Page 46 of The Mating Claim

Bright pain exploded on her arm. Suddenly the snake vanished. Through a haze of agony, she saw Sonia wail in Ciara’sarms.

Willow wasgone.

“Miss Lacey,” Billy cried out. “It bit you! I told you snakes werebad!”

Two puncture wounds on her right arm began to swell and redden. “It’s okay.” She had to reassure Billy or the other children would never accept snake shifterchildren.

Because by now she realized Willow was not an ordinary shifterchild.

“It was provoked by something, Billy. Snakes aren’t bad.” Lacey bit her lip against the fire racing down her arm. What the hell was wrong with her? She was a dragon and dragons were immune, or so she’d been told, to otherreptiles.

Sonia wailed. “Isorry!”

“Xavier!” Ciara shouted. “Get here right now. I needyou.”

She wouldn’t die, but damn, it hurt like a bitch, like someone stabbed her with a hot knife over and over. And yet instinctively she knew Sonia, who was obviously a wicked smart baby in addition to being a wizard’s child, would listen to her mother the next time. Sonia didn’t need a secondlesson.

A bright flash of white smoke and a bearded wizard with black hair materialized, concern etched on his handsome face. Though he dressed in a conservative dark suit, white shirt and blue tie, she recognizedhim.

The wizard from the swamp where she and Evie had gone to gather the lilies for the dragonspicepotion.

He rushed over to Ciara, picked up Sonia. “What’swrong?

Worry lines dented his brow. He cooed to the wailing baby. “Hush,sweetheart.”

“It’s not us, honey. Sonia conjured a copperhead and it bit Lacey.” Ciara pointed toher.

Suddenly she remembered why Ciara and Sonia seemed so familiar. They too, had been in the swamp where she did not belong. No wonder Sonia adoredreptiles.

Damn, I’m in troublenow.

Giving Sonia over to her mother, Xavier strode over to Lacey and crouched down. He took her arm, wincing as he examinedit.

“I’m a dragon, a fellow reptile.” She managed a rueful smile. “I’ll survive. Like a nip from mycousin.”

Xavier frowned. “I’m afraid not. That arm looks bad. I’ll draw out the poison withmagick.”

“Honey, shouldn’t you call Drust?” Ciara asked. “He’s a dragon,too.”

Relief filled her. Not that she didn’t trust this Xavier, who was obviously Ciara’s mate and Sonia’s daddy. But Drust was familiar and a dragon himself. He knew herkind.

Xavier chanted some words and Drust appeared instantly. He took one look at them and rushedover.

“No.” Drust seized Xavier’s hand. “Don’t try your magick. You will make itworse.”

Xavier sat back on his haunches andwaited.

With extreme gentleness, Drust picked up her arm. The wound had turned an ugly red and seeped blood. “Ah Lacey, Lacey. In trouble once more. Maybe if you weren’t soundernourished.”

“Critic.” But she labored to breathe and her stomach was swirling with nausea. “Why is this happening tome?”

“Your human half is overshadowing your dragon magick, which is why the venom is affecting you.” Drust felt herpulse.

“Thanks Dr. Drust. Got asolution?”

“Always the sarcasm.” But he smiled. Then the smile dropped. “I’m afraid you won’t like it. I need to bleed it out ofyou.”

Panic surged. “What First Aid class did you take, wizard? That’s an old wives tale. It’s not going to dosquat.”