Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 101379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
But it was worth it to see the light in Amaru’s eyes and hear his laughter echoing across the square. He was with his people again. Where he belonged.
The mage shuffled over to him and Vasily, his smile slightly lopsided from either alcohol or fatigue. He wasn’t sure which.
Amaru extended one finger and booped the tip of Luka’s nose. “You look serious. No being serious tonight.”
Luka snagged Amaru’s finger and pressed a kiss to the pad. “I was just thinking about how you belong here. With all your plans for expanding and improving the village, do you…do you think you’ll want to stay?”
“What?” Amaru squawked like an affronted chicken. “Stay? Here?”
“Yeah. You’re comfortable here. This is your clan and they need you. It’s fine if you want to stay. We can move here with you,” Vasily offered.
Amaru’s crooked grin returned and he swayed slightly. “You’re right. They do need me.” He shook his head, which resulted in his entire body shaking before he flapped his hands at Vasily and Luka. “But that’s why I’m making all these plans. So my clan will be taken care of when I move into the ice dragon home.” Amaru sucked in a deep breath, blinked suddenly huge eyes at them, and jutted out his bottom lip. “You do want me to return to the ice dragon house, right?” His voice was soft and slightly wavery, as if the mage was on the verge of tears.
“Holy fuck, yes!” Luka cried. He grabbed Amaru’s arm and pulled him forward until he collided with Luka’s chest. He hugged him tight while Vasily hugged them both. “We would love you to live with us at the Valerii compound. We just wanted you to know we’re happy to follow you anywhere you want to go.”
A soft, happy sigh escaped Amaru. “Cameron was right. Sad puppy face really is effective for handling dragon mates.”
Vasily shook with silent chuckles while Luka threw his head back and let out a bark of laughter. Amaru had fucking played them.
Life would never be dull with their mate.
Normally when Amaru went to fix someone’s core, it was a straightforward affair. He had the patient, likely the patient’s family hovering nearby, and maybe one person to assist him.
Healing Sam was not that. This was more like a festival all crammed into one room. Or maybe a theatrical production. If even one more person tried to squeeze in here, there wouldn’t be enough oxygen to support life.
They were not in the Sousa village, for obvious reasons, but instead at the ice dragons’ home. Which was very, very nice from all appearances. He had not been able to explore thoroughly yet, as he’d barely been here any time at all this morning. Amaru had been offered one of the workspaces that was hardly ever used, given about two hours to put all the essentials in there, and then he’d had Sam knocking at his door giving him sad eyes.
Turned out Amaru had absolutely no immunity to sad eyes.
So despite the fact he could have used another three weeks setting things up to his satisfaction, he chose to do a quick and dirty setup, then remembered he’d promised to show Sora and Cameron how to heal someone’s core. He told them he was doing it, and of course Sam told Dimitri. How Evora, Ha Na, Alric, Ryu, and Gunter were invited, he left to the gods to answer.
In the corner, there was some kind of computer/camera/something else he couldn’t identify set up. Cameron was busy behind it, clicking things and frowning.
Unable to take it, Amaru demanded, “What are you doing over there?”
“Recording this and broadcasting it to the other clan healers at the same time,” Cameron answered absently. “Everyone wants to see this in action.”
“I thought Gunter was going to do that?”
“I offered him a mouse.” Cameron shrugged. “I became the mouse instead.”
Ah. Sounded about right with this lot. Well, it wasn’t Amaru’s responsibility. Although he’d try to explain more since people were watching.
Sam looked nervous as hell as he stood next to the table. Amaru didn’t understand why for a split second, then realized: Sam had spent decades hoping for this day. Now that it was here, he was likely racked with nerves.
Hmm, to be nice, or not to be nice? That was the question.
Dimitri was glaring at Amaru, silently daring him to do anything to rile Sam up more. Yeah, okay, he wasn’t going to cross a dragon in protection mode. He chose life.
Erring on living, he put an arm around Sam’s shoulders in reassurance. “Nothing to this, my friend. It won’t even hurt. In fact, by this time tomorrow, you’ll feel the best you’ve ever felt.”
Sam did seem somewhat reassured by this. “But you said you had to break a curse on me first. Won’t that hurt?”