“We’re uneven again,” she said against his lips.
“Hmm?”
She glanced down at her nakedness and then pointedly at the breeches that still hung around his hips. Her fingers trailed down his stomach. To his surprise, her hand didn’t dawdle with removing them but drifted inside, wrapping around his rock-hard shaft and stroking him from base to tip.
“Leena,” he whispered. “You keep doing that and this is going to go faster than you deserve.”
“I want to see you.”
He backed up a step and removed his breeches. Her lips parted as she studied him by candlelight.
“Do I frighten you?” he asked.
“No. It’s just different from what I expected. Different from scrolls and sketches. You’re… huge.”
A wicked grin spread across his face. “Kind of you to say so.” He traced the backs of his nails along the outer curve of her body. “I think you’re walking poetry.”
That brought color to her cheeks. Her violet eyes seemed to give off their own light in the darkness. She scoffed and looked away. “I’m plain by elf standards. Flat.”
He closed the gap between them. “Perfect.” He guided her to sit on the bed and spread her knees so he could kneel between them. Once again, his lips found hers. He trailed featherlight kisses down her throat to her breast, his fingers drifting between her legs and stroking along her center. She was wet, ready.
She pressed her hands into his shoulders. “What are you going to do?”
He looked up at her from under hooded lids. “I’m going to give you an experience to remember.”
“Trust me.”
Leena had to have lost her mind to have come to Colin’s room. By the goddess, she was wicked. Only, she couldn’t bring herself to regret her actions with his fingers doing decadent things between her legs.
Something was building inside her, that same strange, dropping ache she’d felt in the tent. It centered around his touch, and she thought he’d continue the same as before. She leaned back on her elbows, noticing the exquisite sensation of the night air across the tips of her breasts.
“Colin…”
His lips landed on the curve of her stomach, and his tongue traced a wet trail lower. He couldn’t possibly mean to—
Leena’s head tipped back, and she inhaled sharply as Colin’s tongue replaced his fingers. The world narrowed to the steady rhythm of his flicking tongue against her flesh. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. Closer. Closer. Her skin tingled. Her breath caught in her throat.
Her soul exploded through her skin, even stronger than the first time in the tent. He had transformed her into pure light, and the pleasure that resulted filled the room. Spinning. Unraveling. Weightless, she came apart and then back together.
And still, she wanted him. Wanted more. His mating trill buzzed like a purr between her legs. He turned her on the bed and climbed on top of her. This was happening. He loved her. She knew he did. And that trill was important, his dragon coming to the surface, claiming her.
She should stop this. It would be harder for him after this. All she could give him was one night, and she knew he wanted more. Had always known.
But when her hands landed on his shoulders to push him away, her body betrayed her and pulled him closer. Her legs wrapped around his hips. She was so wet from his mouth and her need that it was all too easy for him to slide partially inside her. She sucked in her breath at the size, at the way he stretched her to the limit.
“Am I hurting you?” he whispered. His muscles coiled above her as if stopping his movement was causing him pain.
“Not at all.” She pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw. “Why would it hurt?”
“Sometimes the first time hurts for females.”
“Not for me. Not for elves.”
“Thank the goddess.” All at once, he thrust into her. He hadn’t given her everything before, not even close. And although it didn’t hurt, it made her gasp. The fullness, the depth. He was everywhere, and her flesh reveled in it.
He began to move over her, in her, until she felt that now-familiar building again.
“Please,” she whispered. She hadn’t meant to say the word. Hadn’t meant to beg. But the feeling was so intense, so intimate, it spilled from her lips like a prayer.
And he was there for her, hooking her knee over his shoulder and driving in deeper. When the light filled her this time, it seemed to come from a deeper place. She had to bite her wrist to keep from screaming. And when he tensed over her and she realized he was experiencing his own magic, the sight of his face in the throes of ecstasy fed her own.
It was a long time before it seemed she could breathe again. Longer still until he rolled off her and dragged her against his chest, covering them both with the thin blanket.
“Another taste,” he whispered in her ear. “Was it what you expected?”
She shook her head. How could she explain what she was feeling? “I didn’t know you could get to heaven by joining bodies.”
His voice was serious when he responded. “Neither did I.”
“But you have done this before.”
“I’ve had sex before. I’ve never done this before.”
For some reason, that made her heart glow. “I wish things were different.”
He stiffened behind her. “Different how?”
Tears filled her eyes. “If I were a different person. If we’d met at a different time. If I hadn’t yet taken my—” She stopped. She’d been about to say if she hadn’t yet taken her oath and become a scribe. But did she mean it? If she’d met Colin before she’d devoted herself to the order, would she have chosen him over being a scribe?
A lump formed in her throat. There was no sense thinking about such things. “I should return to my room. I can barely keep my eyes open. I have to get back while everyone’s still asleep.”
He pulled her tighter against his chest and kissed her temple. “You said you wanted a taste, that you wanted everything.”
She laughed softly. “I think you gave me a full meal.”
“Not even close. The after-sex cuddling is an important part of the experience.” His breath was warm against her ear. “Sleep, Leena. I’ll wake you before dawn. Plenty of time to make it back to your room.”
She yawned and snuggled deeper into his embrace. She should go. It would be wiser if she returned to her chambers now and didn’t prolong the inevitable. Every minute she lived in this fantasy made it harder for her to return to the real world.
But in the end, she wasn’t strong enough. She wanted more of this, wanted to drink the night dry of its indulgences. She closed her eyes and drifted off in the protection of his embrace.
Chapter Twenty-One
For all intents and purposes, last night was a disaster for Colin. His dragon had fallen scales over talons for Leena. He’d given her everything and bound himself to her, and she’d made no such vow with him. She’d be the only woman for him now, ever. He’d condemned himself to a long and lonely life.
Still, he wouldn’t change a thing. A single night with her was worth any cost, including a lifetime alone. He watched her sleep as the hours passed. It never occurred to him to close his eyes and rest himself. Why would he? And willfully miss a second of this?
But alas, the hour came when he could wait no longer without putting her at risk. He’d promised her a taste and then to return her to her own life. It was time. She had to go, and he had to complete a mission. He had a war to lead.
“Leena,” he whispered in her ear.
She took a deep breath and smiled in her sleep.
“It’s time to wake up.”
Her eyes fluttered open, and then her smile faded. “It’s time for me to go, isn’t it?”
He nodded.
Slowly she climbed out of bed, out of his arms, and pulled on her clothes. Only when she was fully dressed did she turn back to him. “Thank you for this.”
He inclined his head. She reached fo
r the door.
“Leena.” Why was he doing this? He was only going to make it worse.
“Yes?”
“No matter what happens now, I want you to know something.” He watched her throat bob, saw the way she hugged herself against the well of emotions that made her eyes glint with tears. “Last night was everything to me. No matter how long you live or what the future brings, I want you to know that I love you and have loved you, above all others. This was a taste for you. A first taste. For me, it was the last. And I don’t regret a single moment of it.”
“Oh, Colin…” She gave him a pitying look he could not abide. It was no secret that once a dragon bonded, they could not find pleasure in another. Whether she realized that he’d bonded with her unilaterally last night or simply thought his words were romantic pillow talk, he didn’t want her sympathy. He wouldn’t have changed a damn thing. Every second of last night was sacred.
He gestured toward the door. “Go. You don’t want to get caught.”
She gave him a slight bow and left without another word.
Cold shards of ice stabbed through his heart in the empty room. Some invisible creature had dug its claws into his chest and torn and shredded until there was nothing left but wispy twists of his soul blowing in a dark wind. Everything that mattered was over.
But a soldier, a warrior, was trained to fight through the pain. He’d keep moving and leave everything on the battlefield.
Colin washed and dressed, forcing himself to move the shattered pieces of his heart. The suns hadn’t yet risen outside his window, but he took up his sword. Time to lose himself in his practice routine. Whatever this war would bring, he was ready, because after tonight, he had nothing left to lose. And if there was one thing universally acknowledged in Ouros, it was the hazard of a dragon with nothing to lose.
It was all Leena could do to keep her eyes open as they rode toward the orchard on the edge of Asfolk. Unlike the palace, the temple did not have access to a carriage large enough to transport four dragons, three witches, and one exhausted scribe, and unlike the night before, it was decided that Nathaniel’s magical reserves could not be wasted on transporting them by portal.
What the temple did have was plenty of horses. The dapple-gray steeds carried scribes to the distant pools in Niven to make sacrifices to the goddess. They’d saddled up that morning after breakfast and set out for Asfolk, Leena carefully distancing herself from Colin to avoid suspicion. Every time she came near him, she thought that her skin must be glowing, branded with light everywhere he’d touched her.
How was it possible that no one seemed to notice she was different? The idea boggled her mind. How could they not notice that she’d been completely turned inside out and put back together? Her night with Colin had shaken her to her core. She’d never be the same. Never.
She adjusted herself in the saddle, her muscles deliciously sore from their lovemaking. Despite her best efforts, her mind went back there, back to the sight of him moving over her, in her. Sweat on his forehead. The muscles of his arms bunching with the effort, caging her in, making her his willing prisoner.
They reached a crossroad and got a firsthand view of exactly what was happening in Rogos. A battalion of archers rode by in front of them, dressed in their purple uniforms. The captain bowed his head in her direction. She bowed back, watching absently as the unit continued on. When they resumed their journey, she allowed the dragons to go ahead of her toward their destination. She was too tired for the responsibility of leading the way.
“Earth to Leena.” Clarissa popped up beside her. When had she found her way to the back of the group?
“Why would Earth be calling me?”
Clarissa laughed. “It’s an expression. We say it to each other on Earth when someone spaces out.”
“What a strange expression.”
“What’s with the matching luggage?” Clarissa motioned under her eyes. “Looks like you haven’t slept in days.”
She glanced away nervously. “I haven’t been able to sleep lately.”
“Clandestine affair?”
Leena’s head snapped around, her eyes widening. “Why would you think that?”
Clarissa laughed, buckling over the neck of her horse. “It was a joke. Obviously. I mean, you’re a scribe, right?”
“Oh, right.” Leena forced a giggle.
Clarissa’s smile faded, and she leaned back in the saddle. “Seriously, what is it? Why can’t you sleep?”
She lifted her eyebrows, thinking fast. “Isn’t everyone missing sleep these days? Our world is on the brink of war. Even now, the high lord has likely lined up troops at the border.”
It wasn’t a lie, but Clarissa’s face fell as if it wasn’t quite what she’d expected her to say. “Hmm. Well, if we get our hands on that book today, my sisters and I are going to end this war before it begins. Take heart—you’ll be sleeping well soon.”
How she wished that was true.
It was late morning when they reached Asfolk Orchard and found the metal sculpture of the dragon guarding the gate. There was no one here. No need to guard it. Not only was the thornfruit dangerous to pick and inedible to anyone who didn’t know how to prepare it properly, it wasn’t even in season.
Leena hopped down off her horse and inspected the dragon. She brushed years of dust and debris off the metal sculpture. Dead leaves had gathered along the side in the dip between its tail and its body. This wasn’t a crypt. There was no inscription anywhere on it, no marker. It wasn’t even big enough to contain an adult body. More relevant to their cause, there was no place to put the crypt key.
“I don’t understand,” Raven said. Charlie reached for the shiny dragon from the carrier on her chest and Raven redirected her hand away from the sculpture. “This is exactly what Medea described in her message, but this can’t be it, can it?”
Leena traced the metal with her fingers. “Elves are geniuses at metalwork. Let me just…” There was a ridge under the dragon’s jaw. A latch. She squeezed it.
A metal-on-metal groan preceded the rattle of a chain somewhere inside. The clockwork dragon vibrated, the copper mouth yawning open to expose a network of bronze and platinum gears around an indentation. The crypt lock.
Clarissa gasped. “Holy shit, that is badass!” She ran her fingers over the gears.
“Let’s try the key.” Raven dug in her saddlebag for the collection of gears they’d retrieved from the orbs.
“Gives me the creeps.” Avery shivered. “Be careful, Raven. Anyone talented enough to make this thing is smart enough to booby-trap it.”
“Aye. Seems an odd contraption to me as well,” Xavier said. “Are ye sure it’s safe? Perhaps one of us should do it.” He looked worriedly at Avery, and a pang of jealousy cut through Leena at what passed between them. Her eyes slipped to Colin, who was scanning the surrounding area for threats, his eyes everywhere but on her.
Raven shook her head. “Medea left this to us. We have to do it.” She navigated Charlie’s grabby fingers to fit the key into the dragon’s mouth. “Leena, I need your help. What’s the key word? The symbols are all in high fae.”
“I don’t remember one. Did Medea even leave us a key word?” Leena pulled the scroll from her satchel and unrolled it for the witch. She stood beside it as they both read it again. “It could be the baby’s name, Phineas…”
“The only word I can leave you with is goodbye,” Raven read. “How do you spell goodbye in high fae?”
Leena reached into the dragon’s mouth and turned the gears, matching the symbols to spell out the valediction. Then she backed away with the others as the clockwork dragon started to tick and grind.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The dragon, Raven noted, wasn’t a sculpture but a machine. As soon as they turned the key in the lock, it started to tick. Inner gears turned, and the mouth grew bigger and bigger until it was possible to walk into the gaping maw.
“This is dangerous, Colin,” Gabriel said. “A few of us
need to guard the perimeter, especially the main road into the gardens. I don’t need to tell you what will happen if anyone sees this, and I do mean anyone.”
The men exchanged worried glances.
Colin gestured to Xavier and Nathaniel. “Station yourselves to the north and east. Gabriel and I will take south and west. Make yourselves invisible, but don’t be afraid to use force if you have to.”
Gabriel kissed Raven lightly on the lips. “Are you going to be okay?” His eyes flicked to the dark entrance to the crypt.
“I’m with my sisters. Medea left this for us. I think I’m in more danger from something out there”—she gestured toward the road—“than in here.”
Gabriel nodded. “Leave out there to me.” He kissed Charlie’s head, and then he and his brothers blinked out of sight, his scent fading with the next breeze.
She turned back to the dragon’s mouth, but Clarissa’s hand landed on her arm before she could move inside.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Her blue gaze traced around the jagged teeth above and below them. “This thing is hundreds of years old. I don’t trust it.”
Avery, too, balked at the cavernous entrance.
“You and Avery can stay here.” Raven removed the carrier and handed her daughter to Avery. “Watch Charlie. I’ll get the book. If something happens, you two can get me out.”
Avery strapped on the carrier while Charlie patted her cheek affectionately. “Come to your favorite aunt.”
“Hey!” Clarissa looked positively offended.
“Clarissa’s right, Raven. I don’t think it’s safe either,” Avery said.
But Leena held up a hand. “Elf metalwork is extremely reliable. I highly doubt you have anything to worry about.”
Raven drew her wand, the tip casting a purple glow down the throat of the machine. “The book is down there, and there’s only one way to get it.” With one last glance toward the other women, she stepped into the mouth of the dragon and was surprised when Leena followed her.
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