He turned and gently pulled her down the short hallway toward the bedroom. “I am certain of it.”
“And you will actually help me learn to fly? Because I never got to fly very much. My brothers used to carry me so that I could feel what it was like, but I was too young to do much on my own.”
Apollo stopped at the bed. “It would be an honor to help you, Maya. I saw what kind of dragon you are, and I am eager to see what you can do.”
Maya stood still as he motioned to the bed. “What kind of dragon am I?”
“A lunar dragon. It has long been said that your kind is extinct. Apparently, everyone is wrong.”
“Then how do you know that’s what I am if there aren’t any more?”
“Pictures. My daughter has picture books of all kinds of dragon shifters, and you are one of her favorite kinds.”
Maya gave him a look of suspicion without any anger. “So you are willing to help me to make your daughter happy, huh?”
“Would it be horrible for me to say that I would like to see both of you happy?”
Maya frowned, unsure how to respond.
Chapter 8
In His Hands
As Maya stood there trying to figure out how to respond, Apollo gently took her elbow. “Go ahead and lie down. It will be easier for the magic to work when you are resting.”
“Oh, okay.” Instead of lying down, though, Maya started unbuttoning her shirt.
She had several buttons undone when Apollo asked, “What are you doing?”
“You should have access to the scar, right?”
“I can just lift your shirt. You don’t need to strip.”
Maya was just finishing unbuttoning her blouse as he spoke. Pulling her arms through the sleeves, she lay down on the bed. “I don’t mind. That thing was uncomfortable anyway.”
Apollo’s face was a little pink, and he seemed to have a difficult time looking at her. “I don’t … usually people don’t strip.”
Maya turned her head on the pillow. “Isn’t it easier to work without the fabric in the way?”
“Well, sure, I imagine that will help, but ….” he swallowed.
Maya turned to face the ceiling, then closed her eyes. “Just let me know what you need me to do.”
Apollo’s voice sounded a little tense, but she could hear him moving around beside the bed. “Right now, just relax. I need to focus,” then he said under his breath so that she could barely hear him, “which is going to be more of a challenge than I was anticipating.”
As much as Maya wanted to ask what he meant, she was quickly distracted as she felt his hands on her stomach. His touch was light and warm. Every so often, he would press on different places, but for the most part, his fingers seemed to follow the scar, working around the edges of the tissue. To her surprise, she enjoyed the feel of his healing magic, soft andpleasant as it spread out from his touch. She let out a low moan, her eyes still closed as a dull ache faded under the healer’s fingers, then said, “That feels really good. Is all healing magic like this?”
Apollo’s response was delayed, but he finally replied, “No. My magic is not like the others. It’s not nearly as potent as Noel’s, who has been doing all kinds of experimental work to find solutions no one has ever considered. And it is much more focused than Cosmo’s, which makes him instrumental when there are multiple patients. Mine tends to need to be trained on a single person, and it is much more traditional.”
“So there are different ways to heal people?”
“Yes. Like each wedding, every patient’s—or client’s—needs and reactions are different. A single healer can only be so effective. The more healers we have, the easier it is to find the right way of treating a patient. Kind of like …” he cleared his throat as his hands reached the top of the scar, just under her ribs, “you have many vendors, and you will almost never use one vendor for all of the weddings you plan. You may have one you tend to use, such as a baker or florist, but sometimes a client will have very unique tastes or needs. For them, you will find a different vendor who can accommodate the request.”
The room fell silent as Maya considered his words.
After a while, he removed his hands. “I’ve done some initial work, but I’ll need at least a week to repair much of the damage.”
Maya opened her eyes and looked up at him. “Do you mean that in a week, I may be able to shift into a dragon?”
