Chapter Twenty-seven
“Will she be all right?” Zoltan asked for the fiftieth time. After finding Neona unconscious in the temple, he’d teleported her straight to the clinic in Tiger Town. Dougal had followed, bringing Norjee.
“She may have suffered a concussion,” Leah said as she gingerly probed Neona’s head. “No external bleeding. Her skull is intact.”
Zoltan nodded. “She’s very hardheaded.” When the doctor gave him a wry look, he added, “I meant that in a good way. She’s tough as a boot. A . . . . a good boot.” He winced. He was so tense with worry that he was babbling like an idiot.
Leah smiled as she checked her pulse. “Her vital signs are strong.”
“She’s very strong. Strong as an ox.” He groaned inwardly. Now he’d compared the love of his life to an ox. “She’s very brave. And beautiful.”
Leah unwound the bandage on Neona’s arm.
“How is the cut?” he asked. “I wanted to bring her here, but she didn’t think it was necessary. We used some of her homemade medicine.”
“Really?” Leah examined the wound. “I’d like to see her medicine. This is healing extremely well.”
“That’s because she’s brilliant. And brave. And beautiful.”
Leah’s mouth twitched. “You mentioned that before.”
He took Neona’s hand in his. “She’s a healer. She does something magical, but she can’t do it to herself. So she may be in a lot of pain.” He squeezed her hand. “Can you do something? I don’t want her to be in pain.”
“Then don’t break her bones,” Leah muttered. “You Vamps don’t know your own strength.”
“Oh.” He dropped her hand, then patted it gently. “Will she be all right?”
When he’d awakened from his death-sleep to learn that she and the boys had been taken prisoner, he’d thought he would die. His heart had clenched hard in his chest, and he’d gasped for air. For centuries, he’d existed with a fear that a sunset would arrive when he wouldn’t awaken. Now it was different. Now he feared he’d awaken and Neona would be gone. And then it would no longer matter if he ever woke up again.
There hadn’t been any time to wallow in despair. Angus had demanded his help in putting together an attack plan. Zoltan and the other Vamps had spent several frantic minutes teleporting all the shifters and warrior women to the forest close to the monastery.
Finally, with their army ready, they had attacked. All his fear had been channeled into rage as he’d charged into battle. No one had worried about keeping the supersoldiers alive. They’d plowed through the enemy, intent on killing Lord Liao and saving Neona and the boys.
Unfortunately, they hadn’t quite succeeded. The dragon boy was missing.
“She’s coming to.” Leah leaned over Neona. “Can you see me?”
Neona blinked and gazed up at the doctor.
“I’m Doctor Kincaid, but please call me Leah.” She smiled. “I believe you know my husband, Dougal.”
Neona licked her lips. “Zoltan?”
“I’m here,” he whispered.
She turned toward him and smiled.
His heart squeezed in his chest. “I thought I was going to lose you.”
“Never.”
“Will you marry me?” He winced. “I didn’t mean to blurt it out. Don’t answer now. I’ll take you somewhere romantic and give you flowers and make love to you—”
“Yes.”
“Yes to making love?”
Her mouth twitched. “You still owe me three climaxes.”
“Right. We’ll do that as soon as the doctor says you’re ready.”
Leah snorted. “Eager, aren’t we? I’ll just check my other patients now.” She wandered off.
Neona watched her go. “What is this place?”
“Tiger Town, Yunnan province, China,” Zoltan replied. “This is the clinic where the doctor is changing supersoldiers back to normal.” He motioned to the rows of stretchers where soldiers lay in stasis while the medication took effect.
Neona turned back to him. “Is Norjee all right?”
“He’s fine. He’s been waiting outside.” Zoltan dashed to the clinic door and motioned for Norjee to come in.
“Mama!” The young boy ran up to her bed.
She struggled to sit up, and Zoltan helped her.
Norjee grinned as he said something in Tibetan, then he darted back outside and led in a were-tiger.
Neona gasped. “Tenzen?”
The were-tiger smiled as he explained in Chinese.
Her eyes widened, then she glanced at Zoltan. “The were-cats have nine lives! He’s on his third life now.”
Zoltan nodded. “When he woke up, he called us on his sat phone. We picked him up on the way to the battle.”
Norjee held her hand and talked some more. His eyes filled with tears, and his chin trembled. Zoltan frowned. He was going to have to learn some Tibetan or Chinese.
Neona hugged the boy as she murmured soothing words. Then she turned to Zoltan. “Norjee blames himself for Xiao Fang getting captured. Do you know anything yet?”
He shook his head. “Most probably, Darafer has taken the boy to Master Han. Russell is searching for Han’s camp now. We’ll do whatever we can to save Xiao Fang.”
Neona translated the response to Norjee. He replied, then hurried from the room with the were-tiger. She turned to Zoltan. “Norjee wants to help us fight Master Han. Tenzen offered to teach him how to shoot a bow and arrow.”
“We’re not going to let a seven-year-old fight.”
“I know. But there’s no harm in teaching him some self-defense. And he’s so upset, I think it will be best to keep him busy.”
Zoltan sat on the bed beside her. “There’s more I need to tell you. Darafer will be able to read the dragon boy’s mind. He’ll know about the other children and the eggs. And he’ll know exactly where to find them.”
She gasped. “Then it is no longer safe in Beyul-La.”
“I’m afraid we have to move the dragons.”
“Oh, my God. My mother will throw a fit.”
“What else is new?”
She winced. “No one will envy you for your new mother-in-law.”
He shrugged. “I’ll manage.” He stiffened suddenly. “Does that mean you agree to marry me?”
“I said yes.”
He blinked. “I thought you were talking about sex.”
She gave him a wry look. “You always think we’re talking about sex.”
He grinned. “So you’ll marry me?”
“Yes.” Her mouth curled up. “You’re smirking again.”
He kissed her hand. “It’s not every day that a vampire wins the heart of a warrior princess.”
A half hour later, Zoltan was in the cave at Beyul-La, while Neona remained in Tiger Town, getting a blood test and an X-ray that Leah had insisted on. The queen sat stiffly on her throne while he explained the urgent need for evacuation. As expected, she exploded with anger.
“This is all your fault!” she screamed. “You and your friends are destroying our world! Why can’t you leave us be?”
“If we could leave you here safely, we would,” Zoltan replied. “But there is no doubt that Darafer and Master Han will come here for the dragons. The only way to save them is to move them.”
“How can I expect you to save them?” Nima yelled. “You couldn’t save Xiao Fang!”
“We’ll find him,” Zoltan insisted. “Russell is trying to locate Master Han’s camp. Darafer probably took the boy there.”
“What will they do to him?” Freya asked.
Nima clenched her fists. “If they’re torturing my dragon—”
“They’ll treat him well,” Zoltan said, hoping that was the truth. “Most likely, they will be good to him in order to win him over to their side.”
Nima snorted. “Xiao Fang is a good boy. He’ll never side with them.”
Zoltan took a deep breath. If Xiao Fang resisted, Master Han might resort to threats and even torture. The boy had to be rescued before that happened. “We’ll save Xiao Fang. But right now, we have a chance to save the other children. And the eggs. We have to grab that chance before it’s too late.”
Winifred sighed. “He’s right.”
Lydia nodded. “We have to do whatever is necessary to keep them safe.”
The queen tapped her fingers on the arm of her throne. “And where do you propose to take our dragons? If this demon is so powerful, what place on earth will be safe?”
“We have a place,” Zoltan said. “It’s called Dragon Nest Academy.”
With a gasp, Nima jumped to her feet. “There are dragons there?”
He shook his head. “It’s named after the founders, Roman and Shana Draganesti. It’s a school for hybrid and shifter children, where they can be safe and free to be themselves. It seems quite fitting that Dragon Nest would become a safe haven for your dragons. You are, of course, welcome to live there with the children and eggs.”
Nima’s eyes narrowed. “Then you will take me with you to this Dragon Nest? I must continue to be the dragons’ guardian.”
He nodded. “Of course. With your permission, we will start the evacuation tonight.”
Nima heaved a sigh. “I don’t suppose we have any choice.”
“How are the babies doing that Emma took?” Tashi asked.
“Very well,” Zoltan replied. “I saw them in Tiger Town before coming here. Emma was feeding one a bottle.”
“What was wrong with them?” Nima asked.
“Apparently, after years of incubating inside the eggs with their lungs closed off, they needed some help getting their lungs to work. Leah inserted a tube down their throats and pumped some air inside. That was all it took.”
Nima heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank God.”
He stepped outside the cave and called Angus on his sat phone. A group of Vamps materialized by the entrance to the cave. It had been easy to find volunteers to teleport Nima, the two remaining dragon children, and the five eggs across Europe to the school located in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains of New York. After leaving Dragon Nest, the Vamps would continue to teleport westward, following the moon, until they made it back to China.
Jack had volunteered, so they could stop in Venice, where he would visit his wife and new baby. Connor had volunteered, so they could stop in Scotland. Ian’s wife and daughter lived at Dragon Nest, so he wanted to go. Robby and Jean-Luc had offered so they could stop in Texas to see their families. Phineas wanted to drop by Wyoming to see his wife and twins. J.L. was going so he could visit family in San Francisco.
Their first stop would be Zoltan’s castle in Transylvania. As soon as the sun set there, they moved out.
The rest of the Vamps teleported back to the monastery to gather up all the weapons and any surviving supersoldiers. Later, they would return to Tiger Town to do their death-sleep. The shifters would remain in Frederic’s valley and Beyul-La on the lookout for Darafer in case he made a surprise visit. With Nima gone, the men were free to guard both valleys.
Another hour passed by the time Zoltan had a chance to drop by Neona’s house and drink two more bottles of spiked blood. He picked up the black jewelry box and teleported back to the clinic at Tiger Town.
Neona was resting with a sleeping Norjee curled up at the foot of the bed. “How did it go?” she whispered. “Did they take the dragons away?”
“Yes. How are you doing? How was your X-ray?”
“Good. I’m going to be fine.”
“That’s good.” He perched on the edge of her bed and opened the jewelry box. “I brought these.”
She smiled. “But we’re not married yet.”
“I don’t care.” He removed the lady’s ring and slipped it on her finger. “This place is crawling with male were-tigers, and they’re probably all in heat. And then there are about thirty soldiers in this room with you. I have to make sure they know you’re taken.”
She snorted. “They’re unconscious.”
“But they’re dreaming of you.”
Her eyes softened. “Is that so?”
“Yes. Every man dreams of the perfect woman, and that’s you.”
She sighed. “I love you, Zoltan. And I love this ring.” She held her hand out to admire it. “It fits perfectly.”
He tried putting on the man’s ring, but it wouldn’t go over his knuckle. “Damn.”
She leaned close. “I just love a man with really big hands.”
He glanced at her. “Are we talking about sex again?”
She gave him a coy look.
With a groan, he glanced around the room. “Dammit. We can’t do anything tonight.”
“We can tomorrow.”
“It’s a date then. Climax number eight. And nine.” He leaned over to kiss her brow. “Till tomorrow.”
He gave Norjee a pat on the shoulder, then teleported to his castle. The evacuation team had arrived safely with Nima, the children, and the eggs. The Vamps were drinking bottled blood in the kitchen. The eggs were nestled in soft blankets in laundry baskets. Domokos had ordered some pizza, which the children were enjoying. Nima was turning the kitchen faucet on and off, apparently mesmerized by the wonders of modern plumbing.
Zoltan teleported to the jewelry store, but to his surprise, he ended up in the village square. How the hell? This was the first time he’d ever missed a mark. He walked over to the jewelry store and strode inside. A second surprise. J.L. was there, attempting to talk to Janos.
“Oh, thank God you’re here,” J.L. told him. “I can’t make this man understand what I want.”
“Possibly because he doesn’t speak English,” Zoltan muttered.
“I pointed at the watches and said your name,” J.L. explained. “Freddie has been bragging about a watch you gave Neona, so I thought I’d give her one just like it. And Rajiv wants to get one for Freya. But this guy keeps trying to sell me these Hello Kitty things. I told him there’s no way you would give your girlfriend something that cheap.”
Zoltan’s jaw shifted. “It was all he had in the store at the time.”
“You mean—you gave—”
“Yes. And Neona loves it.”
J.L. snorted. “Could be worse. You could have gotten it as a free prize out of a cereal box.” He turned to Janos and smiled. “Yes. Those two.” He handed over a credit card.
“What can I do for you, my lord?” Janos asked in Romanian as he rang up J.L.’s sale.
Zoltan opened the jewelry box. “I need this ring resized.”
Janos’s face lit up. “Then you are getting married? We will have a countess at the castle?”
Zoltan nodded. “If everything goes well.”
J.L.’s phone buzzed and he answered it. “I understand.” He hung up and sighed. “That was Angus. Russell just reported in. Darafer took the dragon shifter to Master Han’s camp in Myanmar. Three hundred soldiers are now marching toward Beyul-La.”