Ethereal King

by Ariana Hawkes

  Anger speared through her. “Listen up, buster. I dated a bubba just like you. A redneck with an inflated opinion of himself, thinking the world owed him everything. Especially when his alcohol addiction got worse after his parents lost their restaurant, thanks to the tanking economy.” God, he’d been a dick with ears. It was one of the reasons Josie rarely drank herself. “He smothered me, telling me what to do all the time, acting like he owned me. I’m not doing that again. You’re not the boss of me.”

  “But I am of royal blood,” Xephyr protested.

  “Whoopie-damn-do.” She pushed him out of the room and closed the door on him.

  5

  After starting the fire, Xephyr sought out Boreas, his best friend and cousin. He found him sanding a piece of wood in the small cave Boreas had claimed for a workshop. Each flex of his arm made the clan tattoo around his bicep jump.

  “I have a human female sleeping in my quarters.”

  “Say what?” Boreas demanded, a frown emphasizing the thin crescent-shaped scar on his forehead. He pushed his messy black hair back from his eyes. “What is a human female doing in our encampment?”

  Xephyr ground his back teeth together, and his dragon huffed, as if he wanted to ignite a flame while still in human form. He focused impatiently on his friend. “Boreas, you have some nerve questioning me. I’m your damn prince. Show some respect.”

  Xephyr immediately regretted his harsh tone, remembering how much Boreas hated aggression. Boreas’ birth father had been a violent and abusive drunk, who beat Boreas’ mother. After her early death, the father disappeared and Boreas was adopted into the royal family. He’d had a happy and comfortable life with his adoptive parents, but Xephyr knew that the emotional and physical scars from his early childhood still lay deep inside.

  “I—I didn’t mean it that way, cousin.” Xephyr unclenched his fists, adopting a casual stance.

  “My lord.” Boreas touched his forehead in a salute and performed an equally ironic bow. When he straightened, mischief twinkled in his brown eyes. “I wouldn’t have questioned if you hadn’t just blurted it out like a yokel. Perhaps you could start at the beginning.”

  The dragon within growled in frustration as Xephyr paced. At the moment, as he stalked from one end to the other, the workshop felt inordinately tiny.

  “Several days ago I met two human females and a wolf in human form,” he ground out.

  “A wolf came to the island? How did he get here?”

  “By boat. With the females.” Xephyr’s dragon shuddered, and his firebox flickered. “The wolf isn’t important. The girl is. I think she is the one the Oracle predicted—the woman who is destined to help us.”

  “Why is this the first I’m hearing about your visit to the Oracle?”

  “If you recall, I’d just returned from my audience and you dragged me into a ball game. You know how that ended.” He stopped dead. It was Boreas’s fateful penalty shot that had banished them all to the substandard conditions they lived in now.

  Boreas ducked his head. “I have begged forgiveness for this many times,” he muttered, his tone heavy with remorse.

  “It wasn’t your fault,” Xephyr replied, but the words clawed at his throat. He’d always known deep down that any one of the dragons could have caused the tear in the ether, but in the days following the fall, it had taken all of his self control not to lay all the blame on Boreas’ shoulders, and he’d sent some very harsh words in his direction.

  “Xephyr, we’ve been in this place for three months,” Boreas said cautiously. “What’s the use in telling me about your trip to see the Oracle now?”

  Xephyr released an epic sigh. “Because I shouldn’t have ignored her words. The predictions she made were ridiculous, and I didn’t take any of them seriously. No one has taken her seriously since she went crazy. But then we fell here. Which was one of the things she’d told me about. And the woman was another. She said the woman would help us.” Xephyr growled.

  “Help us what?”

  Xephyr took up his pacing again. “I don’t know. She didn’t explain. Maybe with getting out of this place?”

  “What else did the Oracle tell you?”

  He shrugged. “That I’d become the leader of our people here in exile.”

  Boreas flashed a knowing grin. “Something Notus, Eurus, and I have all been attempting to get you to see. We all descend from royalty, Xephyr. But only you are destined to lead our people. Even here.”

  A responsibility Xephyr truly didn’t want. Back home, he was the spare to the heir. His older brother would become king, while Xephyr could spend his life as a playboy prince. Leadership came with too much responsibility and formality for his liking. But here, in this place, he was the highest-ranking dragon. That kind of made him king.

  Xephyr shook his head slowly. “We find ourselves in strange circumstances where the old power structure might not apply.”

  In this human world, nothing was certain. Everything was so different. People lived in tiny little shacks here. In Ethereum, everyone had a luxurious den, carved out of granite. And what was it with the weather here? It was so changeable. The first few months here were warm enough. But now, a hint of cool had crept into the breeze. If it kept getting colder, living in the caverns within the island’s mountains could be dangerous for dragons. The damp and cold could extinguish their flames. They were shit up to their waists, and they kept sinking deeper.

  “Perhaps it is time to exert your leadership,” Boreas said.

  “Perhaps.” Xephyr ran his fingers through the thick, unruly brown hair that came with his human form.

  “About the girl…” Boreas began.

  “She reminds me of home. She smells of elderus.”

  Boreas chuckled. “You think she smells like a flower?”

  “Do not give me grief. I will clip your wings and drown your firebox.”

  Laughing, Boreas held up his hands. “Wouldn’t think of it. Next time you meet some people, will you introduce me? Perhaps some human female will snare my attention the way your mate has captured yours.”

  “She hasn’t captured my attention. I’m just doing what the Oracle told me to do,” Xephyr snapped.

  “Are you certain? Your firebox glows each time you think of her.” He pointed to the center of Xephyr’s chest.

  Even through the T-shirt he wore, a telltale glow leeched through. Resisting the urge to cuff his friend’s temple, he did his best to dampen his dragon’s desire by thinking of ugly, miserable things—snakes, worms and malformed runts.

  Boreas laughed at his effort.

  “Get out,” Xephyr commanded.

  Boreas smirked. “You’re in my workshop.”

  Smoke and flame erupted from his nostrils. “When we find a way home, you will be staying here.”

  He stalked to the exit and back into the central cavern to get Josie for dinner.

  Josie studied the pieces of driftwood carved into shapes that lay on the table. There was a dragon with a full wingspan done in pale, smooth wood. She touched a finger to one shaped like a diamond. There were pieces of intricately shaped metal as well.

  “Josie, dinner is ready.” The sounds of Xephyr’s voice and his strides echoed from the tunnel on the other side of the door.

  She had picked up a hunk that resembled a rabbit when he burst into the room. The weight and texture surprised her. It was formed from the kind of iron rods they used in construction projects. “The detail in this is incredible.”

  Xephyr took it from her. “I found the metal shortly after we arrived. It was embedded in a rock in the harbor.”

  She looked at him with surprise. “You made this?”

  His unusual eyes glinted golden in the light from the torches. “It was something I could do to pass the time.” He reached for her hand and led her towards the door and through the tunnel. “My friends and I don’t have a lot to do. Mostly, we’ve been trying to find a way home.”

  Adjusting her eyes to the darkness outside, s
he stopped for a moment. “Do any of you have jobs?”

  He frowned, confused. “We all hunt for our meals and do things to make our lairs more habitable.”

  “I mean for money. So you can buy food instead of hunt for it. Or buy a house instead of living in caves.”

  He came close and stroked a fingertip over her collarbone. “If we built houses, it would be admitting we can never return to Ethereum. This is not acceptable. I must lead my people home. As for hunting, I bet this meat will be more delicious than whatever you are accustomed to.” He indicated a couple of seats next to the fire. “Please sit down.”

  Josie sat down, looking at the generous portions of meat that were lying on the grill. “It smells amazing. What is it?”

  “Deer.” Xephyr handed her a plate piled with meat, lowered himself on the seat next to her and dove hungrily into his own plate. It tasted amazing too. They savored the first few bites in silence.

  “This Ethe...rimum? Where is it?” Josie blurted out.

  “Ethereum.” Xephyr corrected. “It’s up and above the clouds. It’s hard to understand in human terms. Dragons actually used to live here before, but our ancestors abandoned this world centuries ago.”

  “Why did they leave?”

  “For many years, dragons peacefully shared this planet with your ancestors. But the day came when the humans began to covet the dragons’ wealth. A group of angry villagers attacked a dragon stronghold, killing a number of my ancestors and making off with their treasures. When the survivors healed, they began to raid the surrounding villages, taking back what belonged to them, using every tool at their disposal. Including fire and claws.

  “It was a horrific time for humans and dragons. The wars waged, and much life was lost. The humans were creative in finding ways to kill us, and we were not so good at finding ways to survive. War lasted hundreds of years until our species neared extinction.”

  A pang of sorrow tugged at Josie’s chest. “That’s awful,” she gasped. “What did you do?”

  “All dragonkind retreated to the deepest, hottest caverns in the earth and bided their time, while the oracles and rulers of our race sought another world to move to.”

  “So you all hid?”

  Xephyr stood and straightened, looking offended by her question. “We did not hide. We merely evaded.”

  “Oh, yes. I see.” Josie decided to spare him the comment that hide and evade pretty much mean the same thing. When she looked at him, the emotion on his face touched something inside her. “Continue please.”

  He threw some logs into the fire and sat back next to her.

  “The most powerful dragons and oracles joined together and wove a spell, allowing them to see past the barrier between this world and all others. When they found a suitable world devoid of other beings, they managed to tear a hole in the fabric between the universes wide enough to allow the remaining dragons and five oracles to escape.

  “During the evacuation, probably due to holding the rend open, five of the ten dragons did not survive the effort. To this day, we sing songs of their bravery.”

  Josie gently laid a hand on his arm. His skin felt much softer than she had expected. “Did any of your direct ancestors perish?”

  “My direct ancestors survived, and we became rulers over all the dragons. But now a tragic twist of fate has brought several of us back and trapped us here. We seek a way home daily. It is what I was doing when you and your friends first found me.”

  “That’s such a rich and sad history.” She stared at the fire for a moment, her thoughts racing through her mind. “I lost my mother when I was a child and I thought I knew what loss was. But I can’t even begin to imagine how it feels to lose your home. Your whole world.”

  “I’m sorry about your mother.” He looked at her, the sorrow visible in his eyes.

  She smiled at him and turned her face toward the fire, hoping its warmth would ease the lump in her throat. “Thanks for saying so. And I’ve been meaning to say, thank you for saving me from Cletus and Bruce today. They’ve been getting worse and worse lately, and I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t turned up when you did.”

  “I have observed they have violent intentions toward you.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “You have?”

  “Yes. While I was watching you from the sky. I actually planned to observe you for some time longer, but when I discovered those vermin were about to attack you, I couldn’t wait anymore.”

  Josie’s mouth opened and closed. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “You don’t need to say anything. The past is past. “Now, let’s discuss our dragonlets.”

  “Come again?”

  “Come where? I’m here already.”

  Josie shook her head. “What dragonlets are you talking about?”

  He squinted his eyes, looking at her as if she was more linguistically challenged than he was. “Our offspring. Children. I require an heir and a second. But I believe you were made for breeding. What do you think? Should we have six or seven dragonlets?”

  “What?” Josie bawled. She jumped up and started walking fast in the direction of the caves. He was quick to catch up to her.

  “Shhh. Dragons have exceptional hearing. It hurts when you screech that way.” He rubbed his ears, bending his head down to go through the low door of his cave.

  “Then stop saying stupid stuff,” Josie huffed. She stood in the middle of the room and propped her hands on her hips.

  He stared at her. “It isn’t stupid to wish to breed with my mate.”

  “Lunacy. I met you two minutes ago. You’re charming, yes. You sound like an interesting person, yes. You’re kind, sometimes. So I might want to practice the whole baby-making thing one day, but the dead last thing we should be discussing is having babies together.”

  His chest puffed up, as if his pride was larger than his giant body. “We do not need to practice. I have superior skills in this baby-making area.” He rested his butt on a table made of pine planks.

  “You already have children?”

  His eyes widened in confusion. “What!? No. What would make you think that?”

  “You said you have skills.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

  “All of the dragonettes I’ve pleasured have proclaimed me an excellent lover.”

  “Well, then you should mate one of them.” She felt perspiration breaking on her forehead. Her fingers trembled as she swiped the moisture away. “Why is it hot as blazes in here?”

  “My lair is above an extensive system of steam vents. We like the heat.” He lifted off the table and stalked slowly back to her. “As for your other question, they are not for my dragon. You are.” He reached her side and crowded her space.

  “Didn’t any of your women get sucked through the rip between— Hey!”

  He wrapped a hand loosely around her neck. “We were playing ball.”

  “I’m not playing anything with you!” Josie ducked under his raised arm and retreated to the other side of the table.

  “What?” He turned to face her, his brow furrowed. “No, I meant on Ethereum, before we fell. My friends and I were playing a ball game. Females do not play this game. They don’t even come to watch. So, no females fell with us to this place.” He made a step toward her.

  “There are plenty of other women in this world.”

  “My dragon chooses you.” He sauntered after her, circling the table, herding her toward the blanket-covered straw pallet he seemed to use as a bed.

  “Well, choose again, buster. I’m not interested.”

  He pulled up short, seemingly befuddled by her words. “Pardon?”

  “Take me home. Even if I wanted to, I can’t stay here.”

  He took a sharp breath. “You do want to.”

  “Nope. Take me back to Windpecking right now,” she insisted.

  “I told you it wasn’t safe for dragons to fly at night.”

  “You said except under extreme circumstances. Talk
ing about making babies and staying here as your mate qualifies as extreme.” She lifted her hands, as if that could stop him.

  “Stay with me, Josie. Please.” He croaked the last word. “I will stop talking about children and mating for now if you’ll just agree to stay with me.”

  She eyed him, doubting his words. “Do you promise to take me home tomorrow?”

  “If you still wish it, after getting to know me and my friends, then yes. But you must give me a chance.” The sincerity in his eyes was sweet.

  “Then I’ll stay. But…”

  “But what?” He gave her a big, boyish smile, his gratitude making her feel better about her decision.

  “But you can’t stay in here with me,” she blurted.

  “This is my lair. Why should I leave?”

  “Because I asked nicely?”

  He shook his head vehemently. “No. This is my home here in this world. I will not vacate, even for my mate.”

  “Well, I guess we’re back to you taking me home then.”

  “Are you giving me an ultimatum?”

  “Ha, there’s a big word you understand.”

  “Of course, I understand. Even in my world we have ultimatums like this. And in my world, you could lose your wings for giving one to a prince of the royal blood.”

  Josie turned in a circle, reached behind her back, then over her shoulder. “Look, Xephyr. No wings. Your threat doesn’t scare me. You don’t scare me.” Nevertheless, her voice quavered.

  He took a few steps toward her, bent until he was nose to nose with her, and let out a puff of smoke. “Fine, for tonight, I will leave you here alone. But only for tonight.”

  He straightened, stomped to the door, then spun. “By the way, you should be wary of the large, hairy wolf spiders and lizards who also live here. Like me, they’ll probably enjoy taking a bite of you.”

  The door slammed behind him and rattled against the rock walls surrounding Josie.