Wings of Stone (The Dragons of Ascavar Book 1)
Page 31
Nearly a month after returning home, she was reviewing patient charts at the end of her shift when her pocket buzzed. Signing the top chart with her right hand, she took out the phone with her left and scanned it.
Come outside and see me.
Her heart leaped into her throat. With a smile pulling at her lips, she quickly finished her paperwork, then scanned it again for errors. Satisfied with her work, she handed it off and hurried out the main doors to the hospital.
It was already evening, with deep blue spreading across the sky like the tide darkening sand. Cool air nipped at her face as she tugged the lab coat tighter around herself.
“I’m looking for a doctor,” a familiar voice rumbled.
She turned to see Tarek step out from behind a pillar. Judging by the shirt tails hanging out of his pants and the unlaced shoes, he’d just changed back into his human form and yanked on clothes to keep from being seen naked. She ignored his disarray and ran toward him. He caught her midway, circling strong arms around her waist and lifting her up to eye level. “You’re in luck. I’m a doctor. And I’m available.”
“I have this terrible pain,” he said.
“Is it here?” she asked, kissing his lips hungrily. His grasp tightened, pressing her tight to his broad chest as he deepened the kiss, stealing her breath.
“That’s much better,” he said when he finally broke away. “But I’m afraid it’s much more serious than that.”
“Perhaps we should go back to my home office and take a look.”
The evening left her pleasantly exhausted as Tarek insisted on making up for lost time. When she woke from a dreamy sleep, the sun was coming up, painting long stripes across her bedroom. Tarek still slept, his chest rising gently as he dozed. His injuries had healed, leaving a number of thin white scars across his chest and back.
She carefully slipped out of bed, put on a robe, and crept downstairs to the kitchen to make breakfast. Though she was quiet, footsteps creaked overhead a few minutes after she started the coffee. The slow rhythm quickened as he thundered down the stairs.
She turned with a bagel in hand as Tarek rushed into the kitchen, his eyes wide. “You must be hungry.”
“You were gone when I woke up,” he said. “I was worried.”
She laughed. “I was hungry.” She handed him the bagel and put another in the toaster. After examining it, he split it and handed half back to her.
“It would not be proper for me to eat while you are hungry,” he said. He waited for her to take a bite before he ate anything.
“Tarek, something strange happened while you were gone,” she said, once he finally began to eat. He looked over the edge of the bagel, his dark eyebrows arched. He nodded to her. “I cut my foot, but it healed almost overnight.” Leaning on the counter for balance, she held up her foot. A pleasant tingle arced up her leg as he set aside his breakfast and held her foot lightly.
He hesitated. “A number of the Vak in Farath were struck by the white dragon, just like you were. Before I left, Counselor Eszen told me that some of them had experienced strange symptoms. He told me he would be very interested to find out what effect it had on you,” he said, raising his gaze to meet hers. “Particularly since you spent so much time by my side in the healing gardens.”
“What effect it had on me? What does that mean?”
He released her foot and shrugged slightly. “Pure magic flows among the Bones. You cannot have stayed there so long with no effect.”
“I’m not a dragon now, am I?”
He laughed. “No, I’m afraid not, kadizhan. But I am not sure you are entirely human anymore, either,” he said. “Time will tell. I rather like the idea of you not being so delicate.”
“I wasn’t delicate to begin with, buddy,” she said, pointing at him. “And how are you so casual about me not being human? This is a big deal.”
“Time will tell,” he said again. “I am not human, either. You seem to like me just fine.”
“I do,” she admitted.
He grinned and lightly grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward him. With her hips resting against his, he leaned back so he could look down at her with amusement glinting in his eyes. “Whatever you may be, there is no magic in this universe that would alter who you are. And that is the woman I love.”
“Well, when you put it like that…” she said. He tipped up her chin and kissed her lips lightly. When he broke away, she said “So are you staying?”
“Here?”
“Well, in this world,” she said. “When you didn’t come back, I wondered if you changed your mind.”
“Halmerah did try to convince me again, but I told her I was pleased with my decision. It was only in the last few days I was finally able to transform again and maintain it. Now that I am whole, I am taking over command at the Drakemont tomorrow.”
“So what happens to us?”
He hesitated, resting his large hands on her shoulders. “Gabrielle, you are proof that the universe is good, and that the Skymother still bestows her blessings on us. I am undeserving, but it would be the greatest honor of my life to be yours. If you would have me.”
Her stomach danced with nerves. The what-ifs crowded her mind, but for once Logical Gabby took a backseat and said go for it. She didn’t know what it would mean to be in love with a dragon, especially one whose world was at war. She didn’t know if they would ever have a normal life, but she knew this. She loved him, and that was all the certainty she needed. “I would have you,” she said. “And I would be yours.”
“Always?”
“Always.”
WHAT NOW?
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
J.D. Monroe is a Georgia-based author with a love for all things paranormal, magical, and downright fantastical. She has not given up on the dream of riding a dragon someday. She has written a number of paranormal and fantasy novels for both young adults and adults.
Table of Contents
Also by JD Monroe
SPEAK THE LANGUAGE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAP
TER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
WHAT NOW?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR