by H. C. Brown
“Hello. Where are we? This bed is wonderful. The pillow is so soft. Indeed, it is like sleeping on a cloud.”
“We are in Farrell, a realm of Fae and Shifters. This realm has a shield to protect us from the dark Magus and those like him. It is a safe haven for all races of pure magyck.” Lumos stroked her hair. “It is morning, and we have fruit and cheese for breakfast.”
She stretched and smiled at him, but hunger was not on her mind. “I guess I am a little hungry.”
“Then come, we shall eat.” Lumos slipped from the bed.
All thought of eating vanished at the sight of Lumos gloriously naked. She licked her lips, mesmerized as rippling muscles glided beneath golden skin. She loved the way his broad shoulders tapered to a slim waist and, oh my, how his delicious, velvet shaft jutted out. Her mouth watered at the desire to taste and lick that musky bead of moisture from the bulbous head. Her womb clenched. Slowly, she raised her head to feast her eyes on every luscious inch of him, before meeting his sultry, hooded gaze. “I am hungry for you, Lumos.”
“Gods, I ache for you too, butterfly.” Lumos tossed back the sheets, and dived onto the bed. “To lie beside you while you sleep, wanting to touch you has driven me insane with lust.” He took a nipple between his lips and suckled. “You taste like honey.”
She arched her back, pushing her breasts up for his attention. “I can think of nothing but having you in my mouth. I crave your body, Lumos, but know that I love you—what I feel is not only lust.”
“So sweet, I love you too.” Lumos licked a path down her belly. “I must taste you.” He parted her thighs and feasted on her aching pussy.
Flames, hot, spearing, tormenting, raked across her clit with each lap of his tongue. Her hips rolled. She threw back her head and grasped the sheets for purchase. Goddess, the way he teased and swirled then slid his long fingers inside her channel drove her to madness. He made a low, growling sound deep in his chest and his soft mouth closed around her sensitive spot. He suckled, then scraped his sharp teeth across her swollen bud.
My head is going to explode. Her legs shook, black spots danced before her eyes, and something inside her shattered. He cupped her hips in his strong hands and he held her in the wonderful place between madness and delight. “Lumos, gods, I need to taste you, but I am weak from pleasure.”
Lumos lifted his head and smiled at her flushed face. Her sultry eyes danced with fire. So close and in another day or two, and her wings would emerge—his bite had speeded the transformation. If he kissed her, she would become Fae before they reached Drakka. Could he take the chance? “Dragon, if I kiss her now, will you demand that I mate her immediately?”
“Before the challenge?”
Lumos pressed kisses up Thalia’s belly. He smiled. “Aye, I would have her transformation complete before we return to Drakka. The people will expect me to take a Fae as a mate, although I will have to wait until we have won the challenge to complete the mating.”
“Your kiss will bind Thalia to us for life even without the mating.” The Nightdragon sent images of Thalia’s terrified face to him from the first time they had met. “If we fail the challenge, she will be alone again.”
“Then she will be alone with or without my kiss. I need this bond. Thalia is my reason for living. My duty lies with Drakka, this I know, but it will be a hollow victory without her. The bond will give me strength, knowing she waits only for me.”
“Then kiss her.” The Nightdragon roared in triumph. “But know this, Lumos, Thalia waits only for us too. She is my mate, as well, and when she bears your son, he will morph into my son. Our sons will carry the blood of both good and evil—a combination not ordained by the gods since the creation of our kind. This Dragonfae will be born out of true love. He will be a new beginning, born from a butterfly. In his honor, the goddess Cymbeline has decided he will carry the same name as the first of our kind—Moondragon.” He chuckled. “His Fae name is for you to choose.”
“Then I will call him Iah—god of the moon.” He crawled up her soft, delicious body.
“You are beautiful.” He lay down beside her. “Touch me. Curl your hand around my shaft.”
“I want to taste you.” Thalia’s damp hand closed around his cock tightening his balls. “I need you.”
He growled, lifted her chin, and stared into her eyes. The soft brown orbs, now rimmed with iridescent green, flickered with fire. Nervousness cramped his belly. He must declare his love and say the vows to bind them for eternity. He stroked her hair. “Will you have me forever, Thalia of Broclarre? Will you stand beside me as my queen for now and forever?”
Thalia drew a deep breath. She fell into Lumos’s gaze. The Fae’s sea-green orbs swirled with emotion. He wanted her as his queen, his wife. Her heart squeezed with joy. “You know I will. I love you more than life.”
“Forever.” Lumos bent to cover her mouth in a demanding kiss.
The room disappeared into a kaleidoscope of colors. Time slipped away. His soft mouth crushed her lips and she opened for him. The instant his tongue brushed inside, a surge of magyck washed over her in waves of delight. Her lover moaned and the sound of his joy was more potent than his aphrodisiac-laced saliva. She needed to be closer and wrapped her arms around his neck. Under her fingers, his silken hair tingled with magyck. He speared his hot tongue into her mouth and stroked. Goddess, a hint of cinnamon and brown sugar spilled across her taste buds. Flames of erotic desire curled in her womb. Her folds throbbed. Lumos nibbled and teased, then cupped her breast with one large hand. He scraped her aching nipple with his rough thumb, creating a delicious torment. Her lover growled deep in his throat, angled his head, and his hot, wet kiss took possession of her. She wallowed in his flavor wanting more and kissed him back with passion.
Unable to focus on anything other than her lover’s stupefying kiss, she slowly pumped his cock, running her thumb in circles over the dripping head. He covered her trembling fingers with his warm hand and slowly rocked his hips. Gods, his desire flowed through her, over her, consuming her thoughts in an explosion of passion.
They were one.
Hunger for her mate raged. She kissed Lumos ravenously, feasting on the taste of him. She wanted more of the man’s hot saliva. With a moan, she captured his tongue, and suckled in ecstasy. Every precious drop of his delicious flavor sent shivers of delight to her folds. Each stroke of his tongue reverberated in coils of intense pleasure around her clit. Beneath her palm, the silken slide of Lumos’s shaft quickened. Their minds joined and she rolled in ecstasy at the twin sensations, the uncontrollable climb to their shared bliss. She trembled, shuddered and slid into a world where only she and Lumos existed. Her heart filled with love and as she followed Lumos over the edge of insurmountable delight, she heard the voice of the Nightdragon. “Mine.”
Lumos lifted his head to admire his mate. His lover’s eyes had transformed completely. Thalia’s eyes still shimmered with flames, but the color had become as deep and as beautiful as a raindrop on a lotus leaf. He brushed her damp hair away from her ears and smiled. “You now have the same color eyes as I do and by the time we reach Drakka, you will have your wings.”
“My eyes are green—like yours?” Thalia gave a nervous giggle. “Are there any other changes?”
“Aye, your eyes are almond-shaped, but you are still my Thalia.” Lumos tickled her. “You will stay like this forever and never age or become ill. I promise to make you happy, butterfly.”
“Are we the same as vampires? Do I have to feed on you to remain alive—for of late, unless we make love, I feel as if I am consumed by hunger for you?”
Lumos met her troubled gaze with a smile. “Oh, that feeling will get worse. In fact, you will become more demanding.” He pressed a finger to her lips. “Then after your moonfire, the ‘consuming hunger’ as you call the mating fever, will lessen. Although I hope I will continue to stir lust in you, butterfly, because I do intend to have you wet and panting in my arms at least once a day.” He frowned
. “Vampires are the living dead for they feed on blood. We exist on beauty, love and our connection with Cymbeline to stay alive. Unless we return to a magyck realm frequently, we will grow old and die.”
“We kissed and yet you told me this was impossible as you would want to mate me straight away. We have not mated.” Thalia frowned. “You are confusing me again.”
With a chuckle, he rolled onto his back, dragging her across his chest. “Aye, I said that, but I made a bargain with my dragon. He agreed to our kiss so that you would become a Dragonfae by the time we enter Drakka.” He ran a thumb over her bottom lip. “We are bonded now, little one.” He rested his head on Thalia’s forehead and stared into her eyes. “However, your moonfire will not begin until we mate. If I mated you now, I would be almost incapable of fighting Kird in the challenge. Even now, I will have to warn off males that dare to come near you before we consummate our bond.”
“I would imagine after we mate you will not want males close to me, either. I can feel your emotions, Lumos.” Thalia grinned. “You can hide nothing from me now.” She dropped her voice to a sinister whisper. “I have you in my power.” She pulled his hair playfully. “Will you tell your family I am a witch?”
Lumos narrowed his eyes. “You are no longer a witch—you are a Dragonfae.”
“Will growing wings hurt? Are they the same as teeth?” Thalia wrapped a lock of Lumos’s hair around her finger. “How will I make the wings go in and out of my back like you do?”
“I have always had wings, so I cannot answer the first question.” Lumos inclined his head. “Tell me, sweetness, how do you close your eyes and open them again?”
“It happens without thought. Hmm—I do not really know, although I can open and shut my eyes as I desire—why?”
Grinning, Lumos sat up. “Then you will understand how to control wings. You may open or close them at will. If you want to fly, they pop out the same as your leg takes a step forward when you want to walk.” He slid off the bed, turned, and offered Thalia his hand. “It is time to bathe and then we must eat. Come, there is a bath here as big as a rock pool.” He took her hand. “Today is a day for rest. Perhaps, later, I will fly you to the top of Farrell Mountain. The view is spectacular—and we can be alone.” He sighed. “Tomorrow, we will rise early, take the Gate to Drakka and I will face Kird.”
“Will I be able to watch the challenge?”
“Aye, I will lock you in my rooms at the palace. You may watch from the balcony.” He touched her cheek. “There is evil in Drakka. Although we will not see him, I have no doubt the Magus will be there, expecting Kird to win. Should anything happen to me, go to my father, and he will get you to safety in Draconia.”
“I have magyck, Lumos, no one will hurt me and I have faith you will win the challenge.”
He gazed at his beautiful mate. The vision of her at this moment would stay locked in his heart forever. The thought of the challenge gnawed at his belly. Kird would not be his problem. The danger lay in the trickery the Magus had undoubtedly planned. He bit his bottom lip. At noon, the following day, the Nightdragon would be fighting for his life, and for the freedom of all the people of Drakka.
Chapter Five
Thalia gaped at the city of Drakka, nestled beneath a glittering mountain range humming with magyck. The buildings appeared to flow out of the ground, each built with a mixture of the mountain’s rock, and living trees. Even the air held the sweetest fragrance, a potpourri of the masses of flowers spilling from a myriad of garden beds. Faeries of every color flew around in excited bunches, their voices tinkling throughout the city. Everyone they passed stopped to greet Lumos and give their support for the challenge ahead.
They crossed the drawbridge into Drakka palace and rode toward the stables.
“I must send word to my father of our arrival.” Lumos dismounted and lifted her from the saddle. “I will be a few minutes.” He handed a groom Argos’s reins, and strode off in the direction of the gatehouse.
She waited in the stables for the grooms to settle the horses. On Lumos’s return, she followed him outside into the courtyard and stared at the palace in awe. “This is a magnificent building. Where is your room?”
“Come into my arms, little one and I will fly you to my chambers.” With a mischievous grin, the Dragonfae opened his massive, black wings, and lifted her into the air.
With Brew clasped to her chest, she ground her teeth with anxiety. Her stomach lurched at flying so high. I will never get used to this. A few seconds later, Lumos landed gently on a balcony overlooking the city square. She slid down his hard body and without his arms to steady her, her knees buckled. The Dragonfae stepped closer and supported her in his strong arms again, holding her close. She smiled up at him.
“I am fine.” She dropped Brew to the floor. “Although I am afraid flying makes my legs wobbly.”
“You fear falling. It is a normal reaction and will pass.”
The balcony led to a suite of opulent rooms. She stood in the middle and gazed around, too scared to move. Frighteningly aware of the pristine condition of everything around her, she admired the beautifully crafted furniture, and rich furnishings.
“I am not sure this is a safe place for Brew—perhaps I should leave him in the stable with Albert.”
“Brew cannot hurt anything here.” Lumos smiled. “Do not worry so much.” His gaze followed the cat’s exploration of the room.
Anxious, she stared down at her dusty buckskin breeches and well-worn boots, then pulled Lumos around to face her. “Look at me!—I cannot possibly meet your family dressed like this. I would die of shame.” She sighed. “Will they accept me without wings?”
Lumos touched her cheek.
“We will bathe and change clothes before you meet my father.” He took her hand and led her to the bathroom. “I am surprised your wings have yet to emerge, but they will—and do not worry.” He smiled. “My father will love you.”
She marveled at the strange contraptions in the bathroom. They bathed in a place where warm water tumbled from the wall—a shower, Lumos had called the contraption. After taking a long, very passionate wash with him under the fast-flowing water, she stood naked in the middle of the bedchamber. Lumos, his face a mask of concentration, walked around her weaving magyck. The next instant, a flowing jade green garment wrapped around her. The soft, diaphanous fabric caressed her skin. She turned around to gape in the mirror. The gown matched the color of her eyes.
She swallowed hard at the sight of her reflection. The face in the mirror had changed significantly since she had left Broclarre. Apart from the pointed ears, her skin glowed and her green eyes danced with fire. Behind her, she noticed a worried expression cross Lumos’s face. He had caused her transformation and worried she no longer pleased him. A wave of rejection radiated through her, but she pushed away the hurt, turned and smiled. “This is wonderful. I am so happy to be here with you.” She rested her hands on his wide chest. “Thank you so much for making me beautiful.”
“You were always beautiful, butterfly.” Lumos bent to kiss her with tenderness. “After we mate, you will wear my dragon skin, although I would like you to wear green ribbons in your hair. You have such beautiful, hair. Indeed, it dances like fire in the sunlight so many hues of red and gold.” Lumos curled strands of her hair around his finger and brought it to his mouth, brushing the silken mass across his lips. “I wish I could linger a little longer, my love, but we must go and see my father, and it is less than an hour before the challenge.”
* * * *
The palace at Drakka, with its polished stone floors, tall ceilings, and massive rooms, impressed Thalia. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined such magnificence. In front of each window, elegant pedestals displayed bowls filled with faceted gems. The crystals sparkled in the sunlight, reflecting a halo of rainbows. She paused to admire the creation, consumed with the need to run her hands through the multicolored aura.
“The magyck calls to you, sweetness.” Lu
mos ran his hand through the shafts of color. “These crystals were collected from every realm of magyck. They enhance our powers.”
Cautiously, she caressed the rainbow. A rush of power surged through her like the first taste of chocolate. She gazed at Lumos. “I have never felt anything like that before in my life. It is truly amazing.”
“Only a king is allowed such things.”
Apprehension of meeting his family curled in her belly. Her legs grew weaker with every step closer to the king. Taking a deep breath, she reached for Lumos’s hand and followed him through open double doors into a large room. She took comfort from his strong grip and leaned against him.
“Ah, Lumos, I knew you would arrive in time. Axim is here, too. I was not going to forfeit Drakka without a challenge.”
“Have I ever broken my word, Father?” Lumos returned his father’s smile. “I have found my true mate. This is Thalia.”
She glanced wildly at Lumos for some instruction. Her knees shook. Goddess, the king of the Dragonfae stood before a great marble fireplace, his face creased in a wide smile. The Fae appeared no older than Lumos and his eyes held compassion, no doubt earned by years of experience. Fear of rejection curled, followed swiftly by a pang of indecision plagued her. She wanted to make a good impression on Lumos’s father. Without thinking, she reached for the dragon.