“I told you so,” I replied. “It doesn’t even hurt so much anymore. Sadly, it’ll be a while before I can fly, if not a whole day, a few hours at least.”
“Past nightfall,” he said, understanding. “Don’t worry, Dini. I’ll keep you safe.”
For some reason, the nickname my friends used for me sounded different, sensual coming from his lips. I shivered, and he immediately noticed. “Are you cold?”
I shook my head. “I can’t get cold or hot. I have my magic to keep me comfortable.”
He wrapped a clean white bandage around my arm, humming thoughtfully. When he was done, he tilted his head inquiringly at me. “So you have magic then. Why didn’t you use it on me? Why didn’t you defend yourself?”
I felt a little uncomfortable at his words. The truth was that, while in theory, I had the power to summon all sorts of devastating spells, I’d never tried any of them. I intellectually knew how to make a person burst into flames, but I couldn’t actually do it. I knew how to freeze the very blood in someone’s body, but I couldn’t act on it.
My parents were a red fire dragon and a blue ice dragon. Usually, the resulting offspring from such a match could have either fire or ice affinity, but I’d ended up purple—a fairy dragon. This meant I had no affinity, just a lot of raw magic that I couldn’t really use until I discovered how.
“That’s a sore spot, isn’t it?” Kirril asked, obviously noticing my anxiousness. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“You’re not prying,” I replied automatically. With a sigh, I amended, “It’s just that…I’m a dragon. I should be strong and be able to protect my friends.”
“Speaking of which,” Larue piped up before I could fall too deep into self-pity. “Tell us, Kirril, why exactly are you here? Humans don’t visit Merlinia on a regular basis, you know.”
Kirril froze, his hands stilling on my shoulder. He glanced at Larue, then back at me, with an expression that looked, for lack of a better word, hunted. One would think that Larue and I were the slayers, not him. When Vesper joined us and knelt by my side, he actually released me.
“What is it?” I asked, unable to control my curiosity and, yes, my apprehension.
The slayer looked away, and for a few moments, he remained silent. I was puzzled at his behavior. He almost seemed…remorseful?
At that thought, realization dawned. I recalled the crossbow and the large sword. I remembered the way the mare had urged him to catch me. With a gasp, I shot to my feet. “You came here to hunt dragons, didn’t you?”
I’d called him a slayer in my mind, but until now, I hadn’t actually grasped how appropriate it was. He got up as well, lifting his hands as if to point out he was harmless. “Look, I didn’t know you were shifters. I wouldn’t have gone along with it if I had.”
“Gone along with what, exactly?” I inquired, almost dreading the reply.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, obviously nervous. “Arthuria and Morganna are planning to strengthen their alliance through a political marriage between my brother and the Morgannian princess. But the Morgannians have little faith in our skills, due to our lack of magic. Their king demanded that we slay a dragon and bring him its head as proof of our ability to contribute.”
My knees buckled at his words, and I nearly fell over. Tears blurred my vision. I could not believe my mate would be such a cruel man. Even with an alliance at stake, there should have been another way to convince Morganna to cooperate.
“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I truly didn’t know.”
“That’s no excuse,” I snapped back at him, suddenly invaded by anger. “Were your countries in danger to wage war?”
“No,” he replied sedately. “It’s mostly about trade agreements and such.”
“So you were going to kill an innocent creature just because one man had a whim. Is that it? And if I hadn’t been a shifter, you wouldn’t have seen anything wrong with it.”
I distantly registered the forest growing restless in answer to my outburst of fury. I’d never been so upset in my life, not even when I’d left my tribe. “Let me tell you something. If you kill any beast without need for the resource it provides, it’s still a crime. You humans…How can you not understand that? How can you slaughter the children of nature for sport?”
Even Vesper looked a little uncomfortable at my words, probably remembering his own insistence to hunt the fawn. But unlike Vesper, who in the end had wanted to catch prey for its meat, Kirril had planned to hunt down one of my kind just for the pleasure of a foolish king.
I half expected to hear more excuses and apologetic words, but he remained silent. My harsh breathing sounded obscenely loud in the heavy silence. Finally, he spoke, his voice so low it was nearly inaudible. “I don’t even know what to say. Before meeting you this day, before hurting you and hearing you just now, I didn’t realize how foolish I was. I could have easily killed you, and only your friends’ intervention kept me from doing so. And still, even then, I did not realize that simply destroying a life, no matter whom it belongs to, is wrong. It looks like the Rainbow Brick Road truly did lead me to destiny.”
As one, Larue, Vesper, and I released a sound of distress. Saying the name of the path was just asking for trouble. Even Magda let out a small unsettled whinny.
Our anxiety proved to be justified, as the path started to shift around us. All of a sudden, reality began to shift, blurring confusingly, this time not because of tears. I swayed and would have fallen had Kirril not caught me. When I recovered, however, I found in distress that I’d been right to fear the path’s whimsical nature.
“Where are we?” Magda asked.
I looked around, but I couldn’t recognize anything. There was no sign of the Laughing Forest at all. In fact, the mountains where my cave lay hidden had entirely disappeared as well. The only thing that remained the same was the path, now sweeping through a green, strikingly quiet plain.
“The Forgotten Steppes,” Larue whispered, shivering.
“Well, that sounds appropriately ominous,” Kirril commented. “How do we go back?”
I glanced at Larue, but he shook his head, looking a little frightened now. “We’re somewhere east of the Laughing Forest now, but I couldn’t swear by it. And even then, we haven’t got a chance to get home by nightfall.”
If our situation had been dire before, it seemed even more so now. “This is all your fault,” Vesper fumed at Kirril. “You hurt Dini, and you said those words, and now we’re stranded in the middle of nowhere.”
“Calm down, Perry,” I told him. “We’ll find someplace to sleep, and tomorrow, we’ll head back.”
Or so I said, but there was only an endless ocean of green as far as the eye could see. With a sigh, I started to walk in the direction Larue suggested our home might be. I didn’t even look at Kirril, still too hurt about what he’d revealed. It just seemed unfathomable that my mate, my other half, would do and think such things.
I walked in silence, Vesper and Larue by my side. Kirril and Magda followed us, and I was distantly aware that Kirril had decided against riding, instead choosing to go on foot like me. Countless questions appeared in my mind. This morning, my life had been simple, but now, I had a mate I didn’t understand and was lost in a land unfamiliar to me. What in the world was I going to do?
Chapter Four:
In Which Night Falls
I wasn’t a nice guy. Growing up, I’d always caused trouble for my tutors and more often than not blamed whatever I did on one of my brothers. Medwin was often forced to intercede in my favor, much to his distress. Leonard didn’t even try, as he tended to be even less nice. But that was a different matter altogether. This was about me, not him.
Truth be told, I’d never really cared about what others thought. I respected my position, but I didn’t shy away from showing who I really was. Sometimes, I’d been a real bastard in my zeal.
Now, for the first time in my life, I felt ashamed. I felt narrow-minded and stu
pid. In my heart, I’d always resented Morgannians for considering my people inferior. It seemed they hadn’t been so wrong after all.
The memory of Dineiro’s tears haunted me as we quietly walked down the winding path. I watched him walking in front of me, his spine ramrod straight, his long hair swishing in the wind. Of course, I had to admit that it wasn’t just remorse that had me looking at him. He remained naked—dragons didn’t seem to have any modesty whatsoever—and the sight of his pert little ass had my cock hard and straining in my leather pants. Who could have blamed me? In the end, I was only a man and Dineiro so beautiful it hurt.
“You’re in trouble, aren’t you?” Magda whispered. “You like him.”
My dragon showed no sign of having heard her, but the rabbit-shifter, Vesper, twitched. I pulled on Magda’s reins a little, and she released a snort of discontent. Honestly, I disliked the thought of causing her discomfort. Ever since I’d received her as a gift from Medwin, she’d been my closest friend. Unfortunately, under these circumstances, I couldn’t exactly confess my deepest emotions since all those present would overhear.
Much to my dismay, Magda’s comment triggered an unexpected reaction from the pixie. Larue left Dineiro’s side and fluttered back toward me.
“So tell us, Kirril, what does a prince do when he isn’t out slaying dragons?”
He arched a brow at me, and even if he was small, I could swear I saw a threat in his eyes. I wondered what it meant, and why exactly he had approached me. Was he giving me a chance to make amends somehow, to convince Dineiro that I wasn’t so bad after all? Why?
“Mostly, we ready ourselves to one day take over the country. The first son is the crown prince. If there are other offspring, their role is to assist their brother. I’m the youngest of my siblings, and generally, I deal with military aspects. My older brother Medwin is studying to be an advisor in all things administrative. Basically, we’ll one day become Leonard’s sword and shield.”
“And you have no problem with that?” Larue sounded genuinely curious. “I mean, it seems like you got the short end of the stick.”
“Not really, no. My brothers and I are very close. It’s one of the reasons why I agreed on this confounded journey in the first place. Medwin has a soft spot for the Morgannian princess, and he’s not very good with fighting and such.”
“So you’re matchmaking.” Larue smirked. Was it my imagination, or had Dineiro slowed down a little? “That’s nice.”
“Probably just makes things worse.” I sighed. “I think if Medwin realized how cruel we’ve been, he’d be horrified.”
Much to my shock, Dineiro finally turned to me. “Do you really think you were cruel, or are you just saying so because I pointed it out?”
“I’m a soldier, Dini,” I replied. While I understood his point, it was unfair for him to judge Arthurian beliefs when he didn’t truly understand them. “For me, life has only been valuable insofar as it benefited my country. It might sound cynical, but it’s our way. Arthurians don’t have magic like you or Morgannians. All we have is cold, hard iron. We can’t afford to think with our hearts. But yes, I do realize we were cruel. I’m afraid in some regards, it can’t be helped.”
Larue glowered at me, huffing, but Dineiro’s eyes widened with realization. “I was cruel to you as well, wasn’t I?” he asked in a whisper.
“Don’t be silly.” I scoffed, walking a little faster to reach his side. “I injured you and actually planned to behead one of your kind. You have every right to be angry. But, please, try to understand.”
He nodded sagely. “Things in life are rarely black and white.”
As he scanned the distance, he suddenly shivered. On impulse, I took off my cloak. “You’re cold. Here, let me.”
I only remembered what he’d said about him never getting cold after I’d wrapped it around his shoulders. Still, he smiled and said, “Thank you. It’s not a physical chill, but this does help.”
“I really am sorry,” I said. “It’s my fault we’re stranded here in the first place.”
“Perhaps,” he answered, “but things rarely happen without a reason. I’m convinced we’ll find our way back.”
This time, when we fell into silence, it was no longer strained by fury and discomfort. We’d cleared the air a little, and while we still couldn’t fully understand each other, at the very least we could continue our journey without being at each other’s throats.
Naturally, attacking Dineiro again was the last thing I had in mind. Cancel that, I actually did consider pouncing on him, but only to kiss the hell out of those lips and caress his creamy skin to see if it was as soft as it looked. I wanted to hear his sweet, soft voice cry out in pleasure as I took him. Great Gods be damned, I craved him too much for it to be sane. I was both thankful and dismayed that he’d accepted my cloak. It covered him a little, keeping me from seeing his lovely slender shaft and his delicate sac. On second thought, it might have been better if he hadn’t worn the damn thing. If I couldn’t touch him, seeing him would have to do.
When he gave me an inquiring look, I shook myself, struggling to control my errant dick. As a shape-shifter, he probably had advanced senses and could detect my arousal, but that didn’t mean I could just turn into a mindless rutting beast.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, his friends decided I was getting a little too close to Dineiro. Vesper melted into his rabbit shape and jumped into Dineiro’s arms, cuddling close to him, while Larue decided it was a good idea to fly between us, creating an invisible barrier of pixie dust.
Dineiro sneezed. “I’m allergic to it,” he explained sheepishly as he put some space between us.
Suppressing a sigh, I resigned myself to the fact that earning Dineiro’s trust and affection wouldn’t be easy. Gods, I didn’t even know why I wanted it. By rights, I should have been apprehensive of him. He was a dragon after all, and I had been taught that these beings were dangerous and cunning.
But in spite of what I’d told Dineiro, Arthurians did sometimes think with their hearts, and I was doing it now. Or maybe my cock was the true culprit. Either way, I planned to explore my strange desire to be with Dineiro. In spite of Vesper and Larue’s presence, it seemed that I’d have plenty of time to do so.
“So that’s why you sneezed back then,” I commented idly. “I admit it surprises me a little.”
“Surprised me, too,” Dineiro admitted. “I mean, I’m a fairy dragon. Even if I haven’t discovered my affinity, I should at least be able to commune with all magical creatures.”
“We do commune,” Larue protested. “It might be something about my physiology that you’re allergic to.”
The topic obviously upset him, and he also appeared to be getting tired. His small wings could hardly keep up with the brisk pace we used in our attempt to find shelter. I felt bad for the little guy. Both he and the rabbit were protective of Dineiro, something I appreciated a lot. He’d also given me another chance to approach the dragon, so I could extend an olive branch, too.
“Speaking of which,” I told him, “come here. You look tired. I’ll give a lift while you rest your wings.”
“Who do you think you are?” Larue growled angrily, blowing pixie dust in my face. Fortunately, I’d anticipated this reaction and ducked before he could blind me. “I’ll have you know that I’m perfectly—”
“Maybe he’s right, Larry,” Dineiro said. “I mean, given that nightfall will soon arrive, it’s better to be ready.”
He released a frustrated huff, but nevertheless agreed and reluctantly sat on my shoulder, crossing his small legs and pouting. After a while, he leaned on my ear, which I admitted was a little strange. It was worth it, though, because it made Dineiro smile.
“What?” I asked him. “I’ll have you know I have experience with people who tend to push themselves.”
“Your brothers?” the dragon guessed.
I nodded, shocked that I was sharing so much private information with him. “Leonard in particular goes c
ompletely overboard. Between Medwin and I, we manage to get him to take a breather. I suspect that at times, he feels nothing he ever does will suffice to prepare him for leading the country. He has some pretty big shoes to fill.” Our father was a great king and making Arthuria far more prosperous than our neighbors had ever thought it would be. It was only because of our wealth that Morgannians were even considering strengthening the tentative truce between our nations into an alliance.
But I didn’t want to think about that now. Instead, I focused on my companion and asked him, “What about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
His small smile faded at my question. “I’m not sure,” he replied quietly. “Perhaps I do. I left my tribe a long time ago.”
I frowned at his words. “Surely you can’t have lost touch with them. I mean, you’re so young. When exactly did you leave?”
“It’s been two years,” he answered. I was a little taken aback since two years didn’t seem to warrant that kind of sadness. Then, he amended, “Pardon me. Two dragon years. In your time, it would be…Two hundred, give or take?”
“You’re two hundred years old?” I practically screeched. “Gods be damned…Are you serious?”
And here I’d thought he must be younger than me. He barely looked twenty, if that. He winced at my less than positive reaction. “I am young, in dragon terms.”
Damn it. I’d made him self-conscious. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded,” I hastily said. “I was just shocked. Let me guess…Your two friends are in a similar situation.”
“Quite,” Larue replied, flicking my ear. “You’re beginning to learn, human. By the time you reach our age, you might actually understand the world a little.”
I fell quiet at that. I would never live as long as they did. It was an undeniable fact I never even thought about. Somehow, it made me sad now, and not for the obvious reason. I didn’t fear death. What saddened me was to realize just how fundamentally different Dineiro and I were.
My Mate's a Dragon Slayer? Page 3