by Cara Bristol
“No.” He shook his head.
“Then how does she know we’re coming?”
“She knows.”
He motioned for her to give him his clothing. She’d forgotten all about it—she was starting to get used to seeing K’ev naked at odd times and places. His nudity seemed to blend in here. With a flick of his wrist, he shook out a single-piece garment. The tatters had fused themselves back together.
“What do you do when you don’t have somebody to carry your clothes?” she asked.
“When I’m not carrying somebody, I can carry them myself.”
While he dressed, she fortified herself with a puff from the inhaler. “What were those tubes we passed? The ones shaped like pretzels.”
“Alien housing,” he said. “Earth dignitaries stayed there years ago. We built it special for your people. The air inside is more comparable to what humans are used to.”
“It looked deserted.”
“The compound hasn’t been occupied in over half a decade. Not since relations went sour.”
“Will I live there?”
“No.” He grabbed her and pressed a hard kiss to her mouth. “You’ll stay with me at the palace. A wing will be retrofitted so you won’t have to use the inhaler.” He twisted his mouth. “Ironically, the more the planet core cools and volcanoes go extinct, the less hazardous our air is for humans—and the less healthy it is for us.”
Another example of an insurmountable difference between their people. Would their two races ever be able to find common ground? She and K’ev had, but they had mated. Maybe that’s what they needed to bring everybody together—intermarriage. Like an old rock and roll song from long ago…all they needed was love. Their mating bond transcended politics and biology. Or did it?
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“Can we make babies?”
“If our fyres will it.” Amber eyes blazed as if he found the idea appealing then he banked the emotion and said, “Let’s go inside.” He led the way up iridescent stone steps toward the massive rotunda.
Next to the entrance, a guardian sat unmoving, its leathery wings folded close to its gleaming scaled body. It was huge, bigger than K’ev’s dragon. The guardian focused straight ahead, giving no sign it noticed them, but as they approached its nostrils quivered.
He’s smelling me! He probably knows K’ev and I are mated, we had sex this morning, my shoes are big-box-store clearance items, and I had Draconian-style Cheerios knockoffs for breakfast. She still hadn’t adjusted to the whole smell thing. It made her uncomfortable to think that everyone would know what she’d been doing just by taking a whiff.
They skirted him and entered the temple. A translucent, pearlescent wall circled the sanctum in one solid piece, curving upward to an open-domed ceiling. Like the Draconian spacecraft, the wall glowed, lit from within.
The floor appeared to be made of the same alabaster-like material.
In the center of the temple, a large bonfire burned.
K’ev glanced at her, and they moved toward it. Or rather, she was tugged toward it, called to it as if the flame itself reached out and grabbed her. Drawing near, she gazed into the dancing reds and oranges, trying to discern what struck her as peculiar about it, other than her attraction to it.
K’ev knelt, bowing his head, and she copied him.
Then he rose and, as she scrambled to her feet, she realized what was so odd about the fire.
Like a magician’s illusion, the flame appeared to float on air, hovering about a foot above the floor with no discernable fuel source. She peered underneath. “Is there gas coming up from below?” she whispered.
A tremendous roar shook the temple walls. With a cry, Rhianna covered her head with her arms in fear the dome would come crashing down. K’ev didn’t so much as flinch. From the far end of the rotunda, a woman in a bridal-white gown with a long train glided toward them.
She drew near, and Rhianna saw the veil and train weren’t made of fabric, but her hair, which dragged on the floor behind her.
Gawking was rude, but Rhianna couldn’t help it. The stranger had to be the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen—that amazing cascade of hair, a perfect oval face, classic features, and flawless skin. Only topaz eyes slit by vertical pupils revealed she wasn’t human.
“To answer your question, the source of the Fyre originates from within,” the woman said in a melodic voice with perfect elocution. Her irises flashed to baby blue then back to amber. “Welcome home, my children.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Thank you, Priestess,” K’ev replied.
Dressed all in white except for the round yellow diamond pendant, the priestess manifested in her near-human form as she often did, a peculiarity no one dared to question. Keeper and protector of the Eternal Fyre, she was the oldest living dragon in existence. When you had lived as long as she had, leaving the temple only once a millennium or so, you were bound to become a little strange.
“This is my mate, Rhianna Montclair, of Earth,” he said awkwardly. Anyone could tell by scent they had mated, and there was little news to bring to the priestess anyway. Blessed with foreknowledge, she often seemed to know what you were going to say before you said it. His discomfort around her had never abated.
She stepped forward to clasp Rhianna’s shoulders. Her smile radiated serenity. “I have waited for this moment a long time.” The priestess kissed Rhianna on both cheeks. The Eternal Fyre in the temple’s center flashed. “My daughter, you will be a fine mate to K’ev ulu K’rah Qatin and will bear him many children to continue the lineage of the royal house of K’rah.”
“Uh…thank you,” Rhianna said, her eyes wide.
The priestess turned to K’ev and kissed him as well. “You are a dutiful son to the king of the eighth royal house of Draco. Your obedience has been rewarded with a beautiful, loving mate. Remember, you are also the son of the Eternal Fyre. Be true to your fyre, and you will know the right path.”
When the priestess stepped back and clasped the diamond around her neck, it glowed brighter. “The circle symbolizes eternity but, until now, eternity for us was not assured. The circle has been completed.”
Her long hair trailing behind her, she glided away and then vanished. A roar shook the temple again.
* * * *
“I guess that answers that,” Rhianna said after they’d left the temple.
“What was the question?” K’ev asked, bemused by what had occurred. The priestess often appeared when he visited, but she’d never spoken to him thusly, graced him with so much focused attention. It was unnerving.
“About us having kids.” Her cheeks dimpled with her impish grin. “I’m going to bear you many children.”
K’ev halted and pulled her into his arms. He flattened his palm against her abdomen. “Nothing would please me more than having my daughter or son growing inside you.” He kissed her tenderly, but heat flared. She melted against him and wound her arms around his neck. Their lips fused. She moaned as his essence seeped from glands in his mouth.
When they broke apart, her lips were swollen, her glance sultry, her scent nearly irresistible. K’ev growled. He needed to clamp down on his desire—at least until they got to the palace.
Her breasts bounced with her rapid breathing, and although her heaving chest was due in great part to arousal, she needed to avoid stressing her lungs. He motioned to the respirator.
After using it, she said, “I think the priestess likes me.”
“I think she does, too,” he agreed. Her approval of their mating might carry weight with the king; however, she almost never interfered in the matters of the realm.
“I got the sense she had expected me, had been waiting for me to arrive.”
“The entire royal court knew I’d be coming home with a woman, so your presence isn’t a surprise. What they couldn’t have foreseen was you and I would become mates. However, the priestess is blessed with
knowing. She sees things the rest of us cannot.”
“She’s awfully young to have such a well-developed gift. Pretty funny the way she refers to us as children.”
“Young?” K’ev chuckled. “My father is over eight hundred years old. She was priestess before he was born, and before his father, and before my great-grandfather. According to legend, she was already an acolyte when time began.” His mouth quirked. “That’s not actually possible, but she is ancient. Another legend says she came into existence when the Eternal Fyre did.”
“Then she’s like a god.”
“No, those are legends. She is just a dragon.”
“Not just a dragon,” she said.
“No, that’s true. She lives a cloistered life and rarely leaves the temple. The last time, she coronated my father. It is she who confers upon the monarch the power to rule.”
She frowned. “I got the impression your father has been king for a long time. When was he crowned?”
“Three hundred years ago.”
Rhianna’s jaw dropped. “She hasn’t left the temple in three centuries? She’s not a prisoner, is she? I thought the guardians protected the temple and the Fyre. Are they there to keep her in?”
K’ev laughed. “No. She remains sequestered of her own volition. She has chosen a life of contemplation over activity in the daily affairs of Draco.”
“Did other priestesses do that?”
“We have never known another. As I said, she is ancient.”
“Fascinating. I wished I’d asked her some questions,” Rhianna said.
“One does not question the priestess,” he said. “It was quite unusual she answered you about the Eternal Fyre.”
“Well, she didn’t exactly answer it.” Rhianna shook her head. “How is the fire burning? I didn’t see a fuel source.”
K’ev pressed his palm to his chest. “It originates from the fyre in all of us. Because we live, the flame in the temple burns. As long as it burns, we live.”
“So what happens when the time comes for everybody to move to Elementa?”
“We will build another sacred temple on Elementa, and the Eternal Fyre will divide and burn in both places until the last dragon has departed Draco,” he explained. “It will be a long process. We’ll begin with a small settlement—not unlike the one Earth has established—and, over time, expand on it. But the temple has to be built first.”
The discussion brought to the fore immediate concerns.
“You haven’t had any further updates from Earth, have you?” He wished he had definitive positive news to offer his father.
“Nothing.” She touched the unit in her ear.
That didn’t surprise him. She’d been hopeful, but he hadn’t expected anything from the device. “When we get to the palace, we’ll contact your president before we meet with the king.” K’ev caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. “All of this must seem alien to you,” he said. “You are handling it well.” Much better than he had when he’d visited her planet the first time. He’d been overwhelmed by the barrage of human odors, their whining voices, the disgusting food, their primitive machines clogging their streets, the encroaching plant life. A young prince on his first trip to an alien planet, he’d been homesick for Draco, and he hadn’t behaved well. The two bright spots of his tour had been his unauthorized flight over the Hawaiian volcano and the day he’d visited a school and met Rhianna. The bold, fearless child had grown into a bold, courageous woman.
Blinded by his prejudices, he hadn’t seen the truth in front of his eyes.
Our mate has fyre.
“As long as I’m with you, I’ll be okay,” Rhianna said.
“Let’s go.” He was eager to get to the palace. He intended to make good use of every minute they had before they met with the king.
Stepping away, he released the dragon.
Rhianna scrambled for his clothing, and then he picked her up and launched into the air.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The palace sprawled over an area as large as New York’s Central Park. Smooth stone walls surrounded the entire compound—more to mark the boundaries than to keep people out, she surmised as she and K’ev flew over the top. Courtyards, walkways, and rock gardens provided open space among massive translucent buildings and pavilions, most of them round, keeping to the symbolism of the circle. Like the temple, massive domes were supported by wide-spaced columns, but these eschewed simplicity for intricate decoration. Draconians in flight and in battle were carved into facades and cornices. Moldings and curlicues wrapped around turrets and balconies. White stone dragons perched on roofs like gargoyles.
She screamed in alarm when K’ev dove straight down and under a portico between two columns. We’re going to crash. He landed in a vaulted gallery and trumpeted. Then he released her and folded his wings.
Rhianna pulled together her tattered composure and tossed his clothing at him. “You did that on purpose!” He was a daredevil when he flew.
He whuffed as if laughing.
He hopped closer and rubbed his face in her tangled hair. Warm cinnamon-vanilla breath caressed her cheeks. Yellow eyes beguiled. How could she be mad? Reaching up, she scratched behind one of his horns. He purred, and tilted his head so she could better reach. “You like that, do you?”
He snorted and sniffed her in his intrusive, affectionate way, rubbing his snout over her body, nudging her breasts before moving upward again to poke his nose against her neck. His raspy tongue snaked out and licked her in a slurpy dragon kiss.
She giggled and twisted away as he came back for another lick. His tongue caught her ear and dislodged the comm unit. In a quick gulp, he swallowed it.
Rhianna clapped a hand over her denuded, wet ear. “No! What did you do? Oh my god!”
He seemed to hang his head moments before he shifted into K’ev.
“The dragon swallowed my earpiece!”
“It was an accident. He didn’t mean to.”
“What are we going to do? What if Earth tries to contact me?”
“We’ll contact them from here, so you don’t need it.”
“The original message instructed me to keep it with me at all times,” she said.
“Under the assumption it was operational.”
He didn’t understand what the unit represented. It served as her sole link to Earth from Earth. Despite being tricked, she needed to believe her government, her people considered her more than dispensable dragon fodder. The president knew her. They hadn’t had a lot of contact, but she and his daughter were best friends. She needed to believe Earth wouldn’t cut off all contact, that they would at least try to offer assistance. Getting a message from Earth, any communication at all, even a sorry no news to report, meant everything to her.
K’ev pulled on his clothing, which had knit back together again, and then wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “I had plans to ravish you, but let’s contact Earth, first. After we get that out of the way, we can go to our private apartment. We’ll have several hours before we’re supposed to meet with the king.”
* * * *
“Do you want me to step outside?” K’ev asked as she waited to see if the hail would be received and answered. He’d taken her to a small nondescript room absent the processors and control panels you would have found in an Earth communication center. As with the ship, the capability originated out of the intelligent materials.
“No.” She grabbed his hand. “I want you with me. You have as much at risk as I do, and the president should meet you.”
He smiled. “Good. I would like to stay with you.”
The wall rippled as it transformed into a large screen. A balding man in a navy silk bathrobe stepped in front of the camera. Of course, it must be the middle of the night there. Given the critical nature of her business, she’d expected the president himself, but it only made sense a staffer would field calls.
“Hello, Rhianna,” h
e said. Familiarity tinged his voice as if he knew her, but she’d never seen him before.
“I’m calling to talk to the president. It’s very important.”
He glanced down at his bathrobe. “It is, as you can see, the wee hours of the morning here, and the president is asleep. I’m Jackson Biggs, his chief advisor. I’m familiar with your situation and have been involved since the beginning. Anything you can say to the president, you can say to me, and I’ll be sure he gets the message.” Meaning, take it or leave it. He wasn’t going to wake the president.
She’d have K’ev try again in a few hours, but in the meantime, maybe this man knew something. She’d never heard of him, but the president had many advisors.
“All right,” she said. “Allow me to introduce Prince K’ev ulu K’rah Qatin.”
“An honor to meet you, Your Highness.” Biggs gave a slight bow.
“It’s nice to meet you. I’d hoped to meet the president,” K’ev replied.
“At another time, certainly,” he replied.
“Prince K’ev and I have become mates,” she said. She’d hesitated about announcing that fact, fearing it might distract from the issue, but she was proud of K’ev, and maybe if people knew humans and dragons could get along, it would help their cause.
“Consort. Yes. That’s why you’re on Draco.” Biggs brushed at the sleeves of his navy dressing gown.
“Not consort. Eternal mate,” K’ev said.
Biggs’ expression blanked. “My apologies. And may I offer congratulations. I will pass the information on to the president. I’m sure Helena also will be glad to hear.”
“That would be great,” she said, “but that’s not the reason for the contact. K’ev and I are scheduled to speak to King K’rah in three hours. The president had said he was considering withdrawing the colony on Elementa. Has a decision been reached? I would like to deliver some positive news to the king when we meet.”
“As it happens, the president decided yesterday afternoon to dismantle operations.”
Rhianna blinked. Had she heard him correctly? “He’s withdrawing the colony?”
