by Dima Zales
I must’ve snorted because Claudia turns to me, her gaze lighting with curiosity.
“Who is she?” she asks Nero as if I’m not standing right there.
“This is Sasha,” Nero says, then gives me a narrow-eyed stare for no good reason that I can think of.
She examines me closely, then looks at Nero’s scowl, then back at me, a gleeful smile appearing on her lips.
“Are you my sister-in-law?” she asks, cocking her head.
I reel back.
Did she just ask if Nero is my husband?
I mean, he has a skilled tongue and all, but that is a ridiculous thing to suggest.
Ignoring her question, Nero says to Claudia, “Now that you’re safe, we have to stop the bloodshed outside.” Still scowling, he turns to me and barks, “Follow me.”
Before either of us can ask him for details, Nero stalks back down the corridor.
I look at Claudia, and she grins, then makes her face eerily like Nero’s when he’s mad. In a perfect imitation of his voice, she says, “We better follow Mr. Grouchy’s commandments.”
I suppress a laugh. “Sure.” Turning so she can see the wound in my back, I ask, “How bad is it?”
If the pain is anything to go by, the boo-boo should be just about gone.
“Knitting as I speak,” Claudia says approvingly. “What are you?”
“A vampire,” I say in a low voice. “But that’s a recent development.”
“What?” Nero growls from somewhere, then shows up in the hallway and gives me a blood-chilling stare.
Stupid dragon super-hearing. I didn’t intend for him to learn about my new state of being just yet.
“I had some trouble with a few chorts back on Earth,” I say. “One thing led to another, and I ended up drinking Lilith’s blood. That’s my mother, by the way,” I say to wide-eyed Claudia. “Then Woland—the honcho chort—killed me, so I turned. Darian wasn’t lying when he—”
“You will go over all this again later.” Nero’s face is thunder dark. “In great detail.”
Before I can retort, he turns on his heel.
“You’re in so much trouble,” Claudia whispers, grinning. “I can’t believe how little he’s changed.”
Grunting something unintelligible, Nero disappears around the corner, and when we catch up, he’s picking up the bloody crown from the usurper’s remains.
Shaking off the blood, he puts the crown on his head with a ceremonious gesture, and as soon as he does, the bone-deep gash in his arm heals, as do all the other cuts and bruises on his body.
“The imperial treasure is his now,” Claudia explains when she sees my confused expression. “With all that wealth, he gains power.”
Oh. This must be like when Nero healed on top of his treasure pile on Earth. This whole castle must count as his riches now—that or maybe there’s an actual cave with gold and diamonds below us.
I wonder if that’s what allowed the usurper to fight Nero for as long as he did: he had all that extra treasure-powered mojo.
Examining the dragon kebab that is the usurper, Claudia smiles. “Serves him right.” She then looks at fake Claudia’s dead body. “His whore, too. The two of them had been gloating about their plan to me for days, ever since rumors of your return reached Yudo’s ears.”
Nero grunts and stalks toward the big doors through which the usurper and his minions originally entered the torture room, and we follow.
When we get to the giant doors that lead into the castle, Nero activates some mechanism, and the doors open with a deafening screech.
Outside, the battle is still raging. The strongmen and the werewolf guy are ahead of everyone, a sea of dead bodies behind them. Vlad is right on their tails, bent over one of the enemy soldiers, likely drinking his blood—which makes me realize I could use a little snack myself.
Everyone else is fighting just as furiously. Colton and the other giants are trampling people under their feet, the elf-like guy is drowning enemy soldiers in arrows, the cockatrice warriors are taking dragon and human lives left and right, and the centaurs are prancing around like horses in a game of polo, leaving death in their wake.
The only part of the fight that isn’t going as well as it should is the sky battle.
Despite Kit’s victory over the giant Zmey, there are simply too many enemy dragons compared to Nero’s allies.
“Dragons, hear me!” Nero roars in a voice that sounds like a mixture between a human’s and a dragon’s. “The usurper is dead.” Taking off the crown, he lifts it high above his head. “You have two minutes to cease hostilities and live.”
The sky battle stops instantly as every enemy dragon looks in Nero’s direction.
It doesn’t take them long to make the right decision.
One by one, they swoop down, assume their human form, and kneel before Nero.
“Order the humans to surrender,” Nero growls at one of the bigger enemy dragons—who must be a general of some sort.
The guy barks out orders, and the human army stops fighting, staring around in confusion instead.
For the next hour, every dragon from Yudo’s side approaches Nero and swears his fealty. A few—likely the ones who were higher up in the usurper’s forces of evil—offer recompense in the form of a portion of their treasure or chunks of their territories.
Nero listens to them, stone-faced, and while he accepts their treasure, none of them walk away with the titles they’d held in his enemy’s court.
Meanwhile, Claudia goes to speak to the human army, and though I can’t hear what she’s saying, the people appear relieved.
As I watch all this, feeling completely useless, my heart sinks lower and lower. Because I now have an answer to the question that had occurred to me after my Claudia-betrayal vision.
Is Nero planning to rule the dragon kind?
Yes, he clearly is.
Which brings up the bigger question.
What room can a dragon emperor have in his life for someone as insignificant as I am?
Chapter Thirty-Five
“I’m going to go for a stroll,” I mutter, but no one pays me any attention.
Which makes sense.
Why would they?
There’s just been a revolution on this world, and I have nothing to do with anything.
Dispirited, I make my way to the battlefield as Nero continues doing his emperor-y things, distributing the lands and treasure he acquired between the dragons who supported his campaign. As I’m stepping over the corpses at the edge of the Godiva half-moon, I glance back and see that Claudia is now at his side.
“Sasha!”
Startled, I turn and see Kit coming toward me with Vlad and the rest of Nero’s Cognizant helpers from Earth. “How are you here?” she asks, stopping in front of me. “Nero made a big stink about you staying out of this conflict.”
“Did he? Well, I guess I’m not that easy to control.”
“I’d say.” Kit smiles, then peers at me closely. “Did you do something different with your makeup?”
“She turned,” Vlad says with an unreadable expression. “She’s now one of my kind.”
“You’re a vamp?” Kit exclaims excitedly. “How? Why didn’t you tell me? When did this happen?”
“We need to see Nero,” Colton booms through his giant larynx. “Maybe you can chat later?”
“You go and I’ll catch up.” Kit waves a dismissive hand at him.
Kit’s companions go ahead, but Vlad stays behind.
“So,” Kit says. “How did this happen?”
“It’s a long story,” I say. “And I wouldn’t want his Imperial Majesty to have to wait unnecessarily.”
“You might have a point,” Kit says, missing my sarcasm completely. “How about we skip to the most important part?” Sensually brushing her hair off her neck, she turns with a languid motion, letting me get a good look at her temptingly pulsing carotid artery.
“Take a little sip,” she says seductively. “You know
you want to.”
I look at Vlad in time to see him roll his eyes. Refocusing on Kit, I clear my throat. “Thank you, but I just had a huge snack back at the castle,” I lie. “Maybe a raincheck?”
“I guess.” Looking disappointed, Kit moves her hair back, concealing her neck. To Vlad, she says, “I guess we should catch up with the others.”
“One second,” Vlad says, then gives me an intent stare. “If you want to act like a civilized person, never ignore the thirst.”
I nod gratefully. I figured as much, but it’s good to hear this info from the blood-drinking horse’s mouth.
“Give me your phone,” Vlad says, and when I do, he puts a number in. “That’s my personal blood bank contact in New York,” he explains. “Tell her I recommended you, and she’ll set up deliveries.”
Blood deliveries. Great. I wonder if they use Uber Eats.
“Thank you,” I say, pocketing the phone.
“No problem,” Vlad says. “Now, where are you going by yourself? Not back to Earth, I presume?”
“No, I just needed some fresh air after all the bloodshed,” I reply. “Figured I’d take a stroll in the forest.”
In reality, though, his idea is a good one. The vampire thirst is back now, and Kit didn’t help matters with her proposition. On Earth, I’ll be able to get in touch with Vlad’s contact and get a meal, plus I’ll be out of Nero’s imperial hair.
“Fine, but don’t stroll too far,” Vlad says. “You don’t know these woods, and it’s getting late.”
“No worries. I’ll stick near here,” I lie.
“We better go,” Kit says, glancing up at the darkening sky.
“Right,” Vlad says, and with one last warning look at me, he turns away.
As they hurry to the castle, I resume my walk, heading toward the forest where the thunderstorm caught me earlier. Nothing stops me now, as the weather is perfect, and with my enhanced vampire vision, I can see as well in the darkness as on a slightly cloudy day.
In general, with my boosted senses, the alien forest is a pleasure to explore. Purely by accident, I walk onto a meadow the size of a stadium and stop in awe.
Covered with some kind of bioluminescent moss, the place makes me feel like I’m walking in the starry sky.
Doing my best to put Nero out of my mind, I inhale the fresh air and try to figure out what the moss smell reminds me of. A mix between rose petals and passion fruit, I decide after another lungful.
How romantic.
A shadow blots out the sky, and my heartbeat jumps as I look up.
It’s a dragon.
An angry dragon swooping down on me.
Chapter Thirty-Six
A dragon I was just trying to put out of my mind, in fact.
He lands on the moss and turns into a very naked figure with a furious expression on his chiseled face.
“Nero,” I say, hyperaware of his nudity. “Don’t you have a whole empire to boss around now?”
Even with him a few feet away, I can smell his clean, woodsy scent. And that’s not all. My boosted olfactory system informs me that underneath is a warm, musky scent of something primitively male.
It takes all the willpower I possess to keep my eyes above his chest—though what I do glimpse looks beyond mouthwatering. Especially in ultra HD.
“You got between fighting dragons,” Nero growls, advancing on me. “Again.”
“And you got yourself killed in my vision, again,” I retort, refusing to retreat. “Do you see me bitching?”
His muscles bunch dangerously as he leans in, glaring down at me. “I forbade you to leave that apartment. How did you get out?”
“No one forbids me from doing anything. That goes doubly so for ungrateful assholes.” I lift my hands to push him away, but he grabs my wrists in a grip that feels unyielding even with my new vampire strength.
“Darian said you would die.” He squeezes my wrists. “I knew he wasn’t lying. What did you want me to do?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” I say, every word dripping with a lethal dose of sarcasm. “How about talk to me? I know it sounds crazy, but—”
“Lilith has my blood.” His gaze drills into me as if he’s the one who can glamour people. “Talking to you would’ve meant giving you to her on a silver platter.”
“Sure.” I twist out of his grasp. “Is Lilith the reason you couldn’t call me? Or text or video conference or attach a letter to the foot of a pigeon?”
“Rasputin gave me a very tight timeline,” he says with a lot less anger. Inhaling deeply, he adds in a calmer tone, “But you’re right. I should’ve personally asked you to stay home.”
“Yes, you should’ve.”
For a moment, we just stare at each other, and the stupid vampire thirst pulls my gaze to his neck. His strong, muscular neck with skin that looks so smooth and appetizing.
I lick my dry lips, forcing the dark urge away as I meet his eyes again.
“I’m not good with goodbyes,” he says roughly, and the warm male scent intensifies as he eyes my lips like he’d like to trace the path of my tongue with his own.
That scent is arousal, I realize as I feel his reaction against my belly.
A big reaction.
“So is this a goodbye?” I ask, my breath hitching as I take a step back, battling the urge to leap at him.
His eyes narrow. “This—right now—better not be a goodbye. I was talking about back on Earth. I wasn’t sure I’d see you again and—”
Losing the battle, I reach out with vampire speed and wind my arms around his neck as I lock my lips with his.
Nero stiffens at first. Then, with a low growl, he kisses me back, his tongue dancing with mine, making alliances before it invades my mouth like a conquering army.
Heat blasts through my veins, liquifying my insides, and without pulling out of the kiss, I kick my shoes off my feet and wriggle out of my blazer.
“Wait.” He tears his mouth away, and breathing heavily, steps back. “This is dangerous, even with you as you are now.”
Dangerous?
I was stabbed in the back with a freaking sword today and survived. If he thinks I can’t handle his sword, he’s got another thing coming.
Running my tongue over my lips again, I begin stripping, taking off each piece of clothing as slowly and seductively as I can.
His limbal rings—and other things—engorge out of control.
When my bra hits the ground, Nero’s control snaps. With a tortured growl, he blurs forward, and before I can blink, we’re kissing again. Only this time, the experience is more ferocious, more overwhelming than ever, the combination of Nero and my enhanced senses messing with my mind. I can feel everything, taste everything… smell the very blood rushing in his veins.
And I want more.
I want everything.
“I’m willing to risk it,” I whisper into his mouth. “Please.”
With a sound reminiscent of a wounded animal, Nero pulls away from the kiss and bends his head, offering me his neck. “Drink,” he orders hoarsely.
The hunger I feel as I look at the pulse beating under his tanned skin makes me stagger with its intensity.
It takes all my willpower not to attack him like a predator and to kiss his neck instead. He shudders, gooseflesh rippling over his skin, and his hands clench on my back, yanking me toward him.
My self-control evaporates, and with a moan, I sink my suddenly extended fangs into his flesh.
As the rich liquid touches my tongue, the pleasure slams into my brain, jumbling my consciousness like a tornado.
Time becomes jittery and thinking impossible.
Somehow, we end up on the moss—which is when I feel Nero carefully enter me—and the pleasure explodes exponentially, turning what happens next into a hazy blur of violent ecstasy.
Sometime, somewhere, I hear Nero groaning in pleasure.
From even farther away, my own moans reach my ears, then escalate into orgasmic cries.
I’m
dimly aware of crashing sounds and pain mixing with the mind-blowing pleasure, but the ecstasy trumps everything, and as more blood drips onto my lips, I lose myself completely, shattering over and over in his dark embrace.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
At some point, we must’ve stopped, because I gradually recover some portion of my wits. Opening my eyes, I find myself cradled in Nero’s arms, my head pillowed on his shoulder and my leg draped possessively over his thighs. We’re on the edge of the meadow inside a small crater in the ground, with fallen trees in the forest next to us.
Wow.
Was that the thunderstorm or us?
“Are you okay?” Nero murmurs as he strokes my back.
“No,” I whisper in awe and scan my body for aches and pains—only to find the exact opposite. “I feel amazing.”
It’s an understatement.
I feel like I was rebuilt from the ground up using stronger, morphine-laced components.
“Good,” he says, and when I raise my head to glance at his face, I see a look of relief—and purely male satisfaction—stamped on his hard features.
I lay my head back down, hiding a grin.
Okay then.
I just had sex with a dragon and lived to tell the tale.
Being a vampire definitely doesn’t suck.
Though I have to say, I do feel kind of tired. Maybe it’s like an after-meal slump?
Glancing up at my meal’s face, I catch him yawning, and I reflexively yawn in response.
Huh. So that didn’t go away when I became a vampire. Good to know.
“You don’t need to sleep anymore,” he murmurs, as if reading my mind. “But do it anyway.”
And tucking me against him in a spooning position, he hugs me like a body pillow and goes to sleep, his breath evening out within seconds.
I’m tempted to get up just to spite his Imperial Bossiness, but it feels too good to lie here. Closing my eyes, I let my muscles relax and begin counting sheep, just to see if I would drift into sleep if I tried.
On sheep number twenty-seven, my consciousness winks out.
