by Eva Brandt
Granted, these were dragon-shifters, already quite gifted in the genitals department, so suffice to say, it was a tight fit. Still, Emmerich was careful, his motions almost impossibly slow. He gave me time to adjust to the overwhelming sensations, all the while exploring my lower back with his hands as if to deliver the massage they had all originally promised. I was grateful for it, not because I felt any pain, but because I feared that had he pushed me faster or gone too quickly, I’d have already come. I wasn’t prepared for that. I wasn’t sure I ever would be.
“Please,” I gasped, not sure what I was asking for, but unable to stop myself, regardless.
My dragons knew me better than I knew myself. As soon as Emmerich had bottomed out inside me, Kerryn took hold of my hair and rubbed his hard cock against my lips. I obediently opened my mouth, and he slid in, just as slowly as Emmerich had, even if we’d done this many times before.
My eyes drifted shut as I allowed myself to enjoy the sheer intensity of feeling my dragons inside me. My mind cleared of every single thought that didn’t involve them and this moment we shared. And as my soulmates began to move, I fell out of the reality I had once inhabited, into a world where only the four of us existed.
More than a world, it felt like a dream. Everything was smooth, gentle, almost lazy, as if the incredible passion that always flared between us had pushed us to a point where we couldn’t process the full extent of it. Come to think of it, that was actually a pretty accurate description, at least in my case. I had trouble distinguishing each individual sensation from the other, the hot from the cold, the dark from the light, my magic from theirs. Maybe I should’ve deemed it unnerving, but instead, I found comfort in it.
The girth of Kerryn’s cock stretched my lips, but his motions were slow and shallow, almost like he wasn’t seeking friction or suction per se. Raijin wasn’t doing much thrusting at all, contenting himself with holding me while Emmerich took me from behind. And yet, there was something deeply satisfying and decadent about it, something that went beyond the stretch, the burn, and the feeling of fullness. Their magic traveled over me, invading my every pore, caressing every nerve ending, leaving no part of me untouched and unloved. My nipples ached and tingled, my head was spinning and my pussy pulsed around the two cocks inside me. I felt like I was floating, wrapped in the embrace of a blizzard that consumed everything in its path, and yet was more serene than my palace would ever be.
Both alien and familiar, the experience was so intense I almost feared that I would shatter. My dragons’ voices carried me through it all, strong, fierce, and yet, so very kind. “That’s it, treasure. Let yourself feel.”
“You’re perfect.”
“You belong to us.”
“Our soulmate.”
“Cassia.”
“You feel so good.”
I couldn’t keep track of who said what. It did not matter anyway. The feeling behind the words was always the same, as was my response to it. Even if they had not spoken, I would have still known it. I would’ve still understood the meaning of their actions, just like they could understand mine, despite my obvious inability to talk. Ultimately, that knowledge and emotion pushed me over the edge, into an orgasm that echoed against the very center of my being.
My mind became a complete blank, and I lost track of my surroundings entirely. For a few moments, or maybe, for an age, I was utterly consumed by the wave of ecstasy my dragons had awakened inside of me. Its power was beautiful and bright, hot and cold, like a frozen flame, and I embraced it, knowing that I belonged to it as much as I did to the timeless magic of Chronikos.
When I came to once again, I was on my back, with my dragons slowly wiping me down with a cloth they had produced from... somewhere. “Are you all right, treasure?” Kerryn asked as soon as he realized I was cognizant.
“Never better,” I answered. I felt so clear-headed and calm, my magic sated and content. At this rate, I wouldn’t need a meditation chamber at all, only a few minutes alone with my dragons and one of their so-called massages. “Thank you.”
“It was our absolute pleasure, Cassia,” Emmerich said with a quick smirk. “We’re at your disposal any time you need us. We mean that most sincerely.”
I arched a brow and eyed the expanse of his naked body, including his still half-hard cock. They must’ve come as well at one point, but their interest in me and their libidos had always been pretty remarkable. I had no doubt that they would be able to provide a repeat performance if I so desired. “I’m sure you do,” I teased him. “I’ll make sure to take you up on the offer.”
I was very tempted to do exactly that, but I did not get the chance. The sound of furious knocking at the door of my quarters shattered the moment and propelled us back into reality.
“Your Majesty!” a familiar voice called out in audible alarm. “Your Majesty!”
It was December. I hadn’t heard him sound so frantic or so energetic since the incident with Jack. It wasn’t in his character to easily panic. Whatever had brought him to my door this morning could not be good.
I exchanged a look with my dragons, and they nodded at me. “We’ll handle it,” Raijin said.
They quickly rolled out of bed and grabbed the nearest robes they could find. As they exited the bedroom and went to let my lieutenant in, I rushed to clean myself up from the rest of my lovers’ emissions and find something appropriate to wear.
It did not take me long to accomplish my self-appointed task of achieving a presentable appearance, but by the time I left my bedchambers, December had already provided my dragons with his report. The glum expressions on their faces did not bode well.
“What happened?” I asked without preamble. “What’s wrong?”
“We’ve just received a report from the patrol led by Terrifying. They’ve found the messenger from Queen Phthinoporon. He appears to have been attacked while delivering the letter you sent to your sister yesterday. Your Majesty, he’s dying.”
Five
A Ghost from the Past
Kerryn
Since our arrival in The Realm of Eternal Ice and the beginning of our relationship with Cassia, my fellow dragons and I had learned a lot about her relationship with her sisters. We’d even briefly visited The Realm of Eternal Bounties, where Phthinoporon—or Pandora, as Cassia called her—was queen. Cassia had also done her very best to give us information on the general functioning of their realms, on how the military worked in Chronikos as a whole and what threats we were supposed to expect on a regular basis.
One thing that had not been included on the latter list was attacks on the messengers of the four queens.
Due to the unique magic of Chronikos, said messengers were supposed to be protected from most dangers. Included in the enchantment were, among others, Cassia’s Yuki-Onna Mariko and her sister’s tengu, Karasu.
Apparently, someone had decided to change the rules, because the tengu’s immunity had worn off.
“Dying?” Cassia repeated. “That’s not possible. My sister’s power should’ve protected him even in my territory.”
December eyed Cassia with a degree of trepidation, but could not find an adequate reply. “I know, Your Majesty. We’re as confused as you are.”
Fortunately for December, Cassia did not appear inclined to blame him for his inability to provide an answer to this dilemma. “I take it you’ve brought him to the palace and he’s seen the healers. What kind of damage did he receive?”
“It’s not clear either. Some of it appears to be magical, but its source is murky, and we can’t distinguish what it actually targeted and affected.”
Cassia hissed in displeasure. “Wonderful. Take me to him. Kerryn, Emmerich, Raijin, come find me when you’re dressed for the day.”
It was more than a little irritating to have to let her handle this without us just because we weren’t properly dressed, but we understood her logic and had to obey protocol. “Do you suppose this has something to do with our parents?” Emmerich asked as w
e were getting ready.
“I don’t see how it would be related, but it does seem like a pretty big coincidence,” Raijin replied. “Perhaps the fact that they breached Chronikos’ wards had some sort of side effect on the magic that protects the messengers.”
That made far too much sense, although Cassia had said that she’d checked the wards and there was no issue. And even assuming Raijin’s guess was correct, the explanation still didn’t provide us with any answers regarding the identity of the individual or individuals who’d engineered the attack on Karasu.
“Whatever it was, we need to find out, as quickly as possible,” I said. “If it’s something that can override the power of Chronikos, it might be a danger to Cassia.”
My fellow dragons nodded, and by the time we left Cassia’s quarters, we’d already come up with a tentative plan.
We had located Jack Frost in The Realm of Eternal Bounties when he’d run off to the satyr brothel. While the circumstances might not be identical, one of us should still be able to track down the attacker, as long as we got a look at Karasu’s state and at the location where he had been found.
As it turned out, our female had other ideas. We met up with her again, in the healer’s wing, in front of the room where Karasu was probably receiving treatment. She took one look at us and said, “You need to go get your families and leave.”
Her voice was so calm and level that for a few moments, the words didn’t process. When at last, they did, I immediately started to protest.
“Leave? Cassia, you can’t be serious. What’s wrong?” Well, other than the fact that her sister’s messenger had been shot down. But that shouldn’t have been enough to make her send us away. Right?
Apparently, it was.
“I’m very serious.” Cassia faced us unflinchingly, her expression as icy cold as the realm she ruled over. “I don’t have time to explain now, but it’s too dangerous for you to stay here. Go to Tis Ánoixis. You should be safe with Eranthe, at least for now, until I handle this matter.”
Why in the world would we want to go to The Realm of Eternal Youth? This made no sense.
“Cassia, we’re not leaving you,” Emmerich shot back. “I don’t know what answers you’ve received since we spoke earlier and why you think this is dangerous for us, but either way, we won’t just abandon you when you need us. “
“I don’t think you understand the situation, Emmerich,” Cassia answered, icicles forming at the tips of her fingers like claws. “I’m not asking you to do this. I’m telling you.”
This was more serious than expected if Cassia was turning to that option. She was genuinely scared. Whatever she’d learned from her examination of Karasu’s condition had her out of sorts, because otherwise, she would’ve never pushed in such a way. Even before we had become her lovers, she’d been adamant on the fact that we owed her nothing and were not her servants. I suspected that in her heart, she felt a little self-conscious about the differences between our positions, although she didn’t always acknowledge it.
My fellow dragons must’ve realized this as well because they wasted no time in addressing Cassia’s unexpected command. “Cassia, we’ve talked about this,” Raijin said. “We’re your lovers and your soulmates. We made you a vow and you accepted it. You can’t change your mind about it overnight like this.”
Cassia’s eyes widened at the reminder and she took a step back, as if she’d just received a physical blow. Emmerich used the moment of vulnerability to sneak past her guard and wrap his arms around her. “You promised that you’d let us help and protect you. Don’t push us away now.”
Seeing the sense in Emmerich’s approach, I decided to mimic him. The three of us ended up crowding our soulmate against the wall, pressing our bodies to hers in an attempt to remind her whom she belonged to and why it was such a bad idea to change that.
It was a bit of a low blow to use the sexual attraction between us against Cassia, but any method was valid as long as it kept our female safe. Alas, Cassia was not so easily swayed. She only allowed herself to linger a few moments in our shared embrace, and then escaped our trap, gliding away from our hold like an incorporeal spirit.
“You can’t protect me from this. It’s something that’s my responsibility, and I alone can handle it.”
Maybe she was right. There were certainly plenty of perils here that I had no knowledge of and was in no way equipped to handle. Even so, leaving my soulmate behind while I cowered and hid was fundamentally repellent to me. My female might have been perfectly capable of protecting herself, but that didn’t mean she didn’t need us.
“We’re stronger together than apart, treasure,” I insisted. “Granted, your magic might be more powerful, but we’re not exactly harmless either. If the source of this attack is as dangerous as you say, wouldn’t it be better for us to deal with it together?”
Cassia threw her hands up in exasperation. “Ugh! Why are you so stubborn? How do you expect me to keep you safe if you refuse to listen?”
“Well, now you know how we feel,” Emmerich muttered under his breath. “Also, of course we’re stubborn. We’re your soulmates. It kind of comes with the territory.”
I couldn’t have agreed more. The gods only knew that Cassia was just as stubborn as all of us put together. Usually, we tended to acquiesce to her demands since we had horrible trouble denying her anything, but this would just have to be one of the exceptions. I had no idea why she suddenly felt she had to keep us safe, but it was something we couldn’t accept, not at the expense of our separation.
Our refusal did not please Cassia in the least bit. “Don’t give me that. That’s not an answer, an explanation, or a solution. What about your families? You can’t just leave them here where they’re vulnerable!”
“Our parents can do whatever they wish, treasure,” Raijin answered. “We can send them on their way to Tis Ánoixis if you think that’s best. But we are not them, and our hearts and duty are with you. We can’t leave. We won’t.”
The simple certainty in those latter two words said everything we’d been struggling to explain through our more elaborate responses. We wouldn’t leave. It really was just as easy as that. Maybe our female would get angry with us for disrespecting her decision and distrusting her judgment, but we would just have to earn her forgiveness later, once we removed the threat that was making her act this way.
I’d have been more satisfied with our choice had a shadow of wretchedness not settled on Cassia’s beautiful face. Her shoulders slumped and her eyes glittered with unshed tears.
I froze, the realization that our actions had upset our soulmate making my insides twist and my dragon cry out in dismay. “Cassia, we—”
I never got the chance to finish the phrase. The door to the healing quarters opened, revealing the female nisse healer we’d already seen a few times before in the palace. “Your Majesty, you can come in to see the patient now.”
“Thank you, Alva.”
Wait, Cassia hadn’t seen Karasu? Then why the panic? What had caused her sudden desire to send us away? And why would the healers make their own queen wait, especially when December had pointed out that this was an emergency?
It was so confusing, but the only one who could answer those questions was Cassia herself, and she had already disappeared inside the healing room, following the nisse. We scuttled after her, knowing that there was probably not much we could do, but needing to be with Cassia more than ever.
Karasu was lying on a bed, with his black wings strapped down and his limbs immobilized. Most of his usually reddish face had taken a purplish tinge, and a glow of malevolent magic still lingered around him.
Several other nisse had taken up position by his side but seemed uncertain how to deal with the matter further. They bowed at Cassia when she entered the room. “Your Majesty, the patient’s condition is very serious,” another healer reported. “We’ve done what we can, but our attempts have failed to assist him.”
“Yes, I imagine that
they would have,” Cassia answered as she glided toward the bed. “It is all right, Viveka. This failure is not your fault.”
The closer Cassia got to the tengu, the more convinced I became we shouldn’t be allowing this. Something about that magic really unsettled me. December had already mentioned that it was murky and odd, but I didn’t find his description appropriate. It was dark and corrupted, and a shiver coursed down my spine when I remembered the last time I’d seen such vicious, sick powers.
As expected, Raijin noticed the phenomenon as well. “Treasure, don’t touch him,” he hissed. “That’s Ton Daímon magic. It’s much too dangerous.”
“It’s more dangerous for everyone else than it is for me,” she answered.
I didn’t believe her, and my guess was confirmed seconds later when Cassia pressed her hand to Karasu’s exposed chest. Karasu’s eyes shot open, completely consumed by a bright, white light.
Ice flared around the two figures, sweeping through the room in a spiral of frost that sent the nisse healers cowering away from the bed. They needn’t have worried since Cassia had the situation under control. She flicked her fingers, and a shield of ice manifested between Karasu and the rest of the people present, containing the alien, malevolent magic.
This was getting stranger and stranger. Like Raijin, I could’ve sworn that Karasu was branded by demonic powers, but the inhabitants of Ton Daímon very rarely made use of ice magic. There were plenty of ice demons, but most of them did not have the kind of abilities Cassia wielded. They were more akin to her yetis, dangerous beasts with a great deal of physical strength and a tendency to devour every living creature that crossed their paths, but no real esoteric skills.
As the bright light faded into a dimmer glow, Karasu clenched his fists, straining against the bindings keeping him tied down. When he found himself unable to escape, he looked up at Cassia and smirked. “Ah, yes. The little nymph usurper. It’s been a while since you and I have spoken properly. My, you’ve grown.”