by H. C. Brown
Lumos’s battle cry echoed off the walls followed by the sickening thud of blade hitting bone. A spray of hot, sticky blood shot from the wound across the cave and ran into the fissure soaking her. She buried her face in her hands and retched, her stomach cramping at the pungent, metallic smell. Cautiously, she peered through blood-soaked fingers at Lumos slashing at the beast with his blade. One of Nehebkau’s heads hit the ground with a thud that shook the mountain then rolled across the floor of the cave toward her like a huge boulder. The red eyes still glowed with anger. Fear immobilized her. Trapped between the decapitated head and the blood flowing in a crimson stream from the walls and pooling around her feet, she screamed.
Lumos moved swiftly to the Firedragon’s side glad to see the collar crumble into dust. The air shimmered and a Dragonfae male stood before him. He held out his hands. “I have much to discuss with you, Pyro, but first, I beg you to remove these damn silver bands. I need to clean up Thalia.”
“I do not know how to thank you.” Pyro waved a hand over the silver. “There, it is done. Now go to her but I cannot wait to hear the reason you both risked your lives to rescue me. When your dragon spoke to me, it was like the finest music to my tired soul. Gods be blessed, Lumos—I am so happy to meet you.”
The power of magyck surged through Lumos, and he ran to Thalia. “Hush, little one, my brave warrior… It is over.” He cast a fresh and clean spell over them both and dragged the terrified witch into his arms. “Look, Thalia, open your eyes. Pyro is like me now and there is no dragon to fear. You are safe.”
In his arms, Thalia trembled, her horrified, dark eyes flashing to Pyro. Her fear washed over him and he held her tight against his chest rocking her. Dear gods, the witch’s fear of Pyro the male far outweighed her fear of his dragon. He turned his back on Pyro shielding him from her sight and whispered in her ear. “Have no fear, Pyro has a mate and even if he wanted to bed you, he would not be capable. Apart from that, he is an honorable Fae, an ancient warrior, and once the king of the Dragonfae.” He kissed her cheek. “You have my word that you can trust him, little one.”
“You are a witch? Gods, I thought you were Lumos’s mate. You fought well, my dear, and with outstanding bravery.” Pyro moved closer and peered into Thalia’s eyes. “Why, your eyes have the dancing fire of the Dragonfae females.” He flared his nostrils and regarded Thalia with interest. “And yet you have not mated, have you?”
“N–no, I am not a Dragonfae merely a witch and not a very g–good one, either.” Thalia snuggled under his arm and he cradled her. “How are you free? I saw a collar and you had no magyck. How did that ugly beast manage to imprison you here?”
Lumos chuckled. “I am afraid my little witch asks a lot of questions.”
“The collar was made by Nehebkau’s magyck and vanished upon her death.” Pyro shrugged. “I fought in a battle in the time when few Dragonfae roamed the realms. We thought to banish all evil from the realms but the demons were greater in number and, unfortunately, we lost the battle. We all faced death that day and Nehebkau gave me the choice—to submit to her demonic lust or lose the race of Dragonfae to Lucifer. Before the battle, none of us imagined Nehebkau had the power to drag our entire realm into the Underworld. We believed the goddess would keep us safe but the gift She gave us of making our own choices, had repercussions. I decided to fight the demons and therefore had to suffer the consequences of my error in judgment. In truth, my life as Nehebkau’s slave was nothing in comparison to saving the entire Dragonfae race. I am sure any dragon would have done the same.”
“Why has no one come here to help you escape?” Thalia peeked over his shoulder to meet Pyro’s gaze.
“I told no one of my bargain. It was far too dangerous to allow Nehebkau to capture more of us for her demonic friends. I know many thought me dead… It was better that way.” Pyro smiled. “Although I am truly grateful to be free—the smell was intolerable.” He rubbed his chin with a troubled expression. “I can see you are afraid of me, Thalia, so I will keep my distance until such time as you get to know me better.”
“I do not have much trust in males—of course, Lumos is an exception.” Thalia pressed her trembling body closer into his embrace. “But I have confidence in his judgment so I will try hard to trust you, too.”
“Thank you. I give you my word that I will never hurt you.” Pyro turned to him and smiled warmly. “Now, I am anxious to hear your tale, Lumos, but I crave the feel of the sun on my face once more.”
“This way.” Lumos led the way from the cave, firmly supporting Thalia. He turned to Pyro. “My dragon heard Thalia’s song but the moment I found her the Magus of Fullmount hit me with dark magyck and bound me in silver within a magyck circle. Thalia freed me, but I had to find you to remove the silver. I am to fight for Drakka, the new realm of the Dragonfae, in less than three months.”
“Then you have little time left. I am afraid, down here, time is different and two moons will have passed in the wink of an eye.” Pyro let out a long sigh. “Gods, by my reckoning, I fear you may have less than a week before you are due to meet your opponent.”
Lumos glanced at him over one shoulder. “Aye, this I know, the Elf Mino explained. We must be swift if I am to save Drakka.”
“Has this evil Magus compromised the Dragonfae in my absence?” Pyro stopped inside the passageway and cocked an eyebrow.
With a sigh, Lumos nodded and his stomach lurched at the memory. “Aye, he used a potion and now many Dragonfae are under his compulsion.” He rubbed Thalia’s back. “He wants Drakka for its wealth and position. He has no interest in the wellbeing of the Dragonfae.”
“Are you the heir apparent, Lumos?” Pyro examined his face with interest.
“Aye… I am the Nightdragon.” Lumos sighed. “There is another problem. As soon as I use magyck in our realms, the Magus will send his army of Shadow Walkers to challenge me. These are strange and dangerous beings controlled by the darkest of magyck. They are not beasts a dragon can kill easily, but in Fae form I have a chance, albeit a slim one.”
“There are three of us now, Lumos, so we have a good chance of defeating any who try to stand in your way of returning to Drakka.” Pyro slapped Lumos on the shoulder. “Did you not think I would fight beside you and Thalia?” Pyro chuckled. “Tell me, does your blood go back to the Moondragon and the first mating with the Faerie Isabella?”
He turned his head slowly to study the Fae male beside him—they appeared roughly the same age. To think this male was an ancient warrior humbled him. “Aye. In fact, my direct lineage goes back to the first mating, as do all the Dragonfae kings.”
“Then, my friend”—Pyro paused to slap him on the back—“I am many times your grandsire.” He threw Lumos a wide grin. “Although, I assume Melis, my mate, believing the rumors of my death, has by now taken many others in my stead. On my return, I will fight to claim her back and prove I am a worthy mate.”
Staring at Pyro in disbelief, Lumos shook his head. “I beg to differ. I know the old one, Melis, and she trains the young ones for their first flight and has done for … well, forever.” He smiled. “I had no idea she was your mate, although I do know Melis has never taken another. I do remember, as a young child, her tale of a great battle where her mate perished. She refused to give your name, always saying the mention of her mate’s name brought great pain to her and that her heart would belong to you and only you, forever.”
“Melis … my sweet mate. Gods, how I have yearned to hold her in my arms once more.” Pyro stared into the gloom. “I cannot wait to bathe in her beauty again. In truth, I thought her lost to me. Your news has lifted my spirit. I am indeed a fortunate man.”
With a grin, Lumos met Pyro’s gaze. “You cannot possibly arrive unannounced. In fact, I think I will make sure she is sitting down before I inform her you are alive and well. The shock might kill her.”
“My appearance will more likely make her angry. After all, I have been missing for centuries, not just a few moons.�
�� Pyro shrugged. “She may well not accept me or my excuse for leaving her alone for so long… Ah, we shall see. The mating bond is indeed strong between us if she has never sought another, so, my friend, I will live in hope.”
“Can we leave now, Lumos—I f–feel…” Thalia made a wheezing sound, bent over, and vomited.
“Aye, we will leave this gods forgotten hellhole at once.” Lumos drew a circle of light. Inside the shimmering depths the green fields of Treluna appeared. “I am taking you to back Treluna, little one, to collect Brew.” He lifted Thalia into his arms and turned to Pyro. “We have horses and supplies waiting for us in the realm of the three moons.”
“Then we must leave there at once. The Magus will notice your magyck the moment you open the circle in that realm and will send the Shadow Walkers you mentioned to capture you.” Pyro followed him through the circle of light. “The Elves will be in danger as well if we remain here too long.” He squinted at the sunlight and strolled toward the clearing. “Gods, it’s good to see the sun again.”
Unafraid, Thalia stared at Pyro with growing interest. The Fae’s skin appeared opalescent in the late afternoon sun and he was handsome with high cheekbones and a strong jaw. His long, black hair hung in a braid to his waist and as he spun in the sunlight, the long, glossy tail whipped around him. Pyro’s clothes hugged his muscular body made in the same exotically beautiful fabric as Lumos’s garments, yet were the color of blood. With a shrug, the ancient Dragonfae opened a set of glorious red wings and stood, absorbing the rays, his handsome face filled with joy. She gasped as Pyro’s body shimmered with an aura of pure blue magyck.
She slid from Lumos’s arms and heard a rush of wind like a flap of silk on the breeze. Turning, she stared up at him, and gasped with delight. “Oh goddess!—Lumos, you are so beautiful.”
With wings as black as the darkest night, Lumos smiled down at her. Without hesitation, she touched the wing’s feathered tips blending into his long, raven hair. The brief contact sent a lightning bolt of arousal to her pussy and her womb clenched. So magnificent, Lumos’s wing tips stood high above his head, the long swallowtails falling to brush the ground. In the center of each magnificent wing sat a shimmering half-moon, a stark iridescent glow against an expanse of velvet midnight.
“Beautiful?” Lumos gave her a slow smile. “Well, I must say that is much better than running from me to hide under a blackberry bush.” He moved toward her and wrapped her in his wings. “Are you better now, sweet butterfly?”
Her folds creamed at the intensity of his luscious green gaze. When his hot hands slid under her tunic to cup her aching breasts, she arched toward him, seeking his touch. Lumos let out a feral rumble from deep in his chest and scraped his rough thumbs across her sensitive nipples. She melted against him, conscious of the dampness coating her inner thighs and looked up at him, licking her lips. Will you kiss me now?
The Dragonfae’s nostrils flared. His silken hair brushed her neck, sending shivers of delight straight to her core. She yearned for his touch, the thrust of his massive cock sliding deep into her waiting channel. “I am not afraid, Lumos… Please kiss me.”
“I cannot have you yet, not as you wish, although I desire to do so very much.” Lumos bent and grazed his teeth across the side of her neck. “I want to mark you and fuck you until you scream in ecstasy.”
His words caught her breath. She wanted to beg him and met his gaze. “Then do it, I want you so much.”
“Do not tempt me, little one.” Lumos groaned. “My cock is bursting to sink into your wet heat. To take you now will plunge you into moonfire. For three or four days, you will be insatiable and my dragon will look on Pyro as a threat and drive him away. We need him with us to fight or we will die by the Magus’s hand.”
Pain seared into her heart. Rejection hurt more than a sharp blade. She stepped away and blinked back the tears threatening to spill. Gods, she had been such a fool. Another excuse—perhaps he had feelings for Lucinda, after all. She trembled with need for him. His touch inflamed her, his seed, gods, had filled her mouth like the sweetest nectar. I want you.
Anger overtook common sense and she glared at him. “I see, although I cannot say I understand exactly why my becoming insatiable would matter to a man so experienced with women as you are, but I do understand your reason to reject me. I am a Nomag after all. Never mind, I would not want to become a burden to you, Lumos. Perhaps you should send me back to the Singing Forest. After all, I have fulfilled my promise to you. Now you have your magyck and are free to return home, you no longer require my assistance.”
“You are angry.” Lumos touched her cheek in a gentle caress. “I have neglected to explain the ways of the Dragonfae in terms you understand and for this I am sorry. You belong to me, Thalia, and I will never turn my back on you.” He smiled and his lashes dropped over his amazing green eyes. “The desire you feel for me is because I have awakened the first stage of the mating heat. This only happens once in a female’s life and we call this time the moonfire.” He ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “I can satisfy your hunger for me in the ways we have before but if I kiss you, my saliva will bond you to me forever. We will mate savagely and my child-seed will impregnate you immediately. I cannot risk fucking you, or letting the dragon free, not yet and for your own safety, perhaps not until we return to Drakka. Lady’s blood, Thalia, do not tempt me to have you, I am barely in control now.”
With a shrug, Thalia turned away. “So why wait? I am stronger than before, I am not a virgin.”
“Little one, please believe me.” He spun Thalia around to face him.” I want to claim you and I would if the time was right, but you are not ready for me yet. Indeed, if I could take you back to the Singing Forest and mate you away from all this trouble, I would in an instant. You have not transformed into a Fae, Thalia, and to mate now could kill you. I am not willing to risk your life.”
The longing in his eyes told her he spoke the truth. She pushed away the need to be in his arms and nodded. “If I changed tonight would we mate? Or does your duty to Drakka come before me?”
“Gods, Thalia, pray I never have to make such a decision because as my mate you will always be my first consideration.” He dashed a hand through his hair. “I am the heir apparent and if I do not meet the deadline and fight, my entire race will be obliterated.” He rested his hands on Thalia’s shoulders. “If we mated before the challenge, your moonfire will consume me and nothing else will matter. The Nightdragon is a jealous creature and will not allow another dragon or any male close to you during this time.” Lumos folded his wings. “I will not be able to fight Kird and win with a mate in the thrall of moonfire. My mind and that of my dragon will concentrate only on you. Have you any idea how difficult it would be to fight with a lust so great it consumes your entire being? Let alone keep the Nightdragon under control when he has the overwhelming compulsion to kill every male within a hundred miles?” He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Do you understand now, little one?”
I am acting like a fool. “Aye, I understand.”
“Good, now come, the sun will be down soon. We must find Mino and shelter for the night.”
Flames of passion licked her pussy with uncontrollable lust. She moaned and pressed against him. “Can you make this stop … this ache?”
“Aye, I can but not for long. My seed will ease the craving, but you will need me to comfort you frequently. You have almost completed your transformation and your moonfire gets closer by the hour. The cravings will increase and I will do what I can to ease you through this time. I am sorry, sweetness, the gods decreed we are to be together and I wish we would be secluded somewhere beautiful so I could tend to your immediate needs.” Lumos cupped the rounded cheeks of Thalia’s backside. He lifted her onto her toes, sinking his fingers into the cleft of her ass. “As soon as we are alone I can fuck your sweet, hot mouth or perhaps you may allow me to enjoy your tight, little ass.”
The way his large hands spread her bottom drove her insane.
To have him in that forbidden place, goddess, her core pulsed. She swallowed hard. “My ass—is that possible?”
“Uh-huh… I will show you how to pleasure yourself while I slide my shaft deep inside your tight, little hole.” Lumos ran his finger down the seam of her pants, pressing hard against her. “This is not an unusual request as many females desire a male to fill them this way. They enjoy the way a Dragonfae cock fills them so completely. No other male comes close to the pleasure.” He pressed his aching shaft into her belly. “Do you want me deep inside your ass, little one?”
Her bones turned to liquid. With a moan, she pushed her backside into Lumos’s hand. The sound of horses had her leaping away. She spun around to see Pyro walking beside an Elf. The Elf raised his hand in greeting and gave her a wide smile.
She gaped at him. “Gods, is that you, Mino? So you gained Nox’s favor?”
“Aye, it is me. I am most grateful to the King of the Fae for giving me my youth back.” Mino gave Lumos a considering stare. “I have been worried for your safety. Over two months have passed, about half an hour in Rantazmac time.” He turned to Thalia. “You look very flushed, my dear. Are you unwell?”
Pyro chuckled, his nostrils flared and he gave Lumos a knowing wink.
Thalia cringed, aware that her heavy scent had announced her lust to the entire realm. Her face burned. “I am quite well. How do Brew and the horses fare?”
“Fine, fine. You will be pleased to know that as soon as I told the King of the Fae of your plight, he offered you all his hospitality in Nubra.” Mino smiled at Lumos. “Although he is away, he has left instructions to make you welcome. The king’s magyck will shield you for one night from the Magus. It will give you both the chance to let your dragons hunt.”