Playing With Fire: Dragons Of The Darkblood Secret Society

by Meg Ripley

  Arach landed just outside the massive stone house and waited until she slid from his back to shift back into human form. He took her hand and led her along another stone hallway back to the bedroom. She noticed that the walls of the hallway featured swathes of purple velvet, a sign of royalty.

  When they reached the bedroom, Arach swept Aurora into his arms so he cradled her against his chest as he walked toward the bed. He set her on her feet at the edge of the bed and she felt his hands come to the back of her gown. The corseting strings released and he peeled the dress away from her body, letting it fall to the floor at her feet. She wore only white satin panties beneath and he lowered himself to his knees in front of her so that he could draw the damp cloth down her thighs and guide them off her feet.

  Taking her hips in his hands, Arach dipped his head forward and used his tongue to mimic the skilled movements of his hand the first time she had seen him in human form. The tip focused intensely on the swollen pearl of flesh at her peak and Aurora tossed her head back to let out a cry of pleasure. Stopping just short of her completion, Arach climbed back to his feet and undressed, tossing his clothes aside. Aurora drank in the beauty of his naked body in front of her. She reached for his erection and wrapped her hand eagerly around it.

  Arach drew in a sharp breath and Aurora took the sound as encouragement to continue. Still stroking him, she knelt in front of him and let her tongue slip past her lips so that the tip of his penis stroked across it with each long glide of her hand. He let her continue this way for a few strokes, then took her by her shoulders and brought her to her feet.

  Aurora complied willingly with his hands as he led her onto the bed and turned her body so her head rested on the pillows. He climbed up toward her and she could see the dragon in the power of his movements. Bringing his lips to hers, Arach stretched his body over hers so they touched from their chests to their toes. Aurora put everything into her kiss, letting him coax her further and further into her overpowering desire for him.

  She drew her thighs apart beneath his, causing him to settle between them and the tip of his erection to touch her opening. The sensation made her gasp and she looked into his eyes, holding his gaze as he pushed slowly forward, sinking deeply into her until his hipbones rested against her and her body felt full and fulfilled. She pulled the leather strap from his hair, releasing the silken strands so they fell around his face and onto his shoulder blades.

  Aurora buried her fingers in his hair and brought his mouth back down to hers. She flicked the tip of her tongue against the inside of his bottom lip, encouraging him. His hips rolled against her and she whimpered, relaxing against the feeling to let her hips open further to him. Each long, deep stroke massaged her and she used her hands on his lower back to guide him into a faster rhythm. As he thrust into her she could hear growls of pleasure in his throat.

  Sweat beaded on his skin and Aurora lifted her head to lick the drops off his shoulder before bringing her mouth close to his ear.

  "Let go," she whispered.

  Arach released the sounds from his throat and started moving at a faster pace, each stroke hard enough to elicit a cry. Aurora felt herself spiraling out of control and just as her body contracted around him, Arach gave a final, intense thrust and groaned loudly. She could feel him pulsing within her, spilling hot stream into her body as her tremors milked him.

  Aurora kissed along his shoulder as he dropped down onto her and tucked his head in the curve of her neck. War was coming. She knew it. All that mattered to her in that moment, though, was his heartbeat against hers and knowing that when sleep overtook her, she would remain in his arms, just where she was made to be.

  Part Two

  Dragon’s Burning Desire

  The ground beneath her was damp and cold, and Vivian shifted against it uncomfortably before opening her eyes. Above her, stars so vivid they were like shattered glass sparkled against a deep, velvety sky. Her body felt heavy, pulled down toward the ground as if she didn't have control over it yet, as if she was still dreaming.

  "Vivian?" a familiar voice called from somewhere in the area around her.

  The ability to move seemed to flow back through her body along with the words and she pulled herself up into a sitting position to look for the source of the voice. A strange, foggy cool rushed against her back as she sat up and she felt a shiver ripple across her skin. In the distance, she could see a figure step into the milky silver moonlight that pooled across the ground.

  "Aurora?" she asked, meaning to yell but realizing her voice had only come out as a soft, powdery sound.

  The figure started jogging toward her and when it came within a few yards she could see Aurora's face glow in the moonlight, the pale beams creating a shimmer in the coppery hair tumbling down her shoulders that made her look almost ethereal in the light. She wore a long dark dress that concealed her feet, making her seem to glide as she came closer. In her confusion, Vivian struggled with grasping what was happening and began to fear that Aurora had, in fact, died and that somehow, she was visiting the plane where her best friend now existed.

  Vivian climbed to her feet and took a cautious step toward Aurora. A moment later Aurora swept her into her arms in a tight hug and the solidness of her body told Vivian that she was still alive and that this moment, as distant as it still felt from her grasp, was reality.

  "I'm so glad you're here," Aurora said into Vivian's hair.

  Vivian gripped her more tightly, afraid that when she let her go she would disappear again.

  "I am, too," she said, then paused, "But where exactly is 'here'?"

  Aurora laughed. The sound was clear and honest, the most genuine laugh she had heard come from her best friend in months, possibly a year. She finally sounded relaxed and calm again after so long of being tense, uncomfortable, and grieving. Though she had rarely said anything to her, Vivian had seen the pain and devastation in Aurora's eyes and watched as the girl she had known since they were in elementary school faded away into the artificial image her father and Greyson had created for her.

  "This is Killington," Aurora said, stepping back from their embrace and taking her hand so she could lead her toward the path through the forest where she had first appeared.

  "Vermont?" Vivian asked, feeling even more confused with each step.

  Aurora laughed again and squeezed Vivian's hand.

  "Not quite."

  They stepped into the forest and Vivian was immediately taken by the intensity of the space around her. Plants gleamed with a glaze of new-fallen rain and she filled her lungs with the pure, earthy scent. Beneath the smell of the rain and the leaves was a light floral note that seemed to dance around her, sometimes stronger, sometimes fainter, luring her as they followed along the path.

  Vivian suddenly stopped and turned to Aurora, holding her by her shoulders and looking directly into her wide blue eyes.

  "Everyone thinks you're dead, Aurora," she said sternly, enunciating each word to ensure the other woman understood exactly what she said.

  The smile on Aurora's face faltered slightly and she lifted her hands to hold onto Vivian's arms so that they gripped each other tightly.

  "What do you mean?" she asked.

  "What happened at the wedding?" Vivian asked, skirting Aurora's question.

  She knew that she would have to tell her everything soon enough, but for now she needed as much information as she could gather. Aurora glanced up the path and then back at her.

  "What do you remember from the wedding?" she asked.

  "I remember standing up at the altar and Greyson saying his vows. Then everything went completely chaotic. Three men in black suits ran down the aisle and grabbed you, and then Greyson chased after you."

  Aurora nodded slightly and looked deeply into Vivian's eyes as if trying to connect with her on a level beyond the existence where they now stood.

  "I need you to think about it again," she said softly, "Think about the wedding again and remember what you actually saw
. Those weren't men that came in the middle of the ceremony."

  Vivian narrowed her eyes at Aurora, confused by her words, but her best friend kept nodding at her as if guiding her into her thoughts. Continuing to stare at Aurora, Vivian forced herself to think back to the wedding two days before. In her mind, she could see the pristine ceremony location, the long white aisle runner, and Greyson standing at the end. She saw Aurora walking down the aisle and taking Greyson's hands in hers. Somewhere in her thoughts he said his vows, but the words didn't come through, just the muted sound of his voice overtaken by a steady, deep rhythm in the sky.

  "Think about it, Vivian," Aurora whispered to her as if she could see what Vivian was seeing in her memories.

  Vivian saw the three men running toward the aisle, and then the strange sound in the sky got louder and louder until it was all she could focus on, all she could perceive. When the image in her mind clarified again, the men were gone. In their place were three massive creatures. The one in the middle straightened and spread powerful wings, tilting its face to the sky and releasing a stream of fire that darkened the clouds and the smell of smoke and singed earth.

  "Dragons," she gasped.

  Aurora rubbed her arms and offered a gentle smile.

  "Let me introduce you to my clan."

  ******************************

  Aurora pulled on her arm until Vivian started walking again, following her down the path. Her mind was reeling with everything she was trying to process. The memories of the wedding were bolder now, clearer than before as she came to terms with what she had actually seen. For the two days since the wedding she had believed, as the others had, that she had watched her best friend torn from her fiancé's arms by three men who crashed through her ceremony and carried her away.

  Now she knew that that memory was a lie, fabricated by her mind to cover the horror that was the actual massive creatures that had descended on the wedding. She could see what actually happened now. Her mind saw Aurora running toward one of the dragons and tearing the gown away from her legs before she climbed onto his back and let him take her into the sky.

  "Why am I here, Aurora?" she asked as they walked further and further from the place where Vivian had awoken.

  "I knew you were probably worried about me and I wanted to let you know that I was alright. I want you to meet Arach and the rest of the clan."

  "Arach is…"

  She trailed off, unsure of how she was going to continue that sentence. None of this was making any sense to her. For all their lives, she and Aurora had confided completely in each other; now she felt like she was chasing after some flight of fancy that was unfolding with each step.

  "He's my partner. I was made for him."

  "I don't understand."

  "Do you remember that I told you I started having strange dreams right before the wedding?"

  "Yeah."

  Vivian could see the end of the path now and a massive stone house a few yards across a large open area around it. She could smell fire and burned herbs making the air thicker.

  "Those were Arach connecting with me. I fell in love with him through those dreams."

  "He kidnapped you," Vivian said.

  She was horrified with what she was hearing. Aurora had always been the most in control and level-headed person she had ever known, but now she sounded as though she was speaking in whimsical code.

  "He didn't kidnap me. He rescued me."

  They stepped out of the forest and an instant later Vivian heard the deep, rhythmic sound from the wedding. Aurora looked up and smiled seconds before a huge black dragon landed on the ground ahead of them. Vivian recognized it as the infuriated, fearsome creature that breathed fire and flew away with Aurora on its back.

  Aurora released Vivian's hand and jogged toward the dragon, standing up on her toes to take its massive head in her arms and nuzzle her face against his. Before her eyes could register what happened, the dragon disappeared and in its place stood a man with glossy black hair and an intense, startling gaze. He wrapped his arms around Aurora's waist and caught her mouth in a kiss, drawing her against his body protectively.

  Their kiss broke and Aurora gazed at him for a few seconds before turning back to Vivian.

  "This is Arach," she said in a voice that sounded purely happy.

  "Arach, this is Vivian, my best friend. I wanted her here for the wedding."

  That brought Vivian out of her contemplation of the sudden change from the dragon to the man.

  "Wedding?" she asked.

  She watched as Arach and Aurora nuzzled each other's faces again, their smiles so contented it made her chest ache with the realization of just how miserable Aurora had been for so long.

  "Speaking of the wedding," Arach said, stepping back slightly to hold both of Aurora's hands and look into her eyes, "There's still a lot that needs to be done and what I found out today might make that a little more difficult than we anticipated."

  Vivian saw the happiness drain out of Aurora's face and her hands tighten on Arach's.

  "What happened?" she asked.

  Arach glanced over at Vivian and Vivian suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if she had intruded on a very still and private world that only existed for those who could see it in that moment. Part of her wanted to close her eyes so she couldn't see it any longer, so she could make it go away. Without that world, however, there would be no Aurora, and that was not something Vivian wanted to even consider.

  "Does she know?" he asked, lowering his voice almost conspiratorially.

  "I caught on to the fact that my best friend is apparently engaged to a dragon two days after scaring the living hell out of everyone she knows by leaving her perfectly good human wedding," Vivian snapped, the frustration and fear building in her as she felt more and more disconnected from what was happening around her.

  Aurora's eyes widened and she took a step toward her as Arach's shoulders squared and his spine straightened in the same aggressive way he had straightened in his dragon form at the ceremony.

  "Vivian, stop," Aurora said softly.

  "No, Aurora. I don't understand what's going on. What the hell is this? He's gorgeous, I'll give you that, but you have known Greyson for –"

  "I know how long I knew him," Aurora said, her voice dropping.

  "Ok, so what? You start having weird fantasy dreams about a dragon who turns out to be a real boy and so you leave everything behind for him? Greyson could have given you the life you have always wanted."

  Aurora stepped up within inches of her so fast Vivian caught her breath.

  "Greyson killed my father," Aurora said harshly.

  "What?" Vivian asked, barely able to force the word past the tightness in her throat.

  "Greyson killed my father," Aurora repeated, slightly louder, "So I killed him."

  ******************************

  The words hit Vivian hard enough that she felt like they took all the breath out of her. Aurora was standing so close that Vivian could smell the sweetness coming from her hair and a faint hint of smoke clinging to her skin that must have been from touching Arach.

  "What?" Vivian repeated, not knowing what else to say.

  Instead of answering her, Aurora shook her head and turned away from her. As she walked away Vivian looked up at Arach. Even in the moonlight she could see the anger flashing in his eyes. He extended his arms to Aurora and she curled into them, tucking herself against his chest like he was the only thing that made her feel safe and comfortable.

  Vivian walked toward them and Arach turned subtly, pulling Aurora further from her.

  "I'm sorry," Vivian said. She placed a hand on Aurora's back, "I'm sorry."

  Arach kissed Aurora on the forehead.

  "I need to get inside and meet with the council. Are you coming?"

  Aurora glanced up at Vivian and she reached out her hand, feeling a wave of relief as Aurora took it and stood so that she was no longer cradled against Arach's chest.

  "Vivia
n, you need to decide now," she said, "You can come with us and we will tell you everything, or you can leave now. Know, though, that I am staying here. This is my home, my clan. Where Arach is, I am going to be. Always."

  Vivian took a breath and nodded. They started toward the massive stone house and Vivian felt like she had walked through a pane of thin, fragile glass, shattering her concept of life in a way she could never put back together.

  Several minutes later she sat beside Aurora, her mind still spinning from the twisted path they took along narrow stone passages through the house. The room where they sat danced with the glow of torches along the walls and the scent of burned herbs had gotten so strong it was nearly dizzying.

  Arach sat at the head of the table, papers spread across the table in front of him as several other men gathered around him.

  "Who is he?" Vivian whispered, leaning close to Aurora.

  "His father is the patriarch of the clan. Arach will take his place and lead when his father either dies or gets too old."

  "And you love him?"

  "More than I ever believed I had the capacity to love anyone."

  "So, you're telling me that you are going to be…what, a dragon princess?"

  Aurora muffled a laugh against her hand and Vivian jumped as one of the men at the end of the table cleared his throat to quiet them.

  "The operative has already started covering its tracks, Aurora," Arach said from his position.

  "What operative?" Vivian asked.

  Aurora glanced between her and Arach.

  "My father was the head of a secret operative with the government designed to seek good relations with the Killington clan. Part of the operative, however, went rogue and decided that they would rather capture, enslave, and weaponize the dragons."

  "Oh, god."

  Aurora nodded.

  "My engagement to Greyson was supposed to be a bargaining chip to keep them from waging war against the dragons. When my father changed his mind and planned to end the engagement so that I could be with Arach as it was always supposed to be, Greyson killed him."