Chapter 18
Keira leaned against Aaron as they rode along the dark road. The moon behind the trees cast eerie shadows, making Keira shiver, but Aaron’s strong arms around her lent her courage. Thomas rode his own horse a few paces behind, giving them a chance for private conversation.
“Is Thomas human?” Keira asked once they were clear of the village.
“Yes,” Aaron replied.
“But he knows what you are?”
“Yes, he’s one of few who do.”
“But what about your servants at Storbrook? Do they know?”
“Thomas is the only one in my confidence.”
“But how’s that possible?”
“The servants all know that the dragon is free to come and go as he pleases,” Aaron said, “but the dragon only enters or leaves Storbrook through the large outer windows. The man they know as their master comes and goes through the more conventional entries.”
“But still,” Keira said in confusion, “don’t they see the chambers the dragon enters?”
“The rear wall of the donjon forms part of the outer castle wall,” Aaron explained. “It’s not possible for someone to see which window the dragon is flying into unless they are directly outside the wall. Since that side of the mountain is sheer rock face, it’s virtually impossible.”
“But surely the servants must wonder why the dragon is given free rein of the castle.”
“If they do, they keep their conjectures to themselves. Fear of a dragon is quite a motivation to keep quiet. Not,” he added quickly as she stiffened in his arms, “that I would ever do anything to harm any of my servants – but they don’t know that. Besides, my staff numbers only eighteen, and they seldom have need to venture away from the castle. Thomas takes a cart into the village every fortnight, and whoever wants to go with him is free to do so.”
Keira was silent for a moment as she considered this. “So,” she said, “Thomas is the only one who knows.”
“And the priest.”
“The priest?” she repeated in astonishment.
“Yes, the priest,” he said, amusement in his tone. “He’s a confessor for the prisoners and also reads them their last rites.”
“Oh! Of course.” In fact, Keira had forgotten about the prisoners, but she was glad Aaron attended to their spiritual needs.
“So, Thomas and the priest,” she repeated. “That’s not very many people.” Keira felt Aaron shrug behind her.
“The fewer people who know, the easier it is to keep my secret.” He reined in his horse as he spoke the last words and slipped from the saddle, then turned to lift Keira down.
“This is as far as we go on horseback,” he explained. “Thomas will take the horses the rest of the way while we fly back.”
“But won’t the servants be surprised to find you at Storbrook in the morning? And with a wife, as well?”
“I’m sure Thomas will come up with a suitable explanation, won’t you, Thomas?” Aaron asked with a grin as the man pulled up next to them.
“Of course, milord,” Thomas replied.
Aaron unclasped his cloak and swung it over Keira’s shoulders, drawing the dragon pin through the folds of fabric at her throat. A moment later he’d stripped off his doublet and shirt and stuffed them into a saddle bag, leaving his chest bare. Nodding once at Thomas, he returned his gaze to Keira and pulled her into his arms.
“Hold tight,” he said. He unfurled his wings, and she wrapped her hands around his neck as he lifted them into the air. The air was cool around them, but the heat of Aaron’s skin slipped through her clothes and kept her warm. The moon was waning and offered very little light, but Aaron flew without hesitation.
“How do you know where to go?” Keira asked, gazing out into the darkness that surrounded them.
“Humans are so used to relying on their sight, they forget about their other senses,” Aaron said with a snort. “Close your eyes, my sweet. Tell me what you hear.” Keira did as he instructed, listening to the sounds that filled the air around her.
“I hear your wings beating against the wind,” she replied, opening her eyes to smile at him.
He smiled. “What else?” he asked. Keira closed her eyes again.
“A nightjar.” She screwed up her eyes, concentrating. “And rushing water.” She opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly.
“The waterfall. We’re close to Storbrook. Now close your eyes again and tell me what you smell.” Keira did as she was instructed and took a deep breath.
“I smell you,” she said, keeping her eyes closed. “You smell like smoke.”
Aaron chuckled before burying his nose in her hair and taking in a deep breath.
“And you smell of the promise of love,” he said.
Keira blushed, but took another deep breath. “I smell ...” She hesitated, trying to place the scent. “Pine.”
“Well done.”
Keira laughed. “I’m a quick student,” she teased. “How does pine help you know where you are?”
“Pine only grows at higher elevations, so I know we’re high,” he said. “But very little grows at the top, so when the smell of pine fades, I know I’m close. Look down – there’s nothing beneath us but rock and a little scrub. Can you see Storbrook?”
Keira tightened her grip around his neck and twisted around. Below them, basking in a soft glow, was Storbrook. Flaming lanterns stood along the tops of the walls at regular intervals, bathing the castle in orange light that flickered in the breeze and cast shadows which danced in time to the notes of music that drifted to them on a breeze. A huge fire blazed in the inner court, and Keira could see people mingling around the flames, while others danced. Someone scraped out a tune on a violin, while another played the lyre.
“Are they waiting for you?” she asked.
“They’re celebrating our marriage, but aren’t expecting to see us tonight. It will be a few hours before Thomas arrives with the horses, and most of the people you see will have retired by then. If one or two are still around, they won’t be in any condition to contemplate why Thomas has arrived with two horses, but no second rider,” he added with a laugh.
Aaron dropped towards the outer walls of the castle, then flew into one of the large windows Keira had seen before. The wall was built from stone and stood at least three feet thick, and Aaron landed on the window ledge, which opened up into a very large room. Releasing Keira, he jumped down to the floor then turned back to help her down.
The chamber was dark, but Aaron quickly lit the torches that stood in sconces around the room. A huge fireplace was built into one of the walls, and with a few fiery breaths Aaron had a fire blazing in the grate. As the light spread through the space, Keira looked around. The room was clearly a bedchamber, but was larger than her parents’ entire cottage. The ceiling soared twenty feet above her, the light barely penetrating the shadowed depths. A huge canopied bed was on one side of the room, covered in thick quilts and furs.
In the wall opposite the window was a large, heavy door, which Keira guessed led to the rest of the castle. Near this door stood a long table with a porcelain basin and ewer on the surface, and a pile of linens neatly stacked beside it. On either side of the bed, rugs had been placed on the stone floors, their exotic colors and designs suggesting they had been brought from afar. Across the room, near the fireplace, was a sitting area. High-backed chairs covered in cushions stood closest to the fire, rugs were scattered on the floor, and further away stood a wooden table, with a chess board set up with pieces. A smaller table stood against the wall, holding a decanter of wine and two goblets. The floor in the center of the room – an area that stretched thirty feet across – was completely bare of both furniture and rugs.
Aaron watched Keira for a moment before walking over to her. He took her hands in his and massaged them with his thumbs.
“Welcome home, Keira,” he said softly. He glanced around the room for a moment before looking back at her with a smile.
“This is the Great Chamber. If you’d prefer to have separate chambers, then I’d be happy to arrange that. But I was hoping...” He hesitated for a moment before continuing. “Keira, will you share this chamber with me? There’s a Lady’s Bower that connects to this room –”
The words weren’t even out of his mouth when Keira responded. “Yes. Yes. Of course, yes!”
Aaron’s smile was ecstatic as he pulled her into his arms, his mouth near her ear.
“I have dreamed of this moment, my sweet. To hold you in my arms and know that you belong here with me.” He drew back to look her in the eyes. “All that I have is yours – my home, my possessions, my protection, my life and my heart. I love you, Keira, and have loved you from the first moment I saw you. Your grace, your courage and your beauty captivated me. I may be the dragon, but I am completely at your mercy.”
Keira shivered as his mouth captured hers, his kiss passionate. As he drew away, Keira could see the desire blazing in his eyes, and she suddenly felt shy. The way Edmund had yanked her skirts had only filled her with fear and repulsion, and although she knew Aaron’s attentions would be an act of love, she wasn’t sure what to expect. She pulled back slightly, her eyes downcast as Aaron watched her carefully.
“Come, Keira, let’s sit by the fire for a while.” Keeping her hand in his, he led her across the room to one of the high-backed chairs and poured her a glass of wine. He handed her the goblet, its liquid glowing ruby red in the firelight, and settled himself at her feet, his hands resting on her knees as he looked at her.
“Your parents provided a lavish feast,” he said with a smile. “Anyone would think that they actually approve of our union.”
Keira grinned. “Mother would rather die than give the village women reason to say she was miserly. And as for Father, I think he really does like you. Or maybe he just senses that it’s in his own best interests not to cross a dragon,” she teased.
“And don’t ever forget it, wife,” Aaron growled playfully. He pulled her from the chair and into his lap.
“Did you see Dame Lamb dancing?” Keira asked as she settled her weight against him. “She hobbled around with her stick, grabbing onto any man near her!” She laughed as she remembered the way the old lady lifted her skirts above her ankles, shocking many of the younger women in the crowd.
“Hmm,” responded Aaron. “There seems to be more to Dame Lamb than meets the eye. Dancing, drinking, conversing with faeries. What next?”
The fire grew low in the grate as they continued their reminiscing. Aaron made Keira blush when he recounted some of the bawdy jokes told by the minstrel, while Aaron laughed as Keira repeated some of the wifely wisdom that had been bestowed on her by well-meaning village women.
The firelight caught the band of gold glittering on Keira’s finger, and she pulled her hand out of his to take a closer look. Finely etched around the band was a dragon, the flame from its mouth reaching around the circle to catch its tail.
“My father gave it to my mother when they were married,” Aaron said, watching Keira as she examined the ring. “Once we have the binding ceremony, dragon blood will forever course through your veins.” The binding ceremony was scheduled to take place the following week, allowing Keira and Aaron a few days alone before their guests started to arrive. Keira swallowed hard as she remembered what the ceremony entailed – drinking Aaron’s blood.
“I can’t wait to taste your blood,” Aaron whispered, as if reading her thoughts. “I want to know that my blood flows through your veins, and that we’ll forever be a part of each other.” He turned her hand and traced his finger over the inside of her wrist. “Nothing will ever separate us,” he said.
He turned her in his lap so that she straddled him and brought his lips to hers as his hands slid behind her back and slowly loosened her laces. His fingers were hot against her skin, and when his hand slipped beneath her bodice, she shivered.
“I’ll be very gentle, Keira,” whispered Aaron. “I intend to give you as much pleasure as you will give me in our joining. This is our most private, intimate connection, and nothing that happens between us should be viewed with shame or embarrassment. I love you, my sweet. Allow me to show you how much.”
And when he slowly slid her gown off her shoulders and touched her skin with his lips, she gave herself over to him, following him as he led her into untold delights.
When Keira woke the following morning, she was in the large bed, cocooned in quilts and blankets, her husband curled around her back. Bringing her hand to her mouth, she traced her fingers around her lips, before running them down her neck, over her bare breasts and down her stomach. The warmth crept into her cheeks as she remembered her husband’s mouth trailing along the same path, and her stomach clenched as she recalled his caress. He had been so gentle the first time, patiently waiting for her before carrying them both to dizzying heights of passion. They had slept lightly, awakening to an intense awareness of each other, and when he moaned at her caresses, she knew that she could evoke the same powerful responses in him that he evoked in her. She had not known it was possible to feel such pleasure, and she smiled in remembrance as she snuggled closer to Aaron, reveling in his warmth. He rested his hand on her breast, and his thighs were tucked behind hers.
“Good morning, my wife,” he murmured sleepily, as his hand slowly trailed down her bare hip and along her thigh. His gentle touch made her shiver, and she turned to face him, her legs tangling with his. He pulled her closer, and his warm breath caressed her face as he pushed himself up on one elbow to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around him and gave herself to the passion that tumbled over her like a sudden storm.
Bound by a Dragon Page 18