by S. E. Smith
Or his dragon, she vaguely thought as she slipped into the black hole sucking her downward away from the pain.
Chapter 6
Jaguin paused outside the medical unit and drew in a deep breath. Even after three days, he was still fighting the urge to kill Tandor. He kept reminding himself that: one, it would just upset Sara and Emma; and two, Creon would not take kindly to him killing the only healer on board that Carmen trusted.
Creon was not amused when Jaguin told him that the human healer could take over. He knew he was being unreasonable, but from what he had deduced from the conversation between Audrey and Tandor, Sara had come very close to dying – again. If his symbiot hadn’t found and repaired the small blood vessel that began to leak on the left side of Sara’s brain, she would have died.
Jaguin flexed his fingers and rolled his shoulders before he stepped up to the door. It slid silently open and his gaze immediately narrowed in on the room where Sara and Emma were staying. A flash of panic swept through him when he saw it was empty. Stepping into the room, he paused near the entrance. Both beds were neatly made and all the stuffed creatures he and his symbiot gave to Sara were gone.
He quickly turned his head around when he heard a sound to his left. The scowl on his face deepened when he saw Tandor staring back at him with a wary gaze. He turned to the healer and folded his arms across his chest.
“Where is she?” Jaguin demanded in a blunt tone.
Tandor shook his head. “I released them,” he said, raising his hands up when Jaguin dropped his arms and took a menacing step toward him. “I did a complete scan on both women and reviewed the results with Gunner’s… Mate,” Tandor added quickly. “She is a remarkable healer.”
Jaguin frowned when he heard the slight edge to Tandor’s voice. His first thought was to check for himself that Sara was alright. It took him a moment to remember that he was not wearing any of his symbiot. In his panic, he had ordered all of it to stay with her. It hadn’t taken much convincing. His symbiot readily complied. It was him and his dragon that was having a difficult time with the withdrawal.
“You are sure she is well? She came very close to dying just days ago. Shouldn’t she stay a few more days, just to make sure this does not happen again?” Jaguin demanded with a frown of worry.
Tandor’s lips twitched. Jaguin once again curled his fingers in an effort not to wrap them around Tandor’s neck. It wasn’t funny. He knew he was being over protective, but he had a reason to be. Sara came close to dying not once, but twice. Not only that, he was discovering it wasn’t easy having a true mate; especially when she was clueless of that fact.
“Would you care for a drink?” Tandor asked, stepping back and waving his hand toward his office. “I assume you are off duty.”
Jaguin wavered, turning his gaze toward the empty beds, then to the door before he released a tired grunt. He knew it was too early for Sara to be awake, but he needed to see her. His plan was to slip in and reassure himself that she was fine before returning to his own cabin to rest for a few hours.
“Yes, I am off duty,” Jaguin replied, lifting a hand and running it through his hair. “I would like a drink.”
“I thought you looked like you could use one,” Tandor chuckled and shook his head. “It is not easy finding your true mate. I have a whole new appreciation for that fact now.”
Jaguin frowned and studied Tandor’s wistful expression. “You have found your true mate?” He asked in surprise.
“Yes,” Tandor responded with a sigh. “But, therein lies another problem. Come, I am off duty unless someone gets injured enough to require more than their symbiot’s assistance. I can only hope that they don’t. It has actually been rather boring since Carmen is no longer allowed to challenge them.”
Jaguin chuckled and nodded. “I enjoyed watching her with Cree and Calo. She still tries to test their abilities, and their patience.”
“Not as much as their mate does,” Tandor retorted with a dry laugh.
“So I’ve heard. I am glad that they have found their mate. I have always respected the powers of the Twin Dragons. I, for one, would not have wanted to fight them if it had become necessary,” Jaguin chuckled again and sat down in the seat across from Tandor’s desk.
He reached over and picked up the drink that Tandor poured for him and placed it on the edge of the desk. They sat in silence for several minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Jaguin stared moodily down into his drink.
“Does she know?” Tandor asked quietly, breaking the silence.
Jaguin glanced up with a frown. “Does she know what?” He asked in a cautious tone.
Tandor released a sigh and sat back in his chair. “Does Sara know that she is your true mate?” He asked patiently. “I have talked with her and Emma about their medical needs. I just wondered if you told her and what it means. She said you showed her your dragon. She was curious if all of us were capable of shifting. She appears to accept that you are a regular visitor. I am curious as to how she reacted to your claim.”
Jaguin thought about Tandor’s question. In all honesty, he had assumed that Sara recognized his claim. A female in his world recognized immediately that if a male, along with his symbiot and dragon, accepted her, she was his true mate. It never occurred to him that Sara might not. A soft groan escaped Jaguin at the thought and he reached up to run a tired hand down his face.
“I don’t know,” he finally confessed, shaking his head and looking at Tandor with a slight scowl. “My father and the other men in the village did not do a very good job of explaining all of this, you know.”
Tandor released a dry chuckle. “You can’t blame them, this is new to all of us. I’ve talked a bit with Carmen. She said there is a thing called love at first sight. That did not make sense to me until I also asked Audrey. She explained that there is a chemical humans release, which causes a reaction between the male and female. This chemical helps boost their attraction to each other. She also stated that it is not something that will seal the bond between them the way it does for us, nor is it always necessary for the chemical to be present for two of her species to have a relationship. This is much more complex than with our species. All we have to do is wait for our symbiot and dragon to agree with us to know that we have found our true mate,” he explained with a tight smile that did not quite reach his eyes.
“Yes, but what if the female does not agree?” Jaguin asked before he lifted his glass to his lips and swallowed the remaining content. Placing the glass on the desk, he rose to his feet. “Which deck is Sara’s living quarter located on?” He asked.
Tandor rose to his feet and stretched. “She and Emma are on Deck Two. Carmen thought it would be nice to have them close to her and Creon’s quarters,” he replied with a tired sigh of his own.
Jaguin nodded and started to turn before he paused. Glancing at Tandor, he opened his mouth to say something, but he closed it again and just nodded. He wasn’t the type to share his emotions, even with the healer.
He quietly exited the medical unit and headed down to Deck Two. A short time later, he stepped off the lift and strode down the corridor. He was surprised when he saw his symbiot trotting down the passageway toward him before it turned and disappeared into one of the rooms.
Striding forward, he paused in the open doorway. Sara was standing at the wide window looking out at the darkness beyond, her arms wrapped protectively around her waist. He watched in silence as his symbiot lifted its head toward her and nudged her right elbow. She lifted a hand to wipe at her cheek before lowering it to rest on his symbiot’s head. At that moment, Jaguin wanted more than anything to know what she was feeling.
He lifted a hand toward his symbiot and several small threads shot out toward him. He waited as they wrapped around his wrists. Almost immediately, he could feel the blinding grief, anger, and despair.
“Sara,” Jaguin murmured in a quiet voice.
She stiffened and hastily wiped at her face again before turning. The haunt
ed look was back in her eyes. He also noticed the dark circles under them. She was not sleeping.
“Jaguin! I thought you were working,” she exclaimed, forcing a smile to her lips.
“I am off now,” he replied, stepping into the room. “I stopped by the medical unit to see you. Tandor told me that you and Emma were moved to your own quarters. You are well?”
He watched as she swallowed and half turned back to the window so he couldn’t see her eyes. Her lips parted and he knew that she was going to tell him that she was fine, she always did, but he could see the truth in her eyes.
“I’m… okay,” she finally whispered, looking back out the window.
“Something troubles you, I can feel it,” Jaguin stated, stepping closer to her. “What is it?”
For several long seconds, she didn’t respond. He could see her drawing in deep breaths. In the reflection of the window, he could see the desolation in her eyes. He took another step closer. Lifting his hands, he carefully rested them on her hips. A shudder ran through her body and she stiffened before relaxing back against him and bowed her head.
“Every time I close my eyes, I see him,” she whispered in a husky voice. “I can’t seem to turn my brain off anymore. Audrey said that it isn’t unusual for someone who has gone through a traumatic event. She is trying to help me, but I think it is getting worse. I’m so tired.”
Jaguin could feel her fatigue. His mind raced, trying to find a way to help her. He didn’t know why he thought of an incident that happened in his youth, but it seemed right to share it. He glanced around the room. It was a small lounge set aside for those seeking a place to sit and relax. Each deck of the ship had many of them. It was necessary for longer voyages.
He carefully turned Sara and guided her over to the long lounge that faced the windows. He motioned for her to sit. She moved silently, as if unable to resist his guidance. He sank down next to her and turned her so that she was resting against his body. His arms slid around her waist and he rested his cheek against her hair. With a quick thought, a portion of his symbiot dissolved and covered them with a thin blanket of gold while another small part made a pillow for his head.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this,” she murmured. “It is cool and weird at the same time.”
A soft chuckle escaped Jaguin as Sara relaxed against him. He leaned his head back and gaze out the window. He could feel his own fatigue pulling at him.
“My home is in the eastern mountains of Valdier. It is a beautiful place. The trees grow upward, straining to touch the sky. At times, a thick fog rolls down the slopes, making it almost magical. There are over thirty waterfalls, some high in the mountains and others near the valley floor where my village is located.”
“It sounds beautiful,” Sara murmured, snuggling closer when he wrapped his arms around her. “How do you know there are thirty of them?”
Jaguin released a sigh of contentment. “When I was a youngling, I was determined to find every one of them, including the hidden falls,” he explained in a soft voice.
“Hidden falls?” Sara asked.
Jaguin smiled, he could hear the curiosity in her voice now. She had settled closer to him, no longer holding herself slightly away. Deep down, he felt his dragon’s sigh of contentment.
“Deep in the mountains there is said to be a magical valley. At the end is a great cavern where the Hidden Falls lie deep inside. Crystal deposits over the centuries have collected and at sunrise and sunset each day the light from the sun streams through an opening in the rocks causing the crystals to refract the light. It turns the falls a multitude of colors,” Jaguin said before yawning.
“Did you see it? The light changing the falls to a different color?” Sara asked in a hushed tone.
“Yes, many times,” Jaguin murmured. “You would love the valley. There are many unique plants and animals that live there.”
Jaguin’s voice faded as the exhaustion from so many sleepless nights finally caught up with him. The warmth of Sara’s body pressed against his and the final calming of his dragon sent a wave of contentment through him. A smile curved his lips and he fell into a light sleep.
“Jaguin?” Sara whispered, twisting her head when he didn’t answer her. She stared at his relaxed face for several long seconds before a confused frown creased her brow. “Why do I feel safe with you when I don’t know what it means to be safe anymore?” She murmured.
“Because you are my true mate,” he responded in a barely audible voice.
Sara laid her head back against Jaguin. She started to stiffen when she felt his hands move across her stomach, but he only threaded his fingers together before relaxing even more. She could tell from the soft snores that he was really asleep.
Turning her head, she stared out the window in confusion. How on Earth did she end up in his arms like this? Better yet, what in the hell did he mean by ‘you are my true mate’? She heard Carmen refer to Creon as such. Did that mean that Jaguin thought of her as…
“Holy shit!” Sara whispered, her eyes growing wide when she felt the warmth of the symbiot’s touch on her again and the faint purr of the silver dragon in her head.
Her gaze lowered to where she was absently stroking the golden blanket covering them. She was intelligent enough to put two and two together and come up with four. A slight, disbelieving snort escaped her. It really was four if she thought about her, Jaguin, his dragon, and the symbiot all together.
“Oh, shit. I’ve not only fallen down the Rabbit’s hole, I’ve ended up in bloody Narnia,” she groaned, closing her eyes and shaking her head. “All I need now is a group of enraged Dwarves looking for their palace of gold.”
The sudden image of the silver dragon actually rolling its eyes at her comment had her biting her lip to keep from laughing. Another wave of warmth swept through her. She opened her eyes and stared out at the dark space.
“This is still better than Cuello’s compound,” she whispered to herself. “It is strange beyond imagination, but… beautiful. I just wish I knew how it was going to end. I don’t know what to do.”
Sara started to move when she felt the strange sensation against her skin. She released an exasperated sigh when she recognized it as the symbiot. Shortly after she woke up in the medical unit, she discovered she was once again draped in the living jewelry. No matter how much she had argued with the creature, it had refused to dissolve again.
Sara softly groaned. If anything, she was wearing even more of the delicate pieces. When she had snapped at it impatiently, the symbiot had given her such a woeful look of hurt and distress that she had finally given up.
“You really don’t fight fair, you know that, don’t you?” Sara demanded in a soft voice. “None of you do. Something tells me that my life is going to become even more complicated very soon.”
A barely audible giggle of amusement escaped Sara when Jaguin’s hands tightened around her, as if in agreement. She realized she was well and truly stuck for the time being. She felt her exhaustion pull at her.
Maybe, just maybe, Jaguin and his strange assortment of alternate personalities could keep the nightmares at bay, she thought as she fell into a deep, restful sleep.
Chapter 7
Several days later, Sara woke with a start. She looked frantically around the room, trying to get her bearings. She was in the cabin they gave her a few days earlier. It was connected with Emma’s cabin next door. Her gaze swung around and connected with Emma’s worried blue eyes. Sara gave the other woman a rueful smile and relaxed back against the pillows.
“I was yelling again, wasn’t I?” Sara murmured.
“Yes,” Emma replied in a barely audible voice before she gave a haunted smile. “You were cursing, too.”
Sara shook her head and pushed herself up into a sitting position. Emma had finally begun to talk again, but only to her. It wasn’t much, but it was a little.
“I was dreaming that I was back at the compound again,” Sara admitted, glancing at Emma
before she drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. “I thought I was getting better.”
“You are, when you are with… him,” Emma forced out.
Sara glanced up again. A sardonic smile twisted her lips. She knew who ‘him’ was – Jaguin. It seemed like the only time she really fell into a deep sleep was when she was with him, or at least it appeared that way from the last two nights she had woken from a nightmare and escaped to the quiet room so she wouldn’t disturb Emma who liked to leave the door between their rooms open, only to find Jaguin there waiting for her.
Three times now, the first night and the last two, he had wrapped his arms around her and held her close. He told her a little more about the beautiful hidden falls, the vast mountain meadows, and the bountiful plants and animals that lived in the mist-covered mountains before he fell asleep.
“Argh, I hate this,” Sara moaned, dropping her head against her knees.
Sara’s eyes burned with tears as she felt Emma’s soft touch run over her hair. She hated – absolutely hated – feeling out of control. With an annoyed sniff, she rubbed her nose against the covers and lifted her head. Her jaw tightened in determination. She wasn’t going to become dependent on anyone. It was time she started taking control of her emotions, instead of the other way around.
“There is a room on the fourth deck that Jaguin took me to,” Sara said, staring back at Emma. “It has all kinds of plants in it. I want to start learning more about them. Do you want to come with me?”
Emma quickly shook her head and scooted off the edge of the bed. Sara watched as her friend glanced around the room in panic. Throwing the covers back, Sara slid out of the bed and walked over to where Emma was standing with her arms wrapped around her waist and her head bowed.
“They aren’t going to hurt us, Emma. I just know it. Just look at Audrey and Carmen. They have the men on this ship wrapped around their fingers. The guys – they aren’t like Cuello and his men,” Sara said.