shadow passed over him, and he looked up to see a small winged creature, its mostly blue hide glinting in the sun. The white patches scattered across its skin were iridescent in the sunshine.
The small creature flapped its wings and made a clumsy landing not more than a few meters from Killian. The snout, sharp teeth, wings, hide, and talons were that of a little dragon, perhaps a baby one. Not that he knew the difference.
The wee thing took awkward steps toward Killian and canted its head. "Who are you?" the dragon asked.
Without thinking, Killian reached out a hand and gently scratched the dragon behind an ear. The beast hummed and leaned into the touch. "To be honest? I don't know."
After a few seconds, the dragon spoke again. "Do you want to be my friend?"
"Dragons have friends?"
The little beast tilted his head one way and then the other in an avian manner. "I think so. I haven't met anyone here. It's just me and flying by myself is lonely."
At the dragon's words, Killian noticed the eerie quiet, not to mention unnatural stillness of both the air and surface of the lake. "Where are we?"
"I don't know. I woke up here one day and haven't been able to leave."
At the sadness in the dragon's eyes, Killian scratched his hide some more. The idea of the beast being sad made him want to do something about it. "I think this is a dream. So when I wake up, you won't exist."
"Are you sure? I remember many days here, before you came."
He had no idea where the question came from, but he asked, "What were you doing right before this?"
The little dragon flapped his wings once. "I came to the barrier and tried to scratch my way out."
"Where is this barrier?"
"On the other side of the lake. Maybe you can get through. I'll meet you there."
The little blue and white beast jumped and flapped a few times before soaring across the sky, to the other side of the lake.
Killian ran around it, afraid to touch the still, glass-looking water of the lake. He soon caught up with the little dragon and the beast leaned forward and scratched what should be air. The second he did, it felt as if something sliced his brain.
The dragon jumped back and tottered off, jumping into the lake. The surface broke into a thousand pieces of glass before reassembling.
It took a few minutes for Killian to breathe through the pain. As soon as he could stand again, he moved to the lake's surface. He gingerly tapped a foot on the surface, but unlike with the dragon, it remained solid. He tried standing on it, jumping, and even pounding the surface, but nothing happened.
Since he couldn't escape the same way, Killian went to the barrier the dragon had scratched. However, when he raised a hand to touch it, his hand felt nothing but air. He easily walked past the supposed barrier. Each step away from the lake made his eyelids heavy until he dropped to the ground and fell asleep.
Chapter Three
Brenna couldn't help but smile as Bram Moore-Llewellyn's dark hair, blue eyes, and friendly face appeared on the screen, with Dr. Sid Jackson and Dr. Gregor Innes at his side. As much as she loved Glenlough, she missed many of the people from her home clan of Stonefire.
True to the leader of Stonefire's character, Bram didn't waste time on small talk. "Brenna. What's so urgent, lass?"
Since she knew that Bram wouldn't answer an urgent summons without securing the line, she quickly explained Killian's outburst and subsequent unconsciousness before asking, "Have you found out anything new, related to Delia's recovery from the drug injections?"
Sid spoke up. "She's awake, but her dragon is acting as a young, shy child, as if they were strangers and meeting for the first time. The doctors in Wales ar
e running their own series of tests and will share the information later. In the meantime, Gregor and I have been running tests here with Trahern's help on both Delia's blood and some of the chemicals recently recovered from the farm near the Welsh clan." A group of humans had been manufacturing and selling the dragon-harming drug via the dark channels of the internet. "But it's going to take time to pinpoint what chemical or combinations of chemicals caused the dragon's regression. And even longer to find a cure, if it exists."
Gregor, Sid's Scottish mate, added, "Once Glenlough's doctor finishes his own series of tests, have him send the information to us. We received the initial data, but is there anything else about Killian's behavior that you can share? Has he experienced any sort of pounding or other signs of communication from his dragon? Even the smallest detail could help us find a cure."
"I don't think his dragon has made a sound," Brenna said. "To be honest, everyone has avoided talking with him about inner dragons, even me."
"Right, then when he regains consciousness, start asking questions," Sid stated. "I know it won't be easy, as losing your dragon is hard enough without the additional tragedy of losing your memory, but if we've any chance of bringing his dragon back, we need to look for the smallest sign that his inner beast still survives."
Brenna said what everyone else had to be thinking. "It's possible that the drugs killed his dragon and he'll never return."
Sid answered with hesitation. "Yes. But I'm not about to give up so easily. Remember, it took twenty years for me to find mine again. I hope it won't take as long with Killian, but it's far too soon to make any sort of foregone conclusion about his inner beast."
Sid had lost her inner dragon as a teenager, after an overdose of the dragon slumber drug. Only once she found her true mate and went through the frenzy had her beast returned.
That gave Brenna an idea. "What if I try to find his true mate? Do you think that could help?"
Gregor frowned. "Maybe, maybe not. Although, it couldn't hurt to locate her and try."
Bram spoke again. "Do you know who it is?"
"It's not me," she stated simply.
Concern flashed in Bram's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a neutral expression. "While finding his true mate could help, lass, the odds of finding her are low."
She shook her head. "His grandmother once mentioned to me that his true mate had come and gone years ago. I'll talk with her and see if it's possible to locate the female. Even though she probably doesn't want him, we can restrain Killian for as long as needed, if her kiss does indeed work, and then move the female to someplace safe."
Her dragon growled. I don't like the idea of giving him to a female who overlooked his worth.
We don't know the full story, dragon. So don't judge so harshly.
Bram's voice prevented her beast from replying. "Let me know if you need any help. We might not be able to set foot in Ireland just now, but if the female in question is somewhere in the UK, we'll do whatever we can to locate her."
Sid jumped in. "But just know that kissing his true mate may have no effect, Brenna. There are old tales of dragon-shifters losing their inner dragons through poisoning in times long past. While I don't have the scientific evidence to substantiate any of it, some of the old stories have kernels of truth to them. We'll even ask some of the teachers and historians to helps us locate any pertinent information."
Gregor added, "And one more thing—if you can't locate his true mate, there is another option. I've been studying how the human and dragon halves interact with one another. Since Killian is now mated to you, he is allowed to come to Stonefire. I'm not saying Dr. O'Brien isn't skilled, but thanks to Cassidy in my life, I've made this study one of my top priorities."
She smiled. Gregor was the only one who called Sid by her full name. "I'll keep that in mind. I'd love nothing more than to give Bram more paperwork to fill out for the transfer."
Bram grunted. "It's worth it if it means we can save your mate."
Stonefire's leader was one of the few who knew the truth of her mating to Killian. So the fact he was willing to go to such lengths to help her made Brenna slightly homesick.
Her dragon huffed. Of course he'd help us. We have two families now, both here and in England. Taking Killian to Stonefire might be better in the short run. No one knows him there and would accept him as is.
Maybe. But let's see if we can locate his true mate first. That will probably be more helpful.
Her beast growled. I don't like how easily you want to hand him over to another female.
I never said that. But we need to look at all the options. She paused and added, And remember, he's not ours. Not really.
Believe that if you wish.
Brenna focused back on Bram and the doctors. "I'll call again tomorrow, if possible. I can't thank you all enough for your help."
Bram frowned. "Of course we'd bloody help you. Just because Teagan O'Shea has charmed you into staying doesn't make me care any less about you, lass. Not to mention your parents are back from Italy for the foreseeable future and anxious to talk with you."
Brenna's father was from an Italian dragon clan, but her mother was originally from Stonefire. She hadn't spoken to them since she'd run away to join the army at eighteen.
She had her reasons, although she had and still missed her dad.
Pushing aside her regret, she cleared her throat. "Once things calm down, I'll call them, I promise."
"See that you do. Evie's maternal instincts have kicked up a thousand-fold as of late, and she's determined to reunite all the families she can."
Evie was Bram's human mate. "I sense you aren't telling me something, Bram."
When he remained silent, Sid rolled her eyes. "Evie is pregnant again and Bram is terrified despite the fact a lot of progress has been made studying Gina MacDonald's blood."
Gina MacDonald was a human female who lived on Clan Lochguard, in the Scottish Highlands. She'd given birth to a half-dragon-shifter baby without any complications, which was rare for humans to do. A blood test had revealed that she'd been given a dragon's blood infusion at some point, to cure an illness. Dr. Sid and Gregor believed it could work for other human females and they had been testing out small injections on any pregnant humans on Stonefire.
Brenna nodded. "Trust the doctors, Bram. Besides, Evie is as stubborn as they come. All will work out in the end."
"I hope so," he murmured. He sat taller. "However, we're talking about you right now. You'll hear more from me soon."
After everyone said their goodbyes, the screen went dark.
And of course her bloody dragon decided to talk again. Taking him to Stonefire might be the best idea yet.
Right, and then I give up my hard-earned position here to go back to the lower ranks of Protectors on Stonefire?
That's a weak excuse and you know it. Nikki Gray is now second-in-command of the Protectors, and she and Kai will give us a worthy position. I think you're more concerned about avoiding Mum and Dad.
As she debated how to reply to that, her mobile beeped. Checking her messages, she had one from Dr. O'Brien:
Killian is awake and asking for you.
Dashing out of the room, Brenna made her way to the surgery. Seeing Killian would ease her own worries a fraction, but she also needed to start asking him the difficult questions. Sid never would've suggested she do so unless it was important.
She only hoped Killian didn't resent her for bringing up the male he used to be.
~~~
Killian could do nothing but lay there as Orla, Caitlin, and Dr. O'Brien all hovered around his bed. He felt akin to a bug trapped under glass, simply there for observation.
Dr. O'Brien frowned at him. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what you remember. You muttered something whilst unconscious. Did you dream?"
Killian repeated his request. "I want to see Brenna."
Orla leaned forward. "Can't you do something to make him talk?"
Dr. O'Brien s
ighed. "For the last time, no. Truth-telling serums have been outlawed for over fifty years and you know that."
"Hmph. Special circumstances call for extreme measures," Orla stated.
Caitlin, the woman who claimed to be his mother, stepped between him and Orla. "No, Mother. Killian is my son and I won't allow you to harm him."
"My, my, the soft-hearted one has claws after all," Orla drawled.
Caitlin stood tall. "There is nothing wrong with being kind. But even if he doesn't remember me, I will do whatever it takes to protect Killian."
As he studied the back of Caitlin O'Shea, he willed for a memory to come forth. The female seemed to care for him and guilt threaded his heart that he was causing her pain.
Not that it was his bloody fault.
Dr. O'Brien pricked him with a needle and drew more blood. He wanted to tell the doctor enough, but he barely had the strength to do anything but move his head.
Thankfully Brenna's dark-haired form rushed into the room. Her eyes instantly found his and a sense of calmness came over him.
For all that they were near-strangers, she was more familiar than anything else in his life.
She pushed her way to his side and laid a hand on his forehead. The warm, smooth skin of her fingers stroked, and he relaxed a fraction. "What happened?"
"I don't know. I was dreaming, but I can't remember about what."
Searching his gaze, she asked, "Are you still in pain?"
He smiled. "Why? Are you going to nurse me back to health?"
"Killian O'Shea, now is not the time to tease me," she scolded. "Tell me anything you can remember or I'll leave this room and let you deal with Orla."
"Hey," Orla interjected.
Killian ignored the older woman. "The pain is mostly gone, although I'm weak."
Brenna glanced at Dr. O'Brien. "How long before we know the results of your tests?"
Craved by the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons Book 11) Page 3