Maiden Flight

by S. A. Barton

  *

  “How bad is she?” Gareth called to Lars as soon as they landed.

  Lars jumped off Rohtina’s back and rushed around to examine the damage done to her tough hide by the skith venom.

  “Water! We need water here!” Lars began to panic as he saw how deeply the venom had penetrated Rohtina’s golden-red hide. It wasn’t easy for skith venom to penetrate dragon scale, but there were certain vulnerable areas on their bodies and she had been hit in one of them, just beneath her wing, in the supple crevice where it joined her body. The acid still smoked. Water would counteract that.

  Buckets began making their way to her side, a number of knights pitching in to help the wounded dragon. Lars directed them as Gareth helped and Kelvan used his great strength to haul a cistern of water up from the ledge below. He placed it near his mate and the process went much faster as the men could fill the buckets from a nearer source, splashing each one carefully to do the most good.

  The ledges were built in such a way that the acid-laced water drained off, over the side of the cliff, well away from any place humans or dragons would come into contact with it. Besides that, the water had weakened the acid to the point where it was more or less safe. It would continue degrading over time all by itself, so the forest below would come to no harm from this emergency drenching.

  “Belora, help my mate. I beg you.” Worry and pain filled Kelvan’s voice, and it echoed through the minds of all present, making a few pause in surprise. Belora moved forward to face the green-blue dragon.

  “I don’t know what I can do, Kel. You know my healing talent has never been strong. But if I can help her, you know too that I’ll do everything in my power to do so.”

  Kelvan bowed his great head. “Then go to her. Place your hands on her as you did with me and concentrate. Your power is greater than you know and perhaps the only thing that can save her now.”

  Belora looked uncertain, but moved to the golden dragon’s side.

  Up close, she could see that Rohtina had used all her strength to get back to the Lair. She was badly injured and probably close to death from such extensive damage. The heart she had shown in flying all the way here with no complaint was amazing and Belora felt tears gather behind her eyes.

  Gingerly, she reached out and touched the dragon’s shimmering golden hide, now burnt brown and black in places, red in others where she bled heavily.

  “Concentrate, Belora, as your mother trained you to do.”

  Kelvan’s voice in her mind encouraged her and gave her something to focus on as she gathered the energies that her mother had taught her to recognize, though they never seemed to do what she wished. She had never been a strong healer of humans, but Kelvan insisted that what power she did have felt good to dragons. She had to believe him.

  “You can do it, Belora. I have faith in you. You were meant to heal dragons. Not humans. Dragons. You are one of us.”

  There was no higher compliment a human could receive from a dragon and everyone within hearing distance heard and watched, with varying degrees of awe and suspicion. Belora forced all those watching eyes out of her mind as she focused the energy that was part of her. It leapt to life, as it had never done before, when she touched Rohtina’s scarred hide with gentle hands.

  Suddenly it was all clear. She knew what she had to do.

  Belora placed her palms over the ridges of Rohtina’s amber eyes, locking her gaze securely on the dragon’s faceted orbs. Belora felt the power flowing through her as never before as she formed the connection with the dragon on several levels.

  Belora screamed, feeling just the echo of Rohtina’s great pain as her own, but after a moment it began to subside. She felt Lars and Gareth behind her, ready to support her if needed, and her heart filled with love. The love too, transferred to the dragon and reflected back. Rohtina and she joined as one for a breathtaking moment out of time, then the power surged to life within Belora and poured out into the dragon. It went on and on until finally the spell was broken by Rohtina’s blinking jeweled amber eyes. They sparkled with life and renewed vitality and a small tear leaked out one side, dropping down onto Belora’s elbow, landing there and solidifying into a magical gem.

  “Thank you.”

  Dragons did not cry, but when stirred by great emotion, their magic could release itself in a tear that turned to a precious, magical gem. That Rohtina gifted Belora with the sparkling amber jewel was amazing in itself, but even more amazing was the result of the magical healing. Rohtina was completely well. Not a scratch remained on her previously badly mangled hide. She was whole and healthy once more.

  And Belora realized one other little thing that had seeped into her mind while they’d been connected.

  “You’re pregnant.”

  Her whispered words were followed by a shout of joy from the watching knights. A dragon pregnancy or birth was always a cause for great celebration since there were so few each year.

  “I wasn’t sure yet,” Rohtina said quietly, the first hint of shyness Belora had ever seen from the magnificent golden dragon.

  “Be sure.” Belora removed her hands from Rohtina’s eye ridges and cupped her rounded cheek. “I felt the presence of the dragonet within you. It is well and happy.”

  “Praise the Mother of All that you were here, milady. Thank you for saving my mate and my child.” Kelvan nudged her with his great head, moving closer to his golden mate.

  “It was your faith that made me believe I could, Kel. I’ve never done that before in my life.” Belora laughed now in relief as the dragons surrounded her with their immense bodies and their love and joy.

  “Yet it is what you were born to do. Your power is the strongest I have ever felt, even though it’s mostly untrained. You were never meant to heal humans, as your mother does. Your power is definitely more dragonish. I felt it that first night you sent your power to me. It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever encountered.”

  “It feels pretty amazing to me too, and kind of unreal, but I’m so happy you’re okay, Rohtina.” She stroked both long necks and smiled brightly as her own mates came up on either side of her.

  “That was amazing.” Gareth stopped in front of her and shocked her by kneeling. Lars did the same, grasping her hand and kissing the back of it with his eyes tightly shut against the emotions nearly overwhelming him.

  “Thank you, my love, from the bottom of my heart. You amaze me.”

  “Why are you both down there? Get up.” Her amused and embarrassed whisper brought smiles to their faces. She looked up and realized all the knights gathered were now kneeling and offering signs of respect to her.

  “What’s going on?”

  “We honor you, Belora,” Gareth explained softly. “It’s well known that only those with royal blood have the power to heal dragons. From what we’ve all just witnessed, we know that you are of the line of Draneth the Wise. Somehow, someway, you are descended of kings.”

  “No. That’s not possible.”

  “Yes, my love,” Lars squeezed her hand. “There’s no other explanation. The Mother of All brought you to us in our time of need and now, with you here, we know our cause is just and our mission sanctioned by the Mother herself, for it was She that blessed Draneth and the dragons and brought them together. Just as She brought you to us.”

  “I can’t believe this.” Her eyes wandered over the kneeling knights in something like shock.

  She swayed on her feet as the rush of energy began to leave her. Lars held tightly to one hand while in the other, she clutched the sparkling golden amber dragon tear. It gave her some energy, but her strength was fast fading.

  Gareth and Lars got to their feet and caught her as she began to lose consciousness. With deep concern, they carried her from the ledge to their apartments. They worried until Kelvan took a moment away from his recovering mate to reassure them.

  “The older dragons tell me that after a healing such as the one she just performed, it’s normal for the healer to require a
day of sleep to recover. Don’t worry. She’ll be all right tomorrow. It’s just draining to do what she did. Plus, it was her first time, so she’s not used to the strain. She’ll learn to handle the power with more finesse as she uses it. Just let her sleep.”

  Belora woke over twelve hours later, comfortable in her warm bed. She was naked under the furs with her two mates sleeping on either side of her. Gareth had his hand at her waist, one of his strong thighs between hers as he spooned her from behind. Lars faced her, his arm pillowing her head as he breathed softly into her hair, tickling her ever so slightly with his warm breath.

  She looked out into the suite and saw Rohtina and Kelvan snuggling together in their wallow. Kelvan had one blue-green wing resting lightly over his mate and their necks were twined together lovingly. She felt a wave of love pass through her at the sight and realized that her small movements had woken her men.

  Lars kissed her before she could even speak. It was a long, deep, hot kiss that spoke of love, commitment, passion, and joy. When he pulled back, he looked deep down into her eyes.

  “Thank you, Belora. You saved us all when you saved Tina. I’ll never be able to find the words to express—” he choked up a bit and she moved to kiss him, silencing his tumbling thoughts.

  “I think I know what she means to you, at least a little. You don’t have to thank me. I would do anything in the world for you, Lars, and for Kel and Tina. You all are my family and I love you.” She kissed him once more and felt a stirring behind her as Gareth rolled her onto her back and loomed over her.

  “And where do I fit into the equation?” The light in his eyes told her he was teasing. He knew full well where he fit in her heart and in her life, but it was good to say the words.

  “You’re the one who brought us all together.”

  “Actually, I think that was my role.” An amused dragon voice sounded in their heads as Kel brought his great head over to rest in the doorway, watching them. “After all, I’m the one who found you in the forest, milady.”

  Belora sat up and regarded the dragon with some consternation. “What’s with the ‘milady’ stuff, Kel? Why are you suddenly calling me that?”

  Kel drew his head up to look down at the trio in the bed. “Because you are undoubtedly of the royal line. We dragons struck a deal with Draneth the Wise millennia ago and as his kin, you deserve respect.”

  “How in the world do you figure I’m related to the king’s line? I mean, I know that healing thing was pretty wild, but my mother heals people. What I did can’t be all that different.”

  “Ah, but it is.” Rohtina’s graceful neck lifted her golden head to rest near Kelvan in the doorway. “It’s a gift of wizards alone and there’s no true wizard blood left in this land, but for the royal line.”

  Rohtina stretched to rub her sensitive neck scales along her mate’s and all three in the bed felt the renewed arousal.

  “We can argue about bloodlines later,” Gareth grumbled, catching Belora about the waist and tugging her down on the bed once more. “For now, we have more important things to do.”

  Lars, not to be outdone, pulled her on top of him, using his powerful muscles to lift them both into a sitting position against the headboard of the huge bed. He positioned her across his lap so that she was straddling him while Gareth moved behind her. They felt the dragons withdraw to their large wallow, rolling and twining together as the heat rose between them.

  The humans felt the same heat, sharing it with the dragons as Lars tested his mate’s readiness with a few teasing, tantalizing fingers. He stopped, his fingers high up inside her, to look deeply into her eyes.

  “Tina’s pregnant.”

  “Yes, she is. So?” Her voice was more than a little breathy with Lars’ fingers lodged inside her and Gareth stroking her breasts from behind.

  “So, you could be too.”

  Belora gasped as he rubbed that spot right up inside her that always made her squirm. “Mmm. Yes, I could.”

  “Would you like that? Do you want our baby?” His turquoise eyes sought her gaze, something deep inside, yearning in him. She could feel it.

  She leaned forward to kiss him. “I want your baby. And Gareth’s. I want a bunch of children with you both.”

  He sighed as he removed his fingers, caressing her as he moved her into position over his hard dick.

  “Then we’d better get to work on them. What do you say?”

  “Oh, yes,” she breathed as he settled her down over his hard, solid length. He slid home as she writhed on top of him, her inner muscles clenching around him.

  She could hear the dragons making a mess of the sand in the central chamber and knew they were nearing completion. It wouldn’t be long now before both her men claimed her in perfect union with the dragons that shared their souls.

  Gareth pushed her down onto Lars’ chest and prepared her rear entrance. He bent over her, biting at her earlobe as he pushed himself home within her tight ass.

  “If you have Lars’ baby first, I want to be next.”

  “Yes. Anything, Gareth! I’ll do anything you want.”

  “Now that’s what I like to hear.” He chuckled as he slid all the way home, the slow and easy passion the dragons were sharing this time having the same effect on the human side of the partnership. “You’ve had her pussy a lot lately, Lars. I take it you want to plant our first baby?”

  Lars began to move in her body as soon as Gareth was fully seated. The men moved in rhythm, driving her wild as they timed their thrusts for greatest impact.

  Lars grunted. “If you have no objection.”

  “Can you two discuss this later?”

  The last word rose to a screech as she came hard around both of their cocks and they just kept pumping. She knew then that they’d bring her to orgasm multiple times before the dragons were finished with them. The frantic mating flights of the first few days had settled into long, drawn-out sessions in the sand that were echoed by the humans in hours of love play and the most incredible waves of pleasure she had yet experienced.

  “Ssh, Belora, this is very important.” Gareth’s teeth teased her ear as he pumped steadily into her from behind. “Someone has to make plans here.” He stroked her just a little more deeply. “Now what do you think about our first child being fair and blonde like Lars? Or would you rather have a dark-haired tyke first?”

  “Either. Both! I don’t care!” She sobbed as she neared another peak, even higher than the last.

  “Oh, but you must,” Gareth chastised her as he rode her through another shattering climax.

  “I want…” she panted to catch her breath and her scattered senses. “I want both kinds. Whenever the Mother grants it. I want both.”

  “Well, if that’s what you really want, I suppose that’s just what you’ll get.” Gareth stroked harder, his breath coming a bit shorter now as the dragons neared completion, urging on their knights. Lars too was pounding into her now, stroking her higher and higher still.

  “Sweet Mother, Gareth! You’re right. Twins!” Lars pushed deeper now, his turquoise eyes bright with both satisfaction and hunger.

  “Twins?” she shrieked as she came yet again and still they drove her higher.

  “When knight pairs mate with females of the royal line,” he was panting, nearer now, “the Mother and Her magic often bless them with twins.” He was close now and she climbed high once more. The dragons rolled furiously just outside the door, grunting and roaring a little as cinnamon smoke filled the air in the slight dome above their wallow. “One from each…” He dug into her as Lars did, both nearing their crisis point.

  “Sweet Mother!” Lars swore as he started to come along with his dragon partner. Rohtina’s cry sounded through the suite of rooms, followed only a second later by Kelvan’s harsh grunt.

  Gareth came when Kel did and both knights filled her to overflowing as she screamed their names and convulsed between them. It went on and on as the dragons dragged out their pleasure. Gareth collapsed on t
hem, squashing her for just a few moments between her men, a position she loved. Lars supported them against the padded headboard, his body spasming within her as the pleasure drained from him in long, hot waves.

  When they finally found the strength to pull apart and settle bonelessly on the huge bed, Belora thought over what Gareth had said.

  “Twins?” Her voice was soft and dreamy. “Truly?”

  Gareth reached over to stroke her cheek. “It’s more than a possibility. If you’re of the royal blood—and I have little doubt you are—then the wizard magic is in your veins. You’ll carry one baby from each of us.”

  “Oh, that would be so beautiful.”

  “I’m glad you think so.” Lars leaned up on one elbow looking down at her, the love in his eyes shining bright in the dim room. “I want a big family. I want our children to have what I never did. I want them to belong to each other and to us.”

  Belora launched herself into her mate’s strong arms. “That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.” A tear found its way down her cheek and Lars bent to kiss it away. “I want the same thing.”

  “Then we’re all in agreement.” Gareth poured wine for each of them from the bedside table and passed the goblets around as they all sat up, some strength returning.

  “I didn’t thank you both yet for going to save my mother.”

  “Our children will need their grandmother. Especially when their parents want to spend some time alone.” Gareth wiggled his eyebrows and chuckled, making them all laugh.

  “No, I mean it. Truly. I didn’t think I could love either of you more, but when you put your lives on the line for my mother, I knew that if I lost any of you—human or dragon—I would never be the same. I would never be whole again.”

  “But what about the king?” Lars spoke softly from the far side of the bed. “You’ll have to go meet him and investigate where you come from. The royal blood is too precious to remain anonymous. What if you’re a princess? Will you still want to live with us in this backwater Lair?”

  She reached over to stroke his stubbly cheek. “Even if I were the queen, I’d never give you up. I love you.” She narrowed her eyes in thought. “Though I suppose it is possible that I have strange origins.”

  “Why do you say that?” Gareth moved up to support her from behind as they lounged on the huge bed.

  “It’s something Kelzy told my mother. She said that her parents weren’t her blood parents, that it was obvious to Kelzy that my mother had been adopted.”

  “Adopted?” Gareth prompted her when her words trailed off.

  “Yes, but she never found out from where, or who her real parents might be.”

  “By the Mother, then it’s more than likely your mother’s real parents were of royal descent.”

  “I guess that could be true.” She shrugged. “And twins do run in my family. My mother doesn’t speak of them much, but before me, she had twin girls. They were taken just before we moved to the forest when I was about five winters, I think.”

  “Taken? You mean they died?” Gareth had perked up and looked keenly interested.

  “No, they’re not dead. At least I don’t think they are. They were stolen. It was horrible.” She shuddered and leaned into Lars’ supporting arm as both men moved closer at the first sign of her distress. “We were in a big town, at a market. Men rushed us. Big men. I remember one had a jagged scar on his face and was missing the two little fingers on his left hand.” She shuddered and strong arms went around her, soothing her. “They hit my mother and grabbed my sisters. They were too strong for her and no one would help us. The scarred man tried to grab me, but my mother held me tight and started running. She ran and ran. They pursued us, but didn’t catch her. She may be small, but she’s fast.” A sad smile lifted one corner of her mouth. “After the men left, she tried to find my sisters, but they were gone. We left that day and never went back.”

  “So the reason she went to the forest, way out in the middle of nowhere was because she was hiding?” Lars puzzled through the situation with his calm logic.

  “I never thought of that, but I guess it’s true. We didn’t have any money and when we came across the cottage, it was empty. No one claimed it when we asked in the village and they welcomed the idea of having a healer nearby. Some of them even helped Mama in the early days, bringing her food and household items to trade for her herbal remedies. That’s how we’ve lived for the past decade and more.”

  “How old were your sisters when they were taken?” Gareth’s voice was calm but very serious.

  “I was about five, so I guess they were about ten or eleven.”

  “Then they’d be in their early twenties now. Twenty-three or so.”

  “Yes, I guess so.” She nodded, settling back into their arms. She saw the look of determination pass between her two mates and wondered at it.

  “We have to find them.” Lars’ quiet voice made her sit up in surprise.

  “What?”

  “Your sisters. We have to find them. Royal blood is too precious, and women who potentially have the ability to heal dragons and be mates to our brethren are scarcer than even that. We have to alert the other Lairs to be on the lookout for your sisters. Dragons and their knights may be able to sniff them out, now that we know they exist.”

  Hope entered her heart. “Do you really think so?”

  Lars stroked her cheek. “I believe it with all my heart.”

  “The Mother of All brought you and your mother to us, didn’t She?” Gareth sought her eyes, his own smiling softly in the dim room. “Now that we know your sisters could be out there, we’ll spread the word. Believe me, there’s nothing a knight or dragon likes better than a quest.”

  All three of them chuckled at that and settled back in the huge bed.

  “The Mother did indeed know what She was doing when She brought me to you.” Belora’s hands snaked out to either side to grasp her mates’ hands tightly in her own, her thoughts spinning ahead to the possibility of finding her sisters. The future looked bright indeed.

  *

  Thanks for reading Maiden Flight (Dragon Knights #1). If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review. The next book in the series is Border Lair. Scroll down for a sneak peek.

  A complete list of all of my books, separated by series, follows the excerpt. You can also check out my website at WWW.BIANCADARC.COM. Or you can sign up for my new release list to be alerted when new books are released.

  Excerpt from Border lair

  ©2017 Bianca D’Arc. All Rights Reserved.