I looked back to the woman.
Her lips trembled and her hands shook. “We brought him home from the hospital to die. No one stopped us.”
“He will live a long, healthy life with no pain. His childhood will be full of love,” Bastian said softly.
“Thank you.” The woman looked at me. “Will you care for him?”
I didn’t know what to say. I took a quick breath because I couldn’t lie. “I will care for him until his new guardians take over.”
The woman walked across the room and picked up a small brown teddy bear. “This belonged to me as a child and it comforts him. I know he’s young, but he stops crying if I sing and cuddle him with it.”
What could I say? No one will ever sing to your child because earth humans in the dragon’s realm have no voice? Now I was going to cry, and Bastian was right, I could help or make this harder.
“I will be sure he has it.”
The man walked closer and placed an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “Say goodbye.”
The woman turned in his arms and cried, holding on tightly. She finally released him and walked over to her child. “What do you need to keep him comfortable?” She looked at Bastian with such strength.
“A small tank of oxygen and a small bag with diapers and wipes will suffice,” he replied gently.
After adjusting a clear tube around the infant’s head, she lifted him from the crib. He was incredibly small and barely moved. He was dying, and I wondered if I could do as this woman under the same circumstances. I didn’t think I was this strong. She reverently kissed his head and gave him a very slight squeeze before handing him to me.
“His name is Jonathan.” It was all she could say. She threw herself back into her husband’s arms and sobbed.
Bastian lay his hand on my shoulder, adding pressure to get me walking. He picked up a small metal cylinder that attached to the clear hose connected to the baby’s head. “We must hurry, there is not much time.”
I walked out, tears streaming down my face. I wanted my mother, her arms around me singing a lullaby, holding me tightly. The baby’s body shuddered and I looked at Bastian.
“We must hurry.”
I believed him.
Chapter Sixteen
Acasia
I walked faster and climbed into the back of the car refusing to hand the child to Bastian. Twenty minutes later, we boarded a plane and about two hours later, entered another vehicle. Brunya was again our driver and took us to the realm divide. My eyes had rarely left the child’s face. His breathing was shallow with fewer breaths than only an hour before. There was now a blue tinge around his small lips.
Brunya opened my door before Bastian walked around. I watched him approach.
“Could crossing the realms kill him?” These were the first words I’d spoken to Bastian since leaving the baby’s home.
“It’s never happened, but I fear a delay. Turn around and hold him tightly.” Bastian removed the tubing and handed the cylinder to Brunya. His arms wrapped around mine and like when we entered this realm, his feet walked me forward. I knew what to expect this time, and it wasn’t as bad. The child jerked in my arms before its body stiffened. Dread filled me and then we were through. Jonathan’s cries surrounded us. He drew air into his lungs and belted out another round of baby screams.
His trembling lower lip reminded me of his mother. I didn’t even know their names. Sadness swamped me again. Then, a heaviness in the air pushed against my skin. As quickly as the crying started, it stopped. Jonathan looked up at me with large brown eyes and didn’t make another sound. I looked at Bastian.
“The magic. He will not make another noise.”
Noise! The child’s cry was not noise. I looked back down. The child gazed around, and despite his small body, I think he was older than I first suspected. I would love to know his age, but that would mean speaking to Bastian, and I decided I would remain quiet.
Bastian pulled a small square box-like object from his pocket and pointed it at the child. He then touched Jonathan’s nose and quickly pulled his finger back. Jonathan’s lips tilted up in a smile that grew until his gums and two small bottom teeth showed. Bastian pressed a button on the box.
“I will be back in a few minutes. Time works differently here than it does in the earth realm, so don’t worry. I just need to give this to Brunya.”
I was dying to ask what it was, but refused to speak. The child continued to look around after Bastian disappeared. I did the nose thing with my finger and got the same smiling response. Even without a voice, Jonathan could communicate that he felt good and was happy. He was no longer dying.
It was at least an hour later when Bastian walked back through the realm divide. He nodded to me before picking up the saddle we’d left behind. He pulled the leather straps over his shoulders, moved away, and shifted. Watching it happen didn’t give me the usual thrill. I was still upset and confused. After I tightened the straps awkwardly with one hand, I carefully climbed onto Bastian’s back holding a now wiggling Jonathan in my arms.
“Hold on. He’s hungry, and I shall fly fast so we can give him to his new parents so that they may care properly for him.”
Bastian’s statement made me angrier. He didn’t think I could care for a child, and the ache in my heart intensified. I’d never asked Bastian why he didn’t have children and suddenly, more than anything, I wanted a baby.
I held Jonathan in one arm and the pommel tightly with my other hand. The strain to my arm and shoulder turned to a burn by the time we reached the lair, but I was too afraid to change Jonathan to my other arm with us so high in the air.
We landed on the platform outside Bastian’s room. I dismounted, and a few seconds later Bastian shifted and put his hands out for the child. I turned and entered the double doors, walking quickly away. An older human waited in the library.
“It is time, Acasia. Maxwell will take the child to his new parents.”
My eyes watered, and I fought to hold the tears back. Maxwell nodded at me, and put out his arms as he came closer. Slowly, I released Jonathan. The baby blinked and reached his small hand up to Maxwell’s face. His cranky old face softened and he smiled at the child. I could take no more and turned to my room, walking swiftly and closing the door behind me.
The tears fell.
I don’t know how much time passed before Bastian entered my room through the closet.
“We are going for a ride. Please dress comfortably.”
I didn’t say anything, remaining in my tight ball, my knees pulled to my chest. The bed dipped and Bastian grabbed my shoulders and rolled me his direction.
“I will carry you out of here. This is not a request.”
If my eyes could spit fire, in this moment I would incinerate Bastian. “No.”
He moved quicker than I expected; I was in his naked arms with him striding to his room before I could take another breath. He carried me out the double doors to the edge of the perch and tossed me over. My arms and legs flailed as I screamed.
He scooped me into his large talons within seconds. It was an uncomfortable way to travel, and killing him the next time he slept was a real possibility. I relaxed my body and stopped fighting. Bastian wasn’t speaking and neither was I.
He swooped down until I could see the blue water of a large lake. He’d brought me here before. His talons released me when we were about five feet above the water, leaving me no time to even take a breath. I came up sputtering, moving my plastered wet hair from my face. Bastian turned around and headed back. He made a nosedive and at the last possible moment shifted to human form before entering the water. If I wasn’t so angry, I would appreciate the show. I dove under and propelled myself away from where he entered.
It didn’t matter; he came up from below and captured my waist in his hands, bringing me to the surface.
“Have you cooled down?” he said while nuzzling my ear.
“I hate you.”
“I know, but you
love me too. I’m sorry.” His arms squeezed around me while we tread water.
I was glad I faced away from him. “It hurts, Bastian. Even knowing Jonathan will be well and live a long life, it hurts.”
His chin rested on my shoulder and I let him hold me. After a long while, I finally shivered from the cool water, and Bastian began kicking his feet and moving us toward the shore. Water dripped from my clothing making me cold and uncomfortable. Bastian wasted no time removing my garments. He wrung them out, laying them on a large rock a few feet away from the water’s edge. He took my hand and pulled me higher up the bank so we could rest in the grass. He gathered me close, his warm body stopping my chills.
I looked into his beautiful dark eyes. It was past time we had this talk. “Why have you never had children?”
He looked off in the distance. “I think it was an unintended gift from the goddess when she cursed us. It takes two dragons to produce dragon offspring. If our brides could have children, they would be human and we would watch them die as we do our brides. It’s hard to think of never having children as a gift, but I don’t think I could survive it. The human parents are much stronger than I am.”
I would never have a child. It hurt deep inside me, but my pain for Bastian was more intense. I held him tightly. “I am sorry. It was very hard to see Jonathan taken from his parents and I wish I hadn’t, but I would not want you to go through it alone. Love me, dragon, so we may both forget.”
Chapter Seventeen
Bastian
Months passed and we settled into our life. Acasia was my blessing and I cherished our time. It hurt me when I felt her sadness. She would offer a smile, but I knew the sadness was there. Often, making love would take the feeling away, but sometimes she went into a melancholy that lasted days. It frustrated me because my other brides rarely did this once they settled. Acasia was different. She loved deeper than any human I’d ever met.
I flew to my bedroom perch and shifted to human form. I could hear her in the library, her soft breathing an ever present part of me. I showered and changed into jeans and a t-shirt because I liked the look in her eyes when she saw me thus.
I needed to speak to her about a raid I had planned with Laryn. The dragon’s foul moods were too much for me, and I wanted to take his mind elsewhere. I could not bring Acasia with me, and dreaded her being alone. This was not a conversation I looked forward to.
She sat at the end of the table at the back of the library engrossed in a book. I walked closer, and my heart stopped beating. It was my book of sketches. I noticed the ladder from the corner of my eye and its placement at the space where my book should reside.
Acasia looked up. “These are your brides?”
I could garner nothing from the look on her face and it worried me. My brides did not like speaking of those who came before them and neither did I.
“Yes.”
“You drew these?” She flipped the pages gently.
“Yes.”
“Why have you never shown me?”
This was not what I expected from her, but that was what I loved so much about Acasia. She was different.
“It hurts to look at them. I draw a sketch, but never look back. I did not think it something you would like.”
“That’s so sad, Bastian. They are beautiful and deserve your memories. I saw my picture and someday there will be another ahead of me.”
Anger began to simmer deep within me. “Do not say that,” I replied harshly.
“Why? Maybe I’m selfish, but I want you to remember me. I know you’ll love again, but I still wish you to carry a small part of me with you. I think you owe it to all your brides.”
I could not take her mentioning the time after her death. I exploded and swiped the book from in front of her, sending it flying across the room.
Anger sparked in her eyes, but her voice was calm. “Do you feel better, dragon?”
Smoke came from my human nostrils; I had very little control at this moment and could feel the fire build in my chest. I turned away.
“Bastian, even death is not stronger than my love for you.”
She said it so quietly, I almost kept walking, but I turned back toward her. Tears rolled down her cheeks. My fury deflated. “Talking of this hurts, Acasia. Thinking of you dead is more than I can stand. With all my posturing and ego, I am but a man with a human’s heart. Losing you will break me completely.”
She stood up, but instead of coming to me, she walked over and picked up my sketchbook. She carried it to the couch we usually shared and sat down. Her eyes met mine. “Sit with me, Bastian, and tell me of your brides. We don’t need to travel all the pages in one afternoon, but you need to talk about them. Remember them. I know they loved you as I do.”
What could I do? I could refuse her nothing. I walked over and sat down. She turned to the first page of the book and ran her finger over the sleeping face of my first bride.
“That is Tarita.”
“Tell me something about her. What was her favorite food?”
The thought of her favorite food broke something open in my chest where I’d buried her memory. “She loved apples. Green only. I had to look far away to find a green apple tree to plant here.”
Acasia turned the page. It was Tarita naked, lying back on the bed looking at me with hungry eyes.
“Did she know you drew this?”
“No. She would have hit me upside the head with a great log.”
Acasia laughed, and against my will, I could feel my lips tilting up. “She had an awful temper.”
“You drove her to tantrums, I’m sure.”
Other memories came forward. We spoke of my first three brides before I finally asked to stop.
Acasia laid her head on my shoulder. “Thank you, Bastian. We will talk of the others another time. We have many years.”
I lifted her from the couch and carried her to our room, the book forgotten. Slowly, I released her as her body slid down mine. I removed each item of her clothing, kissing every inch of her body until she was standing on tiptoes and clutching my shoulders.
“You are torturing me, Bastian.”
I kissed her thigh and looked up. “I’ve only begun, bride.”
“I cannot take any more.”
I stood, lifting her at the same time. “Wrap your legs around me.” I carried her through the double doors, outside to my perch.
“We cannot do this out here.” She giggled, and I knew she would do it anywhere I took her.
“Hold on.” I impaled her on my cock, supporting her back while rocking my hips. She was wet, tight, and perfect. I loved when she raked my back with her human claws, and she never disappointed in giving me what I wanted. The fire grew inside me, the energy building as I felt her body quake. She threw her head back, screaming her ecstasy so even the gods could hear. I roared, fire exploding from my human mouth, the red glow bursting from both of us.
“I love you, Acasia. Thank you for being my greatest treasure.” I held her tightly to me, my cock still within her warmth, my fingers threading through her hair.
“I didn’t know you could breathe fire in human form.”
“It doesn’t happen often.”
“Will you take me for a ride, dragon?” She smiled mischievously because she knew she’d just ridden her dragon.
I made her fetch clothes and we rode until the sun went down, watching the different colors spread across the horizon. I loved this woman. Knew I loved her more than any previous bride. Acasia had my entire heart.
Chapter Eighteen
Acasia
I felt as if I won a major battle. Finding the sketchbook was heartbreaking and eye opening. Bastian’s pain was so incredibly deep, and I would do anything to ease it. He needed to trust that I knew what was best. Stubbornness was the way of men and it didn’t matter if they were human or dragon.
We ate lunch in the library and I realized something else was wrong. He wouldn’t look at me when he finally spoke.
/> “I am going away with Laryn. We will be gone a few days and you are staying behind.”
I calmly rested my fork beside my plate. “Where are you going?”
“We are raiding a neighboring realm.”
Fear made my voice tight. “And I have no say in this?”
“It is the way of dragons. A bride’s place when her dragon goes hunting treasure is at the hearth. You will do as told.”
One step forward and one-hundred steps back when dealing with a pigheaded idiot. “When do you leave?”
“In an hour.”
I wanted to hit him, and I could tell by his refusal to look at me that he postured for the sake of his dragon’s pride. I had pride too, and if I was to do as told, I would show him that he better choose carefully when giving orders.
I slowly stood from the table and entered my chamber, which I rarely used. The door didn’t have a lock, and I hoped Bastian would leave me be while I stewed. An hour later, he entered the room. I didn’t look at him.
“I meant to tell you yesterday.”
If this was his apology, it wouldn’t cut it. I refused to roll over. He strode from the room and within minutes, I knew he was gone. I was too angry earlier to cry, but no longer. My stupid dragon hurt me so badly. If he’d spoken to me about his leaving, I’d have been apprehensive and definitely sad, but I wouldn’t feel like this. I finally managed to wipe the tears from my face and get up.
I wandered through Bastian’s room and the library. I finally decided to go exploring outside on my own, so I changed my clothes. The problem was figuring out how to get out. I walked through the long hallway where the door separating me from the humans was. It was locked. I walked back to my room and picked up a heavy gold goblet. I then proceeded to beat on the solid door until finally it was answered by a young woman, approximately my age.
She looked fearful but curious. I decided not to explain as I walked past her, but turned to offer a smile. I noticed a key on the backside of the door. I didn’t think about what I was doing, just grabbed it. I refused to be locked within the dragon’s love nest any longer.
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