Page 6 of No Potions Needed

“What did you two do to the doctor?” Astral asked, fishing his phone out of his bag.

“Nothing,” I said before Marsin could trip over his words. Technically, it wasn’t a lie. Not giving someone their way wasn’t exactly doing something to them. Jacob was a big boy, and he’d get over getting his feelings hurt.

“Dern wants to talk to you Teddy,” Astral announced. “Jacob says he’s refusing to talk to Mori without you there.”

“Then he won’t talk. He was the one who wanted to tell his story to Mori. His door isn’t going to wait forever. He’s only hurting himself,” I pointed out as my stomach growled.

“I don’t think he understands that anymore,” Astral said gently and slid his phone back into his bag. “Let’s not talk more about it until after we eat though. Empty stomachs make for the worst conversation partners.”

We all chatted about Baby Raylin, and I teased them that they’d have another baby before they knew it while we waited for the server to come back with our food. When he did, he had two helpers in tow for all the food we ordered. Between my portions, Marsin’s steak and fry platters, and Astral’s waffles they needed all the hands they could get to deliver our food and drinks.

“Thank you,” Astral said each time one of them sat down a plate. He blushed at the over abundant table when they were finished.

“Are you embarrassed of how much we eat?” I asked him.

“Not exactly,” Astral shook his head. “You’re dragons. You need the food. I’m embarrassed that we can afford all this food at once. That’s why everyone is looking at us.”

“Are they not here to eat too?” Marsin whispered.

“They are. Just…” Astral started but stopped short.

“It’s the money thing again,” I pointed out.

“Do they need money?” Marsin whispered, lowering his voice so that I barely heard him.

“I don’t know,” Astral shrugged.

“We can feed them. They’re pack after all,” Marsin whispered.

“I’m sure they’re fine. They’re just not used to seeing someone order so much at once,” Astral said and patted his mate’s thigh under the table.

“They know I’m a dragon,” Marsin said, shrugging and biting into a steak. Once he was assured everyone had money for their food he moved on with life. Starscales were good like that. He’d have paid for everyone to eat if he thought the situation called for it, but he wasn’t concerned about them thinking he was strange. As long as Astral loved him that was enough for him.

I fought off the urge to huff out another ring of smoke. They were so cute together that it was sickening. Sure, they found each other against the odds, and I should give them a break but why the hell was everyone so ooey-gooey all the sudden? I took a big bite of food and pretended I didn’t feel them playing footsy under the table.

Chapter Three

Othoni

“He hasn’t answered me yet,” Doctor Jacob Leem announce from the doorway. “He might be down for a nap with the baby. He does have a newborn after all.”

“We know that,” Dern rolled his eyes. “I told you. Bring me my phone and I’ll call Astral. He’ll answer for me, and he’ll drag Teddy over here by his damn balls. He owes me that much! If not for me he wouldn’t have met the alien!”

“Calm down, Dern. I’m sure Astral will get back to us as soon as he has the time. He’s a first-time parent. His baby has to come first.”

“For the love of squirrel nuts,” Dern swore. “Seriously, Jacob? You’re going to talk to me like I lost my mind too.”

“You are being rather insistent like a child,” the doctor pointed out and I winced.

“When you get to a certain age you don’t have as much time to wait around on doctors to pull their giant egos out of their buttcracks. Bring me my phone,” Dern insisted.

“Dern!” Jacob scolded. “You have to accept that---”

“Perhaps, Doctor,” I said, pushing myself to my feet. “You should show some respect for your elders. Teddy isn’t an Appalachian Wolf and owes no respect to the elders of this pack. Not the sort you do as someone born here. Astral has a newborn pup, as you pointed out. We can excuse his obliviousness to the urgency. What is your excuse for speaking to your patient like that? If I understand your set up – someone – probably Dern’s estate is paying for his care. He and his estate are your employer, and this is no way to conduct business nor is it anyway to treat an elder of your pack who is in obvious distress. It is my experience those who caterwaul the loudest and insist upon their own ways in the face of the adversity others experience often have the least to offer to any situation. While Dern understands that you cannot dictate the lives of others and make them do his bidding, what no one within earshot of you understands right now is why you’d have such an attitude about it all. You took the healer’s oath and that means you shall remain understanding at all times even if your patient decides to enact his right to the grumpiness that old age entitles us all too eventually if we’re lucky. Now, if everyone will excuse me, I’ll go and locate Teddy and attempt to bring him back here. Mori, I take it you can defend Dern while I’m gone?”

“I think he’s doing fine all on his own,” Mori said, settling deep in his chair.

I took my departure, squeezing past the doctor, without waiting for him to answer. Dern was being unreasonable about the situation. There was a million reasons Teddy might not want to see him again. That still didn’t stop Jacob from rubbing me the wrong way. He needed help to transition from this life to the next smoothly and Mori and I were here to ensure that he received that help, whatever it was. While no one said it aloud we all knew his door could pop up at any minute. I didn’t know Teddy Moonscale at all outside of what Mori mentioned here and there. Still, I didn’t think I could live with myself if I didn’t at least try to get Teddy there. For all we knew he’d want to apologize for shooting him. Not that any apology could take back bullets but it was a start. You can’t blame a sick dog for biting.

---