Chereads / A Dragon & Her Yoga Teacher / Chapter 18 - Meera's secret

Chapter 18 - Meera's secret

Sabrina spent a blissful few days with Kavan, following him to his studio daily, going out to grab lunch and dinner and going on dates like a regular couple. Kavan was actually relaxing more around her and seem to enjoy her company a lot. Of course, their nights, and sometimes days, were filled with hot passion that threatened to combust with the ferocity of their mating. She had told Kavan to use protection and he had immediately agreed to it.

"I had thought a human and a dragon won't make babies but now that you tell me, I will go and stock up as much condoms as I can find," he said.

She was glad. She didn't want offsprings just yet, even if it was allowed and even if the clan had allowed her to stay with him. She might not want offsprings at all. She knew it was every dragon shapeshifter's duty to try to have as many offsprings as they can once they become of age. This is because for not every offspring will become dragons. It is like the Chinese saying that a dragon can have nine offsprings but none will turn out to be a dragon. A truer saying has never been better prophesied. Still, the thought of children is still very far from her mind. All she wanted was to spend time with Kavan. Dreamy days of waking up to him kissing her, feeding each other food and trying out new poses in his studio which ended up hot and heavy.

The several peaceful days with Kavan, like a mortal human without powers, was like a dream. A dream she never want to wake up from. A dream that was not even marred by the annoying constant appearance of Tiff Chong. The sexy widow can wiggle her pert butt however she likes but Kavan doesn't even look at her. She is no longer a threat.

Then the dreamy days burst like a giant iridescent bubble being pricked by a spectre. This particular spectre is Meera. Meera called her urgently one day.

"I need to talk to you Sabrina, can you come and meet me?"

Based on the urgent tone of her voice, Sabrina had immediately agreed. They arranged to meet after lunch when Kavan would be relaxing at home before getting ready for his next class. Meera wanted a quiet place to talk so they met at a small cafe near Kavan's studio. The cafe was not a popular one so there were barely any other patrons around.

After settling down on a table at the far corner of the cafe, Meera looked earnestly at Sabrina.

"I have cancer," she blurted out without preamble.

Sabrina was shocked. Is it even possible for a human match to get a fatal disease especially after giving birth to two possible dragon shapeshifters?

"Did you tell Dashen?"

"No, please, I don't want him to know!"

"But why Meera? I am sure he can do something about it, maybe make you immortal?"

"No, no, no! That's the exact reason why I don't want him to know!" Meera exclaimed.

Sabrina was perplexed. Why wouldn't Meera want to be immortal? She could stay with Dashen forever and watch their children grow up, become dragons - or not - and find their own mates.

"But why?" she asked.

Meera pursed her lips. She thought about it for a while then she tried to explain.

"Immortality may sound ideal but I find it too scary…imagine being alive for a long long time, all your friends die, your relatives die, everyone you ever know die out and you are still there, and you only have your husband and children with you…it will be too isolating,"

"But…you can make new friends and your children are your family," Sabrina pointed out.

Meera shook her head in frustration.

"No, you don't understand. Humans are very social creatures, we like having our own circle of friends, our own relatives no matter how annoying they are, without all that, it would be so lonely and relying only on Dashen for eternity…I can't bear it!"

Sabrina supposed she can understand a bit of what Meera meant. She spent her early years with family and among other dragon shapeshifters in the sea jade clan community. She had close friends and her parents. It was only after she was asked to serve Dashen that she had to leave them and live in the human realm.

"Okay, so you don't want to be immortal…you can still tell Dashen and maybe he can heal you?"

Meera looked at her like she suggested something ridiculous like telling her to jump off a cliff to cure a headache.

"Have you met Dashen? Have you forgotten how stubborn he can be?"

There's that. Dashen's infamous hard headedness. He will want to turn Meera immortal immediately. No need all that curing. Just become immortal and she is home free, he would say.

"I was hoping you can help me," Meera looked at her expectantly, hope shining in her eyes.

Sabrina gulped. Meera doesn't know that her power was suspended. She will not be getting it back unless she goes back to the sea jade palace to work and leave the human realm for at least the next 500 years.

"I am sorry Meera…I lost my powers," she said, hanging her head dejectedly. Not only is she absolutely powerless now, she can't even help Meera who has always stood by her and fight her her against Dashen.

"WHAT??? How???"

She explained what had happened at the sea jade palace with the council of elders and their decision.

"That is so ridiculous! That is a whole load of horse shit and bullshit combined! I can tell this is because they are sexist, it is their way of keeping you meek and obedient!"

Meera might have a point there but still, no one can go against the elders' decision. Dashen alone can't go against the 11 others, she told Meera.

Meera sighed.

"Oh well. I was only hoping you would help to give me a few more years, at least until I find out whether my children will gain dragon powers or remain as humans,"

"You can do that if you become immortal," Sabrina again suggested.

Meera glared at her.

"Get it in that thick head of yours, I have no plan of becoming immortal so forget it!"

"Does this mean you will not marry Dashen too?" Sabrina asked. Meera had initially said she might consider marrying Dashen. Didn't that mean she had slightly considered becoming immortal?

"Marrying him and becoming immortal are two different things, Sabrina," she pointed out drily.

Looks like Meera didn't know once she marries Dashen, he could turn her immortal without asking for her consent. Should she tell Meera this?

On one hand, she doesn't want Dashen and Meera to get married because it would mean her being sent back to the sea jade palace immediately. But on the other hand, she didn't want Meera to die from something that Dashen could cure. Screw it, she will tell Meera the truth and let Meera make a decision on her own. It would be an informed decision.

"Look, Meera, if you marry Dashen, he has the right to give you immortality even if you didn't ask for it," she said.

Meera was shocked.

"I didn't know marrying a dragon will make me a slave forever to that one dragon, what archaic rule is that??"

Sabrina shrugged.

"Hey, don't shoot the messenger. I am just telling you how things work in the dragon shapeshifter realm," she said.

Meera huffed angrily.

"This is so patriarchal that I am not even surprised especially when all of your council elders are males,"

Sabrina kept quiet again and shrugged. She can't say anything about this.This was what they were told growing up and what she knew she had to follow.

"But Meera, maybe if you get treated, you can recover?" she suggested. The humans have pretty advanced medicine and technologies to treat cancer nowadays compared to say, 200 years ago.

The advancements in technology and medicine meant that there are cures for so many different diseases without needing dragon intervention.

Meera shook her head sadly.

"I am in stage four, the final stage and though they can try chemotherapy and radiation, the doctor wasn't very optimistic," she told Sabrina.

Sabrina was saddened by this. How could Meera of all people get cancer? It is just not fair.

"What cancer do you have? Maybe they can cut it out?" she said hopefully.

Meera again shook her head sadly.

"It's a malignant tumour that has spread from my lungs to my spine to my kidneys, they can't remove it," she said.

"So, how long did they give you?" Sabrina asked.

"At most 6 months," Meera replied. Her eyes were dry but there was a world of pain and fear and worry there.

Sabrina reached over and held her hands. Her hands are trembling slightly, either from fear or utter despair.

"Maybe, I can do something about it," she told Meera.

Meera looked up at her hopefully.

"You have an idea on how to help me?"

Sabrina nodded. She has an inkling of an idea. She only hoped it would work.