“No.”
“Will you tell me what he said?”
“I will repeat his comment if you do something in exchange.”
“That will depend on what the something is. What are you proposing?”
“You have to trust me. Agree to the exchange without knowing what it will be and I will tell you what he said.”
Esther felt tempted to slap him. She knew by the expression on his face he was enjoying himself at her expense. Is he to be trusted? She wanted to know what Narrak had said, but not at any cost. What if Dreydon wants something outrageous in exchange? It occurred to her that his demon might want to make sure he could curl her toes.
“I’ll give you a tentative agreement. If I don’t like what you want me to do in exchange, I won’t do it.”
“You will like it, so do you agree?”
“Yes, but on the condition I just put forward.”
“Narrak told me you wanted to touch my scales. He suggested I let you touch mine because when you touched his scales and horn it felt very comforting.”
“Oh, so like you, he really poked around in my head.” Esther finished the last of her water and asked, “Do I have to do my part of the exchange now?”
“Yes.” Dreydon stood up, came over to her and knelt down. “You have to touch my scales.” He leaned in close to Esther.
She hadn’t expected him to say that. It was something she wanted to do, but she wasn’t sure why. Curiosity was her reason for touching Narrak, yet her interest in Dreydon felt different. Even though he was on his knees, Esther had to reach up to make contact with the scales across his upper chest. Like the dragon’s scales, his were not as rigid as they appeared. As her fingers moved over them, they seemed to respond by changing from golden to brown. She was also struck by a sense of intimacy about her hand’s action.
Dreydon murmured several words in his own language. Then he suggested, “Now, touch my horns.” He sat back on his heels and brought his head forward.
This time she didn’t have to stretch up as far. Her hands circled his horns and she was surprised at how warm they felt. For some reason, she’d expected them to be cool or even cold. She gently stroked them with the tips of her fingers and a sigh issued from Dreydon. Touching his horns was waking a sensual feeling within Esther and this was disturbing. She looked at his face and saw that his eyes were closed.
Due to his height, she’d never seen his face clearly up close before. His black eyelashes were thick and extremely long. Most women would give anything to have them. There was stubble across his chin, above the upper lip, and on his lower cheeks. Do demgels shave or magic their facial hair away? His smooth, golden tan skin gave no clue to his age. He might not even be as old as Esther.
Dreydon opened his eyes and stared unblinkingly at her. “Both my demon and I like your touch. Whenever you want to stroke my scales and especially my horns, please do so.”
Esther felt embarrassed. She didn’t know what to say to break the tension that was building between them. He really was a hunk, but she mustn’t forget he wasn’t human. Searching for any distraction, she asked, “May I have some more water, please?”
His gaze held steady for a few moments, and then he stood up, lifted the pitcher, and poured water into her container. He sat back down on his chair and resumed the staring.
Although continuing to feel uncomfortable, Esther nevertheless stated, “I’ve never seen your face up close before. You look so young. Can I ask a personal question?”
He inclined his head in an assenting manner.
“How old are you?”
“The magic of Kurbridor keeps its inhabitants young for much longer than on your planet. Even those who come here from elsewhere become affected by this magic if they stay here. I have lived for fifty years, but that is only a quarter of my life expectancy. How old are you?”
“Oh, that’s something you should never ask a woman, but you told me your age so I’ll tell you mine. I just had my thirtieth birthday two days ago.”
“You are very young. If you were a demgel, you would only be what you call a teen…”
Dreydon was interrupted by a loud banging on the front door. He uttered the same word that had come from him when Esther elbowed his stomach. She was sure it was a curse. He got up, went to the door, and opened it. Another demgel came inside.
Esther quickly realized this one was female even though her body was muscular. She reminded Esther of women body builders. Her height was a few inches shorter than Dreydon’s and her skin tone resembled his. She was wearing knee-length pants, ankle boots, and a tank top that only reached just below her chest. Her hair was brown and was tied back. By human standards, she wasn’t beautiful, but because she was the first female demgel Esther had ever seen she couldn’t be sure how she was viewed in the world of demgels.
She stroked the line of scales across one of Dreydon’s shoulders and murmured something to him in their language. He answered her and looked annoyed. Now, as she moved further into the room, she noticed Esther. She looked surprised, then very angry, and turned her attention back to Dreydon. The female demgel uttered a stream of words that sounded most unpleasant. He answered in that measured, low voice that Esther recognized as coming from quiet rage. The way both demgels’ scales rose up confirmed their escalating anger. They went back and forth verbally, and then the female demgel strode over to Esther. She sniffed her, snarled and her fangs elongated.
Esther felt intimidated but wasn’t about to show her fear. She gave the demgel a determined look and said, “I’m not afraid of you.” Esther had no idea whether this demgel understood English.
Now, the demgel’s nails extended into claws and she lifted her arm. Dreydon was instantly pulling her away from Esther and his claws were visible, too. The female lashed out at him and he pinned her arms behind her back. Dreydon dragged her to the front door and pushed her outside. He stood with the female demgel on the porch and Esther heard him snarl several unknown words at her. Dreydon came back inside and the door closed.
Chapter Thirteen
Although Esther didn’t know the demgel language, she knew the female was angry because of her. She wanted to ask Dreydon what had happened between them but felt to do that would be prying. One thing she was definitely grateful for was his intervention. If the female had attacked her, she would have suffered serious injuries from those claws and fangs. Esther took another cookie from the platter and began eating it. She’d wait to see whether Dreydon wanted to explain what had taken place.
The demgel stood in the center of the room for a few minutes. He was actually shaking with rage. When the trembling stopped, he came back to the table and sat down. His claws slowly retracted and his scales lay flat once again. Dreydon looked at Esther and said,
“I am sure you want to know what just happened.”
“Yes, but don’t say anything unless you really want to tell me. I’m not someone of significance in your life, so I mustn’t expect you to explain why she was angry and was threatening me.”
“You are becoming of significance to me.”
Esther didn’t know how to answer that remark. She sat in silence, waiting to see if he would say more about the female demgel.
Dreydon looked steadily at her and continued, “Her name is Perali and I have known her for several years. She serves a mejin and has several male sex slaves, most of whom are human. Sometimes she prefers to have sex with a demgel and so she comes here.”
“Oh dear, Dreydon, no wonder she was mad at me. By being here, I’ve stopped you and her having a little fun. Go after her and bring her back. I’ll wait on the porch or somewhere while you both do … uh … what you want to do.” Esther meant what she said, but couldn’t dismiss a little pang of jealousy.
His eyes blazed. “I don’t want to have sex with her. I usually only agree to satisfy my demon and, I suppose, hers. I would never agree to have sex with anyone while you are here.”
“But she was so angry. Perhaps she love
s you and wishes you were her mate.”
“Of course Perali doesn’t love me. She just enjoys having sex with a demgel who is even more dominant than she is. She likes the battling back and forth for control.”
“I’m confused. Is demgel love-making only about being in charge? Doesn’t giving each other pleasure come into it? Or what about showing how special someone is to you. Doesn’t that count?”
Dreydon shook his head in what looked like disbelief. “You don’t understand so let me explain. Demgel love-making is usually ruled by the demon side of our nature. Being dominant is everything because true-demons only want what they want. Therefore, demgel sex is fierce and fueled by the need to dominate. Some demgels are more dominant than others and want a partner who is somewhat submissive. Others enjoy the battling for dominance and Perali is one of those.”
“And you’re one who wants complete control. Am I right?”
His demon smile appeared together with a display of his fangs. “That is correct. What type of sex partner do you enjoy?”
“I’ve never given any thought about whether I want a lover to be dominant or submissive. I think sex should be much more about your feelings for a partner.”
“Do you have a lover in your world?”
“I really shouldn’t answer that question, it’s personal.”
“I would be grateful if you would tell me.”
“Okay, the answer is no. Now, back to what we were discussing. Perali is using you for sex because she likes to fight for control and you do that with her during love-making. So what are you getting from being with her? Do you like the battling back and forth?”
“Now you are asking a personal question, but I will answer it. I don’t enjoy it. I would prefer to be in charge all the time and explore how to make myself and my partner reach total satisfaction. As yet, I’ve never found someone who has given me that opportunity. Why do I agree to have sex with Perali? My demon craves some kind of sensual fulfillment, so I do it to make him behave.”
“In other words, you and Perali have sex purely to satisfy your needs. You use each other. That doesn’t sound very loving, does it?”
“Not when you express it like that. Let me explain further. Demgel sex is not usually about love. It’s what you call lust. There can only be love when the inner angel is in control.” His gaze became even more intent. “Are you disgusted with me?”
“Dreydon, I think we should end this particular conversation. It really doesn’t matter what I think about you. Our paths have just crossed for a couple of days, and then we’ll go our separate ways. Let’s talk about something less personal.”
He sat silent, but his staring continued.
After a short while of this embarrassing visual inspection, Esther reminded, “You’re doing that awful staring again. It really bothers me. Stop it!”
“I’ve never seen anyone so lovely. Don’t stop me from looking at you. I mean no harm. And what you think about this demgel is very important to him.”
She wished he wouldn’t keep making comments she didn’t know how to respond to, or couldn’t ignore. And why does it matter what he thinks or says? Esther hoped before the end of tomorrow she’d be home and would forget about this crazy sojourn in a place that shouldn’t exist. But would Dreydon also be forgotten? He was affecting her in a way that was troubling. He’d shown her kindness and was willing to protect her. Dreydon was also making her feel as though she was much more attractive than she’d previously believed. He wasn’t human, but somehow she kept overlooking that fact. Anna would say she needed a new man in her life. Someone who would make her heart flutter and with whom she could have sex that had nothing to do with dominance or submission. When she was back home, she would find a new guy and Dreydon could have sex with Perali every day of the week for all she cared. Maybe that would keep his demon happy. Oh crap, Dreydon was right about her constant mental chatter.
They sat for some time without saying anything. He stared while she attempted to ignore him. Eventually, Dreydon took the empty bowls and containers to the sink and left them soaking in water. When he came back, he stood beside her and asked, “Do you like crystals? You said Menil’s eggs looked like geodes, so I am presuming you have an interest in minerals.”
“Yes, I think they’re beautiful. They fascinate me, but I know very little about them. Anna sells several in her store and we’ve tried to gather some information in order to pass it on to our customers.”
“You have customers?”
“They’re the people who come into the store to buy things. Surely there are stores in the cities?”
“Yes, they all belong to whichever mejin owns the city. Humans and other fetch work in them.”
“Is money used to buy things?”
“Not money as on Earth. There are small metal discs supplied by the mejin that keep account of what amount is available to each person. The amount increases or decreases in accordance with what they do for the mejin and what they buy.”
“So how do you buy food?”
“Away from the cities we don’t follow the rules of the mejins. We exchange. I do something for a centaur and he gives me bread or whatever his community makes.”
“That’s like trading. So what kind of things do you do?”
“I do healings and I help with my strength to build, to move something, or to fight an enemy. I also offer my magic when it’s needed.”
“Life without money sounds wonderful. Kurbridor suddenly seems much more appealing.”
“Are you thinking of staying here?”
“No, no, it just sounds like a pleasing alternative to the money obsession that’s rampant on my world.”
“You would miss your friends if you lived here.”
“Yes, but they’re the only thing I would miss. I’ve never felt like I really belonged there. Even my writing is a form of escapism.”
“It’s because you are part elf. Something inside you knows Earth is not your true home.”
“Possibly, but it’s where I was born and grew up so it has to be my home.” This conversation was touching on a sorrow that had been with Esther all of her life. She didn’t want to discuss it any further.
“I can see how thinking about it upsets you, so let’s go back to my mention of crystals. Would you like to see another dragon’s lair?”
“You have more dragon friends? Narrak’s cave was amazing. I would love to see another one.”
“This one is empty. Whatever dragon lived in it flew away long ago. I go there sometimes when I want to think about myself and my life. I would like to show it to you. It’s on this mountain, so we will need these.” Two thick shirts appeared in his hands.
They put them on and went to the front door. Once they were outside, Esther stood with her back against Dreydon’s body and waited for him to put his arms around her. She was going to miss the security of his strong hold and being taken to places by his powerful wings.
* * * *
This crystal cave was the other side of the mountain from where his home and Narrak’s lair were situated. Dreydon had discovered it a number of years ago on one of his flights of exploration. He’d never told his friends about it, nor taken them there. It was possible Narrak knew of its existence, but he’d never mentioned it. So he was treating Esther differently by taking her to the former lair. For some reason, it felt right to share the cave with her. It was almost as though he were allowing her to become aware of another part of him. The cavern was the place he went when his life was feeling unsettled and seemed to be missing something. When loneliness engulfed him, he felt comforted by its crystalline energy.
They landed on the wide ledge and Dreydon kept hold of her arm. He didn’t want her going to the edge of this one. There was no sealing block of crystal at the entrance, but he always put up an invisible shield in its place whenever he flew away from it. He had come to think of it as his cave and wanted no one else to go inside. With his magic, he removed the shield and took Esther up to th
e entrance.
“As you can see, there’s no solid sheet of crystal blocking access to the cave. Obviously, the dragon who lived here long ago didn’t worry about anyone else taking possession of it. When he flew away, I think he had no intention of returning.”
“I wonder why. Let’s hope he was going to start a new life that would be better than what he’d had before.”
They moved from the daylight into the gloom of the cave. Dreydon manifested a golden globe of light and threw it up to the high crystal ceiling.
Esther gasped. “Oh, it’s amethyst. The purple is so glorious. I love this crystal.” She walked over to one of the walls and ran her fingers along the many crystal points. “You can really feel the energy rising from it.”
“Come further in and we can sit down. The floor is smooth. The dragon made it that way with his fiery breath.”
He led her toward the back of the cave, made a blanket appear and spread it out on the amethyst floor. They sat down next to each other.
“I think the dragon lived alone. There is only this one area with no extra space for a mate or a brood.”
“So let’s say he went off to find himself a mate in another part of Kurbridor. Ooh, I could create a whole story about his adventures while he’s looking for a female dragon.”
“Do you like creating stories?”
“That’s what I do. Remember, I told you I write books.”
“Telling stories is another elven trait. Elves are known to be wonderful storytellers.”
“Well, I also made up stories in my head, when I was a child, as a way of forgetting about feeling different and not liked.”
“Do your stories always have a happy ending?”
“Yes, I make sure love wins out no matter how impossible it might seem to be.”
“I would like to read your books. When I take you home will you give me some of them to borrow? I’ll bring them back when I’ve read them.”
Stolen Away Page 10
