by Hickory Mack
“You’re my mate?” she whispered in awe. Wren smiled, nodding.
“You can feel the bond that’s waiting to form. It’s why you still want me. It’s why your demon will return as quickly as he can to beat me to sealing our bond. If you want me, he has no choice but to accept me,” Wren snickered, but she was cut off by Elsie’s mouth slamming into hers.
She didn’t have to feel guilty for wanting Wren anymore. The woman was her mate, and there was no shame in keeping her to herself. All the built up tension from all those teasing glances, all those kisses, exploded between them. Elsie pulled Wren’s hips against hers, holding her tight, while her mouth claimed what was hers. She’d show the spirit just how much she was wanted.
“Reaper,” Wren exclaimed at her tenacity and wriggled in her lap. “You’re stronger than I thought.”
“Shut up,” Elsie ordered, sliding her tongue into Wren’s mouth. The spirit was sweet, leaving a tingling on her tongue like a fine herbal tea. Their curves fitted together perfectly, and Wren’s soft body molded to hers without a trace of shyness. Her lover wanted this just as much as she did.
Elsie’s hands wandered down the length of her lacy white dress, then traveled back up her thighs, underneath the fabric this time. Wren’s skin was flawlessly smooth and soft, and Elsie couldn’t help but squeeze her thighs. The spirit’s arms wrapped around her shoulders, holding her close as teeth grazed against lips. Wren playfully nipped at her tongue, smiling when Elsie nipped back.
Wren’s skin took on that familiar glow, but now there were symbols and designs scrawling up her arms and legs. One symbol stretched from her temple to her jaw. Elsie sat back and looked at them for a long minute while the spirit watched her in return. One side of Wren’s mouth quirked up in a cocky grin, and Elsie tugged on a strand of her hair until the grin was replaced by a look of pure longing.
Elsie touched the marking along her face, marveling at how it reacted, taking on the bright blue of ethereal light. Placing her finger under Wren’s chin, she tilted it upward then lowered her mouth to her throat. The spirit shivered, swept her hair back over her shoulder, and gripped Elsie tighter, signaling that this was something she thoroughly enjoyed.
Kisses gave way to gentle sips and sucks on alabaster skin until Wren’s breath caught in her throat. Elsie touched the spot she’d just nibbled with a single finger and raised her mouth to her lover’s ear.
“Here?” she asked, and Wren nodded. “You want more?”
“Yes,” she breathed. Elsie obediently returned to the sensitive place at the base of her shoulder, taking her time to draw the pleasure out. Her reward came when Wren moaned in response, the sound so deliciously intimate it fueled Elsie’s need. She swirled her tongue around the spot while her hands climbed higher up her mate’s dress until her fingers brushed against the thatch of hair between her legs.
“Wren, fuck,” she groaned. The entire time, the spirit had been walking around with no panties on. Elsie settled her palm over her lover’s pubic bone, her fingertips hovering just over her pussy, but Wren knew what to do.
She pushed against Elsie’s hand, grinding against it, building the warmth and friction against her clit, letting her rub and apply pressure exactly how she liked it. Elsie grabbed her ass, pulling her in so the back of her hand rested against her own clit, letting Wren set the pace.
The spirit gripped her robe and used magic to remove it, bringing them that much closer together, but it wasn’t enough. Wren pushed at Elsie’s hips until she scooted further onto the bed, pulling her into a kneeling position. Yanking the reaper’s pants off, they both kneeled, straddling the other’s leg. Looking into her lover’s eyes, Wren rubbed her clit against her mate’s thigh while Elsie did the same. The scent of their arousal intermingled, rising in the air around them.
Wren’s lips were slightly swollen from Elsie’s bruising kisses, and her eyes were half hooded, though they were glowing even brighter than her skin.
“I get to spend the rest of my life with you. You’re so beautiful,” Elsie murmured, holding her tight. She couldn’t help herself, taking the spirit’s mouth once more. Her taste was intoxicating.
“You’re mine,” Wren reaffirmed between kisses. Her fingers encircled one of Elsie’s nipples, plying and pinching gently.
“As you are mine. I want all of you,” Elsie whispered.
“All of me? Would you like me to show you what it’s like to be with a man?” Wren asked mischievously, but Elsie shook her head. She wanted to wait for Saint for that particular act, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy this moment.
“I want you as you are right now.”
“Then let me taste you.” Wren stopped passively allowing Elsie to do as she wished and became the aggressor. She pushed the reaper down onto the bed with her ass in the air. “What a pretty sight,” she praised.
Sliding a finger across the slick heat of Elsie’s slit, she raised it to her mouth and licked it clean. To whet her appetite as a little teaser of what was to come. Wren settled between her legs, spreading them a little farther apart so she could nibble at the soft flesh of her inner thigh. Growing needy, Elsie tried to push back against Wren’s face, but the spirit swatted her bottom with a gentle slap before soothing the spot with a gentle rub.
“Behave yourself,” she scolded. “Have patience. Let me take care of you.”
Elsie groaned. Her legs were already shaking with the torment of not being allowed to move freely. Wren went back to her nipping and suckling before finally touching the small of Elsie’s back, guiding her into arching her back further into a full presentation.
Forming a V with her fingers, she caressed the outer labia with delicately sinful expertise, brushing over the silky flesh until Elsie’s pussy clenched with need. Wren pushed her fingers between the folds, making sure to get them nice and slippery before encircling her lover’s clit. Elsie let out a tiny whimper, and Wren slid her fingers back and forth, keeping the pressure on her clit, squeezing and sliding, building momentum.
“Do you like that?” she asked, smiling when the answering yes came in a soft sob. Her reaper could barely speak. She dipped in and ran her tongue along the edge of her opening, and Elsie shuddered all over, trying again to push back into her. Wren slapped her ass once more, still gently. A warning. “Be a good girl.”
As soon as Elsie held herself still, Wren’s mouth returned, pushing past her folds and into her hot pussy. Her fingers kept moving as her tongue twisted, building up the heat until Elsie couldn’t take it anymore.
The orgasm hit hard, and she cried out as pleasure overtook her in waves. Wren took her fingers away, then returned with her palm, grinding against her clit and pelvic bone, pushing her past the first orgasm and building her back up into the second. Elsie’s hips jerked, but the spirit didn’t swat her this time. Instead, she kept her mouth in position, licking up every drop of her arousal.
“Oh my gods,” Elsie breathed, her whole body trembling with release.
Pulling away and licking her lips, Wren pushed Elsie onto her side with a single finger, grinning when the reaper looked up at her hungrily. “You want more, you greedy thing. Well then, come and get it.”
Over three hours later, Elsie snuggled close, her head on Wren’s shoulder. The spirit stroked her hair and smiled in a self-satisfied, smug way, but Elsie couldn’t call her out on it. She’d been with several women in her life, and none of them had made her fall apart like that before.
It was dark outside, and they’d never taken a break to close the curtains. Thankfully, the window was high enough that nobody walking by would have seen anything, but anyone purposely trying to peek in would have been treated to quite the show. Interestingly enough, no one had come to call them to dinner when they didn’t show up. Maybe Shepherd was grateful he hadn’t had to deal with them.
“I think,” Elsie said slowly, trailing a finger down the glowing designs on the spirit’s skin, “I’ve figured out who you are.”
“I g
ave you the opportunity to think? I’ll have to apply myself harder next time,” Wren teased. “What theory have you come up with?”
“You’ve given me so many hints, even when it wasn’t on purpose, but I couldn’t piece them all together. Not until you told me about the equinox, then it all kind of fell into place. To the Celts, you were the fertility goddess Danu, but also Cernunnos, the God of the Wild Hunt. You’re the Lord of the Wild Things and the Lady of the Wood,” Elsie listed, and Wren’s smile grew. “You’re the Earth Spirit. The eldest elemental child of Mokiko, the Earth Mother. You’re not just a magical creature, you are magic.”
Wren kissed her nose. “What’s my name?”
“As you said, you have many names. Korshyo. Earthy. Zandaka. Which of them would you like me to use?”
“Whichever you prefer. The name only has meaning if it comes from your lips. You see now why I was worried?” Wren asked. “I am the second oldest living creature on this planet. Almost as old as the Earth itself. I may not have the power I once did, but I will have it again. I’m not your ordinary, everyday type of spirit.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” Elsie told her firmly, lifting her head to look into the spirit’s eyes to drive the point home. “Though I am extremely curious to know why you’re awake. The elementals have been asleep for hundreds of years. Why are you here now? Are your siblings awake? What does that mean for the rest of us? Is it starting again?”
Wren chuckled. “That’s a lot of questions all at once. I woke several years ago, six or seven, I think. There’s something out there, pulling earth magic back from the Dragons. It was enough to not only revive me, but sustain me. I wasn’t sure what it was at first, but I have observed the changes in the world, and now I’m certain. The Key has finally been born and awakened.”
“I don’t understand.”
“The one who will bring the elements into balance has arrived. She is the Key to bringing the Dragons and our magic back. A few of my siblings have never rested. Only those of us affected by the Dragons’ departure. Soul, Havir, and Enterai have been awake this entire time,” Wren stated.
Soul, Havir and Enterai. The elemental spirits of Souls, the Sun, and the Ethereal had always been there. Elsie chewed the inside of her lip. She hadn’t known that, but it made sense. Her ethereal magic and her reaper abilities depended on two of those spirits, and her magic was strong.
“One other has awoken. Three years after I returned, I felt the presence of my sister Elda,” Wren said. Elda, the spirit of the red moon. Metal magic. “Neither her element nor mine has been balanced, but there is now an inconsistent flow to the planet of both.”
“What do you think that means?” Elsie asked.
“I think it means the Key is young, only getting started. She will only need to awaken the seven elements that were affected by the Dragons, and she will need to balance them. It means we will see Dragons return to Earth within the lifetime of this current generation,” Wren answered.
“I’ve always thought it was a fairytale. A story Stolas told me to keep me in bed at night,” Elsie said softly, and Wren looked troubled.
“It’s all true, even my part, and I have had nothing but regret for my role in the Dragons’ lives. My siblings and I believed our mother when she said those two would destroy the planet—and us along with it. We allowed her fear to sway us. We helped Mokiko entrap the Dragons deep in the Earth, where they could never be found,” she said, looking at the bunk above them.
“How did they get free?” Elsie asked.
“Well, we thought they could never be found. However, the Dragon’s mates never gave up looking. For centuries, they searched. Over a thousand years. Elves are stubborn that way,” Wren sighed. “When they departed, it was the elements who helped imprison them who were targeted. All seven of us who were involved lost almost all of our power, and we deserved it. I can only hope that when she returns, Kaho can forgive me and everyone else who has done her wrong. If she cannot, then I am afraid that the answer to your final question is yes. Turmoil and war between the powers of this world could very well restart.”
“Who is Kaho?” Elsie asked, and Wren smiled.
“She is the light Dragon.” Wren picked up the reaper’s wrist and flicked the miniature version of her staff. “She was also the best friend to the world’s first elemental witch. Sanaia. The reason I could handle your staff is because my siblings and I made it for her. A witch as special as Sanaia needed a tool as extraordinary as she was. I was surprised to see you carrying it. Where did you come across it? As well as you handle it, this staff was not meant for you.”
Elsie let that sink in for a moment. Wren was one of the oldest, most powerful creatures on Earth, and she’d helped forge the staff. “Mi madre never told me where she got it, but she used it for centuries. She said she was keeping it for me, and that I must learn its true form. That I’ll need it when the time comes, but she didn’t tell me when that time would be,” she said. “I guess I haven’t been doing a very good job in that respect. I’ve been lazy the past few years.”
Wren blinked and sat up, looking Elsie in the eye. “She said what?”
Elsie repeated herself, and Wren shook her head.
“Holy fucking shit,” she muttered. Her brows knitted together, and she looked at Elsie with horrified eyes. “That can’t be right.”
“What?”
Instead of answering right away, Wren looked around the room and muttered a few words in the ancient language, holding out her palms. The walls lit with a faint green glow. The spirit had cast a silence spell over the whole room. Even if the hunters were using a listening device, they wouldn’t hear anything.
“The Staff of Sanaia must be used to open the Dragon Gate. Reaper, did Santa Muerte never tell you that she thinks you’re the vala delphe fae?”
Elsie started laughing. She laughed so hard tears rolled down her cheeks. “Now you’re just being ridiculous. It’s impossible! I’m only half fae.”
Wren grabbed her face and held her still, looking deep into her eyes and muttering under her breath in the ancient language. She was ordering something to reveal itself, but nothing happened. A concentrated look came over her face, and she changed a few of the words while keeping with the same command.
Elsie gasped as runes lit up over her skin in all the colors of the lost elements. Blue and red and purple and green, even the copper of the red moon, all swirling together in patterns not unlike the lines on Wren’s skin.
“What the fuck is this?” Elsie breathed, her eyes round with shock.
“I’m not wrong,” Wren whispered. “Elspeth Raisa Chantraine, you are the Dragon Priestess. You are called to join the Key and open the door to bring the Dragons home.”
Chapter 20
“Listen to me, reaper,” Wren said urgently, her skin even paler than usual. “We must not allow anyone else to know this information. Mokiko has been waiting for you. She will do anything to stop the Dragons’ return, and you are the only person who can open that particular dimension. Gods, why did you have to be the priestess?”
“I don’t understand,” Elsie said, her eyes wide as she stared at the markings on her body. She was more freaked out over those marks than the idea of the Earth Mother herself coming after her. They didn’t seem to be fading, but Wren’s concern didn’t sound plausible. How could she worry herself over something that sounded so ridiculous? She was one reaper among hundreds. Mokiko wouldn’t bother herself with someone so unimportant.
“How does any of this make sense to you? How do these marks make me the Dragon Priestess?” she asked. “Are they going to go away?”
“They will fade. I can hide them again if you wish, or you can let them be. You were born with them, which is how your mother would have known who you are,” Wren explained. “Because of who she is, it’s possible she knew even before you were born. She must have hidden them in order to protect you. Who fathered you?”
Understanding hit Elsie like a ton of bric
ks. Her father had always inspected his bastards. Each and every one. Except her. Santisima had run to the ends of the universe to protect her from him. He must have known he would be the one to sire the priestess. He must have his own prophecy outlining his involvement.
“The Winter King of the Dark Fae,” Elsie answered. “Charlamagne.”
“That man is a tyrant, and he’ll be even worse when the dark moon element is awakened. Charlamagne cannot be allowed to know who you are. The hunters cannot know either; they’ll use it to exploit you. Don’t even tell your mate,” Wren urged, but Elsie shook her head.
“There’s no problem with not telling my father. I have no intention of meeting him, and I won’t be telling the hunters anything. However, there will be no secrets between Saint and me. Especially after we’ve been apart for so long. I need to rebuild the trust between us, and I can’t expect him to trust me if I don’t tell him something so important,” she said.
“You don’t understand. I must keep you safe,” Wren said, her eyes wide. “In my long life, I have never had anyone as important as you will be to me. There are too many people in this world who do not want you to be found. The return of the Dragons will bring magic back to this world, like nothing you’ve ever experienced. It will awaken the ancients, and the power will shift away from those who are currently on top. Elspeth, if word of who you are gets out, we could have the entirety of the vampire kingdoms come crashing down around us.”
“Why would the vampires care about the Dragons’ return?” Elsie asked, pulling a blanket over her lap. She was far too exposed to be having such a serious conversation.
“Think about who the vampires fear more than anyone else. When the ancients awaken, it will include Merrick. He will not remain hidden if the Dragons return,” Wren answered.
Merrick, Akunin Yaksha, the first one. The only creature to have ever brought the light Dragon to her knees in a one-on-one battle. “Everyone thinks he’s either given up on this world or he’s dead,” Elsie stated. “Would he really return?”
