Page 44 of To Match A Dragon's Fire

“Does this hurt?” The frail woman was not very frail as she poked me in the side.

I stopped laughing to pull up the shirt they had me in—thin, hospital-like scrub material this time. Someone had seen me naked more than once. And I started to worry it was Kieran.

But I had other, more pressing concerns. “What happened to it?”

The ache in my side was gone and the skin was pink and new.

“It healed,” the woman said like I was stupid.

“That fast?” I poked my own side. I could’ve sworn that it’d been gushing blood just the other day.

“You’re lucky that Kieran got to you in time.” She stared into my eyes as if waiting for me to respond to whatever she wasn’t saying.

“You’re positive she was shot?” Riley looked over the woman’s shoulder. Confusion was written on her face and I’m sure it mirrored my own.

“Maybe it was just a graze, right, Ms. Catherine?” Willow smiled, giving me a little shake of her head.

“Could’ve been.” The old woman turned to shuffle out of the room. “You’ll have to ask Kieran. He was the one who did most of the healing.”

What?I glanced at Riley and Willow, but they were as lost as I was. “Where… um… is Kieran?”

“I’m sure he’s not far.” Catherine chuckled as she paused by the door. “He slept in that chair for the past two nights.”

Riley and Willow looked at the hardback chair in the corner by my cot. Their gushing ‘awws’were not at all in line with what I was feeling.

“We need to get out of here.” I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stood.

Riley rushed to my side to help, but it wasn’t necessary. I felt strong. Steady on my feet. Healed.

And that terrified me for some reason.

“Mommy! Come see!” Harper’s squeaky shoes raced into the room.

Another old woman with a large bust and an apron stretched over it, who was breathless and red in the face, followed after Harper. “Goddess, she’s fast. I forgot how quickly little hatchlings move.”

“Sorry, Ms. Grace,” Harper said as she bounced over to her mother.

“What’s gotten into you?” Willow held Harper’s hand as the girl tugged her toward the hall.

“You guys won’t believe it.” She stopped, looking at all three of us with eyes wide as saucers. “This place is the best. They have real puddingandreal dragons here.”

14

Kieran

Family Drama

We need to return to her side.

I ignored my beast, letting the water cascade over my shoulders and steam fill the natural stone shower of my bathroom. But it was harder to ignore and scrub off Ember’s scent.

My venom had healed her.

It should’ve been impossible, but I’d seen the truth with my own eyes. Something had changed.

I needed to go through the scrolls, speak with Bemouth, discover how this could happen—how I’d known it would happen instinctually when I’d kissed her wounds and gave her a piece of myself that would kill anyone who wasn’t flock… or my mate.

The only rational explanation was that my dragon claimed her as his because she’d moved into our territory.

---