Embrace The Dark (Her Elemental Dragons Book 5)

by Elizabeth Briggs

  Varek ripped the mask off the dead cultist and tossed it aside, then shook his head in disgust.

  “What did you do?” I asked. “You killed those people!”

  “I’m not the only one.” He gestured at some other cultists we’d taken out in the battle.

  I set my hands on my hips. “That was self-defense. And many of them are unconscious, not dead. You didn’t have to kill them!”

  “I was defending you,” he snapped. “I’m the champion of Death. This is my way.”

  “I didn’t need defending!”

  “How did you know we were here?” Parin asked, as he stepped over a broken chair to approach us.

  “I heard there would be an attack from my informants.” Varek shot me an arrogant look. “Aren’t you glad I have a criminal organization now?”

  “We had it under control,” I snapped.

  “I’m not so sure about that.” Erroh glanced down at his arm and winced at the burn there.

  “You were right about the human with fire powers,” Zain said. “We shouldn’t have dismissed your concerns. It was just hard to believe without seeing it with my own eyes.”

  “And they had not only fire, but all the elements,” Parin added.

  “The Unseen are getting elemental magic somehow.” I moved across the room and took Erroh’s arm in my hands, then let out some of my healing life magic. The burn vanished and the skin repaired itself in seconds. “We need to find out how.”

  “We need to head to the Water Temple,” Carth said, his voice serious for once. “We were outnumbered today. We need to finish bonding with Sora so we’re all at full strength for the next attack.”

  I wished my parents were in Soulspire so I could talk to them about what happened tonight. With them gone, it was even more reason to become dragons quickly so we could defend ourselves and the city. Mother had told me not to rush, but what other choice did I have?

  I sighed. “We’ll leave first thing in the morning, though it might take longer without a ride from one of my dads.”

  "I'll fly you,” Erroh said. "I just need a good night's rest first."

  “I’ll see what my people can learn about the Unseen and how they’re getting magic,” Varek said.

  I bit my lip, but then forced out, “Thank you.”

  Varek moved close and looked down at me with smoldering intensity. My breath caught when it seemed as though he might kiss me, and try as I might to ignore the attraction between us, I couldn’t. His very presence tugged at me and made me want to step into his arms and embrace his darkness.

  “Try not to get killed before our bonding,” he growled, and all the desire vanished.

  Or so I told myself.

  Chapter Eleven

  In the morning, Carth’s parents met us outside before our departure. Brin was a nobleman from the Air Realm who’d disobeyed her parents’ wishes and married Leni, Slade’s younger sister. Since they couldn’t have children of their own, they’d adopted Carth and his older sister, who was back at their estates.

  Brin stroked Carth’s sandy hair with pride and love in her eyes. “We’re so proud of you, son. But couldn’t you have been chosen by the Air God instead?”

  Leni laughed and nudged her wife. “Carth was born in the Water Realm. It’s in his very soul, even if we raised him in the Air Realm. Just like my heart will always belong to the Earth Realm.”

  “I know, I’m only teasing,” Brin said. “I think you’ll make an excellent Water Dragon.”

  “Thanks, Moms.” Carth gave her a hug, and then did the same with Leni.

  “Now you take good care of my niece,” Leni said, pinching Carth’s cheeks.

  “I’ll do my best.” He winked at me.

  Leni gave me a warm hug next. “Do try to keep him in line, dear. I know it won’t be easy.”

  I laughed. Brin and Leni were my favorite relatives by farr. “I’m not sure anyone can do that.”

  “We have faith in you,” Brin said, as she took Leni’s hand. “Now get going, I want to see Carth as a dragon already.”

  With those words, we said our goodbyes and climbed onto Erroh, then took off.

  The Water Temple was the second farthest one away from Soulspire, and Erroh had only had a few hours of flying practice. Lucky for us, he was a natural at flying, which was probably normal for an Air Dragon, but he still wasn’t used to going long distances. It didn’t help that the Water Realm was mostly made up of hundreds of islands, so we couldn’t exactly travel the distance by foot either.

  I rode Erroh with Carth's arms wrapped around me. This experience was far different than when I rode on my fathers' backs. The feel of the powerful dragon moving under me and Carth’s arms around me were powerful aphrodisiacs, and I was eager to get to the temple.

  At midday, we stopped in a fishing village for lunch, and were able to board a small boat to give Erroh a few hours to rest. He passed out in the back of the boat with a blanket over his head to shield him from the sun. Then at sunset the boat docked, and we continued flying again until we found another island with an inn to rest in for the night.

  We finally reached the island near the Water Temple by the next afternoon. Erroh’s taloned feet crashed down on the sand, and he swung his large head around. “Are you sure this is the right place?”

  I folded up the map and slid off his back. “Yes, this is it.”

  Neither one of them had been to the Water Temple before, but I’d visited a few times with my dads. The island we stood on had one lone palm tree and was about the size of my bedroom in the palace. Nothing about it indicated the Water Temple was below. Originally there had been another Water Temple, but after it was destroyed the High Priestess and her mates moved to this secret one. When the danger had passed, they simply decided to stay.

  Carth jumped off of Erroh and peered into the water. “It’s under there? How will we get down there without drowning?”

  “With our magic, of course,” I said with a laugh. “Erroh and I can wrap a bubble of air around ourselves, and you can keep the water away from you.” Both guys looked skeptical, and I rolled my eyes. “Trust me, I’ve done it before. Well, I’ve seen it done, anyway. How hard can it be?”

  “I’m not sure I want to find out while at the bottom of the ocean,” Erroh said, after shifting to his human form.

  “We can practice up here first.” I slipped off my shoes, rolled up my trousers to my knees, and waded into the ocean. The two guys slowly followed me.

  It took a lot more practice than we expected, but hours later we were continuing our journey underwater toward the Water Temple. Erroh was back in dragon form, and together we kept a bubble of air around us, keeping us dry and allowing us to breath, while Carth used water to propel us forward. We dove down into the clear blue waters, passing a few fish, and then Erroh paused at the sharp drop into the darker depths. I felt the same hesitation—if our magic failed, we would all drown—but then I stroked his shoulder and said, “We can do this.”

  He used his wings to dive down into the darkness, and although I expected this, it was still terrifying to be in the middle of the ocean unable to see anything, not knowing which way was up anymore. But then a light came into view, and we began to make out the beautiful, pale building of the Water Temple at the bottom of the ocean.

  I directed Erroh on where to land, and we stopped on the ocean floor beside a large dragon sculpture before walking into the large dome of air that surrounded the temple. My skin tingled as we passed through, and then we dropped our air bubble. The Water God protected the temple so it’s priests could live there safely.

  A small woman with black hair and olive skin emerged from the stone door of the temple, wearing a sea-green robe. Wella was only ten years older than I was and had recently taken over from her mother as High Priestess. Now her stomach was round with her pregnancy, and she waddled out to us with a warm smile. Her four handsome priests followed after her, some of them looking on with concern.

  “Welcome
!” she said, and then gathered me in a friendly hug. “We weren’t sure when to expect you, but we’re so happy you’re here now.”

  “Thank you. It looks like we came at a good time.” I gestured at her round stomach. “When are you due?”

  “Any day now,” she said with a laugh. “Don’t worry, we’ve prepared everything for you. Mostly my priests, since they won’t let me do anything these days.”

  I laughed and gestured at my mates. “This is Erroh, my Air Dragon, and Carth, who will be my Water Dragon.”

  Carth stepped forward and took Wella’s hands in his own and gave them a light kiss. “You look radiant. Your husbands are very lucky.”

  Wella blushed in a cute way. “An honor to meet you. Please come inside.”

  We followed Wella and her priests into the great temple, walking over shiny sea green tiles through sand-colored rooms. She showed us to our rooms for the evening, where we quickly freshened up, and then we all shared a quick meal together. Wella and I did most of the talking, catching up on how she’s been and how her mother is doing in retirement. Then Erroh went to his room to collapse in exhaustion, and Wella led Carth and me to the bonding room.

  My heart beat quickened as the door opened. Flickering candlelight revealed a raised platform in the middle of the room with a large bed on it, similar to the one at the Air Temple. However, this platform was surrounded by a pool of knee-deep water, with shiny seashells along the floor. On the other side of the bed there was an entire wall missing, opening the room to the ocean, although the dome of air kept us safe. I’d never been in this room before, and at first all I could do was stare in awe at the fish swimming just out of our reach.

  Wella shut the door, leaving me with Carth. He gave me one of his flirty grins and offered his hand. “Alone at last.”

  I slid my hand into his much larger one, entwining our fingers together as we stepped forward along the raised path to the bed. Now that I knew something of what to expect during my bonding, it was hard not to rush forward.

  “I’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” Carth said, as we reached the bed. I’d changed from my traveling clothes into a long, silken dress in dark blue, and he took his time letting his gaze move down my curves. “You’re gorgeous. I could look upon you for hours. Days. Years. And never grow tired.”

  “You’re such a charmer.” I stepped closer to him. “But is there anything real behind that flirtatious smile?”

  He pressed a hand to his chest. “You wound me. I have never told you a lie.”

  “No, but I’m not the only one you flirt with, and I know you’ve shared a bed with many ladies before me.”

  “Only to practice for this moment.” He slid his arms around my waist. “From now on the one bed I’ll be sharing is yours.”

  Our lips met and his tongue danced inside mine, while his fingers slid across my breasts, making my nipples instantly hard. With a groan, he tugged the dress up and over my head, revealing my naked skin. I wore nothing underneath in anticipation of this moment, and was rewarded with a guttural sound in his throat as he looked at me.

  “Get in the pool,” he said, while he began removing his own shirt. “We’ll save the bed for later.”

  While watching him undress, I walked over and put my toes in the pool beside the bed. It was just deep enough for me to sit down in, and as soon as Carth had his pants unlaced, I dropped down into it.

  "It's so much warmer than I expected," I said as I sank into the pool.

  Carth sat on the platform beside me and put his feet in the water. He was fully naked now, and I admired the body that so many women had coveted before me. Sculpted muscle, but different from Erroh’s somehow. While Erroh had a soldier’s body, Carth was leaner, his body developed from years of swimming, with the tan skin and sandy hair to match. The large cock jutting up between his legs was also quite impressive.

  The water suddenly leaped up and washed over my shoulders, while Carth gave me a wry grin. His eyes roamed over my body, and wherever he looked, water rushed over me. It spent a lot of time on my breasts, and I couldn't help but moan as the water tickled, then squeezed, then ran in circles around my nipples. Even without touching me, Carth knew how to drive me wild.

  I reached over and wrapped my fingers around Carth's hard cock, the long rod giving a different feel in my hands than Erroh's had. The soreness from my first time had passed, leaving excitement in its place. Our mouths met again, our kiss passionate and demanding, while I stroked his length.

  Water rushed between my legs, caressing and teasing, but it wasn't enough. "Carth, please," I said with desperation.

  He dove into the water toward me, pulling me into his arms while his mouth fell on my neck. Pressure between my legs made me part them, and as soon as I did, the water rushed around our naked bodies, pressing us closer together. I wrapped my legs around his hips, while his fingers cupped my bottom.

  He guided his cock to my entrance, then rubbed it against my folds to make me moan in desire. As my fingers dug into his skin, he sank inside me slowly, with a sigh of great satisfaction.

  "Gods, you are so snug," he said, as he filled me to the hilt. He felt different than Erroh, though I wasn’t sure how exactly, but I loved the contrast anyway. A girl would never get bored with four lovers, that was for sure. Or five, for that matter.

  The water pushed us together, holding me up and giving him leverage to move in and out of me. Waves rippled around us as our bodies rocked together. I threw my head back and held on to him while he pumped into my core. His mouth found my neck and discovered a spot below my ear that had me moaning hard.

  Then his speed increased, to my intense delight. Every thrust made my body respond with passion and pleasure. The water surged around me, stroking my ass, between my thighs, around my nipples, hitting me everywhere, allowing Carth to touch me in ways I’d never imagined.

  My release built slowly, with pleasure rushing through my body like a stream, and then a river, and then a waterfall.

  "Carth, more," I moaned when the feeling of release eluded me.

  He moved faster, then took one hand off of my hip to tease the little nub that evoked such strong orgasms, as Erroh and I had discovered. At the same time, water rubbed my tight hole in the back, in an area no man had touched before. I cried out, grasping at his shoulders to try to center myself as I came apart.

  He pulled me close and thrust deep as he came inside me. As we both surged together, the water around us shot straight up in the air, and then ice began to form along our skin. It completely covered us, locking us together, while waves of pleasure spread through us. All we could do was kiss and ride it out.

  After the water receded and the ice melted away, I wrapped my arms around Carth and breathed in his scent, committing our first time to memory—one I'd never forget. Making love in the water was certainly an exhilarating experience, especially when he used his magic at the same time.

  “How did you learn how to do all that with the water?” I asked.

  “I’ve been practicing—alone, mind you—ever since I got these powers” He gave me a sensual grin. “If they can’t be used for sex, then why bother having them at all?”

  I laughed, as he picked me up and grabbed a nearby towel, wrapping me up in it. Then he set me down on the bed and crawled up beside me, folding his arms under his head.

  “The Water God should appear to us now, probably in the ocean there.” I rested my head on his shoulder and gazed at the school of fish swimming by.

  “Somehow I don’t think he’s coming.”

  “Me neither.”

  Carth wrapped an arm tightly around me. “That’s all right. I’m sure I can keep you entertained.” Then he paused. “Although I should have asked this earlier. Do we need to worry about pregnancy?”

  “No. One of the benefits of being the Ascendant is there is no chance of a surprise pregnancy. I will have one daughter in ten years, like my mother did, and that girl will replace me when the time comes.”
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  “Which means you can have as much sex as you want until then,” he said, pulling me on top of his growing cock.

  I laughed. “And you’re obviously eager to provide it.”

  “It’s my job to please the woman I love, is it not?”

  “I suppose it is.” I bent my head to kiss him.

  The Water God never arrived, but we managed to find plenty of ways to keep ourselves occupied, until we finally fell asleep.

  Chapter Twelve

  The journey back to Soulspire was faster and easier now that Carth was a dragon too. Erroh spent a few hours showing Carth the basics before we left the Water Temple, and then they took turns flying us until we reached the palace.

  When we landed in the castle garden, Varek was waiting for us, along with Parin and Zain. My other mates did not look pleased that he was there, and I shared their sentiment.

  Carth set down on the ground and let out a roar, spreading his blue wings wide, and Zain gave him an approving nod. I quickly hugged Zain and Parin, and then turned to my fifth mate. "What brings you to the palace you hate so much?"

  Varek snorted. "Sorry to disturb you, princess, but I have news about the Unseen.”

  “It’s the only reason we let him inside,” Parin said, eyeing Varek with disdain.

  I tried not to bristle at Varek’s nickname. “Continue.”

  “As suspected, the rally you witnessed near my bar was a recruitment effort on their part. They’ve been holding them all over the city, and rumor is they’re spreading outside Soulspire too.”

  “Do so many people hate the elementals and the Dragons?” Erroh asked.

  Varek shrugged. “They make some good points about the inequality among humans and elementals, but I’m not going to stand back and let them attack us again. I know I run in some questionable circles, and many may think—" He shot my other mates a wry look. "That I'm only a criminal, but I have a line I won't cross. I’m pretty sure they do not.”