by Sarah Hawke
“Valuri suggested that I make a few other changes to my daily regimen.”
His eyes rolled to the cold, clear sky. “She’s a glutton by nature, so she obviously wants to share.”
“Not precisely,” Kaseya said as she began gently stroking him. “She expressed concern that I was merely consuming the seed of a dragon rather than putting it to…other uses.”
Jorem’s manhood turned so stiff he took a quick glance around the deck to make certain they were still alone. “Such as?”
Kaseya touched the ruby in her collar with her free hand. “As you know, the tan’ratha is a symbol of my submission. But it has another function as well—the magic within shields my womb so that my Maskari can enjoy my body whenever he likes without fear of conception.”
“You, uh…” he managed between pants as she pumped him even harder. “You mentioned that before.”
“She suggested that it might be time for me to remove those protections,” Kaseya said, her eyes twinkling. “Unless my Maskari would prefer that I keep them intact.”
Jorem reached out and cradled her face in his hands. She was so beautiful, so loyal, so perfect in every way…he may have been a dragon, but he still wasn’t convinced he deserved her. But he had her regardless, bound to him by the amazon’s pledge, and he vowed that he would do everything it took to honor it.
“Maybe Val is right,” he breathed, sliding his hands down the sides of her face to the collar around her neck. “Maybe it is time for a change.”
His fingers circled around the tan’ratha. With his brown eyes locked upon her blue ones, he found the clasp and slowly unlatched it. A soft, eager gasp escaped her lips.
“Then we should return to our cabin as soon as possible,” Kaseya said, her fingers squeezing his manhood tight. “I am eager to begin this new ritual.”
Jorem smiled. “So am I.”
***
The door to the small hovel swung open, and the shadowy silhouette of a tall, slender figure stepped inside. The candles were so dim that Solemi never actually saw the woman enter, but she wasn’t worried. They were safer here than they had ever been in the lightless prison of the Underworld.
“Our scouts have still not been able to locate my treacherous sister,” the figure said in a dark, husky voice with an unmistakable drow accent. “I fear that given time, she will rally the remaining loyalists.”
Solemi smiled and sipped at her tall glass of wine. Her chair rocked slowly as she kept her eyes fastened upon the wicker cradle in front of her. “And then what?”
Her guest took another step forward and pulled back her hood, though she remained at the fringes of the candlelight. Her luminescent blue eyes were still having trouble adapting to the searing brilliance of the surface.
“My sister is petty and spiteful,” the drow said. “She will not rest until she has found us.”
“Then she will be quite exhausted indeed,” Solemi replied mildly as she set her empty glass down upon the nightstand. “Soon we will be beyond reach, just as I promised. Our children will be safe.”
The drow remained silent, even when she began pacing back and forth in the darkness. Her adamantine armor didn’t even clink when she moved, nor did the metallic wings upon her back. Even her heeled boots were quiet, thanks to the lingering enchantment within them. Dark elven artifice was often as impressive as it was terrifying.
“You do not believe me?” Solemi asked.
“I have my doubts,” the drow said. “This land is even more averse to sorcery than the Reaches!”
“Not all of it. Darenthi may be ruled by the Tel Bator, but the Kingdom of Stars is not.”
“Nelu’Thalas? You cannot be serious! I am still a drow, in case you have forgotten.”
“The only thing that has been forgotten is history. The Ilwetharri and the Vaetharri have not always been at each other’s throats. They both fled here to Torsia to escape the corruption of the old empire. Your peoples should be allies, yet they live as enemies.”
The drow stopped pacing and paused for a long moment. “What is your plan, mistress?”
“Everything is about to change, Laetharys,” Solemi said. “The Founts have all been opened, and now the dragons are about to return. A new world is coming whether the old one realizes it or not. You and I have a chance to mold events in a way we never could have imagined. We can shape history rather than be crushed beneath its heel.”
“But why must we attempt to shape it here?”
Sighing, Solemi stood and reached down into the cradle and gently lifted the infant within. The baby was still sleeping, though every once in a while, she could coo and briefly open her beautiful violet eyes.
“You have foreseen a great future for your child, and I have foreseen a great future for mine,” Solemi said, tenderly touching the spider-shaped mark upon the infant’s belly. “It is up to us to ensure their destiny is fulfilled.”
Laetharys finally stepped into the candlelight. It glinted off her long mane of white hair as she eyed her infant daughter. “You know that I will do anything to keep her safe from Varassa and the rest of the loyalists. But the highborn of Nelu’Thalas will destroy her the instant they see the gray in her skin.”
“That is why we will not rely upon the highborn to protect her,” Solemi said, smiling as the child cooed again. “You know my plans. You know what must be done. While the Dragon of Highwind brings order to the Reaches, you and I must prepare the rest of the north for a new era.”
Solemi carefully handed the child over to her mother. “Jorem’s victory bought us time, but the Watcher and the rest of the Fallen Gods have been defeated by the Wyrm Lords before. They always find a way to return. You read the books in the Spire of Sorcery—you know what is at stake if they escape again.”
“Too well,” Laetharys whispered gravely. “My sister still believes that the Spider Queen gains power by the day. To think how many years I wasted in her service…”
“We’ve all made mistakes. This is our chance to atone.”
Solemi stepped over to the candles on the fireplace mantle as she touched her own swollen belly. “We must ensure that our children are prepared for the battles ahead,” she said, smiling. “The War of the White Throne is about to begin.”
Jorem and the girls will return (sooner or later). In the meantime, the story of the Highwind universe continues twenty years later with the War of the White Throne series! The first two installments—Queen of the Pale and Spire of Shadows—are already available!
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Also by Sarah Hawke
War of the White Throne
Queen of the Pale
Spire of Shadows
Kingdom of Stars (soon!)
Wings of the Seraph
Wings of the Seraph
Outcast
Spider Zero
Spectre
The Last Blade
The Elf Slave Series
Slave to the Empire
Unbound
Unchained
Unbroken
Unleashed
The Highwind Catch-Up Collection
Includes all of the following series plus The Amazon’s Pledge!
The Spider Queen Collection
Web of the Spider Queen
Slaves of the Spider Queen
Bound to the Spider Queen
Vengeance of the Spider Queen
Dirty, Filthy Fantasies
The Priestess’s Gratitude
The Headmistress’s Punishment
The Ranger-General’s Submission
The Ranger-General’s Submission
> Knightfall
About the Author
Sarah Hawke lives in New England with her two cats, a horse, and a car that actually functions now thanks to the generosity of her readers!
Table of Contents
Prologue
Epilogue