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The teen kicked his feet. “Yeah. I don’t have a lot of options of what to do next. Do I?”
Only the sound of rustling clothing filled the room. “You’ve still got time. Just remember, I have, not just your best interests at heart, but all dragon shifters.”
“Yeah,” the teen said. “Jason said you keep him busy.”
“I do. He has a good life.” Doctor Raba answered. “Now, I’ve got a few more stretches for your jaw.” The doctor suggested he explore his magic to see if power gave him any relief before wishing him a good day and sending him off.
Another teen replaced the first, followed by a tween, and then a girl who couldn’t be in the double digits yet. I listened. My picture of an evil doctor in league with some powerful force to kidnap me, dying on the vine. Doctor Raba didn’t have an overly tender bedside manner, but he listened and offered advice as he checked on each kid. And only checked on each kid as far as I could tell.
“Doctor Raba!” I recognized Aria’s excited voice as she bounced into the room, her prosthetic leg bent with each step.
“My little Aria,” Doctor Raba said. “Already outgrowing your leg and arm, I see.”
Aria climbed onto the table. “I tried on Megan’s in the hall. She needs a new one, too.”
“Of course you did.” Doctor Raba sighed, and I swore I heard him ruffle her hair. “I’ll get you measured up. How was your week?”
“Month,” Aria stressed. “And it was A-MAZ-Zing!” Her legs kicked a million miles an hour from where they dangled above me. “Can I tell you a secret?”
I willed Aria to keep her mouth shut.
“There’s another human mage here,” Aria said.
Anger flushed through my system. That was our secret. Except she was a teenage girl and she trusted the doctor more than me. It wasn’t Aria’s fault, but if he hadn’t figured out I was a mage, he had all the confirmation he needed.
Shit.
Shit.
Aria’s legs stilled. “Do you think she can fix us?”
My heart missed a beat. Sister Abby telling me nothing was wrong with me echoed in my head. I fought my useless body, desperate to tell Aria the same. She wasn’t broken, and if this doctor made her feel like anything other than perfect, he deserved everything I would give him as soon as I had control of my body.
“There’s nothing to fix,” Doctor Raba said.
My brain exploded. What the fuck? Was this guy evil or not?
“Then why do you take our scales and our blood?” Aria asked.
I thrashed against the drugs keeping me incapacitated, though not even a muscle flinched. The doctor took their scales and blood. Giving even a dud of a mage tools like that was unbelievable. With someone’s essence, I could control their very thoughts, identify every blood relation, and bend any one ofthem to my will! There were books of spells on blood magic, most of them rooted in evil.
Someone could change your memories.
I froze…well my thoughts did.
My memories.
“Because you’re different.” Doctor Raba continued. “You and all your friends are special. I want to know why and guide you to a better future.” He stepped back. “Now, does this human mage have a name?”
“Jay,” Aria said. “She’s really nice, but when she did fire magic, she put her finger over her lips.” Aria crossed her ankles. “It was supposed to be our secret. Don’t tell anyone?”
“It’s okay,” Doctor Raba stepped forward. I saw his toe indent my hip, but I didn’t feel it. “You can trust me. You canalwaystrust me. Now go back to class. I’ll see you soon.”
Aria jumped off the table, and the doctor walked her to the door, telling the waiting kids he needed a break. I watched his feet shuffle around before he knelt where he’d left my invisible body. He leaned over me with eye drops and moistened my eyes before closing my lids.
“I don’t know why you came here,” he said too calmly. “But I won’t let you complete your objective.”
What is my objective?I wanted to scream at him, but I couldn’t.
