but she would have to get closer to inspect it fully. That could wait until later.
He lay there, limp under her steady hold. The tip of his tail flipping back and forth was the only suggestion he might still be upset. “If I turn you lose, will you behave yourself?”
The dragon rumbled softly.
“Words,” Kara insisted. “You have them, use them. I will understand.”
It took the dragon a moment, but it rumbled a very guttural yes.
“Very well.” Slowly, Kara eased off the dragon’s chin and frill.
It lay there for a moment before carefully rolling over, catching Kara in one big, glassy eye to study her.
“I’m sorry about that,” Kara said as she shifted around to sit more comfortably on the damp floor. She tugged at her skirt, trying to get it into a more decent position. When she saw it wasn’t going to go, she gave up and turned her attention fully to her new patient. “You want to try this again from the beginning?” she asked, giving him a soft smile.
The dragon just stared at her.
Amusement curled up the corner of her mouth, and she let out a soft laugh. “Well, I think we should.” She cleared her throat, trying to make herself seem more professional. “My name is Kara Rose, and Daniel called me to come help. I’m a counselor.”
A doubtful look crossed the dragon’s face.
Kara smiled at him. “I’m not going to claim to know what you’ve been through or try to understand your situation.” She paused and studied the dragon for a moment before continuing. “Daniel has given me an idea of what happened, and I don’t think anyone could really understand what you’ve gone through. But I’m here to help you connect with your human half.”
The dragon rumbled softly.
Kara snickered in reply. “Well, I’m here to help you connect with Noah.”
“Mine!” the dragon growled and recoiled from her.
“Easy there,” Kara said as she held out her hands, trying to soothe the beast. “No one’s going to take him away from you.”
The dragon relaxed back into his resting position.
“Noah’s got a lot of friends who are worried about him. They just want to make sure he’s all right,” Kara explained. She considered the dragon’s posture for a moment. He was relaxed and showing no signs of the aggression he’d had a few moments ago. That was a good sign. “He is all right, isn’t he?”
The dragon blinked but didn’t answer.
A note of dread crept into Kara’s heart. She didn’t like the fact that the dragon couldn’t tell her if Noah was okay. “Can I speak with him?”
Pain colored the dragon’s dark eyes. “Lost!” it moaned and rolled its head away from Kara.
The note of despair in the creature’s voice broke Kara’s heart. She shifted over so she was right next to his head. “Come here.” She pulled his head into her lap. “If Noah were truly lost, you wouldn’t be here.” She ran her fingers over his warm scales, comforting him. “It’s a proven fact that it takes two parts for a dragon to survive. He’s in there—we just have to find him.”
The dragon blinked, considering her words. “Truly?”
“Truly,” Kara answered back. “And we will find him. Together.”
The dragon rolled his head over and pressed it into her middle.
Letting out a sigh, Kara held his head. Usually, she didn’t let her patients get this physical, but this was by far the worst case of separation she had ever seen. Normally, it only took a little convincing to get the dragon to back down and let the human half out. She had never seen a case where the dragon couldn’t reach their other side at all.
“Scared,” he rumbled.
Kara squeezed him tighter. “It will be all right,” she soothed him. After a moment, she released him and pushed him back so she could look in his face. “But first we have to figure out what to call you. You aren’t Raven anymore, and you aren’t Noah.” She paused as she thought about it. “What would you like to be called?”
The dragon
He lay there, limp under her steady hold. The tip of his tail flipping back and forth was the only suggestion he might still be upset. “If I turn you lose, will you behave yourself?”
The dragon rumbled softly.
“Words,” Kara insisted. “You have them, use them. I will understand.”
It took the dragon a moment, but it rumbled a very guttural yes.
“Very well.” Slowly, Kara eased off the dragon’s chin and frill.
It lay there for a moment before carefully rolling over, catching Kara in one big, glassy eye to study her.
“I’m sorry about that,” Kara said as she shifted around to sit more comfortably on the damp floor. She tugged at her skirt, trying to get it into a more decent position. When she saw it wasn’t going to go, she gave up and turned her attention fully to her new patient. “You want to try this again from the beginning?” she asked, giving him a soft smile.
The dragon just stared at her.
Amusement curled up the corner of her mouth, and she let out a soft laugh. “Well, I think we should.” She cleared her throat, trying to make herself seem more professional. “My name is Kara Rose, and Daniel called me to come help. I’m a counselor.”
A doubtful look crossed the dragon’s face.
Kara smiled at him. “I’m not going to claim to know what you’ve been through or try to understand your situation.” She paused and studied the dragon for a moment before continuing. “Daniel has given me an idea of what happened, and I don’t think anyone could really understand what you’ve gone through. But I’m here to help you connect with your human half.”
The dragon rumbled softly.
Kara snickered in reply. “Well, I’m here to help you connect with Noah.”
“Mine!” the dragon growled and recoiled from her.
“Easy there,” Kara said as she held out her hands, trying to soothe the beast. “No one’s going to take him away from you.”
The dragon relaxed back into his resting position.
“Noah’s got a lot of friends who are worried about him. They just want to make sure he’s all right,” Kara explained. She considered the dragon’s posture for a moment. He was relaxed and showing no signs of the aggression he’d had a few moments ago. That was a good sign. “He is all right, isn’t he?”
The dragon blinked but didn’t answer.
A note of dread crept into Kara’s heart. She didn’t like the fact that the dragon couldn’t tell her if Noah was okay. “Can I speak with him?”
Pain colored the dragon’s dark eyes. “Lost!” it moaned and rolled its head away from Kara.
The note of despair in the creature’s voice broke Kara’s heart. She shifted over so she was right next to his head. “Come here.” She pulled his head into her lap. “If Noah were truly lost, you wouldn’t be here.” She ran her fingers over his warm scales, comforting him. “It’s a proven fact that it takes two parts for a dragon to survive. He’s in there—we just have to find him.”
The dragon blinked, considering her words. “Truly?”
“Truly,” Kara answered back. “And we will find him. Together.”
The dragon rolled his head over and pressed it into her middle.
Letting out a sigh, Kara held his head. Usually, she didn’t let her patients get this physical, but this was by far the worst case of separation she had ever seen. Normally, it only took a little convincing to get the dragon to back down and let the human half out. She had never seen a case where the dragon couldn’t reach their other side at all.
“Scared,” he rumbled.
Kara squeezed him tighter. “It will be all right,” she soothed him. After a moment, she released him and pushed him back so she could look in his face. “But first we have to figure out what to call you. You aren’t Raven anymore, and you aren’t Noah.” She paused as she thought about it. “What would you like to be called?”
The dragon
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