Page 59 of Lion Conquers All
Sarah gunned the vehicle and it sprang into action. They were in front of the cabins in five minutes. Col had already landed. People were swarming everywhere. Almost everyone in the Tribe’s pick-up truck were parked in a line a little to the left of Col’s cabin. Doors were open on all of them. Bags were stacked next to them. Inside them. Coolers were sitting out.
What the fuck?
Connie leapt from the vehicle as soon as Sarah slowed to an almost stop. She flung open the back door, grabbed her red medical kit from the back seat, and took off toward the lion.
Please don’t let it be Aarav. Please.
Tear streamed down her cheeks. They burned her skin in contrast to the icy wind. “Aarav.” His name came from her lips like a prayer. In that moment she knew she wanted everything he could ever give her. She wanted him with her. Touching her always.
She ran right by Col’s massive head, ignoring the fact that there were people-sized teeth in his mouth. She slid to a stop next to the verystilllion and put her hands on him, digging through the fur for the wound.
“Where is he hurt? What happened?” She turned and shouted at Col.
The dragon rumbled a growl and then shook his head before launching himself back into the air.
“No. Wait!”
“Connie!” Naomi was headed toward her with two of the women who’d been rescued from the Ka’lagh lion Tribe.
Tears blurred Connie’s vision. She couldn’t see well. She couldn’t think. She couldn’t find the damn pulse on this massive animal.
Naomi’s hands were on her shoulders a moment later. “It’s not Aarav. Connie. It’s not him. This is his brother Raj.”
“W-what?” Connie half sobbed half moaned in relief. She wasn’t glad it was Raj laying there instead of Aarav, but she couldn’t help but feel relieved. “How can you tell?”
Naomi tapped her nose.
“You could tell too, give yourself a minute tofeel.”
Connie shook her head and wiped away more tears. “All I could think about was that I’d lost him and it was too late. That I’d never be able to tell him how much I care about him.”
Naomi squeezed Connie’s shoulders and smiled. “That man will be over the moon when he gets back from the mountain. Come on inside. Dyna and Mira are going to work on these two guys. We’ve got to figure out who the human is and what he saw.”
Connie whirled and glanced over at the human she’d completely ignored. “Is he injured too?”
“Just unconscious. Penny has the guys packing tranq guns.”
“That was smart.” Connie watched for a moment as the two women who’d come out with Naomi knelt next to the motionless lion. White light glowed beneath their hands and threads of it swirled around their bodies and Raj’s body. It was like nothing she’d ever seen before. Like computer generated effects from a fantasy movie.
“What are they doing?”
“Healing him. They are magick-benders.”
Connie stood with Naomi pulling on her shoulders. The woman gave off enough heat that the snow on the ground around them had already melted. She always forgot that the tiny Latina woman was a dragon too, like her husband.
“What are you guys doing?” Connie tipped her head toward the line of truck and people walking back and forth from the cabin filling them with bags.
“Getting ready in case we need to leave suddenly.” Naomi’s voice held so much sadness and defeat.
“This is your home. You’re not leaving it.” Sarah’s voice cut through the silent moment. “What’s going on with those people and the giant lion. Holy shit. Some of them are other animals. That’s what you wouldn’t say in the car, isn’t it? Not everyone is a dragon. Some areotherthings.”
Naomi turned to Sarah. “Yes, there are a number of different predators in our Tribe. Connie, why did you bring another human with you?” Her tone held judgement and sadness rolled into one giant guilt trip.
“She insisted and she had the 4-wheel drive and Col sorta already showed her a little magick.”
Naomichuffedout a growl—a very non-human growl. Heat flared from her body like a tsunami, melting the snow a good ten feet all around her.
“Look, I get how scared you are, because ofall this, but my husband and I have a lot of clout in this town. I told Col we would protect you, even if that means removing my brother as sheriff. I can do that with one phone call. We can put Aarav in that position. Your husband said he could find the children. Find my son.”
