The blackness morphed into the shape of a dragon. A deep voice boomed out, "I can't survive without him. You and I must become one."
Something about the deep voice was familiar, but Killian pushed the feeling aside. It may only have been a short time, but he'd grown close to the little dragon. He couldn't let him die.
Killian shouted, "Leave him be and take me."
"No," the shadow dragon answered. "I can't survive without the wee one either."
Before he could say anything else, the shadow dragon rushed at them and crashed into the baby dragon's chest. The little one roared as the entire cloud entered his body before he collapsed.
Kneeling next to his beast, he instinctively checked the artery on the little one's neck. At the soft thump under his fingers, he let out a breath. "You're still alive." The base of the baby dragon's neck vibrated. "What the fuck?"
Taking a step back, Killian watched as something grew from the dragon's hide. First, in the shape of a new bud or branch of a tree, until it was nearly as long as the dragon's neck, and then another head appeared.
When the black dragon's head opened its eyes, a rush of memories came into his brain.
Killian learning of his father's death and vowing to protect his mother.
Thrashing about in a reinforced cottage to keep his distance from Georgiana.
Growling at Aaron Caruso for courting his sister.
Brenna working with him on security and drills on Glenlough.
Waking up strapped to a table as humans pumped him full of drugs.
The black dragon head growled. "Now we are one."
In the next instant, the blue and white dragon head opened his eyes. And before he could do anything, the two-headed dragon flew through the sky toward an exit point and Killian lost consciousness.
~~~
Brenna stood to the side of the room as Sid and Gregor checked over Killian's limp form on the hospital bed.
She hated being useless. Brenna was a Protector for many reasons, but one of them was because she liked to act. Be it in safeguarding the clan against future attacks or participating in a search for a missing clan member, she wanted to be doing something.
And yet here she was, standing to the side and wringing her hands.
It took everything she had not to ask for an update. While Killian was pale, he was alive and wasn't bleeding from his ears or anywhere else. She only hoped that was a good sign.
In moments like these, her dragon usually helped comfort her. The unnatural silence inside her mind only made matters worse.
If not for her mother's delicate health, she would reach out to her parents. While Brenna had tried to pretend she was grown and didn't need her parents' support, she missed her father's gentle hugs.
Instead, she hugged her upper body and watched Sid and Gregor work. The pair were mates, but they were partners in all ways and worked together seamlessly.
After what seemed like an hour, Sid turned toward Brenna and crossed the distance to her. "He's stable, but something is certainly going on inside his mind."
Gregor joined them. "Aye, it reminds me of a video I saw, of a child patient struggling with his rogue dragon." He motioned toward Killian, who was still being watched by a nurse named Ginny. "He's suffering mini-seizures every few minutes."
She glanced at Killian. "Will they kill him?"
Gregor shook his head. "At this point, I don't think so. But we need to watch him closely and ensure they don't intensify."
Brenna watched Killian's face twitch a few times before going slack again. She looked back at the doctors. "I know little about how to help rogue dragons beyond drugs and a slow reintroduction with coaching from an expert. But do you think a kiss from his true mate might help?"
Sid searched her gaze. "Before I answer, is this what you want? Helping Killian is noble, but there will be consequences, Brenna. Ones that will probably result in a child."
Looking between Sid and Gregor, she answered, "Gregor did the same to help your dragon, Sid. Do you regret it?"
"No," she said slowly. "But the situation was different. I had wanted children but had thought I'd never have them. After all, I had been afraid of going insane. You are clearly reluctant."
"If it can help Killian, then I'll do it. Besides, I always have the choice to give the child up for adoption if Killian's condition worsens and he needs me."
Gregor chimed in. "You're willing to do a fair bit for a male you barely know."
She stood tall. "I'm his mate, which means he's my responsibility."
Sid shared a look with Gregor before turning her head back toward Brenna. "Then if you're going to kiss him and start the frenzy, I'd do it sooner rather than later. While it's unlikely, a bigger seizure could grip him and do permanent damage." She bobbed her head, and Sid added, "We'll stay initially, to ensure nothing goes wrong. But if the frenzy erupts, we'll leave you alone. However, if anything changes or becomes out of control, you need to hit the call button."
Taking a deep breath, she looked at Killian. "Okay. Is there anything you can give me to wake up my dragon?"
Gregor answered, "The kiss may do it on its own. If not, we can try a stimulant, but it's not guaranteed to work."
Brenna walked to Killian's bedside. Running her fingers through his short hair, she hoped this worked. Even if he wanted nothing to do with her after, that was fine. It meant Killian would have the chance to protect his family back home, just as he'd vowed when his father had died.
She wasn't sure why that was so important, but maybe it was just her sympathy for a male who'd endured so much in such a short time.
Her heart thundering in her chest, she leaned down and pressed her lips to Killian's firm ones. While familiar, he remained unresponsive.
After a minute had passed and nothing happened to him or to her dragon, she stood. She refused to believe that was it. She looked to the doctors and asked, "Can you give me the stimulant? My dragon isn't stirring."
Gregor quickly cleaned an area on her upper arm and injected her with something. A rush of adrenaline coursed through her body. Her heart rate increased and after a few more seconds, a sleepy voice spoke inside her head. What happened?
I'll explain later. I just need you awake.
Before her beast could question her further, Brenna kissed Killian again.
She expected her dragon to demand Killian's cock and to ride him.
However, she merely yawned and stretched out her wings. Why did you wake me? I want to go back to sleep.
I don't understand. We kissed him earlier and you said he was our true mate.
Whoever you just kissed is different. I want to sleep.
Standing upright again, she murmured, "What's happening to you, Killian?"
Gregor's Scottish brogue filled the room. "There's no frenzy?"
"No. My dragon said he's different."
Appearing at her side, Gregor stared at Killian's face. "Maybe the shadow dragon finally embraced him. That could make him a different male."
Not wanting to dwell on the fact that might mean old Killian had returned, she asked, "Then why is he seizing as if his dragon had gone rogue?"
"For all we know, the two dragon personalities could be distinct and are fighting inside his mind."
She clenched a fist over her heart. "Then what do we do?"
Gregor's gentle voice filled the room. "I recommend trying to wake up Killian. Then Tristan can work with him on containing his dragon or dragons. The sooner we attempt to tame the rogue presence inside Killian's mind, the better chance we have at preserving his sanity."
"I'll contact Tristan straight away," Sid said as she exited the room.
Gregor placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "We're going to do our best to save him, Brenna. But you need to prepare yourself for the worst. I've never heard of a male with two dragon personalities in one brain before. It may be too much. One can be quite a handful on its own. Two would require unbelievable strength."
She took Killian's hand and threaded her fingers through his. "If anyone was strong and stubborn enough to tackle that challenge, it would be Killian O'Shea."
"That's the way to think of it, lass. Being strong under circumstances such as these isn't easy, especially for someone you care about but who may not feel the same way. Regardless, Killian has formed an attachment to you. Hopefully no matter what's happened, it's enough to entice him to fight for sanity as well as his life."
As she gripped his hand tighter, she only hoped so, too.
Chapter Thirteen
Killian couldn't see anything, but he heard two voices—those of the baby dragon and the shadow dragon.
The shadow dragon growled. "I'm older and more experienced. I'm in charge."
"No, this is my body and you're invading it. I'm in charge."
"I will hurt you."
"I'm not afraid. If you kill me, it will probably kill you, too."
The darkness faded until it was replaced by the neutral gray and brown colors of his mind. Neither the mirror lake nor the rolling hills were anywhere to be seen.
But instead of being able to open his actual eyes and see the real world, he was trapped inside his brain with a two-headed dragon.
The black dragon head looked straight at him. "You remember me now and know what I can do. Tell the baby to listen to me."
The blue and white dragon straightened his neck. "I'm young, not a baby. And I stood by him when you left."
"It wasn't by choice," the black dragon growled.
Killian closed his eyes and opened them, but the two-headed dragon was still standing not far from him. The body remained blue with white patches, which made the black neck and head stand out and almost appear ominous.
Placing a hand on his forehead, Killian murmured, "I don't know what's happening. No one is supposed to have two dragons inside their mind. Maybe I'm dead."
The black dragon head jumped in. "I don't think so. You're just unconscious."
"And how do you know that?" he asked.
The black dragon huffed. "Because I peeked while you were lying there."
Killian looked up. "Wait, what?"
"Someone opened our eye and I took control."
The baby dragon growled. "This is my body. I should always be in control."
The two dragon heads snapped at one another, each trying to grip the other's neck. When they succeeded, both holding on at the same time, Killian's entire body jerked until they released their grips.
Once he caught his breath, he stood and put on his best stern voice. "Stop it. If you keep that up, you'll kill us all."
The baby dragon muttered, "He started it."
Narrowing his eyes, the black dragon bared his teeth. Both dragons moved to attack again when something whooshed through the area and Killian opened his actual eyes to a room full of people.
Brenna's face was closest. "Killian? Can you hear me?"
He opened his mouth to reply, but the two-headed dragon tossed him to the back of his mind. The black dragon's voice answered her, "I am here."
A higher-pitched voice came from Killian's lips. "No, I am here."
Frowning, Brenna looked to the doctors and back to him. "Who is there?"
"We are all Killian," the deeper voice stated.
Gregor asked slowly, "How many of you are there?"
"Three."
Tristan MacLeod's growly voice filled the room. "That's new."
The deeper dragon voice spoke. "We wish to shift. I've been trapped for far too long and want to feel the rush of wind against my hide."
Killian could do nothing but watch from his mental prison as the black dragon maintained control, sat up, and tore off the restraints of their human form.
Everyone sprang into action in the room except for Brenna, who never moved. She asked slowly, "Can I talk to the human part of Killian?"
The deeper voice of the black dragon replied, "No. He wants to banish me." The baby dragon pushed into control and his higher-pitched voice growled, "We both want you gone. This is my body."
"I don't understand your last statement. Are you sharing a body?" Brenna asked.
"Yes," the baby dragon answered. "I can't seem to get rid of him and anytime I attack, it hurts our human part."
The black dragon won control again. "You will never be rid of me. I'm stronger and more dominant. Accept that your place is subservient to me."
The two dragon heads snapped at each other inside his mind. Once again his entire body jerked sporadically when they caught each other's throats.
Something pricked his arm and the shaking thankfully ceased. However, the world blacked out again.
~~~
As soon as Killian was unconscious once more, Brenna brushed the hair off his forehead. He may be alive, but Killian was on the verge of going insane, provided his dragons' fighting didn't kill him first. No doubt a constant barrage of seizures couldn't be good for his health.
Tristan's voice broke the silence. "I hate to say it, but we may have to lock him up and monitor him as much as possible. One dragon is hard enough to train, but two that appear to hate each other is going to be a monumental task."
Forcing her gaze away, Brenna met Tristan's gaze. "Let me know how I can help."
Tristan grunted. "I'm not sure you can. His mother may be a better help since his dragon would think twice of hurting her."
She hated to be thought of as a near-stranger, but Brenna couldn't allow her feelings to get in the way of Killian's recovery. "Has she mated the Northcastle leader yet? If she has, then she should be free to travel here, especially if the DDA inspector is still around."
"The inspector is still here," Sid stated. "As for Killian's mum, I have no idea if she's mated Lorcan Todd or not. However, someone should be arriving soon to fetch Adrian. He needs to go back to Northern Ireland if he wants to avoid the frenzy with the DDA inspector."
In all of the commotion surrounding Killian, she'd forgotten about Adrian and Elsie Day. "Maybe I should talk with Bram and see if he'll invite Killian's mum here."
The clan leader's voice came from the doorway. "I'm already here, lass."
Turning, she saw Bram enter the room, followed by his mate, Evie Marshall, and a female she didn't recognize with dark hair on top and sections of dyed blue on the bottom.
Bram spoke up again. "This here is Dr. Alice Darby. She's Evie's friend and knows some things about dragon-shifters that I don't."
She met the female's brown-eyed gaze. "How?"
Alice raised her brows. "I'm not partial to giving out information to people I don't know. What's your name?"
Brenna gave the human credit for standing up to her. "Brenna Rossi." She looked at Bram again. "What is she doing here?"
Bram's mate, Evie, answered, "Alice might be able to help Killian." Evie moved her gaze to Dr. Sid. "However, she can't do that without knowing what's going on. You only said it was urgent."
Sid didn't hesitate. "We think he has two dragon personalities residing inside his head, and they're constantly fighting each other. Have you heard of two dragons in one mind before, Alice?"
The human female must've been on Stonefire longer than Brenna had realized if Sid was readily asking her questions.
"Only once, and it was part of a legend, so I don't know if it's true," Alice answered as she moved to the other side of Killian's bed.
As the human studied Killian's face, Brenna's dragon decided to speak once more. She is too close to him.
What are you going on about? I thought you didn't want him as a mate?
I never said that. Just that there's no mate-claim frenzy pull. I was also half-asleep. Killian is ours.
Not wanting to think about her dragon's statement, she answered, Fine. But just be quiet for now. This human might be able to help.
Brenna asked Alice, "What was the legend about?"
The human never took her eyes off Killian's face. "Soon after the Spanish conquistador Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba fought the
Mayans during his ill-fated expedition in 1517, in what is present-day Mexico, a two-headed dragon appeared not far from where the battle took place. The beast went on a rampage against the human Mayans in the area. They eventually slayed him. Reliable accounts are sparse, but one carved record written in the old dragon language of the area mentions the two-headed dragon eating something he stole from the Spaniards' supplies, which caused nightmares like none had ever seen."
Brenna jumped in. "Do you know what he ate?"
Alice shook her head. "No. Since the carved tablet was broken, we don't have the whole story. But many have speculated that whatever he stole from the Spaniards might have caused his dragon to go rogue."
Brenna had to give the human credit. Alice did seem to know a lot about dragon history. Brenna had never heard anything about the event in her history classes as a student.
Sid asked, "Is there any way to narrow down what the substance might have been? Even just supplies or records from the time might give us a starting point."
Alice answered, "The best anyone's ever been able to do is to comb the ship's logs from the era. But even then, nothing unusual appeared."
"Regardless, if you can find and share those logs, maybe I can discover something useful in them that others may have overlooked," Sid said.
Alice bobbed her head. "I'll try my best. Although it may take a few days to track the information down and obtain a translation."
Brenna should keep her mouth closed, but she knew everyone else in the room well enough that she blurted, "How does a human know so much about dragon-shifters?"
Alice shrugged. "I've been fascinated since I was a child. And since I'm incompatible with dragon-shifter DNA and can't join the sacrifice program, I decided to focus my life's work on learning as much as I could."
Evie added, "And she's found loads of other people with similar interests. It's how we met, via an online message board."
"And yet you haven't shared this knowledge with the dragons?" Brenna queried.
Craved by the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons Book 11) Page 15