His gaze was unreadable and solemn. Then the glacier blue of his eyes glistened with specks of red. I closed the distance between us, reached out slowly, and ran my fingers across his scales as they rose and fell on his chest. The more I touched him, the more the scales spread to form his dragon's hide. It was the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen.
He stepped back a few feet and his hands began to turn next and then his arms thickened and elongated. Fingernails became claw talons. He dropped to the ground and his torso shifted and changed. Black wings sprouted from his back, unfolded and rose past the treetops.
I stumbled back some more and took Carrick's transformation in. I looked on in amazement as a nearly twenty-foot dragon stared back at me. There was no question that this was Carrick. His piercing glacier blue eyes had never changed.
"Carrick," she said. "Your dragon is beautiful."
The dragon took a step forward; it's large body circling me, observing me, as if appraising me for the first time. Then it paused and lowered itself to the ground. My heart beats were so loud that I was certain we could be heard from a mile away. Surely, Carrick's dragon suspected how nervous I was. So nervous, that a little of my magic slipped from me and the ground directly below us began to vibrate. I lifted my fingers up level with my face. They were shaking. I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths telling myself that I would never accomplish what I set out to accomplish if I let fear control me. Within a matter of minutes, my fear left me. The atmosphere was still. The ground stopped rattling.
The dragon let out a sound akin to a moan and a puff of air from his nostril's fanned across my face. He dipped his snout lower. I knew what it meant. He wanted me to hop on. It was time to go.
When my fingers first made contact with the smooth leathery scales on the dragon's neck, I felt its breath hitch. I heard its heartbeats quicken beneath my fingertips. I wasn't the only one who was nervous. Careful not to hurt him, I wound my fingers around one of his back spikes and lifted myself on the back of the dragon.
He began to prowl into the clearing in the forest where the trees gave way to his large form. Just before the dragon leaped into the air and took flight, I pressed my eyes closed. I didn't open them again until we were high above the clouds. When I looked out before me, I declared this moment the most breathtaking moment for me, seeing my world from a different perspective. I held tightly to the dragon, even when my palms became sweaty from all the excitement. It didn't take us long to reach the next destination and the dragon landed just as gracefully as he rose.
I slid off the dragon when he came to a stop in front of large mountainous region surrounded by thick trees and boulders.
"Wow," I said, clutching my forehead. My chest rose and fell as I tried to catch my breath.
Carrick transformed back into his human form just as quickly as he took on his dragon form. His leather pants covered him again as if by magic. I almost wondered if that's why he always wore them. I'd seen him washing a few pair last night after we had dinner.
"You'll get used to it," Carrick said, passing me a thermos of fresh water.
"I don't think I'd ever get used to riding on the back of a dragon," I said.
"We'll stay here for now. We're not that far from the portal," Carrick said.
He parted some green vines and branches covering a rock formation before pulling on the handle of a doorway. It opened after several tugs and jolts. After the dust had settled, he lit a lantern, took my hand, and bent low to accommodate his height. He pulled the door closed behind him and set the lamp on a table near the entrance.
"Another guardian shelter?" I asked.
"Yes, an old one. Probably hasn't been used in year. Last I was here was maybe a decade ago."
"How old are you exactly?"
"Almost two centuries," he said without hesitation.
"Wow. My uncle definitely wouldn't approve," I said before I could stop myself.
Carrick chuckled. "Let me guess. I'm older than him?"
I nodded. "Much older."
I followed him deeper inside and took in my surroundings. Smaller than the hut we had left hours ago, the cave was dark, gloomy, and dry. It brought back memories of my childhood when I would take a drawing pad and pencil, hike far away from home through the forests of Natchez, find a cozy hiding place, and draw all day. I drew dolls mostly which had eventually inspired my love for creating them.
He lit another lantern in the center of the room, and the cave seemed to vibrate with life. The walls were covered in art carvings of figures and symbols. They looked similar to the ancient languages I had learned about so very long ago.
Carrick opened a chest nearby, and the old rusted hinges creaked. "I'll start a fire and heat up some food. Make yourself at home, if you can. This isn't modern, but the further we move away from civilization this is what we'll be presented with."
"It's okay. As long as I have food and water, I'll be fine," I told him.
"There's a stream behind the mountain. I'll have to check our surroundings before I take you out. As I said, I haven't been here in over a decade."
I moved about the cave as he gathered the supplies to make the fire. There were dozens of old, dusty books on a table. I picked up one of them.
"May I?" I asked.
"Yes, read anything you like," Carrick said. "You might find something that helps you. This shelter belongs to the realm guardians, so we kept some of our findings and notes here. Although half of us were dragon shifters, we were also made up of lycans, vampires, gargoyles, fae…so if there's a language you don't understand, I might know it."
I sat on a wooden bench with one of the leather-bound journals. "This one says L nine Book of The Shadows. What do the L and the nine mean?"
"It's a log, almost like a journal. Earth is the ninth realm. A log and observations about The Shadows on the ninth realm," he said.
"I'm willing to bet this log has something in it that we didn't already know even though The Shadows are all gone now."
"Who says they're all gone?" Carrick asked.
I froze and regarded him with a speculative gaze. "Yes, The Shadows no longer exist. The Trillium witches don't practice that type of magic anymore."
"Read," he said, his glacier blues eyes sharpening. "You may find something that surprises you."
Chapter 19
Leona
My belly was full of soup and my eyes were heavy as they dragged across the page of the journal trying to take in all the knowledge.
"Would you like some more?" Carrick asked, grabbing both bowls from the makeshift table.
"No, I've had enough," I said, without looking up from the notes.
I moved the candle closer to me on the table to cast away the shadows over the journal.
"Learning much?" he asked.
I looked up from the book. "Yes…it says here that there was a recent sighting of a witch who claimed to be of The Shadows. And the entry was dated only months before the demons breached Earth on a massive level. This goes against everything I was told by my elders and what I believe."
"Maybe your elders didn't know. The information you're reading isn't freely made available to everyone," he said, taking a seat at the table.
"But you made them available to me. Why?"
"Because I want you to know everything so you can make the very best decision," he said.
"Do you think I'm making the wrong decision about wanting to cleanse the Earth?"
"I haven't seen what you've seen."
"Well, what have you seen?"
"Hellfire can do irreparable damage. It can decimate continents, realms even. Anyone with the power to unleash it is a very dangerous person," he said.
I frowned. "You think I'm dangerous."
"Just let me point out that I'd never want to get on your bad side."
"I'm not that evil," I said, closing the journal and giving him my undivided attention. "Everything here rings true. The Shadows were devoted to raising the Demon King."
>
He eyed me incredulously. "Do you know how they'd accomplish such a task?"
"No, but the same spell that can raise hellfire from the pits of Blackwald is a variation of a spell that can raise the Demon King," I said. "That's a known fact in my coven. It is known, but there aren't that many Trillium witches around that can cast such a spell. It's almost impossible unless you have the right amount of knowledge and magic in your blood. It's the reason why the Grimoire containing the spells has been under lock and key since before this whole thing happened. I wonder if those that came before me knew that The Shadows were lurking about in our realm."
"What happened to the Grimoire?" he asked.
"My mother took it when the demons breached Earth. I keep getting these visions and I have no doubt that she took it into The Void. Either she's in that realm or the book is in that realm…or both. Something's there. I see it. I have to go. The elders and my uncle can only speculate about why she took it in the first. Some think she took it to get help with a spell, perhaps the same spell that I'm going to perform. However, others seem to believe she betrayed us and that she knowingly compromised us and the book."
Carrick shook his head. "But why would she compromise the book?"
"She wouldn't. She knows of the good and bad spells inside. I knew my mother well. She'd never do anything to hurt anyone. We don't practice black magic in our coven. Not anymore. Not since we became the Trillium from the ashes of The Shadows. Only Nightshade witches are known for black magic now. But they don't want to serve any king on any realm."
"Could a Nightshade witch raise the Demon King?"
"No, they couldn't. The power runs in Trillium blood, but that hasn't stopped them from wanting to get rid of the Trillium since they wish to be as powerful as we are. The only reason why they'd want to get the Grimoire is to find a way to destroy us."
"So, would you say that only a Shadows or Trillium witch could be behind the demon breach that decimated all the realms. I mean, it all adds up…if it wasn't your mother, if it wasn't anyone from your coven, then perhaps there's a Shadows witch still lurking around in plain sight."
I looked at the table for a moment to gather my thoughts. "I don't know, but I told my uncle I was tired of thinking about how all of this could happen. I realized that wasn't my place to think about what happened in the past. I told him to let the elders sit around a table and discuss the past while I go out and find my Grimoire to stop this thing now. I finally convinced him about a week ago to let me go."
"And here you are…"
"Yes, here I am. I have the power to stop the Demon King's army. The rest…well, the rest we'll have to worry about later. The true enemies will come to light eventually. People are dying on Earth…succumbing to demon attacks. Would the kings and queens on the other realms like to see this happen to humans while they sit on their thrones and hide within their realms? Humans aren't immortals, but all immortals sit on your council. Who speaks for the humans on these matters? Right now, our enemies are the demons, but they're not stupid. They'll start with the humans, grow stronger, and then they'll make their way to the other realms."
"You're clever for a young witch."
We sat in silence as the light from the candle dimmed and the interior became a dreary gray. The cave door remained closed to us, but I could tell from the scent of the breeze that whisked under the door that it was going to be morning soon.
Carrick met my gaze. "I was going to try to convince you that this isn't your battle to fight, but I don't think I'd win that argument anymore. I do see your point."
"Will you still help me?" I asked.
"Of course," he said, without hesitation. "After what I just learned, I'd shield your back if I had to."
I blushed. "I'd be grateful for that."
I got up and grabbed another book. Then I lit another candle and placed it in the center of the table. Carrick watched my every move.
"I think I'll read some more," I said, tracing the words on the book in my hand. “This one says L six Fire Breathers." I looked up at him. "That's about you, right? Fire breathing dragons on the sixth realm."
He grinned and his eyes sparkled with a bit of mischief as he took the book from my hand. His fingers made contact with my skin and desire instantly rose through me.
"I have an even better idea," he said. "Ask me anything you want about dragons or me and I'll tell you myself."
"Hmmm." I bit my lower lip. "Won't it be quicker if I just read the book? I mean, I do have a million questions."
"Quicker?" He took my fingers and admired my black painted nails, and then he pressed my fingers to his lips.
I gasped. His lips were not to the touch, burning against my cold fingertips.
"Are you sure you want quicker?” he asked.
"I…um…"
"I mean…why would you want to rush things?"
His eyes held mine in a trance and I felt my knees weaken.
"Careful now," he said, pulling me onto his lap. "I'd want to return a queen back to her coven all in one piece less they hex me."
"Oh, if that were the case, it wouldn't be my coven doing the hexing, dragon," I told him.
"Is that so, witch?"
Our lips were inches from touching. Our breaths fogged and mingled with one another's.
"I'd make it so. I think you understand me enough to know that I like taking care of my matters myself." I shifted on his lap until I was straddling him in the chair. "Do you understand that?"
"I understand you quite well, but do you understand what you're asking right here, right now?”
His manhood brushed against my thighs. I just couldn't resist. I knew I'd pay for this in the end, but I had never felt like this before and I didn't want the feeling to end.
I descended my lips on his. As if some outside force pushed us together, our mouths bonded in a kiss. His touch was soft and delicate, yet firm and responsive. I parted my lips and invited his tongue to meet hers. Our breathing grew heavy and we tasted of each other. I could feel his dragon between us, its power surging.
He slid his hands over my waist, hips, and thighs, and my body heated in response. I tangled my fingers in his hair and grasped the back of his neck as I brought myself closer to him. He groaned when my thigh grazed his already hardened cock.
"Carrick." I leaned back for air.
His lips dwelled along my collarbone. He continued to torture me as his tongue glided across my exposed neck and shoulders and then finally to the curves of my breasts. One small tug on my tank top and I was nearly exposed to him. My back arched as I offered myself to his tender kisses.
"You should tell me to stop. Now," he mumbled into my chest.
"Don't stop."
I pulled him closer, his lips to breasts. He kissed me there and I moaned his name.
Suddenly, he drew back. "This is a dangerous thing you ask me to do."
"A witch who can open portals. A dragon who can enter them. You, danger, and I work well together, don't you think?" It was supposed to come out as a joke, but when I finally said it, I realized how serious my statement was. I realized just how valuable this dragon was to me.
He dragged his lips from my neck and met my gaze. The intensity in his stare reminded me of the lightning bolts piercing the ground. A jolt of pleasure sparked between my legs. He kissed my again, hungrily this time. My curiosity got the best of me and I slid my hands down into the front of his pants.
Carrick closed his eyes and rested his head back against the chair. I cupped his thickness by the handful. I grabbed warm flesh and hard steel, and my hands tried to hold everything, but the tight squeeze in his pants and his large size prevented this. My breath hitched in shock when he grew even larger. Warm liquid coated my sex and my body clenched with desire.
He stood with my legs wrapped around him and took me to the bundle of plush sheets he'd spread out for me earlier. He placed me gently in the center. I lifted my shirt over my head with haste. As he sat back with his legs folded
under him, his eyes widened in surprised like he was fighting a battle between whether to pursue or stop.
"I want this," I reassured him. "It's okay."
I unclipped my bra and tossed it on top of the shirt. He came over me and his head lowered slowly. He sucked in a pebbled nipple between his lips. My back arched off the bed as a surge of pleasure shocked me. He supported my back with his hand and suckled each breast. Every tongue tug unleashed a fury of sensations through my body. I had never felt this way before.
Carrick's cock rubbed up into my belly as he came back up to kiss my lips. "I want to taste all of you, Leona."
He fumbled with my zipper and finally got it loose. He smoothed his palm across my belly, drawing circles around my navel. When he finally rid me of my pants, I felt the full heat of his body against mine. I arched into his embrace as our tongues danced together in excitement. His fingers traveled lower to trace the lace of my panties. My sex ached for him. I wanted to bury this urgent need once and for all. I wanted Carrick to help me do it.
I moaned as his fingers circumvented the thin silk fabric covering my sex. I spread my legs wider and his fingers dipped into my wet heat. He slid his digits down into my folds, stroking my slit. It only made things better, as my juices flowed around his roving fingers.
"I bet you taste just as sweet as you smell, beauty. I've never tasted a witch. I've never tasted anyone as beautiful as you."
He was most certainly a charmer. But I knew what I wanted. At this point, I didn't want to stop and I didn't want this pleasure to end.
I sucked in my breath, and my body convulsed at the deep sound of his voice as he whispered sweet words into my heated flesh. He left me for a moment, but it was only to rid himself of his clothes. When I saw his cock—thick, hard, and throbbing with need—my nipples beaded instantly and my sex grew even hotter.
Carrick came down over me again. He pressed heated kisses into my skin starting at the top of my head. Inch by inch, he caressed me with his lips and tasted me with his tongue. His heavy cock swept against my stomach and thighs as he went. My body would not be still, writhing uncontrollably beneath him.
Renegade (Shadow Realms): An Urban Fantasy Dragon Shifter Romance Page 9