by Juniper Hart
“Why didn’t we do this in the first place?” she marveled as they glided past a tall skyscraper.
“Same reason you own a car instead of walking everywhere,” he replied. “It’s easier.”
“Huh.”
“Have I convinced you that I’m telling the truth yet?” he asked. His chest rumbled when he spoke.
“You’re getting close,” she replied.
Sarah felt him laugh from deep within his chest.
“I hope you’re not too cold,” he said.
“I’m a little chilly.”
The heat from his chest intensified, warming up her back. She purred with pleasure.
He exhaled smoke with amusement. “Try to get some sleep, my angel. I’ll wake you when we arrive. We have a long flight ahead of us.”
She wanted to say no. She wanted to stay awake and look at all the buildings and people below, but her mind lost to her body, and she curled up in his arms. She closed her eyes peacefully, feeling Ember’s warmth surround her. All she could hear was the gentle pitter-patter of rain against Ember’s scales and the methodic swishing of air as his great wings moved up and down.
It was a strange night.
Unsurprisingly, her dreams were strange. A person doesn’t go through a day like that and sleep like a baby. She’d been introduced to dragons, orcs, possibly goblins, and drakes. The world as she knew it had been turned upside down and her mind was opened to a reality that most people would never know about.
Almost as soon as her eyes closed, she had the dream.
But this time, it started before she saw the scales and heard the scream. Her brain somehow pieced together that they were the same scenario.
Sarah was in her body from one-thousand years ago. She didn’t know she sensed the time period, but immediately, she knew it was the last time she’d seen Ember. They were in bed together. He was sleeping beside her while she was sketching something on a thick notepad. He looked the same, except his hair was longer and he wore different clothes. But other than that, it looked like it could have been yesterday. She couldn’t see herself, but somehow she knew the same applied.
In the dream, Sarah whispered to Ember. “Are you awake my love?”
He stirred sleepily. “I am now.”
“Do you ever wonder what it would be like if the earth suddenly stopped moving?”
He brought up a hand and placed it on her thigh. “Darling… Go back to sleep.”
“I can’t.”
“Try.”
“I have tried.”
He sat up and let out a ferocious yawn. “What’s going on?”
She kissed his lips. “Thank you for listening to me. I know you’re tired.”
“Well, I love you and I want to know if something is bothering you,” he replied, blinking lazily.
“Will I ever be able to go back to humankind?” she asked. “Or will I live out my days here?”
His glimmering orange eyes shifted over to her. “If you’re not happy here, we can—”
“No! No, it’s not that at all. I feel at home here. I know I’ll love it. I’m just… I’m going to be immortal. What happens when I want to explore the world?”
“You explore,” he replied. “With me, if you’ll have me.”
She smiled, running a hand across his smooth chest. “Of course I’ll have you.”
Then, abruptly, the door flew open and there stood a woman with a menacing look. She held a mean-looking crossbow that was aimed straight at Ember.
“Die, you dragon bastard!”
“Marilla!” Ember jumped up in surprise, trying to push Sarah out of the danger zone. Marilla pulled the trigger once. The bolt zipped into Ember’s chest, about three inches away from his heart. Stunned, he fell off the bed. Marilla was there, reloading while he tried to shift into dragon form.
“Sarah, get out of here!” he yelled, clawing at the bolt stuck in his chest.
He spat fire at Marilla, but she dodged aside. She raised up the end of the crossbow and Sarah leapt to block Marilla from the man she loved.
“No!” Ember had fully transformed into his dragon form. Marilla’s finger squeezed the trigger. The bolt started from the crossbow in slow motion. Her aim had been off, ever so slightly. It was headed for Sarah.
Ember jumped in front of Sarah, spreading his wings to catch the bolt. She saw a flash of red scales and watched the bolt slip under his wing and sink into her chest. She let out a scream and fell back onto the bed. She clutched the wound, feeling something seeping between her fingers.
She fell and watched a blurry red shape rip into a small, white shape.
And then she woke up.
She was still in Ember’s protective arms as he flew. They were starting to descend. The rain had stopped, and the first signs of sunrise were peeking over the mountains.
“Good morning,” Ember said, not looking down. “Did you sleep well?”
She looked around at the city landscape with its twinkling lights. She took a deep breath. “Yeah,” she said. “I slept really well.”
8
After flying a few minutes longer, Ember landed at the base of a mountain with no signs of civilization in sight. The sun had risen, illuminating the landscape that surrounded them. The grass was a vibrant green and palm trees swayed in the gentle breeze.
Upon further examination, Sarah realized the mountain was actually a volcano.
Ember morphed back into human form and seemed completely unaware that he was not wearing any clothes—not that Sarah minded.
“What are we doing here?” asked Sarah.
“We’re going inside.”
Sarah looked around, but all she saw was nature. No buildings were in sight. “Inside what?”
Ember pointed to a set of doors carved into the side of the mountain.
“We’re going inside the mountain? It’s a volcano, right? I don’t see how that would be even remotely safe.”
With a stoic look, Ember explained, “It’s safe if you control fire.”
Sarah shook her head. “Breathing fire will not protect me from hot lava. You have to remember that I am human.”
“Allow me to explain. As I mentioned, my father is the Dragon King and my mother is Gaia. My brothers and I were all born as dragons, but we inherited power of the elements from my mother. My brothers control earth, wind, and water. I control fire.”
To demonstrate his abilities, Ember cupped his hands together as if holding an imaginary ball. Lava spewed from the top of the volcano and began to pour down the sides.
Before Sarah could scream, Ember un-cupped his hands and the lava disappeared.
With wide eyes, Sarah said, “And now I have a whole new round of questions.”
Ember responded, “Hopefully we’ll have an eternity together so I can answer them all.
“I had the nightmare again,” she admitted to him as they continued to wait.
“What nightmare?”
“The one where I died.”
“Oh.” he didn’t say anything else, but she saw his body tense up. “Same thing as normal?”
“No.” She looked deep into Ember’s eyes. “I believe you.”
“You do?”
“Yes. I believe we were married and I believe what you said about being soulmates. I feel it. In my dream, my feelings for you were so deep and they haven’t changed since I woke up. I can’t explain what I’m feeling, but I’m drawn to you and I trust you implicitly.”
Before she could blink, he grabbed her around her waist and was tossing her in the air happily like a kid tossing around a favorite toy. He lifted her with such ease, that his strength was unmistakable. He crashed his lips against hers and Sarah melted in Ember’s arms.
She felt color rise to her cheeks. “I didn’t expect you to have such a strong reaction.”
“I’ve been trying to find you for one-thousand years, and you’ve just told me that you feel the same connection that I feel. What did you expect?”
She
couldn’t help smiling at his obvious delight.
He winked at her seductively as he lowered her to the ground. “C’mon,” he said. “Let’s get out of here. Roland and his brutes won’t be able to do anything to us soon enough.”
He grabbed her hand and walked towards the barely-visible doors. Her feet were sore. She needed a shower desperately. There was a headache starting in her skull. But despite all that, she felt inexplicably peaceful. It was a wonderful sensation. She leaned her head against his shoulder affectionately.
“I thought you said Roland wouldn’t stop trying to kill me.”
“He won’t. But he can’t come after you in my domain. He’s a wolf and can’t win when faced with fire.”
“But I thought you said Roland was powerful like you.”
He led them across a crosswalk. “He is. Not anywhere near as strong as me, but he’s a wry little bastard. He’ll track us with his drakes, but they’ll just report back that we’re out of his reach.”
Feeling nervous about Roland, she reached into her jacket pocket. She’d somehow managed to hold onto the chrome gun he had given her back at the hotel room.
He took them inside the doors, which surprisingly opened into a large lobby. Just before she went in, she saw a red dragon head on the doors—the same image she’d spotted on his car just outside her apartment.
The lobby was elaborate with black marble floors and smooth, luxurious couches. The lighting was dim and the walls were dark, so it took Sarah’s eyes a moment to adjust. Another surprise was that there were people inside. Guards with large guns stood guard at the hallways leading out from the lobby.
Sarah tugged on Ember’s hand and whispered in his ear, “Who are all these people.”
“They’re dragons, mostly, and part of my kingdom. Some are soldiers and some are civilians. Everybody has a role.”
A hush came over the room when the other people noticed their presence. Some of them bowed, while others saluted. Five serious-looking beings shimmered into existence. Two of the creatures were orcs, from what Sarah knew of orcs, who stood tall and regal. Two of the beings looked like humans—one man and one woman—who were dressed in suits. The fifth was a red-skinned woman with a tail and tiny horns protruding from her forehead. They each had earpieces and bulges under their jackets, which Sarah assumed were guns.
“Oh my,” she said, suddenly feeling rather intimidated.
The beings, who Sarah could only assume were part of his security detail, bowed in respect to Ember as he walked past. The big ones, even while on a knee, stood as tall as he did. She scampered after him. They watched her silently.
“What’s going on?” she hissed. “Who are these people?”
“My top guards,” he replied, giving them a thankful signal. They stood up and once again shimmered out her line of sight. “They keep unscrupulous people out.”
“There are only five of them…”
“There are only five you saw,” he replied. “This place is shielded in magic from the floor to the roof. They can handle anything.”
“All to protect you?”
“Well…yes…and no. All to protect my region. Without me, fire would take on a life of its own.”
“Oh, are they part of the EDJ?” She had remembered Ember talking about the Enchanted Department of Justice when they first met.
“No. The EDJ protects the magic underground, and they also deal with rogue beings, such as Roland. Hopefully, they will catch up to him someday.”
Well that’s not confusing at all, she thought sarcastically, but kept that to herself.
Ember held her hand and guided her to an elevator before pushing open the door and gesturing for her to move in. “Please.”
She stepped inside the seemingly ordinary elevator. “I have a feeling that this is about to blow my mind.”
“You’re probably right.”
She swallowed nervously as he pushed the button that closed the elevator. There was no music. Just the sound of their breathing. She was vaguely aware of the elevator moving.
“Are we going up the mountain?” she asked. “It feels like we’re going up.”
“Well… not exactly. We’re going up and down, and left and right.”
“Ah. That makes sense.”
He laughed. “It’s a spell. It never makes sense.”
The elevator stopped. He put his hands over her eyes, blocking her vision. “Are you ready?” he asked.
“I hope…”
“Are you sure?”
“Probably.”
“Are you—”
“Just show me,” she said while slightly raising her voice in mock annoyance.
He pulled his hands away to show her…nothing. She hadn’t turned and the elevator was still shut.
“So exciting,” she droned.
“It opens on the other side,” he told her.
She turned to see where Ember called home.
Whoa.
“These are my private quarters,” he said. “And if you’ll have me, this will be your home, too.”
A huge, spiraling marble staircase led to the second floor. A stunning chandelier was high overhead, casting an iridescent light over the foyer of Ember’s home. Where there wasn’t white and gold marble was solid stone, lending the whole place a strange mix of beautiful regality and brutal humbleness. What appeared to be molten lava glided through the walls, giving a wonderfully warm feel to the room.
“This place is amazing!” she said as she stepped out from the elevator. “Are we underneath the volcano?”
“Not really. It’s hard to explain.”
He showed her around the mansion, and it felt familiar. Hazy memories from her past life began to form in her mind. She remembered the way to Ember’s bedroom and knew how to find the kitchen, and although the décor was different, the structure was the same.
Finally, after a tour of some of the mansion, he led her down a long, mirrored hallway. The mirrors were painted with scenes depicting enchanted heroes from long ago. Walking down the hallway, she almost felt like she was part of the art with so many mirrors reflecting the golden light. She was surprised to see windows. She’d assumed from the stone that they were underground, but apparently, they’d emerged.
When she looked out of the windows, the view took her breath away. They window was high above a massive, sprawling city, surrounded by a pine forest that stretched for as far as she could see. The city itself looked ethereal, like it belonged in a fantasy movie, with towering buildings that somehow held an artist’s touch.
“What is this place?” she asked.
“It’s Flamma Regno,” he replied with a smile. “A kingdom for all the enchanted creatures. Only five of these kingdoms exist and my brothers and parents rule over the other ones. From this kingdom, I control heat.”
“Hold on. Let me act like I know what you mean.” She gave him a smirk before making a stunned face, cupping her open hands around her mouth in mock surprise. “Oh my! You’re so important!”
He laughed at her. It was a comforting sound, one that she automatically wanted to hear again
“C’mon. I’ll give you a better view.”
He placed his hand at the small of her back and guided her down another hallway.
“So,” she asked, “What about Roland?”
“Roland,” he repeated.
“Yes.”
“Is there any way you could be slightly more vague, please? I could almost understand that, and if you could make it slightly more confusing, that would be great,” he responded with sarcasm laced on his tongue.
She punched him playfully on the shoulder. “Jerk.”
“Ow,” he said.
“That didn’t hurt,” she accused, laughing. If anything, it had hurt her. It was like punching a brick wall. She wasn’t sure, but she suspected that he had flexed when he saw her punching.
She kept walking through the seemingly endless mansion. “So, is Roland a dragon too or just a wolf? Is that eve
n a thing? Can you be a dragon and a wolf?”
“Roland is not a dragon. Roland’s a wolf, but also has the powers of a sorcerer, which makes him very dangerous.”
“Will he keep coming after us?”
“Likely. Like I said, we have been at odds my whole life. But he can’t enter Flamma Regno. When we leave the city, there’s a possibility that he might try to attack, but we can take precautions.”
“Like what?” asked Sarah.
“You have me to protect you. I also have a full security detail and he is one of the EDJ’s most wanted.”
“Why wasn’t your security detail with you when you came to find me?” asked Sarah.
“I don’t need to be protected,” he said confidently. “But they are at your disposal whenever you need them. Besides, I have put my best people on the task of finding him. It shouldn’t be long now. And… there’s one more precaution we can take.”
“Oh ya?”
“If you decide to stay, one day you will be a dragon.”
She sighed, running a hand along her face. “I have no words.”
“Then don’t say anything at all,” he replied jokingly, slapping her butt playfully with his open hand. It startled her, making her jump.
“Easy, tiger!” she exclaimed. “Don’t hurt your hand, big fella.”
“You never run out of jokes.”
“Never.” She grinned.
The more they wandered around, the more she felt at home. Memories kept coming back her. They were small little teasers at first, just mere flashes. But some of them were more concrete.
“Whoa,” she said, stopping and pointing at a bench lining the windows. “I remember this bench! I remember tripping over it and hurting my teeth! Right?”
He winced. “Yeah, that was bad.”
She frowned, staring at it like it was an old pal, an old pal that she’d faceplanted into. “What happened? I can just barely remember it.”
He barely spared it a glance. “You tripped running through the halls. You were late to something, as I remember. You chipped your front tooth.”
She ran her tongue along her teeth. Smooth. It was a strange sensation to see something that had obviously messed her up, and yet feel no damage. There were perks to reincarnation. “Did I at least make it to whatever I was late to?”