by Eva Brandt
My migraine had reemerged with a vengeance during the trip back to The Frozen Peaks, the dragons’ nattering voices grating on me like the sound of amarok claws raking ice. As soon as I entered the meditation chamber, the headache began to subside once again. As my mind cleared, I let out a sigh of relief and knelt in the center of the room.
Pressing my hands to the floor, I reached out to the magic that connected me to the center of Chronikos. A surge of power erupted over me, and within an instant, I managed to map and test the borders around the land my sisters and I ruled.
The results of my findings both satisfied me and not. The wards had recovered, as I had hoped, but their strength no longer felt as unfaltering as it once had. My dragons’ parents had gotten through a little too easily. While I doubted any prospective attackers would have the benefit of such firepower, I could not simply discard the possible dangers.
I would have to write to my sisters and arrange a ritual that would allow us to strengthen the wards once again. It would be strenuous, but it was necessary.
For the moment, I tightened my magic around the breach the dragons had created, making sure the damage was completely fixed. Once I had done everything that was in my power, I withdrew, my mental presence returning to my body.
Perhaps I should have gone back to the foyer and met up with my soulmates as I had promised, but I didn’t. Instead, I just sat there and allowed myself the luxury of taking a few seconds to think.
The arrival of my soulmates’ families came at a bad time, yes, but it also brought to mind a lot of things we hadn’t yet addressed, the same issues that had troubled me before, but I had chosen to ignore for the sake of my own convenience. No matter how much I claimed that I had only wanted to embrace my unconventional relationship with my dragons, the truth was that it had been easy to accept what they offered and not think about the implications of their vow. I had done my very best to integrate them in the running of my realm, but I had not taken into account the lives they’d left behind in Terra Dracones.
Granted, we had spoken about their background a few times, and they had not mentioned having any families or attachments. Nevertheless, I felt I should have made more of an effort to understand where they were coming from. We might have been soulmates, and I might have been their treasure, but that didn’t mean I could just ignore their pasts.
And then there were those other questions my dragons’ mothers had asked. One in particular still lingered on my mind. Did I want to have hatchlings?
I hadn’t really thought about the possibility of having children. Being the avatar of winter wasn’t exactly conducive to fertility, so my body didn’t even produce the required material on a regular basis. I knew I could accomplish it, though, if not on my own, perhaps with some aid from Eranthe. But did I actually want it?
That wasn’t a question I had an answer for.
I shook my head and pushed back my confusing thoughts. It was much too soon to think about children anyway. My dragons and I had to solve the problems in our relationship first. We’d figure out the whole hatchling thing later.
Fully intending to go back to the foyer, I got up and returned to my bedchambers. My plans instantly changed when I caught sight of a familiar, black-winged figure hovering next to my balcony.
It looked like I’d get to send a message to Pandora sooner than I had intended.
With a wave of my hand, I opened the balcony doors, granting my sister’s envoy entry. The tengu flew inside, his massive wings brushing the doorjambs as he passed. When he knelt in front of me, his long nose almost brushed the floor. “Hail, Queen Cheimon, Lady of Winter, ruler of Tou Cheimóna, The Realm of Eternal Ice. I bring a message for you, from Her Majesty, Queen Phthinoporon, Lady of Autumn, ruler of Tou Fthinopórou, The Realm of Eternal Bounties.”
He retrieved the reddish-brown envelope hidden somewhere under his feathers and offered it to me. I would never understand how he managed to fly with those things and still not lose the post he carried.
“Thank you, Karasu,” I answered, a little more informally. Right now, I didn’t have the time to go through the elaborate, tedious process of repeating every single title my sister and her envoy possessed. “Wait here. I will want to send a reply.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the tengu answered without moving from his kneeling position. I would’ve told him to get up, but I knew it was pointless. Karasu was even more intent on pursuing formal manners than all my lieutenants put together. I found this highly ironic, considering the general disregard Pandora showed toward things that bored her.
Also, I hoped the nisse had been thorough the last time they’d cleaned my quarters. I’d never been a messy person, but having three soulmates to sexually satisfy had changed that a little, and Karasu’s long nose was still almost against my floor.
Temporarily setting aside my more trivial concerns, I opened the letter from Pandora.
“Dearest sister,
I hope this missive finds you in good health and does not interrupt any of the well-earned moments of rest you are spending with your new consorts. I must congratulate you once again on your choice. My recent research indicates that dragon men are very sexually potent, and can satisfy a woman in ways other beings cannot.
You will be gratified to note that following your efforts, the state of affairs in Tou Fthinopórou has normalized, and there have been no more signs of weather anomalies. I am receiving regular reports from my bridge guardians and garrisons, and everything seems to be in order.
That being said, I did have a small matter to discuss with you. As of late, I have been considering inviting Eranthe to my next Grand Bacchanal. What is your take on this? Tarasia insists that it is not yet time and that Eranthe is still too young, but I feel that if she is old enough to lead her own realm, she’s definitely old enough to have sex.
Do let me know what you think.
You are, of course, invited to the Bacchanal as well. Bring your dragons. I look forward to meeting them in person.
May you have a most bountiful day,
Pandora.”
The letter wasn’t very long, but the underlining meaning of each sentence told me more than enough. Pandora had the tendency to resort to orgies to solve any problem, and for some reason, she seemed to think Eranthe was in a situation that required such an intervention.
I thought about February’s return and Eranthe’s insistence that he stay behind until her new flowers bloomed. As far as I could tell, nothing had changed in Eranthe’s pattern of behavior, but I could be wrong. I’d never been all that good at interpreting emotions, and I hadn’t seen Eranthe in a while.
Well, in any case, it was probably not something big. Otherwise, Pandora would’ve mentioned it in detail or Tarasia would’ve already swept in to handle it and taught whoever had upset our youngest sister a very painful lesson. Still, I supposed it wouldn’t hurt Eranthe to have a little fun that did not involve hallucinogens she herself had created.
Ironically, Eranthe was only a few years younger than me, so this shouldn’t have been an issue at all. It was just so easy to forget that, and Tarasia, in particular, tended to ignore it altogether. But even my summery sister would have to think about Eranthe’s well-being and acknowledge the truth. Sex was healthy, and that was always something to pursue.
Nodding to myself, I sat at my desk and retrieved a quill and a piece of paper. As I started to write my response, another thought came to me.
Perhaps Pandora could give me some advice regarding my own love life. We might not always get along, but she was better than me at such things. At the very least, I could get an unbiased opinion on my current dilemma from her.
Then again, if she’d been here, she’d have probably already chastised me for worrying overmuch about an issue that would be easy to solve. My dragons’ families might be a bit irritating, but they could never actually harm the connection I shared with Kerryn, Emmerich, and Raijin. My soulmates loved me, and we didn’t have to do anything we
were uncomfortable with. Beyond that, we’d take our time to decide what our futures should hold. After all, if there was anything we had an abundance of here in Chronikos, it was time.
As that thought processed, a sudden, wicked idea popped up in my mind. Perhaps I could teach my dragons a little lesson on the importance of being honest with me, all the while coming off as a good host. I always did love efficiency, and my soulmates needed to understand certain points I had not yet managed to hammer home.
Yes, our relationship still had some flaws, but maybe this message of Pandora’s was a sign. Maybe I could take a leaf out of her book and discipline my dragons through one of her recommended methods.
If nothing else, it would certainly be fun.
* * *
Emmerich
“I must say, Your Majesty, this is a bit of a surprise. After our earlier exchanges, I didn’t expect you to throw us such a grand feast.”
Cassia’s twinkling laughter echoed over the hall, her amusement at Brigid’s words completely genuine. “I wouldn’t call it a feast, per se. We didn’t have enough time for that. But a welcoming dinner was nevertheless in order. What kind of host would I be if I did not feed my guests properly?”
Kerryn’s father chuckled, the delicious taste of the venison having obviously put him in a good mood. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about in that regard. If your sister’s realm is anything like yours, I can see why Lerna decided to move to Chronikos.”
“Well, she had plenty of reasons for the move, but it is true that The Realm of Eternal Bounties has always done justice to its name.”
“Ah, when we return home, we will have so much to tell the rest of the clan,” my own mother said.
The comment made Cassia perk up in interest. “I’m sorry, I forgot to ask. Do you have any other children?”
“No, not yet. Emmerich was such a troublesome hatchling. We did not get the chance to try for a clutch. But we want to do so in the future.”
Over the rim of my wine goblet, I watched our female interact with our families and was torn between embarrassment at what my parents were saying and the desire to pull Cassia closer. She seemed to have cheered up since earlier, and that took a huge load off my mind. She had not explained the reasons for the change, but it didn’t matter to me, as long as she was happy. Our parents had agreed to follow our rules and had not broken their word so far. The news of Lerna’s presence in The Realm of Eternal Bounties had also distracted them from their previous concerns, and they appeared to have decided to encourage our bond with Cassia.
Still, I wished my fellow dragons and I had been alone with her, just the four of us. The sound of her laughter and the way she glowed with inner magic made me want to rip her clothes off and claim her right then and there, but she wasn’t even within my reach.
Most tables we’d eaten at in the past since our arrival in Chronikos had been round, but this particular one was a rectangle. Cassia was seated at its head, on an ornate chair slightly higher than the rest. My fellow dragons and I had been placed at the opposite end, with our respective families in the middle.
I suspected the arrangement had something to do with the fact that our parents were foreigners, although I wasn’t sure since it had never been an issue for us. I didn’t much care about the reasons anyway. I was being denied the proximity of my female, and I was not happy.
From his seat by my side, Kerryn kicked me in the knee. “You’re staring,” he hissed under his breath.
“Can you really blame me? She’s so beautiful.”
“She is, but we have to maintain decorum,” Raijin replied. “She wouldn’t want us to be uncouth, especially not in front of our families.”
I sighed but resigned myself to the truth of his words. I hoped the blasted feast didn’t take much longer. As much as I appreciated Cassia’s efforts, the only real appetites I had right now could not be sated through food or drink.
My sweet female seemed to sense my souring mood. Despite the fact that our parents had engaged her in a conversation about her realm—a topic Cassia was always happy to discuss—she briefly turned away from them and faced us. She shot us a quick smile and mouthed, “Soon.” It was the sole warning I received before a wave of her magic flowed over me, discreet, yet so very present, making my already restless beast stir in anguished arousal.
The growls and hisses that escaped my fellow dragons’ throats signaled the fact that they weren’t doing much better, and that they too had been targeted by Cassia’s little trick. “This is going to be torture,” Kerryn said through gritted teeth. He had apparently decided to discard his own earlier words and was staring at Cassia with just as much hunger I knew I must be displaying.
“I have a feeling it’s not happenstance,” Raijin pointed out. “We slighted her by not mentioning our families and she clearly hasn’t forgotten.”
Of course she hadn’t. Cassia had a big heart, but she always acknowledged the mistakes her subordinates made, even if she didn’t end up punishing them for their behavior. We might not have been her underlings, but the rule still applied. In hindsight, it had been a little too much to hope that she’d let us get away with our stupid behavior.
Well, there was nothing for it. I would just have to endure and submit to whatever punishment my female deemed appropriate. I had wronged her through my omissions—we all had—and we needed to pay the price for that.
Taking a deep breath, I mournfully tried to direct my attention to the plate in front of me. The dinner the nisse cooks had prepared for us was quite delicious. If I could only focus on the meal, I’d be fine. And I’d done more difficult things in life. Right?
I gripped my knife in my hand and painstakingly started to slice the meat into smaller pieces. Even in this form, it was next to impossible for me to choke, so I didn’t need to be quite so thorough, but that wasn’t really the point. It kept me busy, for about a minute, until Cassia decided to step up her torturing technique.
The tendrils of magic exploring my skin suddenly grew far bolder. As my soulmate’s icy touch zeroed in on my erection, the ornate cutlery snapped in my hands and my dinner went up in flames.
It was only for a moment, as Raijin soon extinguished the tiny blaze, keeping the damage contained. Just the same, I had never hated the absurdly visible nature of my powers more. I was pretty sure Raijin and Kerryn were enduring the same treatment, but since their abilities were different, they hadn’t drawn the eye of every single person in the room.
Cassia tilted her head at me like a curious bird and shot me an inquiring, perfectly innocent look. “Is the venison not to your liking, Emmerich? You do realize you didn’t need to make it burst into flames if the nisse’s cooking didn’t agree with you tonight.”
It was a small miracle that I could even provide a coherent response. “My apologies, treasure. I must be a little wound up. You know me and my temper.”
“Yes, I do know.”
As she spoke, her full lips twisted into another smirk and her eyes glinted with mischief. The magic’s hold on my genitals tightened. By my side, Raijin made a wounded noise, and the icy table cracked neatly in the middle.
Kerryn shot to his feet and stumbled away from the table, covering his face and putting some distance between the two of us. It was a good idea. As a rule, he had no trouble controlling his more volatile poison-breathing skills, to the point where he could use the fumes to either kill or incapacitate an opponent. But our female had always been a wildcard, and none of us wanted to test the possible consequences of our skills clashing due to her little game.
As expected, the incident alarmed our parents. “Kerryn, what’s wrong?” his mother asked, already scanning the room for threats to her hatchling. “Do you feel ill?”
“No, that’s not it,” Kerryn replied, his voice slurring like he was drunk, and his eyes shining so brightly they almost looked like emeralds. “Just... Just a little tired.”
Not even one of Cassia’s yetis would have believed him
, and his parents definitely didn’t. Fortunately, they didn’t have to.
A look of realization dawned on Devin’s face. “Perhaps it’s simply time to retreat for the night. It’s been a tiring day for all of us, and we do have much to look forward to tomorrow.”
Brigid glowered at her mate, obviously not in the least bit pleased with the prospect of leaving her son when he was sick. My father and Noboru were already getting up, though, having understood what was going on as well as Devin had.
“We’ll see ourselves out, Your Majesty,” my father said. “I’m sure your amazing staff will be able to help us to our quarters.”
He must’ve managed to convey to my mother the truth behind the embarrassing situation because she showed no further alarm. “Have a good night, dear. We will speak again in the morning.”
Her compliance must’ve clarified things for Brigid as well, as she didn’t protest when Devin herded her toward the exit of the massive dining room. One by one, everyone followed, until we were at last left alone with our teasing, naughty female.
“That wasn’t nice, treasure,” I said as soon as the doors closed behind my parents. “Seducing us like that when you knew we couldn’t do anything about it.”
Cassia left her seat, all pretense of innocence forgotten, power swelling around her in an alluring and almost suffocating display. “Well, you know me. I’m not a very nice person.”
Raijin laughed, and the sound came out husky and raw, as if he had been doing his best to smother other, more animalistic sounds until now. “You’re such a liar, treasure. But it’s all right. I think we can find a way to fix that and make sure you never lie to us again.”
Cassia arched a silver brow, still very much the queen, and yet, more seductive than any siren could ever hope to be. “That should be my line. You see, I’ve recently learned that my soulmates have been keeping things from me.”