Page 95 of Rescued By The Dragon

The clacking of Zerk stirring something into my drink brought me back to Earth. At that point, I didn’t care what he put in it if it worked.

He turned to face me while holding a cup of green liquid up to my nose.

“Here, drink this. It won’t taste good, and it won’t last. The ingredients aren’t good for a human's stomach, and you can only take it once a day. I’m afraid it won’t last through the night.”

Dorran walked into the kitchen. “So, he’ll be able to get to her while she sleeps tonight?”

Zerk nodded.

Dorran slid his palm down his face. “What good is that going to do us, Zerk? She needs to sleep.”

Zerk narrowed his eyes. “I’m not God, Dorran. This is the best I can do for now, and it’ll give her time to sleep today.”

Reaching over, I placed my palm on Dorran’s forearm and shook my head. “After Helena leaves I’ll take a nap.”

Dorran cupped my jaw. “You need to sleep now, Little Mouse.”

I slid from the table. “There is no way I am sleeping through this. I need to know why I was with Helena. I need to know what she knows.”

Dorran didn’t look happy about it, but I wasn’t taking no for an answer.

Taking the drink, I downed it in one disgusting gulp. It tasted like what I imagined chopped-up grass and mud would taste like. Crinkling my nose, I washed it down with a glass of water Zerk gave me.

Seconds later, I felt tingling against my skin and my brain went blank in the best way. There was no tugging or heavy pressure of his presence. It vanished.

Zerk stood beside me with his eyebrows raised when I launched forward to hug him. “Thank you so much.”

His heavy hand patted my back. “You’re welcome. I can hear Toby nearing with your stepmother. You need to get yourself together.”

I glanced over my shoulder at Dorran watching me. I couldn’t pinpoint the look lurking there. The feeling in my chest tightened, sending fear that I was too much trouble for my own good through me when Toby barreled into the door carrying my stepmother under his arm.

Helena was fighting, turning, and kicking in his arms.

Toby gave Dorran an annoyed look. “You owe me for this,” he hissed. “This woman is one pain in the ass.”

Sasha snorted from the living room. “I’ll say.”

He lifted Helena to her bare feet, and she stumbled away, looking around the room as if we were going to feed her to hellhounds. She pushed her sweaty hair from her eyes and made eye contact with me. “I am here against my will and I demand to be let down from this mountain this instant.”

“Don’t look at me,” I said with a shrug. “You’re part of the reason I’m in this situation.”

Helena tugged her skintight dress straight and laughed halfheartedly. “Right, because I wanted you with The Dragon Prince.”

“No, because you’ve been hiding me from the sirens in The South Kingdom.”

Helena glanced up at me. Her dark eyes were wide and full of fear. “You know?”

I stared blankly at her. “Yeah, no thanks to you, Helena. I’ve been scared to death. Things have happened to me. This man is after me—,”

“That’s because you haven’t taken your medication. Does he know where you are?” she asked. Her gaze shifted around the room, in every corner, over Dorran’s tightened jaw, and to the empty hallway. “I have to leave. Please, let me go!”

She raced toward the door as if she’d have a way down once she got outside. Toby blocked her and shook his head. “Not happening lady.”

Helena hid her face in her palms and roughly slid them down. “What do you want from me? You’ve ruined my life enough, Amara.”

Dorran stepped between us with his finger lifted to her face. “Sit down and tell us what you know.”

Reluctantly she walked over to the recliner and sat down. “What do you want to know?”

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