Serpent's Kiss

by Deborah Cooke

  Was Chandra really determined to deny the firestorm? Or had she just been surprised enough to protest?

  Thorolf took a steadying breath and the smell of wet vegetation filled his nostrils. He couldn’t discern Rafferty at all, which meant that Pyr had continued on to another destination. Thorolf let the firestorm’s radiant heat slide through his body, reassuring him even as it fed his desire. The firestorm had to save him. Chandra would save him. He wasn’t lost yet and he wasn’t going to be lost so long as he had anything to say about it.

  The firestorm was the key.

  Which meant he needed to convince Chandra.

  With the firestorm on his side, he was confident that could be done.

  Thorolf was lying on his back in human form, with Chandra sprawled over him. The light of the firestorm had changed, turning to an ethereal silver, although it still fed that simmering desire within him. The silver radiance touched Chandra’s features, making her look so alluring that she was irresistible.

  Thorolf pulled her closer, intending to claim a kiss but she braced her hands against his chest and pushed back.

  “No way,” she said with a steely resolve that surprised him. “We have to work out a lot of things first.”

  He didn’t believe for one minute that they could resist the firestorm, but he was prepared to give her a bit of time to get used to the idea. After all, she was his destined mate. She’d kissed him back. She was attracted to him. If she was feeling anything like he was, she might be arguing because she knew she’d lose the battle. If she wanted to try to deny the firestorm, it would only burn hotter and be better when they did sate it.

  Thorolf decided he could live with that.

  Chandra got to her feet and put distance between them so deliberately that he understood it was on purpose. He also knew it wouldn’t make any difference. He noticed the way she caught her breath, and how she couldn’t keep herself from taking a good look at him. He listened and heard the rapidity of her pulse, which was all the confirmation he needed.

  The firestorm was on his side.

  He wasn’t the most patient Pyr on the planet but for the sake of his firestorm, he’d give patience a try.

  Thorolf braced his weight on his elbow and smiled as he took a long slow look at her. His perusal agitated Chandra, more proof that the firestorm was undermining her self-control and destined to win. “You’re right,” he mused. “The view is better at a distance.” He was gratified by the way she blushed. There was a sweetness, almost an innocence, about her when she was flustered that he found very attractive. Maybe that was because it was in such contrast to her air of command. She seemed to be so confident and strong, but was shaken by the firestorm’s effect.

  Thorolf figured they had at least that much in common.

  And he liked the idea that he might be able to teach this competent and powerful woman a few new tricks. He lifted a brow and grinned at her. “If you think you can resist the firestorm forever, you’re made of tougher stuff than me.”

  “It’s got to burn out and fade away,” she said, her words a little rushed. She might have been trying to convince herself. “Everything does.”

  “Not this.”

  “Nothing lasts forever.”

  “True. We’ll succumb to it sooner or later.”

  “I don’t believe it,” she insisted. “It can’t be true. There’s too much at stake.”

  He glimpsed fear in her eyes, then she pivoted and leapt to a stone outcropping. He wondered what she was worried about and wanted to know. If it was something obstructing the firestorm, he needed to eliminate it.

  He also guessed that asking her point-blank wouldn’t get him an answer. With this space between them, she looked defiant and cool, as unlike the woman who had kissed him as possible.

  Never mind the thousands of women she’d been during that kiss.

  She sat down and watched him as the firestorm burned slowly and steadily. Even with the change in hue, it was more commanding than a bonfire. He found himself admiring her hands, the line of her chin, the intelligence in her eyes. Every bit of her seemed to feed his desire to possess her completely.

  It was funny that he’d always had hopes for his firestorm, but he’d never truly believed how it could shake his world, not until it lit. He felt that everything was different—and so much was possible.

  “How long do you think we can last?” Thorolf asked.

  “Forever,” Chandra said with a resolve he didn’t share.

  “Why? What’s at stake?”

  Her eyes flashed. “Everything!”

  It wouldn’t solve anything to be frustrated with her. Thorolf averted his gaze from his enticing mate and let the firestorm pick up the slack, simmering and burning while they were together.

  On the upside, that weird tattoo seemed to have faded. The marks were so faint that it might have been done with temporary ink. It didn’t hurt anymore, either. He caught Chandra looking and was glad he’d peeled off his shirt. He wasn’t broken-hearted that he’d forgotten to tuck it beneath his scales, either. He made a show of checking out the tattoo, ensuring that he flexed his muscles as he did so.

  She caught her breath and he smiled.

  It was only a matter of time.

  “It’s better,” he said, purportedly examining the tattoo. Really, he was watching her from the periphery of his vision. “You’re healing it.”

  “Not me,” she said quickly.

  “The firestorm then.”

  She shook a finger at him. “Don’t go there.”

  “Well, it’s true.”

  She regarded him skeptically. “You’ve got to have a better line than that.”

  Thorolf laughed and she smiled, another flush stealing over her cheeks. When she lightened up and her eyes sparkled, he had to stop himself from moving closer.

  Patience was the key.

  Thorolf looked around and was surprised by their surroundings. They seemed to be in some kind of large stone temple, or maybe a lost city, one being steadily devoured by the jungle. The buildings had crumbled to ruins, no doubt with the help of the thick vines that wrapped around the stones. The pillar Chandra sat on was cracked, leaves erupting from the gap. He was startled to realize that an eye was carved from the stone beneath her, a huge eye that seemed to be watching him.

  In fact, the whole pillar depicted a face, one with a serene smile and a thousand-mile stare. Far from making Thorolf feel a similar serenity, it gave him the creeps. He sat up warily, realizing that the jungle stretched endlessly in every direction. He felt a moment’s panic that there were no bars, coffee shops, restaurants or other people. If he’d had his cell phone, he probably couldn’t have gotten a signal here.

  They could have stepped off the edge of the world. The very idea was troubling.

  There wasn’t a damn thing to eat.

  The vegetation was thick and fleshy, of a green so dark that it disappeared into shadows. Mist gathered along the ground and huddled around the stone pillars. He had a vague sense that it was night, although the sky was hidden from view by the growth of the jungle.

  The realization that this would be the perfect habitat for snakes filled him with fear and loathing, although he wasn’t sure why his thoughts had turned in that direction.

  Snakes. He shuddered involuntarily. He didn’t remember disliking snakes before.

  His gaze dropped to those two holes on his arm, and the dark skin around them. The sight revolted him, although he couldn’t remember where he’d gotten the scars.

  “Where’s Viv Jason?” Chandra asked, her blunt question startling Thorolf.

  “I don’t know. Why?”

  “I assumed she’d still be with you.” She tilted her head to watch him, unreadable again. “Or that you might know where she was.”

  “I thought she’d be at the apartment.” That reminded him of the missing period of his life and made him sit up straighter. Was it just the firestorm, or was something else going on? “What difference does
it make to you?”

  Chandra smiled, looking a lot like the face carved on the pillar.

  Was she jealous of Viv? It would just figure that a woman would think another woman was a threat, even when she was in the midst of a firestorm. Thorolf heaved a sigh and gestured to the jungle around them. “I thought we were going to a sanctuary.”

  “We were.”

  “Did Rafferty mess up?”

  Chandra shook her head, amusement in her expression.

  “But this is jungle. Where are all the modern conveniences? The bars? The restaurants? The bed?”

  She laughed, which completely surprised him. “I thought we just agreed we weren’t going to need a bed.”

  “We didn’t agree on anything. Besides, a firestorm doesn’t have to be satisfied in a bed.” Thorolf rose to his feet. “I was thinking more about sleeping.”

  Her eyes danced with mischief. “Do Pyr sleep before their firestorms are satisfied?”

  He regarded her warily. “Why are you so happy all of a sudden?”

  “I feel better, being here. Safer.” She blew out her breath. “Not having to worry so much about who sees what.”

  Thorolf smiled and took a step closer. “Sounds promising to me.”

  Chandra held up her hand. “Stay back. I need to think. The distance between us is part of what’s working for me.”

  He folded his arms across his chest even as he did as she asked. “I’m probably supposed to be discouraged by that, but it sounds promising that the firestorm is messing with you, too.” She blushed crimson and looked away, catching her breath quickly. Thorolf smiled. “There are other things we need to do, more important things than thinking.”

  “You ducked my question,” she reminded him.

  “Maybe I learned that trick from you.”

  Her smile was quick and playful, its unexpectedness making it feel like a gift.

  “Is there any steak in this place? Cheeseburgers with fries?” He looked around. “There was pie at the diner near Delaney’s firestorm,” he said, yearning a bit as he remembered.

  “Do the Pyr sleep before their firestorms are satisfied?” Chandra repeated.

  He leveled a look at her, because she’d ducked a question again. “They sleep afterward, with satisfaction. Does that count?”

  Chandra tilted her head to study him. “Do the Pyr ever really sleep? I thought you just slowed your metabolic rate, so you look like you’re sleeping.” She arched a brow. “Maybe breathe a protective dragonsmoke barrier at the same time.”

  Her words stopped Thorolf cold. “How do you know so much about the Pyr?”

  Was he supposed to be so suspicious of his destined mate? But how could he avoid it? Every other firestorm he’d witnessed had required the Pyr in question to explain his nature to his mate, but Chandra seemed to know as much about being a dragon shifter than Thorolf did.

  Was that why she’d already decided to deny the firestorm? She had to have a good reason not to want to try the most potent pleasure imaginable.

  Although he couldn’t think of a single one.

  Instead of answering him, she whistled. Thorolf looked around with trepidation, wondering what she was doing.

  Or who she was calling.

  There was a hoot then a rustle, a rustle that made him look for snakes in the undergrowth. He didn’t see any, but that didn’t reassure him much. A bird sailed out of the foliage, swooping down to land on a tree near Chandra. It turned to consider him with solemn eyes and was strangely still. It even blinked slowly.

  It was a silver falcon.

  Where the hell were they? “I never knew there were falcons in the jungle,” Thorolf said, feeling way out of his depth.

  “You study flora and fauna?” Chandra smiled at the bird. “That’s unexpected.”

  He felt insulted by her tone and folded his arms across his chest. “What would you expect me to study?”

  “Women. Intoxicating substances. Jujitsu.” She looked him right in the eye. “Pleasure.”

  Well, she’d nailed him without even trying. Thorolf couldn’t bite back his smile. “Want a personal tutor?”

  She caught her breath and Thorolf chuckled. The firestorm heated just a bit, its light becoming more radiant between them. He eyed his mate, deciding just where his lesson would start.

  She rose abruptly to her feet, her cheeks burning. “Don’t get any ideas.”

  “I’ve got plenty already,” Thorolf admitted. She was so uncertain of herself that he eased up a bit. “It just seems odd for there to be a falcon here.” He gestured to the bird. “I mean, it’s light grey in a place that’s all green. How will it hide from predators?”

  “Falcons are predators.”

  “But still, even predators can be prey to something bigger.”

  She gave him a slow thoughtful look. “What hunts Pyr?”

  “Slayer,” he responded instantly. “Humans, once upon a time.”

  She nodded once. “It’s not indigenous,” she continued, indicating the bird. “It came here with me.”

  So it was tame. She offered her hand to the falcon as Thorolf watched. The bird flew down immediately to land on her fingers, then she passed it to her shoulder. It wasn’t as big as he’d originally thought, maybe fifteen inches high with its wings folded. It settled itself on Chandra’s shoulder as if it sat there all the time, then regarded Thorolf again.

  As if sizing him up. The way it surveyed him without blinking was spooky.

  Maybe it was the yellow of its eyes that were spooky.

  Thorolf thought about the way Chandra had changed when he kissed her, and wondered exactly what kind of trouble he’d gotten himself into this time. Maybe she was right to want to take it slow.

  Not that he ever bothered with caution.

  He looked around himself pointedly. “You said this is your sanctuary, right?” Chandra nodded. “So, where exactly are we?”

  “I don’t know.” She mimicked his move, looking around as if seeing their surroundings for the first time. “I know how to find this place, but I’m not really sure what or where it is.” She met his gaze with a confidence he didn’t share. “All I know is that it’s safe.”

  “That’s nuts. You can’t know it’s safe if you don’t know where it is…”

  “But I know I’m safe whenever Snow meets me.”

  “Your pet,” Thorolf guessed, knowing she meant the bird.

  “She’s much more than that.” Before Thorolf could ask, Chandra continued firmly. “As for this place, I think it might be Myth.”

  Thorolf was so surprised that his mouth fell open.

  Chandra smiled at him, then got to her feet and strode away. She liked surprising him, he realized, and he hated looking like a dope in front of his mate. She was moving quickly again, the falcon at complete ease with her stride, and Thorolf realized that she might disappear and leave him alone.

  At least, he’d be alone if the snakes didn’t find him.

  Why couldn’t he stop thinking about snakes? Every vine looked to him like it could come alive, and every leaf appeared to be a viper’s head. He’d never thought much about snakes before, so maybe it was the jungle that made him fear them and their bites. Those wounds in his arm should teach him something about drinking too much.

  Something moved in the undergrowth, he was sure of it, and Thorolf jumped. He shuddered as he realized that the firestorm’s light had faded. That it was silvery in this place instead of gold made it seem more insubstantial and ethereal.

  As if Chandra could deny it.

  As if it might fade to nothing and disappear.

  Which would apparently suit his reluctant mate just fine.

  Thorolf didn’t like the sound of that at all. He was going to have to change her mind and soon. “Hey!” he shouted and ran after Chandra before she disappeared completely. “Wait up!”

  * * *

  The mist was gathering along the ground and Chandra could feel the air becoming colder. She spared a glance
at what she could see of the sky. It had been twilight here for a long time, no longer day but not quite night. The consistency relieved her, and reinforced her sense that being in her sanctuary was best. They didn’t have to worry about attracting human attention, not here where there were no humans.

  As had been the case recently, one edge of the sky was darker, when she could discern it, and there were a few stars glistening there. She’d often wondered if it really was east or not. Once upon a time, it had always been midday in this sanctuary, but steadily the sky had darkened. Chandra understood that an era was coming to an end. She wondered what she’d do when the sky darkened completely to black.

  What would be the fate of them all?

  Still, something felt different since she’d last visited. Was it colder—or was she just more keenly aware of her surroundings?

  Had the firestorm changed her? That was a terrifying prospect. She hadn’t changed in several thousand years and wasn’t about to start now.

  And why had the firestorm’s light changed color? Instead of having the radiance of the sun, it reminded her of the moon’s luminescence. Chandra didn’t trust that change one bit.

  Her lips thinned that she was even experiencing a firestorm. She’d assumed it was a joke of her brother’s, one with more serious potential for his beloved Pyr, but her experiment made her wonder. What had happened to Thorolf? Could she really leave him, knowing that her presence—or the consummation of the firestorm—might heal him?

  What had seemed simple was becoming more complicated by the moment.

  Chandra had to work quickly, before things got worse.

  She had to find Viv.

  She heard Thorolf running behind her, his footsteps getting louder, and smiled at the realization that he’d never sneak up on anybody. He could have been in his larger dragon form for all the noise he made. She could teach him so many things: maybe her brother had planned for that to be part of Thorolf’s allure.

  Whatever her brother’s plan had been, the firestorm was making Thorolf—and what he could teach Chandra—nearly irresistible.

  “Myth is a place?” Thorolf demanded.