DRAGON'S GAP: Set Includes Stories 1-3 Plus Love's Catalyst

by L M Lacee

  But she is so small!

  You are not her toy. She has to learn. Now concentrate someone other than your daughter may need you!

  He sighed but carried on flying, they were met by Keeper, and the two dragons flew in circles above Dragon’s Gap. Claire could tell Lars was listening intently and when he finally heard what he was listening for he zeroed in on the ground and together the dragons flew down. Landing in front of the medical center.

  Claire slipped from his back. “Here?” She asked as Lars and Keeper went from dragon to human again.

  He nodded. “Yes here!” Lars rushed into the medical wing of the center with Claire and Keeper following close behind.

  “My Lord Lars what can I do for you?” Ella asked.

  “I do not know, something has called me here.”

  Ella acknowledged both Claire and Keeper with a nod and a smile as she asked. “What is it Prime Lars?”

  “If I knew I would tell you.” He said absently. Claire moved to stand between them when Ella moved back from the slightly distraught male. She looked at Claire wide eyed. “I have never seen my Lord like this before.”

  Soothingly Claire replied. “Neither have we. So we are sort of going with the flow here. Apparently he is hearing something none of us can, and we are following the sound.”

  Ella said. “He thinks it is coming from here?”

  “That is the theory.” Claire replied as they turned to watch him. Lars moved into the middle of the room and was slowly turning in a circle. Then he stalled on a half turn and pointed towards a dark, crimson, three paneled screen that stood in a dim corner. With his dragon in his voice, he asked. “What is behind there?”

  Healer Donald Patten, came hurrying past the other three, not even noticing who was there. His eyes were only on Lars he arrived out of breath and apologetic. “My Lord Prime Lars, no one told me you were here. I am in charge.”

  He gave Ella a searing look which Claire was glad to see she returned. But she still moved slightly in front of Ella to block his line of sight to her friend. Apparently the look annoyed Keeper who shifted restlessly where he stood.

  As with Edith, Claire did not like Healer Donald. She knew there was something not right with him but could not put her finger on what it was. The male was always overly polite to her and June. Which seemed to set her cougar on alert. One day she would figure it out until then, she like June, kept out of his way.

  He asked Lars. “Obviously no one is here to aid you. So my Lord what can I help you with?”

  Claire made a half snort, half growl in her throat for the slight to Ella. Lars asked. “I wish to know what or who is behind that screen.”

  Donald looked confused as to why Lars was asking the question but he answered anyway. “That is an unfortunate infant, barely alive, not of course a hatchling. Sadly he will not survive much longer.”

  Claire gasped as she said. “Ella, did you know about this?”

  Surprised Ella shook her head. “No I just got on duty. Donald was not here when I arrived!”

  “How long ago was that?” Claire asked anger starting to simmer in her stomach.

  “Thirty minutes ago. I just entered the ward as you arrived.”

  “I will seriously have words with Sharm about this. It is not good enough.” Claire stated anger in her tones.

  Ella nodded. “I as well.”

  Donald said in his pompous voice that grated on Claire’s nerves. “Please I was occupied elsewhere. Our Lord Sharm understands I cannot be everywhere. What would you have me do? It is not like I have help, what with Ella off all the time.”

  Ella growled along with Claire and funnily enough Keeper. A little perturbed by the sounds Donald swallowed and nervously moved closer to Lars. “My Lord the infant was brought in late last night and has deteriorated ever since. We ascertain it is only three days old. We do not know what species it is or who brought the infant in. It was just here in a crib.”

  No one there missed hearing the slight sneer and disinterest or lack of compassion in his voice or the many times he referred to the infant as an, it.

  Claire asked her temper barely controlled. “Why did you not call Edith and ask her to help you?”

  Donald gave her a condescending smile as he said. “Lady Claire, it is highly unlikely a person could actually do what is rumored she can!”

  “Her shadow knows she is able to.” Stated Keeper his dragon making his voice sound deeper and darker. Ella shivered in response to the danger in his tones. Keeper said in the quiet calm tones of a confident dragon warrior. “As my brother seems to be concerned elsewhere, I will warn you only once healer. Do not use that tone again with his shadow and that is not a rumor. Lord Lars and Lady Claire are bonded.”

  Lars snapped into awareness, he looked at the angered Keeper and the closed face of his shadow and said to Donald. “Leave now!”

  Showing his whole attention had not been entirely on the infant behind the screen. Donald blustered. “My Lord I apologize as I did not know.”

  “NOW!” His dragon growled. “Do not let me see you again for a while. Leave!”

  Keeper moved ever so slightly but it was enough for the healer, he almost ran from the room. Lars looked at Claire. “I am sorry Claire.”

  She waved his apology away. “Nothing I haven’t heard before.” He gave her one hard look then let it go for now and asked Ella. “Now healer Ella can you help me?”

  “Of course Prime Lars.”

  They all moved to the screen as Ella moved closer to Claire she asked. “Why would we talk to Edee?”

  Before she could answer, Lars told her. “Edee can sense the age, species and date of birth of all species. Did you not get the memo?”

  “No Prime Lars, I did not.”

  “She did not tell you?” Claire asked.

  A little hurt Ella shook her head. Claire looked at the female. “I bet she thought you knew already!”

  Ella frowned. “Maybe.”

  Claire leant nearer. “Seriously with what she has gone through in the last few days, are you going to be mad at her?”

  Ella exclaimed. “Oh no, she is my friend.”

  “Exactly!” Then Claire said to Lars. “Lars I will look into it!”

  “Thank you Claire.” He pulled the screen away, and they all saw the very tiny baby who was no longer than twelve inches in length and barely took up any room in the small bassinet.

  “Oh my Goddess. So small!” Claire cried.

  “What is wrong with him?” Lars asked as he lifted the hatchling from the bed he smiled slightly and asked. “He is male?”

  Ella was reading the chart. “Yes male, it seems he will not settle or sleep for long periods. He will not take any formula, and they seemed to have tried them all. It does not say why and what tests were done.”

  “So they leave him alone to die?” Said a trembling Claire, anger so intense shook her small frame. Lars soothed her. “Hush my shadow. We will get to the bottom of this,” He asked Ella. “By whose orders?”

  Ella blanched as she read the signature on the bottom of the chart. “Healer Donald’s. My Lord.”

  “Of course.” Lars looked at the small hatchling in his hands and knew he was his. That even as small as this little scrap of a miracle was he had called for him. He looked up at his brother who had moved closer and as his dragon surfaced he placed his face near to the infants and sniffed. Ours! Said his dragon. Our hatchling!

  Yes ours! Agreed Lars as he looked at Keeper and said. “Brother he needs you.”

  Keeper moved past Claire with a soft squeeze to her arm in reassurance. He placed his large hand on the hatchlings forehead and over his eyes, his dragon sighed and grunted.

  Too much pain, too much guilt for a small one.

  Keeper told him. Little hatchling carries too much weight which is not his. Yes, his mother died but not because of him. I should imagine bad life choices. He is lucky to be alive!

  His dragon snorted. Strong! Hatchling is very strong
to call for brother and shadow. To know who he needs for parents.

  Keeper smiled. I agree, now it is time to give him relief.

  Together they removed the feelings surrounding his birth and any memories of the female that carried him. There seemed to be deaths the infant was sure that happened as he came into the world. So they removed those memories as well. They looked to see if the little one knew how he arrived at Dragon’s Gap but he did not.

  A mystery for another day! Said his dragon. Let us give him serene hatchling memories.

  Yes my friend.

  So they went to work doing what they did best. And gave the baby memories of Claire and Lars and the sound of their voices. Then Keepers dragon who adored Kammy they placed her voice along with her laugh in the baby’s memory. They introduced voices of the remainder of the family as echoes in his mind, familiar but not as clear as his parents and Kammy’s. Similar to what a hatchling would hear in a womb. When he was finished, he removed his hand and took the baby from Lars and gave him a cuddle. He was surprised that the baby had grey eyes. “Well will you look at that, the same eyes as his daddy’s!” He said as he handed him back to Lars who took him gingerly. “Claire my love he needs you!” He said quickly as the hatchling’s face scrunched up and he weakly mewled in distress.

  “Oh, I bet he is hungry.” Claire smiled at Ella as she handed her a small diaper and singlet and a tiny jumpsuit in blue. Claire placed socks on his feet and dressed him like she had been doing it forever. Then she swaddled him and wrapped a blanket around his small body.

  Ella handed her a bottle, and she found a seat and started to feed the hungry hatchling. “So now we know he is not sick.” Said Ella softly as she stroked her finger down the soft baby cheek while the hatchling sucked furiously at the bottle.

  Keeper agreed. “Now his memories of before are gone. He will settle and grow.”

  Claire smiled. “You better call home and arrange a nursery my love and you Uncle Keeper should call the family and let them all know.”

  Both males grinned and saluted her. Lars said “As you say mommy.”

  Ella said. “I will arrange his formula and diapers.”

  Minutes later Keeper said as he shut his phone off. “Mama said she and Grace will shop now for clothes.”

  “He is very small.” She told him.

  He grinned. “I sent a photo, and Reighn said he needs a name to record the claim. Do you have a name?”

  “That is his daddy’s department. I named Kammy.”

  Keeper said quietly as he watched her and the baby. “Edith will wait for you, Sharm has gone to talk to Donald.”

  “Wow that was quite the phone call!”

  Keeper nodded to Lars who was just ending his call. “Your shadow got to him before me.”

  “Oh, I see!”

  Lars came back. “All settled, June and Sage are setting up the nursery.”

  “They can get furniture?” Claire asked, visualizing the baby sleeping in an empty drawer until tomorrow. He smiled as he kissed her forehead. “She is the Dragon Lady, yes she can.”

  “Oh well, I forgot that.” Relieved Claire rocked her baby boy and nodded. “We will be home as soon as he is finished his bottle. Why do you think he can eat now?”

  Lars said. “He is in his mamas arms, and his father is here to protect him. Why should he not. He was pining for us.”

  Claire smiled. “Yeah, that is what I thought.”

  Ella tentatively asked. “Would it not be better for him to remain here for a few days, until he puts on weight Lady Claire?”

  Claire lifted her head from the study of her son and smiled at Ella. “Firstly why were you not at girl’s night?”

  Ella smiled. “I have been away visiting the family estate.” By her tone and the look in her eyes, it had not been fun.

  “Well next girl’s night, you will be there!”

  “Yes Lady Claire.”

  “Now as to why it will not be good for him to stay here. I would be underfoot every minute of the day and if I wasn’t these two would and then there is the rest of the family. No for your peace of mind and the units. It will be better if we take him home.”

  Keeper said. “Would your staff really like our Dam and Grace as well as the Dragon Lord here all day, every day?”

  “No… No! I am sure that would not be good.” Ella breathed out.

  Lars laughed as he said. “Then there is Lady Sage and June not to mention Edee!”

  Keeper said imagine. “Molly and Kammy!”

  “Alright I think she has it now.” Said Claire taking pity on the poor healer. Lars told Ella. “He called for me to come for him. We cannot abandon him now. Home is where he needs to be and I am sure you or Sharm will visit every day.”

  “Well, that is true.” She agreed.

  Lars came to Claire and stroked a finger down the hatchling’s cheek. “He needs to feel wanted, to feel the love of his mother’s arms and his father’s heart. Looking up into his face a face that had become so dear to her so quickly. Claire placed her small hand on his cheek. “Yes, he does. He also needs a name to know he is a part of the whole.”

  Just then Edith arrived. “I am sorry we could not wait. Sharm needed to talk to someone. You know the T.W.A.T!”

  Claire and Ella barely stopped their laugh. It was well-known Edith and Donald did not get on.

  Edith hugged Ella. “Hey you! We missed you at girl’s night.”

  Ella sighed. “I missed you too. Sadly I had to go to the family estate.”

  Edith pushed her a little away. “Ella, you should have told me. I would have gone with you.”

  “Edee it was okay, honest.” She smiled, but Edith could still see the hurt in her eyes.

  “Well okay!” She said as she turned to Claire and Lars telling them. “Plus your mothers are crazy, running around like the world is ending. So I and Kammy and Molly came here to hide.”

  Kammy said worriedly. “Edee say we can.”

  Lars told her and Molly. “Of course you can my kitten and you too Molly. Come see the hatchling.”

  Both girls moved over very slowly and looked into the wrinkled face of the small hatchling as he drank his bottle, his eyes were closed. Kammy said. “He is squishy.”

  Claire laughed with the others then said to Kammy. “He will not be so squishy when he is a little older.”

  She looked at her mother doubtfully as she said. “Kay mama.”

  Molly stood looking at the baby, her face screwed up in a frown then she looked under Claire. “Edee where babbie?”

  Edith looking confused and said. “Kammy’s mama is holding him honey.”

  Molly looked at Edith, then Claire, then the hatchling. She held her hands apart and asked as though she was not sure. “Babbie small?”

  Edith grinned as she nodded her head. “Yep but he will grow.”

  She too looked doubtful as she repeated what Kammy had said, “Kay Edee.” Together the girls looked at each other as much to say adults were so crazy.

  Keeper said to the girls. “You know you two started out like that?”

  They both looked at him and blinked, then they shook their heads, “You funny unca Keepa!” Kammy said.

  Molly said. “Me not!”

  To forestall the brewing argument Keeper and the girls were going to get into. Claire cleared her throat gently and asked Edith. “Can you tell us what species he is please?”

  Amused at the giant man who looked like he was about to square off against two under five year old’s. Edith said. “Oh of course.” She placed her hand over the hatchling and smiled. “He is a full blood moon bear or what is known as an Asian bear. Which is what they are called, or that was what I learnt when I did all my research into bears.”

  They all knew Edith had been raised human and did not know she was a bear until about five years ago, she said now. “They are one of the more secretive breeds in the world. So no one is sure how many there are. He is rare.” She smiled at the couple as she told the
m. “He is a miracle to be here and is three days old exactly. Do you know how he got here?”

  Keeper answered for them. “No idea a mystery to solve!”

  Edith shrugged. “Well okay. So have you decided on a name?”

  Lars nodded. “I think, Kale Nash Axton. What do you think Claire?”

  “Oh, Lars, thank you that is lovely. What do you think Kammy?”

  “It like my name.”

  Edith smiled. “What is your name sweetie?”

  “Kammy Lara Axton me like dada.” She said proudly.

  Lars looked amazed. “Fate had decided apparently before we even met!”

  Edith said. “You all sound surprised and yet we are all magical. So it stands to reason. The fates would guide and in some cases shove us together.”

  Lars laughed at her description, “I suppose that could be true. Maybe we chaff at it so much because we like to think we run our own lives. Not some mystical beings.”

  Edith laughed. “He says that and we have Elementals running around!”

  Claire said. “Well I guess Elementals, fates, they all get us to where we need to be.”

  And looking at her and the hatchling. No one could disagree. Edith sighed, “That is true.”

  Claire raised the baby to her shoulder as she rubbed his back, he mewled at her as she kissed the soft fuzz on his head and he sighed deeply. It was like all the tensed little muscles relaxed in relief and he burped and slept.

  She could feel her heart melting as tears came unbidden to her eyes. Lars asked concerned. “My soul what has come over you?”

  “Happy tears. Honest to goodness happy tears!”

  EPILOGUE:

  E lla sighed as she moved away and felt envy for a three-day old hatchling who was already loved. She knew she had never been loved like that. The last week that seemed like a month at her family’s estate proved it.

  She knew she would probably go the rest of her life without that kind of love, and the sadness of the thought almost choked her. The tears stopped in her chest and formed a hard lump as she went to order formula and find diapers for the infant. She did not see the dragon who watched her like a mouse in a trap.