by Juniper Hart
Ember gasped and pulled out of his trance, letting the markings and his eyes fade to their normal colors. The monumental fireballs got sucked right back into the lava.
“How did you do that?” she cried. “Isn’t that dangerous?”
“No,” he said, snorting smoke. “The sun heats the earth from the outside, but I can heat it from its core. I can also control volcanoes and even something as small as a house fire.”
She stared at him, then back to the lava. “I don’t even know what to think!”
Sarah had previously thought the most amazing thing was people that could do was magic tricks. She couldn’t figure them out. And here she was, faced with a man that could literally control fire and the heat of the earth.
She felt like she might easily pass out, or throw up, or both. Hopefully not both. Hopefully not either, really. Somehow, all the weight of the last twenty-four hours had caught up with her all at once.
“What a day!” she muttered as the feeling began to pass.
“I imagine it’s been a bit of a change,” he said with a smile.
“So, what else can you do?” she asked. “And please, don’t show me! Just…tell me.”
“Technically, I’m the Keeper of the Flame. Anything that has to do with the heat of the earth is mine.”
“Quite an inheritance,” she said.
“It’s a big responsibility.” For just a second, she heard exhaustion in his voice. “Sarah, I need to ask you something. I don’t want to lose you again, but I would never ask you to do anything against your will.”
“Are you asking me to marry you?” asked Sarah.
“No. We’re already married. I’m asking you to stay here with me.”
She knew she was making a big decision; probably the biggest one of her life. The choice of where to attend college was nothing compared to this one. He was asking her to commit to an eternity together.
She might miss the outside world. But would she really? What had the world given her? She had friends, sure, but she could visit them.
She looked at the fairytale-like land before her that stretched on and on, hiding countless mysteries. In this world, she also had a handsome man completely devoted to her. And as the memories continued to appear, she knew she loved him.
In the real world, she had college debt, she had to deal with irritating traffic, and she would likely have to keep running from Roland and his men until Ember’s security caught him.
Here… she breathed in the fresh spring air. Here, I am free.
Staying with Ember felt like the right decision. She was protected. They could stay in the blissful land as long as they wanted, in their mansion high on a hill, completely ignoring the outside world for as long as they wanted.
Besides, if what he said was true about Sarah becoming a dragon, she’d have an eternity to leave Flamma Regno and explore the world.
“What about my mom?” she asked. “She’s still out there. Roland might come after her.”
“We’ll bring her here,” he replied. “She’ll be safe. Roland wouldn’t go after her, anyway. He only wanted to make sure we didn’t end up together.” He paused. “But do you think she’d want to move here?
“I have no doubt. I’m her only child and since my dad died, she’s been so lonely.”
She almost asked what do about her coffee shop? Then she figured she really didn’t care about that anymore. She was with the Keeper of the Flame, some dragon that could control the heat of the earth! If she wanted to start a shop, she could do it there, in paradise.
“So how about it?” Ember pressed. “Will you stay here?”
She didn’t hesitate when she took Ember’s hands and nodded. “I will.”
9
After making the decision to stay, Sarah’s life was an absolute whirlwind. Ember showed her all around his kingdom, but even after being there a full month, Sarah still had not been able to explore it fully because of its size.
Ember’s people were delighted to meet her. They’d apparently all heard stories of the feisty bride of the dragon from their ancestors. Some of the dragons even remembered her personally from so long ago. Sarah’s mother was adapting well, too, after getting past the fact that her daughter married a dragon.
Flamma Regno was even more magical than she had expected. People were kind and life was good. Sure, there were still guards and she always had to stay on her toes, but she didn’t mind. It kept life interesting, and besides, Roland was stuck outside. That had taken her a while to get used to.
She rolled over in their bed to look at Ember to ask, “Why couldn’t he just get in the elevator and find his way over into Flamma Regno?”
“It doesn’t work like that,” Ember told her when she asked him. “He is nowhere near here. Last I heard he’s in India somewhere. He typically sends his warriors to do his dirty work. He cannot enter the portal we passed through to get here. After you died, spells were used to block him. Even if he ever found the portal doors, he would disintegrate into nothingness as soon as he tried to enter. Besides, my men have been tracking him, it shouldn’t be too long now before they catch up to him.”
“I see…”
“Now, no more talk of Roland. We have much more important matters at hand.”
“Oh really?” she asked with a smile.
Ember’s hand drifted up her leg and tickled her inner thigh as he lightly brushed her outer lips with his fingers through her panties.
An intense feeling of passion shot through her. She twirled over on top of him, straddling him. She intertwined their limbs and effectively pinned him, giving him a teasing smile. It was her turn to be powerful.
He was of course much stronger than her, and could overpower her in a moment if he wanted to, but sometimes he even let her win when they playfully wrestled.
Not this time. She ended up under him.
Ember was a man like no other, probably because he wasn’t exactly a man. His upper body was ripped beyond belief, and Sarah could almost imagine that he was a god with his taut muscles, thick glossy hair, and piercing eyes. His eyes traveled over her body from head to toe, and she quivered at his ravenous look. He was a majestic creature.
Mesmerized, she watched as he slid off her panties, and then his own boxers. He was more than ready for her and the thought of him filling her with his large, throbbing manhood excited her.
His body melded against hers, and she felt herself being pressed down into the mattress.
He pressed the tip of his cock to her entrance, making Sarah moan out loud.
“You’re wet for me already,” he whispered in her ear as her desire for him grew.
Instead of thrusting into her, he surprisingly slid down and kissed, then nibbled, her inner thigh. Her sex tickled with anticipation.
Ember kissed higher on her inner thigh, and then settled his tongue on top of her clit, licking and sucking at her sensitive bud. His tongue swirled around as he gently applied pressure to intensify her pleasure. He inserted a finger into her slit and stimulated her g-spot.
Sarah grabbed the sheets with both hands and bit down on her lower lip as she squirmed beneath his touch. The waves of pleasure grew stronger and stronger until she shattered around him with her core tightening in satiating spasms.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Ember thrust his member into her essence and ravaged her, over and over. Her back arched as she wrapped her long legs around his hips to encourage him to go deeper within her. Ember began to move quicker, grinding inside her with such vigor that she screamed aloud. Sarah’s hand reached around to his back as her fingernails dug into his flesh as he growled with pleasure.
Her entire body shook as she climaxed with him, pleasure coursing through her.
They both relaxed as he rolled off her, and spooned her from behind.
“I love you,” he said, nestling his face in her hair.
“I love you, too, Ember.”
Although she’d loved him for a thousand years, it was the firs
t time she’d told him since he rescued her from Roland.
His jaw was clenched as he slowly relaxed, but he kissed her cheek in response. “Thank you, Sarah. That means the world to me.”
“I want to know what happens next. How does this whole soulmate thing play out?”
“What do you mean?” he asked. “You mean becoming a dragon?”
“Yes,” she responded.
“We just wait and see I guess. It won’t happen until you’re pregnant. But in the meantime, we can keep practicing,” he said as he leaned over and bit her lip playfully before kissing her passionately.
“I like that idea,” said Sarah as she welcomed his touch. They’d been ‘practicing’ every day, usually more than once, so she figured it was just a matter of time. “I have to admit, I am a bit nervous about the transformation. What’s it like to be immortal?”
He seemed to really toss it around in his head. “Immortality can be boring and monotonous. You never get old. You never pass away. But it’s different with a soulmate. It’s special. It’s vital. It’s beautiful.”
His answer made her feel at peace.
So much had happened in such a short amount of time. In addition to face that fact that she would be alive forever, Sarah also tried to wrap her head around the fact that so many mythical creatures weren’t myths at all. The few things that Ember had been able to show her so far blew her mind. Some were wonderful, like water sprites. Others were strange and freaky, like mermaids, which weren’t the kind beautiful creatures they were made out to be in cartoons.
The lava surrounding their fortress, was beautiful, and Sarah still didn’t understand how they remained safe from the heat and toxic gasses, but Ember assured her it wasn’t the same type of lava that buried cities. The proof to his claim was that she was still alive. The locals crafted a variety of special trinkets from the lava. Beautiful jewelry. Cool weapons. She wasn’t sure which one she was more excited about.
Ember sat up and walked over to the balcony in their bedroom. She smiled faintly at him, feeling peace wash over her. He turned to her with the glowing light from the lava behind him.
“Come here,” he said, opening his arms for an embrace. He looked excited about something, but Sarah didn’t know what.
She eagerly walked over to him and accepted his affections. He kissed her gently and took a step back, and grinned at Sarah.
“What?” asked Sarah, confused by his smile.
Ember took Sarah’s hand in his own, and moved it down to her stomach. Her abdomen felt warm to the touch as the heat moved from her stomach to every cell in her body. She looked more closely at her arm, which was sparkling as if it was laced in glitter. Her back tingled and as she looked back over her shoulders, a pair of shimmering wings began to form on both sides of her spine.
“What’s happening?” asked Sarah, scrambling away from the wings. They followed her.
“It’s okay!” Ember said, trying to calm her. “It’s okay.”
“There are wings coming out my back! How is any part of this okay?”
He smiled gently at her. “You’re shifting. It’ll take a little getting used to, but you’ll get the hang of it.”
She hesitated and focused. Her wings flittered. “Am I just a tiny dragon? Oh. Oh, they’re still growing.” They shimmered out of existence. “Okay, what happened now?”
“It’s a process,” he replied. “And you know the craziest part?”
“That I’m turning into a dragon?” she guessed. “That I’m apparently now immortal?”
“Well yes…but no. The craziest part…” he paused and kissed her. “Is that you’re pregnant.”
THE END
Part III
Wind Dragon - Element Dragons
By Alexis Davie
1
Lilith lounged like a panther in her hotel room bed, mindlessly flipping through the channels. It was almost noon, and the dragon hunter was bored. Time always moved slowly right before she left to take out her targets. Normally, she was easygoing, but before she went off to kill a beast, she became a completely different kind of person, the person her dad taught her to be: hard, dangerous, focused.
A real hunter couldn’t afford to be distracted when they came across a dragon. A mistake meant sudden, brutal death. She had no idea when she’d get the text that it was time to go, but she hoped it would come soon. It was time to kill the Keeper of the Wind.
Lilith’s phone buzzed.
Her eyes darted down to the message. She had been eagerly awaiting the text, but unfortunately, it wasn’t a kill order.
Instead, it was an update that her order of woman’s shoe socks, size small, had shipped and would arrive in two days. Shoe socks were one of the greatest blessings in Lilith’s entire life. They were like socks, but with the durability and sole of a shoe. She’d found that wearing them allowed her to sneak up on her targets more quietly.
Lilith let out an expressive groan and popped herself off the bed, springing to her feet. She moved with the ease of a talented athlete. When she walked, her thighs turned into hard knots of muscle without her even thinking about it. She was built like a gymnast—strong and lithe, extremely flexible, and fine-featured. Subconsciously, she had a happy little bounce in her step. This was cute, according to the small army of guys who found her sexy.
She walked through the sliding door out onto the small balcony and hoped that nobody would see her standing there in just a bra and panties. It was freezing outside, but the rush of cold air made her feel alive.
The text would be coming any minute, and she wanted to move quickly, but her hunting gear was heavy and tight. Lilith wanted to enjoy the comfort of her undergarments for as long as she could. Nobody was looking at the hotel balcony anyway. And if they were, they’d get a treat. No big deal.
Being a dragon hunter was serious business. It was a job that was passed down through generations of five main families. Lilith’s family, the Aldane clan, had centuries of experience hunting down the exotic, deadly, and supernatural.
Why kill dragons? Almost a thousand years ago a dragon had killed a matriarch in her family. From that time, her family wanted revenge. Throughout her childhood, she was told how evil these creatures were, and she felt she was doing the world a service by eliminating them from existence. She preferred to think of herself as a hunter, but the rest of her community referred to themselves as the Slayers. She felt the name was a bit archaic since they no longer used swords and instead had high-tech weapons.
Just for fun, she went away from the balcony and checked out her rifle. There was a big debate among the Slayer community—ancient or modern technology. Some preferred the ancient ways, with charmed swords and daggers. The weapons were powerful, but it was almost like a form of art. Slayers had thousands of years to perfect their weapons, creating the perfect mixtures of certain metals and certain spells to kill the most ferocious beasts.
There was also a second approach, and Lilith preferred this style: the modern approach. Cars were invented as an alternative to horses. Electronic refrigerators were invented as an alternative to using blocks for ice to keep food cool. So, why not use modern technology to put down centuries’ old prey? Lilith didn’t see why not. They had guns for a reason.
Traditional Slayers had to get close to their targets. With bullets, she could use the same combination of metals and shoot the beasts. The trick was to put the same combination of metals and spells into a bullet—even if it was less concentrated and powerful—and shoot it. It went at such a high velocity that it could put down almost anything—including dragons—without the Slayer having to get anywhere near the target.
The problem was that the Keeper of the Wind was a direct descendant of the Dragon King, who was the original dragon. Nobody had been able to kill the Keeper of the Wind or his three other brothers. Many Slayers had tried to kill them, even before the Aldane family joined the Slayer community. A few Slayers had come close to killing the Dragon King and his sons over tho
usands of years, but nobody had succeeded.
Not yet anyway, thought Lilith as she smirked with an air of confidence.
She appreciated the art form of the traditionalists, but she appreciated something even more than she appreciated art: her life.
The gun wasn’t the only ace Lilith had up her sleeve. Lilith even had a neck choker that could disguise her from the naked eye, though she was still vulnerable to technology. That choker had saved her skin many times before, even with its limitations.
The traditional Slayers thought this was cheating for some incoherent reason. Lilith had been raised by a family that prided themselves on adapting to their surroundings. The Aldane family was something of a Slayer factory. The children were raised to kill supernatural beings, such as vampires and werewolves, but they mainly chose dragons as their targets.
Lilith was one of those children.
She looked down at her rifle to make sure everything was in order. She’d had the same exact rifle since she had turned eighteen, when her father gave it to her as a gift. Turning eighteen and being accepted in the Slayer community was a great honor. Only those who demonstrated a true skill for assassinating supernatural beings could climb the ranks in the Slayer community.
Upon her eighteenth birthday, Lilith also received a charmed tattoo that showed she was part of the Aldane clan for life. Without thinking about it, the area on her back between her shoulder blades tingled. That’s where the tattoo was located—a beautiful phoenix that symbolized her new life as a Slayer.
She ran her fingers across the rifle, across the chrome and gold surface with the phoenix symbol that matched her tattoo on the body of the gun. It was a nasty weapon, compactable with a beautiful scope on it and capable of putting a bullet through six inches of steel.
“When in the hell is he going to text me?” Lilith muttered, unlocking her phone and checking to see if she had somehow missed the message.
