Dragons of Eternity Collection

by Alexandra Ivy

  Bolt’s lips curled with disdain.

  “Magma feared his seat on the Council was in jeopardy after he discovered that Synge and my father were negotiating my betrothal to Blayze,” Bolt explained.

  Ah. Now that sounded more like dragon politics. Strike first and ask questions later.

  “He had the curse?” Levet asked.

  Bolt shook his head. “No. He bribed Flynn to bring it into the lair.”

  Levet reached up to scratch his horn. Disappearing dragons. New dragons appearing. Dragons betraying other dragons.

  How was he supposed to keep track of what was going on?

  “Who is Flynn?” he demanded.

  Bolt’s disdain deepened. “A vampire in the service of Synge.”

  Levet parted his lips to demand more information when Tayla suddenly chopped her hand through the air, effectively silencing him.

  “We can discuss later who was responsible for the curse,” she said, taking command of the situation. “Right now we have to get Blayze back to this time.”

  Levet gave a helpless lift of his hands. “We cannot do anything until Vex awakens.”

  Tayla pressed her lips together, waving a hand toward the unconscious succubus. “Can you do something to—”

  “No,” Bolt interrupted, more flames beginning to swirl around his body. Despite his apparent agitation, however, he was careful to ensure that none of his fire came close to Vex. “She is clearly exhausted,” he growled. “I will not have her put in danger.”

  Tayla jutted her chin to a stubborn angle. “It’s not up to you.”

  Levet studied Vex’s pale face. The poor creature was out cold. Clearly she’d used every ounce of her power to bring the dragon through time. It was going to be a while before she revived enough to try again.

  Levet turned to grasp Tayla’s hand. He understood her urgency.

  With each passing second, the threat of a war between the dragons and vampires became more likely.

  And the closer he came to being a sacrificial llama. No, wait…lamb. A sacrificial lamb.

  “Perhaps it would be best if you travel to Baine and reveal what we have discovered,” he urged his friend. Levet might not like Tayla’s snarly mate, but he was the most reasonable of all the dragons. Which was not saying much. “If nothing else, you can distract Synge with the information that you discovered the male responsible for having his daughter cursed. By the time Synge hunts down and slaughters Magma, he might be in a more reasonable mood.”

  Tayla bit her lower lip, offering a slow nod. “True. If he is battling Magma, he can’t be at war with the vampires,” she agreed.

  “And I can live to see another sunrise.” Which was really more important than any silly war.

  Tayla turned to use her magic, sending Levet a warning glance. “Keep an eye on them.”

  “Shoo,” he said, giving a wave of his hand. She hesitated just a second before forming the portal and disappearing from view. Left alone with the unknown dragon who was eyeing him with a fierce gaze, Levet gave a flap of his wings and puffed out his chest. “Do not try anything funny or I will strike you down with my stupendous magic.”

  Bolt snapped his brows together, the room heating with his displeasure. “Has anyone told you that you are an annoying creature?”

  Levet sniffed in shocked disbelief at the accusation. “Certainly not. I am beloved by all.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Blayze didn’t need any special powers to detect Char’s disapproval. It vibrated in the very air. And if she was being honest, she didn’t entirely blame him.

  Yeah, it was fantastic that they were escaping Magma. And hopefully the spell would take them back through time.

  But that didn’t keep it from being creepy as hell.

  Not only did it feel as if they were treading through thick molasses, but the darkness couldn’t be penetrated, not even with their night vision. They would have been completely blind if her natural glow hadn’t managed to penetrate the solid sense of nothingness.

  And worse, her already depleted magic was beginning to sputter.

  She was reaching the limit of her power.

  Grimly trying to hide her exhaustion, Blayze felt Char’s arms wrap around her waist.

  “Stop, Blayze,” he commanded, tugging her hard against his body. “I can sense your weariness.”

  She tilted back her head to meet his worried gaze. “We’re close to an opening.”

  His brooding gaze swept over her face, lingering on her lips.

  “Will the spell collapse if we don’t get out of here soon?”

  She shook her head. The original spell was now completely taken over by her own magic. Otherwise it would have disappeared within a few minutes. “No. Now that I’m manipulating the magic, it will remain stable.”

  He glanced around, almost as if he was hoping to see through the vast darkness. “What about behind us?”

  She blinked, her fatigue making it difficult for her to think clearly. “What do you mean?”

  “Can anyone follow us?”

  Ah. She understood his confusion. To him it must seem as if they were traveling through a portal. Instead, she was ripping through the threads of time, using magic from the succubus as her compass.

  Which meant there was no way for anyone to trace their passage.

  “No, there’s no way anyone can reach us,” she assured him.

  “Good. Then you’re going to rest.”

  She wrinkled her nose, trying to pretend as if she wasn’t about to collapse. “Are you giving me orders?”

  “Yes.”

  Without warning, Char closed his eyes. Blayze frowned as she felt the warmth of his power brushing over her. At first she assumed he was trying to share his power with her, then the darkness began to pulse as a dome of light spread around them.

  Her breath caught as there was a sudden shimmer in the air, and in the blink of an eye, the area was trans-formed from the bleak shadows to a gorgeous bedchamber.

  There was a smooth marble floor and white fluted pillars that held up a mosaic-tiled ceiling. The walls were decorated with delicate tapestries. And in the very center of the space was a large four-poster bed draped in golden silk. It looked like something out of a fairy tale.

  Or more likely, her deepest fantasies.

  Dragons were capable of creating illusions that seemed real. And the most powerful dragons could reach into the mind of another to create what they most desired. But she’d never heard of a half-breed possessing the talent.

  Clearly, Char was even more powerful than she’d suspected.

  Busy appreciating their lovely surroundings, Blayze was caught off guard when Char swept her off her feet. He stared down at her startled expression as he crossed the floor. Then, with a sudden smile he tossed her into the center of the vast bed.

  She landed on the soft mattress, her arms and legs splayed like a sacrificial virgin.

  Which she technically was.

  Oh, not the sacrificial part. Just the virgin part.

  Suddenly Blayze forgot all about her weariness. Instead, a heart-stopping pleasure sizzled through her body as she allowed her gaze to skim over the male standing next to the bed.

  He was just so gorgeous. His short hair that gleamed like polished silver. His gray eyes that had softened to mist. The elegant features that held a hint of his fey blood.

  She knew she could search for the rest of eternity and never find another male who could ignite her blood to such a fever pitch.

  Almost on cue, her dragon stirred and stretched, purring in anticipation. “What if I’m not in the mood to rest?”

  His eyes darkened, his nose flaring as he caught the unmistakable scent of her arousal. Still, he visibly struggled to keep his own dragon leashed.

  “Please, Blayze, you’re tired.” His voice was thick with strain. “I need you to take care of yourself.”

  She moved until she was perched on her knees in the center of the bed. Then, holding his gaze, s
he reached down to grasp her beaded gown, sliding it over her head.

  “You’re killing me,” Char rasped, silver flames dancing around him as she tossed the gown aside to reveal her naked body.

  She tilted her head to the side, trying to look provocative. “A succubus created the original spell we’re following,” she pointed out. “Which means there’s only one way to truly recharge my magic.”

  It wasn’t actually true. Oh, there might be a way to tap into sexual energy if it lingered in the spell. But she knew Char intended to be annoyingly noble. He was convinced that he was somehow unworthy to be her mate because of his mixed bloodline.

  Which meant she had to do whatever necessary to prove that none of that stuff mattered to her.

  Or to her dragon.

  His gaze roamed down her naked body, his eyes glittering like shards of silver.

  “Your father—”

  She leaned forward, placing her hand across his mouth. “No.”

  Char reached up to wrap his fingers around her wrist, gently tugging her hand away. “If we manage to return home, we both know that your father will expect you to accept his choice of a mate.”

  Blayze shook her head. She didn’t care if she had to go back into hiding. She was never, ever going to hand control of her life over to another.

  Especially not Synge.

  “We will return,” she insisted. “And when we do, I will inform my father that I’ve already chosen my mate.”

  Char’s breath hissed through his teeth, his beast visible in his eyes. “Mate?”

  A slow smile curved her lips. “Mate.”

  “You’re certain.”

  “More certain than I have ever been in my life,” she assured him in a husky voice. “I belong with you.”

  Kicking off his heavy shoes, Char ripped off his shirt and dropped his slacks to reveal the breathtaking glory of his male form.

  “Synge won’t be happy,” he growled, moving to join her on the mattress.

  Blayze’s brain threatened to shut down as she reached out to touch the smooth, chiseled muscles of his chest. Not that she cared. Surely a female wasn’t supposed to think when she was in the presence of a naked male?

  Her dragon roared and her palm sizzled from the heat of his flames.

  “Synge’s ability to make decisions for my future was ended when he condemned me to death,” she reminded him.

  He shivered as her fingers stroked over the broad width of his chest.

  “What about your mother?” he demanded.

  “I love her, of course.” She shrugged. “And I will be eternally grateful for the sacrifices she made for me. But it’s time for her to live her own life.” Her hand skimmed downward, exploring the rigid hardness of his abs. Very nice. Then she explored lower, wrapping her fingers around his thick erection. Even nicer. “And allow me to live my life.”

  A groan was wrenched from Char’s lips as she pressed her hand down the long length of his cock. She smiled. Her dragon liked that. She pulled her fingers back to the tip, using her thumb to tease at the sensitive head before she pushed back down again.

  His flames scorched over her as he lowered her back onto the golden silk blanket and covered her with his body.

  “Does living your life include me?” he asked in husky tones.

  “If you want me.” She lifted her hands to wrap them around his neck, her flames igniting to dance like iridescent jewels between them.

  It was the first time she’d ever had her fire kindled by desire.

  It was intoxicating.

  “Want?” Swooping his head downward, Char nibbled at the corner of her mouth. “That doesn’t begin to describe my need for you.”

  A violent shudder shook her body, the beast inside her pressing against her skin in an effort to get closer to Char.

  Dear goddess, she wanted to consume him.

  From the top of his silvery head to the tip of his toes. And every single inch in between.

  “Then what would describe your need?” she asked, her fingers tracing the wide width of his shoulders.

  “I ache to taste your lips,” Char growled low in his throat, his hands moving restlessly over her bare skin before he covered her mouth in a deep kiss. A ruthless hunger scorched through Blayze, making her body arch at the sheer intensity. Char moaned his approval, his mouth moving to scatter tiny kisses over her flushed face. “I hunger to feel your body pressed against mine.”

  Mmm.

  The hot male scent of his dragon spiced the air.

  “It’s a start,” she assured him.

  He offered a throaty laugh. “Ah, a demanding female,” he rasped, allowing one of his hands to slide between her thighs and stroke through her damp heat.

  Her nails scored down Char’s back, pleasure searing through her.

  “I have a lot of time to make up for,” she reminded him.

  He crushed her lips in another demanding kiss. “We have all eternity.” He lifted his head, staring down at her as he pressed his finger into her tight flesh. “We do have all eternity, don’t we? Once I claim you there’s no way I’m going to let you go.”

  Blayze instinctively dug her heels into the mattress beneath her as she tilted her hips upward.

  “Yes,” she breathed, her dragon twisting restlessly beneath her flesh. His finger was creating the most delicious friction as he dipped it in and out of her. “Char.”

  He nibbled kisses over her cheek, then down the length of her jaw. “Tell me you’re certain, Blayze.” He stroked the tip of his tongue over the pulse racing at the base of her throat. “I need to hear the words.”

  “Without a doubt,” she assured him, not hesitating for even a beat. Her hands moved down the curve of his spine, stroking his flames higher and higher. “Now tell me more about how much you want me.”

  “I lust for you.” His mouth trailed down her collarbone. “For the softness of your body.” He lapped at the aching tip of her breast. “The heat of your dragon.”

  A moan fell from her parted lips. This game was swiftly spiraling out of control. In the most delicious way.

  “Like this?” she asked softly, releasing a breath of her dragon-fire.

  His entire body quivered. Not from pain. His expression was one of pure bliss.

  “Exactly like that,” he rasped, using the edge of his teeth to torment her sensitive nipple.

  Fisting her fingers in his thick hair, she instinctively wrapped her legs around his hips.

  “This is…” Her words lodged in her throat.

  Pulling back, he regarded her with a searching gaze. “What?”

  She instinctively rubbed herself against the hot length of his erection.

  “So much more than I dreamed it would be.”

  His eyes darkened to smoke, the power of his dragon beating against her. “Yes.” Bearing his weight on his elbows, Char angled his hips until the tip of his cock pressed against her entrance. “More than I ever dreamed possible.”

  Her dragon huffed with impatience. She might not have experience, but her body understood what it needed. And that it needed it now.

  “So why are you waiting?” she demanded, digging her nails into his back as he studied her with an oddly intense expression.

  “There’s something I want to give you first.”

  She blinked in confusion. Most dragons were obsessed with adding to their hoards, but she’d already told Char that she had no interest in possessions.

  All she’d ever wanted was to be rid of the curse.

  And to find her mate.

  “I really don’t want—”

  Her words ended on a gasp as she felt a tingle of power wrap around her, and a delicate weight lying against her upper chest. Glancing down, she caught sight of the golden necklace that gleamed in the glow of her skin.

  Despite her seclusion from the world, she knew exactly what it was.

  A dragon marque.

  A symbol of ownership. Or in this case, a symbol of Char’s intention
to claim her as a mate.

  She breathed out a soft sigh as her fingers stroked over the precious metal. She could feel the power of his dragon in the marque, as well as the effervescent fey magic.

  “Char.” She moved her hand to lightly stroke her fingers over his lips. “Right now, I truly wish you could freeze time for all eternity. There has never been a more perfect moment.”

  A wicked smile touched his lips. “I promise it’s going to get a lot more perfect.”

  She wasn’t entirely sure what he meant. Not until Char pushed his hips forward, sliding into her with a slow, relentless thrust.

  Releasing a breath of pleasure, Blayze clutched at Char’s shoulders, her nails digging into his skin. There wasn’t pain. Her body was ready and willing to accommodate his entry. But there was a splendid sense of fullness, and a shocking intimacy.

  She’d craved this male since she’d opened her eyes to find him hovering above her.

  Now that she finally had him plunging deep inside her, she realized that it was a craving that would never, ever end.

  Perhaps sensing the profound emotions that were thundering through her, Char buried his face in the curve of her neck.

  “Blayze,” he whispered. “Hold on tight.”

  “I’m never letting go,” she promised. “Just don’t stop.”

  He released a choked laugh. “Trust me, there’s no way in hell I’m stopping,” he told her, pulling out of her body before thrusting back in with a growing urgency. “You’ve promised to be mine.”

  “And you are mine,” she groaned as he began moving with a rhythm that stole her breath.

  Yes. Oh, yes. This was what her body had ached to feel during the centuries she’d been locked away. This was what she needed.

  Allowing her eyes to shut, Blayze growled in pleasure as his teeth sank into her neck. He rocked into her faster and faster, his hands grasping her hips to hold her in place as his pounding thrusts threatened to send her off the mattress.

  “Harder,” she muttered against his lips, her body clenched so tightly she felt as if she might shatter.

  “You’re glowing.” Kissing a path down her throat, he skimmed his lips between the swell of her breasts as he allowed his dragon-fire to sear over her sensitive skin.