by Crymsyn Hart
He took her bag. “It’s a good idea. Are you hungry?”
“Starved.”
He led her into the living room where he had the table set up so she sat next to him. “I hope you like Italian. I got a few different dishes so you could pick what you liked.”
“Thanks.” She stopped and smelled the flowers. “These are beautiful orchids.” They were dark purple and light blue.
“They’re for you.”
Her expression turned into a delightful smile. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”
“I know, but this is a date, kinda, so I wanted to be sure that you had some flowers. Should we eat?” He pulled the chair out for her.
Savanna sat down. Wyeth lifted the tops on all the plates. He had gotten four different things. “Chicken Alfredo with broccoli, veal picatta, shrimp scampi, and spaghetti and meatballs.” He had some garlic bread with cheese as well. “What would you like?”
“I guess a little of everything, except the shrimp.”
“How can you not like seafood when you live on the coast?”
She turned her nose up at the statement. “Not a fan, and remember I said I was allergic to shrimp. I’ve tried other seafood a few times, but yeah...”
“Oh shit! I forgot. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. The smell won’t kill me.”
“Good to know. Do you like lobster?”
“Nope.” She took the plate from him and added a piece of the garlic bread. They took a few minutes while they ate. He watched her as she ate slowly. Her lips turned up in a smile while she savored the meal. This was what he normally did and usually hated when he went out with a woman. They sat and talked about things to see if they had more in common than just jumping in the sack.
“So have you lived here your whole life?” Wyeth asked.
“Yup. Born and bred. I visited England and Europe when I was younger. I was part of a traveling carnival.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I was one of the resident diviners. I made decent money and got to see some really cool places.”
“What made you come back home?” Wyeth wondered how someone could live by traveling so much.
“I started having dreams about my mother. She was sick off and on when I was a kid. She always said she didn’t have the gift, but she did. When I was twenty, the nightmares were of horrible things happening to her. I took it as a sign and went home. The cancer had... she was stage four and had a few months. I stayed with her until the end, and then I sold the house. Bought the building where I have the office and got an apartment, and put some away. And I’ve been making it work until the economy tanked. I had to use some of my savings for rent and to keep the lights on and live. My car was having issues, so I had to go out and find a roommate. It wasn’t what I wanted to do. I could sleep in the space above the shop, but I’d have to do a ton of remodeling. And well, you met Chastity. What about you? Why don’t you live here?”
Wyeth sighed. “No one has lived in this house since my grandfather. He said this place was haunted. He never got into specifics, but he was a little crazy at the end. It spooked him so bad he moved his family into the guesthouse. My father tried to move in here too, but he was never comfortable. I always loved this place, but it’s started to fall into disrepair. I couldn’t live in the place if it was falling apart, and I couldn’t stay in the guesthouse any more. It reminded me too much of my father. After the funeral...” She slid her hand over his and he looked up from his plate.
“I get it. I was there with my mother, so I understand.”
The emotions of losing his father overwhelmed him. “I learned everything from him. He showed me how to work with my hands and work with the guys the way they I do. He knew all of them, said his father did the same, and I do, too. I take care of the employees, and I finally decided to get this place up and running. Although, I haven’t seen any ghosts here.”
Savanna glanced around. “They’re here.”
“Really? Who? Like right now?”
She shivered. “Not right now. I can’t sense anyone, but the other night on the balcony I saw the souls of those who had washed up on the cliffs. They were clear as you are to me. Clearer than they’ve been.”
“Is that normal?”
“Not for me. They were afraid to come into the house.”
“Do you think that’s because of Drake?”
“I do.”
“Have you been affected by this bond that we share? I mean, I know you get pulled somewhere, but where are you going?”
She poked the veal with her fork. “I leave my body and the other woman enters. It’s a strange switch. Their world is lighter, like the air is clean and it feels electric. I haven’t seen much, just that I was in a library.”
“What’s she like? She looked at me, and she didn’t know me. It was your face, but your eyes didn’t know me, and I felt this absence.”
“We know her name. She’s pregnant and she loves the man she’s with, the king. And she’s powerful.”
“Is what she said true, about the storm and him being able to return home? You wrote down those words.”
“It’s true.”
“What do you think he’s going to do?” Wyeth poked at his plate of food, wrapping a fettuccini noodle around his fork.
“I don’t know. I can’t say as to what he would do. There are too many variables. Can we not talk about this right now?” She pushed the food around her plate.
“Sure. What’s your favorite color?”
“The gold at sunset right when it mixes with twilight.”
“That’s a specific color. Not one I know the name for.”
Savanna chuckled. “I wasn’t asking you to get me anything with that color in it. Wyeth, just because we have this thing going on, doesn’t mean that you have to buy me things. Dinner was great and the flowers are beautiful, but don’t feel like you have to buy me.”
“I wasn’t...I didn’t.”
She put up her hand. “I know you didn’t. But I want you to know if this thing doesn’t change and we continue dating, then you don’t need to worry about that.” Savanna got up from the table, took his hand, and led him toward the balcony. She went to open the door, but he grabbed her hand.
“It’s freezing outside, and it’s raining.”
“I know, but I want you to see.” Savanna led him outside. The cold embrace of the wind entangled him in its icy fingers.
“Nothing’s down there.”
“Yes, there is. Close your eyes.”
He sighed, a little frustrated, but obliged her. She ran her fingers over his eyes and rested them on his temples. A small bit of warmth ignited inside of him. He felt a pressure on his chest and it was difficult to breathe for a little bit.
“Open them,” she whispered, her hot breath blasting against his ear. He wanted to be turned on by it, but it felt like something else was inside of him.
He opened his eyes and jumped back. A woman just below him on the cliffs peered up at him. She was dressed in old-fashioned dress and looked normal enough, if it wasn’t for half of her face being missing. The wind blew and she flickered, then vanished. He looked further down the crags and saw others lingering on the rocks. One of them crawled toward the cliffs, but his bottom was missing. In a minute, the wind blasted against him, and he saw more ghosts blinking in and out. All their voices filled his head. They seemed to notice him, and their energy consumed him. It was all too much, and he breathed heavily. His head began to spin. Wyeth backed away and rushed inside the house. He put his hands to his head and screamed, “Make it stop.”
Savanna grabbed his hands, covered his eyes with her hands and dragged them over his temples. Once that happened the pressure eased. His vision returned to normal and the screams ceased.
“It’s okay.”
“What the hell was that?”
“I wasn’t sure if it would work, but something said it would. You saw them.”
He walked over to the table
and took a long swig of the wine. It took a minute to catch his breath and regain his composure. When he did, he saw that Savanna was surrounded in a glow of purple energy. When he blinked the light had gone.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Fine. What the hell did you do?”
She shrugged. “I gave you my vision. I wanted you to see them.”
“How did you do that?”
“I don’t know. I felt like I could, and we’re connected in more ways than one, I guess. I’m sorry if it scared you.” She placed her hand on his cheek. Her touch sent a calming feeling through him, and his heart stopped palpating. Wyeth covered her hand with his, getting lost in the vastness of her gaze.
“Do you see them that way all the time? Falling apart, half dead, or undead?”
“Not all the time. Most of the time they look like you and I. Those are just the ones who have not moved on. They remain because they’re stuck. They won’t hurt you.”
“Because Drake is in the cave underneath?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. This place is different. It’s sacred almost. They can’t come into the house from what I can tell. They won’t talk to me. It might be something to do with Drake.”
“Good to know.” He stepped closer so that he was inches from her. “Do you want to stay?”
“I’d like that.” Savanna slipped her hand around his neck and pressed her lips to his. Once she did, it felt as though he was completed and nothing could break up that feeling. He returned the kiss gently, flicking his tongue along her bottom lip before she met his. Wyeth slid his palm along her back and settled on her waist. His desire was flamed. His attraction to her had not dulled. He wanted to feel himself inside of her, wrapped up in her warmth and sweetness.
A small groan slipped from her lips. She tugged at his shirt and pulled it from the waistband of his jeans. Her hand trailed along his stomach and squirmed. He broke away from the kiss and chuckled. “That tickled.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine. Why don’t we go upstairs? It’d be more comfortable.”
She bit her lip and took his hand, leading him toward one of the other rooms. There she found a sheet covered sofa. She thrust him down and stood over him. “How about here?”
“Are you sure, because...”
She straddled him and pulled up his shirt before kissing his throat and working down his neck. Her free hand worked over his cock and rubbed him until it seemed he would burst. He wrapped his arms around her waist and clutched her ass. The desire within him churned into a frenzy, as though he had to claim her right that second. Her hands were insistent as she undid his jeans and slipped her hands over his jockeys. Then she slid them between the slit in the fabric. Her hand was warm and smooth on his sensitive skin. He arched his back as his balls contracted.
He grabbed her arms and pushed her away. Her gaze was filled with passion and lust. “I need you now.” Wyeth struggled to get her shirt off, but when he wasn’t able to he shoved her pants down instead. He shoved her panties down, grabbed her ass so he was closer to her, and drove his cock inside of her. “Oh God, yes.”
Savanna threw her head back and cried out as she rode him. He held onto her hips and slid into her faster. Wyeth buried his head between her breasts and concentrated on staying in a tempo with her. He tried to hold on, but it was too much. Her fingers pressed into the back of his scalp as they joined together. He felt himself coming, and in one last push she moaned and then she did as well. Wyeth fell back against the couch and tried to catch his breath. She kissed him quickly and sat on the couch next to him. It took him a moment before he looked over at her.
“That was too fast.”
“Fast. Yes. But damn.” Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes glazed over from the lovemaking.
Wyeth trailed his hand along her thigh, feeling her bare skin. “Did you come?”
She nodded. “I felt what you felt. It was amazing.”
“How is that possible?” Wyeth asked.
Savanna kissed him lightly and smiled seductively. “I don’t know. It’s all part of this strange thing we have. And I think it’s only going to get better.”
* * * *
Savanna opened her eyes. She wasn’t in the house with Wyeth, but in a different bedroom that was very simple and yet ornate at the same time. She stood behind a woman who brushed her hair in the mirror. Lanterns and candles flashed around the room.
“What are you doing here?” Kestrel asked.
“I have no idea,” Savanna replied.
Kestrel turned around and studied her. The other woman appeared worn out. Her stomach was more protruded than before. Had more time passed since the last time they had talked? “Something brought you here. Are you with Meruke?”
“No. I was with Wyeth. We fell asleep, and I guess I’m here because something brought me.”
“You’re mated to Meruke. What about this other man you are bound to? What is his part in everything?”
Savanna sat on the edge of a chair in the corner, not sure how to explain. She told Kestrel what Drake had told her about bonding with Wyeth’s ancestors, and how when she touched the both of them it seemed to combine them and link them together. “Will it fade when Drake comes back here?”
“Do you want him to return? You’re both his mates. I’ve never heard it happen, but Meruke is from a different time when dragonkin had magic or at least his mother did. They were different. Older. His mother still lives deep within the mountains, bound by spells that have prolonged her life. Do you love him?” Kestrel set her brush down.
“I can’t say what happens if he comes back here. I’m not going to deny him the chance to be with his own kind after so many years. He’s so lonely and broken, in a way.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“It’s not one I can answer. I haven’t known him long enough. The bond we have grows stronger the longer we are together.”
Kestrel nodded as if she knew. “How much has Meruke told you about the bond between dragons and their mates?”
“Not much, really. He said something about feeding a woman was a male’s sacred duty, or something like that.”
The other woman smiled. “When I met my husband, Andrik, he thought I was a thief out to steal a hatchling. I was poisoned, but they saved me. Although I was ready to die. I was so weary from being alone, an outcast among the other spellcasters. My dragon had been killed, Castigan, but he had given me a part of his soul and his power before he died. He never knew he was dragonkin, where he could shift from human to dragon. I became a freak among the other spellcasters, a librarian, and no dragon would never come near me. For forgiveness I came to Blaze Mountain and found Andrik. Once we realized he was Castigan reborn, that I loved him anyway, we cemented the bond between us. I understand more than you think. You need to be near him. The desire is so overwhelming sometimes it’s hard to breathe. You want to please him. Being away from them is like a knife in the gut before you finish the mate bond. When you finish it, it’s beyond words. You must be feeling some of it now.”
Savanna nodded. “I think so. Tonight I shared my abilities with Wyeth and he’s not psychic or magical. All three of us spent the night together and then tonight just Wyeth and me. I experienced their pleasure and vice versa, but it does feel like there’s something missing. Does that make any sense to you?”
“It does. Once you complete the mating ritual, it will all settle into place. Unless you don’t and he returns here.”
“How long has it been since we did the last switch? On my end it’s been only a couple of days, and for you it seems like a month or so. You don’t look well.”
Kestrel patted her belly. “The pregnancy gets taxing in the last few months. Dragons take longer to gestate than normal humans. It’s not like I can lay an egg. But no, the time that you were here and we switched was only a couple of days ago by our standards as well. The full moon will be here quicker than anyone realizes. The storm will come, and there will
be great casualties. I don’t know on what scale, but this is not something we have seen since the last time Meruke was here. Would you ask him what he remembers about the days leading up to his battle and about the storm?”
“I will, but what about this thing between us?”
Kestrel got up and clasped Savanna’s hands. “You will find the answers you need through the greatest trials you have ever faced. If you pass through the eye of the storm, then you will be together. There will be a transformation beyond what either of you can imagination. Once you find what’s buried inside, then nothing can tear you apart.” She released her hands, and right then the door burst open. A little boy came in and wrapped his hands around Kestrel’s waist.
“Momma, we’re all ready. Where have you been?” He pulled away from her skirts and locked his eyes on Savanna. “Who’s that strange lady?”
“You can see me?” Savanna asked.
The child nodded. “Are you a spirit?”
“No. She’s a friend of your uncle Meruke. You know how we told you we are trying to get him to come home? She’s here to make sure that happens.”
“Why can I see through her?”
Before she could hear the answer, she was thrown backwards.
Savanna sat up with a start to Wyeth snoring. She looked around. It was still night. She got up out of bed, grabbed the robe she found on the end of the bed, and wrapped it around her. She was wide awake, and something was tugging on her consciousness. She had traveled to see Kestrel. The details and the conversation stayed clear in her mind. Savanna wandered downstairs, listening to the storm raging outside. She went to the kitchen and got some water. The ocean frothed with the raging wind and was blacker than any ink. The beacon on the lighthouse blinked in and out as it spun around, but even the light couldn’t hide the spirits who lingered on the rocks. Their desperation lived inside of her the more she touched their energy. Some were sentient, and others were shades of what they used to be, playing over and over again.
Leaving the kitchen, she walked toward the ballroom where Drake had led her before. The lightning reverberated outside and shook the house. It made the whole mansion sound hollow. It could have been haunted, but it wasn’t. The interior was cold and drafty, but there was a beauty to the house. Within the ballroom, the ghosts of the past flickered through her mind as she heard the music and saw the people dancing. Savanna went to the wall, found the small notch on the wall, and pressed it to head down into the cave. The torch popped to life on the wall so she could see until she came to the cavern.