by Sarah Hawke
I desperately wanted to look upon look upon the majesty of his true form, but I knew it was forbidden. He only revealed himself to his full Wives, and even then such an occasion was quite rare. I had to rely upon the many mosaics and paintings scattered across the palace.
“My beautiful Bride,” he said in deep, booming voice that was barely recognizable. “Your soul carries many burdens, and you come before me with questions.”
“I apologize for my impatience, my lord,” I said, swallowing heavily, “but I did not know where else to turn.”
Another burst of hot air blasted my face, and this time the wooziness nearly overwhelmed me. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep this up without losing consciousness.
“You are worried about the treachery you have sensed among your sisters,” he said eventually.
I swallowed and nodded. “Yes, my lord. But if I may be so bold…I am even more worried about the behavior of your son.”
“My son…” The master’s voice echoed through the cavern for a moment. “Jorel has become powerful, but he does not yet understand his place in this world.”
I bit down on my lip. Suddenly, the thought of complaining about the Crown Prince’s treatment of my best friend seemed almost…petty. Here I was kneeling before the Dragon God, and all I could think of was defending Charisse’s honor.
“He loathes me, my lord,” I managed. “I do not know why. He seems to loathe you as well…”
“My son is confused. And I fear he will never find the clarity he needs to lead Narthil into a new era.” I felt movement directly in front of my face, and I could tell he had lowered his massive head right next to mine. “That is why I have chosen you, my Dragon Bride. Narthil will have another heir to lead it into the future.”
“His Majesty honors me,” I breathed. “I do not know what I have done to earn such trust.”
“It is not what you have done—it is what you will do. I have foreseen your victory over the dissidents. I have foreseen your victory over the traitors who infest my palace. Together, you and I will forge a new future for Narthil. We shall unify our people, and then we shall march to claim the Onyx Throne that is rightfully mine.”
I smiled. It might have just been a side effect of the heat delirium, but a wave of hope washed over me. Perhaps I should have come to speak with him even earlier.
“There is something else you must know,” the master said after a moment. “Something I have been keeping from you—from all of you—for a very long time.”
“Master?”
“Look at me.”
My hands trembled as I slowly opened my eyes. When I finally saw his true form looming in front of me, my breath caught in my throat.
He was easily the most astonishing creature I had ever seen. His scales were a lustrous black as if he had been carved out of pure obsidian, and his orange-red eyes glowed like a pair of tiny suns inside his enormous head. His wings sprawled out into the darkness so far I could barely even see the tips, but he must have had a two-hundred foot wingspan. My entire body was only marginally larger than one of his claws, and for the first time in my life I truly appreciated how small and insignificant all of us were compared to the might of the last true dragon.
“My lord,” I whispered, forcing myself to glance away. “I am not worthy of your presence.”
“You are my loyal bride, Asha,” he said. “Do not look away.”
I swallowed again and forced my eyes back up. He was so majestic it didn’t even seem real or possible. Why would such a creature care about any of us? Why would he care about me?
“Now more than ever, you wonder how Narthil has fallen into disarray,” the master said. “You wonder why I have not destroyed these rebels and brought order back to all of Varellon.”
I nodded sheepishly. “Yes.”
“Many have asked the same question. Their voices grow louder with each passing day. They see the chaos on the streets here in Thalamar. They see the crime and violence in places like Vantriss. They do not understand why their Dragon God does not save them.”
His reptilian eyes narrowed as he lifted his head directly above me. “The answer is just as distressing as you’ve imagined. I no longer have the power to save our people on my own.”
I shook my head and wiped the sweat from my brow. “I do not understand, my lord. You are a god!”
“I am weakened,” he said, his voice a low whisper. “The Conduit that leads the Vin Aetheri rebels, the pretender who rises against me…I do not know how, but she has a found a way to siphon my power.”
I sank back on my haunches. “So it is true,” I murmured. “She has found another source of magic.”
“She does not and cannot wield the full power of a dragon,” the master said, “but the longer she endures the weaker I become. My strength remains great, but I can no longer risk leaving the protection of Thalamar. Not until you, my bride, have dealt with this threat.”
His head leaned forward again until his maw was only an inch in front of me. “You must find the renegade sorcerer, Soren Drell,” he told me. “He will lead you to the Conduit, and then you will use my power to destroy them both. Then, and only then, shall you and I be free to rebuild Narthil together.”
“I understand, my lord,” I assured him. “I will not fail you.”
“I know,” he said. He orange-red eyes studied me for several long seconds before his enormous maw curled into a smile. “So young and beautiful. Every time I slumber I almost forget…”
He lifted a claw and touched my face. I closed my eyes and smiled back even though I could feel my consciousness slipping away. My hair was completely plastered across my forehead and shoulders, and the sweat had even begun to sting my eyes.
“Remember the lesson I taught you,” he said. “As long as my power flows through your veins, it shall nurture and sustain you.”
I nodded and thought back to our previous meeting. Even when the collar had squeezed my throat and deprived my lungs of air, I had been able to call upon the master’s power. I tried to copy the same technique again here…and to my delight, it worked once again. My tattoos glowed like they were tiny rivers of energy flowing across my naked body, and after a few moments I could barely even feel the heat.
“My power will always be there for you, my lovely bride,” the master said. “You need only embrace it. You need only embrace me.”
“I am yours, my lord, always and forever.”
“Then let me show you something else…”
The claws of his right hand abruptly curled around my body. He lifted me off the ground, gingerly cradling me in his grip as his enormous wings began to flap. A vortex swirled beneath him, drying my skin almost instantly, and I gasped when he suddenly vaulted up into the air.
We soared across the top of the cavern, my mouth gaping wide in awe. I could only imagine what it must have been like to float inside the clouds, completely untethered to this dreary world, but we only traveled a few thousand feet before he set us back down next to a shimmering pool of water. The luminescent vegetation along the rim bathed the entire area in a soft blue light.
“It’s…it’s beautiful,” I whispered.
“It is yours,” the master said, opening his hand for me. “Cool yourself.”
Smiling, I slipped out of his grip and into the pool. The water was warm, at least compared to the cold deluge I was accustomed to in the communal basin, but it was still a great relief from the oppressive heat of the cavern air. I dunked myself beneath the surface, and when I reemerged I felt completely rejuvenated.
“This place,” I breathed, slicking back my long hair. “I had no idea it even existed.”
“Precious few do. I have not brought one of my wives here in many years.”
I grinned and started to turn around, but then I saw the master’s reflection in the water. He was no longer a dragon.
“In all of Narthil’s history, there have never been more than six Dragon Wives at the same time. They rule th
is land in my stead, and I entrust them with great power and even greater responsibility. But new threats require new weapons to defeat them, and you, my dear, will soon become my greatest weapon of all.”
I slowly glanced back over my shoulder. Before today, I had never seen his true dragon form or his human form. He had taken me dozens of times since I’d come of age, but always from behind. Only his wives knew what he looked like…until now.
He was as tall and muscular as I’d envisioned, and his hands and arms were as large and powerful as any man I’d ever seen. His jet-black hair was long and straight, and his orange-red eyes and vertical pupils betrayed his inhuman heritage. The only part of him I recognized definitively was his phallus, having tasted it more times than I could count. It was already hard and throbbing, and a shiver of delight cascaded through me when I realized the sight of my meager human body still excited him.
“The Council will not approve,” he said, reaching out and gently cupping my breasts in his hands. “They fear change. They fear you.”
“The Council cannot stand against the will of a god,” I replied.
The master smiled and studied my face. “No, they cannot. They suspect that I have been weakened, but they do not know the truth. And they never will.”
He shifted his hands to my cheeks and brushed my wet hair from my face. I wondered if he might actually kiss me for the first time, but he tapped my shoulders and nodded instead. Grinning in anticipation, I sank down to my knees in front of him. The shallow water stopped just below my breasts, and I readily opened my mouth for him.
“Once the Conduit is defeated, I can finally restore my house to order,” he said, easing the tip of his cock between my lips. “I have slumbered for too long, and my servants have grown weak and decadent in my absence, including my son. I shall need to make an example of some of them…”
Another delighted shiver rippled through me as I lathered the tip of his manhood with my tongue. I had almost forgotten the taste of true power. Normally his face would have been shrouded in magical shadows as I pleasured him, but this time I could finally see his eyes and read his expressions. My entire body ached for him, and I surreptitiously snuck my left hand back beneath the water to massage my quim.
He soon became more aggressive, clutching the base of my skull and pushing himself in deeper. I never broke eye contact with him no matter how deep he plunged. I refused to squander this opportunity to please him face-to-face; I wanted him to know, unequivocally, that he could use me any way he wanted. To the outside world I was a proud warrior and fearsome sorceress, but when kneeling before my husband I was nothing more than a vessel for his pleasure. Exactly like a proper wife should be.
Mere moments before he spilled his divine nectar down my throat, he abruptly withdrew and took a step backwards. I remained frozen in place, my lips wet and yearning and as I eagerly and expectantly awaited his next command.
“You are nearly ready,” the master said, a proud smile touching his lips. “But you must be properly christened before your ascension.”
He opened his right palm, and my tattoos flared back to life. The air rumbled in my ears and the water stirred around my flesh, and I suddenly stood up out of the water. At first I thought he might have been holding me in some kind of telekinetic grip, but then I belatedly realized I could no longer command my own muscles. Somehow, he had taken complete control over my body. He was a puppeteer, and I was his marionette.
“My power courses through all my brides,” the master said. “But you, my dear, are a truly exquisite vessel. You require a special blessing…one that will make you nearly immortal.”
His fingers stretched open, and the flesh on the right side of my body began to tingle. I watched in awe as the glowing latticework of tattoos on my left side gradually spread across my entire body.
“No matter what happens, always remember that you are mine, Asha,” he said. “My power sustains you. My will guides you. And soon, my seed will grow within you.”
He stepped forward and placed his hands on my waist. I smiled up at him, awe-stricken and overwhelmed, and he leaned down to kiss me.
His lips were lightning and his tongue was fire. I could feel his power everywhere—on my skin, in my tattoos, even flowing in my blood. It was exhilarating. It was intoxicating. And if he didn’t fuck me soon, it was going to drive me completely insane.
I leapt up into his arms and locked my legs around his waist. He carried me to the edge of the pool and gently set me down at the ledge, the head of his cock pulsing against my quim. As he leaned me backwards, I touched the base of his shaft and guided him inside me.
“Take me, my lord,” I breathed when our lips finally parted. I wrapped my around his neck and held him close even as he thrust into me. “Claim me as yours!”
He did. He fucked me viciously, ferociously, as my cries echoed through the cavern. I had never felt so content—I had never felt so complete—as when his cock spilled his divine seed deep within me.
“My Seventh Wife,” he said, brushing the damp strands of hair from my eyes. “My secret wife. The one who will save our people from oblivion…” He smiled and touched my belly. “The one who carries the future of Narthil within her.”
Chapter Nine
“I still can’t believe you’re going through with this.”
I smiled and ran the cloth over my blade one final time before returning it to its sheath. “Yes, you can. You knew all along I wouldn’t back down.”
“Still,” Charisse mumbled. “I almost want to storm down to Lysandre’s office and demand I go with you.”
“If she finds out that I told you anything about this mission—”
“I know, I won’t say a word,” she said, raising her hands defensively. “Maybe I’ll get lucky and the Council will send me back to Vantriss. We could catch lunch sometime.”
I snorted and turned. “I’ll be fine. The master will protect me, remember?”
“I remember, believe me.”
Charisse was sitting cross-legged on my bed watching me assemble my gear before I set out for the docks. I’d had called her in here after our morning meal to tell her everything that had happened last night, but even after hearing the details she wasn’t quite as enthusiastic as I was. I didn’t blame her—mere words couldn’t express what I’d felt in the master’s cavern.
“We might not see each other again for a long time,” she whispered. “Maybe ever, if this plan is as insane as I think.”
I flashed her another smile and gave her a long, deep kiss. “You may not have faith in the master, but you should at least have faith in me.”
“You know I do. If you were just charging into battle I wouldn’t feel so bad, but this…” She touched my cheek. “You’re a warrior, Asha, not a spy.”
“I am a Dragon Bride—that makes me both,” I reminded her. “I passed all the same trials you did, remember?”
“Barely,” she murmured. “Just promise me you won’t blow your cover by stabbing the first person who insults you.”
I chuckled softly. “I’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done. Who knows? Maybe they’ll take me straight to the Conduit and I’ll be able to end this rebellion once and for all.”
“Or they’ll string you up and hang your body from the ramparts.” Charisse sighed again and cupped my cheeks in her hands. “If you do get yourself killed, I promise I’ll slit the throats of every rebel in the damn country.”
“That’s oddly comforting,” I said, squeezing her wrists. We kissed even longer this time. I could feel the anxiety on her lips, and I suddenly wished I could spend all day in bed with her just to say goodbye.
“I don’t know why, but this didn’t seem real to me until just this moment,” she said eventually. “You had better come back.”
“I will,” I promised.
She stared into my eyes for what felt like a small eternity before she finally grunted and smiled. “Well, maybe when you’re gone the master will finally start vi
siting the rest of us again. If he thinks you are a good cocksucker, he has no idea what he’s missing.”
I laughed and smacked her in the arm. “I think he’s a fool for not taking us together,” I said. “When I get back, I’ll try to convince him to invite you.”
“We could put on show for him. I guarantee we’ll get his dragon cock up in ten seconds flat.”
I brushed my hand through her hair. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Charisse said. “Now get out of here before I really throw a fit.”
I kissed her lips and squeezed her shoulders one last time before I finally turned and left the room. I would have walked with her the whole way to the docks, but I didn’t want to give Lysandre a reason to believe I might have shared our plans. Instead I traveled alone, and when I arrived the First Wife was already waiting for me.
“Captain Lorne’s crew is nearly ready,” she told me when I approached. “The Prowler is a fine ship, more than a match for a Corsair frigate.”
I nodded and studied the docked vessel. It was a standard Narth warship with three fully-rigged masts and a catapult mounted high in the aft quarter. Below decks, a wooden panel concealed thirty heavy crossbows imbued with enough magic to punch through the hull of any smaller ship. Captain Lorne typically sailed with a much larger crew, but Lysandre had ordered him to bring only fifty of his best men. With my help, they wouldn’t need the extra manpower to successfully board an enemy ship.
“What does he know, specifically?” I asked.
“Only that his mission is to destroy the Corsair ship and recover some valuable cargo on board,” Lysandre told me. “I already told him you’d be taking the dinghy to Habelor once you’re finished. He doesn’t need to know any more than that. I suggest you stay in your quarters and out of sight until the mission is complete.”
“I understand, mistress.”
She turned and appraised me for a moment. “You spoke with His Majesty again last night.”
