Our room... He spoke in her mind.
She looked up at him, smiling as he lowered his head toward her, but he turned his aside before their lips could touch and nuzzled her neck instead. A sound erupted from deep in his throat. The man didn’t purr. Oh no. Nothing so tame. This was no kitten. He hissed and growled as he licked and nipped at her earlobe.
Hmm, what would it take to tame a dragon?
“I can hear your thoughts,” he whispered. “To tame a dragon is a dangerous thing. Are you sure you want to?”
“Oh. Yeah.”
He turned his face to her again so she could see his response. His eyes flashed emerald fire with his need for her. Placing her hands on his shoulders, he used his to softly touch and trace the features of her face.
“I love you,” she said.
He stilled one hand at the side of her neck but began to move the other. One lone finger ran lightly down her collarbone and skimmed over the buttons on her blouse. As it touched a button it immediately came undone, and still his finger continued its decent toward its ultimate goal.
Long, blunt tipped fingers skimmed past the top of the calf-length skirt she wore. As his hand moved downward, the skirt moved up until the bottom edge settled around her thighs. Never taking his eyes off her, he rubbed one finger back and forth across the barely there front of her bikini cut underwear. He’d found what he sought. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with her woman’s scent and filling his soul with the scent of pure Maya.
His.
Soon he would fill her…but not quite yet.
Continuing to maintain eye contact he halted the hand under her skirt and moved his other hand to her mouth, rubbing his thumb back and forth across her mouth once before sticking it inside when she parted her lips. She sucked on it hard, causing him to growl again.
Mine! The thought came from both.
While her tongue sucked and swirled around his thumb, he removed his hand from underneath her skirt and placed his finger, now saturated with her juices, into his mouth. He kept his mouth open so she could see his tongue as he swirled it around his finger before closing his lips around it.
“Mmm,” he rumbled. I like.
Like a runaway train, he could sense Maya’s heat rising up from her core. She opened her mouth, releasing his thumb, and orgasmed right then and there. If he hadn’t reached out to catch her she would have sunk to the floor in a puddle of her own fluids.
“So passionate. And all for me,” he said, kissing her forehead while at the same time, ridding her of all of her clothes.
Draakar picked up a naked Maya and placed her on the bed. Following her down, he covered her with his body, but kept his arms beside her head to hold his weight. He used his magicks to release his hair from the braid. It fell over his shoulders onto her arm, causing electricity to spark wherever the stands touched her bare skin. She raised her hands and grabbed fistfuls of his mane as she pulled him down to her.
As their tongues joined in a universal ritual, she could taste herself mixed with the dark rich flavor of Draakar. Better than the richest dessert.
With a thought, she removed his clothes and skin rubbed against skin. Two sets of hands were everywhere until there only remained one place they hadn’t touched. But not for long. Gliding her hand over his chest, past his navel, Maya’s hand grasped her objective and guided his sex where she needed him most.
They both growled at the contact of him firmly encased within her. Draakar found her mouth with his own and the rhythm of his tongue matched the rhythm of his hips as he thrust and withdrew from his mate. At first his movements were slow and languid, then he stopped all together and rolled over, taking her with him without breaking contact. He helped her sit up and straddle him, by placing her legs alongside his hips. Then he bent his knees and placed his feet higher on the bed, spreading his legs slightly to better cradle her.
Ride me, Maya. Tame your dragon.
She grabbed two fists full of hair, and ride him she did. Her inner muscles clamped around his shaft as she pumped up and down. He met her thrust for thrust, hitting her sweet spot each time. The heat built between them until they were surrounded by the glow of their joined magicks. Maya threw her head back and flew. Her body released from its physical shell and exploded into a thousand pieces. And Draakar, her truemate, caught each and every piece and put her back together. As one, they came down from the heights. Maya dropped forward until her head rested on his chest, and he placed his arms around her.
“I love you,” she told him. “Since the day I was born, I love you.”
He kissed the top of her hair. “I love you, too.” Wrapped in each other’s arms, they finally found the peace together that had always eluded them apart.
Lord. My Lord.
Draakar, who is that? Maya woke abruptly from a sound sleep.
Valour, and his sisters, I think. They are trying to reach me. They must have tapped into the power our mating generated to be able to call to me now. Come, we must go to the Stones. It is a portal so I should be able to communicate with them better from there.
“But…what’s going on?”
“Come, we must hurry.” Draakar had them in the center of the Stones before the last syllable left his mouth.
Maya looked at her mate who held her hand and stood naked beside her. She looked down at herself, just as naked. “Oh no! Wait a second.” She immediately clothed them both in matching golden silk robes.
Draakar smiled. They cannot see us, my love. I am the only one who shall ever see you, thus. Then his facial features relaxed into a more serious expression. Holding Maya’s hand he closed his eyes and the Stones glowed brighter than they had the last time they were there. An aura of light reflecting all the colors of the rainbow surrounded Draakar and Maya. She closed her eyes, instinctively knowing she needed to join her powers to his. The colors blazed brighter with their combined magicks.
Thank the Claw we reached you.
Valour. What happened? How did you know you would be able to communicate across the portal?
Greetings, my Lord and my Lady. My sisters and I knew you had found your mate, Lord. Our casting showed it so; we knew your powers would be strong enough to hear us through the portal if we tried at the Center of the Stones on Akgon.
I suspected as much. What’s wrong?
You must return, Lord. Sierran was only the first. Since then others have weakened physically.
Have any died?
None yet. But it is only a matter of time.
Bring those so weakened to the Circle of Stones, Valour. I think their healing power will help until my return. I cannot come back just yet. There is danger here, too.
Maybe Sherri can help, Maya interjected.
Draakar looked at his mate. Yes. Maya is correct. Sherri is one of the human brethren and she is a natural healer. She will be able to help sustain those who are ailing until Maya and I can return.
Is the power there strong enough then to open the portal more than once, so easily? Valour asked.
Yes, the magicks here are very strong and I am at full strength. With Maya’s help, I can open the portal to Akgon at will. And with the help of the brethren I’ve awakened, we can all cross over anytime.
Very good. But Majesty, what is this danger and how soon will you follow the healer?
Maya understood Valour merely tried to understand why his Lord didn’t return straight away. After all, he had found his mate. And with the longstanding of a trusted friend and advisor he had no fear of asking, so Draakar replied. There has been a complication here on earth. The silver dragon, the betrayer, is still alive.
Maya could hear the shocked gasp of Draakar’s advisor in her mind.
But…how can this be? Your mother killed him after he murdered your father.
I’m not sure how it happened, but he is alive. There’s another complication. Time moves differently here. How long have I been gone from Akgon?
Ah, I should have realized that. You’ve been go
ne for six of our cycles. How long is that on Terra?
I have been gone a long time. I have been here about two Earth weeks. It is referred to as Earth now. But I cannot leave until the betrayer has been found. He’s gone to ground in another dimension.
Do you know which one?
No. But there can’t be many portals that link to Earth.
That’s true, I do not remember there being many.
We will call on the Stones for help to show us where all the portals on planet are located. If we can’t find him then we’ll seal all we find, so no one may enter Earth’s realm without my leave. This may take a few days.
Yes, the Stones would be aware of all the portals. The betrayer must be stopped. He would not be satisfied with destroying Earth. Akgon would be next.
I know. I will send Sherri, one of our Firsts, to you shortly, and I expect her to be treated accordingly. But she is still learning the full extent of her powers.
Have no fear, Lord, all shall be made aware of her rank and I will help her harness her magicks as I’ve helped you and Talon. Besides the healer and my Lady, how many others have you been able to awaken?
There are many here, Valour, who carry the blood.
So it’s true? The brethren bloodline still exists there?
Yes, Valour, it’s true. There may be truemates here that can save our world.
Praise to the Claw and Mother Earth for keeping us within her bosom. I look forward to finally meeting the forgotten ones, forgotten no more. I will pass this on to the others.
My Firsts are seven of the strongest awakened brethren.
Seven is a number of power.
And they are very powerful. The Earth magicks have been changed somehow. You’ll see when you meet them, and I have a surprise for you.
I already know you’ve found your truemate.
Ah, but she’s so much more. You’ll see. “He’s going to weep with joy when he see’s you’re a Dam,” he whispered to Maya.
“Why?” Maya whispered back confused.
“Because at long last the brethren would have a queen. And a powerful one.”
I look forward even more then to meeting my Lady, at last, Valour sent, interrupting their verbal exchange.
And I you, Valour, Maya sent.
Maya touched Draakar’s arm to get his attention. “I think Paul should go with Sherri so she’s not in a strange place alone. Besides I’m not sure you can separate them.”
“I think you’re right,” he replied. Valour, Sherri will be accompanied by another one of my Firsts, Paul, but he has been damaged. The betrayer killed his wife in front of him and then tried to drain his life energy. I’ve restored his balance but it will take time for his spirit to heal. To that end, I believe Sherri helps him.
Are they a mated pair, Lord?
I’m not sure. I think it’s too early to tell.
I might know when I see them.
I shall send Sherri and Paul through within the hour; have a place in the palace prepared for them of human proportions. They have not learned to take their dragon form yet, but you can teach them how when they get there. The magicks here are very strong and prevent them from changing. And Valour, please do not greet them in dragon form. I don’t want to scare them the first time in an unfamiliar place.
Don’t worry. My sisters and I will take good care of them. What about Talon, will he be returning with you?
We’ll see.
Draakar cut the connection and the Stones lost their brilliant glow.
“We’ll gather everyone here,” Draakar said, “but first I’ll speak to Sherri and Paul to let them know what’s happening on Akgon and why they must go ahead of everyone else.”
“I think we should speak to them face-to-face,” Maya said. “It will not be easy for them to leave their lives here on Earth, but at least they’ll be together.” Maya spoke through her own concerns about leaving her world and entering another. As queen no less. She found the prospect daunting and something she chose not to think about. Instead concentrating solely on being with Draakar. The brethren needed him on Akgon, and Valour’s comments proved how much. Her place lay by his side.
They found Sherri and Paul in the green room, one of many sitting rooms in the castle, already seated side-by-side on an original Queen Anne sofa. Their fingers entwined. The room had a plaque at the entrance titling it the green room, even though the only thing green in there was the sofa. Maya and Draakar turned to briefly stare at each other before returning their gazes to the couple before them.
They immediately stood. “Lord, Lady. Congratulations again,” Sherri said with a smile in her voice. “We didn’t expect to see you so soon, at least not until a little later when we were to gather at the Stones.”
Maya blushed slightly at Sherri’s words. “Ah…we have some news from Akgon.”
“Yes,” Draakar confirmed, taking her hand. “Now that my full powers are engaged, my advisor was able to communicate with us. There is trouble on Akgon.”
“Oh no!” Sherri and Paul exclaimed in unison.
“You know our world is weakening, and the brethren as a result are also weakening. Some have fallen very ill. I cannot return yet. I must try to find the betrayer first or at least prevent him from returning to Earth by sealing the portals of the other realms.”
“How may we help, Lord?” Paul asked.
“Sherri is a healer, like me. In fact, she is stronger at it. I need her to return to Akgon and help the brethren there.”
Sherri frowned. “But I don’t understand. Are they physically injured in some way?”
“Not exactly. Over time their life energies are being drained so the body functions more slowly until it completely shuts down, resulting in death. But this can take a very long time. Unfortunately, we’ve reached the time when the decline is happening faster in some of the older, less powerful dragons.”
“But…how can I help? What can I do?”
“The same thing you did for Paul and Maya’s mother. With the help of the Stones on Akgon, you can help keep the energies of those brethren who have begun to fail balanced until I can get there.”
Sherri turned to look at Paul. Maya could read the worry emanating from Paul for Sherri and the uncertainty in Sherri’s eyes at the thought of leaving Paul.
“I…”
But before Sherri could finish whatever she wanted to say, Paul spoke up continuing to stare at Sherri. “She’ll go and help anyway she can, but I’ll go with her.”
“Of course, you can go with her,” Maya said quickly. “We didn’t mean she was going to go by herself. It’s always better to have someone you know with you in a strange place.”
Signs of relief appeared on Sherri and Paul’s faces.
“Then we’ll go,” Sherri said. “How soon will we leave?”
“Right after we attempt to locate the betrayer, we’ll open the portal to send you both to Akgon.”
Paul hesitated. “But if we do locate him, won’t you need us here to help kill the bastard?”
“No. I can take care of him by myself now.”
“Don’t worry, Paul,” Maya stated. “Draakar will not face the betrayer alone and you will be avenged.”
Paul nodded his head in agreement.
“Why don’t the two of you go and pack?” Draakar said. “Take whatever you want and then join us at the Stones.”
“Will we be able to create things there, Lord, like we can here?” Sherri asked.
“Hmm, I’m not sure. When we first arrived on Akgon, Earth was still in a primitive state, and we had no trouble creating the things we needed using our powers on Akgon. But electronics, computers, as you know it, I don’t know. However, you can create whatever you want here and take it with you, and you can certainly test the limits of your powers on Akgon.”
For the first time since his wife’s death, Maya read the glimmer of interest flaring in Paul at the prospect of testing his powers. He had been an engineer so it would be interesting to see wh
at he came up with.
Chapter Thirty
Paul and Sherri arrived in the cavern, a large suitcase in each hand, a few minutes after everyone else and took their places around the circle. Maya’s parents were not there. Even though Maya’s mother could harness magicks, Draakar didn’t want her trying to expend any energy until she had been trained. So her father kept her company in their room.
Draakar and Maya stood in the circle and called on the power of the Stones. He held her hands and laid his forehead against hers. The current of energy in her answered the call of need in him. The familiar glow of magicks surrounded them, getting brighter and brighter. Together they harnessed the strength of the Stones but, no matter how much power they generated, they were still unable to locate the betrayer. Mother Earth couldn’t help because he had escaped through a portal not of her world, but one that merely had a gate anchored here.
At least now they knew the locations of all the portals on the planet. There were five in all. The Circle of Stones portal already had its own protection and barred the betrayer from the area, as well as the portal to the mist. That just left three they had to close, but all the portals would always be watched.
“Will we be able to close the other portals from here?” Maya asked.
“Unfortunately, no,” Draakar responded. “Since the portals are only partially on Earth, as the anchor, I will have to be physically present at each of them to ensure they are closed from this side.”
“Then we all will go with you, Father,” Talon said.
“That will not be necessary, Talon,” Draakar replied directly to his son, hoping from his tone Talon would know his Lord spoke to him and not his father. He noted Talon wisely decided to keep quiet, even knowing what came next. “I will not need everyone to go with me, but I will need everyone’s help for something else. We will open the portal to Akgon. I can open it myself now, but you all will need to know how to open it if I’m not around.”
Draakar understood what Talon wanted to know and what he feared. He did not want to go through the portal until he found his truemate. His father watched as Talon silently listened, so he sent directly to him to ease his apprehension. No Talon, you will not be returning with us.
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