Jayket nodded. “It is the job of priests to minister to our tribes as well as to people of surrounding villages. We bring healing light into their lives when sickness intrudes or when wounds from battle with the Pushgans threaten to claim their lives.”
“And are you supposed to be celibate?” Suniko’s lips curved into a curious smile as she curled her finger through the fine dusting of hair at his chest.
Jayket’s laugh was low and earthy. “On the contrary. It’s my responsibility as priest to ensure fertility. If babes are not forthcoming after marriage, the husband calls upon the priests of Gavnina with a request for blessed seed to be planted into his wife’s womb.”
With this fascinating disclosure, he now had Suniko’s full interest. “Ahh…and you would accomplish this planting by…?”
“Through a formal fertility ceremony.” His eyebrow arched and he smiled. “I’m sure I need not explain exactly how the seed is deposited.”
“I think I can imagine it.” Suniko smiled, finding this unexpected vocation of Jayket’s both interesting and amusing. “So I would venture to guess that you’re a man who loves his work.”
“I do enjoy it. It’s very rewarding. Although, my naughty-minded little bird,” he cuffed her chin with his knuckle, “there’s very little sexual about what occurs during the ceremonies. It’s quite solemn. The room is filled with chanters and family and other holy people, praying as a priest labors to fill the woman with seed.”
“So you have fathered many children then.”
“No. The husband is the father. Gavnina blesses the seed so that what flows through the priest belongs to the husband.”
Suniko did her best to suppress a grin. She didn’t want to appear rude or unduly mock the spiritual cult of Gavnina, but she couldn’t help a bit of harmless wit. “So, Jayket, if I traveled to Farkol or the surrounding villages, would I see tiny copies of you running and playing throughout the village?”
Again he gifted her with the rich, warm sound of his laughter. “I imagine it would be so if I were deceitful and not truly a priest of the order, but that’s not the case, Suniko. Upon taking my vows I lost the ability to father children with my own seed. The only time living seed spurts through me is when it’s been blessed by Gavnina.”
“How is it you ended up as a prisoner of Tordanuk?”
“Able-bodied men are in short supply due to rampant slaughter by the Pushgans,” Jayket explained. “A number of us made the decision to become warrior as well as priest after seeing far too many babes we helped to bring into this world cruelly slain by those malevolent swine.” He shrugged, a deep sigh escaping his lips. “During one of the battles we were overcome and those of us not killed were taken prisoner.”
No longer beset with the urge to be witty or mocking, Suniko cupped Jayket’s face in her hands. “You are truly a remarkable man, Jayket. Brave, protective and principled. I am honored to know you.” She pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.
Wrapping Suniko fully in his arms, Jayket deepened the kiss. His erotic exploration of her mouth created a shimmer of sparks across her mind, evocative of the deep purple moonlit sky scattered with glittering stars.
“I may be brave, protective and principled,” he told her once their lips parted, “but I am also a man brimming with passion and alive with desire. Trying to remain focused while plotting our escape has been torturous, Suniko. Because my thoughts, my loins, have been plagued with lust since first I glimpsed you.”
“I’m so glad to hear you say that, Jayket, for I’ve been plagued with the same carnal thoughts and lusty images since you rescued me. I feared my romantic notions were one-sided.”
“One-sided indeed.” Jayket gave a husky chuckle. With Suniko still in his lap, he reclined. “Ride me, Suniko. We’ll leave all thoughts and cares about escaping behind and journey to that oh-so-sweet place that exists between this world and the next.”
She glanced down at his cock, a strong, pale shaft of flesh saluting the night sky and she sighed. Whatever the next days may bring, she would always have this moment, this blessed break from harsh reality.
Her channel moist with desire, she positioned herself for the sweet joy of impaling. Prolonging the ecstasy of entry wasn’t a possibility. Unable to wait, Suniko sank immediately and fully onto his cock. His flesh grazed her womb, causing a brief twinge of pain that had her gasping before crying out in pleasure.
“It’s as if we were made for each other,” she whispered, not really intending to voice her inner thoughts.
Jayket’s hands circled her waist and he watched as she writhed atop him. “Your cunt gloves me unlike any other woman’s has, Suniko. And there have been many.” His hands traveled up her rib cage and cupped her breasts. “Even your tits are perfect handfuls.” He plucked the nipples and Suniko moaned. “Let me see you take the plump berries in your fingers and pleasure yourself as you ride me.”
Suniko knew from her training in Princess Aladee’s court how much men loved to see women touch themselves, to pleasure themselves as they watched. Clasping her breasts with her hands, she squeezed. With her fingers she circled each areola, watching as it crinkled beneath her touch.
Jayket’s attention was riveted to her breasts, just as she knew it would be. Mindful of the fine cock she rode, her hips gyrated as she took her nipples between thumbs and fingers and pinched them. The delicious sting of pleasure-pain flared, setting a blissful path from her breasts to her clit. Letting her head fall back, Suniko voiced a lingering moan.
“This is how I pictured you,” Jayket said. “Riding me beneath the stars and pleasuring yourself for me. If you only knew how magnificent, how sweet the sight.”
“And if you only knew how difficult it was slogging through the forest,” Suniko replied, “wet, hot trickles of desire pooling at my channel every time I watched your muscles flex and contract.” She took one hand from her breast and tucked it between her thighs. Jayket groaned in response.
Wedging her fingers between his thick cock and the walls of her inner chamber, she wet them thoroughly. They glistened in the moonlight once she held them aloft. “Behold the nectar of my desire, Jayket. My body creates this in anticipation of our cock-to-channel joining.”
She ran the tip of her tongue between the seam of her lips, then opened her mouth and licked her fingers with a satisfying mmmmm. “Taste what you have created, Jayket. Taste the evidence of my yearning. The juice of my longing.” She bent to place her fingers at his lips.
He took her hand and sucked her fingers, one by one, a rapturous glimmer in his half-cloaked eyes. “There is nothing to compare to the musky tang of your desire, Suniko. As I pulled you through the forest I prayed we’d be alive long enough for me to taste you.” His hips bucked, sending a new wave of sensation through Suniko. “Long enough for my cock to thrust high and hard into your sweet depths.”
“As we ran from the Pushgans, thoughts of being with you kept me energized,” Suniko told him, returning her hand to the juncture between her thighs. “At times the ache and pressure here,” she jiggled her hand, “demanded to be relieved, but I had neither the opportunity to fuck you, nor an opportune moment to bring myself to release. Would you like to see me do that, Jayket? Would you like to watch my body tremble with orgasm as I think of you?”
Jayket’s impassioned groan was music to Suniko’s ears.
“What a question. And what an impish, playful way you have, Suniko.” Jayket’s cock jerked inside her as his fingers dug into her thighs, stroking from groin to knees and back again. “By the gods, you’ll have me shuddering with a climax so violent I’ll be unable to function come the dawn.”
“Perhaps the Pushgans will find us tomorrow morning,” Suniko suggested, “lifeless and sprawled together after we’ve expired from a night of extreme pleasure.”
“While it would be a fine way to die,” Jayket said, “I have no intention of allowing either of us to depart this life until we reach Zalvanus.” The wounded man’s thunderous snore c
aught their attention. “And that goes for our new friend as well.”
“Are you ready to come, Jayket?” Suniko squeezed her inner muscles against his cock and felt the vibration of another groan rise in his chest. “Because I’m ready to feel your hot cream bathe my womb. I want to watch you come before I do.”
“No, you’ll come before me this time,” Jayket countered. “I won’t be robbed of glimpsing the expression of ecstasy as you gaze down at me. Pinch your clit, Suniko. Now. Keep pinching it until you succumb to quaking. And never take those forest-green eyes of yours from mine.”
Jayket’s words had stolen the control she’d had over their lovemaking. He’d taken command and she couldn’t be happier. In glad obedience, she grasped the slippery nub between her fingers and pinched. The ultrasensitive spot came alive with sensation as she pinched it once more, keeping her gaze locked on Jayket’s.
Wordlessly he crooked his fingers, bidding her to lean closer. He grasped her nipples and twisted them, rolling the aching buds back and forth, compounding the intensity of her pleasure. Lost in sensation, she didn’t realize her eyelids had fluttered closed.
Jayket pinched her nipples harder, tugging them toward him, causing her to gasp as her eyes flew open. “Eyes on me,” he commanded. “It’s time, Suniko. Come for me, little bird.”
Her cry pierced the night air as Suniko called out his name. She clutched his chest for support as crashing waves of bliss undulated through her, washing away any awareness but for sheer, raw pleasure.
As she was about to collapse atop Jayket, his strong hands kept her pinned in place.
“I’m not through with you yet,” he told her, snaking his hand to the place where her body split, where a commotion of sensation prickled.
“Oh, no, Jayket,” she said as his finger flicked over her sore, tortured clit. “I can’t yet. Too soon.”
“You will,” he said, increasing the friction until Suniko thought surely she’d break apart. “I want to feel your cunt grip my cock again, sucking me hard.”
The sensation was too much. Too severe. Suniko had to find a way to make Jayket understand, to teach him that, like a man, a woman required time between orgasms.
But she never had the chance because the remarkable Jayket had proved her wrong. The potency of the orgasm seizing her being now put the last one to shame. He’d managed to transport her spirit to new heights, a wondrous new dimension previously unvisited. In the distance she heard a primal howl tear from Jayket’s throat as his body stiffened and shuddered and a surge of hot fluid bolted straight to her womb.
Her feral cry nearly matched his.
This time there was no flesh barrier that prevented her from slumping against him, from happily sprawling atop her Jayket and listening to the contented thump of his heart.
Her Jayket, her mind-talk had said. The notion caught her unawares. Though it was untried and somewhat foreign, Suniko liked the idea of it. Very much.
Night slipped away as they caught brief snippets of sleep between spirited bouts of fucking. It was probably just a few hours from dawn when they slipped back into their garments and nestled together for some needed sleep. They needed to be alert and rested for the morning would bring danger as the Pushgans resumed their hunt.
Suniko’s head snapped up at the same time Jayket’s did. The sound of galloping horse hooves was upon them and the stench of Pushgan flesh permeated the morning air. By the looks of it, dawn had just broken. They’d foolishly slept longer than they had intended.
“There!” came a Pushgan voice. “I spy them just beyond the clearing.”
Dear gods, there was no time—not for talk, not for escape. They’d never be able to outrun the horses. A swift glimpse of the area proved that D’Akola was gone. Suniko only hoped the injured man had managed to crawl away in search of safety and was secure from the cruel fate that awaited her and Jayket.
They leapt to their feet, primed to run, exchanging one last, brief glance before facing certain death.
Hand in hand, they turned to flee only to find themselves surrounded by Pushgans with no possible path for escape. Jayket pushed Suniko behind him, shielding her with his body.
Just as a pair of heinous gray-fleshed, three-eyed Pushgans came upon them, swords uplifted and ready to sever limbs, Suniko and Jayket were snatched by two great sets of talons and swept into the air.
The ground where they’d stood a moment before became small and the Pushgans who gaped at them even smaller. Suniko was beset by a strange mix of dread and exhilaration as they were whisked through the sky by the great bird.
Aghast, she and Jayket exchanged bewildered glances as the wind whipped their hair. A deafening roar had them casting their eyes skyward toward the sound.
Shuddering fear slammed through her as Suniko saw that it wasn’t a bird carrying them. It was a dragon. Their dragon by the looks of it.
After glimpsing the green-scaled creature, Suniko wondered if they might not have been better off with a beheading at the hands of the Pushgans—instead of suffering a fiery death by roasting.
Chapter Three
Suniko didn’t bother to struggle as the large talons clutched her. She didn’t find the idea of falling to her death from somewhere amid the clouds any more appealing than being seared. And there was always the chance that she and Jayket would be able to make a run for it and escape the dragon once they landed.
“Where do you think it’s taking us?” she shouted, hoping Jayket could hear her over the roar of the wind and flapping of the creature’s wings.
“To its lair, most likely,” Jayket yelled back without a trace of optimism.
Her heart leapt to her throat as the dragon descended. But all hope for escape vanished when it landed high in the mountains with nothing but sheer rock surrounding them.
The smooth talons let loose their grip and both Suniko and Jayket fell to the broad rock ledge floor in front of a cave. Whether she looked up, straight ahead or down, the view was dizzying. She felt paralyzed, terrified to move even an increment for fear of falling. The only direction that steadied her was the view of the dark, yawning cavern.
The dragon eyed them for a long moment and it seemed to Suniko that the great beast swayed left and right, as if unsteady on its feet. If it fell on them they’d surely be crushed flat as millet cakes.
“He appears lightheaded from hunger,” Jayket noted. His words left Suniko little doubt as to where the creature might find its next meal.
“No…I think it’s hurt,” she said, cautiously edging closer to the dragon. “Look at its chest, Jayket. Its legs and arms.” She breathed in, sniffing deeply. “There are remnants of an herbal poultice like the one you applied to D’Akola last night. Someone or something has ministered to this beast.”
With a piercing bellow, the dragon looked skyward and breathed out a blazing column of flame. Suniko scrambled to Jayket’s side, whimpering and clinging to him, happy beyond all measure that she was not alone.
The dragon returned its attention to the pair, studying them before leaning close enough to draw in a satisfying sniff. The action left Suniko’s knees trembling.
“Maybe he’ll swallow us quickly without roasting us first,” she said hopefully, only to gasp aloud a moment later when the dragon nudged both her and Jayket with its snout.
“Or maybe he just likes to play with his food before grilling it,” Jayket offered.
To her shock, the dragon’s rough tongue darted out, giving Suniko’s face a thorough lick. Surprisingly, it seemed more an indication of affection than appetite.
“I think he’s trying to befriend us, Jayket.”
Jayket coughed in derision. “On the contrary, I’d say he’s sampling the meat he’ll soon savor.”
It was then that Suniko noticed something curious in the dragon’s eyes—a wounded countenance, a soulful familiarity. Without thinking she reached out to pet the beast, gliding her hand along its iridescent scales.
The dragon’s nostrils flare
d. Nudging his snout between her thighs, he sniffed deeply of Suniko’s scent. And then he licked her there. The unexpected erotic glide of his tongue left her trembling. Her soft gasp was one of surprise tinged with fear and uncertainty.
His eyes glittering, the dragon met Suniko’s gaze and held it. A sound not unlike a moan rumbled from deep in his throat and seemed to mirror the soulfulness of his gaze. It was almost as if they shared an inner communication with that lingering look. Somewhere deep in her core Suniko knew the creature would never hurt her.
She and Jayket ducked to avoid its tail as the dragon abruptly turned and headed for the large cave in the rock face. As soon as the beast left them, Jayket examined their surroundings, looking for some possible means of escape. Suniko could feel his frustration. He didn’t appear to be the sort of man who accepted defeat or impossible odds well at all.
“It seems we’re trapped here, Suniko. At the mercy of the dragon. The smooth rock doesn’t afford any footholds or projections to grasp so there’s no way to climb down.” He stood at the edge and gazed down into the chasm, making Suniko’s belly quiver. “The nearest ledge is far beyond our ability to jump and survive.” His hand plowed through his hair as he paced.
Suniko moved to the cave’s entrance, edging as close as she dared. In the dim light she saw the dragon’s reclining form. It appeared to be sleeping, with faint tendrils of smoke curling from its nose as it snored. “Look, Jayket, the dragon sleeps.”
“Good. We need to find a weapon so we can slay it before it wakes,” Jayket said, glancing around them.
“No,” she clasped Jayket’s arm, “I don’t think he means to hurt us.” In fact, a crazed notion had gripped Suniko. No doubt Jayket would think her dim-witted if she told him about it. But tell him she must. “There was something in the dragon’s eyes,” she began. “Something kind and sad and—”
Yanking her back from the mouth of the cave, Jayket’s fingers curled into the flesh of Suniko’s upper arm. He pinned her with a disbelieving glare. “Sympathy for a dragon?” he said, huffing a humorless laugh. “I thought you more intelligent than that, Suniko, more rational. You didn’t strike me as a typical foolish woman. Keep your compassionate nonsense to yourself. I’m not in the mood to hear it. If you have something constructive to offer concerning our escape then you may speak.”
Dragon by Day Page 3