Despite all that, they still looked like my men. They were just as beautiful as dragons, still had the same muscular grace and the same entrancing eyes. I marveled at them, and whatever Nicole and Edie might think, I was happy that my demons were not just men but also dragons. That these strange beasts could love me, and were in fact not so strange at all, was truly magic.
But I had very little time to ponder all this before they started coming inside me at once. Tears filled my eyes at their strength.
The entire transformation must have lasted less than a minute, and then they turned again into men. They were all touching me gently and comforting me.
“She didn’t even scream,” Rafe said.
“I daresay she was more wondering than afraid,” Hiron said.
“Truly, our mate,” Xado said.
“I guess you can call me your mate, if you prefer,” I said. “I’m getting used to it, since you keep doing it anyway.”
“Our mate…our bride…and our beloved Lady of Antaria,” Hiron said.
“And…our witch,” Xado said.
Rafe nodded. “Whether the Symposium decrees it or not.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Dakota
Four months later, I was already alarmingly pregnant with an unknown number of dragon babies, and I had been studying the Grimoire like I had never studied anything in my life. I had learned how to send messages into “the Ether” myself so I could swap messages with my mom re: being pregnant, and Edie re: being pregnant with demon spawn in particular.
However, did I mention that the castle’s garden and library were more than ten feet from the main hall? Which meant that for the last four months, no matter how bitchy and pregnant I felt, I had to ask permission to walk around my own damn castle. Well, the guys insisted it wasn’t asking permission, because they always obliged, but I was so over it.
Not to mention, I wanted my Nerd Girls Night Out. I had introduced the demon triplets to the concept of Dungeons and Dragons, just like I used to play with Nicole and Edie and a couple other friends. Except funny enough, in the demon world, they wanted to play their role playing games set in my world. Two of the triplets wanted to play New York fashion designers and one wanted to be an actress. Sooo basically, they wanted to be Mary-Kate, Ashley, and Elizabeth Olsen. I made it work. The spider girl, Elise, had just joined the group too, but she was not allowed to turn into a spider around me. Never.
They gave me an extra boost when it came to facing the Symposium.
“This is the demon world,” said Lucy (a.k.a. Mary-Kate). “You don’t have to be nice. You don’t have to follow the rules either, at least, as long as you don’t do permanent damage. Sinistrals are not afraid to be bold, to make mischief. You need to show them you’re a Sinistral.”
“So I just…demand to take the test again? Will that work?”
“If anything will work, that will work,” said Lila (a.k.a. Ashley). “But show up prepared.”
Anyway, I was motivated. As soon as I was ready, I spent two weeks brewing some really nasty spells. Then I told the guys to take me to the Symposium.
I really felt like the babies were helping me. At this point I was in the equivalent of my third trimester, and those kids never stopped moving. I was always starving. But at the same time, I had no morning sickness or any other real health problems, and a ton of energy. Apparently just as dragon saliva healed human wounds, having dragon babies was good for the human body. Edie said it wasn’t like that for her with her babies. I tried not to rub it in too too much.
The last time I walked into the Symposium, I was super nervous and trying to hide behind the guys. This time I strutted in at the front of the pack.
Oh yeah, I also told Rafe to wear his blue suit. He was pretty adorable in it.
“When Perinor mocks you, we will have a valid excuse to kick his ass three against one,” Hiron said. “He might be stronger than one of us, but he has no bond-fellows, and no human wife.”
“Back for more?” Perinor stood in the middle of the hall and crossed his arms. “State your business.”
“I want to take the witch test.”
“You’ve already failed. Therefore, you’re not going any further unless you have new business of note.” He sniffed. “Go home. Soon you’ll be busy enough with a pack of lizards.”
Rafe stepped forward. “Say that again.”
“Lizards,” Perinor said. He smirked at the suit. “Or should I say, lounge lizards?”
Okay, I have to admit, I don’t know where he had heard that expression but I almost laughed. Luckily I held back or Rafe would never have forgiven me.
I looked at him. “I would rather save my most terrible spells to get revenge on a certain incubus,” I said.
Rafe nodded. “You go on ahead.”
Then all three guys jumped on Rafe. They tussled a minute, grappling and punching, all of them built like iron, before Hiron transformed into a dragon and roared fire at Perinor, who quickly whipped out some kind of magical shield.
I think they were actually enjoying themselves.
I pulled my attention away and ran ahead down the passage, heaving open the doors to the Symposium meeting room.
Braegon, the head demon, immediately got to his feet. “Maid Dakota! You have no business with us, human. If you’re here to beg for a second chance—“
“Not to beg,” I said. “To insist.”
“Well, I have no motivation to grant it.”
“You’ve been bred, I see,” the incubus sneered. “Go home and knit some booties.”
“The chance to enter the witch’s council is something we offer as a courtesy, if you must know,” Braegon said. “Why should I even want untrained humans running free?”
My heart was hammering in my chest, and my restless babies were kicking me on the inside. I felt nothing but pure adrenaline laced with annoyance as I took a bottle out of my pocket, tore the cork out, and flung it at the incubus.
“Gah!” He screeched in a voice much higher than the seductive purr of his speech. “What is that stench?”
“That is senna mixed with standing water from the Swamp Sea mixed with powder of rotten potato, and of course, basilisk shit. And plenty of intent. In other words, it’s a diarrhea spell.”
But the incubus was already running to the door.
“You,” said an old demon with huge curling horns. “You are far too uncouth. I remember when even humans used to have manners but you might just be the most vulgar aspiring witch I have ever seen.”
“Bitch, I’m from Florida!”
I might have been getting a little caught up in the moment. All the demons stared down at me, somewhere between angry and stunned. Despite all my crazy dragon baby hormones, I started to think that maybe the spell had gone too far. Or maybe I just shouldn’t have reveled in it. My friends were wrong. The Symposium was clearly not impressed.
Then, the lady demon burst into laughter.
“Oh, my goodness. That was the best thing I have seen in this chamber in fifty years at least.”
“Yes. Fifty years,” the dragon demon agreed. “We did not always allow human brides to become witches at all, you know. That right had to be fought for, and there is nothing more worthy of the Sinistral realm than to fight for such a right. I rule that Maid Dakota can join the Witches’ Council.”
“As do I,” the woman said.
Braegon raised his hand. “I will agree, just so we never have to see her again. We will lift the binding spell and you will come under the official protection of the Council rather than your mates.” He paused. The sounds of shouting and scuffling outside became more noticeable. “Where are your mates, Dakota?”
“Uh…I’ll get them.” I hastened to the door.
Braegon sighed. “And just think, soon there will be a whole new litter from this unruly family…”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Dakota
Just before Christmas that year, my unruly family got a lot bigger.
I went into labor on a snowy day in Sinistral, just after tending to an early Christmas gift, a flock of snow hens. They looked like little white puffballs, laid beautiful pale blue eggs, and when threatened, they generated a magical blanket of snow for camouflage. (It was kind of fun to sneak up on them.)
Pretty soon I was in bed screaming, “You told me this would be easy!”
“Not…easy,” Hiron said. “Just not unreasonable.”
“Unreasonable?”
The guys said I didn’t need a midwife or anything because they had enough magic to take care of things, but the contractions were pretty bad and I was freaking out. I was in a lot of pain and not even one baby had come out of me yet.
“Are you sure I’ll be okay?” I sobbed. “What if something goes wrong? Is there a Sinistral hospital?”
“Nothing will go wrong.” Hiron frowned. “I think it’s just the uncertainty of the experience that troubles you, but soon you’ll be holding our healthy children and the memory of all this will fade.”
“Nooo…,” I whimpered.
Hiron stuck to my side, holding my hand and rubbing potions into my swollen belly, while Rafe ran around grabbing me pain medicines or water.
It occurred to me at some point that Xado was nowhere to be seen. I was so worried I wasn’t even paying attention.
And then he walked in—along with Edie. And my mom. Plus Elise and the triplets.
“You brought my mom? Were you okay with this, Mom? Did Xado tell you the babies might come out in dragon form?”
“I don’t think I’m the fainting type,” Mom said. “And they’re still your babies. Of course I want to be here. This is a happy occasion.” She took my other hand. I hadn’t seen her in a couple of months. I’d been wanting to nest more as the pregnancy progressed, but I had been sending her healing potions regularly, her latest tests said the tumors were shrinking, and I thought she was honestly looking younger. But I was especially glad that she was taking more time off from work to enjoy herself these days. She mentioned that we could maybe take another family vacation together once the kids were old enough to travel. I didn’t know how long my children would have with her; either way she was seventy-two and had already outlived her own parents, but at least they would really know her.
“I think this is a moment for women to handle,” Edie said. “Believe me, I just had my guys when I had Aithne, and I was technically fine but it was mostly Alister reading a book and Van telling me he’d helped a horse have a baby or something. For Henry’s birth I was like, guys, you get out of here and bring me a woman who knows her shit.” Henry was her newborn, Alister’s son.
Mom nodded.
“And I’ve helped along a lot of Sinistral babies of every sort,” Elise said. “So gentlemen, you should take a step back and try to get some sleep if you can. The triplets are going to make some cakes.”
“What do we need cake for?” I asked.
“On your birthday you made a really big deal about cake!” Lucy said. “Doesn’t someone need to make cakes for the babies’ birthday?”
I decided not to argue with that interpretation. “Oh, yeah. Definitely.”
“Just in case, we’ll make six cakes,” Laila said.
“Six? Don’t wish that on me!” I cried.
“Nah. I bet she has three in there.” Elise gently probed my belly.
“Phew…”
“Come on, girls,” said Loren, the quiet one. “Six cakes, or three…I know I’m going to be the one doing all the work.”
A couple of hours later my first child was born, and I was privately very relieved that she arrived in human form. The little girl had Xado’s eyes, and he was speechless as Elise handed her to him. She was very small, but very perfect and healthy looking, and seemed so calm it was like she knew just what was going on and ready to be our child.
“Gods, what eyes!” Xado exclaimed. “We must name her Haxon after my grandmother.”
“Haxon? Whoa there. We definitely need to talk about this when I’m not in the middle of popping out a bunch of babies!”
“I hope you executed that spell correctly, Xado,” Hiron said. “What if all the babies end up being yours?”
“Then I suppose I have the most powerful seed.”
“Ooh, she’s so pretty,” Edie said.
The next two babies were also girls, and clearly Rafe’s offspring—they looked exactly alike and had his silvery-dark hair. They emerged howling in unison and didn’t want to be calmed.
“Sounds like I’ve got the start of a family band now,” Rafe said, and he looked completely elated to have his arms full. I was very glad to see that despite a patriarchal slant to Sinistral society, no one seemed upset in the least to have so many baby girls.
But even through the pains of birth and tears of sheer emotion, I also started to panic. I had sort of assumed I would have one baby for each guy but what if Rafe had two children and Hiron, the one whose ancestral home was all of our homes, had no children at all? After this, I was definitely done.
“Hiron…”
“Don’t cry,” he said. “All of these children are all of our children, and…if none are my own blood…that can’t be helped.”
“Gahhh…” I screamed as a fresh pain ripped through me. This one had a new twist to it, like something was scraping me inside.
“Well, I don’t think you’re done yet,” Elise said. “I think we’re getting a dragon this time!”
“Gahhh!”
“Push, come on, Dakota, just one more.”
“Are you sure?”
But no, this was the last one. I felt it too. “Ahh, why is this little bastard so ridgy?”
“They are quite soft when they’re newborn,” Xado said, and I screamed at him in a low possessed-by-demons-horror-movie-voice, “No they’re fucking not!”
“Ah, what a cutie,” Elise said as I got the thing out of me, like she preferred beast babies to human ones herself. “It’s a boy.” She held it up and…oh. It actually was cute. It looked like an adorable baby dinosaur crossed with like, an adorable bat, with its little wings and big eyes.
Tears brimmed in Hiron’s eyes. “My son…”
“Hiron…are you sure it’s yours?” I whispered.
“How could it not be?” Xado said incredulously.
“I mean, you all look alike when you’re dragons.”
“Is that what you think?” Rafe said.
“Uhh…of course not.”
“Damnit, I’m the best looking one in dragon form!”
“I’m sorry…” A relieved laugh burst out of me. “So you’re sure?”
“Quite sure. Look at his horn shape and his wings…” Hiron clutched him close.
“Can we get him to turn into a human?” Then I realized Mom wasn’t in the cluster of people surrounding the bed. “Mom?”
“Um…she fainted,” Edie said. “But I got her into this chair safely. It was a little much for both of us to watch.”
“Oh, thanks for the support, Edie. By the way, why didn’t Nicole come?”
“She just said ‘I’m busy. It’s complicated’.” Edie raised her eyebrows. “Nicole-code for boy drama. I don’t know what’s going on with her lately.”
“Hmm…”
“He’ll likely turn human if we give him a breast,” Hiron said, handing me my dinosaur-bat-dragon baby. I’ll admit I was a little weirded out by him, but then as soon as I took him into my arms he turned into a perfect tiny baby with a head of red fuzz, and he broke into a devastating baby smile before grabbing my boob.
“Ooh, you’re going to be trouble,” I said, but then one of the Rafe girls started screaming and I realized maybe they would all be trouble except little Haxon-for-now. But that was okay. They had four parents and plenty of family.
I took the screaming girl too, and cradled them both. Xado spoon-fed me some healing spells while Hiron and Rafe sat by the bedside, holding the other two. It was so very cozy that soon I had drifted off to sle
ep without even knowing it.
I woke up to Mom’s hand on my forehead. “The cakes are ready,” she said, holding up a slice. “And we sure have a lot of birthdays to celebrate.”
I realized the guys hadn’t budged from their chairs but they were sleeping too. And then I laughed. “We sure do.”
*
Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a quick review if you enjoyed the book and you’ve got the time. As you might guess, there is one more Brides of the Sinistral Realms book to come later in the year…Seduced by Wolves! But next up is the suuuuper hot Sleeping Beauty retelling…it’s probably the naughtiest thing I’ve written yet. Keep reading to a a quick excerpt from that. It’ll be out just three weeks after this book. While you wait, come say hi at my Facebook group or join my mailing list so you don’t miss an update!
Teaser for Prisoner of Silk
“Tonight, I will master every inch of you,” he said. “And you will probably feel the urge to beg me to stop, but you won’t, will you?”
I had no answer for that. I was trembling and terrified.
“Can I…pray first?”
“Pray?” He looked perplexed. “We have already been blessed by the High Cleric.”
My eyes welled with tears. Suddenly I was so frightened and overwhelmed that I couldn’t hold back.
“Rose, what is it?” He wiped the tears with the back of his hand only for more to take their place. “It’s been too much today, hasn’t it? We’ll go slow. Surrender all your worries to me.”
“What—will you do to me?”
“Do you not know what sex is?”
“S—sort of. I know you’ll— I mean, I’ve seen animals—” I choked back a sob and then whispered, “My friend Caroline told me that I would suffer greatly and that I should…pray.”
His eyes widened slightly. “Your friend was recently married?”
“Just before me. I’m sorry, my lord. I swore to—let you master me. I know I shouldn’t cry.”
“No,” he said. “Don’t cry. I have heard this about humans…that many human men are taught to simply fuck their wives without much thought for them. Or perhaps he doesn’t care much for your unfortunate friend but feels pressure to produce heirs. Either way, I assure you…all faery men know the importance of seduction and pleasure. It is my responsibility as your husband to make sure you everything that is done to you brings you exquisite satisfaction. Let’s see here…”
Captured by Dragons: A Reverse Harem Paranormal (Brides of the Sinistral Realms Book 2) Page 17