by Amelia Jade
Quinn stared at him in shock. “And this is normal there? That’s abuse!”
Asher’s expression turned hard. “Quinn, I’m not a human. Things are…different. Besides, he was in the right. Dragonfire of any kind is not to be used on other dragons, except in self-defense. I had an inert target that I was supposed to hit, but I didn’t aim anywhere near it before I used mine. That was completely my fault.”
She shook her head. “No, that’s not right at all, Asher. He shouldn’t be doing that to you.”
“Actually, I’m kind of glad he did.”
“What?” Her voice sounded stricken.
“Now I know what it’s like. I won’t ever be caught by surprise if I’m called to fight a green dragon at some point in my life, or if one comes after me. It’s twisted logic, I know. But with the training I’m going through, the odds of me being forced into combat with another dragon, while still small, go up exponentially overall.”
“It still sounds barbaric to me,” she told him with one last shake of her head. It wasn’t until the words were out that she realized the full implications behind them.
Asher just smiled, but she could tell she’d hurt him with that last comment.
Quinn swore internally as the shifter turned back to preparing food for them, which, to her untrained eye, looked almost ready.
“Smells delicious,” she said meekly, trying to reignite the conversation somehow, so that she might show him she wasn’t trying to be rude by insulting his culture.
“Good. I hope it tastes even better.”
He ladled some of the stir-fry into bowls and handed her one, along with some cutlery.
“Table or…?”
“Nah, let’s couch it up tonight,” he told her, putting action to words and practically throwing himself down.
Quinn planted herself somewhat more carefully and tasted the food. Her eyes went wide. “Asher, this is amazing!” she exclaimed, quickly downing several more bites of the mouthwatering meal.
He can cook. And well. How…refreshing.
Subconsciously Quinn knew she was sizing Asher up, evaluating him, in the way that everyone does when they meet someone with a possible connection. She couldn’t help it that he was ticking off just about every box on her make-believe list of requirements.
Okay, so perhaps there are a few things that have to be there. I’m not eighteen anymore. I know some of the things I want in a partner. That’s called mature, not picky. Right?
…Right?
She shook her head, dissipating the internal conversation with herself.
“So, Quinn Bryant,” he said, finishing off his plate. “How did you grow so brave as to sneak into Cadia all on your own? I’ve been wondering that for a while now.”
She froze, fork halfway to her mouth.
Was he digging? Did he know the real reason she had come? No. He couldn’t. If he did, she wouldn’t be eating a meal with him right now. So he was just curious then, and wanted to know more of who she was. Well, that was fine.
“I’m a big nature freak,” she said with a shrug. “I go on hikes, camping trips, and the like all the time, so I’m no stranger to roughing it, being out in the middle of nowhere. So that part—the two days of hiking from the nearest human outpost past the border—that didn’t faze me.”
“And the border guards?”
Hairs on her neck tingled at the memory of how close she had come to the Siberian tiger seeing her. Saved by the rain, which had washed away not only her, but her scent as well, making it impossible for the beast to track her.
“Definitely one of the scariest moments of my life,” she said, retelling the story of how the rising watershed had whisked her away without a moment to spare, until it had practically deposited her at his feet.
Asher grinned. “Well, I for one am glad you made it.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Me too,” she managed to get out. “Though my parents would not be so proud.”
He looked confused. “What do you mean?”
Quinn looked down, then up. “They aren’t, um, exactly thrilled at how nature-y I am. They wanted more of a proper lady. You know, work at a desk job somewhere, meet a man who wears a suit and tie to work, settle down, have some kids. That route.”
Asher smiled. “I understand perfectly. Trust me.”
Surprisingly, Quinn found that she did. Not just that he understood her feelings, but that she could trust him in any situation, and he wouldn’t lead her astray. It was a weird feeling. Despite living in his house for a week, she barely knew him, and yet she found herself trusting him. As if on a different level, she just knew who he was.
It both scared and excited her.
“It’s not that I think there’s anything wrong with that route,” she continued. “I have friends who have done it, or are doing it, whatever. I don’t try to tell them they’re making terrible life choices. It’s not like that, it’s just…”
“But it’s not for you,” he finished for her as she trailed off.
“Exactly. I’m not judging them for their choices. I just don’t want anyone to judge me for mine.”
Asher took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. “You do what you want to do, Quinn. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Go with your heart.”
Right then her heart felt like it was going to explode as his strong fingers placed her hand back on her leg, the last vestiges of the warmth of his touch slowly fading. She wanted more of it. To feel his hands all over her as they touched her bare skin, exploring every inch of her body.
“Thank you,” she said softly, flashing him a genuine smile.
“I get hounded by my parents every time I visit them,” he told her. “Where are my grandkids? How about that cute Fire Dragon I saw down at the store? When are you going to settle down?” He said the entire thing in a very stereotypical “grandmother” voice, right down to shaking his finger and squinting.
Quinn laughed. “Yep, that sounds about right.”
Asher sobered abruptly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up memories of your mother. That was rude of me.”
The mood came crashing down around her as she realized two things. First, that she was still trapped in the lie that her mother was missing somewhere in Cadia, instead of being at home with her father, right where she had left them.
Second, was that it was expected he would marry another dragon, and sire dragon offspring. That conclusion killed the hope that had been budding inside of her, that perhaps there might be something going on between them. Not that she’d been ready to marry him, but she was certain she felt something for him.
“It’s okay,” she mumbled when it became clear Asher was waiting on her to respond. “It’s not your fault.”
The conversation died down for a bit, and Quinn wondered if that had been it. The moment when he had taken her hand in his…was that the pivotal moment everything the past week had led up to? Had she wasted it?
Her mood worsened as the evening went on.
***
The clouds were dark and ripe with thunder as they circled over her head, threatening to open up at any moment. She was caught up in her big lie, and had no idea how to extricate herself from it. Asher had welcomed her into his home, fed her, clothed her, and even promised to help her search for her missing mother.
How the hell was she supposed to tell him that it was all a lie, and that she had just wanted some pictures of his kind for a photography contest? She doubted he would take kindly to being thought of as a wild creature, little more than a prop for her world. Those notions had been dispelled from her, but she couldn’t hide the truth. That had been her motive for coming to Cadia, regardless of what she felt now.
Asher stood up suddenly and moved to the window, pulling back the curtain. She noticed nothing but dark sky and wondered what he saw.
“What is it?” she asked, growing a little nervous.
He looked at her mischievously. “Come on.” His hand stretched out toward her, expecting her to take i
t.
“Why?” She wasn’t in the mood for any shenanigans.
The hunky dragon shifter’s eyes narrowed. “Trust me,” he said, jerking his head toward the door.
Quinn rolled her eyes, but she knew she couldn’t say no to that phrase. Not right then. So she got up and took his hand as he pulled her outside. The sun had long since set and the sky was dark, with only the faint glow of stars overhead, though they were mostly shrouded by the light from his house and nearby “downtown” Cadia.
“What is it?” she asked once they were outside. “I’m really not feeling another escape attempt tonight.”
Asher looked back at her. “I promise, that’s not what this is.”
“What is it then?” Why was he taking her outside?
“I want to show you something.”
He then darted away to the middle of the stone circle and a chilled mist enveloped him, spraying her in a shower of ice. She wasn’t positive, but it looked like a more controlled storm of frozen snow this time.
“Climb on,” the dragon said, dipping its brilliant white neck down so that she could once again climb on.
“Asher,” she started to protest, but he held up one of his front paws and shook a single talon at her.
“Nope, no saying no. Come on,” he said. “Dragon’s orders.”
Quinn rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help it. His suddenly brightened and chipper attitude was infectious. She smiled and shook her head, but it didn’t matter. Her feet were already carrying her across the frost-covered stone to his side.
“Okay, but can we do without the aerial fighting this time?” she asked as she settled herself around his neck, finding her handholds.
“If I can, you better believe I will. I’d really prefer not to do that again either.” He paused. “Too much effort, and I’m tired.”
She laughed. “Okay macho guy. Just show me what it is you wanted to show me.”
With a flurry of wings and movement they became airborne. As he slowly gained height, Quinn allowed herself to look down and truly admire the landscape. Her previous flight had been so wrapped up in secrecy in attempting to get her out of Cadia, that she hadn’t been able to properly appreciate it. The vistas stretched out before her in all directions, her line of sight increasing as they went up into the sky.
“It truly is beautiful from up here,” she said at one point as Asher simply coasted, his wings silent for the moment as they cut through the air.
“I thought I’d get used to it, and I would forget the joy of flying,” came the answering voice. “But it hasn’t happened. There isn’t one time that I come up here and I’m not like, ‘This is amazing, incredible.’ Not one flight where I’m left in awe. Flight is truly something remarkable that I have been blessed with.”
Quinn could only nod.
“But that’s not what I wanted you to see,” he said, banking left fast enough that she had to grab ahold of his scales again.
His turn took them toward a solitary mountain, set apart from the chain that formed the border of Cadia to the west. Asher began to descend as she watched, and it quickly became apparent that he was headed for somewhere on the mountain. His massive wings flapped as he let his rear end drop, using the motion of his wings to slow their forward flight, beating them hard against the wind.
There was a bump, followed by a bigger jump, the sound of talons scrabbling on rock, and then they slid to a halt.
“Air Asher Flight 002 has reached its destination,” he said. “Please disembark to the left. Thank you for flying with us, and we hope you enjoy your stay.”
“Who do I complain to about the turbulence and its effect on my stomach?” she teased, clambering down onto the ledge.
Asher snorted, the dragon version of a laugh. “Very funny.”
“No, I’m serious.”
The big dragon just shook its head and settled down onto the ledge.
“What are you doing? Are you not shifting back?” she asked.
“Not yet. Here, lean back,” he said, extending his wing to her.
Quinn frowned, trying to understand what he was going for. When she didn’t move, he used the tip of his wing to throw her feet out from under her, until she fell back onto the strong but thin membrane. It curled around her like a hammock and moved back against his side. Asher curled his head around so that he could keep one eye on her as she rested in the surprisingly comfortable seat.
“Look up,” he said to her confused face, and put motion to his words.
She took her focus off of him and turned it to the sky.
“Oh, Asher,” she said softly.
The sky glittered with thousands of bright stars like diamonds twinkling way out of reach.
A brilliant shooting star tore across the sky before she could say any more, finishing off the picturesque view in a way that she doubted would ever be topped.
Then another one. And another. Suddenly they were coming fast and furious, one every minute or two, some of them moving across half the sky before they faded out. The meteor shower went on for several hours, and she lay there, warmed by his wing and simply enjoying the view.
The simplicity of it all served to relax Quinn. It washed away much of her sour mood, and increased her confidence that her feelings for Asher, whatever they were, were not one-sided. He kept her close the entire night as they watched the sky continue to light up.
She was startled then, when he began to shift back. Because of the way the wing enveloped her, she actually ended up inside his cloud of frost. There was a momentary burst of coldness, but the heat from his body overwhelmed it almost immediately. As the transition finished, she found herself lying on the ground with his arm around her instead of his wing, and his face next to hers.
“That was impressive,” she managed to whisper, her voice catching as she realized there was mere inches between them.
“If I’m honest, that went way better than I had hoped,” he said, flashing her a smile.
Quinn licked her lips, not sure what to say in reply, her wit fleeing her at the sudden intimacy of the moment.
Asher didn’t flinch, but she could tell he was working up his nerve for something.
“Quinn, I was wondering if I could do something.”
She looked at him suspiciously, but wasn’t able to articulate any words, her voice having decided just then to stop working.
“I’d like to kiss you. Is that okay?”
It was so quaint. The notion that he had to ask for her permission. Most men simply took a chance after having been on a date or three, and hoped for the best. Quinn couldn’t blame them. Often the world of flirting and dating was confusing as all hell, and neither side knew when the other was ready to do something. But to flat out ask her if he could do so? That was charming.
That wasn’t the biggest surprise of the evening though. That came when she felt herself nod, giving him the okay.
Asher didn’t hesitate. His free arm came up, warm fingers running across her cheek with the faintest of touches as he leaned in, his short stubble brushing against her tender skin. She tensed as the moment drew near, unsure of what to expect, and still in shock that it was happening.
Then Asher’s lips met hers and the world exploded, electricity running through her lips and into her spine as he kissed her fully, his fingers sliding under her ear and around the back of her neck. She inhaled sharply as they pushed up into her hair, holding her tightly to him.
Quinn felt her resistance fade then, and she gave herself fully to the moment. She allowed her body to mold itself to his as they locked lips, enjoying their first taste of each other high up on the mountainside under a meteor shower. It was damned romantic, she had to give him that. And the trick with turning his wing into an arm? Smooth.
A smile spread across her face. Asher pulled back slightly with a questioning look, but she just shook her head and took action, her own hands locking in on his face and pulling it back to her. She flung her arms around his back and held
him tight, her lips exploring his for several long minutes before they needed air.
Although she slept alone in her bed later that night, the smile didn’t leave her face until well into the following day.
At which point everything went sideways.
Chapter Seven
Asher
With a bounce in his step, Asher walked through the downtown streets of Cadia. It was always an interesting excursion. There was a mixture of human and animal forms in all their varied appearances.
Bears were most predominant, being the most populous species, though wolves were right behind. Several territorial wars in the past between the two had not worked out in the wolves’ favor, which kept their numbers down, though lately they had begun to rebound. They bred faster and generally had more pups than the bears did cubs.
Overhead a pair of dragons circled, while higher in the sky a gryphon eyeballed them, as if waiting for the right moment to make its dive run. Asher knew it wouldn’t, not in Cadia itself. There was, generally speaking, a permanent truce in place between the different types of shifters. If you were a bear and you headed south to where the wolves guarded the border, or north to where the tigers and lions patrolled the vast plains, then you were on your own.
But in Cadia? Everyone was expected to behave.
“Asher,” said a walking colossus as he moved past him, heading the opposite direction.
“Ranger,” he replied with a nod of his head at the bear shifter. He didn’t know Rick “Ranger” Podnam very well, but they had met during a drunken night and teamed up to take on a quartet of very angry wolf shifters who thought they could get the better of the pair.
It hadn’t gone well for the canines.
Since then the pair had been friends, if not overly tight. Asher didn’t pause to talk though; he was on a mission that morning.
The building that served to house Cadia’s government and services, such as they were, loomed over him. It was a five-story building—a monstrosity compared to most of town, where few buildings were over three stories—and it was all rounded sides, a flowy design that did nothing for him.