They had no choice but to comply. There was no fighting it. Clearly, the magic refused to be fooled again.
Without a word, he unlatched his belt, and his scale skirt fell. He guided her to stay up on her knees so he could massage his tip against her opening. It was madness how her body needed his, and the climax was relentless. She quivered over him.
Cobaaron moved her hips, rocking her against his shaft. She felt him press his head flush to the outside of her, and her body trembled. The union somehow knew it was nearly complete, and increased their desire with climactic control. Ky moaned loudly before he had even entered her. She was sure the penetration would cause her to cry out with a rush of satisfaction. “Please, Cobaaron, I’m begging you,” she whimpered.
He increased the pressure, holding her hips with strong hands as he pumped underneath her, letting their bodies naturally ease into making love. Ky held her breath, anxiously. His throbbing sex slid into her with delicious bliss. Because he was pressing with such force and she was moist with desire, it quickly entered and glided several inches inside. She gasped in surprise from the abrupt penetration, but it didn’t hurt. She arched back, closing her eyes, as he rocked her hips back. She was wildly teetering on the brink of a consuming orgasm, but she didn’t want to feel disconnected from him.
“Ky?” Cobaaron called her name, getting her attention. She opened her eyes, and saw he was watching. He tenderly drew her to him and kissed both sides of her mouth, and then the center. He rolled her over onto her back, staying between her thighs, and then put his hands under her shoulders to cradle her neck. While keeping his eyes on her they began to make love. Thankfully the union released its grip, and any hint of lust was overtaken with their love.
Cobaaron slowly pumped his hips. He was careful not to sink in too deeply, as he took his time increasing the depth as he gently thrust toward her cervix. His body was heavy over hers; he allowed little space between them. He longed for the closeness, and their lovemaking was wonderfully intimate because of it. She panted in pleasure as she felt his shaft smoothly and continuously move in and out of her. He deeply kneaded, gently tapping her cervix, satisfying her craving. He expressed how intensely he loved with attentive, rhythmic sways. She could feel, see, and even hear his devotion. The act was like no other pleasure she ever experienced. His touch filled her with such worship for him, she thought of little else beyond loving him. “I love you so much,” she whispered as the overwhelming desperation for him swept over her.
She became loud as he undoubtedly sensed she enjoyed his quickening strokes. She could feel every inch of his girth inside her tight walls. Soon she was exhaling high-pitched moans each time he carefully burrowed into her, and tapped her back wall with exhilarating pleasure. Each deep pump sent thrilling bursts of hot pleasure that filled her entire body, resonating down to her toes.
Cobaaron groaned, and clutched her shoulders. He lowered his head, having her airy breaths whisper near his ear, obviously loving her cries and wanting them louder. He pressed into her, remained deep inside and in short pumps, kneaded her and burrowed further. He gathered her closer, lifting her shoulders off the pillows. He kissed her passionately and romantically with slow kisses, as their tongues never parted. Making love to him was incredibly emotional. She felt she loved him so much she could die if she didn’t breathe his air. She told him she loved him, whispering it in his ear. “I promise I will always love you.”
“I promise I will never let you go,” he said, smiling.
Ky grinned, and enjoyed his touch as he nibbled on her ear and then down her neck. Her pants became louder. He leaned back, gazing in her eyes; he looked lost. “I’m losing control. The union wants us bound.” In an effort to maintain control, he kissed her feverishly. But once their lips touched, Cobaaron rocked faster and Ky began to peak again. Cobaaron was right, the union had a vital goal, and at once Ky found herself in the throes of an overpowering orgasm. Ky began to glow, the union intensified their response to one another, and magically, they climaxed in unison. They quivered, their breaths stolen, and it was all they could do to hold onto one another and not let the union steal their intimacy. Cobaaron managed to plead, “Stay with me.” They embraced as the euphoria was replaced with heat.
They both saw her radiant blood within Cobaaron. His veins began burning silver like her blood. He yelled in immense pain as he ejaculated. Ky didn’t know what was happening, but the silver within him brightened. Cobaaron stopped, and looked at his chest. They could see his heart pumping with her silver blood. He clutched his hand over his heart, and jumped off of her.
“Cobaaron!” she screamed in panic. Ky’s glowing skin became faint, as Cobaaron’s veins and heart dimmed until no longer visible. He was out of breath. He sat on his feet still looking at his chest, as he rubbed over his heart. “Are you okay?” she asked sounding as frightened as she felt. “Please tell me you’re fine!”
“I hope it’s not like that every time. I felt like my heart was about to give.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said frantically, covering her mouth in horror. “I’m so sorry.”
He leaned toward her. “No, don’t be. I’m fine.” He helped her sit up, so he could draw her into a hug. The union’s intense desire was gone. It no longer compelled their need for sex with touch; all that remained was unconditional love. “I hope that was the union binding us, but I’m not one hundred percent sure. We’ll find out next time.” He yawned.
“Okay,” she mumbled, then yawned as she was hit with sudden fatigue.
“I need to sleep before...” he uttered, and not a second later, he fell onto the pillow, out cold before his head touched the plush padding. Ky didn’t have time to react. Her eyes grew heavy, and then she felt her body go limp.
*****
Ky didn’t know how long she slept, but when she woke up Cobaaron was still fast asleep. His arm was around her, their legs were tangled together, and they were still naked. She carefully rolled away. Then she crawled to the water jug and tipped it back. She drank thirstily. Ky marveled over the power of their union that could force her to sleep and then wake incredibly thirsty. She drank almost all the water before she put it down, feeling quenched.
Cobaaron stirred, and opened his eyes. He looked at her. “Are you craving water? I could get you more, but there is a little left.” She held out the jug. She would find Huntra to get her never-ending water flask once he took it.
“No. I don’t need water.” He sat, took the jug from her, set it down, and then pulled her on top of him. His strong arms embraced her. “I need something else, very badly,” he said, and then they made love with the slow gentle waves of the ocean.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The ships floated along a wide canyon with cliffs over a mile high. They silently drifted the winding gorge. The men were quiet. There were no docks, but that didn’t stop the ships from pulling up alongside the steep rock and dropping anchor. Warriors climbed up the north side of the canyon.
Huntra sensed they were leaving, and made it clear he wasn’t going to be left behind. He meowed excessively, and wasn’t content until Ky picked him up.
Cobaaron tied a rope around himself, making a harness for Ky. Then he told her to hold onto Huntra while he took them up the cliff. With one hand she cradled Huntra, who was uncommonly still, she hugged Cobaaron’s broad shoulder and neck, and squeezed tightly. He leaped and caught the rock wall. His men followed suit, bounding to cling onto the cliff.
Cobaaron hopped from rock to rock. Like a four-legged animal, he kept his hands and feet together. With every bound he gained several feet. He was fast, much faster than the men around him. Ky held onto Cobaaron tightly as his movements jerked her around. She was never fond of heights, but sitting on a rope about to travel a mile up wasn’t a thrill.
Minutes later, they were far above the ships. They looked like small, elaborate toy boats, from her vantage point. More ships continued to anchor and warriors spilled out of the vessels. Men carried wo
men as Cobaaron had, but they were slower, and once again Ky was reminded just how powerful Cobaaron was.
Some of the men were only beginning their ascent when Cobaaron leapt up and landed on two feet on top of the cliff’s edge. He untied the knots to her harness. “That wasn’t bad, was it?” He smiled.
“I’m not thrilled if I have to go down that way.” Ky laughed in all seriousness. Cobaaron grinned in response, but his silence said it all. Of course they were taking the boats.
As Cobaaron untied her, Ky noticed they stood among enormous abandoned nests. There were more than she could count. They stretched out along the entire length of the plateau. The nests had feathers stuck between large branches as thick as logs. There were bones everywhere on the ground. Some she recognized as human remains. He didn’t seem concerned at all; none of the warriors paid attention to them.
“They’ve migrated,” Cobaaron stated when he saw Ky looking at them with concern. He untied the last knot that was secured around her waist.
“What kinds of birds use these nests?” she asked in wonderment. They had to be huge.
“Bird? What makes you think these are bird nests?” Cobaaron asked.
“The feathers.”
“These are not bird nests. They’re dragons’ nests. There are only two nesting sites for dragons in the world, and this is one. We have to pass by them to get to Elder. Luckily, they’re not here or we would have had to take different route, a much longer route.”
“Oh. And this Elder…is this a city? A person?”
“Neither. It’s an archival library, for prophecies.” When she asked if it was far, he replied, “Not at all. We’ll be at the gates when we pass these nests. You can see the top of it there.” He pointed out tall, narrow towers. It resembled a gothic cathedral with dark gray stone. Some towers were leaning, a few had fallen against those nearby, while the weak teetered in the wind, tilting so far over that a strong gust would surely knock them down. The castle, with its dark windows, looked cold and sinister. An eerie wind blew, growing louder as they approached; Ky was certain she didn’t want to enter the place.
They arrived within minutes. They trespassed the grounds, entering through a dilapidated iron-barred gate. Wild vines grew over the metal bars, and as they passed, the flowers followed their movement.
Cobaaron grasped her arm. “We’ll stop here. My men need to check the castle first.” Warriors spilled in through the gate and advanced. The well-rehearsed body of men marched onward without instruction, or Cobaaron was commanding them by thought.
“The women wait here,” Brute announced, several yards ahead, standing under a dark tree with knobby branches and no leaves. Two disenchanted looking women were with him. The creepy castle gave Ky chills. Maybe it was the spooky atmosphere that gave Ky the feeling they were being watched.
“Cobaaron, I just remembered…” Ky began to say, but Cobaaron held up a hand. He watched his warriors enter the castle. His eyes combed the gothic architecture, as he scented the air. When he put his hand down, Ky took it as an invite. “When I was in the boat. I saw the shipwreck before it happened. It tore in two in the exact same way.” He walked to the gate and wrenched out a loose wrought iron spear, acting as if he heard nothing as his eyes continued to scan the castle. “Is something wrong?” she asked. He held up a hand again, silencing her.
“Go stand with the women, and after that no matter what you do, don’t move. Don’t question, love. I know what is best,” he stressed in such urgency that it troubled her. “Go, now!”
As she went toward the small group of women, warriors pulled their weapons, and met Cobaaron in the middle of the grounds. Warriors encircled Ky. She hadn’t been able to reach the other women. Now that she was surrounded so tightly, she stopped.
One of the women pointed and screamed. Ky stared in the direction the woman pointed and saw big red eyes. The creature had the appearance of a giant rat without its tail, and the teeth were serrated and plentiful with several rows. The thing was black, furry, and the size of a grizzly bear. It cackled like a hyena. The sound of its call was bone chilling.
The woman who saw it screamed again when it cackled. More creatures opened their red eyes, and dropped from their hiding places. They crawled along the walls, with jerking, unnatural progress. Soon there were more than thirty, and all were staring at the woman who trembled with fear.
“Nobody move!” Cobaaron bellowed, but he and his warriors formed several lines, purposely drawing their attention with motion.
Several creatures pounced. Ky screamed. One sprung at Cobaaron. He pierced the beast’s heart, as they met in the air. She watched its weight force the spear through its body as it dropped. When the beast fell to the ground, dead, Cobaaron yanked the spear from its lifeless carcass. Then spun toward a second beast and rammed the spear into its brain, thrusting the iron up under its open, cackling mouth.
“That one is staring at me!” the woman screamed.
When the creature saw her lips move, it leaped. The creature hurdled over the warriors. The massive head thrashed, throwing the warriors surrounding the woman out of the way. In a second the monster clamped its jaws around the woman. Her bones snapped as the creature threw her up into the air with a jerk of its neck. The wide mouth opened, and swallowed her whole. The moment the woman disappeared; a warrior thrust a long sword through its exposed neck.
“Over here, you filthy beast,” Ly yelled to another monster that charged for the unprotected, trembling women. Ly ran after the beast with bow in hand, sprung to its back, and then drew back an arrow, driving it into the creature’s skull. The beast crumbled to the ground, as Ly leapt off. Just then a beast attacked Ly. Before he could react, the jagged teeth chomped down, tearing into him, and then the beast shook him violently.
The unforgiving animal didn’t eat him, but left him for dead. It thrashed into another warrior and then another in the same fashion. Like a serial killer, the beast stalked the men with vengeance.
To Ky’s horror she saw Huntra running toward the fight, as he grew as big as a house. Huntra’s eyes were locked onto the rampaging beast, thirsty for blood. She wanted to tell him no, but she knew she would die if she moved or spoke.
Huntra was soon with the warriors, and they were surrounded by cackling and spitting beasts. Without warning the pack attacked. Ky couldn’t see any of the warriors. She couldn’t see Cobaaron. There was a constant echo of grinding bones.
When the rest of the warriors saw the men being overwhelmed with beasts tearing into the line, they abandoned the women. They ran for the creatures, unsheathing their weapons as they roared a battle cry. More warriors hurdled the fence, coming to their aid.
She watched a bloody battle unfold. She was so afraid for Cobaaron she was shaking. She couldn’t see him under the pile of beasts. The small group of women who were left alone huddled together, and Ky wished she had made it to them. She felt vulnerable, standing alone, as all the men tried to rescue comrades.
Meanwhile, Huntra battled the vicious beast that was undeniably taking pleasure in killing. The creature sprung onto Huntra and crept sideways along Huntra’s body, heading toward his neck. The beast clamped down on Huntra’s jugular. Huntra grew, and he clawed enormous gashes into the wild killer. Blood covered them both.
Huntra grew and grew, and right when Huntra seemed to take control, more creatures attacked. Huntra’s legs were gushing blood as the beasts bit to the bone and ripped flesh. Huntra continued to thrash at the killer beast until it fell to the ground dead.
Ky watched in horror as all the creatures ganged up on Huntra. The beasts left the fight with the warriors to attack her blood-red snow tiger. The warriors chased after the monsters.
Then Ky saw it. The largest beast crept along the side of the castle. She swore it was looking directly at her. It cackled and screeched as its red eyes pierced her. Ky couldn’t understand how it could be looking at her. She had fought so hard not to move or talk, to call Huntra away. But then she realized
what the predator was seeing. Ky was glowing pink from high emotions, twinkling brightly.
She didn’t have time to think. It jumped off the castle, and advanced. Ky spun and sprinted as fast as she could. She leapt over the fence and collapsed to the ground, as a bar of the fence caught her dress. She spun around, frantically trying to free herself. But the moment she spun around she saw the beast’s open mouth inches from her. Blood trickled down its teeth.
The beast hung, pierced with several bars. Ky tugged at her dress, and scampered backward. She saw an axe in its back, and a sword in its head. Then she froze not daring to move.
The blood smelled like rotten eggs, but Ky didn’t move away from the monster. She stared at the grotesque beast, as the battle raged. She heard crackling laughter from in the courtyard. It wasn’t over.
Warriors swarmed the last few beasts. There weren’t many. Noxis killed the last beast as he thrust a blade into its neck, severing its spine.
When the last beast fell, Ky ran to the grounds. She still couldn’t see Cobaaron. The warriors removed their weapons from the creatures. She frantically searched for her husband. “Cobaaron!” she yelled.
She saw several men trying to heave a large beast off a warrior. It was Cobaaron. He was pinned under two dead creatures. She gasped and ran for him. He was covered in blood. Several men wrenched the animal by its feet and dragged it while others pushed.
Ky rushed to his side. When she got close, she was relieved to see he was alive and well. He helped lift the beast. The moment he could, he pulled his legs out, backed away, and then got to his feet. “Cobaaron, you’re covered in blood.”
“It’s not mine,” he said. “Ridiculous really, the stupid thing fell on me just after they all attacked.”
“Yeah, maybe next time you can help us,” Noxis joked, taking pleasure teasing his younger brother.
Cobaaron laughed. He then spoke to Ky as if nothing happened and inquired, “So, what were you saying a minute ago?”
The Coming Dawn Trilogy Page 24