Rescued by Ryland

by Lisa Daniels

  “I wasn’t trying to be.” He pressed ahead without looking at her.

  “So how did you know that these used to be active? That knowledge was lost eons ago, back when there were a lot more of my kind roaming Letera.”

  “I can feel the magma.”

  “You what?” The pull of her hand reminded her to keep moving.

  “I can feel it, but now is not the time to explain that.”

  Bree watched the muscular back of her companion and she wondered just how much there was to learn about it. Practically everything, she thought. “I thought that changing form was the only magic a shifter could use.”

  He turned his face toward her a little as he dodged a tree branch, “We have any innate abilities of our original form.”

  “So a wolf shifter has a keen sense of smell, even in human form?”

  He nodded.

  “I’ve still never heard of any species having any magical a-Oh god’s!” Bree exclaimed as she realized there were plenty of species that could have two forms. “So if there is a fairy shifter, you could potentially have a person that could fly?”

  She bumped into him as Calixto came to an abrupt stop. He turned and gave her a look of disbelief, “A fairy shifter? That’s ridiculous.” He pulled her hand and started back up the mountain. “Humanoids aren’t shifters. They have their own kind of magic.” He shook his head and Bree could hear him mutter, “Fairy shifter. Unbelievable.”

  Bree smiled at his back. She had known about humanoids and shifters, but he was so closed when it came to talking about his abilities, she wanted to see if there was any way to get him to open up. Now she knew that there was a way – a way that she knew well. All people loved to feel smart, so all she had to do was play dumb and he was bound to let it slip up. Otherwise, she might never find out what his real form was.

  They were relatively close to the top of the mountain by that point and she thought it best to focus because down was usually a lot harder than up.

  Calixto stopped and checked out the other side, “Alright, I think-”

  Whatever he was thinking, he never got to say, the ground below them shifted and a large crack formed beneath their feet. Calixto immediately grabbed Bree and pulled her to him as the mountain crumbled. Bree put up a field around them as they slid into the yawning opening that went down for miles, well below the base of the mountain. As they tumbled down the mountain, she buried her face in Calixto’s chest.

  They landed on a ledge some ways above the magma flowing under them.

  Bree looked up into Calixto’s handsome face. His eyes were darting around, his attention clearly focused on finding a way out.

  “I’m sorry Calixto, but getting out of here is not our biggest problem.”

  His eyes looked down at her.

  Bree pointed a finger to their left, “The demons are here.”

  Chapter 11

  The Words You Say

  There was a hissing noise as they seemed to form words. “You failed us.” It accused Bree.

  Calixto and Bree looked at the creatures. There were two of them and they did not have a definitive form. Instead, their outlines shifted and turned, making it nearly impossible to focus on them without getting a headache.

  Bree stepped forward, “You are after me, not him. Let him go.”

  The demons laughed, “Little witch, you have no room to negotiate.”

  Bree slipped a hand into the folds of her dress and reached into another dimension where her chest was stored. She pulled her hand out of the dimension and stretched out her arm out. “I think I have all of the bargaining chips.”

  The demons moved closer, “Give it to us!”

  Bree pulled it back and dropped the object into the top of her dress. She felt it nestled between her breasts, “You must let him go first.”

  “No!” Calixto and the demons all screamed at her. Calixto’s hand went around her wrist, “You promised!” His voice was firm and his red eyes looked as hot as the magma beneath them.

  Bree gave him a smile and gently pulled her hand out of his, “Please, trust me.” He set his jaw but gave her an imperceptible nod.

  “You will return this man to the top of the mountains, then we will begin negotiations.”

  The demons hissed in response, “He himself has already expressed a desire to stay.”

  Calixto stepped forward, “I consent to being returned to the top.”

  The demons laughed, “What you will or will not allow has no place here.”

  Calixto turned and looked at Bree. She winked at him and took several steps forward, “If you want your precious item, you will return him-”

  The ledge under her cracked and fell away. Before she could fall, Calixto’s hands were around her waist, pulling her back to safety.

  The demons cackled, “He is fast for a human.”

  Bree was pleased when her companion did not answer the insult. Perhaps he was too angry by it. Hoping that was the case, Bree laughed. “You should have sent him back when you had the chance. My pet is not going to leave so easily now that he knows what you are trying to do.” She felt the air tense behind her, and Bree could imagine the angry look on Calixto’s face at her words. I’m sorry Calixto, she thought to him. Though she had not expected it, the air relaxed a little after her thought.

  The demons moved forward, “We did not intend to drop you into the magma just yet, not until we retrieve what is ours.”

  “Well, this is where we run into a bit of a problem, because the demons you had me steal this from seemed to have a very legitimate claim to it. I am curious to see which one of you is right so that I can determine who the real owners are.”

  “It is us!” The demons swirled and shifted in agitation.

  “But you have never produced any proof of that.”

  “We do not need proof!”

  “Are you sure? Because the Sentii had proof.”

  “They are lying! It belongs to us.” One of the demons was doing little more than pitching a fit. The other one finally responded, “And what proof did they give you?”

  Bree gave them a look of uncertainty, “I’m not sure if can tell you that.”

  “It is ours!” The first demon shouted.

  “Yes, yes, I have heard you say that several times, but saying it doesn’t make it yours. I mean, I could shout that right now, and you would dispute that it was mine.”

  “You dare to mock us, little witch?” The second demon seemed far more attuned to what she was doing than the first.

  She gave him a look of shock, “Mocking you? I am simply point out that one set of demons had proof, the others seemed to be lying to get something that they had no right to.”

  The demons neared her, “What proof did they offer you?”

  As soon as they were close, Bree stretched out her hand and wrapped them in a cold chill. The demons immediately started screaming and struggling against the web of cold, tightening it with every move they made. “The truth. You see, I'm not a little witch.” She squeezed the net, “I’m a sorceress.” The hissing and screams from the netting redoubled, causing the rocks on the walls of the volcano to come crashing down on all sides. An arm wrapped around her and Bree felt Calixto pressing her into his body. He was protecting her so that she would not lose focus.

  Silently begging the gods to keep Calixto safe, Bree let out a loud laugh to make it look like she was not afraid. “The best proof they gave me was to let me borrow it. They told me to see for myself that it was theirs, and so I have.”

  The yowls from the demons were unintelligible, but she pressed on. “Of course, this will not kill you, but by the time you recover, the true owners will be aware of your plans. So there is something for you to look forward to once you finish reforming.”

  With that the demons disappeared. The instant they were gone, Bree turned and buried her face in Calixto’s chest. She pushed a field out several feet from his body so that he would not get further injured. As soon as the rock slide was d
one, she released the field and immediately began looking around them.

  “And this is why I had not wanted to get caught away from their home.” The magma underneath them was rising. “I can’t fly.”

  She turned to look at him, “I guess we can try climbing out of here, but I doubt that we will be able to get very far before this stuff over takes us. I am so sorry Calixto.” She wrapped her arms around him and felt his arms gently encircle her. “I am so sorry to drag you into this.”

  “I don’t mind.” He stroked her hair.

  She sighed, “I do. I mind very much.”

  Calixto pulled away from her, “Do you mean that?”

  She nodded, “I don’t mind dying, but I do not want that for you. I think it is even safe to say that I like you a bit.”

  He smiled down at her as the heat from the magma began to reach them. She knew that meant they had a few minutes left. She wouldn’t exactly die happy, not knowing that he would parish too, but Bree could not imagine a better last view as she stared into his smiling face.

  He pulled her close and whispered in her ear, apparently oblivious to the heat, “Do you like me enough to stay with me?”

  Bree giggled, “I think that I can almost imagine a future like that. Almost.”

  “Except…”

  She pressed her face into his neck, “Except that we are going to die here and admitting that I could live such a life now might actually hurt.”

  He squeezed her and whispered in her ear, “Say please.”

  “What?” She pulled back and looked at his face to see if he was joking.

  He was still smiling, but there was nothing to suggest that he was joking, “Say please.”

  “Are you trying to make me feel less guilty now?”

  He squeezed her hips with his hands, “Stubborn sorceress, do you trust me or not?”

  Bree tilted her mouth in a half grin to humor him, “Please Calixto.”

  He patted her on the head, “Good girl. I promise to be gentle.”

  With that, Calixto stepped back and began to transform. His toned body began to expand and change in ways that should have been impossible. Bree watched in awe, her eyes catching every detail of the change, yet she had a difficult time believing what she saw.

  The magma was spitting and bubbling below them as a large red dragon unfurled its wings and gently wrapped its claws around Bree.

  As he moved away from the ledge, Bree looked up at the nearly perfect body of the man who had chosen her. If she had thought his human form was gorgeous, it was nothing compared to the beauty of the creature that he was by nature. “You are right, I don’t think I would have believed you if you told me.”

  The dragon looked down at her, and if dragons could smile Bree knew what that smile would look like as she watched Calixto. She laughed as they flew out of the volcano top and headed toward a clearing that would have taken several days to reach on foot. His wings opened and the shadow he cast would easily have covered a small village. Calixto was big as a human – as a dragon he was gigantic.

  “Do you think you could land us over that way?” Bree pointed to a location far from the volcano, a distance that would have taken several days with a horse. Calixto rumbled as if question was an insult. With impossible speed, they headed toward the place where Bree had indicated.

  Bree was gently placed on the ground and a moment later Calixto stood beside her. His face wasn’t as cold as it usually was, but there was no trace of superiority or an oncoming lecture. The man’s eyes blinked a few times as he watched Bree.

  Shaking her head, the young woman threw her arms around his neck. “And I thought you were attractive in your human form. Ye Gods, how many people know there are dragon shifters out there? It can’t be very many.”

  Calixto looked down at her with a half grin, “A few more people know about the existence of dragon shifters than the continued existence of a sorceress.”

  Bree’s lips formed an oh before she chuckled, “It certainly explains how you understand power. I can’t even imagine what that kind of power feels like.” Her hand ran along his chest.

  Placing his hand on hers, “And I cannot imagine what it is like to have so much power in such a small frame.” He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it.

  Stepping forward, Bree pushed her body against his, and she was pleased to hear the sound of his laugh.

  He pushed her away from him, “Now is not the time for that.”

  “There is never a better time for love making than after a near death experience.”

  He looked down at her, “Is that so?”

  “Here let me show you.” She took his hand and pulled him away from the erupting volcano. It was all but forgotten. There was very little life around it, and they were too far away from it for it to be more than a pretty sight to watch.

  The pair reached a large cabin. Bree turned the handle and entered it, pulling Calixto behind her. He pulled his hand out of hers, causing her to turn around. “We cannot be here.”

  Bree looked at him confused, “Is this place dangerous for you?”

  He frowned at her, “It isn’t our place. We can’t go making use of a human’s domicile at our leisure.”

  Bree smiled at him and reached into her storage dimension, “Here, this should make you feel better.”

  He read over a short missive. “You just happen to know the owner of this place?”

  Bree nodded, “I have this kind of agreement in pretty much every province, state, city, country, prefecture, and domain in Letera. A lot of people owe me.” She wrapped his arms around her and pulled him toward one of the rooms. “Now let me show you the proper way to celebrate a near death experience.”

  Calixto did not need any coaxing. He pulled her to him and swept her feet off of the ground. She laughed as he began kissing her neck, a laugh that soon turned into a moan. He slipped her dress off of her body before they had even reached the bed. Bree was tugging at his shirt as he tossed her onto the bed. She laughed as she flew through the air. Almost as soon as she hit the bed, Calixto was on top of her, one hand cupping her breast and the other pulling her leg around his hip. Shocked at how aggressive he was being, Bree murmured in his ear, “I don’t remember you being this eager before.”

  Pulling back and looking down on her, the man replied, “Perhaps it was the lack of a near death experience.” He began kissing her as she laughed.

  His hands were fast and efficient as they explored her body. Calixto had brought her to peaking less than a minute after getting her onto the bed. Bree was panting as she flipped over on top of him and worked his pants off with her hands and feet. Before she could do anything else, Calixto’s husky voice broke her concentration, “I don’t think so.”

  The world spun and Bree found herself once again under him, “I am no one’s pet.”

  Bree laughed as he kissed her forehead and down her face, “It had to sound believable,” she panted into his hair. “If they knew you were anything else, they would have killed you.”

  Calixto stopped and looked at her, “With what? Magma?”

  “Of course, they were-Oh,” she looked into his eyes as he smiled at her. She gave his arm a slap, “I didn’t know you were a dragon.”

  The bed vibrated as he laughed and spread her legs apart with his hand. The laughter stopped as soon as he began to move into her. Bree wrapper her legs around his hips and arched into him. For the first time in a long time, she allowed someone else complete control over her body.

  Several hours passed before either of them was ready to stop. Bree ran her hand through Calixto’s hair as she rested against his chest when a noise caught their attention. Both sets of eyes turned to looked at several wisps hovering over the ground a few feet from the bed.

  “We are sorry to interrupt your procreation, but we have business with the witch.”

  Bree sat up and stretched her hand out to her dress. A small, shiny object levitated over it. “It’s quite alright. I didn’t expec
t you so soon, but it would be best that you get this back into a secure location before something happens to it.”

  The creatures moved in a way that suggested they agreed. “We thank you for your assistance. It was much quicker and far less risky than the other option.”

  Bree nodded, “I know. I was glad to be of service.”

  “Have you decided on your payment?”

  Bree was aware of Calixto watching her as she shrugged, “I still haven’t thought of anything for myself. However, I hear that there is an expedition taking off from Berenice in about a month. I don’t really care one way or the other about the main objective, but there is a young researcher on board. She is quite intelligent and rather witty, so I would like to see just what she is capable of. If you would guide the course of her ship to a location that is suitable for her purposes, I would say that is payment enough.”

  The wisps moved around as if in thought, “Directing the path of ships hardly seems like adequate payment.”

  Bree smiled, “It may not be quite as simple as you may think. The Aeoleans are planning to destroy the ships before they reach their destination.”

  “Ah,” there was a little sound of excitement in the response, “That sounds more like a game than a payment. And what path would be most beneficial for this researcher?”

  Bree shrugged, “I have no idea.”

  “You need us to figure that out?”

  “And that is why it is adequate payment.”

  The wisps moved in a way that was hypnotic and sounded like a breeze travelling around the room. “We look forward to repaying our debt to you. And we wish you health in your future dealings.”

  Bree bowed her head. The wisps and the item disappeared.

  Calixto moved too fast for Bree to resist. His hands pinned her wrists to the bed and his body lay on top of her. He looked down at her, “You said that you were bored, but based on what you said to the magma demons, you weren’t just working because of boredom. It sounded like they were trying to start something more serious.”

  Bree shrugged, “Yes, and I interfered because I was bored. I’m sure that things would have worked out alright because the Sentii are incredibly intelligent, just a little too trusting. All I did was help avert open conflict.”