Dragonfae & The Soul Catcher

by H. C. Brown

  “Oh goddess!—Lumos, you are so beautiful.”

  With wings as black as the darkest night, Lumos smiled down at Thalia. She reached out to touch the feathered tips blending into his long, raven hair. The brief contact sent a lightning bolt of arousal to her pussy. Her womb clenched. So magnificent, Lumos’ wing tips stood high above his head, the long swallowtails falling to brush the ground. In the centre of each magnificent wing sat a shimmering half-moon, a stark iridescent glow against a velvet midnight.

  “Beautiful?” Lumos gave her a slow smile. “Well, I must say that is much better than running from me to hide under a blackberry bush.” He moved towards Thalia and wrapped her in his wings. “Are you better now, sweet butterfly?”

  Thalia’s folds creamed at the intensity of Lumos’ green gaze. When his hot hands slid under her tunic to cup her aching breasts, she arched towards him, seeking his touch. Lumos let out a feral rumble from deep in his chest. He scraped his rough thumbs across her sensitive nipples. She melted against him, conscious of the dampness coating her inner thighs. She looked up at him, licking her lips. Will you kiss me now?

  The Dragonfae’s nostrils flared. His silken hair brushed her neck, sending shivers of delight straight to her core. She yearned for his touch, the thrust of his massive cock sliding deep into her waiting channel.

  “I am not afraid, Lumos… Please kiss me.”

  “I can’t have you yet, not as you wish, although I desire to do so very much.” Lumos bent and grazed his teeth across the side of her neck. “I want to mark you and fuck you until you scream in ecstasy.”

  “Then do it, I want you so much.”

  “Don’t tempt me, little one.” Lumos groaned. “My cock is bursting to sink into your wet heat. To take you now will plunge you into moonfire. For three or four days, you will be insatiable and my dragon will look on Pyro as a threat. We need him with us to fight.”

  Pain seared into Thalia’s heart. Rejection hurt more than a sharp blade. She stepped away and blinked back the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Gods, she had been such a fool. Another excuse—perhaps he had feelings for Lucinda, after all. She trembled with need for this man. His touch inflamed her, his seed, gods, had filled her mouth like the sweetest nectar.

  “I see, although I cannot say I understand why my becoming insatiable would matter to a man so experienced with women as you are. Never mind, I wouldn’t want to become a burden to you, Lumos. Perhaps you should send me back to the Singing Forest. After all, I have fulfilled my promise to you. Now you have your magyck and are free to return home.”

  “You’re angry.” Lumos touched Thalia’s cheek. “I’ve neglected to explain myself in terms you understand. The desire you feel is because I’ve awakened the first stage of the mating heat. This only happens once in a female’s life. We call this time the moonfire.” He ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “I can satisfy your hunger but if I kiss you my saliva will bond you to me forever. We’ll mate savagely and my child-seed will impregnate you immediately. I can’t risk fucking you, or letting the dragon free, not yet and for your own safety, perhaps not until we return to Drakka. Lady’s blood, Thalia, I’m barely in control now.”

  With a shrug, Thalia turned away. “So why wait?”

  “I’ve told you, the Nightdragon will not allow another dragon or male close to you during moonfire.” Lumos folded his wings. “How can I be expected to fight Kird and win with a mate in the thrall of moonfire? My mind and that of my dragon will concentrate only on you. Have you any idea how difficult it is to fight with a hard-on? Let alone the overwhelming compulsion to kill every male within a hundred miles?” He spun Thalia around to face him. “If I could take you back to the Singing Forest and mate you, don’t you believe I would in an instant?” He dashed a hand through his hair. “I am the heir apparent and if I don’t meet the deadline and fight, my entire race will be obliterated.” He rested his hands on Thalia’s shoulders. “The sun will be down soon. We must find Mino and shelter for the night.” He pressed a kiss to Thalia’s cheek. “Do you understand now, little one?”

  Thalia moaned and pressed against him. “Can you make this stop…this ache?”

  “Not for long. My seed will ease the craving but you will need me frequently and the closer to moonfire you get, the worse the cravings will become. I’m sorry, sweetness, the gods decreed we’re to be together and if I had it my way, we’d be secluded somewhere beautiful so I could tend to your needs.” Lumos cupped the rounded cheeks of Thalia’s backside. He lifted her onto her toes, sinking his fingers into the cleft of her ass. “As soon as we are alone I can fuck your sweet, hot mouth or this tight, little ass.”

  The way his large hands spread Thalia’s bottom drove her insane. To have him in that forbidden place, goddess, her core pulsed. She swallowed hard.

  “My ass—is that possible?”

  “Uh-huh… I’ll show you how to pleasure yourself while I slide my shaft deep inside your tight, little hole.” Lumos ran his finger down the seam of her pants, pressing hard against her. “This is not an unusual request as many females desire a male to fill them this way. They enjoy the way a Dragonfae cock fills them so completely. No other male comes close to the pleasure.” He pressed his aching shaft into her belly. “Do you want me deep inside your ass, little one?”

  Thalia’s bones turned to liquid. With a moan, she pushed her backside into Lumos’ hand. The sound of horses had her leaping away. She spun around to see Pyro walking beside an Elf. The Elf raised his hand in greeting and gave Thalia a wide smile.

  “Gods, is that you, Mino?”

  “Aye, it’s me. The King of the Fae gave me my youth back.” Mino gazed up at Lumos. “I have been worried for your safety. Over two months have passed, about half an hour in Rantazmac time.” He turned to Thalia. “You look very flushed. Are you unwell?”

  Pyro chuckled, his nostrils flared and he gave Lumos a knowing wink.

  Thalia cringed, aware that her heavy scent had announced her lust to the entire realm. Her face burned. “I’m well. How about Brew and the horses?”

  “Fine, fine. You’ll be pleased to know that as soon as I told the King of the Fae of your plight, he offered you all his hospitality in Nubra.” Mino smiled at Lumos. “Although he is away, he has left instructions to make you welcome. The king’s magyck will shield you for one night from the Magus. It will give you both the chance to let your dragons hunt.”

  “Then we’ll leave here as soon as we have collected the horses and Brew.” Lumos opened his wings and gathered Thalia in his arms. “Lead the way.”

  The ground disappeared. Thalia’s stomach dropped and she gasped, clinging to Lumos. Her cheek pressed against his hard chest. “Oh, my gods!—Lumos—we’re flying.”

  “Yes, that’s what Fae do.”

  Thalia’s heart raced. Far below, the tops of the trees rushed by in a green and golden haze, and in the distance, rivers stood out, winding like blue snakes through the valleys. Beside them, Pyro hovered on an updraft, his magnificent blood red wings billowing out like sails. Wind caught her hair, and whipped the strands around her face. The cry of an eagle brought the magnificent, hooked-beak predator not one arm’s length away before the bird eyed its prey and speared down, disappearing through the canopy of trees. Her fear vanished. Inside Lumos’ strong arms, she revelled in the pure joy of flying.

  “Why can’t we fly all the way back to Drakka? Better still, why can’t I fly on your back if you change into a dragon?” Thalia squeezed his arm.

  “Ah… I wish we could, but you would freeze to death if I flew high enough to go undetected through the Nomag realms.” Lumos tipped back his wings and started to descend. “It took me about six days to travel to the Singing Forest, although it would have taken me five if the Gate at Virriol had not taken me to the wrong destination. That was the Magus’ doing, no doubt.” He set Thalia down gently on the grass. “We’ll travel through Nomag realms and magyck realms, so we’ll require the horses for transport. I
’ll use circles of light to jump from Gate to Gate where possible, but I can’t use magyck in the Nomag realms. This is because I can’t see Nomags through the circle, and we may well land on some of them.”

  “I see.”

  “I’m looking forward to some privacy tonight, butterfly.” Lumos brushed a kiss on Thalia’s hair.

  Thalia leant back against his chest, drinking in his scent and wallowing in the delight of his radiant heat. She sighed. Oh goddess…so am I.

  Chapter Eleven

  Fullmount Castle

  The Magus of Fullmount pressed the palms of his hands on the table each side of the copper scrying bowl and gazed into the image floating on the surface. Anger shimmered through him. He dashed a hand through the surface of the water and glared at his brother.

  “Lucifer’s wings, Boris, do tell how a Nomag had the power to disintegrate my magyck circle?” He straightened. “Apart from dragonic magyck, only one born of our blood could do such a thing.”

  “I spent a year searching for the Nightdragon’s mate. This female, Thalia, is a child and nothing other than a healer at best.” Boris lifted his chin. “It wasn’t easy killing the queen and manipulating the king’s mind to make the man banish the girl to the Singing Forest. Nor was it simple to get into Drakka and seduce that bitch of a Faerie, Lucinda, in order for you to trap Lumos. I can only assume the Dragonfae has instructed her in some fashion.” He cleared his throat. “Drog…you are my brother, why would I deceive you?”

  Biting back rage, Drog moved towards his brother, his long robes swishing against the paved floor. He wanted to claw at his throat for air. The atmosphere in the gloomy dungeon, filled with the acrid stench of potions bubbling in great cauldrons on the hearth, closed in around him. The Dragonfae had eluded him, broken free from his prison, and, somehow, now hid under the shield of the King of the Fae. He grasped his brother’s collar, lifting the younger Magus to his toes.

  “This healer, Thalia, has blocked me from her mind, battled the Lutwych Hag, and somehow used her healing powers to kill the demigoddess Nehebkau. This healer, Thalia, had the magyck to release the Firedragon and used Pyro to remove the silver bands from Lumos, and now both Dragonfae have full power. Together, these three will be difficult to destroy.” He ground his teeth. “That half-blood Elf who stirred your loins, the one with the golden hair—what was her name? Do you remember her—the one you wished to fill with your seed? Ah, yes…Angelina. Where is she, Boris?”

  “Dead… Angelina is dead.”

  Drog tightened his grip until Boris’ face turned a deep shade of purple. “Angelina’s mother, the witch they call Nell—my sources say she met with Thalia. Now why would she do that?” He twisted the collar of Boris’ shirt. “Why would old Nell seek the company of a princess? Perhaps Thalia is not the king’s daughter?”

  “The child I sired with Angelina is dead.” Boris gasped for air. “I left her for the wolves myself. I can assure you there were no more babes. Angelina made her own way through the veil. If you must know, she destroyed herself with magyck. It was none of my doing.” He tore at his brother’s fingers. “I know nothing of Nell’s visits.”

  Trembling with rage, Drog released his grip. Magyck crackled around him as he balled his hands into fists. His brother’s ignorance in this matter surprised him. After this disturbing series of outcomes, it had taken less than five minutes to discover all he needed to know about the witch, Thalia, from King Garro’s High Priest.

  “So, brother, your plan to produce an heir backfired? Angelina’s mother, the Elf, Nell, came to us with child. I believe she was a captive of yours from a raid on Aska?”

  “Aye, brother, Angelina was the result of a mating of Duneos, a Magus from our rival clan to an Elf. She carried our rival’s blood and that of the Fae. That is why I allowed the girl to live. As soon as Angelina became old enough to breed, I impregnated her to produce an heir with magyck to rival both clans.” Boris rubbed his neck. “I poured magyck into my seed to produce a son. I planned to call him Anu…the catcher of souls. He would have been more powerful than even you.”

  The Magus opened his hands palms up. A large leather-bound volume appeared, the gold edges glistening in the gloom. The book opened and the pages flicked through in a dazzling speed before coming to rest. He held the page out to his brother and indicated an entry.

  “It would seem Angelina had other plans for her babe.” He grimaced. “She had the child registered in the Book of Sorcery with the name Thalia, the opposite to your wishes. Isn’t Thalia the name of the protector of souls or, in Fae, the butterfly…a new beginning? It would seem Angelina embraced the goddess Cymbeline.” He raised an eyebrow. “The child lived.”

  “No! She can’t be the same person. I left the babe with a raw leg of mutton in front of a wolf’s lair.” Boris backed away clutching his neck. “She was five days old and I gave her no name. Tell me why I should do such a thing when I intended to kill her?”

  “Angelina sewed the babe’s name onto her clothes—were you too addle-brained to notice?” Drog slammed the book on the bench. “No wolf ate your child. I’d wager Nell discovered your plan and followed you. She probably placed the child in the path of King Garro’s hunting party. A childless king would look on the babe as a gift from the gods—and—he—did.” With a screech of frustration, he clawed at his hair. “Do you understand Boris? Do you? With old Nell’s help, there is a good chance Thalia lives under the protection of Cymbeline, our sworn enemy. There is no doubt the witch carries both Elf and dark Magus magyck. What a way for Cymbeline to twist the knife into us, Boris, to give your child as the mate to a Dragonfae king!”

  “No! I refuse to believe this falsehood. On my honour, I—left—her—to—die.” Boris squeezed his head.

  Drog moved swiftly to his brother’s side. “Did the babe have hair? Can you remember?”

  “Aye, the child had a mass of hair. It was red like the flames of the sun. Angelina remarked that the babe had an angel’s halo.”

  Moving towards the scrying bowl, Drog waved a hand over the water. “Show me the likeness of Thalia of Broclarre.” He stared down at the image of Thalia, chestnut hair flowing down her back. With a groan, he turned to Boris. “See the product of your seed, the destroyer of dark magyck.”

  “Lucifer, protect us.” Boris fought to breathe. “What are we to do?”

  The Magus frowned down at the shimmering water. He ran a finger across the image of Thalia. “The Shadow Walkers are ready to strike at every opportune moment but to kill the Dragonfae will prove difficult. I intend to delay Lumos so he misses the deadline to fight for Drakka. There is no other ready for the task.”

  “What about his brother?”

  “Axim? I’ve thought on this. I doubt the Stardragon will leave Draconia. He will expect Lumos to win… And, in any case, he can’t rule both realms. By the time the deadline comes, it will be too late and Drakka will be mine.” He rubbed his chin. “Thalia has built a barrier to my thoughts but I need only a second in her lapse of concentration to make her respond again to my influence. She has, after all, a larger quantity of Magi blood than Elfin. Once through her pathetic barrier, it should be easy enough to control Thalia. I‘ll sow seeds of doubt in her mind about Lumos, to prevent the mating.”

  “How do you know they aren’t mating now under the protection of the Fae?”

  Drog grinned and rubbed his hands together. “Because, brother dearest, Lumos has that nasty trait I despise—honour. He’ll wait until the battle for Drakka is won and Thalia is Fae.” He chuckled. “By that time, I will have killed the witch or, better, still have her chained in my dungeon for breeding. We have many Magi worthy of impregnating her to produce a bloodline with superior magyck. Yes, that is a fine idea. Very fine. I’ll instruct the Shadow Walkers to bring Thalia to me. If she wasn’t your daughter, Boris, I would fuck her myself.”

  Chapter Twelve

  The King of the Fae’s palace—Nubra

  Lumos ground his teeth. The d
esire to take Thalia and damn the consequences had become an ongoing battle with the Nightdragon. The scent of the witch made him hard all day long. His balls ached. Her amazing grasp of magyck had surprised him and he loved the changes in her appearance. He recalled the Elfin female his cousin had taken as a mate. The female had changed slowly before the mating. In fact, the female had taken many months to grow her wings. To see how beautifully Thalia’s skin glowed like a golden peach so soon after drinking his seed amazed him. In a few days, the fiery thatch on her folds had almost disappeared, leaving her smooth and delectable. His mouth watered with the desire to taste her again.

  He led her into a magnificent bedchamber. The walls glowed with translucence, filling the area with a subtle radiance. Faceted crystals sat in small alcoves illuminated under a stream of light, sending a multitude of rainbows against the glossy, white crystal walls. The Faerie King’s palace overlooked a lush valley. Lumos gazed out over a veranda shaped from a living tree. The branches entwined to form the frames for windows, each bow resplendent with fragrant blossoms. The building, cut into the side of the Crystal Mountain and maintained entirely by magyck, had an opulence he had never encountered before. He glimpsed a tub through an archway big enough to bathe six.

  “Goddess, just look at the size of this bed.” Thalia ran a hand over the royal blue velvet bedspread. “And I enjoyed that delicious meal.” She kicked off her shoes. “I have never had ambrosia before. It made me feel…ahh, sooo relaxed.” She flopped down on the bed and giggled.