by Terri Lane
“She is safe,” said one of the men. He had a clean-shaven face. “We can protect her.” I shook my head.
“Not against a high demon. I have faced him. He is more than he seems.”
“We’re dragons,” the man insisted. That explains some things.
“You can come,” Samara said to him. “If I have the strength of my coven combined with you and Ben, think of how strong that would be.” He squinted, considering it, and nodded.
“We should go now, then.” He shoved the other man, who had a beard, with his hand. “C’mon Benny! The demons are coming!”
* * *
SAMARA:
Dora looked frazzled. She raced around her kitchen, preparing tea. Ben and Aiden stood by the door awkwardly. She paused, sighing deeply. She looked at the two dragons.
“Check the perimeter wards,” she instructed them. “I think they’ll hold for a little while, but we will need every second.” They nodded. Ben turned and walked off, but Aiden came over to me, pulling something from his back pocket. He handed it to me.
“Why are you giving me this?” I asked him, looking at the Mayan Hanging Lady, which sat heavily in the palm of my hand.
“In dragon-form, I won’t have a jeans pocket,” he explained sheepishly. He shrugged. “Gotta keep my two best girls together.” He winked at me before walking off and into the building. I placed the statue in my jacket pocket.
Dora said, “It’s a good thing that I don’t have any guests. I wouldn’t know where to send them. Have a seat, Samara. It’s going to be a long wait.” She brought over the teapot and several cups.
“Dora? Can I ask you a question?” I asked, biting my lip nervously.
“Anything,” she replied kindly.
“Is it possible to be in love with two people at the same time?”
“Oh, honey, you can love many people.”
“I mean…romantically,” I said. She glanced at the door where the two dragons had exited the room before looking back at me. Her left eyebrow was raised.
“Do they love you too?”
“Yes.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive,” I nodded, eyes wide. She thought for a moment, sitting down across from me at the table.
“Well, it’s certainly a different situation…” she mused. “But, if there’s one thing that I do know about love is, that it’s big. It grows to fill all of the gaps if you let it. If you love both of them, and they aren’t jealous, then I see nothing wrong with it. I don't think jealousy will be a problem. I think that after several centuries, a half-dragon, half-man tends to mellow a bit.”
“You think so?”
“I know so,” said Dora. She smiled and winked at me. “Those two are so protective of you. I can just feel the anxiety about your safety just rolling off of them.” She laughed. “What’s life without a few eccentricities?”
“Thanks, Dora.”
“Sure.”
“I’m just…worried for them. I’m essentially asking them to fight a major demon with me,” I paused, worry flooding my gut. “I don’t want them to get hurt.” Dora smiled encouragingly.
“They are doing it because they love you,” she said.
“I hate this waiting,” I complained. “Why can’t I just go out and confront Lex?”
“Because then you might end up on his turf,” she reminded me. “When you’re here, you have the strength of the coven.” She leaned forward, placing her hand on my arm. I felt her empath's powers flood me with a sense of calm. “You are far from alone, Samara. The coven is, right now, performing a ritual to send you their strength.”
“Why are they doing it?” I said.
She looked at me, her head cocked to the side.
“You’re one of us. You know this. We are all one heart, that beats together,” she explained. “Even the two dragons are part of us, although, they don’t know that.”
I nodded.
Just then, we heard a large crash and a loud, low growl come from the front of the B&B. Dora looked at me gravely.
“It is time.”
***
SAMARA:
When I arrived at the front of the B&B, the whole front of the building had been ripped open. Aiden’s large, golden form loomed before it, and as Ben stepped forward, his skin shifted to bright emerald scales, and there was a loud crackling noise as his whole frame shifted into dragon form. I looked at him in awe—where Aiden was humongous and muscular, Ben was lean and sinuous. His wings were smaller, but still like stretched lace. His head was triangular, and more reptilian and with a longer snout than Aiden’s, whose head was shaped more similarly to that of a horse. Side-by-side the two of them were breath-taking. Every line of their musculature spoke of power and strength. I felt protected. I felt loved, as well, as they both looked at me. A dragon’s eyes are far more expressive than that of an ordinary lizard. I could see human emotion etched on both of their faces as they looked at me. I inhaled, feeling my heart swell with feeling.
You love us, Ben’s voice sounded in my head, and I looked at him in shock. There was a deep thrumming sound coming from within his massive chest. He turned his magnificent head in my direction, his vibrant green eyes peering into my own. Sorry, he apologized. I am telepathic in dragon form.
Useful, I replied. What happened to the B&B?
Aiden shifted before he was all of the way out of the building. He kind of burst through the door…in the literal sense. Ben made a huffing noise, which sounded like a laugh. Smoke curled out of the corners of his mouth.
Oh. I suddenly wondered if Aiden was telepathic, as well. Is Aiden— Aiden’s head swung toward me, and he lowered his face, so that his enormous golden eye was right next to my face.
Yep. The other day, I heard you when you called me beautiful. His voice dripped with inflated ego.
Remind me not to think around you.
You totally want my hot bod right now, he boasted, and I shook my head in disbelief.
What happened? I asked, changing the subject. Has Lex found me?
She has come, Ben replied, his voice angry. I looked past him. I could see the wards put up by my coven—they appeared as a bubble of pale blue light around the B&B. Aurora stood with her hands pressed up against them, squinting as though she were trying to see in. My heart clenched uncomfortably—her mouth was dripping with fresh blood, and her hands were covered with gore. She had fed. Very recently.
“Oh, no,” Dora whispered, her hand over her heart. “She’s a child-eater.”
“Yes, a Lamia,” I confirmed. Dora looked at me sadly
and said, “There’s only one child in this town.”
My heart dropped into my stomach like a lump of lead as I remembered meeting the woman who I met at Ben’s shop with her baby daughter, who had been dressed in blue. I had no time to think because there was a loud crack and Lex appeared beside Aurora. His face was alight with triumph.
He stepped forward confidently, and my heart began to pound within my chest. My palms were sweating as he placed his hand on the protective ward that my coven was keeping in place.
“It won’t hold,” I looked beside me to find Meroe’s ghost standing beside me. She looked sad and worried.
“What?” I asked. She shook her head.
“He’s too strong.” I looked back at Lex to find that the protective bubble of warding spells had evaporated at his touch. His eyes flashed bright red fire when he saw me. He opened his mouth to speak, and all of his teeth were sharp fangs.
“Samara!” he said in a deceptively warm tone. “Darling, I’ve missed you.” I didn’t buy it. I realized that the beautiful man whom I had dated did not exist—in his place stood a being with burnt, leathery skin. Bright, fiery sigils had been carved with nasty, jagged cuts into his desiccated flesh. He raised his hand. His nails were long and sharp, yellowed. He cocked his head to the side.
“Do you not still love me, dearest?” his voice was rough. The two dragons roared, dashing toward him i
mmediately. He held his hands up, and both dragons were stopped, mid-lunge, hanging in the air. They fought against his force, snarling wickedly. They began to revolve slowly in the air. Aiden twisted his head, aiming at Lex. He opened his large mouth and let out a gout of flames. Lex laughed maniacally as he was drenched in the firestorm.
“Flame cannot hurt me, dragon,” he cackled, stepping out of the flames untouched. Ben lunged against the force holding him and snapped at the demon with his fanged maw, but Lex was able to hold him off with a wave of his hand. The two massive dragons fought against his unseen force field in pure fury. Their might was awesome, yet no match for Lex…who is also Malak, I thought to myself. I had his name. But I did not have a way to trap him. Lex began to walk toward me. I began to panic, my heart racing in my chest. I felt like I was exposed, naked in the dark, standing alone.
Samara! I heard Ben’s voice in my mind.
I’ve got this, I assured him, glancing to where he and Aiden were suspended in the air. In my mind, my voice sounded more certain than I felt. Ben’s massive, triangular head was contorted on his long, slender neck, so that his eyes were on me. Both dragons struggled against the force that kept them there, clawing and twisting in space as though they were being pulled about on marionette strings, with Lex as the puppeteer. I looked at the being whom I did not recognize in any way.
“Samara, my little goose,” he cajoled. It was a menacing voice that was so unlike Lex’s that it seemed to belong to someone else entirely. “Come here, love.” Dora bravely stood in between me and Lex. With one hand, he brushed her away like a rag doll.
“No!” I screamed, panicking. Unable to go and check on her, I faced down my demon ex. Fear blossomed within me, but I would not let it show. I had his name. I had the ultimate weapon against him. Not only that, the Dead would come to my aid. I began to summon the spirits of my ancestors using my powers as a Necromancer. I closed my eyes as I began to open the silver roads between Life and Death, calling out to all who would come.
As I did so, a presence brushed against my mind. It was familiar, but ancient. The Hanging Woman. I placed my hand in my jacket pocket, wrapping my fingers around the heavy golden statue tightly, feeling the cold emeralds dig in to my flesh. I closed my eyes and answered her.
Yes? I asked her, surprised that she had answered my call, for she was not one of the Dead. I had known from the first time that I had encountered her that she was, in fact, something more.
I could see her in my mind—yellowing skin, starving look, those dark and dangerous eyes. She reached out to me with her consciousness. She was speaking in a foreign language, which slowly became comprehensible to me.
Give him to me, Priestess, she said.
What will you do with him? I asked her.
Keep him, she promised me, and I could feel her extreme hunger. I will eat him whole.
It’s what you did with the Mayan’s sacrifices, I said, understanding washing over me.
Yes, she replied, and I could feel her pride as well as her ache for what powers she had lost. She was considerably weakened, having become a defunct goddess, but what she had left was still deeper than the roots of the World Tree.
He’ll never go free? I asked, begging for her promise.
Never again will he walk the earth, she agreed.
I nodded and opened my eyes to look at Lex, who was reaching out with his hand for my throat. He was close now, and I could smell him—the scent of fresh blood and burnt flesh. I fought against gagging—to show any sign of weakness at this moment would be disastrous. I looked into the twin red flames, split down the center by irises that were snake-like black slits. In that moment, I realized that I was stronger than he was. I had the only thing that could hurt him.
“Malak,” I said, confidently pronouncing his name. Malak’s face dissolved into terror. “Your soul is my gift to the goddess.”
He grinned, laughing.
“Your goddess won’t take a demon, you idiot,” he spat, assuming that I was talking about the witches’ nature goddess, Mielikki, who I followed. I pulled out the statue of the Hanging Lady and held it up.
“No,” I agreed. “But she will.” The smile drained from his face as a golden rope appeared around his neck. A large golden cloud appeared and evanesced around my hand, and Malak screamed as he was pulled in to the statue. His screams were cut short abruptly. Aiden and Ben fell out of the air with a concussive blow. The ground shook as they hit it. I stood for a moment, holding out the statue before me, waiting to be sure that Malak was truly gone. When nothing happened, I reached out with my power, touching the consciousness within the statue. I felt her satisfaction with her new toy, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
I looked around me. All was silent. Aiden and Ben were in the process of shifting back into their human forms, the sound of bone and sinew snapping into place. It was a strange process to behold, and I watched numbly, too exhausted to process it fully. Their scales gave way to tanned human flesh. I almost giggled to see two naked men rushing in my direction. With a start, I turned toward Dora, who lay crumpled on the ground in a heap. I began to run toward her. I reached her first, gently placing my hand on her back. To my relief, Dora rolled over, groaning.
“Oh, I’m too old for this,” she groaned in pain. I hugged her. She inhaled sharply. “Careful, careful!”
“Sorry—I’m just so glad that you’re okay.” She smiled at me, placing a soft hand against my face. I felt her power wash through me, sending calming vibrations through me. I looked up at Ben and Aiden, who were both deliciously naked. I decided to ignore it… for the moment. “And you two? Are you hurt?”
“We’re unbreakable,” Aiden replied. He looked behind him. “The only problem is…the Lamia was able to make her escape.”
“No—” I looked around, expecting to see her.
“She did,” Meroe said beside me. “Her allegiance with Lex only lasted so long as he had power. The second you mentioned his true name, she was out of here.”
“We need to stop her,” I said, tensing myself.
Meroe smiled.
“Let me,” she said, vanishing. Her last words echoed on the air. “Aurora and I have a score to settle.”
***
SAMARA:
I woke suddenly. The sun was streaming through the window, warming my skin deliciously. It appeared to be late afternoon…which meant I had slept through most of the day. I was in the luxuriously soft bed in the guest room of the dragons’ house. They had insisted that I come with them. Dora was staying with a friend in town until the B&B could be repaired. It had taken me hours to fall asleep. I had watched through the window beside the bed as the sun rose over the desert, turning the sandy soil from blue to pink to tan.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” said Aiden. He stood beside the door, his arms crossed over his chest. He was shirtless, clad in only a pair of jeans. He was smiling at me.
“What time is it?” I asked him.
“A little after four,” he replied. “Do you want some dinner?” I shook my head, no. I sat up in bed and stretched, letting the soft white down comforter fall down. He raised an eyebrow as he saw that I had slept naked. I sat up straight, letting him look at me.
“Come here,” I invited him.
“Yes, ma’am.” He walked over to the bed, and I reached for his fly, opening it and then easing the soft, well-worn jeans down over his hips. He placed his hands on either side of me on the bed, leaning in and kissing me. He was being gentler than before. I pulled away, squinting at him questioningly.
“What is the matter?” he asked.
“You’re going easy on me,” I accused him. He cocked an eyebrow in surprise. He nodded, grabbing me by the hips. He flipped me over on my stomach. “What are you going to do to me?” I asked, excited for him to get dirty. He cupped my breasts in his hands as he leaned in and whispered in my ear.
“I am not going to ‘go easy on you,’” he explained in a husky voice. “I am going to make you scream. A
nd then some.” He grabbed a handful of my hair and gave it a gentle tug. Pulling my head back, he kissed my neck. He placed his other hand on my hip, and with his knee, opened my legs. My heart raced and my skin tingled in anticipation. I bit my lip, moaning as I felt his cock slipping inside of my already wet slit.
“Do you like that?” he asked.
“Mhmmm,” I replied. He pushed inward, filling me with his cock. He pulled me close to him, his hand moving from my hip to my stomach, and down in between my legs where he toyed with my clit. My whole body responded, waves of endorphins flooding my bloodstream.
“Are you playing without me?” Ben asked. Aiden let go of my hair, wrapping his arm around my ribcage.
“We were waiting for you,” Aiden said brazenly. He turned me so that I was facing Ben. Aiden was still inside of me. He leaned me forward, his hand on my lower back. He wrapped his fingers in my hair, pulling my face up so that I was looking at Ben. Ben’s eyes were glowing—green fire. His skin shifted to green scales, and he growled, a light rumbling in his ribcage. “Do you want her to come, Benny?” A light smile played over Ben’s lips. He nodded.
Aiden began to thrust in and out of me. I felt as though electricity was surging through my slit. I panted, my mouth dropping open. Ben was looking right in my eyes, hunger evident on his face. I reached for him, and he walked to me. Unzipping his pants, I pulled his member out, taking him into my mouth. I sucked on him, coaxing him with my tongue, traveling his length. He moaned, placing his hand on my head, caressing my hair.
Aiden pulled out of me suddenly. Ben, seeing some sign from Aiden, pulled out, as well. Confused, I stood up, looking at them. Aiden lay down on the bed, beckoning to me, a crooked, mischievous smile on his face. I climbed on to the bed, sitting astride him. He guided me with his hands, helping me lower myself onto his amply-sized girth. I felt Ben behind me, rubbing lube onto the bud of my asshole. I gasped at the cool sensation of the liquid.
Aiden placed his large hand on my ribcage, just below my breasts, as Ben positioned himself on his knees behind me. He entered me, and I cried out in pleasure. I was filled up, poised above Aiden. I held my hands out to steady myself. With his other hand, Aiden pushed a curl of my hair off of my perspiring face.