by Honor James
“We know that,” Volos said softly. Squeezing her hand, he and Drake both stepped forward at the same time and, with a few small shocks and a bit of a buzzing sound, they were through the Veil.
“We need to walk ahead a few feet and then we’ll be able to see the Realm. They built this protective net in case anyone managed to get past the security and slip through. If you aren’t actually cleared, it drops down over intruders and keeps them from ever seeing the Realm,” he explained as they walked in near total darkness.
“Ah, well, I’m glad that I’ve been cleared.” She allowed them to lead her where they wanted to, her face tilted up to the skies and eyes closed. “The heat of the sun is amazing. The smell of the air is”—she inhaled again—“so clean, so right.”
It felt like home.
Drake squeezed her hand and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “We need to keep moving, which means I need to shift my shape. So I’m going to let go, which means you need to as well,” he said with laughter in his voice.
“Wait, what? Hold on a minute. You said ‘fly.’ ‘Fly’ means in a plane. How do I fly with a Dragyon? You don’t have seats or seatbelts.” Okay, so her voice was starting to rise, more and more with each word she spoke.
“Hmm, she may scream before you launch,” Volos said with a snicker.
“Azy, sweetheart.” Drake looked down into her eyes. “There are no airplanes here. This is the Realm of the Draygon. We don’t need airplanes, and they’d just get in our way. We are the mode of transportation here. But, for the record, I’ve never lost a passenger.” He smiled and touched her cheek. Then he shot a dirty look at Volos. “Though, I did try once on purpose.”
“Ha!” Volos smacked his arm. “I fucking knew you did that on purpose.”
Leaning into Drake’s touch, Azy sighed. “Okay. I trust you, but how does this work? I thought that I would be curled up against you and you and I would fly or something, but I never thought that I would have to learn how to drive a Draygon.” Drive, not fly.
“One doesn’t drive a Draygon,” Volos said. “One holds on for dear life and prays to all the Gods and Goddesses until you land. They don’t really take direction well. Or at all,” he said with a grin.
Drake growled at him, the sound deep and seriously threatening-sounding. “Quit being a smartass and quit trying to scare her.” Looking back to her, he pressed a light kiss to her lips. “It will be fine, I promise,” he said. Stepping back, he smiled and then turned to walk about fifteen feet away.
“Don’t blink, this part’s cool,” Volos said softly as he moved in closer to her.
Drake stopped, looked around, and then he began to shift. The eyes changed first, from their normal violet with bits of gold to pure gold with an inner flame. Then magic seemed to curl around him, a cloud of something swirling and twisting as he arched his head back and let out a roar that shook the ground and every tree and brush around them.
In the very next moment, a Draygon stood before them, black as night with violet wings edged in gold. He gave a snort and shook his massive head. If he was under forty feet high, she’d eat her shoes, both of them, right then and there.
“Not bad, eh?” Volos asked, bumping her lightly with his arm.
“Holy crap,” she said as she looked at the large Dragyon. “How the hell are we supposed to fly with him?” Azure didn’t cuss as a general rule, but this seemed to be the time. “What? How?” She looked to Volos, then. “And please, nothing all funny and humorous. Please? How the flipping name of hell do you ride a Draygon?”
If a Draygon could have rolled his eyes, Drake was doing that right then. He huffed out a breath and eased down so his chest was on the ground. With a roll of the shoulder closest to her, she watched as the protective scales covering his body flipped out.
“He comes with a built-in staircase,” Volos said. At her look, his eyes went wide. “What? It’s the truth. Look!” he pointed. Taking her hand, he guided her over to Drake and then put her in front of his body. “Put your hands on the flat ones, lean your body in so you have your weight over your toes and just climb up. The scales aren’t sharp up at this end, only along the tail and spine from the shoulders down. We’ll be sitting just in front of them where they are a little smoother and more comfortable. Now, get up.”
“Okay.” Azure took up her seat on the large Draygon and shook her head. “And you are certain that we aren’t too heavy for him?” She had never been around a fully-shifted Draygon, ever. “He still understands us and knows what we are saying, right?”
“Drake, feel like answering those?” Volos said as he settled in behind her.
The large head swung around until a single eye pinned her in place. You are not too heavy for me, Drake said. His voice was in her head and yet not. She swore she could hear it around her, too, like he’d spoken, and yet she knew that wasn’t possible. For one, his lips hadn’t moved. If Draygons had lips. Did he have lips? And I quite obviously understand what you are saying since I just answered you. Now, grip the scales right in front of you and hold on. Volos will hold onto you during the flight.
“And he won’t let me fall, right?” Azure asked Drake and then looked up at Volos. “You won’t let me fall, right?” she asked with a frown. “Because I will be pretty upset with you if you drop me.”
“Of course I won’t let you fall. Drake won’t let you fall. I’m more concerned about my ass since he has a tendency to try and lose me any time he’s done this before,” Volos said.
This time, when she looked at Drake, she was damned sure he’d rolled his eyes. I’m not going to risk Azy. So you’re safe this time around. But next time… His eye narrowed. It was very clearly a warning.
That had Azy snickering. “Oh, you are bad. Good thing for Volos that he’s such a durable race, right?” she asked with a smile. “You are Vhampire, so you would bounce, right?” Okay, so she was teasing, but she had to do something or she would puke and she didn’t think that Drake would appreciate that at all.
“You did not just ask that.” Volos sounded offended.
“I did, too, just ask that.” She was smiling all the wider now.
Drake was laughing, as well as a Draygon could laugh, if the rumble under her ass was any indication. Hold on, we’re going to take off now, he warned them.
Volos wrapped his arms around her and kept muttering about how he may or may not save her perky ass if she fell off.
Drake shifted back onto his feet and crouched, his head turning forward again as he lifted his wings straight up. Volos tightened his arms around her and grabbed one of the scales. Then they were shooting practically straight up in the air and Drake’s wings went back with a “whoosh” that jolted them in their seats.
When they took off into the air, Azure cried out, not in fear, but in happiness. She laughed as they took off and turned her face to the clouds with her eyes closed. “Amazing,” she said happily. “And here I was afraid, for a moment.” She was teasing because she had been afraid, silly her.
Drake quickly leveled out and began a slow sweep with his wings to push them forward. Looks like someone just lost money, he said with a laugh. He did a slow dip and then a very lazy turn toward a mountain range.
“What does he mean?” she shouted to Volos. “What does he mean about losing money?” She leaned into Volos as they flew through the air. She was loving it. And that, fast it came back to her and she began to laugh. “Oh! I know.” She was snickering. “Yep, looks like you owe him some money.”
“Ha, ha, you two are just too funny,” Volos said. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and then rested his chin on her shoulder. The view was fantastic and let her see a lot of the land that was the Draygon Realm. The trees were huge, the land colorful, and she was pretty sure she saw other Draygons up in the sky flying around.
“This is beautiful.” There was absolute awe in her voice. “My land is beautiful as well, but this…Wow, this is incredible.”
“It is, isn’t it?” he asked. “Lo
ok.” He pointed to their left. A pair of Draygons were flying and doing some rather complicated maneuvers. As she watched, they both dove toward the ground in some sort of intertwining spiral before splitting apart and arcing back up into the sky. “Show-offs.” He chuckled.
“Wow.” That was about all that she could say in that moment. “Incredible. They are so large, but they are so graceful as well. It’s intense, just the sheer muscle memory that must be a part of their being. Drake, I would love to see you doing some fun air acrobatics as well.”
Volos tightened his grip on her. “Not while we’re on him, for the love of the Gods,” he said in a mildly panicked tone.
I will show you whenever you wish, Drake said softly. And no, I wouldn’t do it with anyone on my back unless they were properly strapped in. Yes, to answer the question I’m sure you have, there is a way to strap a rider on. It’s a bit complicated, but it allows the rider to be hands-free and enjoy the ride all the more.
“Okay, well, I won’t want to do that for a bit. I first would rather see you doing it. I would much rather watch you doing that,” she said with a grin. “I would really love to see just what kind of aerial acrobatics you could do.”
I’ll show you while we’re here. But, for now, we’ve nearly arrived at our destination. Down to the right, Drake said. Volos pointed down to help her figure out where he meant. For a time, all she could see was a vague dark spot with a few small spots of light. But as Drake turned into a lazy loop and they started to drop, she could make out the shape of a house. A very large house, with wide spaces around it and the trees acting like a barrier to the outside world.
“Wow.” The house was massive. The roof was made of red tile with many skylights as well as solar panels. “I love it. From this point, at least,” she said with a grin. “I love all of the skylights that are in the home.”
“Draygons are big on sunlight and having lots of light in their homes. It’s why the trees are cut back so far, as well. With as massive as they are, you’d never get any natural light except at the height of the suns for a brief window of time if it weren’t done.”
Drake was continuing to drop until they nearly, from her perspective, brushed the roof of the house. When he was over the front lawn, or maybe it was the back, he brought his wings around and stopped them. They fell a short distance where he eased them down with barely a bump before lowering his chest and doing that little shoulder roll to flex his scales out.
“We thank you for flying Draygon air with us today. Please ensure that you take all your devices, magazines and personal items with you when departing the Draygon,” Volos said. With a grin at her, he let her go and stretched before swinging around to stand on the scales. “Coming?” he asked, holding out a hand to her.
Azure snickered and shook her head. “Well, all that I know is when Drake shifts and smacks you upside your head, I will be the one laughing and saying, ‘Never poke a Draygon.’” It was nice, this ability to laugh and play with these men. She enjoyed it a great deal.
“Yeah, yeah.” He chuckled. He helped her down to the ground and they moved a few feet away so that Drake had room to change back. It was just as quick as his transformation into the Draygon, and soon enough, her mate was walking toward her on two legs.
When he approached her, Azy couldn’t help herself. She wrapped her arms around his thick chest and hugged him close. “Thank you for that. That was one of the most amazing rides ever. I’m terrified of flying in planes, but I felt so safe with you.” She looked to Volos then as well, and grinned. “Could have something to do with Volos as well.”
“Given his tendency to crack jokes when nervous, doubtful,” Drake rumbled. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. “Come, we should go inside and get you settled. You’ve had a long day and I’m sure something to eat and a hot bath wouldn’t be amiss.”
“That’s true.” With an arm around the waists of both men, she let them lead her into the massive home. Thankfully the doors were well wide enough to fit all three of them at once. With her head on Drake’s shoulder, Azure yawned again. “A shower instead of a bath, definitely.”
“I think we can manage that,” he said, pressing a kiss to her hair. “Did you want something to eat now, or after you’ve rested a bit?” He guided her toward a wide staircase and they started up it slowly.
“A little something now. Nothing too large or I won’t be able to sleep well. When I wake up, however, I will be starving.” She knew her body well, had grown accustomed to these flares and burns that she was experiencing now.
“I’m on it,” Volos said. Leaning over, he kissed her gently and then let go to jog back down the stairs.
Drake kept moving her up the stairs, two full stories. Taking her down a hall, he led her toward a large set of double doors. Reaching, he pushed one open and let her enter first before following on her heels. The room was huge. It had its own fireplace, sitting area, a desk, a table and chairs by the windows and a massive bed.
“Wow. This place is incredible,” she whispered in complete and utter awe. “Beautiful.” She moved from the door and to the massive floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the land. She smiled as she looked back at him. “I do hope that these are all tinted with privacy tint or have serious blinds and-or drapes so we can sleep in on mornings or so we can do what we want to do naked when we want to do it?”
“Who’s going to see us?” he asked. “All that’s out there is trees. We’re backed to a mountain with vicious up- and cross-drafts that, if you don’t know the patterns, you can’t fly through. And, to top it all, we’re on the third floor.” She just looked at him until he rolled his eyes. “The windows are specially treated so no one can see in from the outside, and there are blackout panels sewn into the drapes.”
“Thank you.” Azure grinned and looked back over the lands. “Thank you for reassuring me. It makes me feel much better to have that assurance.” And to have the blackout panels so that they would be able to sleep in when and if they ever wanted to. It was a total win-win in her opinion.
He just gave a grunt and caught her arm in a light grip. “Come on,” he said, pulling her gently back across the room. “Closet, closet, closet,” he told her as he pointed at doors. Reaching a smaller set of double doors with frosted glass panes, he pushed them open. “Last but not least, a bathroom fit for a princess,” he said, waving her inside.
Azure walked into the massive room and was stunned. The marble that covered the floor, walls and ceiling seemed to be seamless, as if this room were carved from one continuous block. There was a massive step-in bathing area that was the size of a small pool, which had a waterfall ledge shelf high above it. She was assuming that was where the water came from. The sinks were pure silver and the shower was a thing of perfection. There were small river rocks and moss as the floor of the shower and the overhead was one massive shower head. The water would fall all around just as if in a rainstorm. She loved it. “Perfect,” she said happily. “I love it.” And the skylight in the very center only made it all the better.
“Good.” He nodded with a look of relief. “Was a little worried you’d think it was too much. I fought my mother on the design, but apparently the woman actually knows what’s best. Who knew?” He grinned at her. “Towels are on the shelving there. Go ahead and have your shower. We’ll wait for you in the other room,” he said gently. Leaning in, he pressed a light kiss to her lips before pulling back.
“Thank you.” Azure lifted a hand and placed it on his cheek. “For everything, Drake. And thank your mother for this amazing bathing chamber. It’s far more than a bathroom. That is far too pedestrian a term for this amazing place.”
“You can thank her yourself, eventually,” he said. “Bathe. I’ll get you a robe to slip into until you can come out and find something you want to wear to bed.” Smiling, he caught her hand and kissed her fingers gently. Winking, he left her in the bathroom to explore.
Azure watched him leave and sighed. She
turned to the shower and got it started, laughter spilling from her as the shower began. Undressing quickly, she stepped into the shower and started to get clean.
Chapter Six
Azure walked out of the bathing rooms with a towel around her head and one around her body. “What do you have for me, choice-wise, to wear to bed tonight…today, whatever it is?”
“Whatever you want,” Drake said. He walked toward her and then veered slightly. Pulling open the doors of a closet, he waved her inside. “You have your pick of anything I have in here. There’s a bit of choice, given it’s a whole other room.”
“I will take a shirt of yours. Any shirt at all will do.” She looked at the clothes and laughed. “I thought that I had a great deal of clothes. Looks like I’m nothing compared to you,” she teased.
“Yeah, I’ve collected a few things over the years. But I’ve been around longer than you, darling. You’ll catch up in time, I’m sure.” He moved deeper and pulled a shirt off a hanger. “Here, this should be nice and comfortable to sleep in. It’s also long enough that you could wander around this place without flashing anyone.”
“That would be a very good bonus. Not flashing people, that is. I don’t like to show much skin because…well, just because.” It wasn’t that she was a prude, but she was very self-conscious about her body.
“You have beautiful skin,” he said walking to her. Gathering the shirt, he lowered it over her head and then tugged the hem down over her body. “You can let go of the towel, sweetheart.” Smiling, he gave a small tug on the towel and lifted an eyebrow.
She let go of the towel and let it fall. Her eyes were on his. Her happiness all but glowed in her eyes, but it was shadowed by her exhaustion. “I truly would love to be able to do something about this need that I feel. However, I think that food and a nap would be best. I wouldn’t want to fall asleep before we are all able to bond, you know.” She was teasing, mostly, and he could see it.
