Persuading the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons 9)

Ivy did her best not to pace. While she didn't always need her forearm crutches anymore unless she was tired, she didn't want to risk tripping and having Zain order a full examination and set of tests to ensure she was fine.

Even though his overprotectiveness could be irritating at times, she smiled. He cared for her, and that made everything else worthwhile.

Although hopefully, after she showed him her work today, he might see her as more than an invalid. True, the doctors still hadn't found a way to cure her condition—poisoning someone with a kiss wasn't something to take lightly—but she believed the day would come.

After all, she'd worked so hard on her recovery, her formulas, and even helping Nate and Lucien with all the data on the thumb drive.

Two of those things might soon make it so that Stonefire could sleep a little easier at night.

Dr. Sid came up to her and placed a hand on her arm. "Maybe you should sit down until Zain gets here."

She sighed. "You of all people should know how much I hate sitting or lying still. Besides, I can stand for hours on my own now, and I'm never taking that for granted again."

Sid looked about ready to argue when a knock sounded on the door. Emily went to answer it, revealing Zain on the other side.

His gaze instantly found hers, and without thinking, she went to him. Zain put his hands on her waist as he asked, "I'm here. So what's going on?"

All she wanted to do was lean against him and revel in his heat and touch, but somehow Ivy stepped back and motioned toward where the three doctors sat around a high table. "Sit down and we'll explain."

She took his hand and guided him toward the table. He sat and tried to place her in his lap, but she shook her head. "Not right now." She murmured, "But definitely later."

Emily sighed happily, but Trahern merely studied the papers in front of him. Ivy knew the other human woman pined for the reclusive dragon doctor and wished she'd remembered that. Ivy didn't like parading what Emily didn't have right in front of her.

Pushing the thought aside, she cleared her throat. There were much bigger things to focus on right now. "Very few people know this information outside of this room, but here goes—I think I finally have a way to protect against any human drugs that can harm you."

Zain blinked. "What? You finally cracked the last part of your formula?"

Ivy nodded. "It uses human blood as one of the ingredients. Dr. Sid came up with something similar not long ago to help a dragonman on Lochguard, but this is for more than countering one specific drug. And whilst we're fairly sure it won't harm any dragon-shifters, the next step is to find volunteers to test it and make sure."

Dragon's blood could heal humans, and it was strange to think that now human blood could help protect the dragons. "Using nonscientific jargon, how is that possible?"

Emily spoke up. "Every drug so far made by the Knights focused on the differences in our dragon-shifter DNA, but they never attacked or affected humans the same way, probably as a safeguard against their own people. So by incorporating a small bit of human blood—along with some other elements to ensure your bodies don't reject it—it should protect dragon-shifters, too."

Ivy jumped in. "However, the difficult part will be in getting everyone to accept the treatment if the tests go well with the initial volunteers. Sid, Emily, and Trahern tell me that some dragon-shifters view humans like the humans inside the Knights view the dragons—as a lesser type of being, one to be scoffed at."

Zain replied, "It's true, although I don't think that's as much of a problem on Stonefire." He searched Ivy's eyes a second before asking, "But could it really be that simple?"

She shrugged. "I can't say for sure, hence the testing. Kai is secretly reaching out to trusted Protectors and asking them to volunteer for the initial trial. And whilst you're on that list, he said we could ask you in person."

Wily Kai, doing that. Zain would do almost anything Ivy asked of him. Still, he wanted to check with his dragon. Would you mind?

No, of course not. Ivy has been receiving shots of our blood for months. Why should I not want to do the same, if it can protect us against the biggest weapon the Dragon Knights have against us?

Zain grunted and spoke aloud once more. "Of course I'll do it, although I hope Kai is doing it in waves, so we're not vulnerable."

Sid answered, "Yes, we are. You and Sebastian are to be the first."

Ivy smiled. "Although you'll be the very first one."

He stood up. "Then let's get it over with."

Sid frowned. "We haven't even gone over the possible side effects yet."

He glanced at each of them in turn. "I trust everyone in this room, not only with my health but to look over Ivy, too. Am I wrong to do so?"

Sid growled. "Of course we'll bloody look over Ivy. I don't like what you imply otherwise."

Ivy placed a hand on Sid's shoulder. "It's okay. He's my mate, and you know how mated dragon males act."