Saved By Her Dragon (4 page)

“I’m not
a dragon shifter but my husband is, and I had no idea Max was even
aware of the situation,” Sam remarked.

He could
have kicked himself for not recognizing the good doctor as a
shifter. For the second time in the same day, Devon had let his
concern for his mate override his senses. It was a mistake he
wouldn’t make again. All at once everything fell into place and
Devon filled in the blanks, “Ernesto has been checking in on her.
It didn’t even occur to me that he would tell Max. I’ll have to
call the King and thank him.”

“Ernesto
just happens to be my brother. Our parents were both Pride Healers.
I am part of the pride, but travel so much that I rarely see any of
them in person. However, that does not stop our Leo from calling me
when the need arises and I believe this is such an occasion,” Jane
said, and Devon could feel the affection she had for her brother
and her King.

Dr.
Lawrence was so much more relaxed and approachable that Devon began
asking questions. “Have you seen anything like this before,
Doctor?”

Dr.
Lawrence moved away from the door and came to his mate’s bedside,
picking up her hand as she answered, “Please call me Jane.” She
looked at him and grinned. “I have. I understand you have a very
skilled healer in your clan and a powerful white witch, as well. Is
that right?”

Both
Devon and Sam nodded as she continued, “I have very little magical
knowledge or ability to sense its use, that is one of the reasons I
became a doctor instead of a healer, but I would say that your girl
here is a casualty of a powerful sorcerous accident.”

She
paused, looking at both of them for emphasis. When she spoke again
it was with a bit more conviction, “It is really the only
explanation. She has no wounds, bruises, or contusions. All her
tests, scans, and x-rays are normal, and she continues to thrive
although unresponsive. Lastly, her overall health is not declining
like we typically see in coma patients.”

Silence
filled the room as Devon and Sam absorbed Jane’s words. Dr.
Lawrence finally broke the silence, speaking directly to Devon, “I
would get your healer to assess your mate as soon as
possible.”

He grinned, and then hurried to explain as Jane frowned. “The
healer is my mom and she’s here in the hospital with others from
our clan,
eating ice cream as we
speak.”

All
three laughed as Jane moved towards the door. “Then I’ll leave you
to it. I have to be south of the border for another consultation
early tomorrow morning.”

She
reached in her pocket and handed him her card, “Please don’t
hesitate to call if you have any questions or need me for
anything.”

“Thank
you very much, Dr. Lawrence,” he and Sam answered in
unison.

“Jane,
please, and it was my pleasure.” She waved goodbye and disappeared
into the hall right before a bouncing Sydney entered with balloons
tied to each wrist.

“Look,
Mommy! Look, Devon! They had balloons in the gift shop,” Sydney
squealed.

Before
either could answer, Lance appeared with a pink stuffed cat under
one arm and a purple unicorn under the other. Devon burst out
laughing as Sam commented, “And it looks like they had stuffed
animals, too.”

Sydney
nodded, making her blonde curls bounce. “They sure did. Aren’t they
cute?”

“They
really are,” Devon laughed and shook his head at his friend, who
proceeded to punch him in the arm as he walked by.

“Just
wait until you have kids of your own, dude. Paybacks are a bitch
and I have a long memory,” Lance smirked and raised his eyebrows,
letting Devon know his brethren was looking forward to the day he
could return the favor.

“Enough
you two,” Siobhan interjected. “I want to know what the doctor
said.”

A quick
glance at Sam and Devon knew it was up to him to explain. “Well,
Dr. Lawrence is a werepanther as well as being the leading
neurosurgeon in the country. Max sent her to help us out. She
believes we are dealing with something magical, not physical, which
goes along with the black fog Syd told us about.”

He
continued as his mother nodded, “She knew of you and Kyra by
reputation, and felt your expertise was just what we
needed.”

For the
first time in what seemed like hours he looked at his mate. It was
the longest he had been in the same room without touching her since
recognizing her as his own. He moved to her side, immediately
threading his fingers through hers. His mother spoke, breaking the
spell that just being near her created. “Then close that door and
let’s see what we can find out. If what Max’s doctor said is
correct, then we are going to need Kyra as soon as
possible.”

Turning
to her trainees she instructed, “Please set up the candles and
incense again. We will perform the Discovery Ritual as soon as you
are ready. Lance, since you are the closest, can you please close
the door?”

The
Guardsman obliged, quietly closing the door. It was then that Devon
realized somewhere along the way Aaron had disappeared. “Hey, has
anyone seen Aaron?”

“Oh
shit
,
yeah. He went back to the lair. Something about making sure Jace
sent a package to Kyra. But dude, he was acting really weird and
when I asked what was up, he just ignored me and left,” Lance
shrugged, heading back to his wife and daughter.

“Well,
okay then. I guess I’ll catch up with him later,” Devon said right
before his mother announced they were ready to begin.

“Are you
able to stay for the ritual, Samantha?” Siobhan asked.

“Yes,
ma’am. I’m officially off duty, so I’m all yours,” Sam responded as
she cuddled closer into her mate’s chest and Sydney hugged her leg.
“We’ll all be right here.”

“Good.
Now, if everyone will please form a circle around Devon’s mate and
hold hands,” the Elder Healer instructed. “And Sydney, if you will
stand next to me?”

“Yes
ma’am, Ms. Siobhan,” the child answered, pulling her mom
along.

As soon as all the candles were lit and the circle complete,
Siobhan began to pray,
“Dear Universe,
Heavens and Elders of Olde, we come to you, humbly seeking answers
that only your infinite wisdom can provide. Your child, mate of
Devon, is suffering. We ask for your guidance in putting an end to
her torment. Please direct our actions and fill our hearts and
minds with the knowledge essential to bring this child back into
the light of your grace. We thank you for all you have given us and
strive to honor you in all that we do. Your humble
servants.”

When the
prayer concluded, Siobhan, along with the other healers, began the
healing chant Devon had learned as a child. Their low, reverent
tones filled the room with hope, love, and healing. He felt the
energy of each person in their circle flow through him, and if he
concentrated hard enough could actually identify each person.
Sydney’s was as bright as the sun and filled with such an unbridled
joy that he took a few extra seconds just to enjoy the feeling. Sam
and Lance’s combined and burst at the seams with so much love he
felt honored they chose to lend it to his mate. His mother’s was
bold and confident and led the way for all the other healers, but
the underlying tone of a mother’s love was evident and made him
smile.

He had
no idea how much time passed as the chant of the healers grew in
intensity and volume. The feelings he had been admiring became an
entity in and of themselves. It was then that he realized Siobhan,
Sam, and Lance had opened the link to all their kin and each dragon
shifter was lending strength to their cause. In a rush, he felt the
strong immovable force of his old friend, Royce, and the fire and
determination of Kyra, Royce’s mate. Right behind that was the
support of the Blue Thunder clan, Royce’s clan of birth. The sheer
rush of power threatened to drive Devon to his knees. He would be
forever indebted to each and every person for their unwavering
support.

The
chant swelled to an unprecedented crescendo in their hearts and
minds. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, all was quiet, only
the sound of hundreds of heartbeats beating as one, breaking the
silence. Siobhan thanked the Universe, the Heavens and the Elders
of Olde, as well as every dragon shifter for their help. Devon was
just about to speak when the phone in his pocket vibrated. Letting
go of his mother’s hand and that of a younger healer, he retrieved
it, recognized the number as Royce’s and answered, “Hey, Old Man,
thank you for your help. What’s up?”

“Kyra
needs to talk to you…hang on a sec.”

He heard
the phone change hands and then the unmistakable southern accent of
Royce’s mate rang loud and clear. Kyra was practically screaming,
almost out of breath and definitely upset. “It’s magic, Dev!
Fucking magic that’s keeping your girl asleep! I can feel it like I
feel the wind on my face. I can’t tell the origin without being
right there, but I can tell that it’s a mixture of at least two
different types and more than one practitioner.”

She
paused to breathe and Devon asked, “What can we do to find out who
and what it is?”

“You
can’t do anything but I damn sure can! We’re packing to head back
right this minute. It’s almost dark here, so Roy can go all dragony
and we’ll be there in no time.”

Devon
interrupted, “But what about the search for your mom. I can’t ask
you to leave that to come back and help us.”

“Well,
see that’s the beauty of family…you don’t have to ask, I’m coming
and that’s all there is to it.”

“Seriously, Kyra, she’s your mom.”

“Yeah and you’re Royce’s brother, which makes you my brother,
and you need my help more than Calysta does. She’s old and powerful
so whatever shit she’s gotten herself into will have to wait until
you and your mate are all happy and shit…
Capisce
?”

Devon laughed out loud, “
Capisce
. I don’t know how I‘ll ever
thank you. Know that I appreciate it from the bottom of my
heart.”

“Just
have a jumbo bottle of wine ready to celebrate when we get her
awake and we’ll call it square,” the little witch chuckled before
continuing. “Roy wants to talk to you. See ya soon,
Dev.”

“Thank
you again, Kyra.”

Once
again he listened as the phone passed from one to the other then
Royce’s low, rumbly voice came on the line. “We’ll be there by
first light. You still at the hospital?”

“Yep, I
am,” he answered and then quickly added, “Royce…thanks,
man.”

“Not a
problem, Dev. Just returning the favor for all the times you
watched over Kyra. See ya soon.”

“Fly
safe.”

“You
know it,” was the older dragon’s response before the line went
dead.

Smiling
from ear to ear at the prospect of finally knowing the cause of his
mate’s condition, Devon turned, only to be greeted by eight pairs
of eyes full of questions. “That was Royce and Kyra. When we were
praying, Kyra felt the magic that’s keeping her from
waking.”

He
reached out and touched his mate as he spoke. “They are headed back
as we speak. Kyra couldn’t get a lock on what kind of magic or who
had worked the original spell, but she could feel its power. Royce
said they’ll be here before daybreak.”

Everyone
smiled and congratulated him, but it was Sam’s expression that gave
him pause. Her brow was furrowed as she worried her bottom lip with
her teeth. Unease slithered down his spine, forcing him to ask,
“What is it, Sam? What’s wrong? Do you think Kyra’s
mistaken?”

Samantha jumped as if he had scared her and hurriedly
answered, “Oh! Crap! No! I’m sorry, Devon. I was just
thinking…there’s no way we can do what needs to be done to help
your mate here in this room, or even in the hospital, without
causing suspicion and running the risk of people asking questions
we can’t answer. Physically, I’m sure she can be moved, but I’m not
sure how to get around the legal mumbo jumbo to get her out of
here. Having you on the chart as a ‘relative’ was fairly easy, but
faking discharge paperwork could cost me my license, not to mention
it is
really
illegal.”

“So what
do we do now,” Lance asked pulling his mate to his side.

Devon
thought for a moment before asking, “What exactly does the hospital
need to make her discharge legal and keep you out of
trouble?”

“You’d
need to be made her health care surrogate and that requires a legal
document,” Sam answered, worry still evident in her
voice.

Devon
grinned and chuckled, “Well, I happen to know an awesome attorney
that I bet can help out.”

“Oh
shit, I didn’t think of Grace,” Lance said as he continued to
comfort his mate and then quickly added, “Don’t you dare tell
her…she’ll kick my ass.”

The room
erupted in laughter as Devon dialed Aidan’s number, with all the
different conversations taking place, he excused himself to
complete his call. He leaned down, kissed his mate on the forehead,
and headed into the hall. After a few rings, Aidan answered, “Hey,
dude, we were just talking about you. Powerful ceremony. Did it
help? How’s she doing?”