The Dragon in the Stone (14 page)

“
I
don’t have a next of kin. There’s just me.” Her voice broke on the last words,
as the truth hit her in the gut and made breathing difficult. She truly was
alone in this time. Something that had never bothered her that much before, but
after having been part of that close knit community at Castle Drorgan for the
last six months, the thought of being alone again was terrifying.

And that was without the added trauma of having
lost the love of her life. There would never be another man for her, as long as
she lived, she knew that.

“
There,
now, do not upset yourself, Ms. Butterbaugh. Surely there is someone we can
call for you? A neighbor, friend?”

When she proceeded to shake her head at him, he
frowned and consulted her notes again.

“
It
says here you were brought in medieval dress and were murmuring about Drorgan.”

Her head snapped up, and she winced at the sharp
pain assaulting her temples.

Dr. O’Byrne smiled at her, and addressed the nurse.

“
Up
her pain medication at the next round, she—”

“
No,
no more drugs.” His eyebrows rose at her interruption. “I’m fine, it’s just a
headache. I can deal with it. I’m confused enough without…” She slammed her
lips shut, afraid she had said too much, but the good doctor just smiled at
her.

“
Some
confusion is normal. You gave yourself a pretty bad concussion in your tumble
down the hill. We originally assumed you must be one of the guests staying at
Castle Drorgan for their medieval event, but when we made enquiries, they
didn’t seem to be missing anyone. Of course we didn’t know your name then.”

Rhonda’s heart beat faster again, and she couldn’t
keep her excitement out of her voice.

“
Castle
Drorgan still stands?”

“
Of
course it does, it is one of our major tourist attractions, and since the
Drorgan Corporation has refurbished it and opened its doors as a five star
hotel, even more so. A great boon to the local economy I have to say.”

Dr. O’Byrne regarded her thoughtfully over the rim
of his spectacles, and she forced a smile on her face.

“
Yes,
of course. I remember now.” Lying through one’s teeth didn’t come as easily as
she would have hoped, especially when your every facial expression was under
scrutiny. Where was a laptop when you needed it? She needed to get her facts
straight, before she put her foot in it.

“
So,
you were staying at the Castle then?” Dr. O’Byrne asked, and Rhonda decided to
settle for a version of the truth.

“
I
must have been. I can’t actually remember the details.”

“
Hmm,
partial amnesia is not uncommon. We’ll make enquiries again, with your name
this time. I do quite like a mystery, and you, Ms. Butterbaugh, are proving to
be a very interesting one.”

He wrote in her notes again, clipped them back to
the bottom of her bed, and having used the hand gel,
waved
an adieu.

“
You
relax now. If your vitals stay strong, you should be able to be discharged
later on this afternoon, once we know where to send you to, of course.”

Something about the way he said that made a shiver
of apprehension crawl down her spine.

“
Tell
me, have you ever stayed at Castle Drorgan?” she asked.

Dr. O’Byrne straightened up and smiled.

“
Oh
yes, my wife and I celebrated our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary there only
last weekend. We stayed in the master suite in the solar. Sinfully expensive
and delightfully authentic. You can almost feel the weight of history in that
place. I’m sure it’s one of the main reasons Castle Drorgan has become so
successful. The new owners of the corporation have made a great job at reviving
the business. They’re also huge benefactors to this hospital. Geva Drorgan sits
on the board.”

“
Geva
is alive? I mean, I … never mind.” Rhonda backtracked fast when Dr. O’Byrne
showed professional concern again.

“
Very
much so, why shouldn’t she be? I had the pleasure of meeting her at a charity
function last Christmas. Fascinating young woman. One has to admire her drive,
especially considering her disability. Right, I have other patients to see.
Rest, Ms. Butterbaugh.”

The doctor left the room, and Rhonda offered a
wobbly smile to the nurse who was watching her intently.

“
You
heard the doc. You just settle back, now, duck, and things will work out all
right. They always do. The tea lady will be through soon. Delightful old dear,
and a fountain of knowledge on the castle and its history.”

“
Thanks.”

Rhonda settled back down on the covers with a sigh.
In truth, even that little interaction had exhausted her. There was nothing she
could do, after all, and to try to come to terms with the mess her life was now
in was too bloody painful.

She must have fallen asleep, because the squeak of
a trolley woke her up with a start.

“
Oh,
I’m so sorry, my dear. I didn’t mean to wake you up. Was just going to leave
you a
cuppa
. After your ordeal, you’ll need one I
reckon.”

Rhonda turned her head, and the silver haired old
lady almost dropped the cup in her hand. Making the sign of the cross she
squinted at her.

“
Holy
Mary Mother of Jesus, you look just like her. Oh, the heavens, be still, my
heart. I never thought I see the day…”

The way she stared at her should have made Rhonda
feel uncomfortable, but she didn’t sense any malice from this woman, quite the
opposite. A familiar scent came off of her. Faint, but she carried with her the
unmistakable odor of dragon. Many in Drorgan’s clan had been touched by the
dragons at some point or another, and there was no doubt in Rhonda’s mind that
this old woman carried dragon blood in her ancestry somewhere.

“
You
know me?” she asked, trying her best to ignore the glimmer of hope spreading
through her chest. It had been there ever since the mention of Geva. It
couldn’t be
her
Geva, but her heart wasn’t listening to the rational
side of her brain, and now this woman… What in hell was going on?

“
Aye,
that I do,
m’lady
.”

Rhonda’s mouth fell open in surprise when the old
woman gave a little curtsy.

“
Well,
I never had the pleasure to meet you in person, and I must say the portrait in
the castle does not do you justice at all.”

“
Portrait?”
Rhonda knew she sounded like a parrot, but what was this woman on about. There
hadn’t been a portrait of her that she knew about. Sure, Drorgan had talked
about having one fashioned, but that was all.

“
Aye,
the Lady Geva painted it herself from memory, they say, when you disappeared.”

“
I?
What?”

Rhonda’s head started to hurt again, and she sank
back against the covers.

“
Aye,
m’lady
, surely you remember. It must be just like
yesterday for you. Then again you did take quite a tumble by all accounts if
the stories passed down through the years are to be believed. You see my great,
great… let’s just say too many greats on my mother’s side was your maid at that
time. Very fond of your ladyship she was, and she always said you—”

“
Miriam.”
Rhonda’s whisper interrupted the old lady, and she smiled.

“
Aye.
That was her name, as it’s mine. The oldest girl in our family is always called
Miriam so—”

“
But
Miriam wasn’t part dragon, so how … did Drorgan…” Pain sliced through her heart
at the thought of Drorgan with anyone else, but then again could she truly
blame him? It had to have been, what six hundred years or so for him since
then. A man as virile as he was would not stay celibate for long, but it still
hurt like crazy, the thought of him with her maid…

Mother, those thoughts are beneath you. I know
you’re hurt, but Father would never do such a thing.

Geva’s presence filled her mind, taking her breath
away, and the rest of the room faded away when a very grown up Geva entered the
room. With her long flowing blonde hair covering the scarred side of her face
she looked breathtakingly beautiful, and far more important
alive.

Touching the little black box in her hand Geva
addressed a flustered looking twenty-first century Miriam.

“
Thank
you, Miriam. I can fill Lady Drorgan in on all the details. You best be getting
on with your rounds.” The computer generated voice held a surprisingly strong
resemblance to Geva’s real voice in her head, and Rhonda didn’t even try to
stop her tears from falling.

Miriam left her with a cup of tea, and having
dipped her head, went back on her rounds. The bed depressed as
Geva
sat on it, further confirming that Rhonda was not
having a pain medications induced dream. No, this was very much real.

Yes, I am really here. We waited a long time to
see you again.

Geva took her hand in hers, and the strength of
their connection filled her veins.

Poor Mama, you must hurt something terrible.
Father will be here soon to heal you.

Rhonda jerked her hand away in surprise, as that
glimmer of hope grew to blinding proportions in her head.

“
He’s
alive, truly?”

Geva rolled her eyes in a manner so reminiscent of
the child Rhonda remembered that she had to laugh.

“
Very
much so, my little dragon.”

His scent and very presence hit Rhonda with the
full force of a freight train, taking away her ability to breathe. Seeing
Drorgan leaning against the door frame, arms crossed over his massive chest, as
his blue eyed gaze ate her alive, was too much to take in. Had she not been
half sitting up on her hospital bed, she would have slid to the floor under his
intense scrutiny. All the broken pieces of her soul lined back up with him.

Dressed as he was in a designer suit, he looked
just like she remembered him. Slightly older, more battle weary, and with hints
of grey now in his dark hair, he was still her Drorgan. Shutting her eyes she
opened her mind, and Rhonda gasped when Drorgan entered her consciousness. In
that one moment she saw it all. His pain and despair when she fell through the
veil. The years of misery, only tempered by Geva’s presence. His astonishment
at finding other dragons still alive in his world, after one of them
impregnated Miriam. Rhonda flinched in her thoughts, and her eyes flew open
when Drorgan took her hand in his.

“
Yes,
I should spank your behind for thinking, even for one second, that it would
have been me. I have one dragon mate, my sweet, and that is you. I could never
touch another woman after you.”

“
I’m
sorry, I just don’t—”

“
Shh
, little dragon.” Drorgan cupped her face and leaning
down kissed the traces of her tears off her face. Every soft touch of his lips
strengthened the connection between them, leaving behind heated awareness of
the man she loved. By the time he reached her lips, Rhonda was desperate to
feel his arms around her, but Drorgan withdrew after just a chaste brush of his
lips over hers.

He laughed ruefully at Rhonda’s moan of
disappointment.

Trust me, little dragon, there is nothing I’d
like more than to climb onto that bed with you and ravish your body, after I
healed your aches and pains, of course. Sadly that would expose who I really
am, and this century hasn’t gotten any easier to live in as a dragon.

He pulled away, adjusting himself with a rueful
grin and then addressed Geva.

“
You’re
on the board of this hospital. Go work your magic and see to it that Rhonda
gets released ASAP, will you?”

Already on it, Papa. Don’t do anything with Mama
that would make my position here untenable, will you now?

Geva winked at Drorgan, blew a kiss to Rhonda, and
glided out of the room. That was really the only way to describe it. Geva
carried herself with an air of dignity far beyond the years she presented in
her human form. To look at her anyone would think her to be in her mid-twenties
at best. The reality, of course was, little Geva was over six hundred years
old, at least. Those thought processes brought her headache back with a
vengeance, and she moaned when Drorgan put his large hands either side of her
head. Heat flared from the contact, and Rhonda breathed in the reassuring smell
of sulfur as flames licked over her skin, and took away the pain.

“
Better,
little one?”

Drorgan smiled at her when she opened her eyes
again, and she noticed with a start how much more pronounced the deep grooves
around his nose were.

She traced the lines with her fingertips and gasped
when Drorgan took her finger in his mouth and bit down on it slightly, before
he released her. There was a devilish gleam in his eyes, and Rhonda shook her
head at him.

“
You
heard Geva. Behave yourself, and thank you for taking away my headache, but you
best not do anymore. It exhausts you.”

“
It’s
nothing, little dragon, and I’ll recover soon enough now that I have you back
with me. I missed you so fucking much. Six hundred years is a damn long time
without the other half of your soul.”

He rested his forehead against hers, and Rhonda
breathed in his beloved scent.

“
I
know. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to … but I couldn’t let her fall. How is
she?” Drorgan pulled back, amusement dancing in the back of his fire licked
irises now.