“I told you I was.” His eyes narrowed and he jerked his arm away. “You want to know how I became an assassin? Fine. I thought I’d spare you the dark details tonight, but since you insist…”
I sighed. “Reven—”
“A man named Harman found me and convinced me to work for him,” Reven said, his voice menacing as he spat out the words. “He had a whole gang of street kids and he made us do terrible things. Stealing was the least of it. He sold our bodies to monsters who liked children. He murdered anyone who disobeyed or questioned him. But at least we were fed, and we had each other. I found a new family. A girl.”
I wanted to take Reven into my arms and hold him as he spoke about what was obviously a painful tale, but I kept my distance. I worried if I made even the slightest movement, he’d get spooked and run away again.
He stared across the dark waters as he continued. “Her name was Mira. I was fourteen by then, and she was a year younger than me. It was innocent, or as innocent as it could be for two kids who had been forced to grow up way too fast. She was beautiful and kind, and I told her I'd do anything to protect her. When Harman decided he’d sell her off to a man five times her age, we made a plan to run away…but we didn't get far. Harman’s men caught her, and she was killed while trying to escape them.” His hands clenched at his side. “At the sight of her blood, I lost it and murdered them all with my father’s swords. They were the first lives I took. And then I went back and killed Harman too, along with everyone else I could find. I hunted down every single man and woman he had ever worked with and made sure they'd never prey on children again. That's when the Assassin's Guild invited me to join them.” He met my eyes again and spread his arms wide. “And now you know everything. I’ve been a thief, a whore, and a killer. There’s only darkness and death in my past. Forgive me if I don’t like talking about it.”
Reven’s voice was cold and his face was hard, but I could sense the pain inside him. I wrapped my arms around him and held him silently, until some of the tension in his body relaxed and he reluctantly embraced me in return.
“Thank you for telling me,” I said. “I’m sorry you went through all that, and I know it must have been difficult to talk about. But your past shaped you into the man you are today. A man I love.”
“Don’t say that.” He took my face in his hands and stared into my eyes. “Don’t say those words.”
I gazed back at him defiantly. “I’ll say them if I want. I don’t care if you don’t say them in return. But I love you, and I know you care for me too.”
“Dammit, woman.” He covered my mouth with his and kissed me hard. I melted against him, my curves molding against his strong body, trying to get closer. His tongue glided across my lips, parting them, as his hand gripped the back of my hair to hold me tight. He claimed me with this kiss, branding me as his, showing me how much he cared, even if he couldn’t speak it out loud.
When he released my mouth, his voice was rough. “I’ve lost everyone I’ve ever loved. I told myself that love made me weak and swore to never do it again. But when you were kidnapped and that cave fell on me, the only thing that kept me alive was the thought of you. I might not be able to say those words, but I feel it too.”
“I know,” I said, kissing him over and over. “I know.”
Reven may not be able to tell me he loved me, but I knew his heart belonged to me. His face was tormented as he stared down at me, and I ran my thumb across his lips, wishing I could get him to smile. Enough with the bad memories. Maybe I could remind him of some of the good ones now.
“I see now why you’re such a good assassin and fighter,” I said. “Did you learn anything else while working as a performer? Something fun?”
He looked confused for a second, but then he smirked. “I’m a damn good juggler, actually.”
I laughed. “I don’t believe it.”
He pinned me with a dark look, then retrieved six throwing knives from his belt. With a grace I could never possess he launched them into the air, juggling them back and forth with movements almost too fast to see. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was using air magic as he made the blades fly high, catching them mid-air and throwing them again with the flick of his wrist, before finally collecting them all in one hand and performing an elaborate bow.
I clapped with a big, silly grin on my face. “I have to admit, I’m impressed. And surprised. I never expected that.”
He gave me a wink. “What can I say? I’m good with my hands.”
“Are you?” I pulled him close, my fingers gripping his black shirt. “I’m going to need a demonstration once we get to the Water Temple.”
“I think we can arrange that,” he said, before capturing my mouth again, making desire race through me.
Only a few more days, and then Reven would truly be mine.
18
Kira
Doran’s talons hit the sand. “We’re here.”
I glanced around from where I sat on his back. We’d landed on a small island, barely big enough for the three dragons to stand on together. There were two large rocks, a lone palm tree, and a cluster of seaweed that was being washed on shore. Water surrounded us in every direction, stretching as far as the eye could see.
“What do you mean, we’re here?” Jasin asked, his voice gravelly in his dragon form.
“I hate to agree with Jasin, but this doesn’t look like a temple,” Reven said, from Jasin’s back.
Still a dragon, Doran strode to the edge of the island, where the waves met the land. “The Water Temple is below us. We’ll have to swim to get there.”
I peered down into the crystal blue water but saw nothing. “How do the priests survive living underwater?”
“The Water God protects them,” Doran said, as if it was obvious.
“Here’s a better question, how are we supposed to get down there?” Jasin asked, shying back from the water before it could touch his claws.
“We’ll manage,” Doran said. “Auric can shield himself with a bubble of air, while Reven can keep the water away from Jasin. I’ll protect Kira. Now, follow me.”
He trudged into the water, his wings folding at his side, his tail swishing at the waves. I clutched onto his dark blue scales while Auric and Jasin trailed behind us. Auric didn’t seem troubled at all, but Jasin hesitated before entering the ocean. Reven muttered something to him, and the red dragon grumbled and stepped forward into the water.
As soon as Doran slipped below the waves, I held my breath—but found it wasn’t necessary. He created a bubble around me by pushing the water back, forming a circle of air that allowed me to breathe. Even though the ocean surrounded us, I remained dry. Doran, on the other hand, didn’t seem to need air to breathe underwater. Reven copied him and shielded Jasin as they braved the ocean, while Auric created a similar bubble of air around himself and Slade.
The three dragons walked across the bottom of the ocean, until it sloped down suddenly. The deep water below us was dark, and I couldn’t see anything down there. A trickle of fear ran down my spine as I gazed at the vast, deep darkness, filled with the unknown. What if our bubbles gave out? What if something horrible was lurking there?
All I could do was trust my father as he launched himself into the dark depths of the ocean. He sped along the invisible water currents faster than I could have imagined, using his wings to propel him forward. The other two dragons followed, although they were not as fast or as sleek. Doran was in his element, swimming forward into the darkness with no light to guide him. Me, on the other hand, I couldn’t see a thing, except for the quick movement of a fish now and then as it darted out of our path. I summoned a bright flame in my palm, but it barely illuminated everything. After a few seconds, I gave up.
Something appeared in the dark depths. A pale glow below us, which Doran led us toward. I caught sight of hundreds of silvery fish dashing back and forth in a cluster stretching far and wide, that almost looked like a busy road. Below them I glimpsed so
mething that looked like the top of a tower, where the glowing light was coming from.
A large, pale structure with towers and turrets slowly revealed itself as we moved deeper. The architecture was intricate, a beautiful thing of swirls and arches that flowed like water itself, somehow looking completely natural rising from the ocean floor. It was impossible to tell how old the building was, but I sensed it had been there a long time.
Doran landed on the bottom of the ocean in front of a giant statue of a dragon at the entrance. As he stepped forward, we passed through a shimmery veil that rippled across my skin. He dropped the water bubble around us, which was no longer needed.
A large dome of air surrounded the Water Temple, allowing us to breathe safely while we were visiting. Fish swam on the other side and high above us, coming right to the edge of the dome but not entering it. I stared up at it in awe, marveling at the Water God’s power.
The other two dragons emerged behind us. Auric created a warm gust of wind that had him dry within seconds, while Jasin shook off the water like a dog as soon as Slade slid off his back. My father didn’t seem bothered by the water dripping off him at all.
“This structure looks like it’s been here for hundreds of years,” Auric said, after returning to his human form. “I thought you said this wasn’t the original Water Temple?”
“It’s not,” Doran said. “Long ago, when I first became a Dragon, there were many temples to the Gods across the four Realms. After Nysa came to power, we imprisoned the Gods in their largest temple, and then had some of the others destroyed. Others naturally became abandoned over the years as people lost faith in their absent Gods. This was one of those temples. The priests have been slowly restoring and preparing it ever since the Water God was freed. When it became clear that Nysa wanted all the temples destroyed, the High Priestess and her mates moved here for safety.”
The tall stone door at the front of the temple opened with a loud rumble. A small woman with curly black hair and olive skin stepped through the door. She looked to be a few years older than I was and wore a shimmering blue robe with a necklace made of seashells. With her short height, round face, and warm smile, she was more cute than beautiful, and I instantly felt comfortable around her.
“Kira, this is Opea, the High Priestess of the Water God,” Doran said.
Opea bowed low before me. “It is an honor to meet you, and all of the ascendants. We’ve waited so long for this day.”
“The honor is ours,” I said.
She turned to my father. “It’s good to see you again, Doran.”
“You too. How’s little Wella?”
“Walking now and a real nuisance,” Opea said with a laugh. “Please, come inside. We have food and refreshments and have prepared some rooms for you.”
We stepped into a large entry room with walls the color of pale sand and shiny sea green tiles on the floor. Four handsome men waited for us, and Opea introduced us to her priests. One of them held a squirming toddler with the same round face as Opea but lighter hair, who I guessed was Wella.
Opea escorted me to a bedroom, while the priests took the men in a different direction. As soon as the door to the room opened, I gasped. Inside was a bed larger than any I had seen before, easily wide enough for me and all my mates.
“Does this meet your needs?” Opea asked.
“It does. I’ve never seen such a grand bed before. How long have you been waiting for us?”
“We’ve been ready for months now, ever since Doran informed us it was time to abandon the old temple. We weren’t sure how soon you would visit us, but we’ve been prepared.” She gave me a calm, pleasant smile. “Now please, rest and relax as much as you need. There’s a washroom attached to this room for your convenience, and I’ll have food sent up for you. Your mates are staying in rooms down the hall. The bonding room is ready for you, but there’s no rush. You’re welcome to take a few days to recover first, if you’d like. We’re quite safe down here.”
“Thank you,” I said. Rest sounded nice. I felt like I could sleep for days, but then I remember Reven’s heated kiss. “I’d prefer to do the bonding sooner than later.”
“Of course,” she said, with a knowing wink. “When you’re ready, you can proceed to the bonding room from the door in the back of the great hall.”
She bowed once and then left me alone in the large, elegant room. The same curved lines from the temple were reflected here in the furniture, and the fabrics were soft and luxurious in colors of white, gray, and aqua blue. Glittering seashells and dried starfish served as decorations, along with a fern that looked like it should be growing off the ocean floor.
I moved to the washroom, where I found a large round pool with clear blue water, which I realized was a natural spring that fed in from outside the temple. The water was cooler than I liked, but I used my fire magic to warm it up, and then stripped off my clothes and settled inside. The pool was big enough that my mates and I could all sit in it, and I allowed myself to stretch out and float on my back as the warm water melted away all the dirt and tension from traveling over the last few days.
For the first time in ages, I felt safe. No one could find us here, deep beneath the waves. I didn’t have to constantly look over my shoulder and prepare for a possible attack. The temple wasn’t in ruins or filled with death, and we didn’t have to hurry.
I only wished this peace could last.
19
Reven
After washing up and changing into fresh clothes, I sought out Kira’s bedroom. I knocked sharply and she called for me to enter. When I stepped inside, I caught a glimpse of her pulling a light green robe around her body. Memories of the last time I’d seen her naked came rushing back. Her skin glistening with sweat as she was pressed between Jasin and Auric. Her soft curves as they ran their hands over her. Her full lips as they opened for me…
“Are you ready?” she asked. Her hair was still damp, making it a darker red than normal, and her face was flushed with life. She looked too damn beautiful to be real.
I’d been resistant to this bonding thing from the beginning. I hadn’t wanted to be one of Kira’s mates, or the next Azure Dragon, or the Water’s God’s chosen one. Even once I’d accepted my fate and grown to care for Kira, the idea of having sex with her in some ritual felt so…forced. Everyone in the temple would be waiting for us to get on with it, knowing exactly what we were doing the entire time. We might as well be on display. But now that she was standing in front of me, her eyes full of hope and desire, her body naked under that robe?
I was ready.
I yanked her toward me and took her mouth, hard. She let out a little noise of surprise as my lips moved across hers and my tongue slipped inside. She melted against me immediately as we kissed, the perfect size and shape to fit against me, and my hands couldn’t help but seek out her bare skin. I tugged open her robe and gripped her hip, holding her in place as I angled her head to kiss her deeper. Gods, she tasted good. Before Kira, kissing had never been something I cared about. Now I could do it for hours and never grow tired of feeling her lips against mine.
She drew back slightly and met my eyes. “We’re supposed to do this in the bonding room.”
“I’ve never been good at following rules.”
I dragged her mouth back to mine, pulling her tight against me, so that her hard nipples brushed against the fabric of my shirt and the bulge of my cock pressed between her thighs. She let out a throaty hum of desire, and I ground myself against her, driving us both a little mad with need.
My hand slid down her hip and dipped between her thighs, finding her wet and pulsing for me. I stroked her once and she widened her legs in response, while her fingers curled into my shirt like she was trying to stop me from pulling away. I wanted to tell her there was no chance of that, but my mouth was devouring hers and my fingers were exploring the silky, swollen folds she’d offered to me.
When I glided into that tight wet heat, she let out a moan against my lips
. Her thighs tightened, trapping my hand between them, while I slid in and out of her slowly. With my other hand I held her up, knowing her knees would be weak when I was through with her. I slipped another finger inside and rubbed her clit at the same time, feeling her tense around me. Knowing how close she was already encouraged me to move faster and deeper, forcing her to rock her hips in time with my movements, her arms tightening around my neck for support. She cried out my name into my mouth as the climax swept over her, her body turning to liquid against me.
I slowly removed my fingers and held her until she could stand on her own again. “Told you I was good with my hands.”
“You weren’t kidding.” Her eyes were dazed as she closed her robe and tied it.
I took her hand in mine. “Let’s find this bonding room.”
The hallway and the great room were both empty, much to my relief. The hour must be late, though it was hard to tell deep below the ocean, where sunlight couldn’t reach. I certainly wasn’t tired—no, my body was full of energy, the same rush I got when I was about to slit someone’s throat from the shadows or leap into a fight. The anticipation only made what was coming even sweeter.
The door to the bonding room opened easily at my touch. The first thing I saw was the floor-to-ceiling opening to the ocean on one side. The dome must end right there because fish swam just outside, and we could almost reach out and touch them. Coral and seaweed lined the ocean floor, and I caught a glimpse of an eel poking its head out of some rocks.
A raised path led from the door to a large bed, and around this platform was a shallow pool of water, only knee-high. The pool’s floor was covered in shining seashells that caught the flickering candlelight around the room.
“It’s beautiful,” Kira whispered.
One of the other guys would have told her she was even more beautiful or something, but I wasn’t good at this romance crap. I’d never had a real relationship. I hated talking about my feelings. And sex? Sex was always for a purpose. Making money. Getting information. Relieving stress. Never for love.
Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series Page 54
