Page 4 of Naga Healer's Mate

“Days.Maybe hours.I’m not too sure.”Sarah gripped Islae’s arm.“But they’re watching the area.If they catch you, I don’t know what they will do.”

Islae looked at Mai cradling her newborn, at Marco with his fresh stitches, and at the rooms full of patients who needed medical attention.The thought of abandoning them made her stomach turn.

“These people need my help,” she said firmly.

“You can’t help anyone if your clinic is destroyed, or worse, if they harm you.”Sarah’s fingers dug into her arm.“You need to lay low for a while.”

The baby’s soft cries filled the silence as Islae processed the warning.She’d known this day might come.But facing it now, with rooms full of vulnerable patients, made her chest tighten with sudden panic.

Islae’s mind raced as she outlined her evacuation plan.The underground clinic’s dim lighting cast shadows across her face as she spoke in hushed tones to Sarah and Marco.

“Sarah, take the mobile patients through the east tunnel.It connects to the old maintenance shaft behind the textile factory.”She pressed a rusty key into Sarah’s palm.“Marco, help anyone who can’t walk.The service elevator still works—use it in groups of three.”

“What about the newborns?”Marco adjusted his bandaged shoulder.

“Split them between you.Keep them as quiet as you can.”Islae gathered medical supplies, stuffing them into worn canvas bags.“The market crowds will provide enough cover.”

Sarah touched her arm lightly.“Are you coming with us?”

“I need to gather the records and equipment first.I can’t leave them behind.”Islae’s fingers brushed against the worn leather of her father’s medical journal.“I’ll meet you at the usual spot once it’s safe.”

They worked quickly and methodically, moving patients through the shadows of the underground tunnels.The pregnant women went first, followed by those with fresh wounds.Islae’s heart pounded with each creak of the ancient elevator, but the noise from the market above masked their movements.

“That’s the last of them,” Marco finally whispered, supporting an elderly man with a broken leg.

Sarah squeezed Islae’s hand.“Please don’t take too long.If the bounty hunters—”

“I know,” Islae cut her off, managing a tight smile.“Go now.Keep them safe.”

The silence pressed in as their footsteps faded down the tunnel.Islae moved through the empty rooms of her clinic, methodically gathering patient files and wiping down surfaces.The chemical smell of disinfectant burned her nose as she worked as fast as she could.

Suddenly, a soft rustle broke the quiet.

Islae froze, her pulse quickening.The hair on the back of her neck stood up as an unmistakable sensation of being watched crawled across her skin.She turned slowly, expecting to find Jorvlen bounty hunters with their cruel smiles and gleaming weapons.

Instead, a towering figure stood in the shadows.Orange scales caught what little light filtered through the tunnel, shimmering with golden undertones.The Niri male’s presence filled the narrow space, his golden eyes fixed on her with an intensity that made her breath catch.

Islae’s fingers tightened around the bottle of disinfectant—a poor weapon, but better than nothing.“If you’re here to spy on me for the Jorvlen bounty hunters, I suggest you leave now.”Her voice came out steady despite the fear coursing through her veins.

He remained motionless, those golden eyes studying her with an unreadable expression.His silence felt heavy, expectant, like the air before a storm.

Chapter 3

Nirrn

Nirrn’staillashedoutinstinctively against the tunnel floor.His scales scraped the stone with a sound that shattered the underground silence.He cursed inwardly at his lack of self-control.But watching her deliver that baby with such skill and confidence had stirred a sense of recognition in him.And the way she’d orchestrated the evacuation of her patients with those two helpers, her movements controlled and purposeful, had only intensified the feeling.

They stood alone now in the dim space, his orange scales catching what little light filtered down the tunnel, casting golden reflections on the rough stone walls.

The human female spun toward the sound he’d made, her fingers white-knuckled around a bottle of disinfectant.“If you’re here to spy on me for the Jorvlen bounty hunters, I suggest you leave now.”

Her voice remained steady, but Nirrn’s keen eyes caught the slight tremor in her hands as well as the way her pulse jumped at her pale throat.He moved forward slowly, his tail sliding silently now across the ground.

He cleared his throat.“You should not be doing this alone.It is extremely dangerous.Not only for the patients but for you.”

She barked out a harsh laugh.“What are you even doing down here?You have no right to spy on me or tell me how to help my people.”

Her gaze dropped to the medical insignia on his shirt, and her lip curled.“Oh, I see.You’re one of them.Part of the system that puts a price tag on survival.”She gestured around the makeshift clinic with her free hand.“These people can’t afford your regulated care.They need help—real help—not bureaucracy and bills they’ll never be able to pay.”

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