The Dragonsong Trilogy Box Set

by H. C. Brown

  Juices poured from her throbbing core and her clit tingled with lust. “Last night and earlier today when we … um… When we…” Her face grew hot. “It was different, more exciting. I found myself inside your mind. It was as if I experienced your joy the moment you spilled in my mouth. Is that possible?”

  “Yes, this happened to me, too, and nothing so intense has ever happened to me before, either. I experienced a blending of sensation as if we were of the same body—it was incredible.” Lumos chuckled. “Now I know why mated couples never part. Sex would never be the same with another. In fact, as far as I know, after mating there is no desire for any other than a mate.”

  “Excuse me, but we should eat before… Well, before you two retire for the night.” Pyro strolled toward them and dropped the bags. “By my estimation it is late afternoon. This storm is not going to let up anytime soon, so we had better get some rest.” He took a small roll of fabric from the saddlebags and dropped it onto the ground. Immediately, the bundle grew into a pile of bedrolls. “I will light a fire here and organize some food. Perhaps you should camp by the rock pool it will give Thalia some privacy.” He tossed two bedrolls at Lumos. “We will get a few hours sleep while we can. If the Shadow Walkers are going to attack, they will make their move in Trill, so we will need our rest.” He bent down and made a circle from the rocks strewn around the cave floor. “We also need to discuss a plan of action for crossing Trill.” He waved a hand and a dancing fire appeared, the orange flames licking out from a small fireball.

  Thalia moved away from Lumos and bent to stroke Brew. The cat had wet marks all over his coat from attempting to remove the dust. “Look at your fur! You look like a ginger tom cat.” She brushed the red powder from the cat’s ears and face, and then cast the fresh and clean spell over him. Straightening up, she met Pyro’s gaze. “I will help with dinner.” She reached into the saddlebags. “The spell you have to make things so small is amazing.” She glanced up at Lumos. “Why have you not taught me this spell? It would have saved us dragging all the supplies up the mountain.”

  “Unfortunately, you did not have command of your powers at the time and even now, using the miniaturizing spell on a living creature is very dangerous. One small error will cause death and life is precious.” Lumos shrugged. “You have a lot to learn about magyck, butterfly, and some spells cannot be rushed.” He turned and sauntered deeper into the cave.

  Placing a small group of items on the ground, Thalia watched Pyro closely. The Fae hardly twitched a muscle and the pots, pans, and supplies grew back to normal size. She lifted her chin. “Tell me about the realm of Trill. What dangers await us there?”

  “The realm, as I remember it—but that was many centuries ago—is much the same as most of the green realms.” Pyro poured dried meat and a selection of vegetables, herbs, and spices into a pot of water. “Green realms are those most like the Nomag realms, with green grass, blue sky, one sun, and moon.” He handed Thalia a kettle and a bag of fragrant tea. “Trill is the home of the Boars. Those men are barbaric, and their highest currency for trade is females.”

  “Fortunately for us, they are slow and a little dim-witted.” Lumos dropped onto the sandy floor beside Thalia. He pulled plates and cups from the saddlebags. “Although the Boars are not our worry, we will have to be on our guard for attacks from the Shadow Walkers.”

  A cold chill slivered down her spine. “Tell me about these Shadow Walkers.”

  “They are not one race or being.” Pyro stirred the bubbling pot hovering by magyck over the fire. “They are a collection of lost souls. Evil beings stuck in the void between earth and purgatory. They are under the control of dark magyck, the Magus and others of his kind.” He glanced at Lumos from beneath hooded eyes. “We have no alternative other than to take the main roads and use the population for cover. The best way to remain hidden is to act as travelers going from town to town.”

  “Aye, and avoid using Fae magyck to attract the Magus’s attention. It is most likely the Shadow Walkers will attack us in the city at night. If we travel by day, we may avoid them altogether.” Lumos rubbed his chin. “Then again, they are unpredictable creatures. Gods only know what orders the rotting beasts have from the Magus.”

  “How can the dead rise up and cause harm?” Thalia heated the water by magyck and scooped tea into the kettle. “Are they the same as vampires?”

  “No, once raised, these beings are flesh and blood. They can be killed, although, unlike other beings, Shadow Walkers turn to dust at the instant of death.” Lumos arranged the plates in a line. “But they use strange weapons and killing them is very difficult. They can move at incredible speeds and carry thin swords… No … not swords… Metal whips used to cut a body to the bone.”

  “They also have the ability to blend into the scenery much in the same way as a lizard changes its skin color to blend in with the surroundings.” Pyro scooped the stew onto the plates. “This is why they have the name ‘Shadow Walkers’—they move unseen in the shadows.”

  “And, unfortunately, our dragons have no way of detecting their presence. We have to fight them in Fae form. Swords are our best weapons against them because only decapitation will turn them to dust.” Lumos pulled a face. “They wear a shield of sorts woven from dark magyck. As Pyro mentioned, they are difficult to see in the dark, almost invisible. We must always be on our guard, as the Shadow Walkers may attack at any time.”

  Goddess. She swallowed hard. Her hands trembled and she gripped the handle of the kettle until her knuckles turned white. Drawing a deep breath, she poured the tea, keeping her head lowered. She schooled her expression to prevent the Dragonfae males knowing her fear. She must be strong. But her efforts could not prevent the cold shiver running down her spine. “So how can you fight what you cannot see?”

  “How do you know if a storm is coming?” Lumos reached for a cup of tea.

  With a shrug, Thalia lifted her head to meet his green gaze. “The wind brings the scent of rain.”

  “And the Shadow Walkers bring the stench of death.” Lumos grimaced.

  Chapter Six

  Fullmount

  The Magus cast the spell over the scrying bowl and waited for the image to appear on the water’s surface. After all his effort, the damn Dragonfae had survived the poisonous spiders. He pressed his palms on the table, on each side of the bowl, and listened intently. The Dragonfae had no idea he could scry them at will through Thalia’s eyes. His fragile blood connection with Thalia had easily crossed the barrier she had constructed. However, now it would seem that Lumos had suspicions about Thalia’s dark magyck and the girl’s true heritage. Yet, had the Dragonfae divulged his knowledge to the witch? The Fae had protected her and planned to take her to Drakka as his mate. This move was either foolish or extremely wise.

  The Magus rubbed his chin. Did Lumos really believe he could transform the witch into Fae and use his dragon to control her dark magyck? He chuckled. The Dragonfae would be dead well before he found out the truth of the matter. The witch had only one-quarter Elf blood—the Dragonfae was a fool because he failed to recognize the dark side had the advantage. Once in danger, the witch would unconsciously call on her stronger side—the dark magyck—for protection. The Magus smiled broadly. Yes, this child of the Underworld had already used her inherited power not once, but twice.

  Lucifer, how well Thalia had harnessed the dragon magyck and used it to kill. That alone went against the Dragonfae creed. The fools thought to fight a battle by negotiation rather than to spill blood. How easily he had entered Drakka and befriended the Dragonfae. The damn self-righteous idiots could not understand his deceit and had no antidote for his potion. He laughed and rubbed his hands together. To think they actually believed he had wanted to denounce Lucifer and embrace the goddess Cymbeline. The fools. The Dragonfae had welcomed him warmly and offered him a home and their protection. He could not believe how easily he had gained control of so many of their young gullible dragons.

  He smiled in
to the gloom proud of his accomplishments. Yes, the witch may have succeeded in keeping him from influencing her thoughts but she did not have the power to stop him using his scrying bowl to watch her. He smiled at the domestic scene before him. If the idiots believed they could outwit him by traveling through the cities in daylight, they were sorely mistaken. He had already dispatched the Shadow Walkers and they waited in Trill for the Dragonfae to arrive. The sandstorm he had conjured had given him plenty of time to set his army in strategic positions.

  The Magus rubbed the back of his neck and grinned. His plan was unfolding as he predicted and by this time tomorrow, Lumos would be dead and he would have Thalia as a prisoner in his palace. Perhaps he would make a gift of the witch to Kird. Yes, in fact, after a little manipulation in his dungeon, the witch would make the Dragonfae an obedient companion. Thereafter, he as the Magus of Fullmount would control all the leaders of the Dragonfae by blood ties.

  He gazed at Pyro and ground his teeth. The Firedragon had killed his father and he had a personal score to settle with him. He would make sure the Shadow Walkers killed Pyro slowly and without mercy. Clenching his jaw, he dashed his finger across the surface of the water, shattering the image.

  Anger settled into sweet revenge and fueled the familiar curl of arousal. He turned away from the bench and gazed at the line of torture implements attached to the dungeon wall. He strolled across the room and wet his lips in anticipation of a night of entertainment. The new slave, a red-haired, soft-skinned Nomag crossed his mind. He would enjoy her company, but his brother Boris had bought the girl from the Boars and had earmarked the female for his own needs.

  Too bad, I am Master of this palace. Drog smiled and selected a stick encased in leather. He swished the cane through the air then bent it between his hands—yes, this would do nicely.

  He pulled open the door to the cells then projected a light globe into the darkness. Inside the row of cells, the slaves moved around nervously. Drog moved along the line of cages, each partitioned with solid metal walls, and peered through the barred doors. Not one of the women looked up at his intrusion, in fact, all huddled in the corners covering their eyes from the light. He prided himself in keeping his slaves in reasonable comfort. He fed them, at least. The women had beds and a cell big enough to provide him or his brother with enough room for whatever predilection caught their fancy.

  The new slave stood with her back flat against the wall, her naked, pale skin a stark contrast to the black metal surface. The girl stared at him, her eyes dark, round pools of fear. Good, he preferred them to fear him, to tremble under his touch or, better still, to scream in pain. He grinned at her, stepped inside, and propped the stick against the door. Turning back to face the Nomag, he removed his clothes with slow deliberation, his dark magyck absorbing the fear radiating from the female. He glared down at her. “Do you have a name?”

  “Jenny, good sir. My name is Jenny.”

  Drog ran his fingers up and down his growing erection. “My name is Jenny … Master.”

  He stepped closer and grasped the girl’s throat. “How old are you?”

  “Eighteen s–summers … Master.”

  The girl’s pulse throbbed rapidly under his palm. “How many men have you had deep in your cunt?” He squeezed the girl’s throat.

  “I–I am a v–virgin, Master.”

  “Not for much longer.” Drog shivered with evil intent. The desire to inflict pain surged through him like a potent aphrodisiac. He dragged the slave to the other side of the cell and spread her, attaching both wrists and ankles to the metal cuffs chained to the wall. He grinned. This innocent slave would give him a son, born from pain and misery. The Magus retrieved his weapon and stood behind the girl, Lucifer, he could smell her fear. With a long demonic howl, he swung the cane high into the air.

  Chapter Seven

  Tusuns

  Lumos shook Thalia gently in an attempt to wake her. The girl tossed her head from side to side and held her sweat-soaked body rigid against him. Her breathing became rapid. With cries of heartbreaking distress, Thalia fought an unknown assailant in her dreamscape. Lumos poured glamour over her and crooned words of love close to her ear. “Thalia, it is only a dream, you are safe… Hush now.”

  “Do not touch me, you filthy pig! Get off me! I curse you, Erik, and all that come after you.” Thalia thrust the words through gritted teeth. “Do you think your words of love mean anything to me? I hate you.”

  Bringing up his shield of defense, Lumos frowned. The magyck radiating from her curled around him, crackling against his barrier. Lady’s blood, his mate’s dreams had become a frightening reality. This amount of destructive magyck needed to be controlled.

  He raised his voice. “Thalia, wake up! It is me, Lumos that holds you safe, you are dreaming.”

  “Lumos?” Thalia pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes then blinked rapidly.

  He gazed down at her confused expression. “You were dreaming and cursed me—well, Erik, in fact. I needed to defend myself against the force of the spell.” He dashed his hands through his hair. “You are dangerous, my love and we must find a way to stop these night terrors.”

  “I cursed you? Heavens above, you know I would never do that. I had an awful dream. Erik had chained me in a dungeon and he beat me with a cane! Goddess, it hurt so much. With each blow, he told me he loved me, and love is pain.” Thalia buried her face in her hands. “Then he came up behind me and rubbed his cock against me. It was then I cursed him. He told me to think of his son and to never forget the pain I suffered conceiving him.”

  Cymbeline, protect my sweet butterfly. Lumos battled indecision. Should he tell her Pyro had detected dark magyck in her bloodline? He pulled Thalia into his arms and held her trembling body against his chest. He wished he could banish the nightmares from his lover’s mind. He had to ask more questions. “Was that the way it happened? Did Erik do unspeakable things to you?”

  “N–no… Gods, Lumos, it was so real! I can still feel the cuts he inflicted.”

  Lumos turned her around to inspect her back and shuddered in horror—her flesh had the zigzag pattern of a vicious beating. Biting back the need to roar in anger, he drew up his healing power, and cast a flow of white magyck over the damage to her back. He turned her toward him.

  “Are you bleeding?” He touched her at the apex of her thighs.

  “No, I do not think so.” Thalia pressed her fingers to her folds, then stared at them closely. “Why are you asking me this?”

  Forcing to keep his voice from breaking in anguish, he smiled in an effort to comfort her. “Oh, nothing really important, it is just that you have not had a moonflow since we have been together. You cannot be pregnant, so it must be due to the transformation.”

  “Tell me the truth, Lumos. I know you are hiding things from me.” Thalia narrowed her eyes. “You promised to tell me everything and if this dream is important, I need to know.”

  Clearing his throat, he gazed into her troubled eyes. “Pyro believes… No… Pyro is convinced you are the issue of an Elf and a Magus. These dreams you are having… Pyro believes they could well be a projection of what a Magus is doing. It would seem the man wants to share his evil work with you.” He cupped Thalia’s face, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. “While you sleep, your barrier does not protect your mind, so the vile creature enters your dreams. You must remember the dark Magi recharge their magyck with pain and suffering, and he would believe sharing pain with you is a good thing.” He drew a deep breath. “I know this to be true, little one. When you woke, I found marks on your back as if you had been beaten.”

  “Oh, I see, and because the change has restored my virginity, you believed he might have raped me, too?” Thalia pressed a hand to her heart. “Why would he do this to me? What can he possibly gain by doing such a thing?”

  He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Ah, my sweet butterfly, he does not know you are a child of Cymbeline and protected by the goddess.”

  “Ho
w do you know this about me? Mayhap I am as evil as the Magus of Fullmount. Perhaps he sent me to trap you, just as he sent the potion to the Dragonfae. He did after all use me to lure you to the Singing Forest.”

  He bent to suckle the bite marks on her neck. The contact would calm her and bring her closer to him. He wanted to kiss her, to instill his love in her. “Because, my sweet butterfly, I know your mother gave her life to protect you. Her love binds you to Cymbeline. Such a great sacrifice will protect you from becoming evil.”

  “Aye, perhaps, but it may not stop me from being a tool for the Magus.” Thalia pushed her hair from her face. “I think we should discuss this with Pyro and then take what measures we can to prevent the Magus controlling my dreams.”

  He cast a fresh and clean spell over them both. “Yes, we should speak with him. Pyro is very knowledgeable in such things.” He pulled on his pants. “Rest until you feel better. I will wake Pyro, then make us all some tea.”

  To Lumos’s surprise, Pyro sat cross-legged beside the fire, deep in meditation. He approached slowly and coughed. “Sorry to disturb you but I have some things to discuss.”

  Pyro smiled warmly.

  “My dragon has contacted my mate and I have also been able to send a message to your father explaining everything.” He placed the kettle over the spinning fireball. “I will keep him apprised of the situation. If necessary, he will send an army to ensure you return to Drakka in time for the contest.”

  Dropping onto the sand beside Pyro, Lumos raised an eyebrow. “You were able to contact your mate? Gods, how is that possible?”

  “My dragon craves her company and reached out to her while I slept.” Pyro sighed contentedly and stared into the glowing embers. “Love offers no boundaries, my friend. Although, I must say, Melis took a little convincing it was my dragon contacting her after so long.”