“My dragon,” she cooed, leaning her hands upon his knees as he continued to bury his massive cock deep within her bowels, “how could I ever have refused you?”
“There is foolishness in undue pride, my love,” he panted, his fingers digging painfully into her hips. “I know neither of us will have to suffer that path again, will we?”
“Ohhh…” Daynel’s nails dug into his thighs as she bore down upon his shaft, engulfing him as her body once again, rocked with the eruption of physical pleasure. “Never!” She screamed as spasms shook her. Another cry exploded from her throat as she felt him impale her with his final, glorious assault, vigorously burying his cock to the hilt as he burst forth with his fragrant semen.
Daynel groaned as he slipped from her body, her bottom hole aching and stretched to an uncomfortable fullness. Slowly, she turned to him and lay across the top of his body, resting her head upon his broad chest.
“Am I now to be your mattress, little one?” he asked teasingly, wrapping his great arms around her and pulling her tightly to him.
“Mmmm, and what wonderful bedding you make! I fit very nicely atop of you, do I not?”
“Aye, you certainly do. Are you at peace now?”
“Yes. I am truly sorry for my defiance, my dragon-lord,” Daynel purred, snuggling into him. “Had I known I could feel so complete, I would not have fought you.”
“You lie, my precious wife. It is in your nature to defy,” Draiken chuckled heartily, stroking her back, “just as it in my nature to discipline you for that defiance. Your wings are beautiful. Do they cause you pain?” he suddenly asked, seeing her wince as he touched the seared image.
“My body is feeling much pain in every area except this.” She held up her pinky with a tiny pout. Draiken grinned and nipped it, making her squeal.
“Let us go to the grove where we can bathe and allow healing to take place,” he suggested.
“Noooo, I wish to stay here. On my mattress,” Daynel protested, gripping him. Draiken simply laughed and sat up, holding her cradled to his chest. He stood and covered them both with a blanket, amused at how vehemently she clung to him.
“Your mattress needs to relieve himself, Princess. Allow me a moment, if you please,” the man requested as she squeezed her arms about his thick neck while tightening her legs around his waist. With a discontented mope, Daynel released him and slid to the floor. He flicked her lower lip as it extended into a pout and excused himself.
Daynel shivered, the absence of his warmth made her feel lonely. She reached behind her shoulders and touched the tip of the left wing. They felt oddly alive under her skin, like living objects.
“Draiken? These wings? They feel…strange.”
“Explain yourself. They are brands from your dream flight, nothing more.”
“Are you certain?” Daynel tried to see behind her. “They move under my skin as though they wish to stretch out and truly fly.”
Draiken frowned as he emerged from his personal duties, tying breeches around his muscular waist. He turned her back to him, gently tracing the wings with his fingers. His gasp startled her.
“What is it? What is wrong?”
“They move under your skin as you said, Daynel. These wings are made to fly in the natural world. I have not heard of such a thing before, except in legends. The gods are preparing you to fly with a true dragon.”
“You are my true dragon,” Daynel argued, shuddering as he ran his hands over her back.
“There is one truer that I. I fear our time grows short. We must eliminate this source of evil from our world, and soon.”
Daynel bit her lip. The look of fear on Draiken’s face was undeniable. There was something he was not telling her and she was afraid to ask.
Chapter Fourteen
Ilesbet struggled to open her eyes, her body screaming with unholy pain as she lay stretched out on an altar. Fire danced before her face in dizzy waves and she felt her stomach roll.
“Welcome, Priestess. I was wondering as to when you would decide to awaken,” Ethan’s voice said from behind her head. Ilesbet turned her head to the side, emptying the contents of her stomach. Ethan tsked, tossing a bucket of icy water over her face and laughed as she sputtered.
“That is not a very polite way to great your new master,” he stated, climbing atop the altar and squatting to stare at her, his feet on either side of her body.
“Günter…Where…”
“Oh, the crown prince who dared challenge me? He is right there, strung up nice and pretty. Don’t worry, he still lives. I’ll give his blood up for sacrifice after I am done with you. Three of royal blood and a dragon priestess will make the Darkness very happy. And me, very strong. This should be enough to shatter any strength your gods have left, don’t you think? Tsk, tsk, and to think your followers will discover your absence right before their celebration. That will sadden them, yes? Sadness leads to loss of hope.”
Ilesbet’s heart pounded with fear for both her husband and her unborn children. How could he have known that she carried babies within her? The poison he had given her weakened her mind, disabling her from entering the Gates of the gods. She slowly turned her face toward her husband, who stirred from the chains that hung him by his wrists. His handsome face was covered with bruises and blood, and she could only recognize the ice blue eyes as belonging to him through swollen lids.
He met her gaze and nodded as peace enfolded him. Ilesbet felt tears running down her cheeks, still unable to gather the strength to call out to him.
“Guardian…” he rasped out, “of Three. They come.”
* * *
Daynel sat up in bed, gripping Draiken’s arm. She was covered with a layer of sweat and shaking profusely.
“What is it, my love?” the big man asked, raising his body next to hers.
“The Guardian is calling me! Hurry, we must go before it is too late!”
“Darling, I do not know what you are talking about. Ilesbet…”
“Ethan has her and Günter. He is going to sacrifice them at the next moon. She is with child!” Daynel clung to him fretfully. “We will never make it on time. Draiken, what can we do?”
“How do you know of this? Did you take flight in a dream?” He stood quickly to dress, not questioning the vision.
“No, I heard him call to me. He showed me where they were. Please, we must help them.”
“I need you to calm yourself. Speak to me. Who called you? Was it the gods?”
“I do not know. Please, guide me, husband. Tell me what to do.” Daynel began to sob.
Draiken studied her carefully. With a sigh, he nodded and reached for her hand, Daynel ignored her nakedness as she was led numbly through the halls and outside into the chill of the night air. Draiken’s grip became painful as he brought her into the Sacred Grove atop the mountain.
“Are you certain you are ready to face this war, Daynel? The sacrifice will be dear.”
“I must save my family and my kingdom. I will pay whatever price is needed,” she said in desperation.
“Do you love me?”
“More than life itself, Draiken. Must you ask?”
“Do you trust me?” She nodded. “Lay back on the altar. Do not move, no matter what you see. Your faith in the gods must be pure and strong now. If you have doubt or fear, they cannot aid you. It is time to set them free from their bonds.”
“Bonds? The gods are imprisoned? What are you doing?” Daynel asked as Draiken stood up on the altar and positioned his legs of either side of her naked body. He produced a long knife and, without hesitation, plunged it into his heart.
Daynel screams joined his as he lifted eyes to the heavens and released a piercing cry. She did not move, so great was her fear, and she stayed frozen as a dark cloud surrounded her husband’s still standing body. Her eyes widened as gigantic purple wings spread to either side of his shadow, and she felt his blood drip upon her, biting into her skin like acid. The shadow grew taller and larger, the wings h
overing over the grove like a mantel and the head of a dragon burst through the cloud.
Horror filled her as she watched Draiken’s bare feet turn to sharp claws and his body take the shape of a monstrous reptile. The beast’s head was studded with pointed spears and the sharp, ruby fangs glistened in front of the fire that lit the back of his throat.
The dragon roared, lifting its front legs to the sky before plunging them down to either side of her quivering body. Daynel trembled, seeing the massive cock grow erect as the reptile positioned itself between her legs. She knew coupling with this hideous beast would tear her to pieces and she shook her head frantically.
The dragon drew its face close to hers and she met it in the eyes. The beautiful, warm violet eyes that belonged to Draiken. No, she did not have faith in the gods, but she did have faith in him. Slowly, she widened her thighs to allow him in. He gave his life as sacrifice and she was prepared to do the same.
The searing agony of the dragon’s penetration caused her to scream into the night. The warm eyes, however, held her steady as it began to pump viciously into her. Embrace the pain, she heard in the back of her mind. Daynel forced herself to go limp in the taloned grip, and felt herself drifting through the Gates of the gods.
What am I to do? she asked aloud as she floated outside of her body. She sought an answer as she was taken through the archives of knowledge, but none came. She glanced down to the earth, and saw her bloodied body being ravaged by a monster. No, not a monster. Her husband, her Draiken.
I will have no part in hating him for this! she screamed into the vacuum. Show yourselves and instruct me. If I am to be your priestess, then you must guide me!
“You have great courage, young one,” a voice spoke to her. She turned to face the golden eyes of a large female dragon whose scales glowed like warm firelight. “You are ready for us.”
“You? The gods are dragonfolk?” Daynel stared as others stood behind the magnificent creature.
“We have been waiting for the one to come who could free us from this ethereal prison. We were trapped here when royal sacrifices were made in our place of worship. You have broken through the barrier and have the power to lead us back to the world of the living.”
“Draiken…He is truly a dragon?”
“Draiken and Ilesbet were born from a coupling of dragon to human, as will your children be. Your faith in him and willingness to sacrifice your life has given us the power we need to escape this place. Lead us, Priestess. We must free our child from the Darkness,” the golden one spoke.
“Lead you? How?”
“Take flight, Priestess. Fly!”
The words droned into her head and grew louder. Fly! Fly! Daynel threw back her head and opened her arms, and allowed herself to fall forward. She felt tearing from her back as her wings sliced through her flesh. Pain meant life, and she embraced it.
The wings of the Night Hawk grew longer and longer, the striking white feathers gleamed against the dream sky, and the tips looked as though they had been dipped in black ink. She felt them flap, lifting her body high into the air. Guided by love, she dove toward the earth and her lifeless, battered body that lay on the altar. The dragon upon it looked upward and raised itself to its hindquarters, angrily throwing a ball of fire as she approached. She caught it in her hands and pulled the fire into her chest as she aimed for her body. She burst into flames as her altered state and flesh met.
Daynel opened her eyes, slowly being rocked in the arms of her husband. She wrinkled her brow as she squinted her eyes to the late afternoon sun. How much time had passed?
“This dream…”
“It was not a dream, Priestess,” the golden one spoke, now in human form. She was taller than most men, with shining gold hair and glowing skin. “I am Modir. These are my People. This,” she touched Draiken’s shoulder, “is my son.”
“That thing that tore me was really you?”
“Yes,” Draiken said sadly. “I have little control once in my other form.”
“But you are human now. Can you control the changing?”
“It took me many years to be able to stop the shifting, especially when I was in great pain or felt anger. That is the reason we were raised by the sisters, to protect the villagers. I lied to you about our mother for fear you would either not believe me or understand.”
“And your father?”
“The human male rarely survives the mating. The dragon starts in human form and then consumes him with fire.”
“Ilesbet…can she…”
“No. Only the son of this coupling may change. Dragon must mate with dragon to gain a female.”
“But these wings upon my back. If they are not dragon, what are they?”
“They are a gift from your people, daughter,” Modir spoke, her golden eyes glowing. “Each gave forth a scale from over our heart to produce them.”
“I don’t understand.”
“We will explain later, my love. Are you strong enough to stand? We must hurry,” Draiken urged.
“My body was destroyed when you…How?”
“We are one. We both gave our lives to save this world from Darkness and we were rewarded by life,” Draiken said, stroking her face. “You had to give up your life freely for the transformation to work. Now we may truly fly together. There will be no more pain. I promise.”
“Draiken…I need the pain. It makes me feel alive. I don’t understand this.”
“As I said, I will explain later, but now, let us take flight. Are the People ready?”
“They are, my son. Summon them.”
Daynel held her hands to her ears as a high-pitched shriek lifted from Draiken’s throat. She watched as he began to transform, his body growing again to the wondrous creature that blocked the sun from the sky. She looked around her as the People, including Modir, reached to the sky and their flesh turned to scale.
Draiken looked down at her, waiting.
“I don’t know what to do,” she whispered, shaking as she touched his scaled leg. He lifted a talon to touch the fang that hung from her throat. Daynel grasped it in her hand and, on impulse, stabbed her thumb upon its tip. A single blood of blood trickled down her hand and she felt her wings come to life. Draiken crouched low to the ground, offering his long neck for her to climb onto. Still naked, she straddled the cold, sparkling spine and wrapped her arms around his throat. With a roar, he launched himself into the air, followed by a hundred dragons in every color of the rainbow.
Higher and higher they climbed, their glistening scales catching the attention of the earth dwellers below. Power poured into them as faith was renewed by the thousands, and fervent prayers began to touch their hearts. Modir flew close, offering words of encouragement to the frightened young woman. Draiken said nothing, focusing upon one thought. Saving his sister and his family from the evil that was spreading.
“How long will we have strength to fly, Modir? You said the magic comes from those who believe,” Daynel asked, trying not to look down from their dizzying height. She had wrapped her wings about her body for warmth, wishing she had the protection of clothing.
“You are our source of strength, child. The people have discovered Ilesbet and Günter’s abduction by now, and their prayers are filling our hearts. Other humans have seen our flight and are adding power to the faith. We will win this battle now, my child. Fear no longer.”
“Clothe her, Mother,” Draiken suddenly spoke, feeling her shiver against his back. “She is delicate of nature. We cannot have her weaken now.”
“We forget about the needs of human flesh. I give you a warrior’s garb, my daughter.”
Daynel felt leather encasing her naked body, taking from her the cold that was bringing her to numbness. She glanced at her clothing. Dragon skin. And, at her side, her sword.
“This is the sword Günter gave me. How…”
“It holds the eye of an old one; therefore, it must join us on our quest. He will be allowed to sleep once it is over,” Modir
stated, banking to the right.
“But my brother killed one of your people. How are you not angry?”
“The old one wished to give himself to the man so that prophecy would be fulfilled and we would be freed. Our ability to fly in the earthly realms ceased fifteen years ago when evil offered the first royal sacrifice. It prevented us from coming to earth in the form of either human or dragon.”
“Ethan said he ridded himself of his brothers…”
“His first sacrifice happened the day that Ilesbet wedded your brother. The Great One was the strongest among us and was the only one able to break through the barriers to seek the priestess. He declared your brother the Guardian of Three at that time, and gave his life so that you might be protected.”
“What is the Three?”
“Truth, Peace, and Light,” Modir answered. “You, Princess, are the instrument to bring all three back to this broken world. We begin our descent. You must fly now, Daynel. Dragon skin is safe from weapons and fire, but our throats are vulnerable. We must beware of arrows.”
“You are of flesh, but magic will protect you. Spread your wings and fly, my love!” Draiken commanded, dipping suddenly. Daynel felt herself being flung from his back. Her wings caught her as she fell and she righted herself clumsily. It took only moments for instinct to take over and she soon soared beside her escorts with grace. She glanced at the setting sun. They had very little time before the sacrificial ceremony would begin.
* * *
Ilesbet looked up into the sky, still weak from the poisoned wine that has been given to her during her morning prayers the day before. Glittering rainbows sparkled before her eyes as she struggled to remember what had happened. Günter had accompanied her to the temple that morning and a woman dressed as one of the sisters had offered her refreshment before she departed. She had barely taken two steps when she collapsed in the arms of an unknown man. Günter had drawn his sword and was battered from behind by three others. Ilesbet swallowed back her tears. They had not harmed her or the babies. They were being saved for sacrifice.
Dare to Defy Page 16