Mandragora, Dragon's bane, You have no power here.

This child of light, this mortal true, This witchling is too dear.

You must not take her from this life, Your power I disclaim.

Poison vanish, leave this realm, Return from whence you came.

To your sender be you bane.

TO YOUR SENDER BE YOU BANE.

L'sira's eyes glowed golden, then faded to sky-blue. Her golden scales flashed brightly in the candle light, then they too grew dim, as she reverted to human shape, her eyes never

leaving Tempest's face. Her hands wove intricate patterns in the air as she chanted softly.

A dark, amorphous silhouette struggled free of Tempest's inert body. It rose, growing distinct, becoming first human, then dragon. It made no sound as it rose higher and higher then vanished.

Color flooded Tempest's cheeks as the healing began. She opened her eyes and looked at Lysira. Just for a moment she knew, she understood. "You are L'sira," she whispered, wonder in her eyes.

"Aye, Child," Lysira answered. "You name me true."

"A'dryan is my true intended."

"Aye."

Tempest closed her eyes and fell into a deep, restful slumber.

"Mother?" Adrian spoke for the first time. "She knows who I am?" Hope blossomed in his heart. If Tempest truly knew who and what he was, she could help him remember. She could help him again become dragon. Tempest would be his salvation, his mate.

"She has always known who you are in her soul, A'dryan.

She will remember what we have done this night only as a dream. But 'tis too soon for her to know all."

"But why? I know. I can tell her the truth."

"Nay. Tell her nothing of what you have recalled. She needs must discover the truth herself."

"Why?" he repeated, puzzled, wanting Tempest to help him out of this nightmare that his life had become.

"So many questions," she smiled at him and touched his cheek. "You have ever been full of questions. Trust in me, A'dryan. Do as I say."

"Aye, Mother," he said unhappily. "But 'twould be much easier if I just told her everything."

"I know, dearling, but life is not meant to be easy."

"'Tis something I have been learning lately," he muttered.

"I must go now, A'dryan," she said, looking out the narrow window. "The sky grows light with the coming dawn." Her body began to fade.

"Mother, wait!" There was panic in his deep voice. "Where can I find you if the need arises?"

Her words came softly with the morning light. "In the forest. You know where. Come to Ravensnest when you need me."

Adrian was tired of the questions. First Miriam had asked what he had done to heal Tempest-then Wendall. Even Christiana had asked, but he could not and would not answer them. He knew they would never believe that she had been healed by a golden dragon-a dragon he called Mother.

He spent the early morning pacing the great hall. When the morning meal was served he left the castle, too agitated by his returned memories to eat.

He found no solace in the garden and left the castle by the postern gate, heading into the forest. "I will find the tree where Tempest found me," he thought. "Mayhap there I will find a clue to the last days before my memory loss."

But when he reached the tree, he found nothing. Snow covered the area, and the footprints of animals littered the ground. Whatever had been there had been obliterated by the time he arrived.

He faced the tall tree. "I am a dragon," he proclaimed, raising his arms. "I am also addlepated," he added as he lowered his arms. "If I am truly a dragon, why am I in human form, standing here talking to a sleeping tree? Awaken tree and tell me how to become a dragon." He knew the tree would not answer, but he was at a loss as to his next step.

He stared at his hand intently, willing it to change. "Just one claw," he muttered. "A great big claw. Here, on my hand.

Right at the end of my finger." Nothing happened. "Well then, a little claw?" Nothing happened.

He closed his eyes tightly, trying to visualize himself as a dragon. He tried to make his body larger, to change his hands into talons, to grow a long tail, but did not feel any different.

Breath. Dragons breathe fire, he thought as he inhaled deeply and held it. He blew. Hard. He opened his eyes, expecting to see the huge oak in flames. The tree stood unscathed and silent.

But Adrian would not surrender to one small failure. Again he closed his eyes. Again he visualized himself as a huge golden dragon. He concentrated. He held his breath and prepared to incinerate the leafless oak tree with a huge blast of fire...and felt a sharp pain in his leg. 'Tis working! he thought excitedly.

I will soon be a dragon again! He felt another pain, higher this time. The needle-sharp pains inched slowly up his leg.

When the pain reached his manhood, he screamed and opened his eyes.

He looked down at his body-his human body. His eyes swam from the pain in his nether regions, his stomach lurched.

He swallowed hard as the nausea hit.

A tiny cry came from the center of his pain. He rubbed his eyes and looked down again-into sea-foam green eyes. Eyes the color of his beloved. A black kitten encased those green eyes, bedraggled, wet and miserable looking.

"You are really hurting me," Adrian groaned. He reached down and carefully unhooked the tiny, sharp claws from his hose and the tender skin beneath. He lifted the kitten to his face. It struggled feebly then grew still, watching him warily.

Holding the kitten in one hand, he reached the other hand down to gingerly ma.s.sage his stinging groin.

"I think I am dying," he groaned again. "If I were a dragon right now I would probably eat you." The kitten hung limply in his big hand and stared at him.

"Well, do you show me no fear?" The kitten's eyes blinked, and then it meowed.

Adrian immediately felt remorse at his threat. This was the tiniest creature he had ever seen. "You would probably be stringy anyway," he grumped. "You feel like a little, furry bag of bones." The kitten shivered and meowed again, weaker this time.

"Are you cold?" He tucked the wet animal under his cloak, held it close to his body for a moment, then opened his cape and peeked at it. It was curled in the crook of his arm and, as he watched and held it closer, it began to purr loudly.

He smiled broadly as Tempest's face floated into his mind.

"Tempest will know what to do with you. She knows

everything," he explained to the kitten. "Except the fact that I am a dragon, even if I cannot change back to one," he added as he trudged morosely through the thick forest back to Windhaven cradling gently in his strong arms the tiny, purring bundle . The snow drifted softly earthward from the gray skies above.

Tempest was alone in her room when Adrian entered, his cloak dripping melted snow onto the rush mat.

She looked at him and smiled. "Adrian," she said, "I missed you. Where have you been?"

"I miss you always when we are apart, little witch," he said, walking carefully to the bed. "I have been in the great forest. I went to your tree."

"You were able to find it? You were hurt so badly, I thought you would not remember anything about that day."

"I remember many things about that day." He grinned hugely and came to stand beside the bed. "I remember being naked and lying on top of you."

"Adrian," she exclaimed, blushing deeply. "A maiden must not be reminded of such things!" Then she giggled.

"Why not?" His eyes fairly sparkled with mirth. "'Twas a most pleasant experience, and I recall it often."

"Why are you still wearing your cloak?" She chose to ignore his last statement. "Are you cold?"

"Nay. I did not want anyone to see what is beneath it."

"What have you been up to now?"

"I found this wild creature in the forest," he answered.

"But it seems to feel poorly."

"What kind of animal?" she asked cautiously. "Let me see it."

" 'Tis a very dangerous animal," he said gravely, ignoring her demand. "It hurt me!"

"Where?" Tempest was worried. "Show me where it hurt you."

It was Adrian's turn to blush. Tempest was amazed when his face turned a bright scarlet. "Adrian, come here and let me feel your head. You look feverish of a sudden."

"Nay, 'tis too warm in here." He busied himself with the difficult, one-handed task of unfastening the broach holding his cloak together. He finally succeeded and let the long, black woolen cape fall in a wet heap around his feet.

Tempest noted absently that his feet were bare.

"Honestly, Adrian, you must learn to wear boots. You will catch your death running around outside with bare feet."

"Boots hurt," he complained. "Are you at all interested in seeing this monster?" He looked pointedly at the crook of his arm. A tiny, black head peered around the folds of his voluminous, light blue linen shirt sleeve and yawned.

"A kitten! Oh my, let me have her!"

" 'Tis a male cat, little one. I believe he will be insulted if you call him female."

"And just how do you know 'tis a male?" she asked with a smile. "'Tis nearly impossible to tell if a kitten is male or female."

"I know," he replied smugly. "We males recognize each other no matter what shape we wear."

Tempest giggled. "Well, I don't care if 'tis a boy or girl.

Just give it to me!"

As he handed her the kitten, he noted it did not look as bedraggled as it had when it was climbing valiantly up his leg, almost destroying his manhood in the process. He winced as he recalled the pain.

He sat on the bed and watched Tempest as she exclaimed delightedly. "I have never been given such a wonderful gift.

Thank you, Adrian." Her eyes glowed brightly as she laid the kitten gently on the bed, wound her arms around his neck and soundly kissed him on the lips.

The kiss created unexpected results. Adrian clutched her against his hard body, his tongue probing her lips, seeking entrance. When she opened her mouth he thrust deeply, exploring, touching, tasting her sweetness. His manhood hardened painfully. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anything in his life. He needed to be inside her, to feel her softness beneath his powerful body, to take her finally and forever as his mate. She would be his first and last. He had

waited long for her.

Tempest's head reeled. Her body tingled, and heat radiated from her lips to the deepest part of her, to that secret place, never spoken of, never touched. She ached. She yearned. She felt like her body would explode into flames if she could not quench the raging fires burning within her. Alarmed, she pulled away from that hot, wild kiss and looked into cobalt eyes.

"Tempest," he panted as he unwound her arms from his neck and laid her hand upon his hardness.

She looked down at her hand. She ran her fingers gently down the long length of his erection. She wanted to feel his skin, the heat of it radiated through the heavy wool he wore.

She reached for the tie of his breeches.

The kitten yowled loudly, and they both jumped. Sharp claws reached for his manhood, and Adrian leaped from the bed.

"Not again," he growled. "Never again will you attack that which can promise such pleasure. Monster! I should have eaten you when I first found you!"

Tempest giggled. The tension broken, her laughter burst free to dance merrily around the room. "Monster!" Tempest exclaimed, between bursts of merriment. "Now I understand."

She held the kitten up to her face, looking into its green eyes.

"You must be careful, Monster, or the big, bad man will eat you!" She fell back against the huge bolsters on the bed, helpless as mirth rolled over her.

Adrian smiled in spite of himself as he watched her laughing. He had made her happy. He was well satisfied. His pa.s.sion fled, replaced with a quiet contentment.