Chapter Seven
Valen handed Evette the last s’more and reached across the fire to wipe melted marshmallow off her chin. He stuck the sweet concoction into his mouth and smacked his lips in appreciation. It held the faint essence of Evette’s taste, and his mouth watered for more. It wasn’t to be. She was human and his boss, both deterrents to a future for them, and Evette deserved someone special.
He occupied himself by doubling the blankets to make a thick padding to put under her sleeping bag. He tossed the trash into the fire and crawled into his own bag, zipping it closed. The temptation was locked away with the sound of the zipper. He could hear Evette get settled into hers but neither spoke a word. He laid awake, staring at the stars, until he knew she was sleeping. Only then, did he allow himself to doze off.
Sunrise had brought them both awake and ready to go home. Valen could feel the tension in the air. Last night’s attraction was pushed aside as if it had never occurred.
“I need to get to the apothecary. We open at 10, and there’s no one except me to open today. It’s your day off, right?”
Valen felt like ice water had been poured over his head. Her curt tone chilled him to his bones. “Yes, it’s my day off. I’ve got to have the four-wheelers turned in by 10 as well, but if you want help at the shop, I can come by this afternoon.”
“No, there’s someone scheduled for noon. We’ll be okay, so enjoy the day while you can. Next week, you’re going to be working harder. I’ve decided to train you in making the tinctures.”
Valen was surprised by the announcement. It was what he wanted, but he hadn’t expected her to agree. It took a little of the cold off his heart. She trusted him and that was worth a lot.
The ride into town was rushed. Valen dropped Evette at her home to shower and change for work. He turned in the four-wheelers, then went to take his own shower. He had a more urgent need he had to take care of. He was going back to the mountains where he could be alone. Last night’s sudden spasms had made him aware that he shouldn’t wait any longer to release the dragon. When darkness fell again, he would be ready.
Wearing faded jeans, a t-shirt, and hiking boots, Valen climbed twice as high as the previous night. He made sure he was in a sheltered clearing, surrounded by tall trees, and out of sight of curious eyes, before he stripped off his clothes, including the collar that helped to control the dragon in him. He was anxious and excited to make the change. It had been far too long, and he was shaking as he piled his clothes by a tree. In the center of the clearing, he looked up at the stars, allowing the sky to invade his body. He began to tremble, falling forward on all fours. His neck elongated as scales covered his body. Within seconds, a dragon stood where a man had once been.
His coloring matched the vast deserts in Arizona, a soft yellow and tan that would camouflage him if necessary. Fire shot from his snout, and a mighty roar shook the trees. Valen was a magnificent specimen of the mystical creature. His wingspan covered the clearing. Unable to deny his birthright, he rose into the sky, soaring above the trees. He sailed on the air currents and played among the clouds until sunrise. Then, he floated to the ground and landed in the exact spot where he had left his clothes. Exhaustion and exaltation were the only emotions that concerned him at the moment. He had fulfilled a long-awaited need.
He allowed the dragon to dissolve, leaving a mere man in its stead. He crawled to the cover of the trees and collapsed onto his clothes. Hopefully, no hiker would come upon the naked man as he slept. Valen would have some explaining to do and he was simply too tired to come up with a plausible explanation.
Monday came quickly, and with it, a sense of renewed invigoration. Valen was in full control of his senses once more. He was eager to learn from Evette if she hadn’t changed her mind over the weekend. He arrived at the apothecary bright and early, but she had still beaten him there. Where she found the strength to go on each day, he didn’t understand. It had to be sheer will and determination because her illness made her body betray her at every turn.
*****
Evette swung around when the bell over the door tinkled. Her insides gave a little jerk when Valen walked in. She had replayed their kiss in her mind all weekend and hoped it would become a mundane thought, but the handsome man’s presence reinvigorated the feeling of desire. “It’s about time. I thought you had decided you couldn’t handle the pressure of learning all I know and were going to disappear.”
“Ha-ha, you think you’re so funny. I’m actually early, and believe me, I can handle you just fine,” Valen retorted. His eyes flamed and assured her that he meant it exactly the way she was thinking.
Evette blushed, but held her ground. “The store’s all yours,” she told the young girl at the register. “If someone comes in who you can’t help, let me know. We’ll be downstairs making tinctures.”
Evette gathered herbs, oils, and powders while she sent Valen to get a box of empty bottles. Soon they were busy, up to their armpits in steaming concoctions. The smells were intriguing, some nasty, but most quite pleasant. She taught Valen to grind the herbs into a powder form and which ones to mix with the oils. Others went into bags for teas that would ease arthritis pain. She explained each step carefully so that he could absorb the information without a problem. On the rare occasion that he had a question, she came to a full stop and showed him the correct way, rather than lecture him.
They were interrupted several times by customers who had special needs. Whenever that happened, Evette would give Valen a task to perform on his own, such as attaching labels or storing leftover ingredients. They worked well together, and she was sure that she had made the correct choice in an apprentice.
By the end of the day, the shelves were full, and the basement was clean. Evette relieved the cashier and sent her home, thanking her profusely for running the shop so well.
She was closing down the register when someone tapped on the window. Kathy’s face stared at her through the panes with a cheeky grin. Evette used the last of her energy to cross the room and unlock the door.
“Oh dear, you’re so pale.” Kathy helped her to a chair and admonished, “You need to take more breaks. Your condition means you’re not invincible like you’ve always pretended to be. Why are you here alone? Don’t you make enough to schedule help? I thought your shop was the go-to place for everyone.”
“It is, and I haven’t been alone. One of my employees just left, and Valen’s in the back. I can’t work by myself anymore, you know that. Someone has to be available to take over or at least call for help when I have a spell. It’s irritating to feel so helpless. I hate being coddled, besides I’m fine. I just need to eat and rest, both of which I can do if you’ll let me leave.”
Kathy put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. “Stubbornness is unbecoming to you. No one’s coddling you. We’re offering assistance if you need it, that’s all. I came here to be nice, not fight. I’ve got lasagna in the oven. I thought you might like to come over for dinner. We’ve got stuff to make sundaes for dessert. You know you can’t resist.”
“If you made your famous whipped cream, I’m all for it. Let me tell Valen to leave, and I’ll follow you.”
“No need,” Kathy glanced behind her and announced, “Valen, you can drive her, can’t you? I’m inviting you to dinner as well, and don’t bother arguing. I won’t take no for an answer. In fact, I demand that you join us.”
Evette tried desperately to get Kathy’s attention and tell her to rescind the invitation, but her sister chose to ignore her. For some reason, she was determined to keep shoving Valen at her, though she was well aware of Evette’s illness and the fact that she didn’t wish to burden anyone with it. This was especially true of any man. Her condition would deteriorate, and he would be left with a shell of a woman unless she found a cure.
“I guess I’m the designated driver. I hope your sister is a good cook because I’m starving. Hey, are you okay?” Valen saw Evette sit down with a plunk. She had gone stark white.
“I’ll be fine in a minute. I need to eat and rest. I was so thrilled with how fast you were catching on, I overdid it.”
“I’ll lock up.” Valen scooped her up into his arms and carried her to his truck, where he sat her gingerly in the seat. “Sit still, and I’ll be back in a flash. I won’t forget your bag and I’ll set the alarm.”
*****
Valen managed to push the doorbell at Kathy’s with his pinky while cradling Evette in his arms. The door was answered by Kathy and her kids were peeking around her legs. He gave them all a reassuring smile, but Kathy continued to frown.
“Take her to the couch. I’ll bring her a glass of herbal tea. This must stop. She can’t keep letting herself get into this condition or they’ll shove her in some ridiculous care facility. Maybe you can talk some sense into her. She doesn’t listen to me. The natural potions aren’t helping; she needs something more.” Kathy placed her hand on her big, pregnant belly. “I want her around and active for this baby, just like the others.”
“She’s upset, and it’s not good for the baby. Go talk to her. I know this is too much for you, as you’re just my apprentice, but I really can’t deal with it right now. I promise to back off after tonight and not make you a part of this mess. You certainly didn’t expect it when you applied for the job.”
Valen didn’t argue. It wasn’t worth the debate. For a dragon prince, he was being ordered around a lot by females. It was beginning to get humiliating. He was used to making demands of females and having his every wish granted by them. How low he had dropped in the scheme of things.
“She sent you to settle me down, didn’t she?” Kathy asked. “She worries too much about me and not enough about herself. Has she been seizure free, or is she hiding it from me? You see her more than I do.”
“To my knowledge, she hasn’t had a seizure in the last few days. She did great at the concert. I was surprised. I don’t know much about her disease, but I can tell by the way you both act that it’s severe. I do the best I can to watch out for her. She’s dedicated to that shop. Her work is what keeps her going. Is she going to get better someday?” Valen had his doubts, but he felt it necessary to ask.
“It’s a difficult illness, at best,” Kathy explained quietly. “I don’t think I’m capable of giving you the ins and outs of it. You should look it up. There’s tons of information on it, but no cure. She’s going to have to deal with it for the rest of her life, and it’s up to her how well she tolerates it. She fights the doctors at every turn because she wants to keep the treatments confined to natural medicines. As you’ve seen, they aren’t doing the job.”
“How else can I be of help?”
“Take as much responsibility at the apothecary as she’ll allow. I know we’ve sort of tossed you into the fire without a way out, and I’m so sorry. You’ve been a godsend since the very first day. She trusts you, so do I.” Kathy brushed a stray tear from her eye and continued. “Thank you for watching over her and taking her to the hospital. I can’t be everywhere at once. The other employees are oblivious to her condition, and that’s exactly how she wants it. I was wondering if you had real feelings for Evette. Do you see your relationship going into something deeper?”
“To tell you the truth, I don’t have any idea where this is going. I don’t do relationships, only brief encounters. However, there’s a connection with Evette that I can’t deny. What it is, would be anyone’s guess. I like the way she fights for her rights, the strength of character she shows. You do it too. This sense of family is not what I’m used to. I’m having difficulty adjusting to the change in thinking.”
Kathy sighed and handed him Evette’s tea. “It’s none of my business, I know. It’s just that she seems to like you, and I do too. You handle her situation matter of factly, and there’s no drama. A part of me wants you to fall for each other, but I’m torn. She’s so sick and her future is uncertain. She hates being a burden, and I don’t want you to get hurt in all this.”
“I can take it. Don’t I look tough to you? You’ve got enough to deal with, being pregnant and raising two other kids, who are the most well-behaved children I’ve encountered. You’re a great mom and an excellent sister. I can handle myself.” Valen hoped he was right. Evette was getting under his skin and that was a problem he needed to deal with quickly.
Valen left Kathy putting the lasagna in the oven and carried the herbal tea to Evette only to discover she had fallen asleep. Curled on the sofa, with an afghan over her legs, she reminded him of a child. Her face was the most peaceful he had ever seen it and her cheeks were pink from the warmth of the covering. He sat the tea on a coaster, rather than waking her up. He hoped the nap would bring her relief and ease her constant pain.