by Dahlia Rose
“Yes they do. Orin could tell from the time they were born and they have this uncanny knack of telling the sex of the baby before birth. I guess it’s a dragon thing,” Valencia answered. “I’ll let you get some rest, we’ll see you at dinner.”
Michelle nodded and stepped inside a room that was still flooded with light from the early evening. Blue silk with lines of gold in the fabric draped the ornate poster bed. There were two rooms, one with the bed and another with a huge marble tub.
A waterfall was part of the far wall over a tub the size of a small pool in a human backyard. Towels were stacked on shelves that seemed to be carved out of the rock, and when she trailed her fingers through the water it was warm. Who knew, she said to herself and made a mental note to ask Orin about the heating and plumbing system. She liked to know how things worked, and if every room in the palace looked like this they had to have an intricate system that was unlike any she’d seen on the other side of the portal. Michelle threw off the cloak she was wearing, lay down naked on the massive bed, and stared up at the ceiling. The wind blew through the window as she pondered this place called Paladin that was part of her.
She didn’t know when she fell asleep but when she opened her eyes it was dark and the moonlight that cascaded into the room had a bluish glow to it. She got up groggily, went to the window, and looked outside. The nighttime view had her breathless, the moon over the indigo grass and the houses. The homey, peaceful feeling reminded her of what she felt when she looked at a Norman Rockwell painting except in a fantasy world. It almost reminded her of the Van Gogh painting Starry Night because the sky was littered with so many stars and she could make them out clearly. She looked up to the dragon constellation, the one her mother told her was made up of the people of Paladin and her ancestors. I’m home, mother, I love and miss you, she thought and sent it out to the heavens.
Fifty years without the woman who was more than her mother but also her protector and friend still hit her hard. Maybe she should have been more kind to Mursi who had lost his mate a few months ago. People handled their grief in different ways and his was to lash out. She made a mental note to be less in his face, even if he pushed her. She hoped she had restraint because he did rub her scales the wrong way each time he opened his mouth. Her stomach growled, and she didn’t need a watch to tell her she’d missed dinner. Besides, she didn’t think a watch would survive a trip through the portal. Orin was right, the tiredness she felt on earth was dissipating, already she felt stronger but her body needed food and lots of it. She pulled some clothes from the pack that belonged to Bior she still carried and after slipping on jeans, low-heeled boots, and a cropped red Florida State University T-shirt she went to find food. After seeing no one she knew she asked one of the guards at Orin’s door where she could find Orin and some food. He directed her to a secondary hall that led to what could only be described as a family room. Michelle hesitantly stepped in and all heads turned to her while the conversation ceased. There were the faces she recognized like Aki and Bior, and some she did not. Orin was there and Valencia as well, but not the children, also no Mursi. She didn’t know if she should be happy or disappointed.
“Didn’t mean to interrupt, I was looking for a kitchen where I could grab a bite. I can eat in my room and you can get back to your discussion.” Michele felt they were talking about her and it made her even more self-conscious.
“You’ll do so such thing.” Valencia smiled warmly. “Come on in, and we’ll have a meal brought in. We assumed that portal jet lag had you in its grips.”
“Are you feeling stronger?” Orin asked as he stood. He came and embraced her before leading her into the room.
“I am actually,” she admitted. “And it makes me hungry.”
Orin laughed. “Luckily we know how to cook for big appetites here. Come meet some others in the court.” Orin brought her forward and Michelle felt like she was meeting her date’s parents except it was her brother’s friends. When you were the king of an entire realm, wasn’t it the same thing? Michelle cut her internal dialogue and listened as Orin made introductions. “This is Hawke, and since I became king he leads the twelve Paladin warriors. Which are technically eleven since I’m doing both jobs. This is his wife Daisye from Georgia in the Earth realm.”
“I don’t know why I’m always Daisye from Georgia, Orin,” Daisye said sweetly. “Valencia is from New York and she is never introduced as Valencia from New York or Ginna from Texas.”
Michelle looked at her and she could see why instantly. Daisye was a true blue Southern girl, from the perfectly done hair and manicured nails to the flawless make up and the way she sat with her hands in her lap. How did she end up with a dragon? Michelle wouldn’t mind hearing that story. Hawke with the raven hair and the widow’s peak looked at her like she hung the moon.
He picked up the hand of his wife and kissed it. “Because my love, you’re sweeter than the ripest Georgia peach in the summer sun.”
Daisye smiled at Hawke. “My husband just saved you from being blessed out, Orin, king or not. Nice to meet you Michelle, we should have a girl day and you can tell me all about what you know about your family history some and Raven can add it to the archive.”
“I only know stories my mother told me, if I find anything as I go through her home I’ll let you know,” Michelle replied.
“Sounds good to me,” Daisye said.
The doors to the room flew open and one of the biggest dragons she’d ever seen strode in. He was shirtless, barefoot, and wore old faded jeans. His shoulder length hair was literally frazzled and he looked like he combed his fingers through it one too many times. Even with his disarray he wore a big grin on his face and his green eyes were alight with happiness.
“I have a son, Ginna has graced me with a handsome strong boy,” he announced proudly. “Y’all have to come see him, he is so freaking beautiful.”
Everyone went to offer him congrats but Michelle stood back since it wasn’t her place.
“Kalv this is Michelle, my half sister, daughter of Vatryn,” Orin said after Kalv hugged him a few times.
“Come ‘ere,” he said and strode over to her. He picked her up in a bear hug and squeezed so hard that Michelle couldn’t breathe. “Nice to meet you, you’ll come meet Ginna and my boy.”
“Umm, okay.” Michelle said. She liked him immediately and fell in step with Hawke. “Why did he talk like he was from a Texas roadhouse?”
“His wife is a rancher from Texas and he’s picked up her mannerisms, including cursing,” Hawke explained as they trailed out of the room, following him down the various halls.
“Ah,” Michelle said, nodding.
Inside his set of rooms Michelle barely glanced around. She was figuring out quickly that the place was decorated in the same style but with different colors, and none of them were elaborately done. Robin Leach would have a field day with where Orin and his people called home. But looking at the rest of Paladin as she passed by no one seemed to lack for anything in this world. Kalv hurried them through to where his wife lay in bed. Her hair was pulled back from her face and she was literally radiating happiness with a smile from ear to ear. In her arms she carried a big baby wrapped in a blanket with a crest.
She could only assume it was his father’s family crest. She had one in the meager possessions that her mother left her and it sat in a carved box next to her bed at the houseboat. Michelle averaged the baby had to be nine or ten pounds. Again the ache clutched her, and she actually had to force herself not to moan and crumple to the ground. She needed to talk to someone about what was going on. Beyond what her mother told her about a dragon cycle, Michelle had no clue how to stop the affects or the urge to find and be mated. She couldn’t fight a war where she was literally getting cramps and wanting to mate each time she saw one of the children or one of the warrior’s families. Maybe going back to Florida would be one way to counteract the effects until it was over. She pulled her attention back to the present where everyone wa
s cooing over the new addition to the warrior family. Michelle stood back, not feeling like she was part of the bond and not wanting to break in where she may not be welcome.
“Michelle, I was in the beginning of labor when Orin and the others went to bring you home.” Ginna smiled in her direction and her Texas twang was sweet. “How are you liking Paladin?”
“I’ve only been here a short time but so far I managed to get into a fight and sleep past dinner time,” Michelle answered. “I don’t think I’m being a good guest, but Paladin surpasses beautiful.”
Ginna laughed. “I met ‘big daddy’ here holding a shotgun on some idiots in my town and he managed to destroy my barn when he shifted.”
“Don’t forget burning down some pastures.” Kalv sat next to her and kissed her temple gently. “Good damn times.”
“He’s a very beautiful baby, do you have a name yet?” Michelle asked.
Kalv nodded and answered with pride. “His name is Finley Austin, first son born to the Fifteenth House of Paladin.”
Michelle stepped closer and did the only thing that felt right. She got to one knee like her mother had taught her to do and repeated the blessing that was repeated to her every night before bed. “May blessings of the father’s house be passed down to the son. May the honor in his blood flow through the generations and beyond. May he walk with the gods at his back and fly the skies with the voices of his ancestors in the wind that caresses his face. Dragon born and warrior will be. Until hundreds upon thousands years have passed and the last of his fiery breath is expelled. May he find welcome in the lands beyond this life in a place we long to see where we sit at our forefather’s table and share the feast upon it.”
She stood and found everyone in the room looking at her and asked, “Did I say it wrong?”
Hawke smiled. “Far from it, it was done with perfection.”
Michelle suddenly felt uncomfortable. “I should go, I haven’t eaten and I…. Congratulations on the new baby.”
She didn’t wait for an answer but fled and was thankful when no one followed her. Back in the family room she saw a tray had been delivered with her food. She took it and found her way back to her rooms and ate in solitude. She dragged a chair by the window and watched the cobbled stone streets below as she devoured the meal of chicken, vegetables, breads, and cheeses. There was even a bowl of stew.
She was full, and when she got antsy hiding in her room was no longer an option. Michelle took her boots off and stepped out the doors. She wanted to feel the indigo grass on her feet. No one lurked in the halls but she could tell eyes were watching. Probably the guards that Orin had watching the palace, or maybe the traitors that Hawke hinted at. If they were traitors they could want her as a hostage, she was a new element they didn’t know about. Going for a walk was an optimal plan, she could root out some traitors and maybe get in a good, decent fight.
She was feeling strong, better than she’d felt in a long time. Michelle could tell the difference. Between every shift into her dragon when she was on earth she could feel her energy waning. Now it was like energy was zinging along every nerve ending on her body. She wanted to take to the skies and fly to the stars and call to her mother that she was home. It felt like home, she wanted to hate it because her mother left. But that was the thing. Her mother only spoke of Paladin with warmth and love in her voice. She walked past the homes where she smelled bread baking or someone making pies. It wasn’t apples, some kind of sweet fruit she couldn’t distinguish. But it was definitely a delicious scent. She wondered if there was pie in the palace kitchen, she would ask when she went back.
She stepped onto the lush grass and walked a small distance away where she saw trees swaying gently. She sat beneath one and stared up at the sky between the thick leaves on the branches. Michelle closed her eyes and let everything about Paladin overtake her. Tears slipped from her eyes to her cheeks as she wondered if her mother was ashamed to come home and that was why they stayed away. She swiped at her cheeks viciously, angry that she let Mursi’s word haunt her and warp her view of a mother who had been nothing but good.
“Why are you crying?”
Mursi’s voice made her turn around. He was standing close. So engrossed in her own thoughts, she hadn’t heard him. Not that she would’ve, he was very light on his feet.
“I’m not crying,” she denied, even as the wind dried them on her face.
“As your human friends might say, bullshit.” Mursi sat on the grass next to her.
A few feet of space separated them but she could still feel the heat of his body radiating from him. He wore simple dark slacks and a dark shirt to match. His green eyes seemed to pierce the darkness as he looked at her, and his long hair was in a messy ponytail. The wind blew the tendrils that had escaped. He looked dangerous and sexy and she felt her sex get warm and ache. God I want to mate with him.
“Why would you care if I’m crying or not?” Michelle asked defiantly.
He smiled. “You’re right, I’ve given no reason to like me or think I would care about your feelings.”
“Was that supposed to be an apology, because it sounds a little thin,” Michelle said.
“I’m not apologizing, just stating a fact,” Mursi replied. “The night is beautiful.”
“It’s so different to Florida,” Michelle sighed. “Everything here is amazing.”
“There’s the dragon constellation,” Mursi pointed to a place in the sky she knew well.
“My mother told me that’s where our ancestors are, a child’s bedtime story,” she said.
“It’s the truth. We’re taught from childhood that our essence goes to the stars when we die, our souls eat at the tables of our families,” Mursi said. “The gods honor us for our valor and we live in the stars to shine down on the rest of our people, generation after generation.”
“I wish just once I could talk to my mother, hear her voice, and tell her I’m here,” Michelle admitted. “Maybe she knows, but after fifty years I can still hear her voice.”
“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.” Mursi’s voice held a hint of acid. “My mate Larissa has gone to the other side and yet she visits me. I cannot touch her, and she tells me of this new destiny that involves you.”
Michelle rolled her eyes. “Well, be angry at her not me. I never asked for you to come to me or be part of this destiny. I was doing just fine by myself.”
Mursi laughed and said sarcastically, “Yes you were, weren’t you? Slowly slipping into mortality and killing the dragon inside, but minutes after you came through the portal you were able to best me.”
“I could do it here or there, you’re an easy read,” Michelle retorted.
“We’ll see when we have a rematch,” he said.
“There won’t be one,” Michelle answered and pushed up on her hands to leave.
She was going to head back to the palace and to do so she had to step over his extended legs. He tripped her. Michelle fell against him, and she was pressed against his chest. He looked down at her and she could feel herself being lost in his gaze. The dragon in her purred in pleasure and even as her mind said no she pressed her body closer to his. She felt glorious when a low growl escaped him.
“I don’t want you,” he said huskily.
“Lucky for me I don’t like you either,” Michelle shot back.
“I cannot love you, I refuse to.” Mursi ran his hands down her thighs.
“Then let me go and let me walk away right now,” she bit her lip as his hands made her ache for more. “Bior can be a suitable mate for me…”
The rest of her sentence was cut off because Mursi took her lips in a kiss that devastated her senses. It was unlike anything she’d ever experienced and she opened her mouth willingly to take his tongue. He tasted like heaven and burned her like the fires of hell. Nothing was meant to feel this good or make her crave that much. Mursi rolled and she was under his large, sculpted frame. He felt so good pressed against her core that Michelle raised her hip
s and whimpered in delight at the feel of him. Mursi growled low in his throat and amped up the heat of the kiss. He was devouring her lips, and if they’d gotten naked under the tree with the moonlight caressing their skin, Michelle wouldn’t care. She wanted him.
Suddenly he pulled away, breathing harshly. “This can’t happen.”
Michelle lay where she was. “You didn’t hear me complaining.”
“You’d take me even though my heart lies with another,” Mursi laughed coldly. “Are you that easy?”
It was like being doused with cold water. Her eyes narrowed. “Point taken.”
She rolled to her side and got up to leave. As she passed him he grabbed her hand.
Michelle looked down at her wrist and his fingers wrapped around it. “Careful, that’s how we got started before. You’re not into me, remember?”
“You are so different to Larissa, she was gentle and sweet…” Mursi began.
“While I’m apparently a rough and tumble sour-natured person.” Michelle didn’t know if she should kick his ass, cry, or both, because he’d managed to kiss her senseless and insult her by comparing her to his dead wife in less than half an hour.
“You’re different, more outspoken.” He ran his hands through her hair. “Hell, I don’t even know what I’m trying to say.”
“I do. Your wife used to bring you your slippers and make you pies and rub your shoulders for you when you came in on the evenings, she pampered you,” Michelle said. “Yeah you’re right, we aren’t suited because I would fight right next to you and we’d figure the hell out who’s going to make dinner or do it together. Your loss, the sex would have been epic but I need a man, not a little boy to take care of.”
His nostrils flared in anger. “Take care of how you speak. Larissa was not one to hold her tongue when it came to me, we were kindred spirits.”
Michelle sighed. “Then I’m sorry for your loss, but I need to find my own kindred spirit and obviously it’s not you. Heat and sex can’t be the only thing in a relationship.” She smiled. “But hey, I’m in a place where there are others like me and for the first time I can actually be free to choose a mate.”
