Page 38 of The Healing Dragon (The Red Book #2)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

JANELLE

“ S top whining, it’s your job,” Matias says.

The large number of people coming in and out of the library is truly testing Santiago’s patience right now.

Lined up one by one in front of the help desk, they all patiently wait for him.

Santiago rolls his eyes as yet someone else joins the line.

He paints a fake pleasant smile on his face and goes up to help them.

It’s an awfully busy day at the library for lunch time.

During meals it’s usually when the halls are emptier, but that is not the case today.

Isabel and I finish early at the nursery. She is in a hurry to get back to Brandon. As their trip to Fierno nears, she needs to do a lot of the planning for them.

“Found anything?” Matias asks me.

I shut a book with a bang. “No.”

Pad catches my attention as he looks around the library as if searching for someone. When his eyes land on me, he waves. He dashes through the crowd, stopping when he finally reaches my table.

“I need your healing magic,” he says.

Getting straight to the point. I appreciate the lack of fake pleasantries.

I tilt my head. “Do you feel bad?” I healed him a couple of days ago and from his walking speed, he can’t be in too much pain.

I reach my hand to him, but he waves me off.

“I need you to come with me.” He clears his throat. “I’m afraid this person can’t come to you.”

I give Matias a look and he gestures for me to go ahead. I follow Pad out of the library, giving Santiago a wave and gesture that I will be right back. The sour look on his face might have more to do with the line starting to reform in front of his desk.

We walk down to the tower that houses most of the people who live in the Black Castle. We stop when we see a cluster of people outside of a door.

“My good old friend is in a lot of pain today. Do you think you can take some of that away?” Pad asks in a hush tone.

We reach the door and the people standing outside all turn to look our way. The first thing I see inside is a young woman hugging a distraught older woman. Amy Bee exits the room and greets Pad and me.

“What is she doing here?” the girl asks with disdain.

She looks familiar at first glance but I can't place her. Her bloodshot eyes and tear streaked cheeks pain her so differently from the times I have seen her walking in the halls. I remember her wearing the Royal Force uniform, she is one of Romans soldiers.

“She’s here to help Martha, Liz.” Amy Bee takes the hand of the older woman holding onto Liz. “There is no reason for your mother to be in such pain. She will recover from her surgery, but she needs her heart to rest. The pain poses too much stress. ”

The woman nods with tears trailing down her face. “Whatever she needs.”

Amy Bee opens the door of the room and gestures for me to follow her. Pad is right behind me like a guarding shield to all the unfriendly faces. Most of the people in the room shoot me suspicious looks, but that is about it.

We go into an adjacent room from the living space and pause at the doorway. The woman on the bed is paper thin and pale. The moment her eyes focus on me, she trashes from side to side.

“No. Do not touch me, dragon!” she yells.

“Go ahead Janelle,” Amy Bee encourages me.

The smell in the room is strong. There isn't a window to open and let the air circulate. I hold my breath as I take a step closer and realize this is the woman who refused my help earlier. She looks so bad I almost don’t recognize her. Her hair is sweaty, plaster across her thin face.

“Stop, do not touch me.” She looks around for help. “She will burn me. Don’t let the dragon burn me!”

I don’t think she is fully coherent. Her rambling sounds like a fever dream.

Her medications must be creating hallucinations.

I’m no stranger to this scene. I could count in my hands the number of times my mother was in this same position.

Delirious on pain medication, healing from yet another injury caused by her condition.

“Janelle,” Amy Bee says with a forceful tone.

I take the remaining steps to the bed and place my hand on the top of hers. She tries to fight me off her with her other hand, but she is too weak. I tighten my grip. I close my eyes and allow my gift to flow.

My focus falters for a second as her sharp nails pierce my skin. Small moon shapes of blood paint my hand as the healing light flows from me into her. Her strong, tight grip loosens as the pain in her fades. I can see the edges of her eyes go from strained to relaxed.

Her hand holding mine drops to her chest and I take a step back. My job here is done. Martha’s daughter rushes to the bed and hugs her. Liz stays by the doorway, watching me in awe. Tears gather in her eyes and they fall one by one.

I don’t expect her to say anything, but she surprises me as she follows me out of Martha’s room.

“That is my grandmother. She was terrified the night of the attack. She lost many friends who couldn’t outrun the fire.” Wiping tears off her face, she continues, “What I’m trying to say is thank you.”

“I hope she feels better,” I say and mean it.

She might fear me, but she has a good reason. I know healing her today won’t make everything better, but I hope it helps.

“Healing huh,” Liz points toward my hands. “Who would’ve thought the dragon had something left?”

“The healing dragon.” Pad saddles up to us. “I like it.”

As I make my way out of the room Jesse steps inside. I first think he is here for me but the surprise in his expression tells me otherwise. He wasn’t expecting to find me here.

“Janelle,” Jesse says with furrowed brows and follows me out. “Amy Bee brought you to help?”

His guess is spot on. There really isn't another reason for my presence.

I nod.

“I am here paying a friend a visit. If you want to wait, I won't take long.” He stops talking and picks up my hand for a close inspection. “You are bleeding.”

The small nail shape indentations only have a little blood on them.

“It’s nothing.” I pull my hands away .

Pad, along with a few others, have stepped into the hall and are watching the exchange I’m having with Jesse. I feel like I am under a microscope.

“You can’t heal yourself,” he says.

I roll my eyes because I, more than anyone, know that to be true. The reminder isn’t necessary.

“I need to go back to work.” I give Pad a wave and head out. My job here is done.

Jesse doesn't follow when I move to leave but his eyes stay fixed on me until I round the corner. His expression is determined and I know he isn't done with me. At least not for today.

I make it back to the library and see that Santiago has helped all the people in his line. He is now with Matias, looking over a book.

“Did I miss anything?”

Both boys shake their heads. I don’t let that discourage me. I sit back down and dive into the next book in my pile. The number of books scattered around seem to have increased but I know that isn't true.

We have been looking for days and a hint of Klause or the creation of the Red Book is nowhere in sight.

It feels like just when we think we make a discovery, even more questions arise.

My focus is on any text written around the time Klause wrote his journal to see if they happen to mention any of his movements.

While Matias is searching for family trees that could give us direct links to people who were around Klause.

Santiago is focusing on old text that guesses on the magic behind the Red Book.

“It would have been nice if you told me you would be here,” Jesse says as he takes the empty seat at our table. “I thought you were working at the nursery.”

“I usually am,” I say, only looking away from my book for a second. “But I got out a little earlier today. ”

“Because?” he asks.

“Does she need to report her every move to you?” Matias asks. “I missed that rule.”

The harsh tone has Santiago and me turning to look at him. I would characterize Matias as a funny, bubbly guy. Hard tone and daggers for eyes isn’t like him, yet that is exactly what he is doing now. All directed at Jesse.

“He hasn’t had lunch,” Santiago interjects before Jesse can respond. He rises to his feet. “Let’s get some. I’m starving.” He pulls on Matias’s sleeve until he rises too and follows him.

“I wanted to find you to give you this.” Jesse puts a small jar between us.

I stare at it but make no move to take it. Sighing, he picks it up and takes off the lid, then scoops a small amount of ointment into his index finger. He takes my injured hand and applies the ointment to the marks. They are no longer bleeding, but the ointment soothes the small sting.

“Can we talk?” he asks.

“I’m busy.” I open another book and start looking.

It's a book from Matias’s pile, not mine but I don't want to admit I took the wrong one. I scan the page and search for Klause's name amongst many names on a family tree.

“You can’t talk because you are busy?” He looks at the packed table. “Looking for what, exactly?”

I roll my eyes but put my book down long enough to say, “I’m looking for Klause’s family tree.” I open my book again and begin going down the names on the page before me.

Jesse picks up a book and opens it to the first page. His eyes run down the page slowly.

I close my book. “What are you doing?”

He doesn’t look away from his book. “Helping you.”

“I don’t need help.” I sound like a petulant child.

“I wish to speak to you about what happened yesterday, and you said you’re too busy, so I’m helping you finish here so we can talk.” He taps the open page. “If you don’t mind, I’m trying to read.”

I can’t fight the curve at the edge of my lips. I want to touch the path he traced while kissing me.

Shaking my head, I refocus on the book before me. I can’t keep looking at the same page for too long before he notices I’m daydreaming. Turning the page without looking could cost the cause greatly.

“Oh, you’re still here.” Matias hands me a plate of food while giving Jesse a disapproving expression. “We didn’t bring you food.”

“I did.” Santiago drops a plate in front of Jesse.

The ‘traitor’ expression Matias shoots Santiago is comical.

“I’m not here to give her a hard time,” Jesse tells him.

“Sure.” Matias crosses his arms.

“Grr,” Santiago mocks. “You two are adorable.” He gestures between Jesse and Matias.

A blank expression takes over Matias. His arms drop to his sides. At first I think his reaction is because of Santiago’s comment, but as seconds pass, a shock of awareness fills me.

Something is going on and I would bet it has something to do with the entity living inside him. Jesse is staring at him too, his book long forgotten. Santiago, on the other hand, is deep into his food plate.

“What is happening?” I ask, slowly reaching for his hand.

The second my hand touches his, Matias gasps loudly. His breathing is erratic and eyes are wild. I’m on my feet and rounding the table to his side. Jesse is next to me instantly.

“Are you okay?” Santiago asks, finally clued into the situation at hand.

Matias looks between us, then to the door.

“Calaca,” he whispers. “It’s back and wants to speak to us. ”

He gets up and takes a shaky step forward. Jesse reaches for him and offers him his shoulder. Matias leans on him as they make their way out of the room.

“Calaca?” Jesse asks me.

“Yeah, it has a way of talking to him in his head. We sent it after my father.”

Maybe it found him. I look over my shoulder to find Santiago following us with his plate of food in hand.

“Santiago,” I say in disbelief.

He stops chewing long enough to ask, “What?”

I shake my head. Am I even surprised?

I make quick work of taking the cursed book with me. If my plan works this might be exactly what we need to get all the answers we have been searching for. It doesn't hurt to take a shot in the dark.