Chapter 34 #2
“Or you could finish that sentence and end the argument, and then I’ll take over.”
I grinned. “I’m only going to be embarrassed if I’m caught dead in mismatched or dirty panties, Yuless.
Didn’t I warn you I sometimes have issues with near death experiences?
” Careful not to hurt the little one, I lifted him up and showed him to my fiancé.
“I had an errand to run, and he was hiding in the boundary. It was time for him to come back into the light, and apparently, that’s a hedge witch thing.
If it makes you feel better, blame Lucifer. ”
“Hey,” the Devil complained.
Yuless’s eyes widened, and he regarded the sleeping dragon in my hands, his face paling. “It can’t be.”
Lucifer smiled at the baby I held. “Yes, it is Wyness, brought back to life—not resurrected, mind you. It was simply time for his rebirth, and only the Universe herself can bring life to a dragon like him. But for the Universe to bring back his seed, she needed somebody who could lure him back out of the boundary. He was… frightened.”
Frightened was one way to put it. Also, I marveled at how the Devil told lies with nothing but the truth. “When I’m let out of here, I’m going to need to be pampered, because I’m probably going to have a headache for a while.”
“Only for a few days,” Lucifer assured me. “You should take him home and allow the rest of your brethren to care for him while Crystal recovers. Perhaps put him into Ashley’s care? That would fill certain holes in their union.”
I held out the tiny dragon. “This is the only dragon of punting size that will not be sent out over the lake unless he asks nicely or is old enough to be deserving of such discipline. But a hospital is not the best first experience for him. How long will he sleep for, Lucy?”
“He’ll sleep for a few more hours, and then he will want a meal.
I recommend starting him on fresh, raw food.
Stop at a butcher on the way home. Crystal needs peace and quiet to heal, and you need some time to accept that there was a purpose and a need for what happened today.
And yes, I will assume a puntable shape for you to work your nerves out on, but only after Crystal can go home to enjoy it. ”
Yuless came over, sighed, and bent down to give me a kiss. “You scared me.”
For someone like him, the confession of fear took courage.
I kissed him back before offering him the precious baby.
“I told you. When I get sick, I get really sick. Every few years, I’ll scare the liver out of you, I’ll recover, and that’ll be that.
I’ll try to limit how many times I do this, as I’ve had my fill of it for a while.
With how I’m feeling right now? I’m going to do my best to sleep it off.
I might even bargain with the Devil to receive excellent sleep while waiting for the hospital to release me.
Wyness needs you more than I do right now, and I think Lucy is right.
Ashley, Isaac, Realt, and Saurrel need him even more than you do.
Bust me out of here in the morning, assuming all goes well, and then we can get into an argument over the wedding location and the date, which will be one day after the Triple Crown ends at Saratoga. ”
Yuless raised a brow at that. “I see you have taken advantage of your time unconscious to make some decisions without me.”
“I wanted to give being the boss a try. So far, it’s nice, especially if you go along with it.”
“I’m trying to figure out how we’re going to plan a wedding during your racing season.”
At least he hadn’t called me out for blatant stupidity. “I’m not. I’m going to make Darlene, Lucifer, and anyone else I can coerce into helping us do the planning. I will show up with a pretty dress and enjoy the spoils of their war.”
Yuless eased the tiny dragon out of my hands and into his, and he let out another sigh. “Did it really take this much to bring him back, Lucifer?”
“He will not be the same Wyness you knew and loved, but Wyness’s soul is there.
It is him, in his essence, at least. He will have a sense of recognition with you and your fellow dragons, but the Universe healed the parts of him that had sent him to his grave while Crystal provided the comfort and security he required in order to be willing to leave the boundary.
” Lucifer smiled my way. “And yes, my father and I accompanied you, but Azrael and the Four Horses didn’t need our help, so we let them do what they do best. And every time you do make your way to the valley, you will always have someone with you.
” He hesitated. “Just please don’t go forward with any plans to rest, relax, and read books while there.
Azrael told you nothing but the truth: some magic and soundproofing will turn your bedroom into the only haven you need.
That is the one place Yuless cannot go, and he does not like being left behind. ”
“I really don’t.” After staring at me for a long, silent while, he focused on the baby dragon. “You have no idea how much this means to me, Crystal.”
After having learned about dragons and the fate of the little one my fiancé held with gentle hands, I could guess at Wyness’s importance.
However, I also understood there was a time for talking and a time for understanding, and he needed my quiet acceptance more than anything else.
“Go home and take Lucifer with you. I’m sure Darlene can manage things from here. ”
“No pizza,” Lucifer ordered, glaring at his wife.
“Aw, you’re not fun,” the succubus complained. “I’ll save the pizza for tomorrow when you can help break us apart when we get going.”