by Zoe Parker
She regained her composure. “It doesn’t matter. You can’t do anything to hurt us.”
A sneer twisted his face. “We’ll see about that.”
“I gave you everything, Mason. You wanted to remain in Faery and I covered for you with our mother. You wanted a kingdom and I convinced our parents to give you one.”
“They gave me a piece of land that everyone had forgotten about!” he shouted. “I should have been King, not one of your subjects!”
“You’re wrong, brother. You aren’t meant to rule Faery and I’ll make sure you never lay your hands on my kingdom. No matter how many powerful allies you manage to find.” She paused and looked him straight in the eye. “You. Will. Never. Be. King.”
Quick as a snake, Mason’s hand lashed out and found Victoria’s cheek. Blood trickled from her lip, but she didn’t react.
“Your mistake, little sister, has always been to underestimate me. With the help of Michael, the Dragon King, I’ve increased my power to such a point in the last few months that even you can’t do anything to stop me.” He shook his head. “You’re too late. I don’t understand why you decided to come here with your Twin Flames.”
Sudden awareness flashed through me. I looked at my brothers-in-arms. Their expressions were just as shocked as mine. It was her. She was the Twin Flame each of us had been waiting for. I’d never seen Kyle’s or Jacob’s mark, but somehow I knew, with absolute certainty, that it was the same as mine. We’d fought together, side by side, for years, and had shared a fraternal love from the beginning. Fate had brought us together, creating a bond between us so we’d already be together when our Twin Flame came to claim us.
The attraction I’d felt to Victoria from the first moment I’d laid eyes on her and the insistent need to make her mine now made sense. The reason had been right there under my eyes, but I hadn’t been able to see it. And now, I would probably die without ever getting the chance to kiss her.
12
Victoria
Closing my eyes, I inhaled slowly, trying to calm the beating of my heart. We were in the great hall of the palace of the regent of the Winter Kingdom. Mason had had a throne placed near one of the walls in a crude imitation of the Royal Palace.
The thirst for power had corrupted him to such a degree that I barely recognized him. Or maybe he’d always been a monster and I’d been too blinded by my love for him to see the truth.
“I always liked the stories our mother used to tell us,” he murmured, using his thumb to stroke the cut he’d just given me on the lip. I winced, but he held my arm with his other hand, preventing me from pulling away. “She told us that one day, a queen would put an end to the struggle between the dragons and the Fae and bring peace to our world. She called her the Queen of the Dragons and told us that she would forever be remembered in the history books as the most powerful being who ever lived. I know she meant you, Vickie. Yet when I look at you, I just can’t see all the power our mother was blathering about. You’re such a disappointment, little sister.”
Mason paused, waiting for a reaction from me, but there was none. I was not going to respond to his provocations. He smiled, understanding exactly what I was doing. Grasping the hair at the nape of my neck, he jerked me toward him until we were face to face, our foreheads almost touching.
“You’re not worthy of such power, Vickie.” He brought his lips close to mine. When he’d done it in the past, he’d caught me unprepared, but now I knew what to expect. I felt the energy begin to flow from my body to his. My legs turned to jelly, but I forced myself to remain standing.
This was it. With the energy still remaining to me, I called the power of wind and fire to me, creating a vortex around us. Focused on stealing my vital essence, Mason didn’t realize the danger. The first strong gust of wind caught him by surprise, causing him to stagger back. I concentrated even more, channeling all the energy I had left into the fire that exploded around us. I heard him scream and use the power he’d just stolen to recall the element of water. But he wasn’t fast enough. By the time the flames died down, only a few seconds later, my brother was covered in burns, the skin on his face deformed by the fire, his clothing burned and glued to his flesh. He fell to his knees as shouts erupted in the room and his faithful guards rushed toward us.
It was too late, though. Up until that instant, Mason’s men had maintained their positions along the walls of the room. Earlier, I’d counted about thirty soldiers in total, four to keep each of my dragons in check, the rest ready to attack when it became necessary. I wondered why Mason’s men had waited so long to attack us, then realized that my brother, arrogant and overconfident as always, had probably ordered his men not to intervene until he gave the signal. His pride had cost him everything.
In spite of all my fears, I had won.
I turned in search of my dragons. The defeat of their regent had distracted Mason’s men just enough to allow my companions to free themselves. The guards had been fools, just like their leader. Jacob, Jason, and Kyle shifted with lightning speed. Their bodies grew taller and larger and their skin erupted into hard scales. Their limbs lengthened and frightening claws sprouted from what had been their fingers and toes. Razor-sharp teeth, as big as one of my arms, descended from their mighty jaws.
They were on Mason’s men before they reached me. A wave of nausea rose in me and I had to look away when I saw Kyle devour one of the soldiers. The dragons were among the most violent, ferocious creatures that had ever existed in Faery, and yet I had to recognize that even in their animal form, my Flames were amazing.
My eyes rested on my brother’s body as the battle raged behind me. His chest rose and fell as he struggled to breathe. I closed my eyes for a long moment, wondering what to do. He was still alive, though the fire had disfigured him forever. I knelt at his side and, just for a moment, saw the child I’d loved so much in his eyes.
“I killed them,” he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. “Our parents, I killed them.”
“Why?”
“Our mother knew. She saw something in one of her visions that frightened her. She wanted to exile me but I prevented her from doing it.”
“You’re a monster, Mason.” My tone was unnaturally calm. “I should kill you for your crimes, but I’m not like you, brother. You’ll spend the rest of your days in the dungeons of my palace.” I stood up without giving him a second glance. I would not have my brother’s blood on my hands.
The noise of the battle had died down and now silence fell in the room. Three majestic dragons gazed at me for a few seconds before shifting back to human form. Kyle, Jacob, and Jason appeared before my eyes, completely naked. I looked away and blushed.
A hand gripped the nape of my neck, forcing my head up. I looked into Kyle’s face just as he pressed his lips to mine.
“It’s you,” he whispered.
I nodded uncertainly. Was he angry because I hadn’t told him? He began to kiss me again, erasing every doubt from my mind.
Another hand took mine, turning me around. Jacob drew me into a tight embrace. A big smile illuminated his face before his lips found mine in a brief kiss, a silent promise that there would be many more to come.
I left his arms to look for Jason, but he found me first. He wrapped his arms around my waist, picked me up, and spun me around as I laughed from pure joy. Jason set me down and brushed my lips with his.
I’d seen them before I met them. My dragons. My Twin Flames. I’d known they would come. Never in our history had a Fae loved a dragon, let alone three, yet I’d seen it in my vision. And now I knew what I’d seen hadn’t been a lie.
13
Victoria
All those who had seen the kind of power my brother possessed were dead. Only Kyle, Jason, and Jacob now knew what he really was: a Solitary Fae. A monster I had created by enabling him for years. My mother had sensed his inner depravity long ago and had wanted to exile him, but I’d convinced her not to, though Mason thought he’d been the one to persuade h
er. I’d also begged my parents to give him a kingdom; in my adoration for my only brother, I’d thought having his own kingdom would heal him and satisfy his craving for power.
On the day of our parents’ funeral he’d come to me, begging me to trust him. I loved him enough that I’d consented, even though I already knew what he was; I’d realized it when I was still a child. One time he’d gone too far and sucked so much energy from me he’d left me unconscious. But he’d been my only brother. I’d loved him and looked up to him. And so, I’d kept his secret in a desperate attempt to protect him.
That had been my mistake. He hadn’t been the one who’d needed my protection—Faery had. As regent of the Winter Kingdom, Mason had begun to feed on his subjects, killing half his population.
When the Goddess created the dragons, she’d done it with the sole purpose of protecting her daughter and all the future queens of Faery. She hadn’t foreseen the emergence of the Solitary Fae, who were so powerful they could suck the dragons’ energy. Faced with this new crisis, she’d created the Twin Flames. When the bond was completed, they were even stronger than simple dragons, and capable of vanquishing the Solitary Fae.
But Mason had never been a normal Solitary Fae and I hadn’t been smart enough to realize that. Though he didn’t possess the powers of the Goddess, he was still one of her descendants, and that made him unpredictable.
One day he’d chanced upon a pair of Twin Flames and found a way to break their bond so he could also suck their energy. Realizing he had that unusual ability, Mason had come to an agreement with the Dragon King. For the right incentive, the Dragon King would deliver Twin Flames to him. My brother had become addicted to power. He’d wreaked such havoc that he’d ended up upsetting the natural balance and plunging Faery into eternal winter.
The fact that my world was dying was entirely my fault.
I’d been bluffing when I’d told Mason he could never destroy us. In reality I hadn’t known what might happen or even if we could win the battle against him. I should have completed the bond with my Twin Flames before facing my brother, but in the end I hadn’t had the courage, knowing that our bond wouldn’t be merely physical and spiritual. Our very lives would fuse. If one of us died, we would all journey together to the afterlife.
I hadn’t wanted that, I thought now, looking at my three Flames. I wanted all of us to live. I knew that together, we would change things one day. We would fight for those who didn’t have the strength to fight for themselves and, in the end, I knew the Kingdom of Faery would find peace. I’d seen all this and much more. There would be battles, deaths, and suffering, but also a flowering of love and new lives. This was barely the beginning of my story, of our life together.
We decided to get married secretly. I named Kyle, Jacob, and Jason as my personal bodyguards to explain their continued proximity to me. The Fae and the dragons of Faery weren’t ready for such a change, but one day I was sure they would be. For now, our love would remain hidden.
I found them waiting for me in a clearing not far from the castle. I’d decided to wear a white gown for the occasion, even though ours was far from a traditional wedding. The bond between Twin Flames was so much more than a contract or an oath. It was the fusion of two souls or, as in our case, four. From that moment forward, we would become one for the rest of our lives and the lives beyond.
“My Queen.” They greeted me with a small bow. My three Flames were so handsome in their new leather uniforms, the coat of arms of the royal family pinned to their chests. They’d even cleaned up for the occasion, combing their hair and shaving. A smile curved my lips when Jason’s eyes rested on mine. He raised his eyebrows in a questioning look.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered in my ear, holding me tightly against his chest. “Are you sure you want to do this? You know there will be no turning back.”
I raised my head to look him in the eye. “I’ve never been more sure of anything,” I murmured as his lips met mine in a kiss that was worth a thousand words. Without taking his eyes from my face, he took my wrists in his hands and spoke the oath of the Twin Flames in the ancient language of the dragons. Burn marks about a quarter of an inch wide appeared on both my wrists, circling them. A constant reminder that my soul now belonged to someone else. As soon as he’d finished speaking, I took his wrists tightly in mine and repeated the oath. When I finished, the indelible mark of our union appeared on him.
He kissed me, then released me from his grip and gently pushed me into Kyle’s arms.
“You will always be my queen,” he murmured against my mouth before beginning to kiss me. Then we spoke the oath. With every word I uttered I felt my power growing and my soul singing a silent but joyful hymn within me. It was my destiny to belong to them, as it was theirs to belong to me. There could be no more perfect present or future.
When the bond between me and Kyle was completed, I turned to my last Flame. Two brown eyes rested on mine, tiny green flames dancing around the pupils. My heart rate accelerated even more. Jacob kissed me and bound his soul to mine. With the completion of the ceremony, I suddenly felt as if everything was perfect, as if the last piece of the puzzle had finally fallen into place.
“Shall we go back to the palace, my Queen?” he whispered in my ear, setting off a cascade of tiny shivers through my body.
I nodded, allowing him to take my hand and lead me into the palace.
14
Victoria
Before the door to my room had even closed, Kyle pressed his body to mine from behind, resting his lips on the nape of my neck. Jason faced me. Brushing a lock of hair from my face, he brought his lips to mine in a deep, hungry kiss. Meanwhile, Kyle’s hand went to my thigh, gathering up a handful of my gauzy gown.
“You’re overdressed,” he murmured impatiently. Slowly, he slid his hand up over my belly to cup my breast. I gasped against Jason’s mouth and felt him smile at my reaction.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Jacob approaching. He’d locked the door and drawn the curtains so that the room was lit only by the feeble flame of the lantern on the dresser. Now he stroked my shoulder before touching the laces on my bodice, hesitating a moment before slowly unlacing them. The dress fell down my arms, the flimsy material settling around my hips. The slip I wore underneath left little to the imagination. My dragons’ breathing become ragged when my nipples appeared through the thin fabric.
“You’re so beautiful.” My mind was so clouded with emotion I didn’t know which of the three had spoken. We were no longer Victoria, Kyle, Jason, and Jacob. We’d become a single body, a single breath.
Without breaking my kiss with Jason, I walked towards the bed, gently pushing him before me. Behind me, one of my Flames slid his hands down my thighs in a sweet torture. I took my lips off Jason’s as my last garment was lifted over my head.
Jacob faced me. His fingers caressed my cheekbones, moving toward my mouth. I wanted to say so many things, I wanted to ask them if I was enough, if they’d changed their minds about our bond, if they really loved me. But there was no need for words. Jacob’s eyes told me everything, whispering silent words of love. His gaze showed me he venerated me like a goddess and wanted nothing more than to prostrate himself before me like a faithful servant. I smiled and brought my mouth to his.
I heard the rustle of clothing and a hand grasped my arm and turned me around. Kyle stood before me, completely naked. His sculpted body stood out even in the darkness of the room. A strip of dark hair ran from his navel down to his manhood. He lifted my chin with a finger, forcing me to raise my head and look him in the eye. I felt myself burning with embarrassment. He’d caught me staring at his erect member.
A smile curved his lips. “You can touch me if you want. I’m yours, my Queen. Body and soul.”
My legs grew weak and a pleasurable ache spread through my core. I stood on tiptoe and kissed him, letting my naked skin caress his. We fell onto the mattress, bouncing slightly. Kyle put his knee between mine and spread my legs.
Without taking his lips from mine, he caressed the curve of my hips. All at once a mouth began to kiss my breast, nibbling at my nipple. My back arched off the bed and I buried my hands in Jacob’s hair, a little cry escaping my throat.
Kyle stopped kissing me so he could look into my eyes as he positioned himself between my legs. His sex rubbed against mine in a friction that was almost painful. I needed more. He drew his fingers down my belly until they touched my most intimate part. He gently rubbed my clit and I cried out again. I heard Jacob chuckle, his mouth still pressed against my breast, while Jason played lazily with my other nipple, twisting it between his thumb and forefinger.
When I finally felt Kyle’s fingers penetrate me, I cried out, in the grip of a new and unknown pleasure. He pressed his lips to mine again, silencing my moans. His fingers moved inside me in an agonizingly slow rhythm, withdrawing after a few minutes. I began to protest, but he quieted me by thrusting his tongue into my mouth and positioning himself better between my thighs.
Kyle penetrated me slowly, slowly as if he were afraid of hurting me, then waited before starting to move inside me, giving my body time to get used to him. He lifted his head just enough to look me in the eye.
“I love you,” he whispered, and began to move inside me, giving me no time to reply. My mind was engulfed in pleasurable sensations. I couldn’t speak, but the words I love you filled my mind. I love you, I repeated in a silent confession, as Kyle took me to the limits of sensual pleasure. My body exploded in a million shivers of ecstasy.
Kyle buried his head in my neck, his rapid breathing suddenly ragged. Letting out a low groan, his body relaxed. He rested his forehead against mine.
“You’re amazing,” he whispered. I said nothing, still shaken by the orgasm he’d given me, just stroked his cheek and smiled.