Dragon's Eye

by Robin Joy Wirth

  Now she composed her face into some semblance of complacency, and turned around again. Still, she damned herself for having never been very good at the game of poker as a small smirk graced her lips.

  “Yes, I suppose you could use a few pointers on the fine art of tent erection,” she conceded. “But I didn’t want to offer any more advice without asking first, after that last attempt to do so.”

  “What was wrong with the last attempt?” Lance wanted to know.

  “Nothing, of course, except that you never did light the fire,” she pointed out.

  “Yes I did,” he said as he turned and drew her into his arms. His lips came down to graze the side of her neck as he added, “I distinctly remember having heard it light.”

  “Lance!” Felicity gasped, and her face went crimson at this comment. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Her breath quickly sped up even faster than it had done upon the occasion in question.

  “Mm, I see you know exactly what I’m talking about, my pretty little bookworm,” Lance teased her in a whisper, feather-light against the shell of her ear. “Surely you must have read something somewhere about the physical effects of sexual arousal on the female anatomy—”

  “Stop it!” Felicity gasped, but she could barely get out the words. Firstly because that would have required that she had enough air to utter them, and secondly because it would have required that she had not just deposited her tongue straight down his throat.

  Lance groaned, both in victory and amusement, as he crushed her against him. His hands slid down her arms to cup her arse as he brought her up to meet his height a bit better.

  The two fell down on top of the unpitched tent, uncaring of where they landed at that moment. Lance made sure to cushion Felicity’s head before he rolled on top of her.

  “Has anyone ever made you this hot before, Felicity?” he asked huskily. “Or perhaps not? Tell me, has the whole thing always been purely academic?”

  “Shut up, Lance!” she grumbled as he bit at her lips, then trailed little bites all down the column of her throat. He stopped when he reached the base, and stayed there to suckle for a while.

  “The question is not merely rhetorical, my sweet,” he mentioned as his hands began to roam over her body, stoking her already roaring fire up to a fever pitch. “I was trying to decide just how much of a ravishing I was going to attempt.”

  Felicity laughed at this, and the sound of it seemed quite airy in her breathlessness. “Um, mostly academic, I’m sorry to admit,” she finally managed to say. “No one has ever gotten my knickers down, if that’s what you mean.”

  “Damn!” he grumbled as he laced his fingers through her hair. He smoothed one hand down to her belly, and used it to slide her shirt upwards.

  “Lance!” Felicity gasped, and his fingers slid along her silky skin, up from her belly and along the side of her still-covered breast, making her tremble with need.

  “Mm, and what about this lovely bit of lace? Has anybody ever got past there?” When Lance smoothed a finger along the inner edge of her cute little black bra, Felicity sucked in a hot breath.

  “Only just,” she blushed, remembering Jane’s brother. “He didn’t quite manage to touch the goods before I got away from him though.”

  “Mm, sweet,” Lance said, his gorgeous green eyes darkening as he looked up into hers. “Untasted candy is always the best kind. I find I don’t like to share my goodies.”

  “Lance!” Felicity gasped again, both because of his blatant statement, and because his fingers had slid beneath the lacy exterior and brushed along the side of the very hard flesh he found underneath.

  With a wicked smile, Lancelot pushed the bra aside completely and moved to taste her instead. His tongue swirled around the little nub, and heat swirled all down Felicity’s body, making her shiver.

  “Lance!” she gasped again, with far less of a protest and far more of a desire present in her tone this time.

  “Sweet, sweet, sweet,” he whispered as he licked his way over to uncover the other breast and give it a fair turn. Then he used his fingers on each of them as he moved over her again and plied her with soft, searching kisses.

  Felicity sighed softly into his mouth, and his tongue slid in to quench the thirst she’d suddenly acquired. “Oh Lance!” she breathed, then repeated his name several more times as they clung together.

  “You know something, Miss Lake?” he said after a while. “I’m bloody well going to magic up that tent, and then we’re going to make some dinner.”

  Felicity laughed, and answered, “Good idea.”

  Neither one of them made any move to get up, and then Lance was kissing Felicity again, this time with even more hunger than before. Their breaths came in short little gasps as he moved more fully on top of her, rubbing against her with his hardened need.

  Felicity gasped at the feel of his cock, still safely ensconced inside his pants, as it slid along her inner thigh, quite near the place it clearly would like to be. Her senses were reeling as Lance finally moved away and stood up, so that she was unable to make her own muscles work to do the same.

  Lance picked her up and set her on top of their sleeping bags. “Stay right there, sweetheart,” he said. “I want to feed you dinner in bed.”

  “I thought that was supposed to be breakfast,” she replied, and her words were still quite breathless.

  “No, sweetheart,” he answered with a chuckle as he flicked his wand at the tent and it was finally up. “It isn’t morning yet.”

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  Lance and Felicity finished their meal well before the sun was due to set, so they decided that in the interest of actually accomplishing something useful before bedtime, they would begin to explore the area, looking for a way inside.

  Thus far the pair had been wandering around by the base of the mountain for about an hour. Lance was keeping Felicity decidedly close to his side as they walked about, quite frequently interrupting the alleged work time with ample kisses and touches.

  “You do know that we would cover a lot more ground if we split up, don’t you, Lance?” Felicity finally asked when he’d pulled her into his arms yet again.

  “Felicity, my dear, how could I possibly allow you to go wandering about this place all alone?” he wanted to know. “We are deep in the heart of the forest. Who knows what sort of murderous cutthroats might be lurking about, or wild creatures that might be lying in wait for someone as tasty as you?”

  She giggled softly as Lancelot emphasized this point by tasting the side of her neck with the hungry growl of one of the forest creatures of which he spoke. She slapped at his hands as he tried to slide them up her shirt again.

  “I doubt any of them could get a taste if they wanted to,” she informed him. “You’ve already consumed all the best bits.”

  “Oh no, my sweet, I’m quite certain there are a few other bits left that will be quite delectable,” he assured her.

  Felicity caught the precise meaning of those words. Her face went up into flames even as her body reacted to the idea in a most favorable manner. When he kissed her this time, she couldn’t help but let him. They stood like that for a time before she finally managed to pull away again.

  “Dearest girl,” he whispered into her ear. “I’d never forgive myself if I left you alone and you ended up getting injured, or worse. What kind of a protector do you take me for?”

  “Lancelot Jones, what kind of adventurer do you take me for?” she admonished him. “Do you think that I’m some kind of helpless little twit who doesn’t know how to take care of herself? If I can help my aunt fight a dragon at the age of twelve, I can certainly handle anything this old forest has to offer.”

  “Mm, but I don’t want to let you go,” he grumbled as he continued his nibbles up her chin and back to her lips again. His tongue delved into her mouth, and for a moment she savored him before she moved resolutely away and crossed her arms over her chest.

  “I’m going to go look at the othe
r end of the thicket and see if I can find an opening over there. Otherwise, with your current desire to cuddle in full force, we’re never going to find anything but frustration.”

  “Can I help it if you’re so delectable, my sweet?” he chuckled as he pulled her closer again. “I know that you are right, and I suppose I’ll have to let you go. But would it sound stupid if I admitted that I was going to miss you?”

  “Of course it would sound stupid, you silly man,” she informed him, though she smiled as she said this. “But, I have to admit that I like it anyway.”

  They both laughed as they kissed some more, and then Felicity turned and ran off into the trees as Lancelot watched her go. The look on his face went from enraptured to amazed to something almost like fearfulness as his hand came up to hold his heart.

  Then he actually put the hand to his face and realized he’d gone quite warm. He shook his head in wonder, and began to search for a way inside in earnest yet again.

  Lancelot broke free of a row of trees and approached what looked like a chink in the mountain’s otherwise pristine armor. Hunkering down, he began to pick at the loose rocks that appeared to be blocking a small hole.

  Too small for a man to get into, unfortunately. He would have to turn himself into a field mouse to fit inside the thing, and even if he did there was no way of knowing if the hole went inside the mountain or the only thing he would find would be an enraged owner.

  “I’ve got to hand it to this Amaranth, she certainly knows how to shut out the world,” he commented wryly. “Still, she must know that we’re not likely to give up—”

  Lance sprang back to his feet when he heard a swooping sound from somewhere up above. He didn’t spot anything as he spun around in alarm, but his heart began to hammer in his chest.

  He began to run frantically in the direction where he’d last seen Felicity, memories of the dream he’d had filling him with dread. He wasn’t about to let some dragon run off with his girl, he thought angrily.

  “Felicity?” he called out. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes, I’m fine,” she called from a bit of distance away. Lance began to pick through the trees, following the direction her voice had come from. Every tree in sight seemed to be rising up to prevent his progress, and he began to suspect this was on purpose.

  “Did you hear anything funny just now?” he called out to her again. “I thought I heard something up in the sky, but I don’t see anything there now. Can you see anything from over there?”

  “Yes, I think I do,” she said, her voice sounding a bit alarmed. Lance heard her begin to run, and what sounded like her sleek, small form diving into the trees. “Damn!”

  “What is it, my girl?” Lance called urgently. “I can’t seem to get to you. Please tell me you’re all right.”

  “It appears that we’ve got company,” she announced, her breathing hard as the sound of her running again met his ears. “It’s a dragon, and he seems very much inclined to have a go at me. Oh, damn! Lance! Help me! He’s trying to fly off with me! Let me go, you great hulking beast!”

  Lancelot flung his wand up into the air, flying after the departing dragon and the girl it held in hot pursuit. He cringed at the sight of blood on Felicity’s shoulder where the beast’s claws held her fast, and he shook his free fist with outrage.

  “If you harm her, it will be the last thing you ever do, dragon!” he called after it. The dragon let out a little sound that almost reminded him of a laugh, which only made Lancelot madder still.

  Lancelot took in every detail of the beast he could possibly remember for future reference. Not much bigger than himself, this dragon was a deep red in color, and upon his head was a small golden crest. His wings were also golden colored, as was the tip of his tail. He completely doubted that this creature was the dragoness they sought.

  Felicity was able to turn her head just enough to see the look Lance was casting her captor, and she knew how angry he had become. Her heart clenched to think this might be the last time she saw his beloved face, and tears sprang into her eyes.

  She couldn’t help but think of the kisses they’d shared before their meal—especially the ones that were in places other than her lips. Would she ever get to experience them again?

  The dragon flew straight and fast, and as it approached the top of the mountain a portion of its surface suddenly split open with a resounding crack. Lance was just behind them, but the mountain began to close before he was fully inside.

  With a resounding snap, the doors clamped shut again right against his body as he barely made it through the opening. Felicity cringed when she saw the wand fall from his hand, and watched as he plummeted to somewhere in the darkness far below.

  “Lance!” she wailed. “Oh no, Lance!”

  By the time the dragon set her down, Felicity’s eyes were so swollen from tears that she could barely open them to have a look around. The creature had set her down in a nest full of at least twenty others of his kind.

  It was also riddled with animal bones of all shapes and sizes, but none of them appeared to be human, she was happy to note. The discovery did not necessarily confirm that she wasn’t on their menu at some point, but at least she could be fairly certain she wasn’t about to be offered up as a hatchling meal within the near future.

  She breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived as thoughts of Lance returned in full force. What had become of him once he’d reached the bottom? Was he lying there, alone and broken in the dark?

  The dragon who had brought her here grabbed her arm again and forced her to sit down, curling up beside her and covering her with one of his wings. When he did so, she realized that it was painful to the touch, and the wetness on her shirt confirmed her suspicions that she’d been bleeding.

  Felicity lay as still as possible so she would not agitate the creature, and let her tears slide freely down her face. She had no idea what she was going to do. But that was not her main concern. She was much more worried about Lancelot Jones.

  TWENTY-NINE

  Lancelot came to with a start, and looked around with a frantic shake of his head. Since it was pitch black all around him, there was not much to see.

  Realizing that he must have injured himself somehow after he’d entered the opening into the mountain, he began to slowly examine his body for broken limbs. He tested out each of his arms, and they both seemed fine, so he used them to check elsewhere.

  His fingers slid along his midsection, and then he bent slightly to touch his thighs. He brought his legs up one at a time to examine them as well, and miraculously they seemed sound.

  His head was aching something fierce, however, and the sticky substance he felt covering it could only be blood—a lot of it. Through a spinning haze he vaguely remembered now that he’d dropped his wand in mid-air and plummeted a great distance, and struck his head on the rocks below.

  Feeling the ground beneath him, he was able to determine he was lying in a pile of jagged rocks, mostly the size of his fist or less. Had he hit anything larger, the outcome could have been much worse.

  “I could be injured quite badly,” he whispered out loud, just to make sure that his voice still worked. Then, as more of the previous events assailed his memory, he groaned and added, “My sweet Felicity could be hurt even worse!”

  Lancelot’s heart thudded inside his chest as he felt frantically around for his wand. He could barely crawl as he pulled himself forward, but he continued to try with a determined effort.

  Without his wand, the only magic he was likely to conjure would be quite difficult at best, with his head in such a state. The pain of it was almost nauseating.

  Finally, his fingers touched the very tip of the curvy, wooden rod, and he sighed with relief. As least he wouldn’t be stuck sitting here all alone in the dark. He fell forward on top of it, completely exhausted by the effort it had taken just to find it.

  Eventually, he rolled onto his back with the wand in his hand. He gave it a flick, and a very di
m light glowed from it, barely enough to see half a meter from his face.

  He would have to find a wall and follow it with his hands, even with the help of the light. But still, he was grateful for the dim blue to break up the overpowering blackness of the dark.

  Before he attempted to get up, he tried to get a better look at the amount of blood he got on his hands when he touched his head, and he was not pleased by the result. The fact that some of that blood was dried on gave rise to an even worse thought, however.

  He had no idea how long he’d been lying there, and this thought frightened him more than any other. The longer he’d been here, the more time that dragon had to damage his captive.

  Would Felicity be all right? Was she still in one piece? If so, he could imagine how frightened she must be.

  How was he going to find her within the labyrinthine caves of this mountain? And even if he did discover her whereabouts, would he like what he found?

  Felicity could be dead right this very moment, he thought as horror seeped into his very soul. She could be that horrid little red dragon’s lunch by now.

  Yet he knew the beast could not possibly have been the dragoness they sought. He expected a great dragon-mage would be somewhat larger than the smallish serpent he’d seen. Perhaps it had been a mere messenger, then, sent to retrieve them?

  Or perhaps to remove them, he added with a scowl. After all, had the little red dragon not taken the weaker of the two intruders?

  Yet, at the same time, he knew that if he were Amaranth, he would take the weaker of a team captive to question them, expecting to get more answers that way.

  It was much easier to interrogate someone who could be subdued with minimal effort, than one who would refuse to divulge the required information. He chuckled as he considered the idea that they’d chosen the wrong person, if that was their aim. Felicity was not likely to tell them anything.

  But Lancelot knew he would find no answers of his own by just sitting here in the cave, lost in contemplation. He needed to find the center of the maze, as it were. To reclaim that which the dragon had taken, or claim the dragon itself instead if it had harmed one hair on Felicity’s head.