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“I don’t know everything about this planet,” Sarah said softly, laying out the rest of the cakes, bowls for porridge, and glasses for spring water. “But I do know that a parent has to let go. It’s the only way you can let your child soar.”
She waited for an aggressive rebuttal, but when one didn’t come, she looked at him. Something had changed. Maybe it was the way the light slanted. But something burned in him. And it wasn’t anger.
Sarah nearly felt relieved to see it.
“Sarah, I…”
“Dad!”
Both Sarah and Kael leapt to their feet at the sound of Suki’s agonized shriek. Kael went into a full sprint following the scream while Sarah was of sound enough mind to grab the emergency kit she brought with her earlier. She ran behind Kael, who moved through the grass swiftly.
She felt like a snail trailing behind him.
“Dad, it hurts!”
Suki was on her knees, weeping uncontrollably with her hand holding onto her wrist. It was alarming, the sound of her lamenting, but so was the sight of the swollen appendage that acted as a hand on the end of her arm.
It was the color of rotting leaves and the size of a small balloon. Immediately, Sarah thought of the bumble flies Kael had mentioned.
“What happened?” Kael roared.
He was horrified at the sight of the one he loved in unimaginable pain. Sarah did what she was best at and responded with resounding comfort and resourcefulness.
“Hold her arm,” she demanded, then pulled the satchel from the harness she wore.
Her medical knowledge wasn’t completely scant, but Sarah also didn’t consider herself an ER doctor. She could do basic first aid, which was a requirement as a nanny in any stand-up organization. She had learned a bit more on her own about Drakonian anatomy before taking the position. She thought quickly and moved just as fast, retrieving the Epi-Pen from the first aid kit.
“Stick her arm out for me. Yes, her forearm, just like that, and hold it as still as you can,” she instructed Kael.
Suki wouldn’t hold still by herself, and Sarah could see why. Her arm was continuing to swell and blacken. She popped the cap off the Epi-Pen, positioned it over Suki’s still forearm, and then plunged the syringe in deep. She pushed the remedy into Suki’s veins just as fast as she pushed the tip of the needle into her skin. She waited for Suki’s cries to sharpen, but they didn’t. The swelling immediately went down like a deflated balloon, and the blackening shade distilled back to her Drakonian skin tone.
“Jesus Christ,” Sarah muttered.
“Fucking gods,” Kael muttered back.
Suki fell into Kael’s arms, shaken but safe overall. She cried into his shoulder while Sarah hunched over on her knees, needing to catch her breath from the sudden rise of adrenaline in her veins.
“Sarah.”
She lifted her head. The sun above was blaring down, making her feel hotter than ever. She met eyes with Kael, whose gratitude had softened his gaze.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
Sarah shook her head. It was all part of the job.
They took Suki back home to have a nurse look her over, and they would reschedule the picnic for another date. Suki wasn’t happy about it but eventually was distracted enough to tell a few tales about her ancestors while Sarah sat by her bedside.
Kael came in a few times to check on her. Sarah could feel his eyes on her. His appreciation was palpable.
She tried to remind herself not to read too much into it. He was just grateful for her quick thinking. She had done her job as a nanny, and he approved. That was all.
But something heated in her stomach every time he looked at her, and she found herself hoping he was searching for something more. And maybe he liked what he saw. Because she definitely knew by that point that she liked what she saw when she looked at him.
ELEVEN
KAEL
Kael was apprehensive about leaving Suki and Sarah alone the day after Suki’s allergic reaction. After she was tested, they discovered she was sensitive to bumble fly bites. It was something that neither Kael nor his late mate knew. He was beyond thankful for Sarah’s quick response. Without Sarah, he could have lost another of his most valuable treasures.
