“Nooooo!” she screamed. “No! Wake up! You pig! Don’t leave me alone. I still need you! We need you. Come back to me. Meeeer – lonnnnn!”
The dragon’s breathing made her look at the beast that had killed her beloved. Cherry grabbed Merlon’s sword and got up slowly. She looked into the dragon’s shining eyes and raised the sword.
“Youuuuu! You’ve taken everything from me! I will show you, you ugly monster, that you’ve messed with the wrong person. I’m not afraid of you because there’s nothing left for you to take from me. Take that, you repulsive creature!”
Cherry swung the sword with sheer, inhuman strength and thrust at the dragon. Adrenalin rushed through her body and she was only thinking of one thing. Revenge! The dragon stood up and a bluish beam came out of his eyes.
“I’ll see you soon, Merlon,” she whispered, then darkness overcame her.
Chapter 19
“How could that have happened?” asked King Assgard, horrified, and he looked down into the hole into which Cherry had just disappeared.
“She must have leant over too far and lost her balance,” said Lord Aveleen. “Poor girl. But at least she’s now united with her husband.”
The queen made her way through the crowd.
“What’s happened?” she asked, worried. “Where’s Lady Cherry?”
When she saw that everyone was looking down into the hole Molwina uttered a shrill scream. Full of fear, she looked at her husband. Her look was begging him to deny what her heart already knew. Cherry was down there. Had she jumped after him? She did not want to believe that. After all, she was expecting Merlon’s baby, she wouldn’t do that …
“She fell down,” said the king and took his wife by the hand. “There’s nothing more we can do for her. We can’t go down there. Only if the judgement were to be invalid, could we go down to stop the execution of the judgement. But as it is …” He sighed. What an awful day. First the execution of his own son, and now the death of his daughter-in-law and his unborn grandchild, too. And he could do nothing about it.
“Stop!” sounded a voice suddenly.
Everyone turned round. Mawrek was running up to them, his face red with exertion.
“The execution must be suspended. I have proof that Lord Aveleen is a murderer!”
An outcry came from the crowd. Lord Aveleen pushed away those around him in an attempt to flee. If he could get out of the cave he could immaterialise. Only an unusual energy field in the caves of the Fire Mountain made teleportation impossible.
“Seize him!” cried the king, and several warriors fell upon the fleeing man. They overpowered him and tied him up. “Mawrek, go down with Volcan, Lord Balcic and five warriors and try to halt the execution.”
“Yes, father!” said Mawrek, and King Assgard put his hand on Mawrek’s shoulder.
“Lady Cherry is down there. Rescue her first!”
“Cherry is …?” Mawrek stared at his father in horror, then he nodded sombrely. “We’ll do our best, my father.”
The rescue group had already formed behind him as he turned round.
“Come on, men. Let’s not waste any more time!”
It was not difficult to follow Merlon and Cherry’s tracks.
Mawrek had hoped that Cherry’s tracks would not follow those of Merlon. The chances of finding her alive would have been better if she had not followed Merlon, but the stubborn woman clearly did not intend to make the rescue mission easy for them.
“Damn it!” swore Mawrek.
“How far could they have gone?” asked Volcan.
“I’ve never been in this damned cave so I can’t tell you that unfortunately. Let’s hope they haven’t come into contact with the dragon yet.”
They entered a cave.
“By the elements!” exclaimed Volcan.
“Shit!” swore Mawrek.
In front of them lay an enormous golden dragon. He had laid his head on his front legs and he was looking at them with half-open eyes. Behind them lay the motionless bodies of Merlon and Cherry.
“We’ve come too late,” said Mawrek, his voice without emotion.
“Damn!” snarled Volcan and swung his sword. “Let’s show this ugly creature!”
***
Darkness lay like a blanket on her. She felt a sort of eternal sadness and did not know why. What had happened? Where was she? Then she could see. Merlon! He was dead. Killed by this fearful creature. Was she maybe dead, too?
‘Merlon!’she cried desperately inside her.
‘Cherry?’
‘Merlon?’
‘I can hear you? So are you also… dead?’
‘I must be.’
‘I miss you. I want to touch you.’
‘I’d like that. But I’m happy that I’m with you. I was so lonely in the darkness.’
I love you!’
‘I love you, too!’
Cherry could hear another voice. But she could not understand what the other voice was saying. It was in another language.
‘Someone else is here.’she said.
‘Who?’
‘I don’t know. Can’t you hear him, then?’
‘No, I can only hear you. What’s he saying?’
‘I can’t understand him. I think he’s speaking in your language.’
‘Ask him who he is. In your language. If it’s an elf he’ll understand you.’
Cherry tried to feel the other person. The voice sounded warm and friendly, if also strangely rough and thundery.
‘Who are you? What do you want from me?’
‘I’m Karndirrgnurdanelaskani – in your language you call me the Golden Dragon.’
‘What? You ...’
‘What is it, Cherry? What’s he saying?’asked Merlon.
‘He says he’s the Golden Dragon.’
‘The dragon? But …’
‘Cherry, that’s your name?’asked the dragon.
‘Yes.’
‘Your love saved you both.’
‘Saved? But …’
‘Wake up. Cherry! Wake up! They’ve come to fetch you.’
‘Who? Who’s come, and what do you mean about me waking up? Aren’t I dead?’
The dragon chuckled. It was a loud, croaking chuckle.
‘No, Cherry. You’re not dead. And your prince isn’t either. I’ve breathed life into him. Wake up and wake up your prince.’
Cherry threw open her eyes. She was looking at the crystals hanging from the ceiling. She tried carefully to move her limbs.
***
“No, Volcan! No! She’s moving. Lady Cherry moved. Stop!”
As if spellbound, they were all staring at Cherry who really was sitting up and looking around in confusion. The dragon made a quiet, rumbling sound.
“What about the dragon? He won’t let us go to her. He’s sure to kill Lady Cherry if we go near her,” said Lord Balcic.
“I don’t think so,” said Mawrek. “He looks completely peaceful. He could have attacked us some time ago. He’s not even raising his head. Maybe the creature’s ill.”
***
Cherry looked around slowly. She saw the dragon in front of her and Mawrek, Volcan and a few other men. They seemed to be unsure as to what they should do. Cherry looked to the side and her heart began to race. There he was. He looked a bit done in, but she could see that he was breathing.
‘Cherry. What did the dragon say?’
‘Wake up, my love! I’m here. I’m alive! And you’re alive, too. Wake up for me!’
‘What … what are you saying? We’re dead. That’s …’
Cherry shook his shoulder gently. She bent over and kissed him gently on his blood-smeared lips.
‘Wake up, Merlon. Wake up!’
He threw open his eyes and their eyes met. Her lips were still on his lips. Hesitatingly, Merlon reached out his hand to touch her. Half way he stopped, staring at her in disbelief, then he pulled her to him so that she uttered a cry of shock. His mouth took control and deepened the tender touch in
to a passionate kiss.
‘My darling.’
‘My love.’
Epilogue
“I’m fine, for goodness’ sake,” Cherry grumbled in frustration. “I want to get out of this damn bed.”
“Awate said you have to rest. You’ve been through a lot and we do want to be sure that our baby’s OK,” said Merlon, pushing her gently back onto the bed.
“I’ve beenresting for three days! If I rest one tiny bit more I’ll kill someone! I – can’t – stand – this – any – longer! Do you understand?”
“Cherry, please!” said Merlon helplessly.
Cherry glared at him angrily.
“Fetch me Awate! Right now!”
Merlon leapt up.
“If you promise to stay lying down!”
“Yes, damn it. But now go and fetch me this damn healer!”
A short time later Merlon returned with the healer. Awate smiled at Cherry.
“I can see, you’re feeling better, aren’t you?”
“Better? If I have to lie around here any longer I’ll feel a whole lot worse!” grumbled Cherry.
“Well then, get out of bed. On the way here I said to Merlon that you could have got up some time ago. I didn’t mean that you had to stay in bed. You should just rest.”
Cherry sat up. The look she gave her husband was quite dreadful.
“Hey, don’t look at me like that. It was a misunderstanding,” he said.
“I think I’ll go,” said Awate, chuckling as she hurried out of the room.
Merlon grinned mischievously and shrugged his shoulders.
“You damn …”
“What?” asked Merlon, chuckling.
“You think it’s funny?”
“You look stunning when you’re angry,” he said.
“I’ll show you something stunning,” snorted Cherry, hitting out at him.
Merlon caught her blow, laughing and pulled her into his arms. Their eyes met. The glow in Merlon’s eyes melted her anger and she groaned quietly. As he pressed his mouth to hers she pushed longingly against him. She could be angry with him later. Now she wanted nothing other than to feel her husband again at last.
“I need you,” murmured Merlon.
“Get on with it, then. Because I need you, too.”
He made love to her with all the love and passion that he felt. They were both aware that their love was a miracle. The dragon had shown them how strong their love was. It was stronger than death.
The end
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About Cathy McAllister
If you’d like to know who’s hiding behind the name Cathy McAllister, I’ll tell you a little about myself now.
I was born in the beautiful Harz Mountains (Germany). I grew up in a small town in the north, where all was still good with the world and where everyone knew one another. Even at primary school the library was my favourite place and I didn’t miss out a single book - on the contrary - I read some books up to twenty times!
At secondary school I began to write little stories and poems myself. I have always had far too much imagination. I produced my first book myself in 2005. Soon after that I found my first publisher and before long published several of my books with publishing companies such as C.Bertelsmann and Ullstein. However, that was under a different pseudonym.
At the beginning of 2009 I went to West Africa for nearly two years with my family. There, after a long break from writing, my thriller ‘Angst im Paradies’ was written. When we returned to Europe (the UK), at the end of 2010, I took the risk of trying to sell my books as an Indie author in the Amazon Kindle Store, and it took off very quickly. Since publishing my first short story, ‘Fessel mein Herz’, as a Kindle ebook, there have been a further eight German ebooks and two English translations (as of October 2012). There will soon been a further English title.
And a further plea:
It’s difficult for us Indie authors to market our books. If you’ve enjoyed a book, whether by me or one of my Indie colleagues, please do recommend it and write a review on Amazon, Goodreads or on your Blog.
With very best wishes
Cathy McAllister
this book with friends
Tamed by the Prince (Elven Lover) Page 15
