by Amy Sumida
When the shouting was over, Viper fell forward but braced himself on his forearms before he crushed me. As he breathed hot and fast on my neck, his cock began to harden inside me, and I smiled wickedly up at him.
“Ready for round two?” I whispered.
“Shift back,” Viper growled. “I want all of you soft and yielding beneath me.”
I shifted but instead of moving inside me, Viper pulled out and turned me onto my hands and knees.
“I am yours, Dark Star,” he whispered in my ear. “But you are mine as well, and there is one place where I've yet to take you. Tonight, you're not my goddess, you're my woman, and I will claim all of you, Vervain.”
Viper slid himself into that other place, and I cried out in surprised pleasure.
“It's about fucking time,” I growled at him over my shoulder.
Viper laughed—a low, erotic rumble—and drove himself deeper into my ass. I bucked back against him as his hand slid forward to rub my sex. Deliciously full, stimulated in ways I hadn't been for so long, with Viper's fingers flicking over me, giving me pleasure with the ease of a long-time lover, I came in mere moments. But when I finished screaming, he was still far from reaching his release. He kept up his savage pace, driving me back into ecstasy with the pound of his flesh, and I glanced to the side to see my other commanders doing the same with their lovers. All of us in perfect sync. Their stares sought mine and then roamed my body, avidly watching Viper slam into me as they took their dragon women.
My whole body trembled, and I began to scream again.
Chapter Forty-Four
You know that moment in the morning when you're on the verge of waking up? Your mind hasn't realized yet that your dreams aren't real. And if they are dreams, not nightmares, you try to hold onto the feeling they give you. You clutch it tightly with your mental fingers and try to drag it into the waking world with you. You try to remember.
I clung to my dreams every morning now because those were the only waking moments I had when I was truly me. A glimpse of dreams that quickly faded beneath glittering darkness. A place where I was real. Where I held my children and missed my husbands. Where I saw the truth and recognized the monster I had become. I had seen this beast before; in the eyes of a madman.
Every visit to the Dream Realm, every moment I spent with my children, had strengthened me. The real me. Their love had reminded me of who I was and cleared away the darkness. But then I'd wake up, as I was doing now, and my mind would stumble. I would struggle to stay me. To fight back the evil invader. But I had taken magic; not to hold or possess it. I had taken it to feed on it. To consume its energy and add to my power. And there, in that place of focused ambition and merciless greed, was where evil lived. Vainamoinen may have tainted me, but my actions sealed the deal. I couldn't win the fight because I'd already given up victory. I had handed my heart to evil. All I had now were my dreams, and when I woke up, I became her again. The Dark Star. I'd lose myself in her until I fell back into the comfort of sleep. It all felt so hopeless. Except for one small thing. That moment when I was me in the morning? That moment was growing longer.
I had mere seconds; I knew it. But I had been planning this coup for awhile now. My children and I had come up with it together. The thought of them kept me strong and focused. They kept me from turning my head to look at Viper. From weakening and buckling under the weight of his vicious love. As soon as I was awake enough to manage it, I traced.
I went home.
They were there waiting for me in front of the tracing room; all of my abandoned lovers. Brought there by my children. Rian and Brevyn had come to the God Realm, using Brevyn's ability to shift through realms to get there; an ability that he hadn't used since he was a baby. But he had done it for me; my brave boy came to save his mother again. Brevyn brought his brother with him and with Lesya's help, they convinced my men to prepare. To get their soul spell ready because Mama was coming home.
“Do it now!” I screamed as soon as I appeared.
The men gaped at me a second, shocked that I was truly there and truly me, and then leapt on me, chaining me with magic-suppressing shackles. The rising magic inside me backed down. Star vanished completely. But the darkness still rose. The evil wouldn't give up so easily. Within seconds, I was snarling and fighting them. Cursing them and vowing to kill them all.
“Get the children out of here!” Odin shouted. “They don't need to see her like this.”
“Children.” I laughed; a low, clicking sound that was more reptile than human. “Where are my children? Those traitorous brats!”
Odin slapped me, but it barely stung. I snapped at him with my teeth, and he jerked back in shock. My dragon wouldn't come, shoved down by magic and self-preservation. If I shifted, I would lose my paws. But she wanted to rise so badly. Rise and tear them all apart.
“Is this all you can do?” I asked smugly as fire filled my eyes. “Chain me up? Chains don't bother me anymore, boys. I'll be free soon enough, and then you'll all be dead.”
Odin opened the ancient spellbook—the one with the silver, nine-pointed star on its cover—and started to chant. I screamed at him like a woman possessed. I bucked and yanked at the manacles. I tried to drown out his words with my own, but his magic gathered anyway. It tingled along my skin as it grew in power. I went still; fear lancing through me. All of my success would die here if I didn't do something to stop this. The world would return to the humans, and I would return to being the crippled Godhunter. A pathetic woman who uses humor to banish thoughts of her own inadequacy. I couldn't be her again. I refused to be!
I screamed and a shock wave blasted out of me; dark light sending the men toppling as it broke my bonds. The shackles fell away, and I got to my feet slowly, head shifting from side to side and eyes narrowing on the bastards who had tried to break me. Again.
“Fools!” I shouted as magic cracked through the air around me. “I am not your wife anymore. I am the Dark Star.” My hair lifted in the currents of power and the starlight strands sparked purple. My voice echoed with omnipotence, painting the very air with magic, “Life and Death are mine to command. After I conquer Earth, I will take the God Realm and then Faerie. The Realms will bow to my sovereignty. My power is beyond your comprehension. If it wasn't, you'd be kneeling before me, begging for mercy. I should kill you now. I want to kill you. But I want to see you suffer even more.” I grinned wickedly. “So, bear witness to your folly and my rise to power. Watch as I take what's mine. Cringe in terror as you do. Because when this is over, and I have the Realms beneath my heel, I'm coming back for my children,” I spat the last word. “It seems they need a stronger hand. They will be raised to rule, and you will be forgotten. A mere footnote in their history. A footnote in all history. Goodbye, lovers.”
I stepped back into the tracing room and swept into the Aether; yet another place under my control.
Chapter Forty-Five
“My star,” Viper exclaimed in relief when I appeared. He pulled me into his arms and tucked my head under his chin. “I was about to panic.”
“Never panic, sweetheart,” I purred. “I told you; nothing can hurt me. I had a small hiccup, but I handled it.”
“A hiccup?” He pulled back to look me over. “Tell me.”
“No. Let it go.” I pulled away from him.
“Vervain!”
“I said; let it go!” I roared at him.
Viper went silent, his jaw clenching, and then he bowed, but he did so mockingly. “As you command, Dark Star.”
I sighed deeply and closed my eyes for calm. When I opened them, Viper was gone. I turned and found him standing in the elevator.
“I'll be in the war room,” he said stiffly as the doors closed on his furious face.
“Fucking men,” I growled. “Maybe I should have made myself a lover after all; one soulless like my dragons.”
“You can't fuck soulless men, Vervain,” Star said as she appeared.
I grimaced. “I could for a little
while.”
“No, you couldn't,” she sounded grim.
“What's wrong with you?” I grumbled.
“I could ask the same of you,” Star countered. “You went to them.”
“No, I didn't.”
“Then how did you get to Pride Palace?”
“I...” I frowned as I realized that I had. “I had a moment of weakness.”
“A moment that we must make sure never happens again,” she growled. “We are so close, Vervain. Don't stumble now.”
“Close?” I huffed. “We haven't even taken one continent yet.”
“It was your idea to do this slowly,” Star reminded me.
“I know.” I sighed but then grinned at her. “It's a process to be savored. I'm glad I went this route.”
“You're finally ready to conquer,” Star whispered in delight.
“I am.” I smiled bigger. “Now, let's go tell my council that the next battle will be today. I feel like Ethiopian food for dinner.”
Chapter Forty-Six
I stood at the front of a legion of Dragons and Gods. More and more gods had been converting to my cause. Humans had quickly learned that Gods were not the generous, loving, protective deities they'd believed them to be. They could be just as self-serving as any human, and they had been around long enough to recognize a losing battle when they saw one.
But the humans weren't surrendering as I'd expected. They rallied behind each other, several nations sending their soldiers to help bolster the borders of my territory and defend the land I'd yet to conquer. I spotted uniforms from Russia, China, all over Africa, and, of course, America. Those fucking, bloodthirsty, American bastards wouldn't miss a fight. Well, they'd all be learning the futility of their resistance very soon.
Wait; did I just quote the Borg?
I shook off my strange musings and glanced to my right. Viper stood at my side as always but today, his arms were crossed and he stared stubbornly ahead at the enemy forces. Jaw set, chin lifted, eyes narrowed. Still mad at me then. I nearly chuckled. Let him stew. Viper needed to learn that I ruled, not him, and he could share my bed, but he would never share my throne. That was one piece of furniture that belonged to me alone. I was past the point of offering him a place as my king. Couples had arguments—this was the perfect example of that—and I would not have anyone arguing with me over how I ruled the world. This was my planet, everyone else was renters. Renters who would be homeless if they didn't fall in line.
I shifted into my dragon form and leapt into the sky. My army roared and followed me forward; Dragons surging into the air while Gods rumbled forward in military vehicles; metal beasts with impenetrable shells and windows for gods to safely launch their magic from. I circled down for my first strike as the armies clashed together, then drew breath to burn my enemies.
That's when those annoying ants launched a missile at me.
Missiles can't hurt me. Not even magical spears could pierce my dragonhide anymore. But the thing hit me at the juncture of my wings and exploded. My bones withstood the impact but the delicate leather tore, and I plummeted, wind whistling through the widening holes. The humans cheered, launching more rockets at me as I fell, and I hit the ground amid fire and smoke.
In enemy territory.
As I trembled beneath the shock of pain and shifted into my woman's body to heal faster, I heard one voice cry out above the others. One voice filled with fear and fury and love. But it was far away, and the humans were rushing toward me; a mass of them closing in around me. And there I was; naked and alone. A sliver of fear sliced through me before I remembered that they couldn't hurt me. Let them come. I'd—
A roar echoed down from above, making the human soldiers cringe as they searched the sky. Dragonfire roasted the ranks on my left as something plummeted to the ground before me. I gaped at Viper as he landed in an aggressive crouch, fangs bared and hands full of dark starlight. He hissed at our enemies, and they stumbled back. But they couldn't escape his light. Waves of glittering amethyst rolled over the soldiers, sending them tumbling into each other, skin melting as if acid had been sprayed over them.
Viper barely left anything for his mount to do. The dragon settled on the ground beside me, guarding my back as she enjoyed the show. The remaining troops tried to run, but my lover was already upon them; tearing into them like a madman. Necks broken in seconds and throats torn out while poison spread through blackening veins. I held my breath in wonder as Viper slaughtered every soldier who had dared to approach me.
I had never seen anything so beautiful. So savagely sensual and ruthlessly romantic. My heart softened as I watched him, my star blazing for this barbaric man. There was no greater declaration of love for a dragon. Blood is better than diamonds. By the time Viper had cleared a wide ring around us, I was shivering in arousal and adoration, reaching for him as if I truly needed him. As if he were the most important person in my life. I suppose he was.
“My star,” Viper cried in relief as he swept me up in his strong embrace. “Stop scaring me.”
I laughed softly and held him tighter. “How many times do I have to tell you?”
“I know; you can't be hurt,” he whispered as he pulled away and stared down at me tenderly. Blood covered him; a beautiful compliment to his vibrant eyes. “But I can, Vervain. I may revel in pain, but not yours and not mine. You hurt me this morning. I have given you everything—all that I have to give—and you hurt me. Then I had to watch you tumble from the sky, my star falling to earth. Do you know how that felt?”
“I'm sorry, sweetheart.” I pulled him down to me and kissed him there, in the middle of that charred ring of death. I tasted blood on his lips and savored it. “I love you too. I'll try not to hurt you again.”
Viper shook his head ruefully. “I'm sure you will, just as I'm sure I'll forgive you. But now is not the time for this.” He stood up and helped me to my feet. “It's time to end this battle, my love.”
“So it is. Let's do it together.”
I transformed into a dragon, and my forces roared with triumph. Then I lowered my head for my lover to climb onto my back. Viper grinned broadly and slid onto my shoulders, thick legs clasped tightly around my neck. I gave another roar to rally my troops and shot back into the sky with Viper's dragon mount trailing after us. We had some missile launchers to obliterate.
Chapter Forty-Seven
“Vervain.”
I was dreaming of fire, but it wasn't a good fire. The flames rose in iris and deep violet waves, and they burned cold. Starlight. I was being incinerated from the inside out; everything I was burned in that glow.
Then Arach put out the flames.
He stepped forward and took my face within his hands, his saffron dragon eyes full of intensity. With his touch, the fire disappeared, and I could breathe again.
“Arach!” I sobbed and pulled him close.
“A Thaisce,” he whispered and shuddered around me. “I should have thought to come here sooner. It took our son to remind me of this realm.”
“He's a smart one.” I smiled against his chest.
“You should have sought me out,” Arach chided as he pulled away. “Why didn't you come to me in my dreams?”
“I tried,” I admitted forlornly. “The night after the children appeared, I looked for you, but I couldn't find you. I looked for the others too. None of their dreams were available to me. I think my star stopped me.”
“But you found the children.”
“The children found me,” I corrected. “And, somehow, Star doesn't seem to know about them.”
“Vervain, this is going to be hard for you to process, but I need to tell you something,” Arach said gently.
A couch appeared beside us; red velvet that matched Arach's hair. He helped me onto it and then sat beside me, taking my hands in his.
“What is it?” I asked anxiously. “Are the children all right?”
“The children are fine,” he assured me. “Scared for their mother but fine.”
“Then what?”
“It's your star. You refer to her as a separate entity.”
“She's become one.” I sighed deeply. “Here, I can see her evil. In my dreams, I know that every time I try to fight the poison inside me, she just pushes me down. But out there, in the waking world, I can't see it. I have mere moments when I wake up before I become the Dark Star again. Before Star becomes a trusted friend.”
“A Thaisce”—he leaned forward to kiss me softly—“there is no Star.”