I don’t know how long this continued, or how many we killed or lost in combat. My scales and claws grew slick with blood, but I kept fighting while Jasin continued to set the fort on fire all around us. And then I heard a terrible screech overhead that stopped me in my tracks.
I glanced up to see two dragons swooping down to oppose us, one with blood-red scales and the other’s the deepest green. Just as I’d expected—Sark, the Crimson Dragon, and Heldor, the Jade Dragon. The ones who’d destroyed Kira’s town with lava, earthquakes, and fire. And now we had to hold them off as long as possible so Kira and Slade could finish the bonding.
As I flew up to meet the other dragons in combat, I opened myself to my bond with Kira and sent her a single, frantic feeling: Go!
27
Kira
I pulled my fur cloak tighter around myself, wishing I’d brought even warmer clothes. Only the flame rising from my palm emitted any warmth—or light—inside the dark, frosty cave.
We’d been going uphill in the tunnel for what seemed like hours, although it was impossible to tell. The walls were unnaturally smooth, like in the Resistance base, but there were few other signs that anyone had been this way before and no way to tell if we were going in the right direction. Parin led us forward and claimed to know where he was going, and Slade pressed his hand to the rock and then nodded, but it was still eerie facing step after step of nothing but cold, dark stone.
“We’re almost there,” Parin said, an eternity later. “We should stop here until we get the signal.”
I sank against the wall, my body eager to take a break. There was nothing to do now but wait and pray our plan worked. I closed my eyes and reached for Jasin and Auric to reassure myself they were all right, but I found a wild mix of emotions that threatened to overwhelm me. They were still alive, and I had to accept that that was enough for now.
“How much farther to the temple?” Reven asked.
“Not far now.” Parin leaned against the side of the tunnel opposite me, his face grim. “I forgot to mention…we received a report that the Water Temple has been destroyed by the Dragons too. There’s nothing left. I’m sorry.”
I drew in a deep breath and nodded. The news made my heart sink, but I couldn’t focus on that now. I’d known getting to the Water Temple would be difficult and it had just become even more impossible, but we had to face one challenge at a time. Besides, I couldn’t even think about bonding with Reven at the moment. I was still too bruised after last night. “Thanks for letting me know.”
We sipped water and ate some of the food we’d brought with us while we waited. Slade paced back and forth, while Reven became so still I almost wondered if he was asleep. I tried not to fret over how the others were faring in their battle, but it was difficult.
Suddenly Auric’s presence filled my mind and I felt him urging me to move, to go, to hurry. I scrambled to my feet. “I got the signal!”
We jumped back into action, our bodies recovered after the break, and continued forward with Parin at the lead. The plan had worked, but we had to hurry since we didn’t know how long the Resistance could keep the Dragons away. Eventually they would realize this was a distraction and come back to stop us. We needed to be finished by then.
Parin stopped in front of a spot in the wall that looked like it had caved in at some point. Water flowed through the cracks in the rocks in a steady trickle, pooling around our feet. “The temple is through here, but I’ve never seen this water before.”
“I can move the rocks,” Slade said, stepping forward.
“Wait.” Reven crouched down, dipped his finger into the water, and stared at the cracks where it was coming from. When he straightened up, he said, “The room on the other side has been flooded. When you open it up, I’ll divert the water away.”
“The Azure Dragon must have done this to keep us out,” Parin mumbled.
“Most likely,” Slade said.
Reven instructed us to stand to the side with our backs against the stone, and then nodded at Slade. The rocks began to slide away from the wall, slowly at first, allowing larger bursts of water to break through. Soon they began to tumble down much faster, and a huge wall of water rushed out. Reven raised his hands and stopped the water from hitting us, then sent it flowing through the tunnel where we’d already been. It filled the entire passage, a great torrent racing down the mountain like it was desperate to escape. Slade formed the rocks into a small dam, helping Reven block the water from hitting us as it roared by.
Eventually the flood slowed to a mere trickle, and it was safe enough through the gap Slade had made. It opened to a large cavern with shining wet stone and rocks that dripped cold water in a steady pattern. I raised the flames I’d summoned and gaped as the light caught on hundreds of sparkling crystals built into the walls, which shimmered all around us in every color of the rainbow. A large jade green dragon statue had toppled over in the middle of the room, it’s head cracked and one of the wings shattered.
“This is the Earth Temple,” Parin said, bowing his head. “Or it was.”
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered, as I stepped forward and touched one of the glittering jewels. Even with evidence of the Dragons’ destruction here and the missing priests, I could feel the magic of the temple all around me.
“This is where they killed my mother, along with her priests.” Parin ran his hand along the wing of the dragon statue as we took it all in.
“Including your father?” I asked softly.
“No, he died a few years ago. Perhaps that is a blessing.”
“We’ll honor their sacrifice by completing our duty to the Earth God,” Slade said.
Parin nodded and led us forward. Our boots squished and splashed in the leftover puddles as we walked around the rubble and debris. He took us through another tunnel, leading to a splintered, soaked door. “The bonding chamber is through here. I’m sorry it’s not in better condition.”
I peered through the crack in the door at the room inside. “It’s not the most romantic place, but it’ll do.”
“We’ll wait outside and stand guard,” Reven said.
While they retreated back to the main part of the temple, Slade opened the broken door with a loud creak. My heart probably should have sank at the sight of the remains of the bed, which had been completely torn apart and turned to splinters, or the knowledge that we had to rush through this. But I was finally going to bond with Slade, and I couldn’t help the small smile on my lips as I turned toward him. “Are you ready?”
He reached out and took my hand. “I am.”
We stepped inside together and surveyed the destruction. It was hard to tell what furniture had once been in the room since all that remained was wreckage. The only thing that still stood was a gray marble table against one wall. Slade led me to it, while his magic slammed the door shut behind us.
Anticipation made my desire and excitement even stronger, and when he took me in his arms and kissed me, my heart leaped. He nudged me back until my behind hit the edge of the table, and then he eased me up onto the edge of the cool stone. The position lifted me up higher, allowing me to kiss him easier while my arms circled his neck. My knees spread wide and he moved between them, his hard, muscular length pressed against me.
“I wish we didn’t have to rush,” he said, as his hands slid down to my breasts, slowly rubbing my nipples through the fabric of my dress. “I wanted to go slow and take all night learning your body and what makes you sigh. This will be the first time I’ve made love to a woman in many years and I’d hoped to savor it, especially since it’s you.”
His words sent a rush of warmth to my core as I imagined all the things we would do together. “Next time we’ll take as long as you want, I promise.”
“Yes,” he said, with hunger in his eyes. “Next time.”
His mouth descended on mine again and I pressed against him, my body throbbing with desire. Soft lips trailed over my earlobe and down my neck to my collarbone, nuzzling and tasting, and I
closed my eyes with a sigh. But then I felt Auric and Jasin reaching for each other’s magic through the bond, their emotions a mix of frenzy, fear, and determination, and I knew we had to hurry. Slade’s seductive touch made me want to take my time too, but we couldn’t forget that others were fighting and dying for us to have this moment.
I reached for Slade’s shirt and lifted it over his head, revealing his dark, muscular chest. I drank in the sight of the sculpted lines of his body, all the smooth planes and hard ridges just begging for my touch. When I reached out and lightly ran my hand along those muscles he let out a ragged breath, and then claimed my mouth again. While we kissed, his fingers caressed down my hips and gripped the fabric of my dress, then inched it up my legs. My breath hitched with excitement, but then he pulled back and met my eyes.
“There’s something I need to say first.” His hands slid along my bare thighs as he spoke, his deep, sensual voice wrapping around me like a blanket. “I gave away my heart once and had it broken. I never thought I would ever love again, and didn’t want to even try. And then I met you…” He drew in a breath, his fingers tightening on my skin. “I didn’t want to love you either. I tried to resist you for so long. But there was no use. I fell for you anyway.” His head bent, his brow pressing against mine. “I love you, Kira.”
I brushed my fingers against his jaw, while my heart felt like it would burst out of my chest. “I love you too, Slade.”
“You somehow mended my heart and showed me it was possible to love again. Even if the Gods didn’t demand I spend my life with you, I would do it anyway.” He dropped to his knees in front of me. “I’m yours.”
He was the biggest and strongest of my mates. He could crush me both with his magic or without it. And now he was kneeling in front of me. There was nothing sexier than seeing such a powerful man on his knees before me, and the space between my legs softly ached with need.
He coaxed my thighs to spread wider for him, his green eyes moving to gaze at the place that throbbed for his touch, and I knew what he planned to do.
Even as my body said oh please yes, I rested a hand on his shoulder to stop him. “We don’t have time.”
“I don’t care. I’m going to taste you, even if only for a moment. I’ve been thinking of little else for days.”
Stubborn man. I knew I should tell him no, that we needed to hurry, but I wanted his mouth on me, that lush, full mouth I’d been tempted by since we’d met. When his head dipped down and I felt the roughness of his beard against my inner thighs, all my protests were silenced. I forgot about everything except his mouth as it pressed against me and his tongue as it stroked me. I leaned back, my hands planted on the table, as he hooked my legs over his shoulders and began to feast upon me.
My eyes fluttered closed, my breathing grew rough, and every nerve in my body seemed to burst into song. With each firm stroke of his tongue and soft touch of his lips I lost myself even more. Slade loved me, he truly loved me, and he showed me over and over how devoted he was to me. Me, not his duty to the Earth God or as the next Jade Dragon, just me. And I could finally admit how much I loved him too.
I cried out, my legs trembling, as the orgasm shook through me like an earthquake. Slade held my hips in place as he wrung every last drop of pleasure out of me. Only then did he release me and straighten up again—and when our eyes met I knew it was time for him to truly claim me.
28
Jasin
All around us the battle raged, but Auric and I focused on the two Dragons in front of us. We’d been dodging blows and throwing magic for the last few minutes, keeping them distracted as best we could while our people fought below us. As long as we kept the Dragons busy, Kira and Slade would be able to bond. I just hoped they were quick about it.
Sark spat a ball of fire at Auric, and I pressed my wings close and dove to block it. The flames struck my scaled chest and I absorbed the magic into my own body, then let out a loud roar in response. I briefly felt Auric’s gratitude through the bond, before Heldor collided with me. He was the largest dragon I’d ever seen, and he slammed us both to the ground with his massive strength. We slid through the dirt, knocking soldiers back with our wings and tails, before smashing into the stone wall surrounding the fort. I tore at him with my talons and fangs, then managed to roll out from under his grasp. I backed up and let out a stream of fire from my mouth, but he yanked rocks from the wall to block my magic.
The ground underneath me shook and tore open, and I leaped into the sky again, where Sark and Auric were battling. I expected the Jade Dragon to follow me, but instead he stomped his feet and released a deep roar that made the soldiers around him balk. Lava began to spew from the newly formed crack in the ground, spraying the men and women nearby—both our fighters and the enemy’s. Heldor didn’t seem to care who he hit, and lava began to flow in a massive wave, threatening to cut down every person in its path, regardless of who they fought for.
“You’ll kill your own soldiers!” I called out.
Heldor ignored me and continued on, making the crack wider to take up the length of the entire courtyard. People screamed and ran, the battle momentarily forgotten as they tried to escape the red hot magma, but some of them were too slow in their armor and were pulled down and consumed. How could he do this to his own people, the ones he’d come out here to defend? Did he care nothing at all for their lives?
I fought back the lava and the flames as best I could, trying to give people time to escape, but it wasn’t enough. We had to stop the Dragons.
I reached for Auric through the bond, while glancing up at his shining form. He darted above me, performing whip-fast acrobatics in the air to avoid Sark’s flames. Through our many hours of training we’d gotten a lot better at this, and had learned that proximity was most important, but visual contact helped too. I felt Auric acknowledge me and mentally clasp my hands. His magic mingled with mine, and I focused on Heldor and released it.
A giant lightning bolt shot from the clouds and struck the Jade Dragon on his large scaled head, and he staggered back like he was dazed. Auric threw some lightning at Sark above me too, although the other dragon was able to dodge the blast. Without Isen nearby, Sark would be unable to create lightning of his own, and we kept up the assault, paying him back for the attack at the Air Temple.
I heard Faya’s voice call out for a retreat, and caught sight of Brin staggering toward the gate with one arm around Leni. Lava blocked their path, and I used my magic to remove the heat from it, turning it to stone. They rushed over it and out of the fort, hopefully on their way to safety.
Heldor recovered from the lightning bolt and threw more rocks at me, which I dodged. Mostly. One huge boulder struck my left wing, clipping it and shooting pain through my shoulder. I swore under my breath and leaped into the air, but each beat of my wings was agony.
I crashed back down to the ground and Heldor let out a deep, throaty laugh as he approached. Auric dropped down in front of him, blocking my body with his own, and launched another bolt of lightning at Heldor. It struck him in the chest, knocking him back, and the huge green dragon slumped to the ground.
“Jasin, are you injured?” Auric asked.
I stood up and shook myself off, but pain shot through me. “I’ll be all right. I’m not sure I can fly though. I’ll need Kira to heal me later.”
A harsh shriek filled the air, and Auric and I both looked up as Isen, the Golden Dragon, swooped down toward us. Where had he come from? And could we really defend against three dragons, especially now that I was injured? I bared my teeth and readied my wings. We didn’t have a choice but to fight.
I sent fire up at Isen, but he dodged easily, his nimble form darting through the sky. A tornado formed over us, whipping up all the debris on the ground, and Auric flew up to stop it. I bit back the pain and dodged the swirling, rushing winds before they surrounded me, but my injured wing slowed me down and prevented me from taking off. I managed to knock a soldier in black armor out of the way wit
h my tail before he was caught up in the tornado, just before it dissipated.
The air around us cleared—and that’s when I realized Sark and Heldor were both gone.
29
Kira
Slade quickly removed my clothes and tossed them aside, then gazed at me with hungry eyes. I sat on the edge of the table, completely bared to him, while the echoes of pleasure made my body loose and limp. Yet I still craved more.
“I’ve never wanted any woman the way I want you,” he said, as he dropped his trousers to the floor. I got a glimpse of his huge, hard cock before he moved between my thighs and nudged it against my core. Later I would explore every inch of him in great detail with my hands and my mouth, but for now I needed him inside me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer, finding his mouth again while his long length entered me.
He was big, almost too big, but I didn’t want him to stop. My hips strained toward him, begging for more, but once he was fully inside he paused. He was as hard as the marble under me, pulsing with strength and need, and I thought I would die if he didn’t move soon.
I caressed the smooth slope of his back down to the rounded curve of his behind, then gripped him tight, pulling him deeper inside. “Slade, please.”
At my words, he let out a ragged breath and unleashed the desire that he’d kept locked inside so long. He pushed me down so I lay flat against the cool stone table, his strong hands circling my waist, and then he began to pump into me with sure, steady strokes. I gasped and lifted my hips in time to his movements, while he gazed down at me with a look of pure, ravenous lust.
My legs wrapped around Slade’s hips as he stood over me, my breasts rocking with each deep glide of his cock. He took me thoroughly, possessing me completely, making me his woman with every thrust.
Shake The Earth: Her Elemental Dragons Book Three Page 12