Beauty and the Dragon

by Melody Rose

  Troy’s eyes immediately flicked down at that. I didn’t know what I’d said that triggered him, but I clearly hit on a sore spot. Tears started to gloss my eyes, already sympathizing for him even before he opened up.

  “No, I can’t say that I can relate to that experience,” he admitted.

  Now that I’d eaten enough to restore my magic, I briefly focused on the plates laid out in front of us. Since I could summon furniture at will, I figured that telekinesis wasn’t so much of a stretch. I gave a crack at directing the brunch buffet to a long chest of drawers at the foot of the bed. It was just long enough to accommodate everything. Mostly, I just wanted to make sure I had ample space to inch closer to Troy.

  “I seem to have dredged up some bad memories.” I slid toward him, placing my hands on his knees. I hoped that my gentle touch would tell him I wasn’t here to judge. “What’s going on? I know not everyone is as over the moon about reading to me, but your reaction is worse than I expected.”

  He looked at me for one drawn-out moment. Troy then heaved a deep sigh, gritted his teeth, then nodded as though resigned to opening up to me. I respected that he was willing to be so vulnerable. It was a shame it took so much out of him, but maybe I could make up for that.

  “I…” His voice was strained, much less confident than usual. “... can’t actually read… strictly speaking.”

  My heart sank. Not because I was disappointed in Troy or because it ruled him out as a romantic candidate. I mean, to be fair, I would’ve avoided any non-readers like the plague back in my world, but I was willing to turn over a new page in this one. Plus, Troy fascinated me. I bet that I could really pick his brain over all the battles he’d endured, and that was as good as a whole volume worth of epics. What really sparked my sympathy was that he was missing out on so much. I got the sense that he’d be a bookworm just like me if given a chance.

  “Is that,” I wanted to be delicate about this, “normal for your clan? Everyone seems to appreciate good stories around here, and books were a fixture in your traditions according to what I read.”

  He sneered, making me shift uncomfortably on the bed. I figured there was some type of clan dynamic at play. I pressed on with my best guess.

  “Does it have to do with how focused you are on all your wars?” I asked. “Every time I’m around your clan members, they’re constantly talking about who they defeated or who they want to finish off. Did you… hm… give up schooling to prioritize training?”

  Troy wrinkled his forehead, then broke into short, hard laughter. “I can certainly see why winning appears to be all we have on our minds, but you must understand it’s a matter of necessity. The lure of victory is all we have now, but believe me, we’re striving for much more.”

  I took his hand in mine and gave a reassuring squeeze. I felt a warmth begin to blossom in my stomach, spurred by his vulnerability. “What is it, then? What happened, Troy? Can you tell me what you and your clan are really seeking?”

  Troy shot a seething glare into the ether. I could tell that his rueful expression wasn’t directed at me, but he was clearly out for blood. After he regained his senses, he trained his eyes on me, now with much more composure.

  “Our kind was once able to pore through several tomes a day, relishing in our clan’s combined wisdom and legends. Kalen, our Sage, would even say that we were more powerful as our minds became more refined,” he explained. “We were able to magnify our might with spells, even negotiating with other kingdoms to learn a wider range of enchantments. In return, we agreed to provide mages safe harbor. We even protected territories that were too weak to fend for themselves.”

  I breathed deeply, my body heat rising as a new appetite whetted. Maybe it was inappropriate to lust after Troy while he was telling me about his struggles, but I was so drawn to his protective spirit. A vision of a dragon soaring down upon legions of horned enemies flashed across my eyes. It then melted into the scene of a man in scale mail charging forward with a javelin. I so badly wanted to offer Troy relief for all he endured as his clan’s Champion.

  “That’s very noble of you.” I nodded with encouragement. “So, where did it all go wrong?” Even I winced at the bluntness, but I felt like I had to ask, or we wouldn’t get to the meat of the matter.

  Troy caught my hand in a vice grip, holding me so tightly I saw my skin pale. I actually didn’t mind at all. In fact, I was pretty intrigued by the unthinking brutality. Besides, he didn’t want to hurt me seriously. He was trying to process his clan’s past.

  “The Drikkende, the soul drainers as they are sometimes called, were finally able to leech my kind of all their innate abilities. The daemons accomplished this by stealing powers from the tribes the Jörmungandr clan wasn’t protecting, slowly but surely becoming more forceful until they were impossible to resist.” Troy spoke feverishly now, no longer trying to remain stoic. “Armed with the magic of every continent’s tribes, we could not withstand them. To this day, the Drikkende are the last in this realm who can fully harness their powers. We’ve been robbed, all of us.”

  Even though it might’ve been inappropriate, I broke out into a grin. I took it upon myself to get drunk off optimism if only because there might be some small chance he’d feel better. I even gave him a small stolen kiss on the cheek for good measure.

  “That’s not completely true, is it?” I responded. “For whatever reason, I’ve been given the gift of magic. That’s got to count for something, right? I’ll make them pay for what they’ve taken from you, from the entire Jörmungandr clan. I’m pissed for you, but I swear that I’ll even the score.”

  To my delighted surprise, Troy’s jaw stiffened at that. It was almost as if he had to fight himself from pinning me onto the bed. I guessed that he must’ve liked a girl with a bit, or maybe even a lot, of spunk.

  “Will you, Joan?” he asked playfully, his voice dripping with interest. “And what is it, exactly, that you intend to carry out? I’m all ears.”

  “Hell if I know, but they’ll rue the day that they ever crossed Rosalind Meyers!” I shot back. “I’ll show them the business end of the best I can conjure, and they won’t even have the time to know what hit them. They’ll be good as dust. Promise.”

  His eyes drifted down to my lips as I made the ballsy claim, and I ached for a kiss at his lustful scrutiny. I was pretty sure I knew where this was going, but I still wanted to finish my case. I really wanted to drive home how serious I was about this.

  “You might think that this is just a bunch of hot air, and… who am I to throw around such wild pledges as a mousy little librarian and a recent Sorceress? But you can be damn sure I’ll put my money where my mouth is. I’ve been trying to learn about your kind my whole damn life, and dragons will be wiped out over my dead body.” I stared at him intently, feeling a vein throb at my temple. “I’ll cream the Drikkende before that happens. In fact, I look forward to it.”

  I ended with a tone of utter menace, and that only seemed to excite Troy even more. He wet his lips, and somehow I could sense his heart beating faster. That only caused mine to race like a jackhammer.

  “Cream the Drikkende?” he asked with intense interest. “Is that one of your techniques as a culinary enchantress? Can we expect to be dining upon our most despised foes as part of a victory feast? Such an inventive end to this centuries-old battle!”

  I giggled at that and threw my arms around his neck, sliding even closer to him. “I hadn’t thought of that! It’s just a figure of speech from where I come. It basically translates to completely annihilating whoever stands in your way. Sound good to you?”

  “It sounds perfect, Lady Rosalind.” He then drew me into a deep, hungry kiss, and I found myself descending back first onto the bed. It was entirely unexpected, but I didn’t mind at all and was in no state to protest. I guessed you could say that we came to an agreement.

  25

  Rose

  I gasped in equal measures of shock and satisfaction as Troy tried to tear apart m
y dress. When he found that he couldn’t make sense of what was practically a contraption, he chose to sink his teeth into my neck. I couldn’t tell if this was pure instinct or exacting revenge for me stirring him up so much in a next-to-impossible to remove gown, but it felt damn good.

  I moaned at the ferocity of his bite, and he must have taken it as an encouragement to continue. Driven mad by my throaty response, I watched as his eyes took on a bestial sheen as he eyed me like I was delectable prey. I arched my back, not exactly deterring him from setting his sights on tearing me apart.

  Eventually, he couldn’t restrain himself and ended up grabbing fistfuls of forest green fabric that he ripped off without even a bit of guilt. I could completely understand how the complex bodice and the intricate lacing of the attire weren’t worth keeping intact. To be completely honest, I was ready to be laid bare to Troy after all these weeks of watching the inhumanly strong warrior tend to me, even though I was a foreigner. He had no real reason to trust me, and yet he made sure I was well taken care of. Now, he was ready to collect his payment, and I was more than willing to give myself to him for all his generosity.

  “I apologize, Lady Rosalind,” he panted after he exposed my breasts.

  As my nipples hardened, I could barely even process his words. I certainly wasn’t in the mood to chew him out for getting rid of my clothes. I stared at him with my mouth wide open, and then with the front of my robe in tatters, I cleared my throat like I could somehow save face.

  “Oh! Don’t worry about it,” I reassured him. “It’s nothing that Nadine or I couldn’t figure out. Just… keep going. At this point, all this heavy velvet is… fucking stifling.”

  “I am pleased to oblige,” Troy responded in a tone that was so calm it tormented me. It chilled me how he could maintain such a sense of composure while giving in to his base instincts. Me, I felt slathered in arousal, my thighs twitching as the rest of my muscles went taut. He hadn’t even entered me, hell, I was even completely unclothed yet, but I knew this would be better than any sex I’d ever had in my own world. I wanted it more than even the rarest book imaginable.

  Now that he was given the go-ahead, Troy grabbed me by the hips, forcing me to tilt my pelvis up. Since my bodice was already done with, he was now focused on the rest of the intrusive fabric. With a few masterful jerks, he removed ribbons’ worth of velvet from my body. I went from formal to disgraceful, precious little keeping me from sheer exposure. I actually found myself enjoying the vulnerable position, really warming up to being treated like a plaything, and arousal spiked when he flipped me over without warning.

  I yelped, totally off guard as he yanked off what was left. My once luxurious dress was reduced to confetti and tossed aside like an afterthought. Then he spanked me hard on my right asscheek. I figured this was his form of a victory cheer, finally debasing me after playing the perfect host.

  I whimpered at the cruel touch, wondering if he’d leave a welt. What I did know was that my body didn’t immediately heal, even after I’d eaten. I might have wanted this, so I was willing myself not to banish the pain. I even found myself wrapping my arms around my pillow and parting my legs, signaling my surrender.

  “Surely you won’t make this quite so easy?” Troy teased as I heard the rustle of movement. He then slid on top of me, and I could tell he’d removed his tunic by the sensation of his well-muscled chest bearing down on my back.

  My head swam with the eroticism. I couldn’t even believe I was so powerless at this moment. I was a Sorceress, but despite all my enchantments, I was still a red-blooded woman. I twisted slightly to look over my shoulder.

  “Why not?” I challenged. “Do you think you don’t deserve to taste an enchantress? After all that you’ve done, fetching me meals and setting me up in quarters fit for a queen? I didn’t have you pegged as shy, Troy.”

  “I suppose you’re right, I have a right to you,” Troy murmured, then laid a trail of tortuous kisses upon my back.

  Instead of resisting, I spread my legs even further. There was no hiding how smitten I was, how desperate I was to follow through with this. With every minute, I was increasingly wetter, ready to take Troy in. I knew from the way he was acting that he would hold off on that, though, preferring to work me to a sodden mess before penetrating me.

  Without warning, Troy sank his teeth into my thigh, leaving deep impressions I savored. I wanted to be claimed by him in every way possible, and the marks he painted upon me with delicious cruelty were a perfect start. I knew that there was no turning back from here. Now that I accepted him, allowing him to undress and defile me, I was practically his property. I knew I was casting my own spell even without trying, inspiring him to give in to his primal urges.

  As I shut my eyes and thanked the forces that brought us together, his warm tongue snaked over my slit. My stomach clenched in shock, lost in the tantalizing sensation. I never had anyone go down on me before, and I reveled in being cared for in this way. A clan Champion concerning himself over my pleasure struck me as surreal, but I was glad to be surprised.

  I groaned in admiration of his talents and twirled around to give him better access. I knew that this was just the appetizer for our encounter, so to speak, but I was going to luxuriate in every second. My heart pounded to take in his face again, exquisitely handsome and suddenly devious after offering me nothing but kindness for days on end. He tilted his head up with a smug grin, fully aware of how needy I was. I couldn’t bear being denied of this relief, oblivious until now of how pent up I truly was.

  “It just occurred to me,” Troy mused. “I never asked if you were amenable to this. Shall I continue?”

  I balled my fists, clinging to the sheets to fight myself from screaming. I wasn’t bent out of shape over some bait and chase, but some animalistic rage had taken over me.

  “Are you fucking…” I blurted out, panting in frustration. “Of course you can! Don’t you dare work me up like this and just stop!”

  “Then I won’t keep a lady waiting,” he responded, showing his tongue was capable of winding me up in more ways than one.

  He then explored me expertly, teasing my mound open until my clit was exposed. With gentle, measured motions, he flicked his tongue, setting off every nerve ending as my eyes glossed over. I was now senseless and whimpering, rocking my hips and empty of inhibitions. My shoulders pinched together as he lavished attention on the sensitive hood, my entire body ready to explode with release. I didn’t know how much more of this I could take, as indulgent and dizzying as it was.

  Troy must have predicted that I was dangerously close to climax. He smirked coyly then pulled away, drumming his fingers against my thighs, and I growled in retaliation.

  I had no idea where that had come from. My aggression was alien to me and yet entirely natural. A moment flashed where I told myself I’d waited years for this moment, centuries even. Nothing felt melodramatic about that. I was finally ready to experience all this unparalleled soldier, my Champion.

  As I shot him a dirty look, he touched a finger to his lips. I guessed he was telling me to calm myself, but that seemed impossible in my tortured state. I shook my head pitifully in part surrender, though mostly defiance. He laughed, then shifted to step off the bed. I sat up, hugging myself in self-consciousness and confusion.

  Had Troy suddenly decided that this was a mistake, and I was some ghastly untouchable thing? I didn’t know why I didn’t see this coming, especially since I was so steeped in Jörmungandr lore. Dragons weren’t supposed to get attached to partners that distracted them from a larger purpose. Could he already be spoken for?

  It turned out that I didn’t have any reason to lose hope. I swallowed and watched the sun filter in, accentuating his chiseled abs as he reached for his waistband. I was so lost in the moment that I didn’t even think about the pesky detail of his breeches. I followed his movements with fascination, studying the impressive outline of his member. He was so well endowed that I thought he might break through the thin
fabric. Thankfully, my curiosity was satiated when he unlaced himself and removed the rest of his clothes. I couldn’t help but gawk, almost disbelieving.

  His cock was huge and remarkably veiny. In the best sense, I was half worried it would break me. Of course, I didn’t shrink away because I was up to the challenge. He then returned to me, approaching me like an animal of prey. I was enticed by the gleam of his eyes, even more thrilled when he grabbed my legs roughly. He broke the tension, tearing me away from my awkwardly stiff position. Troy lorded his built form above me, displaying his dominance and willingness to take control. Disappointed with my modesty, he grabbed my wrists and pulled them away from my chest. I gasped as he pinned them over my head, baring my breasts completely. Rather than subduing me, this just stoked the fire within me. I glared at him with an impish smirk, not content to be passive.

  “I dare you to,” I challenged with a throaty whisper. I then grinned and writhed, both content and miffed with being constrained. For a moment, I remembered how Troy carried me away without my say so all those weeks ago. I normally wasn’t a fan of losing control, but in this case, my resistance was purely playful.

  Troy chuckled deeply, lowering himself and assuming a position that made my blood seethe with lust. “And did you think you had a choice in the matter?” he teased with just the right hint of menace. The pace of my heartbeat quickened. I was driven to madness with how close he was to me and how he could clearly overpower me. I felt the head of his cock press into my opening, parting my lower lips just enough to make me crave more. I wondered when he would take what he wanted and ram into me. After keeping his draconic impulses in check, I was sure Troy was ready to do away with niceties.

  As much as playing the damsel might’ve been amusing, I resolved to take matters into my own hands. My patience had simply worn out. In one fluid movement, I lifted myself up as best I could while rolling my hips forward. I gasped in satisfaction, shutting my eyes instinctively. My tightly coiled muscles relaxed, my entire body graced with pure relief.