Free Dragon Wish by Judith Leger Page B

sight.
    Exhausted, he rolled from the bed and called for Calis.
    When his friend arrived, they set about cleaning the room.
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    Once Calis departed with the tub, Paladin washed the sweat
    from Seren, hoping to make her more comfortable.
    Under clean sheets, she lay still. Hands trembling, he
    tucked the edges against her. So pale, fragile, she had not
    wanted a child. Once more, guilt slapped against his
    conscience.
    Calis returned, carrying a chair to the side of the bed.
    “Here ye go, Sire, sit. Rest. Ye deserve it.”
    Paladin suppressed an urge to laugh. Deserve a rest? No,
    not he. He deserved to suffer the same way Seren had for
    what he’d done. He sat in the chair and turned to look at
    Calis. “Head for Dene. I want this ship there in one day. Use
    all of the dragonstones if you must.”
    A quick nod and Calis was gone. Paladin shouted to his
    first mate as his footsteps faded, “And rest. That’s an order.”
    Seren frowned, stirring, her eyelids fluttering. He
    straightened in the chair, regretting the shout. Her eyes
    opened, and she looked at him. Without saying a word, she
    shifted onto her side with a groan, curling into a fetal
    position. He remained silent, motionless. She drifted off. He
    sighed in relief. Now, he would wait to see if her mind
    survived the ordeal with the dragon’s fire. He rested his head
    against the back of the chair and closed his eyes.
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Chapter Six
    Quiet footsteps approached the bed. Seren opened her
    eyes. Paladin stood over her, blocking the rest of room. The
    beauty of his face took her breath away. She stretched.
    Sensitive muscles screamed silent messages throughout her
    entire body, forcing a gasp to escape.
    “Careful. You have been sore ill,” he said, taking her
    hand.
    She stared at him while she tried to bring the pain under
    control. “What happened to me?”
    Before he could answer, memories of the drac at the
    window rushed forward—the burning agony, her flight from
    the room, her need to find him. He would help her. Only
    him.
    “The babe,” he murmured.
    At his soft comment, a sharp flash of fear shot across her
    chest followed by a wave of grief. She frowned, her hands
    moving to cover her abdomen. “I lost it?”
    “No, our son lives. He helped save your life.”
    She studied him for several moments, trying to
    understand what he meant. A slow dull pounding set up
    behind her eyes, against the back of her head and radiated
    down her neck. Right now, she didn’t want to hear an in
    depth discussion on the baby’s abilities. She wanted to find
    out what put her flat on her back with so many aches she was
    afraid to move. “That beast—the dragon—did something to
    me when it came to the window. It cried out. I felt like a fire
    was cooking me from the inside out.”
    Paladin nodded and eased onto the bed next to her. “He
    called out to our son. In turn, the babe responded.”
    “By trying to kill his mother?”
    “That was not his intention. If you die then he dies. No,
    instinct caused him to answer the drac’s call.” He leaned
    toward her, and his hand brushed across her brow. “I am
    thankful you are whole.”
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    She stared at him for a long time. “Me too. I want to go
    home”
    “I’ll not have your death on my conscience.”
    She grunted and shook her head. “If carrying your child is
    going to cause me this much pain, then why did you touch
    me?”
    A sad, mischievous smile flittered over his lips.
    “Uncontrollable passion?”
    Another grunt and shake of her head. “I’m to blame too.”
    He brushed a finger over her lower lip. “You came to me
    so I might help you. Why? That is the reason you went above
    when the pain began. To find me. You knew I would help
    you?” His eyes held a spark of wonder. The light dwindled
    after a moment. He continued, a gentle smile returning to his
    lips. “You do need me.”
    His soft words evoked a rush of heat up her neck to her
    face. How