by Sarah Hawke
“I know, and I don’t understand why it doesn’t bother you. I mean, it’s one thing to know he sleeps around, but having to feel it every time he does?”
Kaseya turned and arched a red eyebrow. “You would rather I be upset when he makes love to you?”
“No, but that’s different,” Valuri said. “You and I, we’re…I don’t know, we’re a team.”
“I see. Well, should Jorem or I be upset that you slept with General Serrane?”
“That’s also different.”
The amazon cocked her head. “I fail to understand why.”
“It just is,” Valuri grumbled. She closed her eyes and ran her hand through her hair, annoyed at her own frustration. Genuine emotions were strange and uncomfortable things, and she really hated it when they crept in on her unexpectedly.
“I do not trust the Black Mistress any more than you do,” Kaseya said, striding over and sitting on the bed next to the Huntress. “But I do trust Jorem. He is my Maskari, and he will always return to me. He is also a Wyrm Lord—spreading his seed will ensure the revival of the dragons.”
Valuri snorted. “Are we sure that’s a good thing?”
“Selvhara believes it is.”
“Selvhara believes a lot of crazy things.”
Kaseya arched another eyebrow and gently brushed her fingers through Valuri’s dark hair. “You would prefer the dragons die out?”
“The dragons have been dead for a long time, and the Wyrm Lords weren’t exactly the benevolent stewards of civilization. The Dragon War did almost destroy the entire world, you know.”
“What I know is that our ignorance of history is vast,” Kaseya said. “Even Selvhara said she only lived during the final days of the Avethian Empire. There are thousands of years of history that she isn’t familiar with.”
Valuri sighed and placed a hand on the other woman’s smooth, athletic thigh. “What are you getting at, Red?”
She shrugged. “Only that our kind—sorcerers—have been harassed and hounded and killed for a very long time. What if Jorem is meant change all of that? What if his seed is destined to restore the world?”
“Then you better stop swallowing every morning.”
Kaseya blinked. “What?”
“Never mind,” Valuri said, squeezing the amazon’s leg. “Look, I don’t really believe in destiny or any of that bullshit, but maybe that’s just because I’m not a sorcerer. I also have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that Jorem is…well, I met him in a cistern, remember? And now he’s fucking flying around as a dragon.”
She felt Kaseya’s big blue eyes studying her face even without turning. “What is really bothering you?”
Valuri pursed her lips. This is Kaseya, not one of my Senosi sisters. I can open up to her—she won’t use what I tell her to backstab me later. So why is it still so fucking hard to say anything?
“I suppose it’s all this talk about him ‘spreading his seed’ or whatever,” Valuri said. “It’s just that…I don’t know, you pledged yourself to him, Red. You’re his girl in a way I can never be.”
“That is not true,” Kaseya insisted, touching the Huntress’s shoulder. “We share his affections. He cares deeply for both of us!”
“I know, but…” Valuri pushed her tongue hard into the back of her teeth as a realization slowly washed over her. “Look, you can give him something I never can, Red.”
The amazon shook her head. “To what are you referring?”
“You can get pregnant!” Valuri said, gritting her teeth. “And considering all you’ve done for him, it seems…wrong for him to plant his first dragon baby in the belly of a treacherous whore, that’s all.”
She closed her eyes and averted her face, though she could still feel Kaseya’s gaze upon her burning cheeks. A moment later, the amazon embraced her in a warm, loving hug. It was only then, when she felt a warm droplet slide down her cheek, that Valuri realized she had started crying.
“You hide your feelings so well I sometimes forget that you have them,” the amazon said, lifting Valuri’s chin and giving her a soft kiss on the lips. “You regret that you cannot give him a child?”
“I don’t know, maybe,” the Huntress whispered. “I’ve never really wanted to be a mother. For one, I don’t ever want to see my tits sag. For two…well, I’d be terrible at it.”
Kaseya smiled. “I doubt that very much.”
“It’s a moot point regardless. All Senosi are barren.” Valuri paused and touched the other woman’s face. “But you aren’t, and you deserve more.”
The amazon’s eyes filled with warmth. “You really do care about me.”
“Obviously,” the Huntress sniffed. “I wouldn’t fuck you so hard if I didn’t.”
Kaseya chuckled and pulled her in for another kiss. Normally, Valuri’s hunger would have flared out of control and compelled her to feed, but not this time. She wasn’t aroused so much as…contented. It was a bizarre and frankly uncomfortable feeling.
When their lips finally parted, Valuri shrugged and dragged her fingertips along the amazon’s golden collar. “You told me before that the magic in this thing keeps you sterile, right?”
“It shields my womb so that my Maskari can enjoy me whenever he wishes,” Kaseya confirmed. “Amazons would not be effective warriors if our moshalim were constantly getting us pregnant.”
“I suppose that makes sense. But when Jorem gets back…” Valuri awkwardly clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “Maybe you should consider taking it off for a bit. You know, to see what happens.”
“The outcome is not in doubt. Considering how often we fornicate, he would likely impregnate me very quickly.”
“Is that something you want?”
Kaseya smiled. “Very much so, yes.”
“Then it’s settled,” Valuri said. “When he gets back, we’ll have to change up your morning ritual.”
The amazon giggled and kissed her again. This time, Valuri couldn’t contain her hunger; the sparks of magic on Red’s tongue were just too irresistible to ignore for long.
“All right, enough of this girly shit,” Valuri said, pulling away and wiping the tears from her cheeks. “Where’s the phallus?”
“Right where you left it,” Kaseya replied breathlessly. “But Jorem will be back soon.”
“Who cares? Your cunt is mine tonight, bitch.” Valuri snickered as she traced her fingertips down the amazon’s soft neck. “I’ll leave your pretty mouth for him if he wants to join in.”
“But you told me that I needed to stop swallowing if I want to get pregnant,” Kaseya replied playfully.
“Yeah, well, I’d still love to see him shove his dragon cock down your throat and snap your collar right then and there,” Valuri said with a wink. “The night is young, after all.”
***
The trip from the Silken Rose to Serrane’s estate felt longer than ever before, but Jorem knew he was just walking slower than normal. Even the chill of the nighttime air and the accompanying haze of snow flurries couldn’t motivate him to pick up the pace. The truth was that he didn’t want to go back, at least not right away. He was still sour at Solemi for disappearing and sour at himself for agreeing to her insane bargain in the first place. But every time he spotted a cluster of Darkwind soldiers in the streets, he was promptly reminded that he had done this for a good reason. Without the Black Mistress’s forces, Highwind wouldn’t stand a chance.
It might not stand a chance anyway, of course, in which case he would have planted the seed of his potentially deadly progeny in the belly of a woman of dubious intent and gained nothing in return. It wasn’t exactly the kind of glorious legacy one would read about in the history books.
Then I guess we better win, huh? As if we needed any extra motivation.
Jorem spared a glance back at the Gray Citadel as he crossed the bridge to the Artisan District. Even the imperious tower was getting harder to see thanks to the thickening fog, but he hoped that Selvhara was doin
g all right in there. Locking her away was yet another decision he could easily live to regret. If anything happened to her while she was in there…well, he wasn’t sure he could forgive himself—or stop Kaseya from going on a rampage.
He arrived at the mansion a few minutes later. Dozens of Serrane’s Duskwatch rangers were scattered about the streets nearby, and most of them were grouped together with Solemi’s dark elven loyalists. It was a strange sight, to be sure, but for some reason it actually made him feel a lot better about their chances. The Inquisitrix and her Senosi wouldn’t shy away from playing dirty, so perhaps having a few drow on their side would level the playing field. If nothing else, their presence would certainly come as a surprise to any Vorsalosian soldiers who made it over the walls.
Serrane’s guards let him inside the estate without any hassle, and he could hear the moans and cries of the girls having fun upstairs the moment the door opened. He smiled despite himself—he should have known that Valuri would take it upon herself to keep Kaseya’s mind occupied while he was gone. Rather than rushing up to join them, he went down into the cellar and snagged himself a bottle of highborn brandy. The sweet, cool liquor helped set his mind at ease, and he grabbed a few empty glasses before heading upstairs.
The girls were a hot, sticky mess, just like he expected. They had apparently taken turns with the phallus, though at the moment Valuri was still buried deep in Kaseya’s cunt. At any other time, Jorem would have gladly jumped in, but even his draconic libido had finally reached its limit for the day. He poured them drinks instead of trying to join in the fun, and he gave them both long, passionate kisses in between glasses. They didn’t even speak until half the bottle was gone. Valuri was the first to finally break the silence as she withdrew the phallus from Kaseya.
“So let me guess,” the Huntress said, sliding up behind him on the edge of the bed and massaging his shoulders, “the bitch packed her bags and ran out the front gate the moment you finished, didn’t she?”
“More or less,” Jorem murmured, dragging the tips of his fingers across Kaseya’s flat, sculpted stomach as she lay naked on the bed. “Whatever happens, I doubt we’ll be seeing her again for a while.”
“It figures. I’m glad she’s gone, but it would have been nice if she had tried to use her little illusory dragon trick on the enemy. The Huntresses wouldn’t have brought it, but the rank-and-file soldiers would have.”
“I am not worried about Solemi,” Kaseya said, her blue eyes sparkling. “Are you all right?”
Jorem arched an eyebrow at her. “You’re worried about me?”
“You are troubled,” she said. “You feel guilty despite my best efforts to assuage you.”
He snorted softly and shook his head in amazement. Despite all of Kaseya’s amazing qualities—her earnestness, her loyalty, her integrity—he still sometimes took for granted just how amazing she really was. He had just gone off to fuck and impregnate another woman, and she was worried about how he was dealing with it.
“I just want to make all of this up to you,” Jorem said. “You deserve better. You deserve a man who will—”
“I have the man I want right here,” Kaseya interrupted, squeezing his hand. “And I have never been more eager to fight alongside him.”
Jorem smiled. Whatever else he might accomplish in his life, he made a promise to himself right then and there that he was going to make her the happiest woman in the Reaches. She deserved nothing less.
“There is something else we discussed while you were gone,” Valuri said, pressing her bare breasts against his back and nibbling at his ear. “The two of you have a lot of work to do once this is all over.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
Val took his hand from behind and placed it back upon the amazon’s belly. “Red’s going to change up her morning ritual for you. No more wasting that precious dragon seed of yours in her mouth when you could be—”
She was cut off by the clamor of warning bells in the streets outside the estate. All three of them froze in place, wondering what in the name of the Pale had just happened, when an unmistakable high-pitched screech cut through the air.
Jorem dove for the window before the girls could even move. It was difficult to see much of anything, thanks to the darkness and the fog, but he could still make out the shadowy figures of a dozen wyverns in the distance. Flashes of Aetheric fire trailed in their wake, lighting up the southern part of the city like an encroaching thunderstorm.
“Please tell me that Serrane decided to take Garadros out for a midnight ride,” Valuri whispered, her already pale skin turning a ghostly white.
“No. It looks like the Inquisitrix decided to start the party earlier than we thought.”
“Zor kalah,” Kaseya gasped, springing upright. The sweet, loving face that had been staring up at him a moment ago had been replaced by the hardened scowl of an amazon warrior. “Why now?”
“I have no idea,” he said as another fireball flashed in the sky. “But it doesn’t really matter, does it?”
He turned, the dragon blood burning hotter than ever in his veins. The skin on the back of his hands had already started to turn red, and for the first time since Selvhara had told him the truth about his heritage, he wasn’t sure he could stop the transformation even if he had wanted to.
Marhaak kûl drakatharri!
“This war ends tonight,” Jorem said, his hands balling into fists at his sides. “One way or another.”
***
Serrane had always been a light sleeper. All rangers had to be, otherwise they wouldn’t last long in the untamed wild. Yet even after spending nearly two human lifetimes fighting gnolls, orcs, and Chol, she wasn’t prepared for the intensity of the chill that raced down her spine when Tahira gasped in horror.
“She is coming.”
Serrane inhaled sharply and opened her eyes. The human girl was sitting nude and cross-legged on the floor of Julian’s quarters, her own eyes fluttering rapidly behind closed lids. The Aether swirled around her as if she were the nexus of a great magical storm, and goosebumps broke out along Serrane’s back.
“What?” the ranger asked, rolling off Julian and onto her side.
“The Inquisitrix…I can feel her approaching the city,” Tahira said. “Her forces have begun their attack.”
Serrane swung her long legs off the bed. They couldn’t have been asleep for long; she was still sore from Julian’s not-so-tender ministrations, and the flickering candles hadn’t made much progress on their wax.
“But how…?” she rubbed her eyes. “Are you certain?”
“Yes,” Tahira said, her green eyes slowly opening. The red tattoo encircling her navel had begun to glow with a faint inner light. “I can see through the eyes of knights guarding the southwestern wall.”
Julian stirred a heartbeat later, his dark eyes blinking groggily. “Escar’s mercy…”
Serrane squeezed his bicep once before she stood and dashed over to the lone window. The glass was almost completely frozen over, and she couldn’t see anything past the fog and flurries of snow. By all appearances, it was a calm, quiet winter night just like everyone had expected. Even the Roskarim barbarians from the perpetually frozen lands of the White Ridge wouldn’t be foolish enough to attack in the middle of a blizzard.
“I can’t see or hear anything,” Serrane said.
“The enemy wyverns are focusing their assault on the southwestern wall by the Iron District,” Tahira said. Her eyes didn’t appear to be looking at anything in particular—at least, nothing in this room. “The knights are attempting to erect a barrier, but there are not enough of them to protect the entire wall. They will not be able to hold out for long.”
“Son of a bitch,” Julian hissed as he lunged off the bed to retrieve his smallclothes. “Tell them that reinforcements are on the way.”
He snarled under his breath as he and Serrane got dressed as quickly as they could. She had stationed plenty of sentries outside the city to prevent
exactly this from happening, but the storm had obviously blinded them—and probably lowered their guard. No one had seriously believed that the enemy would attack under these conditions. The element of surprise was all well and good, but the storm would impede the Vorsalosian ships and wyverns far more than Highwind’s defenders. Most of the Darkwind soldiers could also see far better at night than humans. Serrane probably should have been pleased that the enemy had committed such an obvious tactical mistake.
And yet…
Warning bells were ringing across the city by the time Serrane and Julian were armed and ready. They rushed through the temple, Tahira closely in tow, until they saw Knight-Commander Crowe barking orders to a throng of aspirants and squires.
“There you are,” Crowe said, waving them over. He looked calm and in control, just like a leader should, though Serrane could see the tension in his jawline. “Every able-bodied knight is heading to the walls.”
“How bad is it, sir?” Julian asked.
The older knight gestured to Tahira. “She knows better than anyone. No one can see a damn thing out there.”
“The barriers are holding, but there are scattered fires across the Iron and Temple districts,” Tahira said. She looked even paler than usual, and she braced her hand on Julian’s pauldrons as if she were struggling to keep her balance. “The knights are having trouble seeing the river from the battlements, but the enemy ships have not yet fired a single ballista.”
“This might not be a full-scale attack,” Serrane said. “They could be testing our defenses and trying to cause a panic during the storm. I wouldn’t be surprised if the wyverns back off soon.”
“Maybe, but we can’t take that chance,” Crow said gravely. “We planned for this contingency. What about your fireteams?”
“They should already be sweeping the city. Most of them are drow—they can navigate in the dark just fine. Hopefully, they can contain the enemy if your men can hold the wall.”
“We will, but you need to get out there.” Crowe turned to Julian. “Take her wyvern if you have to.”