What should I do with Esther? Should I leave her in the chair and go to bed? He didn’t think that would be very comfortable for her. His demon was directing him to put her in his bed and was happy to elaborate on what he could then do to her. Dreydon decided putting her in his bed would be a good idea, but he would ignore what his demon was proposing.
He moved his hand in front of the grate and the fire went out. Then he got up, lifted Esther from the armchair and carried her to the bedroom door. He turned around, pointed a finger at the ball of golden light, and directed it with his hand action to move into the bedroom. As it traveled across the ceiling, Toldo came from in front of the inglenook and lay down at the side of the bed.
Once the light was settled just below the bedroom’s ceiling, Dreydon walked to the bed and lay Esther down. He knew that humans dressed in different clothing at bedtime or they slept nude. Not being sure what they wore, he manifested a loose-fitting white shirt and put it next to the woman. Then he lifted her into an almost sitting position and removed her top. His breath caught in his throat now that he could see her breasts, partly hidden by her bra. The demon sat up and took notice. Dreydon gently maneuvered her into the shirt and buttoned it. She stirred slightly, so he held her still for a moment.
Next, he lay Esther back down and removed her sneakers and socks, then unzipped her jeans. He pulled them down and off her legs. Now, at the sight of her lacy panties, his inner self was paying full attention. He touched the place where her true womanhood lay. His demon shouted,
“Yes, yes, yes.”
Dreydon inwardly yelled back, “No!” He moved her under the sheet, laying her on her side and making sure her head was on the pillow. He looked across at the window and it opened at his silent command. His magic would allow only air to move in and out of the open space, nothing else.
Finally, he removed his shirt and sandals, stepped out of his pants and lay down next to Esther. Demgels always slept nude. Then, he pointed up at the ball of light and it vanished. He pulled the sheet and comforter over them and lay facing her. Dreydon also reminded the demon it was time to sleep. After some grumbling, the beast gave in. Dreydon put his arm, and then one wing, over Esther. Feeling content, he drifted off.
Chapter Nine
When Esther awoke it was dark, but a waxing moon was sending some light through the open window. Her vision wasn’t totally restricted. She was in Dreydon’s bed and he was next to her. His arm lay across her body, but something else was also covering her. She touched this object and felt the distinctive form and texture of feathers. One of his wings was over her. Why are we in bed together? The last thing she remembered was feeling very tired after drinking some of the mead. She must have fallen asleep and he’d carried her into his bed. Esther hoped he’d done that to make her comfortable and not because he planned to do something more intimate with her.
In the dim light, she looked at the demgel. His eyes were closed and his steady breathing implied he was asleep. She couldn’t see his body, so she tentatively reached out and down to touch his hip. He wasn’t wearing pants. Lightly touching his chest confirmed there was also no clothing on his upper body. This meant he was naked. With mounting alarm, Esther now brought her hand back to herself. She wasn’t nude but was wearing what felt like a shirt rather than her top. Further exploration verified her jeans were gone. Only her panties were evident. She knew Dreydon must have removed her jeans. This realization made her feel nervous. The joke she’d made previously about him making her his sex slave no longer seemed funny.
Esther thought about easing herself carefully out of the bed but wondered where she would go. The window was open, yet what she’d recently learned about Kurbridor made escape a far less tempting option. It was a more sensible decision to stay where she was and find out later why he’d undressed her and put her in his bed. Also, she had to admit lying here next to him was somehow soothing after all the craziness of the day. Warmth was radiating from his wing and being covered by that appendage gave Esther a sense of protection rather than one of concern. When they got up, she’d find out his motive for sleeping with her in the buff. Slowly, sleep reclaimed her.
The next time she woke up, daylight filled the bedroom. She was alone in the bed, but she could hear sounds coming through the open doorway. Esther got up and looked for her jeans and top. They were not in the bedroom. She walked barefoot into the main room. The armchair was positioned in front of the bookcase and Dreydon was sitting in it, reading a book. He was only wearing knee-length pants, but at least he wasn’t naked. She could also see that his wounds were completely healed.
He looked up, and then placed the book back on a shelf and came over to her. “Did you have a restful sleep?”
“I woke up in the night and you were sleeping next to me. Why did you put me in your bed? I could have slept in the armchair.”
“I thought you would be more comfortable in the bed. You seem to be upset.”
“I am. I don’t sleep with strangers and especially not naked ones.”
Dreydon looked puzzled. “I always take off my clothes before going to bed. I believe some humans do that, too.”
“Well, I’m not one of them. You also removed my top and jeans. Why?”
“I know humans don’t sleep in the same clothes they’ve worn during the day. So I removed your outer clothing, shoes, and socks. I manifested a shirt to give you some cover.”
“Humans don’t wear shirts to bed. A man wears pajamas. A woman wears pajamas or a nightgown. We also don’t keep our underwear on when we sleep, but fortunately you didn’t know that or you’d have taken off my bra and panties as well.” Esther glared at Dreydon.
“You are obviously angry with me. If I did something wrong, I apologize. I just wanted you to have a relaxed sleep.”
“That’s what you hope I’ll believe, but I think you wanted to see me undressed.” Esther’s eyes were starting to burn.
“My demon enjoyed looking at you and wanted to see more. I decided that was not appropriate.”
“Oh, so where is this perverted demon?”
“I think you’ve misunderstood what I said. My demon is not separate from me, he is part of me.”
Now, her anger was increasing. He was basically telling her he’d looked at her undressed and wanted to see more. Maybe he’d taken a peek and done a little touching, too? Any second now her eyes would be sparking and that wouldn’t be a bad thing. He needed to know she wasn’t on Kurbridor for his sexual pleasure.
Almost immediately, Esther knew her eyes had sparked because Dreydon stepped back and looked surprised.
“There are sparks in your eyes.”
“Yes, they do that when I’m really angry. You had no right to take off my clothes.”
He was staring at her as though it was the first time he’d seen her. “Which of your parents or grandparents is fae?”
“I don’t know what you mean. You’re just trying to side-track the issue. You don’t remove a woman’s clothing without permission.”
“I did it to make you feel more comfortable, but you obviously think I was motivated by some other reason.”
“Yes, like making a pass at me.”
“What does that mean? Humans have strange expressions.”
“It means showing your sexual interest in me. You know—you’re male, I’m female.”
“Ah, I understand. Let me assure you that if my interest was sexual, I would have done much more than merely undress you. Demgels are known for their carnal appetites and innate ability to initiate sex.”
That statement didn’t make her feel better about having slept with a naked demgel. He either had done something more than just looking while she was asleep, or she wasn’t his type. That second possibility should be a relief, yet it did nothing for her ego. Esther didn’t want a non-human creature to fancy her, but it would be a boost to her ever-present low self-esteem.
“Will you answer my question? Who in your family is fae?”
�
�I don’t understand what you’re asking me. What does fae mean?”
“The faery folk are fae. What your eyes just did is typical of elves, so you must be part elf. Can you also make those sparks pass from your eyes onto someone or something?”
“No, they only flash in my eyes for a minute or two. They’re just an odd thing that happens.”
“What else can you perform that most humans cannot do?”
Esther gave thought to telling him about her ability to move objects without touching them, or that she was often aware of things for no apparent reason, such as knowing the waiter at the café was gay. For years, she’d kept her sparking eyes, psychic ability, and telekinesis secret. As a child, these powers had caused dislike and ridicule. Now, as an adult, no one knew she possessed such strange capabilities. Oh well, who better than a demgel to be shown my abilities?
Esther looked at the bookcase, made one book leave the shelf and move through the air. It landed at Dreydon’s feet. He bent down, picked up the book and balanced it in his open palm. Then it floated back to the shelf and settled in its former position. Dreydon was obviously showing her how he could also perform telekinesis.
“You are definitely fae. How is it possible for you not to know this?”
“I think you’re mistaken. I’m sure there are other people who can do similar things.”
“Yes, there are and like you they are not fully human. As your body looks human and not elven, it’s probably a grandparent who is an elf. Do you know each of your grandparents?”
“I don’t know my parents or grandparents. I was left outside a hospital on the day I was born. My family has never been traced.”
“That information should verify what I’m saying. Knowing you were not fully human, someone was not prepared to keep you. I would presume it was your father who was half elf. If it was your mother, she would have brought you to live on Kurbridor. There are many here who are bi-species. I imagine it is more difficult to be accepted on Earth when you are not fully human?”
“As a child, my life was miserable. Other children made fun of me and adults were wary. My eyes frequently sparked and objects often flew all around wherever I was. Also, I knew things instinctively or was aware that something would happen before it did. I didn’t know how to control the sparking, telekinesis, and psychic knowing, but as I grew older, I learned how to manage them. Now I only show my intuitive nature on the odd occasion, and no one knows about my other abilities. I also moved to another town where no one knew me.”
It suddenly occurred to Esther that Dreydon was the first person she had ever told about her unhappy childhood. Even her four friends knew nothing of it. What he was saying about her unusual abilities seemed outrageous, but so did a world that existed parallel to Earth. His information would explain why she was abandoned. This was a matter that had troubled her for many years. However, she decided not to dwell on it right now. They had totally moved away from the issue of him undressing her and then sleeping next to her completely naked.
“We’ve digressed. I was trying to make you understand that you mustn’t undress me or sleep with me, especially when you have nothing on.”
“I do understand, but I didn’t do it for a sexual reason. What interests me now is discovering you are part elf. It would explain why you are so small.”
“I’m not that tiny.”
“You are taller than an elf, but only by a few inches. You’re definitely below average human height. Your hair is also the color frequently seen in elves. Your elven heritage is evident.”
“You may think it is true, but I can’t accept that my father was half human, half elf. That’s ridiculous.” Esther didn’t want to discuss such nonsense any further. “Where are my clothes?”
Dreydon pointed to one of the chairs by the table. “They’re over there. With a touch of magic, I have made them fresh. I have also manifested new underwear for you.”
She walked over to the chair and lifted the jeans and top. There was a smell of cleanness about them, as though they’d been hung out in the fresh air. New underwear was underneath her outer garments. The bra and panties looked identical to the ones she was wearing except these were pale mauve in color. Her other ones were pink.
“When you return to Earth, be sure to wear the clothing you had on when you came here. Anything I manifest for you while you are with me will vanish when you reach your home.”
She must remember that important point. Arriving minus certain articles of clothing could be embarrassing. “I’ll go to your bathroom and get washed and changed if you can just tell me how to make the water come out of the faucet.”
“Don’t change your clothes yet. I want to take you to where I shower on most mornings. I’m sure you will enjoy it. If you want to use the bathroom before we go, please do. Now that I know you are part elf, I’m sure you can manipulate the water by yourself. Try seeing in your mind a picture of the water coming out of the faucet. Then see it stopping when you have finished using it.”
Esther used the bathroom and was amazed when she was able to make the water turn on and off. She closed her eyes and imagined the flow coming from the half faucet and then stopping. A part of her wanted to believe she had caused this surprising event but thought it was probably a result of Dreydon’s magic. There was a small bar of soap, pleasantly perfumed with sandalwood, on the sink. She looked inside the cupboard above the sink and saw more soap. Esther wished she had some in her apartment. After she’d washed her hands and face, she came out of the bathroom.
Dreydon was holding her clothes and underwear in one hand. He walked to the front door and it opened. Esther quickly followed him. Once they were both standing on the porch, the door closed.
She asked, “Where’s Toldo?”
“He has gone to hunt for his breakfast. By the time we return, he will be back.” Dreydon put his left arm around Esther and they lifted up into the warm morning air. As before, he clasped her underneath him close to his chest, while holding her clothes in his right hand. His strong wings beat firmly as they flew toward wherever he was taking her.
Chapter Ten
Their journey lasted for several minutes, during which time Esther wondered if holding her close was a turn-on for this demgel. No, that’s ridiculous. He’d said it was why demgels weren’t allowed to fly with their captives, but she knew she wasn’t that attractive. To hold her while he flew was obviously the easiest way to get her from one place to another.
She also reminded herself to ask Dreydon that in the future he carry her facing away from him. She wanted to be able to see what lay beneath her instead of only looking at his chest. Not that a view of his golden torso was a hardship. Anna would definitely approve of his stunning abs and pecs. She’d call him “eye candy” as long as Esther didn’t describe his horns, claws, and fangs. Even the scales across his upper chest were becoming intriguing to Esther. She wanted to touch them to find out what they felt like and whether they would respond to contact. They had certainly shown a reaction when he’d fought with Zortek, rising up like a dog’s ruff when it’s angry.
As they descended, she could hear the sound of rushing water. He came to rest on a rock ledge that extended along and under a huge waterfall. However, where they had landed was dry. It was at a sufficient distance from the tumbling water not to be affected by it. Dreydon released Esther and set her clothes down on the ledge. He manifested two thick towels and placed one next to her clothes. Then he took two bars of soap out of his pockets and gave one to Esther.
“You can use this soap on your hair, as well as on your body. It’s made by the centaurs and does not damage the water. I am going to move further along and around the corner. There is another waterfall there.” He stood for a moment with eyes closed. “I have just placed a shield around this area. No one can pass through it and intrude upon us. I will be back in a while.” Dreydon walked away from her, along the ledge and behind the waterfall. The water cascaded down from an overhang so that there was a narrow
space behind it, making movement possible without being drenched. He disappeared around a jutting rock corner.
The prospect of taking a shower was inviting. After walking for hours in that heat yesterday Esther knew she needed to do more than just freshen up. She did feel a little apprehensive about stripping out in the open, but according to Dreydon no one could get close to spy on her. Of course, he might come back and resume his staring, but he’d already seen her undressed. The demgel could have stayed with her and insisted that they shower together, yet since he hadn’t Esther decided she should be grateful for his decision not to do so.
She unbuttoned and took off the white shirt, unfastened her bra and removed her panties. Esther held the soap and stepped under the waterfall, fearing it would be icy cold. She gasped as the frigid water hit her head and body, but after a moment it seemed to be less intense and she began to enjoy its invigorating effect. Then she leaned out of the water, lathered herself including her hair and became encased in sandalwood perfume. Now she knew why Dreydon and his bed emitted this distinctive smell. He must always shower with this wonderful soap.
Two or three times she glanced at the corner around which he had disappeared. She couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t peer at her. Yet there was no sign of the demgel. However, she wasn’t sure how long it would be before he returned. So she moved back under the waterfall and rinsed off the lather from her body and hair. Then she stepped out, grabbed the towel, and wrapped it around herself. Esther walked along the narrow space behind the falling water. She needed to see how close he was to finishing his shower. If she was being honest, she also wanted to take a look at his naked form. She’d already seen most of his magnificent body. Only his pants had kept one part of him secret. Esther could imagine Anna practically drooling if and when she detailed this demgel’s hunky stature.
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