He withdrew his finger and she helped to tidy them both with the cleansing fire. He dropped back to the bed and she had to turn her head to ask him, “Are you going to let me down or I am just to hover here all night? It’s getting cold.”
“I beg your forgiveness.”
Her body was turning to face him. Ever so slowly, he pulled her down on top of him. It felt wonderful—he was so warm. “If you take Hospitality this seriously during my entire visit, I think I may start going to bed after you do.”
“Then I will take to naps after lunch to make sure that I can still outlast you.” His chuckle was from deep in his chest. Since she was on top of him, she felt every breath he took.
A snapping noise tore the air and he rolled off his ponytail, dumping her onto the bedding. Another open band came up in his hand and he looked bemused in the dim light.
“Okay, D’hai. What is the deal with the bands? You look so surprised when they come off.” She took the band from him and it snapped shut at her touch.
She propped her head on her fist and looked at her magical lover.
“They are tied into our traditions of bonding and marriage.”
“What do they do?”
“Nothing, unless the right woman comes to the man after he has had them put in place. Each emotional barrier that they surmount loosens one of the bands. Only a bond between the two can start the process of snapping the bands.”
“Where does marriage come in?”
“If the match is certified by a matchmaker, a marriage will take place.”
“And if it isn’t?”
“Then the couple live as bonded companions for the rest of their lives or until the bond fades. Their children have a harder time of it…if they have children. They live outside the villages and usually do very well. They only miss the protection of the villages in case of bandit attack.”
“That doesn’t sound right. Why do the matchmakers get the final say?”
“They can see if a match is meant to be forever, if the pair resonates together on the spiritual plane. The bands determine the emotional and physical.”
“So, how long have you worn the bands?” She trailed her fingers over the dragon on his chest, delighting in the glow that she caused at the contact.
“Twenty-six years. They were put on at my maturity.”
Myka was stunned. She trailed her fingers over his face. He looked only a little older than her twenty-seven years.
“What? You are uncharacteristically quiet.”
“You don’t look that old. I guess Dremarai are gifted with long life spans.” She pondered children with the man under her hands and had the thought that if she did ever get pregnant, they would be cute little Smurfs. The earlier Healers had assured her that the Dremarai did not have pregnancies outside of their mating bonds.
“How long does your species live?” He stroked her brow, her temple and her jaw line.
“A hundred years if we are lucky. The average is seventy-seven.” She smiled.
His silver eyes were suddenly intent.
“How old are you?”
She laughed. “On my world you would be slapped for that. I am twenty-seven.”
“Perhaps your life would be extended if you joined to a new planet.”
“It is not an option. A contract binds me to the Alliance as surely as your family controls you.”
He drew her close and tucked her against him, flipping blankets over them both.
His voice soothed her into sleep. “We will see. Bonds can be broken.”
Chapter Eight
Entering the village of Sahage, Myka saw an unfamiliar sight. It seemed the inhabitants were preparing for some sort of festival. She looked over to D’hai and raised an eyebrow.
He moved closer to her, steering his horse with his knees. “They are preparing for the first night of alignment. Tonight the moons move close enough to trigger the change in those who have been showing signs. Tomorrow night, it will activate magic in all who are of age to take their full place in the community. The last night is a party for those who have come into their power.”
“It starts tonight?” A worry she couldn’t place ran through her body.
“It does. There are not many women here for you to see. You will be safe in the inn when the festivities start. You don’t have to participate.”
She nodded. “I will think about it. It might help me with the understanding of your people.”
“It might do more than that.” His smile warmed her, an anticipation in his eyes that she couldn’t place.
He was correct, there were only three women that she needed to see and each was in excellent health. Her concern was the delivery. The thing that these women were most afraid of was their due dates. That was when their chances slipped from good to fair.
It worried Myka, more than anything else, that she would not be able to reach these women in time to deliver their healthy and active babies. D’hai had provided her with a scroll, brush and ink, so she began to make notes about the women and their villages, as well as the progress of their pregnancies.
D’hai joined her for an early meal. After they had eaten, he asked her the question she had been wondering about all day. “Do you wish to come with me to the festival?”
“I think I do. Is there something special I should wear, or is my travel clothing acceptable?”
“There are some more appropriate clothes on the bed in our room. Something a little lighter.”
She looked into his eyes and saw that he knew she was going to attend. “Please excuse me then. I wish to appear appropriate for the event.”
“You are excused, but return here for dessert after you have completed your change.” His tone informed her that if she took too long, he would come after her.
A servant led her to their room and she wasn’t surprised to see D’hai’s saddlebags right next to hers. The bright clothing laid out for her surprised her. It was the first wild colour for clothing that she had seen since she arrived on Dremarai. The clothing was usually a subdued colour with the decor and private residences being decorated in wild and vibrant ways.
The blouse that she was to wear was a violent violet, the skirt a matching colour. No undergarments were provided, so she just slipped on the sandals with the matching violet straps and took stock of how she felt.
The elaborate braiding of the previous villages had been altered into a more subdued set of braids radiating from her temples to bind the long flow of her hair down her back. It was far more comfortable than the other arrangements. Her blouse draped over her shoulders, across her breasts and left her abdomen and its tattoos completely bare.
The skirt had a jagged hem darting between the top of her feet to the centre of her thighs, it spun out beautifully when she twirled. Tiny beads in the hemline made it spin out straight. A small knock at the panel preceded the servant coming in and the look in the woman’s bright eyes was both approval and amazement.
“Master Elite D’hai sent me to fetch you.”
“I assumed as much.” She took a few steps toward the door.
“You look lovely and your marks are glowing. It will be a good night for you.” She smiled and bowed low as Myka approached.
Startled, Myka looked down to see that her tattoos were indeed glowing. She glanced out the window to see the darkening of the skies. It was almost time to go out and see these people at their most relaxed, waiting for the new members of the community to join them.
Myka made her way back to the private dining room and when she entered, Elite D’hai got to his feet. “More beautiful than I had anticipated.”
“Thank you, Elite D’hai.” She bowed formally. “When do we go to the festival?”
“There is some time yet. The moons are not up.” He gestured for her to sit and then resumed his place across from her. “Have I mentioned that you look lovely?”
“Yes. Yes, you have. Thank you, Elite D’hai.” Her smile would not be contained. She did notic
e that he didn’t comment on her glowing marks though. That one clue let her know that he expected the marks to flare until they were illuminating the room.
Dessert was a lovely iced fruit creme made with the first ice of the season. Long, elegant spoons were provided to deliver the food out of the common bowl.
Elite D’hai was delighted. “I have not had this since I was a child. The Neer Mountains provide the ice, but it has to be summer before you can get into the passes and I am always at the Prefect’s court during the summers.”
He took a scoop and when his mouth closed over the spoon, his eyes closed in bliss.
She couldn’t help it, she laughed. He looked so happy—it was a way to share his joy.
His grin stayed in place as he took another scoop of the creme. This one he aimed toward her and smirked, “Open your mouth.”
The suggestive nature of the command sent a blush through her skin. Myka opened for the spoon and when the icy, sweet, fruity creme slid down her throat, she moaned. “Oh, that is good.”
His eyes were glowing, the dragon on his chest was starting a slow circle and he brought another scoop to her lips, smiling for her to open again.
She obediently opened her mouth and a shiver went through her as the icy sweetness rippled through her. “Mm. That is good. I thought that you were in love with this dessert, why feed it to me?”
“Because as much as I enjoy it, I enjoy watching you savour it more.”
Another scoop was in front of her and while she wanted to eat it, she had an alternate idea. She took her own spoon and offered him a bite.
Her nipples hardened at his obvious enjoyment, so she dipped her head forward to take the melting treat. Her skin was pebbling with pleasure and she enjoyed the next half hour more than any other moment she could remember while they fed each other.
They ended the dessert in a manner she would never have imagined. Fingers replaced spoons to catch the last of the creme and as she sucked slowly on his fingers, he did the same to hers, the strong tugging at her digits pulled strings low in her belly and the scent of her arousal was starting to perfume the air. It was hard not to squirm as she knelt at the tableside, but when they washed their hands, he sat back with a satisfied smirk on his face.
“Shall we attend the festival?” He rose and drew her to her feet, letting her sway against him for a moment. Her body was sensitised by their light play and she wanted nothing more than to drag him off to their room to see what he did when she sucked on things other than his fingers, but her curiosity overrode her hormones.
“Yes. Let’s go to the festival.”
Grinning with his pointed teeth showing, D’hai took her by the hand and pulled her out of the inn and into the festive air of the village.
The usually solemn Dremarai were alive with laughter and enjoyment. Food vendors were up in the village square, everyone was imbibing in the variety of snacks and beverages available. It was quite the party.
The women that Myka had seen that afternoon were in the square and they came to her to praise both her clothing and her markings. She had fun speaking to them in a more casual manner, enjoying the atmosphere of the festival with a fevered excitement that was a surprise to her.
Something was going to happen this evening—she could feel it.
When the villagers grew silent and faced the moons, Myka joined them. She was not surprised by the solid presence of D’hai at her back.
As the celestial beings completed their first moment of alignment, a beam of white light emanated from their surfaces and blasted down to the surface of Dremarai. It struck the village squarely and on Myka’s left and right, men and women gasped and screamed as the power flowed through them.
Myka lifted her chin and did not make a sound. She absorbed the light flowing over her and let it lift her up above the village. She could see the transformation into magical animals on the ground under her and her wings stretched restlessly, an urge to fly across the landscape gripped her.
Wings? I don’t have wings. Her arms stretched and the blue-feathered appendages came into her field of view. She took stock of her body. She also had a tail, clawed feet and a very long neck. I am a bird? Weird.
She flew a few lazy laps around the village before a blue-white streak came toward her. D’hai. His dragon form still bore his unmistakable scent, a scent that her new form could easily pick out of the air.
Myka, you are quite beautiful in that shape.
She circled him slowly and watched as he flew without flapping his arms. Come to think of it, she didn’t need to do more than steer with them. Her body was keeping her up using a means she was unsure of. What shape?
You are a phoenix, my love.
That was interesting news—she really needed a mirror. Am I? I thought I was just a big bird.
He chuckled in her mind, a lovely sound. You are the most rare and exotic of birds, burning with the fires of magic and rebirth.
A burning urge took her over. Can we fly? I want to fly, race across the skies.
Of course, love. The High Prefect has requested our presence, so we can fly back to his palace.
Excellent, I would love that. She paused, moving silently through the skies. Which way do we go?
Come with me, beloved. I will direct your flight. The dragon came close to her and nudged her with his head. They soon streaked through the sky in a blue and white trail of magic and fire. Myka was faster than D’hai, but he knew where he was going and she did not, so she looped around and around him as they flew.
At last, in the early morning hours, she saw the palace under her and was confronted with something she needed help with.
D’hai, I don’t know how to land.
His laughter swept through her mind. Slow down as much as you can and get low to the ground. Aim for the gardens. If you can, shift back to your human form when you land and if not, wait for me.
Okay. She startled servants on early-morning errands as she swept close to the ground, her tail of fire extending her body length to thirty feet. In a large, open spot in the gardens, she slowed rapidly and hovered above the ground until she could bring herself to drop her body slowly onto the grass.
How to become human again was far more difficult. She tried to remember her hands and feet, but they kept slipping from her.
Finally, as if she had summoned him, D’hai was standing in front of her. She saw someone behind him and blinked as she noticed the High Prefect behind him.
Why is he here?
D’hai laughed, his hair flowing loose in the morning air and stroked her fiery feathers. “It is his house, Myka. Now, concentrate on remembering how it felt the first time we touched. Remember my hands on your skin, stroking, touching, caressing each silken inch of you.”
The memories flowed through her like molten gold. She could picture his hands on her thighs, wrapped around her hips, cupping her breasts.
Myka took a deep breath and let the fire flow back into the sky, knowing she could now call it when she needed it. What remained of her was now a Healer of the Alliance. Naked as the day she was born.
“High Prefect. Good morning.” She bowed gracefully from the waist and as D’hai draped his robe over her, she noted the High Prefect was laughing.
Chapter Nine
After she had been taken to a room to be given a change of clothes, Myka yawned heavily. It had been quite a night.
D’hai replaced the maid that had been helping her and he turned her toward him. “You did wonderfully last night.”
“Did I? It all seemed very natural, whatever it was.” She smiled and could feel sleep creeping up on her. “Can I sleep now?”
He laughed and cuddled her against him. “Not quite yet. We are summoned before my father.”
“Okay. Let’s go.” Breathing in his scent sent part of her on alert and the rest of her just wanted to cuddle.
He laughed again. Ripples of fascination rolled down her spine and she straightened to meet his gaze.
�
��Ready?”
“Ready.”
He led her, arm in arm, to the main audience chamber that seemed a world away from the last time she had been there. Myka saw the courtiers in bright and vivid colours, their magic now visible. The High Prefect flickered with a large gold dragon writhing on his chest and she saw the incredible amount of power that this race held in check.
Suddenly the degradation of the women’s bodies began to make a bit of sense.
She bowed formally and waited for the High Prefect to speak. The words that emanated from him shocked her to the soles of her little sandals.
“The Alliance has given you to us as a lost member of our bloodline.” He was waiting for her reaction. He ignored the stunned reaction of the court.
“Have they? You must have given them good reasoning, High Prefect.” She was more than stunned, she was hopeful. The Dremarai would not have asked for her without reason and she hoped that the reason still had a grip on her hand.
“We sent them a transmission of your transformation. They were quite happy to hand you over to us at that moment.”
“Wait. How did you see that, High Prefect? I transformed for the first time miles from here.” Myka was stunned.
“The magic touches all. As High Prefect, I know and can see where the magic dwells. I can also send those images where I choose.” He flicked an imaginary bit of dust from his chair. “Now for the second matter, my son has asked for your hand in marriage.”
Myka tried to jerk her hand away from D’hai’s and flinched as he held on tighter.
“There is one problem with that, you are not of a Dremarai family. You have no social standing aside from your talents as a Healer.”
Despair claimed her.
A whisper came from D’hai, “Wait.”
“My son claims your love and that you have removed the bands placed on him at manhood.”
It took all of her effort to keep her voice cool. “If he says so, it must be so, High Prefect.”
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