by Maia Starr
The blackness was kept at bay, no longer jealous: finally obeying me. At that moment, I knew I was in love with Ivy, and nothing would stand in the way of that ever again.
Chapter Eight
Ivy
We spent a week in the wilds after that fateful night, living in the treetop village and unwilling to go back to Titan. We were so enveloped in one another it became like an addiction. In the daytime, we would explore the mainlands, and he showed me the vibrant landscape, and for the first time out in the unknown, I didn't feel the least bit scared.
Kaayde would take me deep into the water until we reached the glowstones below. There was a secret power to the Atherien: a water-type dragon. They could breathe under the depths of the sea. Whenever I was in need of breath, he would lean in and transfer breath into my lungs.
I wanted to make love down there, completely surrounded by water, but I was way too nervous something would go wrong. Not exactly a refined way to go. Not for a spy, anyway.
Today would mark our eighth day missing from Titan. I hadn't spoken to my contacts at the SAEW, not Fenris or Pash and certainly not Xereris, though I had no doubt at this point he had probably gone looking for me.
Night came over the treetop village that we had made our home, and Kaayde was cooking his latest catch over the fire at the bottom of the ladder.
I sat next to him, comfortable on the warm ground, watching him turn the strange meat over and over on a skewer.
“Do I even want to know what that is?” I joked, gesturing toward the skinned meat. It was squirrel-like but had two heads.
He turned to me with a smirk and mocked, “Does it keep you fed?”
“Just don't tell me what it is!” I laughed.
We had slipped quickly into a familiar routine of love and infatuation. It was everything I dreamed it would be between him and I. He was strong and fierce and protective and I... could finally be myself.
There was no one ordering me to be a vixen, a lost kitten, a tough interrogator or play any role other than myself. It was the first time since I was a teenager that I had felt this alive.
“How much do you like me?” I asked as I admired his physique.
“I like you enough that I would drink your disgusting coffee with you,” he said with a wink in his tone, crouching in front of the fire.
“Ouch!” I laughed.
“Hey, that says a lot,” he smirked.
I shook my head, extending my leg and nudging him with the tips of my toes. “All you Parudss are insane. It's good!”
A comfortable silence washed over us again, and I began to study the intricacies of Kaayde’s face. He had scratches and scars along his wide nose and a square jaw. Bright amethyst eyes that had dark lashes. He looked pretty and yet sexy all at the same time.
“When did you realize you made a mistake sending me away?”
He turned his profile to me, slowly raising a brow. “Am I in trouble?”
“No!” I giggled. “I just want to know.”
“I knew I regretted it before the words came out of my mouth. I was intoxicated by you.”
My heart lilted, and I felt my face flush. “That's very... Sexy.”
He smiled. “It is?”
“Yes! I mean, I've never had anyone say that to me before,” I gushed.
“What about you?” he said, turning entirely to me now. “I thought you seemed pretty ambivalent about leaving. When did that change?”
“Basically, as soon as I walked out the door,” I admitted. “You didn't like me and... Well, that's. Never happened before!”
Kaayde raised his eyebrows and hid a smile as he mocked, “Arrogant.”
“I'm sorry, but it's true,” I lowered my brows, slightly hurt by the comment. I wanted to tell him that it was only true because it was my job to make people like me. I would bend to their whims, be who they wanted or what I thought they needed in order to get what I needed.
The more I thought about my actions, the more I hated myself for it.
It was a strange realization, especially since I'd always been so proud of the work that I did for the SAEW.
“I needed you to like me,” I continued. “And I guess somewhere along the way that need turned into... Passion. Affection. I wanted to be someone special to you.”
“To prove something to yourself?” he said, giving the meat another turn before meeting my eyes once more.
“Because you seemed like someone I would be lucky to have in my life,” I said.
It was the truth.
Kaayde took the meat off the fire and handed me one of the thin sticks the creature had been skewered on. He handed it to me and saddled up close so that our thighs were touching.
“We should head back to Titan,” he said solemnly. “You know that, right?”
“What?” I laughed, pulling off some of the stringy meat and blowing on it to take the temperature down. “You having second thoughts about me?”
He bumped his arm into mine, a tease, as he said, “Hardly.”
“Oh no! He's possessed my body, and now he doesn't want me anymore!” I said in dramatic fashion, whipping my head back in mock despair.
“You couldn't be more wrong,” he said, leaning in to kiss me. “But we can't live in a fantasy forever.”
“Why not? You and me out here in the wild. We have our cabins, the protective siccus.”
“It's not protective,” he warned with raised brows.
“Well... It seems to be now,” I said with a fading smile.
A comfortable silence washed over us as we watched the fire, letting its golden light radiate against our skin. I looked Kaayde over as I chewed the tender meat and marveled at how the firelight illuminated his scales and made him seem that much more magical.
“Do you want to talk about her?” I asked.
He looked at me and smiled. “What do you think?”
I widened my eyes comically and slapped a hand on his thigh. “My mistake. Thought you might like to share.”
“And what about you? How will you tell Xereris that you've lost interest in him?”
I shrugged, still picking at my food. “I figure it'll be easy, considering I never had an interest to begin with.”
He mused over that for a while, unsure how to respond. Finally, he said, “That's quite the talent.”
“Hey, I'm nothing compared to you,” I grinned.
“And you're happy with doing such a thing?” he asked, sounding somewhat offended as he stared down at his food, which he had almost entirely devoured.
I swallowed, realizing our new love had just turned tense. “What...?”
His brows shot up, and he looked at me sideways. “Manipulating people?”
I laughed as charming as I could muster and reminded him, “We are talking about Xereris, you know? The guy you hate?”
“He's dangerous, and you're toying with him,” he said tersely.
“He's dangerous?” I scoffed. “I'm getting mixed signals here. Sorry, did you want me to go back to him?”
“Don't you dare,” he said, smirking and narrowing his eyes. “I just wonder who taught you such behavior: your job or the Gilds.”
“I figure in every relationship we're each allowed one lie,” I said with a nod, finally setting the stick down beside me feeling full and satisfied.
“One lie?” He breathed and rolled his eyes. “That's healthy.”
“Everyone's entitled to their little secrets,” I persisted.
“Not when you're in love,” he said firmly.
“Especially then,” I said with a simple smile and then felt my heart skip. “Are we in love?” I asked, suddenly aware of what he had just said.
“I am,” he said, looking at me as though it were obvious.
I tried to swallow down my shock as I looked over at him. “A-a week ago you couldn't stand me,” I stuttered.
“Well,” he breathed out humorously. “Things change, don't they?”
“You fall hard and fast, monsieu
r Kaayde,” I teased.
“Only for you,” he said.
“Then I guess it's my job to fall right back.”
“Don't trouble yourself,” he joked.
“Don't worry,” I said slowly, turning my words into a seductive whisper as I finished, “I'll make it worth your while.”
He leaned in and pulled my lips against his, running his hand through my hair. The kiss was simple and sweet. Usually, his kisses would send me into a deep seduction, but this time I could feel his thoughts blinding his passion.
“Are you ever going to stop thinking I'm out to get you?” I asked, pulling away from the embrace.
He looked down: the hint of a smile creeping up the corner of his mouth. He looked guilty and caught.
“Are you ever going to tell me that truth?” he asked.
I thinned my lips.
“Don't get me wrong... I like it,” he said, still not looking at me. “This part of you: the mystery. It makes life interesting.”
“Then life is bound to be interesting for a very long time because I don't give my secrets up that easily.”
“Tell me,” he urged me softly. “Tell me the truth.”
“I've never been this happy before in my life,” I replied, grabbing his hand into mine.
“I like hearing that,” he said, more seductively this time. He met my eyes and said, “Tell me another.”
“Hey, one for one, mister!”
Kaayde touched the hand-sewn blanket beneath us: the rustic fabrics warm but scratchy. He took a deep inhale and seemed to think on my request. I looked at the way his mane of deep red hair fell and how electric he looked: the colors of him were so alluring.
My lust was short-lived as he finally said, “I had a son.”
I swallowed, and my eyes went wide without meaning to. “That’s a big reveal,” I breathed.
“We’re being honest, right?” he said, eyes flicking back and forth from mine, trying to read me. I stayed as neutral as I could: expressionless.
“Did he die?” I asked.
“Yes.”
I nodded. “From the siccus?”
“No,” he shook his head and began rubbing his thumb gruffly, his mind reliving old memories. “During the fighting between the Gilds and the Atherien,” he confirmed. “We had an alliance before, sort of.”
“Sort of?” I prompted.
“It didn’t go so well. Our Dendren, Merenora, her son wasn’t a fan of the idea. He left with a human and left the rulership to Veynore. After that… the attacks on the mainlands were vicious. We had a nursery of dragonlings. A dozen or so.”
I swallowed hard and could feel my pulse speeding up as he spoke.
“The Gilds came in the night and slaughtered them,” he finished, squeezing my hand.
“Did they confess to it?”
He frowned. “They didn’t have to. The attacks were relentless after that.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said, squeezing his hand back. He had such kind eyes for how fierce he used to seem to me. Everything about his features screamed sincerity
“So you see my hesitation… trusting someone who came from the Gilds,” he clarified.
“That’s Fenris!” I explained desperately. “He’s the one who wants a war. Even some of the warriors…” I hesitated, knowing I shouldn’t say too much, but I couldn’t help myself. “They’re against it. I know at least half of them wouldn’t even participate in the attacks.”
Kaayde drew his brows together slowly and looked at me. He seemed mortified as he concluded, “So that wasn’t even their full army?”
“How does Veynore plan to use you if things go south?” I finally had the courage to ask. “Will you control the siccus if there is an attack?”
“That was the plan,” he breathed, obviously unenthused with the idea. “I don’t know if I could bring myself to do it after what happened.”
He stood up and began to pace around the fire, throwing more wood on it, along with some bright yellow vines that acted as a firestarter, pitching the heat skyward and making the blaze grow.
“You could do it,” I assured him with a small smile, drawing my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. “If it was to save your people, you could.”
“The siccus responds to me, Ivy,” he explained, tossing another log into the pit of flames. “If it responded to my anger… I wouldn’t trust myself.”
“You’re just not a very trusting guy, are you?” I teased with a wry grin.
He let out a sharp sigh and then looked up at me: eyes piercing me from across the fire.
“Tifayy and I were fighting when it happened,” he said slowly, forcing every word out.
My arms lit up with goosebumps, and I cupped my brows. “That would never happen again,” I said firmly.
“She wanted me to stop fighting,” he went on.
“Kaayde,” I said, standing up and walking over to him. I set my hand on his arm and gave him a gentle squeeze. “That would never happen again.”
“I said no. I said we had to kill the Gilds, but she wouldn’t listen to me. She was so insistent… and she lost her life for it. The siccus could feel my frustration, and I will never live that down.”
“That was the past,” I reassured him. “You’re not that person.”
“No,” he leaned in for another gentle kiss. I could feel the burning of the fire against the side of my face as we kissed. When he pulled away, he watched me, then said, “Maybe it’s time I listened. I won’t lose anyone over my stubbornness again.”
“That sounds like a good plan,” I smiled.
“So if you tell me… that the Gilds are to be trusted, then I believe you.”
I felt a sudden rush of adrenaline course through me, and I couldn’t lie to him anymore.
“Are they?” he asked again.
I grabbed his hands and put them on my breasts, then brushed my palms on either side of his face, pulling him into one more kiss.
It wasn’t long before out sweet, reverent touches turned into a hungry passion. Kaayde pulled off my shirt and covered my cold breasts with his hands, squeezing and pinching my nipples before taking them into his mouth.
My eyes watched him passionately as he removed his clothing: catching how the firelight hit his muscles and broad shoulders.
He pulled me into his arms as we stood, hungry for my kisses as he pushed his tongue inside my mouth.
Before long, he hoisted me up so that we were chest to chest and our bodies connected. He didn’t stop kissing me as he bounced my body on his erection.
I threw my head back and let him kiss my neck, moaning as his movements caused my clit to grind against his hard pelvis.
I locked my hands onto his shoulders and used them as leverage to fill myself with him, relishing the feeling of being watched by him. His eyes beamed as he traced my movements.
“I like having a life here with you,” I said, and he put his hands on either side of my waist, guiding me along his massive length until our bodies were in perfect harmony.
“So do I,” he said softly.
I could feel my body pulsing and getting closer. I was getting tired, so he took over, thrusting hard and deep. He cupped my breast and then moved his palm down my back and leaned up to kiss me.
That was all it took to send me over the edge, causing a wave of pleasure to wash over me as I let out a plethora of moans and heavy breaths.
He came soon after, holding me close against him for minutes after we had orgasmed.
Finally, he put me down, and we wandered back over to our scratchy blanket, pulling its woolen layer over our bodies.
We lay there in the still of the night: the glowing forest surrounding us with such beauty I nearly forgot that the badlands were just a handful of miles away. I rested my head against Kaayde’s bare chest, and we both stared up at the stars that peeked through the treetop canopy.
A collection of winged creatures cawed as the flocked across the sky and my eyes followed th
em.
Kaayde ran his hand through my hair and then trailed his fingertips down the flat space between my breasts.
“That’s a no, isn’t it?” he said slowly, his crisp tone hitting the air suddenly.
“What?” I whispered.
“The Gilds. They’re not to be trusted, are they?”
I exhaled and turned my head so I could see his profile. He stared straight ahead into the brush, and after some time he met my eyes, looking dire as I admitted, “No.”
“How do you know?” he asked, never moving.
I had never been so weak with someone before, but I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to be… real, with Kaayde.
“I wasn’t sent to Cadir as a breeder,” I whispered.
“Oh?”
“I was sent as a spy,” I said, and his eye twitched ever so slightly. “I've been fielding both sides of the Parduss camps… sending my information back to Earth.”
He set his jaw. “Even the Gilds?”
“Especially them,” I said, but wouldn’t clarify that it was only because the SAEW didn’t view the Atherien as a threat.
“And what do you know?” he said, continuing to tickle his fingertips along the small mounds on my chest: the hardening buds that cooled against the night air. “What are we up against, Ivy?”
“The Gilds don’t want war,” I said. “But Pash and Fenris do. He’s gaining less and less support as the days go by, especially after losing the alliance with Earth.”
“Are they planning an attack?”
I shook my head, looking up at him so fiercely that it sent a cramp through my neck. “I don’t know.”
“Ivy,” he warned.
“I don’t know,” I reaffirmed softly. “I swear.”
Chapter Nine
Kaayde
I kissed Ivy, deeper and deeper until I could feel her smile against my lips. She burst into tiny giggles and rolled onto her side, both of us still laying by the fire that just shimmered with embers now. I lay on my side and pulled her body close to me, wrapping my arms around her and feeling the tiny wave of warmth she let off.
