by Sasha Pruett
She grew quiet again, but only briefly. “I don’t know how much more I can handle, but I’m not giving up. It’s either fight or give in and we both know that I’m way to stubborn to ever give in, so I guess I’m stuck with fighting. At least I have you, and this.” She looked around the lagoon and tried to smile, but it was a pathetic attempt at best.
“This isn’t working, for either of us. It’s time we do something ‘normal’. Let’s see, we’ve gone to dinner, we’ve gone dancing, had coffee, how about…?” He stood up pulling her with him. “I know just the thing.”
Before she knew it, she was sitting in a darkened theater somewhere in Texas. She wasn’t sure what town, but one thing about Texas was that no matter where you were you knew when you were in Texas. He was right, this was just the thing. With a bucket of popcorn and the largest soda she’d been allowed to have since stumbling head first into this new life it was the epitome of normal. She leaned into him, his arm protectively around her shoulders and laughed at the antics on the screen. Maybe she could do this, at least until the next issue reared its ugly head, but she wouldn’t think about that now. No, for now she was normal again. For now life made sense and monsters only existed in books and movies.
Chapter Forty-Two
It was only one week until the ceremony. One week until Calynn was surrounded by a mansion full of bloodthirsty creatures masquerading as humans. Though no new powers had surfaced and her time with both Lady Anula and Delphine had dropped to near nothing Drakon could still feel the growing apprehension she tried so hard to hide. Tonight, he hoped would ease all that. He knew nothing could take it away completely and until the adrenaline wore off when they were finally back at the villa she would always have it somewhere on her mind. She was keeping it together quite impressively, even with the pregnancy playing with her emotions, but that wasn’t the point. The point was to fill her life with distraction and wonder, to detract from the storm clouds in her mind.
He’d gotten the idea from the movie they’d watched at the theater shortly before and had been working out the logistics ever since. It would take some precise movements and push his own powers to the limit, but he was finding he’d do that and more for the woman that owned his own soul. He had her napping all day, at first she’d rolled her eyes began to ague, but when he informed her that they would not be stopping their adventure until the sun was up she agreed. He woke her an hour just before sunset so she could eat and dress, then as with every excursion, he lifted her into his arms and leapt to the ground in the fading light and disappeared.
When he set her down again the stones were still wet and the grass and moss that covered the pathways and trails were slick.
“Be careful, it’s the rainy season. I wouldn’t want you to tumble head first through these ruins.”
She looked around, her eyes still adjusting to the forms and structures around her. “Where are we?”
“The ancient city of Machu Picchu.”
She looked around testing her footing and trailing her fingers over the rough wet stones. “Where is everybody?”
“They close the gates at six, but for us the doors are always open.”
“You mean we’re trespassing?”
“Only if they catch us and I guarantee you they never will.”
“Cocky much?”
He smiled then directed her attention to the sky. “Calynn, look up.”
The clouds parted and drifted away revealing the masterpiece above and her eyes widened as she gasped with awe. He couldn’t have planned it any more perfect than this and had he been given the power over the very elements he would have done just the same.
“Drakon it’s… breath taking.” It was the most wondrous sight she’d ever seen. The stars from the mountains in Switzerland were amazing, but nothing like this. This was magnificent, as if a master painter had put his entire soul into the canvas that was the night sky. The stars didn’t just form warriors, heroes and animals, but a light show of diamonds and colors of an entire galaxy. She didn’t know whether she wanted to laugh or cry or both when she was interrupted by a brilliant flash of light.
“What was that?” nearly blinded she blinked to find Drakon standing with a cell phone taking pictures of her and her mouth dropped open. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
If she thought that was something nothing prepared her for what he did next. He walked up beside her, placed an arm around her, beamed and took a photo of the two of them together. Calynn was flabbergasted.
“Did you just take a selfie?”
“My very first. What do you think?” He turned the screen to show her and she burst into laughter that rolled through the ruins like a ghost in the night. “I may not fawn over these devices like Maximilien, but I don’t avoid them and their usefulness and tonight we’re going to find it very useful.”
She sobered up a little, her curiosity in full throttle. “Is that so?”
“Oh yes, this is merely the first stop on the tour.”
“Where are we going?”
“Around the world Calynn, around the world. We are going to set foot on every continent and record it with this.” He waved his phone.
“Every continent?”
“All except Antarctica that is. You seem to have an aversion to the cold, but if you like we can make a detour.”
“No no.” She flung her hands up, “I’m perfectly happy with six out of seven, no need on my account.”
He chuckled, everything was going perfectly. “Then shall we move on before your laughter starts rumors of a spirit that roams the lost ruins.”
“Lead the way, but I don’t think they’d mind.”
He pulled her into his arms ready to take off, “Mind what?”
“Another ghost sighting, brings in more tourists.”
He shook his head and the two were off just as the sky clouded and the rain began to fall once more. When he sat her down again she could feel the tickling of grass up to her knees and the stars were so bright and numerous they looked like a swarm of billions of fireflies. It was still warm and much drier than where they came from, instead of the smell of fresh rain and cool grass the breeze carried the smell of dusty earth and animals. It was difficult to see in the waning moon, but she thought they were somewhere in Africa by the looks of a nearby acacia tree. The roar of a lion in the not so distant night nearly made her jump back into Drakon’s arms and removed all doubt as to where they were.
“I thought you were the animal lover?”
“Not when I’m on the menu.”
“You can control them remember.”
“That’s the dogs at the mansion and small things in the woods not a lion Drakon!” She realized she was raising her voice and struggled to keep it low and off the radar of any hungry felines nearby.
“Do you think I would bring you here if you were in any danger?”
“Well…”
“Just watch.”
Soon a lioness emerged from a tall patch of savanna grass and padded up to them. Lean and powerful she walked right in front of Drakon then lowered her head allowing him to pet her.
“They know another predator. Just as the wildebeests can sense them and know to run, they can sense me. At the moment, we have a bit of an understanding since she does not feel threatened.”
“Can everyone do this, communicate with animals?”
“Not as much now. Controlling animals used to be common among our race which is why you can do it so easily, but it has fallen out of practice. It was once viewed as conquering the beasts and was a matter of pride with my kind. It brought them fear from the humans and awe at their power as well, but has long since been delegated to a sideshow act by most. I’ve been crafting my skill for decades, these animals have more honor than most of the whole of mankind.” With a turn of his hand the big cat sat on her haunches and he knelt beside her scratching behind her ears.
“Come on, it’s perfectly safe. She will not harm you.”
Calynn slowly
lowered herself beside the feline and placed a tentative hand on her head. When she found she still had all of her digits she began to stroke the animal in wonder then gasped as the lioness gave her other hand a gentle lick and laid her head in her lap. She couldn’t believe she was doing this, it was every animal lovers’ dream. She could have stayed there the rest of the night, but there was much more to see. Drakon took a picture of the two of them with the big cat and then they were off again taking pictures in front of the famous Australian Opera House. Then to an ornate garden on the grounds of the Potala Palace in Tibet, but that wasn’t all. They stopped in Northern Ireland at a place called Giant’s Causeway where each stone was a geometric marvel, next she was standing in a heather field in Scotland and finally she was on the sandy beach of the Atlantic back in the states. The ocean breeze was cool no doubt but it was far from cold and she guessed they must be somewhere in the deep south in the same Indian summer that they were having back at the mansion. Drakon walked up behind her and pulled her into his arms.
“That was absolutely amazing. What time is it?”
“A little after one.”
“Wow, all that and it’s barely one a.m.?”
“I hope you’re not tired.” She turned to look up at him from the side giving him a questioning look. “Because we’re not done yet, not by half.”
The rest of the night they spent moving up and down the US taking a photo of the two of them at each of the ‘Welcome To…’ state signs. Hugging, kissing, sticking out their tongues, whatever she wanted to do he was there. At two hundred and fifty-two years old, he had done more things for the first time since meeting Calynn than he ever thought existed and he was; dare he admit it, having fun. It ended, sitting in tandem on the beach in Hawaii minutes before sunrise, Calynn’s mind swimming with the events of the night.
“Now what? It’s too late to go back, do we keep heading west?”
“We stay here.”
“On the beach?”
“If you want to, but I find sleeping on the beach quite uncomfortable. Come on I know a place.”
They made their way across the islands until they reached La¬-n̄a'i and he checked them into a resort. When he said he knew a place she was figuring on a little island hut or something. Not a grand resort that would probably take three months’ pay for just one weekend, but when she entered the suite she found she was too tired to gawk at one more thing falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
*****
Calynn stretched and rolled over and over in the massive bed looking for the clock. The room was dark and she wondered if she’d slept all day long when she noticed it was only a little after three in the afternoon. There was a slight hum and the heavy blinds slowly began to retract, revealing a bright blue day outside stretching over a bright blue ocean. Drakon stepped in from the veranda and she was more than happy to see him.
“I thought it may have all been a dream.”
“A good one I hope.”
She smiled and stretched again, mimicking a cat.
“I thought after we had brunch I’d show you around the island.”
“Great. I’m starving. Do you think they serve lobster here? That salty air is making me crave seafood.”
“They will serve anything, any way you want it.”
She wasn’t kidding about being hungry. She devoured every bit of food on her plate and after a shower and a change of clothes she felt like a new woman.
“Do I need to have these flown back to the house?” He was holding her underwear, a mischievous grin on his face. She smacked him and he played keep away with her undergarments while she stood on tip toes and jumped in a fruitless effort to retrieve them. He snaked his arm around her back pressing her against him and for a time they froze, staring intensely at each other. Both their hearts pounding.
“Maybe you should give me that tour while we still have a chance of leaving this room.”
He breathed deep, “I think that’s a wise idea.”
He showed her the island in a way that only he could, sharing its history and that of the other islands around them. Hidden temples, lost trails, and animals few humans have ever seen. With each story she wanted to search it out. To see what many never knew existed, but in the end, she settled for shaved ice and watching the sunset behind the surf leaning against one another on the shore.
“Only a week to go.”
“Regretting your decision are we?”
“Not on your life bub, I’m just worried one of your siblings is going to find a way to screw things up. You have been keeping an eye on them, right?”
“Both eyes actually and you have nothing to worry about.”
“Really? Are you sure?”
“Maximilien is competing in an underground X-games in Spain. Ilse is in Finland digging up something on one of the candidates in the presidential election there. Rais is building his harem in an attempt to sire his own child and Ivan… well trust me you don’t want to know, but he’s … occupied. As long as it’s not him that father has matched he prefers to stay out of the way. I think he’s seriously worried that in an effort to increase the number of offspring father will get it into his head to marry off all of his sons and he’s determined to keep a low profile at the moment. As I said not to worry, none of them or their servants have come close to the villa.”
She nodded and let out a sigh letting her mind rest with the sounds of the birds and the crashing of the waves, stretching this day out as long as she could. Then as the stars began to wake in the night they headed back to the estate, counting down the days until they were free.
Chapter Forty-Three
Calynn was still glowing from their adventure around the world, but it was two days until the joining ceremony and the celebration after and Drakon wasn’t taking any chances. He’d been planning this day for weeks, since the day Calynn had told him that she had loved him. Every detail had been planned and all the arrangements had been made. He made sure she had the day before all to herself to rest and he’d informed his parents that he would be taking her away and they would not return until the nightfall of the ceremony. He wanted to put as much distance between her and the final preparations as possible and he was determined she not be anywhere near the estate when the sacrifices were brought in. His father had had them purified off site to prevent Calynn from having any contact with them even accidentally and with her abilities becoming sharper that was the best decision his father could have made. Devilicus wasn’t happy about the whole thing, but he accepted it as best he could.
It would be sunrise in less than half an hour and it was time to go. The journey would be a long one and time was waning fast.
“Calynn, Calynn it’s time to get up. We need to be leaving. We have to be gone before the sun comes up, unless you can swim across an ocean.” She protested, but only a little. He’d told her the night before that he’d been planning something special for them and after the last adventure she wasn’t about to argue. She stretched and put on some clothes and let him carry her away. At least she was able to sleep the four-hour trip west and they arrived just before the sun broke the horizon.
Her senses tingled and were nearly overwhelmed when she looked around her. It was like her favorite spot in the trails back home only a thousand times better. The sound of the water cascading over the rocks echoed through the dense lush greenery all around and she felt as if she had stepped into a tropical paradise. The air was warm for November and everything smelled fresh and clean and wild.
“Where are we?”
“A little place I like to call New Zealand. McClean Falls to be exact.”
“It’s so warm.”
“It’s late spring here.”
She turned to him, a playful grin on her lips and began to unbutton her shirt. No way she was going to miss an opportunity like this, swimming in the falls before any tourists showed up to ruin her perfect moment, but Drakon placed his hands over hers. Stopping her mid-unbutton.
&n
bsp; “Not yet, we’re not here for a swim.”
She pouted, but it was only a quick one for show. “Are you taking me on a hike through the jungle or something, because we better end up back here to cool off?”
“Just follow me.”
She took his hand as he led her carefully down streams of flowing water to a part of the falls that were slightly quieter, but even more beautiful as the water spilled step by step down the rock ledges in a spray that danced on the morning air. Calynn began to search the bank for a cabin or any type of dwelling, determined that she never wanted to leave this little piece of Heaven when she noticed two white tents set up not far from the waters’ edge. Her heart sped up, this was it. What better place than at the edge of nirvana, but wait. No that can’t be it, there were two tents. He led her to the smaller of the two structures pulling open the flap to let her through.
It hit her immediately, the dresses, the jewelry, the shoes and all she wanted to do was cry. Drakon stepped behind her, placing his hands on her arms whispering in her ear.
“Will you do me the honor Calynn Moore, of marrying me, right here right now?”
“Oh, Drakon… I…”
“That’s not the answer I was hoping for.”
She spun and flung her arms around his neck kissing him again and again and again practically screaming yes in her mind. He pulled away placing his finger on her lips gently tracing them.
“Then meet me at the waters’ edge when you’re ready.” Then he kissed her once more, he couldn’t resist, before leaving her to finish the preparations he had left.
She couldn’t stop smiling, her wedding day; and actual wedding day. No bloodsuckers… well almost, no fear, and everything laid out was exactly what she would have chosen herself. There were four dresses, a half a dozen pairs of shoes, lingerie, flower bouquets, some light make-up, and more jewels than any woman had any right to. All displayed for her on a vanity and all in assorted styles to choose from and the closer she looked the more she realized that it was what she had chosen. The dresses, the shoes, even the jewelry was all what she had picked out of the magazines his mother had deposited in her room, if it had been his mother.