Page 87 of Smoke and Blood

Aodh pulled her into his side.

She swallowed.Forgive my unguarded words.

None needed.I am at peace with my life,Drago’s voice rumbled with assurity.

Kai remained mentally silent and allowed Aodh to guide the conversation.

Drago.We have questions that we hope you can answer.Aodh began.

The old dragon tipped its head to the side, leveling its gaze at Kai.I’m sure you want to know about Jaseena.

Kai frowned and glanced at Aodh, who was looking at her.They both returned their gaze to Drago.

Who?Aodh took a step forward, sending a few pearls rolling.

The moving orbs captured Drago's gaze only a moment before he spoke to them.Jaseena, your greatest of grandmothers centuries past.You are her spitting image in every way.

Kai stumbled back, but Aodh’s firm hold kept her steady.What?

Her mind was buzzing.She couldn’t seem to get her thoughts in order.She’d never known anyone in her lineage by the name of Jaseena.Her father had told her about his parents but not much else.

Did you know one of her kin?Aodh rubbed her back.

Very well.The old dragon’s muzzle pulled back at the ends as if with a fond smile.He shifted his big body, and a few pearls did roll, but he quickly placed his front paw over them and pressed them back into the mound beneath him.

Does this have anything to do with the dragon’s gold, by chance?Aodh lifted their joined hands and turned her hand so Drago could see the gold ring on her thumb.

The old dragon leaned its head forward and focused on the band.Ah.We wondered if cutthroats or bandits had taken them.It is good to know your family kept one.

Both.Kai declared, finally finding her voice as Aodh lowered their hands and brushed his thumb along her fingers.

Both?This is good.This means that the promise has been held even through the centuries.We wondered.Drago’s voice was textured and filled with reverence.

Who wondered,Aodh thought.

“What promise?”Kai spoke as she took a thoughtless step forward.When a large pearl struck her arch and would have sent her careening toward the rough, cave-like floor, she was glad for Aodh’s lightning reflexes.He caught her and pulled her to his side.

Her heart still pounded as she settled in against her mate and protector.

The promise that your family's firstborn female would always be mated to Drahk.

~YH~

Her entire body felt inflamed.It pulsed with the opposite of her heartbeats in a way she’d never experienced, as if her skin was a different living organism separate from the rest of her body.As she came to her senses, she began to take stock of herself, checking to ensure what damage the scientist had wrought on her.For the weeks she had been with them, there were many times after a shot or blood cleanings that hours or a day later, she would feel ill and in great pain.The reactions never remained over a few days, but then they’d call on all or some of them and try something else.

She kept her eyes closed for a bit longer, hating the harsh overhead light in her room.

Her stomach wasn’t cramping, and she didn’t feel like she wanted to vomit; that was a good thing.She realized she could only smell through a single nostril when she inhaled.She thought she smelled a faint hint of cinnamon.Her tongue felt thicker than usual and a little rough when she rubbed it against the roof of her mouth, but she didn’t have a problem swallowing.When she started trying to wiggle her fingers and toes beneath the light covering and shifted about, several things became very evident: only the fingers of her right hand and toes on her left foot moved without searing pain, that pain which seemed to be radiating heat in other places, like her legs, arms, and neck and face.

A broken moan came out of her mouth at the stabbing pain.She’d been used to her moans or any sounds she and her roommate made to echo off the sterile metal walls of their room, and when that didn’t happen, her eyes popped open.She was immediately aware she was somewhere else, and only one of her eyes opened.

She wasn’t sure why she could only see from one eye.Her open eye began to tear up momentarily, and she feared the scientist had taken one.She and the other women were nothing but guinea pigs and lab rats to the scientists anyway.It had only taken her a couple of days to realize they didn’t care what they did to them and that she had made a horrible mistake in signing up for the program.

As she glanced around, she realized she was in a room.A big room with a roaring fire a few feet away from her.She wasn’t sure if the blaze was helping or exacerbating the heat in her skin.She spotted two closed doors to one side of the bed and afireplace in the room.She turned her head slowly and saw another door across the room, and diagonal from it was a vast window that covered the entirety of one wall.

She followed the window up, up, up...to a high ceiling with her single eye.

Oh, my gracious.What am I doing here?

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