Page 4 of Singing the Dragon’s Heart

Chapter

Four

R eno pushed the guys hard the last hundred miles or so. In fact, he drove, and he did it like a bat out of hell. The omegas and their kids slept in the back, cuddled together, with Boone, Durango, and the other two alphas stacked like firewood along one wall of the van, sound asleep.

He needed to get back to the keep. Now.

This was such a clusterfuck. His mate needed a new heartstone. His mate! Who gave away their heartstone? And how? And how did they go about getting him a new one?

Reno knew how it had worked for Boone and Durango’s mates. And Dex. And—But what if Kami was too weak to go through the process? It had kicked the other guys’ asses.

What then?

He was going to lose his shit.

Boone climbed up into the passenger seat next to him, hair all over the place, his clothes rumpled. “Damn. You’re making good time.”

Reno gave him a grim stare. “He’s fading, man.”

“Shit. Okay, when we get there, you go. Don’t worry about anything else. Go get his ass and deal with him and Cain.”

“Okay. Okay, yeah. I swear, man, my head is killing me and my chest hurts.”

“Shit, man. I hear you, and mine wasn’t—” Boone took a deep breath. “Way to make it about me. This sucks for you and him. So go. Be together. It will help him.”

“Thanks, man.” He had the best friends in the world. Reno knew it. There was no denying the guys had his back.

“You need to pull over and let me drive.”

“No, I’ll go nuts because he’s not answering me. I hope he’s just sleeping, but I can’t tell.”

“You got this. I know it. The gods wouldn’t give you a mate and then let him die.”

“He won’t be going alone.”

“Reno.” Boone sounded so shocked.

“I’m not all suicidal, man, but I can tell. We’re bonded. And it will only get worse once I’m next to him. Close enough to touch.”

“Shit.” Boone glanced behind him. “Durango will plotz.”

“I’m going to figure out how to save him. If I have to plug his ass into Cain for a while, I will. Or Skye. They’re not healers, I know, but they have that wild energy.”

“I know. I do.” Boone reached over to squeeze his shoulder. “Anything we can do. Seriously.”

“Thanks.” He probed mentally for Kami again and got a sort of sleepy mumble.

And all of a sudden, he could breathe again.

“He’s still there.”

“Good. We’re five minutes out.”

“Are we almost there?” The soft question came from an omega named Kalia, who had an infant and a toddler. Her mate had been killed in a storm at sea, but she had been able to navigate the loss thanks to her kids.

“We are. Very close.”

“Good.” She chuckled. “I need a restroom.”

“Five minutes. Can you make it?” Boone asked.

“I can. I would rather not pee on the side of the road in the mountains.”

“Hold onto your butts,” Reno said. “We’re going down into the valley.”

He took the switchback like a maniac, glad that most everyone was asleep. Even Boone was a little tense until they hit the road into the gated section of the keep, and he squealed to a halt in front of the main building as Boone started waking the others up.

“Go,” Boone told him, and he ran for it, racing into the building and heading for the infirmary. He would have just flown, but he’d been on a mission, and he didn’t give up his spot on the team even for the most urgent personal issues.

He hit the sick bay like a freight train, and the tech on duty out front jumped half a foot when he burst in. “Where’s Kami?”

“Room three,” she said.

He ran there, slamming into the room, where a big dragon who had to be Talon leaped to his feet.

“Stand down, man. I’m Reno. His mate.”

“Reno. You were there when I flew in.”

“I was. I’m here for him.”

“I am too. He saved my life. I swear to you I didn’t ask him to.”

“Regret is overrated.” He scooped Kami up and held him. “I’m going to find him a stone.”

Talon stood, loaded for bear. “Good. How can I help?”

Reno already liked Talon. It didn’t take much. He liked Triton. They were basically two peas in a pod. Solid warriors.

“Thanks. Like I said, we’re going to find him a stone. Now let’s get Cain.” He hauled Kami up into his arms and headed out of the sick bay, which caused a huge flurry and a flutter.

“Where are you going?”

“You can’t leave.”

“You can’t do this.”

Obviously, these folks didn’t understand what the word ‘can’t’ meant. They didn’t want him to do it, but he totally could do it, and he was doing it, and so they were all going to have to just learn to live with it.

“Somebody get me Cain. Now.” He headed up with Talon right behind him.

“How are the omegas?”

“Here, safe, solid. Some of them have to pee. They’re going to be fine.” They’d been through way worse, after all. “They’re a brave bunch. I thought that Katerina was going to beat us to death when we got there. She was going to defend them, the rest of them to the ends of the earth.”

“Okay, good. Good. How far up are we going?”

He snorted. “All the way to the top, bay-bee.”

He felt more than heard Kami’s chuckle. Stubborn alpha.

Be good, hailee, we have a lot to discuss once you’re well. Starting with being ridiculous enough to give away your stone.

I am not ridiculous! I—it had to be done.

Never again. Reno would have shaken Kami if he didn’t think it would probably kill him, and that would be problematic. Pretend that I’m shaking you.

Yes, braaken. Shake, shake, shake.

Reno put on a burst of speed, his lips curling in a smile. They were going to have so much fun together.

He knew it.

Kami had a warrior’s spirit and a sweet omega’s warmth, and they would wrangle and wrestle and love their way through life.

Assuming he could get that stone for his mate.

Which he would.

Cain met them in the hallway that led to the big guy’s private quarters. “Reno, what are you doing?”

“We need to get this show on the road, boss. He needs a stone.”

Cain studied them. “Do you think he’s strong enough?”

“He’s right here,” Kami muttered.

“Well, I don’t think he’s gonna get any stronger, are you, babe? I mean, right now, he has me and you to bolster him, and he’s fading.” Agony tore through him, but Reno pushed it aside ruthlessly. They had a job to do.

Period.

“We just need to find, uh, what kind of stone do you have, Hailee?” Reno asked.

“It’s an emerald.” Talon’s lips were pressed together so tightly they were white.

“An emerald. Okay, emeralds. Yay emeralds.” Reno knew dick about rocks. “So find him a green stone. There have to be other kinds of green stones, or if you have emeralds, those will work too.”

Green .

“Emeralds are green. Don’t argue with me, you’re dying.”

I need a barrel stone.

“A barrel. Barrel is for beer and wine and carrying stuff, not for rocks.” Surely Kami didn’t mean like one of those rock tumbler things. Now that was stupid.

Cain blinked at him. “Beryl. B. E. R. Y. L. Emeralds are beryls. That’s the class of the stones themselves.”

He looked at Cain. “Like I care. What do I need to look for? Do they come in different colors? Do you have any barrel rocks? How do you have these bitches organized?”

Cain stared at him as if he was absolutely bonkers. “I don’t organize them. They’re stones.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because I don’t have a stone singer, Reno!”

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

“Well, assuming you don’t kill this one, you do, huh? Now come on.” That was Talon, and that was impressive.

“I do like you, man.”

“Good, because you’re going to be around me a lot. This is my best friend. Now stones. Stones, people. Focus.” Talon waved a hand in frustration.

Cain stared at them all. “I don’t know when I lost control of this situation.”

“Boss, please .” Reno didn’t have time to discuss this. He would apologize later when things were not quite so fraught.

Cain stared at him for a long moment, then nodded and led them into a cave carved in the back of his quarters.

The door glowed with a gentle light, an odd sort of hum on the air, like the space was singing its welcome.

As soon as they walked in, they were hit with a blast of noise, and Kami’s eyes shot open, a white light seeming to pour out of them.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck. What is this? What is going on?” Reno stood there, feeling as if his legs had been turned into stone.

Cain shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Talon frowned deeply, the lines in his craggy face even more pronounced. “Well, this can’t be good, but we can’t back out now.”

So Talon just sort of shouldered Cain out of the way, wrapped his arms around Reno, and just hauled them deeper into the cave.

He thought Kami’s screams were silent, but Reno could still hear them echoing everywhere, and he would do anything, anything at all, to make them stop.

“Can you tell the direction?” Talon yelled in his ears, so maybe it wasn’t so silent.

“Which way, hailee? You have to point me. Shoot me somewhere.”

All Kami did in answer was scream, so Reno just made an executive decision and moved to where the answering ringing from the stones was the loudest.

It was either going to cure them or kill them, and at this point, he wasn’t sure he cared which one was which.

He moved like a very old man dragon, his feet like lead, wading against this current of pain and the vibration of a hundred-hundred stones.

His head rattled like his brain had solidified in his skull, and he tried to get through to Kami again.

Which one, baby? What color is it? What shape?

Pink. It’s pink. Or white or pink, maybe pink. It’s totally pink.

Let’s see. Emeralds weren’t pink, but he wasn’t going to argue. Not when they were both about to die over this stone. “Okay. Pinky Stone. We’re looking for pink. Something pink.”

“Pink?”

“Talon, don’t argue. Pink. He wants pink. Get the son of a bitch pink. Pink.”

“You got it. Pinking pinky pinky pink pink.” Talon started throwing stones around like a whirlwind, like this massive tornado, kind of chunking anything that was white or pink or red or purple or any color that wasn’t blue or green at them.

More like toward them.

Suddenly a small stone—almost like a chip of a stone, really—hit Kami in the center of the chest, and he slammed his hands over the top of it, the screaming stopping so quickly that Reno’s legs just went out from underneath him.

For a horrifying moment, he had no idea whether or not Kami was dead or unconscious.

Surely that little piece of stone wasn’t enough to be a heartstone. It wasn’t the size of a fist. It wasn’t even the size of a golf ball.

It was sort of the size of a cherry.

Are you maligning my heartstone?

Aren’t you supposed to be desperately ill?

I’ve already done that. I feel better.

But how can that be a heartstone?

Because it’s mine. Because no one else wants it, and it’s crying out for a home. It’s got incredible fire on the inside.

He had to admit, it did look like cool pink ice on the outside, with a center of peachy salmon pink fire. He could see it because Kami almost shoved it into his eye.

“Yes, hailee, it’s lovely.”

“Kami?” Talon asked, eyes wide, surrounded by all the stones he’d heaved around the room.

“Uh-huh.” Kami’s voice was weak and rough as a cob, but it was there, and he seemed to be gaining strength every second. “This is it. This is the stone.”

“I’m relieved,” Cain said. “The screaming was rather intense.”

“I was singing to my stone,” Kami said. “Trying to pick it out. Nice selection by the way.”

Cain chuckled. “Thank you. Would you like to get out of my private space, Reno?”

“Huh?” He glanced down at Kami, who he still held like a ragdoll. “Oh. Yeah. Yeah, sure.” He strode out of the cave space, managing not to trip on rocks. “Uh, should I take you to the healers so they can check you over, Kami?”

“Are you kidding? I’m not going back to that infirmary if I don’t have to. Let Cain lay hands on me if you need reassurance.”

Naughty hailee.

I never claimed to be the obedient type.

“Cain, will you?” He nodded down at Kami.

“Put him on the couch so I don’t have to worry about confusing his energy with yours.”

Reno very gently laid Kami on the couch.

“Perfect. Now back away a bit, you and Talon both.”

“Sure.” But, fuck, it was hard to step away and let Cain move close to touch his hailee. Really freaking hard.

“It’s okay, Reno. I swear.” Kami winked at him, the dark circles under his bright gray eyes already fading.

Cain slid close and put his hands on Kami’s chest, his breath catching for a moment. He closed his eyes and breathed in deep inhales and exhales. And then he smiled.

“Yes. He’s not only picked a stone, he’s already bonded with it. He’s improving rapidly. Well done, all of you.”

“Wooo!” Reno waited for Cain to move, and then he picked Kami up again and kissed him soundly on the mouth.

“You are a take-charge guy,” Kami said with a wink.

“Kami…” Talon looked like he might just fall over dead, but he was smiling, tears streaming down his scarred face.

“I got to tell you, big guy, I was worried for a hot minute,” Kami told Talon.

“I was worried for some very cold ones.” Talon came to clap Reno on the back. “Thank you.”

“Hey, I couldn’t just let him slip away without a fight. He would have taken me with him.”

Cain blinked at him, mouth dropping open. “You really think so?”

“I know so, man. This is my one true thing. And we bonded right away. I felt like I had the fire flu every minute we were away from each other.”

“Fascinating.” Cain folded his arms, one hand up so he could tap his forefinger against his lips.

“Well, yeah, but you are so not studying us. Bye-eeeee. Talon, it’s time to check out your quarters and settle in.” Reno strode out with his mate clasped in his arms. He wanted some alone time, and he wanted it now.

Even if Kami wasn’t up to anything strenuous.

“You know what I want?” Kami asked.

“What, baby?”

“A shower. A long, hot shower. And a milkshake.”

“I just happen to be able to provide both.” He had this amazing rainbath shower with seats and a heated floor that he’d had installed when he’d moved into his private quarters, one of the many indulgences Cain had allowed him. The seer was generous to a fault.

And Reno was starving. “I’ll call down to the kitchens,” he went on. “I want a patty melt and a pile of onion rings.”

Kami wrapped both arms around his neck. “Oooh. Can they do fried cheese?”

“You know it. What kind? Mozzarella sticks? Paneer pakoras? Cheddar curds?”

“Yes. I love cheese.” Kami laughed, the sound one of pure joy. “Oh, I can tell I’m going to like it around here.”

Reno nodded. “Hailee, I guarantee it.”