“I’m here, aren’t I?” Reven snapped, before spinning on his heel and stalking off, his black cloak trailing behind him. I sighed as I watched his brooding form disappear below deck. He was here, yes. But would he stay this time?
I leaned on the wooden railing and gazed across the waves. An unnatural wind—created by Auric—tousled my hair and filled the sail, guiding our boat northeast toward the Air Realm. In every direction all I saw was water and sky, a never-ending field of varying shades of blue that reminded me of my childhood spent in the Water Realm. After years living in the other kingdoms I only now realized how much I’d missed being surrounded by the ocean. I wondered if Reven felt the same, since he’d also grown up in the Water Realm, but I doubted he would admit it to me if he did.
I rarely thought about my childhood since it only brought pain, but now I closed my eyes and breathed in the salty air and let my mind travel back. Back to growing up on the shoreline under the shade of palm trees. Back to the smell of fresh fish off the boat. Back to my mother, with her hazel eyes and sandy hair, and my father, with his scratchy beard and sun-kissed skin. The Fire God had told me they weren’t my birth parents, but to me they always would be my real family. Besides, I looked nearly identical to my mother, except I had red hair instead of blond. How could she not be my real mother? And if they weren’t my birth parents, then who was?
Perhaps the Air God could tell me once we made it to his temple. This was only our first full day on this boat—we’d spend last night either trying to figure out how to sail, or passed out from exhaustion after our encounter at the Fire Temple—but we had many more days ahead of us before we would reach the Air Realm and the temple there. And after that our journey would continue across the other Realms, growing more impossible with each day.
For hundreds of years our world had been ruled by the five Dragons, the divine representatives of the Gods of earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. But in recent years the Gods had grown weary of the Dragons’ oppressive control and recently chose new Dragons to take their place: me and my four mates. Only problem? The current Dragons had no interest in stepping down.
For most of my life I’d rarely spared a moment to think on the Gods, absent as they were, and when I thought of the Dragons it was with fear and anger. All of that changed on my twentieth birthday when I was struck by lightning and began having visions of the four men who would become my mates. A month later they each arrived in my village and I was forced to face the truth: that I was the next Black Dragon, who represented the Spirit Goddess and could control all five elements. The other men—Jasin, Slade, Auric, and Reven—each represented one of the other elements. And to unlock our powers and our Dragon forms, I had to bond with all of them.
Yesterday I’d bonded with Jasin, my confident, flirtatious soldier, who’d been chosen by the Fire God to be the next Crimson Dragon. Jasin had once served the current Dragons in the Onyx Army, but he’d had a change of heart after he was forced to do things he didn’t agree with, including wiping out entire villages thought to be harboring members of the Resistance. At first I’d been hesitant to give my heart or my body to Jasin since he was a complete stranger to me, although not to other ladies it seemed. But after ten days of traveling to the Fire Temple together he’d won me over and I’d eagerly taken him as my mate.
The memory of it sent a rush of warmth through me now. His hands on my skin. His mouth between my thighs. The fire that had swept over us as the bond had completed. And when it was done, I’d been able to summon fire and Jasin could turn into a dragon.
Next I was meant to bond with Auric, my thoughtful, clever prince, who would represent the Air God as the Golden Dragon. He’d left behind his life as a royal and a scholar to be at my side, and I’d already come to value his kindness and intelligence. We were traveling toward the Air Realm now, where his parents ruled, though I wasn’t sure what we would encounter there. Auric had sneaked away to be with me, and I had a feeling his family wouldn’t be pleased with him. After Jasin’s family betrayed us to the Onyx Army, it didn’t seem wise to tell anyone else who or what we were. Either way, I was looking forward to bonding with Auric at the Air Temple, especially when I remembered his kisses, which had left me wanting even more.
Slade would be my next mate after Auric, though he didn’t seem happy about that fact. He’d once been a humble blacksmith—although one who had connections with the Resistance, it seemed—before the Earth God had selected him to become the Jade Dragon. Slade hadn’t wanted to leave his old life behind, and I got the feeling there was a woman in his past that was part of that, but I’d never once questioned his loyalty. I just wasn’t sure if we’d ever have the kind of relationship I had with Jasin and Auric. Sometimes Slade looked at me in a way that made me think he desired me as much as I did him, but then he would turn away and the moment would be lost. I could only hope he would open up to me by the time we reached the Earth Temple.
Reven, on the other hand, had made it clear from the start he didn’t want to be the next Azure Dragon, and didn’t care one bit that the Water God had chosen him. Despite the undeniable chemistry between us, he’d resisted me and pushed me away at every turn. In the Fire Realm he’d eventually left us all behind, saying he wanted no part of our journey anymore and that caring for people made one weak. He’d returned a day later and saved my life, but I wasn’t sure I could ever trust him again after he’d left us when we needed him most. But I’d have to find a way, because eventually we’d have to bond in the Water Temple too.
No matter what challenges we faced, I needed to take all four men as my mates to gain all of their elemental powers and become the next Black Dragon. Only then could we stop the current Dragons—and take their place as the protectors of the world.
“All right, I’m going to try it,” Jasin said, his voice carrying over on the wind and interrupting my thoughts.
“Are you sure this is wise?” Auric asked, his brow furrowing.
Slade shook his head. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”
Jasin waved their concerns away. “I’ve got it handled.”
“What are you doing?” I asked, as he tugged off his shirt and tossed it aside, revealing a chest rippling with muscles that were impossible not to stare at.
“Just watch and see.” With those words Jasin walked confidently across the deck and gave me a wink, his auburn hair shining under the sun. He grabbed onto the ship’s rigging and hauled himself up it with his strong arms, making my heart jump into my throat. With a mixture of fear and curiosity I watched his powerful body climb the ropes, going higher and higher, until he reached the top of the mast.
He spread his arms wide to the sun—and then he jumped.
I let out a cry as he fell toward the water, but then his body began to shift and grow. Blood red scales slithered across his skin, forming large wings and a long, snaking tail. Talons sprouted from his hands and fangs appeared from his mouth, and soon there was nothing left of my infuriatingly brave soldier except a formidable dragon in his place.
He flapped his great wings to keep from hitting the water, casting a gust of wind at the ship that sent us reeling. I gripped the railing tight as I watched him fly for the first time, while the other guys moved beside me, their eyes wide. Even Reven, though he crossed his arms like he wasn’t impressed.
Jasin flew higher and unleashed a loud roar as he faced us, no doubt showing off because he knew he had an audience. Then he let out a strange sound that I thought might be a laugh before doing a flip in the air, clearly reveling in his new form. Under the sun his crimson scales gleamed, and my fear gave way to amazement. One day we would all be able to change forms like that and fly across the sky—including me. And once we mastered our powers and our new Dragon forms, maybe we’d be able to save the world. Assuming we could learn to work together first.
“He’s going to be more insufferable than ever now,” Reven said.
“No doubt,” Slade agreed.
“I ca
n fix that.” With a wave of his hand, Auric sent a strong gust of wind flying toward Jasin, right as he did another flip. I arched an eyebrow at Auric, but he just shrugged.
Jasin awkwardly flapped his leathery wings to steady himself, but he couldn’t regain his balance and began spiraling out of control. His scales rippled and shifted as if he was becoming human again while he plummeted from the sky. I gasped as his large reptilian body hit the water with a loud smack, sending waves across the deck and drenching the four of us. He sank below the water and I nearly reached for Reven to beg him to save Jasin, but then an auburn head surfaced in front of us.
Jasin tossed his wet hair back and grinned. “Is that the best you’ve got?”
Yeah, we had a lot of work ahead of us.
2
Kira
Jasin practiced flying for another few hours while Reven and Auric guided our boat with waves and wind. Slade disappeared below deck, claiming all that open sky bothered him. He’d always been distant, but I sensed after my night with Jasin it had only gotten worse. He’d also been hit with a bad case of seasickness, which probably wasn’t helping matters.
The area below deck was cramped and dark, almost like a cave, which was probably why Slade preferred it. This ship had been given to us by Calla, the High Priestess of the Fire God, and her four mates. It wasn’t very large, just big enough for a small crew to maneuver, and I imagined it had once been used by them for fishing or for travel when needed.
I hoped Calla and her men were still safe. After we’d fought off the Onyx Army soldiers and escaped the Fire Temple, we’d spotted Sark, the Crimson Dragon, flying over it. Would he hurt Calla or her priests to get information out of us, even though they all served the Fire God too? I wasn’t sure, but from here on out we had to assume that the Dragons knew about us. We could no longer hide in the shadows and hope that would protect us. Soon we would have to face them.
As night fell, my mates and I converged on the deck to eat supper together. We’d left most of our gear and supplies behind with our horses in the Fire Realm, which would soon prove to be a problem. Calla and her men had been thoughtful enough to stock the ship with food and other necessities, but that would only last us a short time. Once we reached the Air Realm we’d have to get more supplies and find another way to travel.
I broke off a piece of bread and passed it to Jasin, who did the same before passing it to Slade. “How many days will it take us to reach the Air Realm?” I asked.
“It depends where we’re planning to dock,” Auric said, as he took the bread from Slade. “We’re making good time though.”
“What are the options?” Slade asked.
Auric cocked his head as he considered. “There’s the capital city, Stormhaven. It’s the closest to the Air Temple, although we’ll still have to travel on land for another week to get there. From a logistics perspective it’s the clear choice, since we can reach it in three days and will be able to obtain new horses and supplies there.” He drew in a long breath, his face grim. “The problem is that my family’s palace is in Stormhaven.”
“And the other option?” Reven asked.
“We continue past Stormhaven and around the bend for another five days to Galeport, then backtrack on land to the Air Temple.”
“How much longer will that add?” Slade asked.
“Almost three weeks.”
“Three weeks?” I asked, with a sigh. “I don’t think we can spare that long. Not when the Dragons might already be hunting for us.”
“If so, they’ll eventually head to the temples to try to stop us,” Jasin said. “The faster we get to them, the better.”
“No, the less time we’re on this ship the better,” Slade grumbled, pushing his food away while clutching his stomach.
“We could disguise Auric and slip him into the city unnoticed,” Reven suggested. I suspected he had plenty of experience doing that sort of thing from his former career as an assassin.
“Stormhaven it is,” I said. “We’ll sneak into the city, get what we need, and leave as soon as we can for the Air Temple.”
Auric nodded. “I’ll make the adjustments to our course with Reven.”
It was the right decision, but I was disappointed I wouldn’t be meeting Auric’s family, even if that was probably for the best. Auric was a prince who had grown up in a life of luxury. I was a commoner who’d once made a living as a huntress, a bandit, and a traveling merchant. We weren’t exactly suitable for each other, and even though Auric claimed he didn’t care about our difference in status, his family certainly would. And then there was the whole Dragon thing we had to keep a secret too.
“Now that that’s settled, tell us what happened the other night,” Auric said. “You told us about the Fire God and what he said, but you didn’t talk much about the actual bonding.”
Jasin arched an eyebrow. “What, you want all the naughty details?”
“No, of course not,” Auric replied quickly. “I simply want to know what to expect. Did anything…unusual happen?”
I glanced over at Jasin. “You did set me on fire.”
“What?” Reven asked, his head snapping up.
Jasin grinned. “Yes, when we uh…completed. I assume that was the bond taking hold and passing my powers to her.”
“Kira,” Slade said, in that low, rumbling voice I would never grow tired of hearing. “Are you in any pain?”
“No, why?”
Slade rubbed the back of his neck without meeting my eyes. “A woman’s first time can be…difficult.”
“Oh.” My cheeks flushed. “I’m all right. And if there was any pain, my healing powers must have taken care of it.” Another benefit of being the representative of the Spirit Goddess.
Slade nodded and blew out a breath. “Good.”
“You know I would never hurt Kira,” Jasin said, looking offended at even the suggestion. “Trust me, I took good care of her. Multiple times.”
Reven rolled his eyes. “Yes, we’ve heard all about your sexual prowess.”
Gods, could this moment be any more awkward? My skin felt like it was on fire all over again. I coughed. “Jasin made the experience very…pleasant.”
Jasin leaned back against the railing with a cocky grin. “I tried. Everyone should have a good first time, don’t you all think?”
Slade let out a soft grunt. “Good? Mine was fast and awkward.”
“Oh yeah?” Jasin asked. “Tell us about it. Who was the lucky lady?”
Slade’s frown deepened as he glanced at me. “I’m not sure this is an appropriate conversation for us to have.”
“It’s fine,” I said, waving it away. “I know you all had other women before you met me. I’m interested in learning everything about your pasts. Or whatever you’re willing to share with me, anyway.”
The men all hesitated and remained silent, but then Jasin spoke up. “Fine, I’ll start. My first time was with one of my brother’s friends. She was older than me and taught me how to please a woman.”
“How much older?” Slade asked, arching an eyebrow.
“Only a few years. I think she was secretly interested in my brother, but he preferred men and I was the closest she could get.” Jasin shrugged. “Both of us knew it wasn’t anything serious, and we made each other happy for a while before she married someone else.” He took a sip of water and gestured at Slade with the jug. “But if you’re so righteous, tell us your story.”
Slade stared down at the untouched food in front of him. “My first time was with a girl in my village. We grew up together and it seemed natural we would be married one day. Neither one of us knew what we were doing during that first time. But we figured it out together eventually over the years.”
“What happened to her?” I asked, unable to stop myself.
His green eyes focused on me. “We never got married, if that’s what you’re asking.”
I had a dozen more questions, but Slade’s tone implied he had nothing more to say on the matte
r. I sighed and turned to Reven. “And you?”
“You don’t want to hear my story.”
“Well, now we definitely do,” Jasin said.
Reven glared at him. “Fine, but it’s not all fond memories like your stories.” He ripped off chunks of his bread and threw them into the ocean without care. “I had to get by on the streets somehow after my parents were killed, and I discovered people will pay to have sex with young men. Quite handsomely.”
Stunned silence met his words. I had no idea his parents had been killed, only that he’d told me he’d gotten his swords from his father, and I never would have guessed he’d spent part of his life doing something like that. There was so much more about his past—and everyone else’s—that I wanted to uncover. But I had a feeling Reven’s would be the darkest…and the hardest to crack.
“I’m sorry,” I said, brushing my hand against his, where it rested on the deck.
He yanked his hand away. “Don’t be. I’ll do whatever it takes to survive. You should know that by now.”
“On that cheerful note, what about you, Auric?” Jasin asked.
Auric had been silent the entire conversation, and now he brushed crumbs off his lap. “That’s not something I wish to discuss with the group.”
Reven arched an eyebrow. “It can’t be any worse than my story.”
“Maybe he’s still waiting for his first time,” Jasin teased, and Reven snickered in response.
Slade shook his head. “Leave him alone.”
“I’m only trying to get to know my companions better,” Jasin said, spreading his hands wide. “If we’re going to be stuck together for the rest of our lives and sharing the same woman, we need to be able to talk about these things.”
Auric stood and cast a sharp glance at Jasin. “You may be comfortable discussing these matters with everyone, but I am not. And I’d prefer if you respected my privacy in this matter.”
Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series Page 19