Touched by A Dragon: The Exalted Dragons (Book 2)

by K. T. Stryker

  “Excuse me?” someone said. “I was wondering if you could help me with something.”

  Gaby lifted her eyes up to the man speaking, and saw a tall, well-built, handsome man standing before her. He was standing upright, looking down at Gaby with a wide smile. He had soft brown curls, thick eyebrows, a thin nose and bright blue eyes. He had a clean shave, and wore what was clearly a very expensive suit. He carried a brown, leather briefcase under his right arm, and had his left hand in his pocket. His voice was soft and charming, his gaze rich and full of life. Gaby stood up, in awe of the incredibly beautiful man standing before her. What a work of art, she thought to herself.

  “Are you okay?” he asked with a soft smile as Gaby just stood there, frozen and speechless.

  “Oh! Umm…” she muttered, her cheeks bright red and her eyes wide open. “Oh, yes! I’m sorry. How can I help you?” He laughed, showing his bright white pearls and the dimples at the corners of his mouth.

  “It’s alright,” he said. “I was just wondering if I could return some books I’ve had for a while.”

  “Oh yes! Of course!” she said, her voice slightly shaken and unsteady. “Do you have them? I mean, of course you have them. Sorry.” He laughed again, alluring her with his charm.

  “Yes, I do have them,” he affirmed. He rested his briefcase on the desk, and took out three books and put them one on top of the other before her. “There you go.”

  Gaby smiled, staring back and forth at him and then at her computer. She sat back on her chair, and gradually entered each of the book’s codes into her database.

  “That’s strange,” she said, her eyebrows slightly crossed in confused. “These books were checked out three years ago. It even says here that their status was changed from ‘delayed’ to ‘missing’. Have you had them this long?”

  “Well, yes,” he said.

  “Why did it take you so long to return them?” she asked. “I know it’s none of my business, but I’m just curious.”

  “No, it’s okay,” he said. “It’s complicated though.”

  “It’s alright,” she said as she gave another shy smile. “Unfortunately though, there’s going to be a huge fine. I’m sorry, but it’s just the library’s regulations.”

  “That’s completely fine,” he said. “How much is it?”

  She typed in a few things, and then stared at the screen again in confusion.

  “That’s weird,” she said, “It says here ‘fine paid’.”

  “Oh,” said the man, “That solves it then!”

  “I don’t understand why it says that, though,” she said. “I’ll have to check with the library manager to be sure that this information is correct.”

  “It’s okay,” he said, “As you should.”

  “I’m really sorry if I’m being a pain,” she said, “I just don’t want to get into trouble.”

  “It’s okay, really,” he said, his voice charmingly comforting.

  “I’ll just get your information,” she said. “What did you say your name was?”

  “I didn’t,” he said with a wide smile, “I thought you would figure that out on your own.”

  Confused by what he said, she looked closely at him, wondering if she did in fact know him.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t think I particularly kno…” and then she recognized him, and suddenly paused, staring at him in utter surprise. Covering her mouth in astonishment, her eyes shimmering and wide open, she said, “Wait…No, it can’t be! Are you…are you who I think you are?”

  “Yes, I am,” he said in relief. “It took you long enough, Gaby.”

  “Chuck?” she asked.

  “Yup!” he confirmed. “Although the correct name is Charles, if you want to accurate enough.”

  “But…” she mumbled, “But, I just saw you last night! You were…you were bleeding on the ground, I thought you were dying! And before that you were…”

  “A homeless man in rags?” he completed her sentence after a few moments of silence. “Yes, I know.”

  “What happened?” she asked. “I mean, I’m so relieved you’re alright! What happened that night? I was looking for you for over a week, but there was no sign of you! And then you show up at the door almost bleeding to death! I tried to ask Madam Marie what was happening, but she wouldn’t tell me anything and said that you were an old friend and that I shouldn’t worry but I just couldn’t…”

  “Gaby!” he said, holding her hand, “It’s okay. Calm down. I’m fine. It’s a long story but I can’t tell you about it now. Just breathe! It’s all going to be okay.”

  “I just,” she said, “I just thought you had died! I was so scared, I didn’t know what to do.” She suddenly burst into tears. Charles went around the front desk, walked up to her and hugged her as she sobbed on his shoulder.

  “It’s okay,” he said, holding her tightly against his chest, caressing her hair and breathing into her shoulder. “It’s okay. I know it was a horrible thing to witness, and you must have been terrified. And I know that the fact that the people around you aren’t giving you any answers is incredibly frustrating. But you have to trust us. We are keeping you safe.”

  “Keeping me safe?” she asked, distancing herself from his arms as she wiped away her tears. “Keeping me safe from what?”

  “It’s not the time to tell you any of this,” said Charles as he lowered his eyes to his feet. “I am asking you to trust me, Gaby. Can you do that?” He was so charming and so confident that Gaby couldn’t help but say yes.

  “It’s been…” he said, “very hard for me. I wish I could open up to you. You somehow make me feel safe. You make me feel that you might truly understand. But I have to do the right thing. And the right thing is to keep you safe.”

  “Why are trying so hard to keep me safe?” she asked, remembering that night in the alley but feeling that she shouldn’t bring it up, at least not now.

  “Because…” he mumbled, his face red with embarrassment, “Because I care for you, Gabriella.”

  “But you don’t even know me,” she said.

  “You might think so,” he said. “But believe it or not, I know you more than you think.”

  Gaby stood silently before him, staring into the deep blue of his shimmering eyes. She felt that there was much more to him, much more to the homeless man she occasionally saw on the streets on her way to class. So many terrifying things have been happening around her, things she could not explain and had no means of getting answers for. But as she stood there, looking into Charles’ eyes, she suddenly felt a strong and powerful urge to trust him. It was as if he represented something dark and mysterious, yet still infinitely wonderful. She wanted to be around him, to get to know him more.

  “How about we get together for dinner?” he asked.

  “That sounds wonderful,” she said, smiling warmly. “I would like that very much.”

  “How about tomorrow?” he asked.

  “Yeah, that works well for me,” she said in excitement.

  “Alright then,” he said, “I’ll pick you up at eight. The library is closed on Sundays I think, so you don’t have to work, right?”

  “Yes, tomorrow is off,” she said. “Where would we be going?”

  “It’s a surprise,” he said.

  Charles said his goodbyes, and Gaby watched him leave the library. She forgot about her meeting with Madam Marie, and wasn’t as bothered by curiosity as before. Somehow the way Charles fixed his eyes onto her made her forget about the world. The trust she quickly placed in him made her finish her tasks, head home and calmly fall into a deep sleep. Her heart was at ease for the first time in days.

  Chapter 9

  The next day, Charles passes by Gaby’s house and picks her up for dinner. The minute Gaby opened the door, Charles was astounded. Never had he seen such beauty, such elegance or such innocence. She wore a long dress, completely backless and widely open from the front. Her breasts hung small and round, showing themselves pearl white against the strong
contradiction of her velvet red dress. She had her hair up in a neatly tied bun, and smiled elegantly at Charles as she walked gracefully down the stairs. Charles was frozen before, motionless as his jaw dropped in awe.

  “I clean up rather nicely too, don’t you think?” Gaby said, teasing him. He laughed, staring vibrantly into her eyes with a smile. He watched her get into the car, observing her every movement like she was a precious artifact waiting to be glorified. They drove off under the shimmering moon above, holding each other’s hands in appreciation for such a beautiful moment.

  “You look amazing,” said Charles.

  “Thank you,” she replied. “You look quite handsome yourself.”

  “But next to you,” he said, “I’m nothing. Your light outshines anyone that dares to stand next to you.” Gaby blushed, looking down at her purse as she laughed.

  “So,” she said, “where are we going? Isn’t it time you told me?”

  “I told you,” he said, “It’s a surprise.”

  “Am I going to like it?” she asked, seeming a little concerned.

  “You will love it,” he said, looking at her and then back at the street.

  Charles was clearly driving outside of town. They moved farther and farther from the blazing lights of the busy city, and out into an open darkness that showed nothing but a bright moon and a ceiling of stars. He parked his car at the peak of a high hill, and got out, opening the door for Gaby. He realized that she was a little anxious, perhaps even a little frightened by the place.

  “Do you trust me?” he asked, extending his hand for her to hold as she got out of the car. She looked at his hand, and then up at his charming smile.

  “I trust you,” she said, feeling entirely safe the minute he looked at her with his bright blue eyes. She takes his hand and steps out of the car, he walks her into the dimness of the forest. As she walked with him, a little scared, she lifted her eyes to see a large open space, full of nothing but exotic flowers and plants. In the middle stood a wooden table with two chairs, on which lay an extravagant dinner and romantic candle lights.

  “Oh my gosh,” she said, admiring the scene. “You did all of this?’

  “I have a skill or two you might not have known about,” he said. “Does that mean I have your approval?”

  “My approval?” she asked, pressing her hand onto her chest. “You’ve just claimed my heart, Charles.”

  “Please,” he said, “Sit down.” He pulled up a chair and helped her settle in it. He then took a seat next to her and they began what would perhaps be Gabriella’s most magical of nights. They spent the evening having amazing food, talking about books, music, art, and literature. Charles turned out to be much more educated than she could have ever imagined. He had an incredible knowledge bank, full of vibrant experiences. He knew things only very few people in the world would know. He also had a wide grasp on history, as if he had lived through he narratives he told.

  “It’s kind of strange,” Gaby said, as they paused between laughter.

  “What is strange?” asked Charles, charmed by everything about her, from her looks and gaze to her mind and gestures.

  “Well,” she said, wiping her mouth with the tablecloth and then taking a sip of her wine, “It’s as if you’ve lived for thousands of years, you know?” Charles looked at her in amazement. She was quite the perceptive young woman, he thought to himself.

  “What do you mean?” he asked, pretending not to understand.

  “I don’t know,” she said, “You speak with so much detail, so much precision. It’s as if you’ve lived throughout the whole of history. It’s like you have a soul that’s been around for centuries.”

  “That’s a silly thing to say,” he said, “But I’ll take it as a huge compliment nonetheless.”

  “Well, in a way it is a huge compliment,” she said. “But I guess I’m just…amazed. You truly are something, Charles.”

  “Well,” he said, looking directly into her eyes, “You, Gabriella, are quite the exquisite work of art.” She blushed again, but this time feeling her body overheat. She started to breathe heavily, realizing that she was excited by Charles. She suddenly had the image of herself lying naked on a mattress, with Charles on top of her spreading soft kisses all over her chest, her stomach, her crotch. She was suddenly wet between her thighs, crossing her legs and rubbing her thighs tightly against one another.

  I can’t believe I just had this image, she thought, somewhat embarrassed.

  “Are you alright?” asked Charles, realizing that her face was as red as her velvet dress.

  “Yeah, yeah,” she said, laughing. “It’s just a little hot today, don’t you think.”

  “If you say so,” he said, giving her a clever smirk.

  They spent hours on that hill, on that table, under that moon getting to know everything about each other. Charles opened up to her much more than she could have hoped. He turned out to be an incredibly complex man, with lots of wounds and scars that never healed. He was broken in a way, thought Gaby. She wanted to be there for him, to let all his dark sides fall helplessly into her arms. She also opened up, telling him about her father’s protracted illness, her mother’s extended grief yet hopeful character, her times at school, her hopes, her dreams, her fears and nightmares. She told him everything, hiding nothing. And then she decided to ask him the question that he promised one day to answer.

  “So,” she said, “do you think it’s about time you told me what happened that night at the library?”

  “Why are you so eager to know?” he asked.

  “Because I witnessed what was probably your near death experience, Charles,” she explained. “Lifting you up from the ground, I felt that could have easily died right there in my arms.”

  “Yes, well,” he mumbled, “It really is complicated, Gaby.”

  “Try me,” she said. “I mean, you’ve brought me here on this secluded hill, told me all kinds of interesting stories, listened to me confess my deepest and darkest of secrets, and here I am asking you a very simple question about something that very much concerns me, and you still insist on hiding it from me!”

  “I just,” he said, “I just don’t want to scare you away, Gaby.”

  “You won’t,” she said. “Believe me, if what happened that night didn’t scare me away then be sure that anything else won’t.”

  “Don’t be so sure about that,” he said, standing up and looking down at the town under the bright moon above. “People here live in oblivion, Gaby. They don’t know what happens around them. All they see is what we want them to see. But the truth is, there’s an entire world hidden within the one you think you know.”

  “Who are we, Charles?” she asked.

  “People like me,” he said, turning around and facing her. “People who are different. In fact, I don’t even think the word People is the most accurate one to use at this point.”

  “Charles, you’re losing me,” she said, her eyes shivering in confusion. “What are you trying to say?”

  “Gabriella,” he said, moving closer to her and taking her hand, holding it tightly between his palms, “What if I told you that I wasn’t the person you thought I was. Actually, No. What if I told you that I had a different side to me, one that was unlike anything you’ve ever seen?”

  “What kind of different side?” she asked. “Like an ill-tempered side, an evil side, a crazy side?” Charles sighed in frustration, feeling that telling her the truth would actually scare her away, namely because it was beyond anything she could have ever imagined.

  “Never mind,” he said, letting go of her hand and moving away. She ran after him, holding his arms and pulling him close to her, their chests almost touching.

  “Hey,” she said. “I may seem lost, and I may seem young, stupid, and too innocent. But I’m strong, stronger than you think. You can trust me. Please, tell me! Tell me what you’ve hidden from me for so long.”

  “Okay,” he said, “How about we make a deal?”


  “What kind of deal?” she asked.

  “Every time we see each other, I will give you another piece of information,” he explained. “I will build up the story gradually, so as not to give you everything at once. But I also need you to know that I am doing this for you own protection above anything else.”

  “Okay,” she said. “That’s better than not saying anything at all, I guess.”

  “Now,” he said, “Having gotten that out of the way, there’s something I’ve been meaning to give you all night.”

  “Please don’t tell me you have more ancient books to return,” she said. “Every time you return something, the database says that you’ve had the books for years, which requires me to go back and do an entire catalog check, which by the way is very exhaustin…”

  “Gaby!” he interrupted her. “I don’t want to return another book. I want to give you something for your own keeping.”

  “And what’s that?” she softly asked, staring into his deep blue eyes as he held her from the waist and moved her closer to him. He used one hand to stroke her soft hair, as his other hand went gracefully down the thin small of her back. She started to blush, both charmed and excited by his movements. He suddenly pressed his lips onto hers, feeling the warmth of her tongue on his own. She closed her eyes completely, feeling the softness of his cheeks with one hand as she clawed into his curls with the other. They kissed passionately, feelings each other’s bodies interlock into one another. They both felt like they were one person, escaping the drifting loneliness of impending solitude by living solely in the perfect wholeness of the here and now. Gaby was no longer afraid, and Charles was no longer worried. They kissed with wide open mouths, breathing heavily into one another’s lungs, their chests so tightly pressed against each other they could each almost feel the other person’s heart pound into the other.