Page 44 of Scales ’N’ Spells: Volume Two

“What it would be like to meet another wind dragon. Are there things that I don’t know because the fire dragons simply can’t teach me? I never want to leave my family, but…are there things I don’t know about myself, things I can only learn from another wind dragon?”

“Possibly.”

“There are old stories that some wind dragons might exist within the Lost Clan, but no one has heard from them. Most of us don’t believe they even exist anymore. But if they do, I wish I could talk to another wind dragon for a little while.”

Sora’s hand drifted across Ravi’s head in a soothing caress. “So do I, Ravi. So do I.”

Two days later, Sora found himself hesitating outside Ravi’s door, heart pounding. Eagerness to see the dragon’s smiling face was at the forefront of his mind, but nerves about the next step he needed to take with all the members of the Burkhard Clan predominated.

He’d finally gotten the approval from his mother. He could come clean to all of them about his identity. Especially Ravi—and that was a weight off his shoulders. He could finally, finally be completely truthful with Ravi and no longer watch every word out of his mouth. Sora felt like crowing, he was so relieved.

Firming up his resolve and silencing his worries, Sora knocked on Ravi’s door. The dragon’s grumpy voice called out, and Sora instantly smiled. From what he’d seen of the man, he was not normally grumpy by nature, but this injury was slowing him down, and Ravi was not a slow creature.

Of course, wind dragons weren’t typically slow about anything, not that he could explain how he knew. At least, not until he’d spoken with King Alric.

Ravi’s door swung open, and the man’s face instantly brightened when he locked eyes with Sora. “There you are! I was beginning to feel like you were avoiding me!”

Sora shook his head. “Never. How are you feeling today?”

Ravi shrugged one shoulder and instantly winced. “You know that phrase, your body is a temple? Well, mine’s a federation starship with critical hull damage and shields at twenty percent.”

As he backed up, letting Sora into his room, he lifted one side of his baggy shirt to reveal white bandages wrapped around his ribs, back, and shoulders.

“Lisette was here early this morning, getting my dressings changed and new salve applied.” Ravi dropped his shirt and gave Sora a little sad look. “I thought you were going to look it over.”

His eyes darted around as if he were checking for spies before he continued in a whisper, “You have a gentler touch than Lisette.”

Closing the door behind him, Sora laughed. “I’m sorry. I slept late this morning after someone kept me up for a movie marathon.”

“D’oh!” Ravi cringed. “I guess we shouldn’t have crammed in all three original Indiana Jones movies last night.”

After dinner the previous evening, Sora had stretched out on the pillows next to Ravi in dragon form and watched the first two movies. Before starting the third, he and Lisette had checked Ravi over, finally deciding to let him shift so he could sleep in his own bed.

The change from dragon to human had been slow and clearly painful for the dragon, and Sora had hated it even as he’d been grimly aware of the necessity. He wasn’t sure who had winced more, he or Ravi, during the whole process. But leaving after Ravi was back in human form, bones aching and exhausted, had not sat well with him, which was why Sora had readily agreed to watch the third movie with Ravi in his room. Not only did he get to spend more time with the cute man, but he was able to keep an eye on him and make sure his injuries weren’t aggravated by the shift.

“When I finally got up, I discovered that Lisette had already checked on you, so I saw to our other explosion patients this morning. But if you’d like, I can look over your injuries now.”

Ravi seemed to think about it for a second before finally shaking his head, his smile a little wry. “Nah. I’m okay. Still tender in spots, but I’m healing.”

Sora chewed on his bottom lip for a second, and while he wasn’t much of a control freak, he didn’t know if he could trust the medical knowledge in this clan.

For his own sake, he asked, “Do you mind if I check you over anyway? You are, technically, my patient, and while I know Lisette has done a fabulous job, I won’t be able to relax until I see for myself that you’re okay.”

“Oh yeah! Of course!” Ravi instantly perked up and started pulling at his shirt, not caring about his injuries as he walked toward his bed.

Sora batted his hands away and took over carefully removing his shirt while Ravi sat on the edge of the mattress. As Sora had expected, Lisette had expertly wrapped Ravi this morning, and he secretly prayed she never found out that he was double-checking her work. He wasn’t trying to undermine her. It was more like he was making absolutely sure all was well.

With great care, he peeled away the new bandages to reveal mostly healed wounds and tender flesh. But there were also incredibly strong shoulders and nicely molded biceps that were tempting Sora’s fingers. He really wanted to pet and caress. He had to clench his hands several times to make them behave.

He stepped back and hurried over to the dresser where the salve they were using on Ravi was placed. “I think I’ll put on a fresh coating of salve. It’ll help ease some of your muscle ache.”

Ravi smiled up at him. “Whatever you say. You’re the hot male nurse.”

Sora smirked to himself. He couldn’t remember anyone ever flirting as outrageously with him as Ravi did. Their brief foray in dating was on hold, but he hoped that they’d be able to pick back up where they’d left off once Ravi was well again. And Sora intended to make it clear they were dating, not just assume they were both on the same page.

As he smeared some of the salve onto his hands, he whispered a word, calling up a little heat from his personal core of magic. The combination of warmth and salve would sink deep into Ravi’s muscles, removing aches and tightness. The trick was that he couldn’t apply too much pressure as he massaged Ravi.

Apparently, he found the right combination because the dragon moaned loudly and went almost completely limp under his hands. Sora silently worked his way lower, rubbing away tension while inspecting each cut and angry red area on his body. His fingers were begging him to explore other areas, places that weren’t wounded, but that would be wrong. No exploring. No more touching than necessary.