Magic rippled over my skin, and I felt my wings unfold naturally, in spite of me remaining in human form. My thoughts and Kirril’s became one, and as he climaxed as well, I felt his pleasure as if it were my own. More importantly, I sensed his love for me, impossibly true and real. Whatever doubts I might have had faded, replaced by certainty.
Through the strength of our bond, I found something deeper, an answer to the question that had been plaguing me for seemingly ages. I’d compared myself many times to my enormously powerful parents, tried to find my own affinity within theirs. How wrong I’d been. Dragons were normally elemental creatures, yes, but my power lay in a different field. I thanked Bowie, or fate, for it, because I didn’t think I could have burned people to a crisp or turned their blood into ice.
“Love,” my mate whispered inside my mind. “Your affinity is love. Why am I not surprised?”
As I released my hold on his throat, I smiled down at him. “Probably because you must have guessed even before I knew for sure.”
He grinned back, his entire being emanating peace and affection. “Perhaps. After all, I did fall for you within instants of first seeing you.”
My wings melted back into my body, and I allowed his member to slip out of me and collapsed by his side, spent. “Never mind that you shot me with a crossbow before.” I nibbled on his earlobe playfully to show him I didn’t care about that anymore. “You know, I never thought my mate would be a slayer, but now, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
He wrapped a possessive arm around my waist and kissed my forehead. “I know what you mean, baby. I know exactly what you mean.”
Chapter Seven:
In Which a New Journey Begins
As a soldier, I was used to waking up at dawn, before the first rays of the sun even perked up from beneath the veil of darkness. Due to this, being cloistered inside Victor Frankenstein’s castle was quite unpleasant. The moment I opened my eyes, I was gripped by the urge to go exploring. Fortunately, my new mate was in my arms. I might have been an active person, but I also wasn’t an idiot, and I could think of far better ways to exercise than going jogging around a mysterious castle or finding out if one could spar with an elf named Igor.
Dineiro was more than happy to indulge me, and we only left my room when our stomachs started to make protesting noises. Of course, it was at this time that I found I didn’t have any extra clothes, and my mate’s only garment remained my cloak. Fortunately, my pants were usable, but my tunic and top armor would never grace my torso again.
I ended up wrapping Dineiro’s cloak around him as tightly as I could and decided that for the moment, that would have to do.
“We’re going to have to ask our host for some help in that department,” I said as we stepped into the corridor.
“Well, I’m sure Doctor Frankenstein will give us a hand,” Dineiro assured me. “He has been very accommodating and nice to us so far.”
As he spoke, my thoughts went to my dear mare, Magda. Yes, Frankenstein had been helpful, and no harm had come to Larue. Similarly, Vesper seemed to be safe. However, I knew very little about what had happened to Magda, beyond what I’d seen in the mysterious sphere from Bowie. I didn’t think the path had lied to me. It—he?—had no reason to do so. Still, I remained deeply unsettled and felt guilty that I’d allowed myself the comforts of Dineiro’s embrace while she was still lost Gods knew where.
“I wonder how long we have to wait until it’s safe to leave,” I commented.
Unsurprisingly, my dragon guessed or perhaps read my concern. “We’ll ask them. I’m sure they’ll have some idea as to where Magda could be.”
We found Igor in the room with the m-mail device, a chamber I now identified as a laboratory of sorts. A man we hadn’t met before had joined the elf. From his position on the stranger’s shoulder, Larue waved. “Hi, Dini. You look much better.”
“Hey,” my mate greeted his friend. “Must be because I feel great.”
“I’m happy to hear that,” the stranger said, clapping his hands together. “I’m always pleased when my guests enjoy themselves in my home.”
Given the degree of comfort Larue had with the man in question, I wasn’t in the slightest bit surprised that his voice belonged to the cat from the night before. “Do you only shift at night?” my mate asked.
“Yes and no.” Our host shrugged. “It’s complicated. In any case, it’s safe to leave the house now. The veil between dimensions has stabilized, and you’re not in any danger of being swept off, or worse, separated.”
“Prince Kirril, we’re told that you were separated from your mare as well,” Igor said. “I’ve arranged for you to speak to someone who may offer some information.”
As if on cue, the two gargoyles that had greeted my mate and me at the gate flew in through the window. Just like before, one of them was in tears and the other grinning.
“You rang?” the laughing one asked.
“Prince Kirril wanted to know where his mare is.”
“Oh, she’s perfectly safe.” The weeping gargoyle sniffed and wiped its teary eye. “And what a sweet thing she is. We took her to Lord Stiltskin.”
“Wait…” I struggled to process what he was saying. “You’re the spirit hunters?”
“Not the name calling again.” The same gargoyle sobbed. “We’re only trying to help.”
“Help?” I repeated, feeling my temper rise. “By stealing my mare? You know, in some regions of Arthuria, such a crime is punishable by death.”
“That really isn’t something to brag about, love,” Dineiro whispered in my mind. The intimate communication startled me to some degree, as I hadn’t had the time to get accustomed to the bond between us. However, it also filled me with a sense of peace, calming down my anger.
Taking a deep breath, I glanced at the two gargoyles again. “Look, you might mean well, but that doesn’t make stealing people or horses all right.”
“We don’t steal,” the laughing gargoyle explained. “We merely take people where they need to be. We act as the agents of fate.”
For some reason, that really irritated me. I’d have said something scathing, except the Rainbow Brick Road had delivered me to Dineiro, so I couldn’t argue against the usefulness of it.
Still, I wasn’t at all comfortable with the situation. “What about those stories of you feeding on magic?”
“It’s not true.” The crying gargoyle seemed to beg for me to understand. “People have a way of exacerbating things. The simplest example is a situation like the current one. Someone finds his mate with our help and never returns to his or her previous home because of it.”
Somehow, I found that a little hard to believe. As if guessing my thoughts, our host said, “Of course, it does happen at times that powerful people use the so-called spirit hunters for their own benefit. Being magical creatures, they are vulnerable to the power of certain mages. Sadly, the current situation might have a connection to that.”
“But we never meant to hurt your mare,” the crying gargoyle rushed to explain. “Lord Stiltskin wouldn’t harm her, and the road would never allow it.”
There must have been some sort of connection between the gargoyles and Bowie, but I didn’t have the patience to inquire into it further. Likely, they wouldn’t even tell me, and I didn’t particularly care. We were going in circles, and so far, the only thing I’d learned was that rumors were wrong about the spirit hunters and that the gargoyles depended in some way on Bowie. That didn’t help me very much, though. It did relieve me a little, since, in the past, Bowie had proven to be helpful, but it was simply not enough. In the end, my goal was a different one. “Where is Magda exactly?” I asked. “Who is this Lord Stiltskin?”
“Oh, he’s a hermit,” Igor replied. “No one really knows him too well, but he does have a daughter he loves a lot. Magda must have been a gift for her.”
“Well, actually, he has a son,” Victor corrected his assistant.
Igor frowned. “Daughter.”<
br />
“Son,” Victor insisted, arching a brow.
“Look, I don’t care about Stiltskin’s offspring.” I threw my arms up in exasperation. “I just want my horse back. So, as the ones who took her, do point me in the right direction.”
The two gargoyles exchanged a look. “Very well, but a fair warning.” For the first time, the laughing one looked serious. “Lord Stiltskin doesn’t like to have his plans thwarted, and he’s a very powerful mage.”
“I’m not afraid,” I shot back. “Although I would appreciate it if you gave me a couple of details on what exactly he can do.”
“Would you like a list?” Victor Frankenstein asked helpfully.
Larue just looked pained, while my mate emanated concern. It seemed clear that we’d gotten ourselves in quite a predicament. It would not be easy to retrieve Magda.
“Please,” I replied with a sigh. “And while you’re at it, direct us toward the person holding Vesper. You say he’s safe, but right now, I’m not convinced of anything.”
“Understandable.” Victor nodded. “Very well. We’ll lead you there. I wouldn’t want you to get lost, or worse. Just give me a few moments to prepare.”
Our host actually began to write the promised list, and as he did so, Igor turned toward us. “While you wait, perhaps you’d like some clothes?”
I didn’t even ask him how he’d known about my unexpressed wish. Likely, the discomfort of having my mate exposed for the entire world to see was showing and contributing to my frustration. As such, we followed the elf, leaving Larue and Victor alone in the mysterious lab. I wondered what other oddities awaited me in this strange realm. As I looked toward my mate, though, I knew that I’d be able to face whatever I found, as long as I had Dineiro by my side.
“I’m glad you think that,” Dineiro said in my mind. “I suspect we’re going to need that bravery of yours.”
I grinned, pulling him closer to me. Testing our mind bond, I thought, “In this particular case, it’s not so much bravery as love. And for the record, Dini, no matter what happens, I won’t ever regret our bond.”
He smiled, although he looked a little unsettled by my words. I didn’t really know why I’d said that either, but I vowed that this Stiltskin person, no matter who he was, would not separate me from my mate, nor would he get to keep Magda. I’d make sure of that.
* * * *
In the end, our journey began perhaps half an hour after our original discussion with Victor Frankenstein and the gargoyles. By the time Igor provided us with clothing and a light breakfast, our host had already made the preparations for departure.
We met by the stables, where we found him with a couple of horses already saddled. Two of the mounts were talking and eyeing Kirril with assessing looks. “They’re curious because they heard you care about your mare deeply,” Victor explained. “Now, here’s the list you wanted.”
He handed my mate a dishearteningly large scroll. When Kirril unraveled it, he seemed dismayed. “Is this for real?”
Victor nodded. “And that’s only what I know of.” He retrieved another scroll and offered it to Kirril as well. “This is what I’ve heard of, but haven’t seen it proven one way or another. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Victor and Kirril each mounted a horse. I was reluctant to do so, mostly because I’d never ridden before. “You can ride with me,” Kirril offered.
“I think I will, yes,” I replied. Fortunately, I was small enough that I wouldn’t burden Kirril’s horse too much.
Kirril pulled me up on the saddle in front of him, supporting me against his powerful body. The position made it so that I could feel every part of him, including his dick, against me. I did my best to control my arousal, although I was only half-successful. It didn’t help that, through our bond, I could feel Kirril’s more than enthusiastic response.
Sadly, we didn’t have time to explore the potential of our new situation, as Victor kicked the horse into a brisk gallop. Igor stayed behind, presumably being left in charge of the castle. Larue, however, had his usual position on Victor’s shoulder. I made a mental note to discuss Victor with my friend. They were getting very close, too close perhaps. Not that I was anyone to judge, but I didn’t want my friend to end up with a broken heart.
As we rode out of the courtyard of the palace, the gargoyles joined us, flanking our group like a sort of stony escort. I was reassured when I noticed the road under the horses’ hooves remained rainbow-colored, although neither Victor, nor our strange guides made any comment on it. At one point, we passed a large canyon, and Victor pointed to a broken bridge across the abyss. “That’s the road toward Vlad’s castle,” he explained. “He hasn’t bothered to fix the damn thing since the only people who ever visit find a way to fly across, mostly with the help of the gargoyles.”
I decided that I’d be able to do the same, as the crossbow wound had healed perfectly. However, Count Vlad sounded nicer than Stiltskin. “Perhaps we should see to Magda first,” I suggested. Whether Kirril realized it or not, I knew she meant as much to him as Larue and Vesper did to me.
His hand squeezed mine where it rested on the horse’s neck, and he whispered in my mind, “Thank you for that, baby. We’ll find Vesper, too.”
Victor nodded and followed my suggestion. We reached the end of the mountainous region with no incident and finally stopped at the edge of a forest. In the distance, I thought I could spot something that looked like a tall tower.
“From this point on, we’ll be headed into Lord Stiltskin’s domain,” Victor said, a dose of warning in his voice. “Be careful.”
I noticed that the Rainbow Brick Road had once more parted into two different directions, one that led right, presumably in the general direction of Count Vlad’s castle and one disappearing into the forest. This time, however, we received no guidance.
Bowie was silent, and left to our own devices, we stepped into the forest. As it turned out, it might not have been a very good idea. We’d barely passed the first couple of trees when our horse neighed wildly, no longer sounding like an intelligent, magical beast at all. I lost my balance and fell off the animal, but so did my mate in his eagerness to keep me from getting hurt. However, as we hit the ground, the moss-covered earth seemed to open up. I screamed, and somehow managed to reach for my mate. Kirril’s hand latched on to mine, and the last thing I registered before my world turned black was his voice whispering, “I love you.”
Chapter Eight:
Dini, We’re Not in Merlinia Anymore
When I’d accepted a dragon as my mate, I’d thought that there were few things left that could surprise me. But it seemed that my life was over and over trying to prove me wrong. Being swallowed by the ground in a magical forest certainly did that pretty well.
I couldn’t have said what happened between the moment Dineiro and I fell into the suddenly emerged abyss and the one when I opened my eyes to see a blue sky above me. I only remembered holding my mate’s hand tightly, cursing myself for my arrogance, and hoping that at the very least, Dineiro would survive Stiltskin’s spell. At one point, I might have surrendered to unconsciousness because after that, it was all a blank.
Nevertheless, when I recovered from the strange stasis, it wasn’t that fear and apprehension that gripped me, but relief. Dineiro’s hand still clutched mine, and our bond remained in place, telling me that my sweet mate was all right.
That realization swept away the remaining cobwebs from my brain and I immediately turned toward him. Dineiro was looking around, taking in our current location with wide purple eyes. “Where in the world are we?” he asked.
At that, I finally allowed myself to see beyond the blue sky, the relative peacefulness of the place, and Gods be praised, the fact that wherever we were, the journey here hadn’t hurt Dineiro. What I saw shocked me as much as the ground opening under my feet had. We had been lying on grass, yes. There were trees around us, indeed. However, this was definitely not a Merlinian forest, or at least I didn’
t think so. The grass ended a few dozen feet away from us, and a path snaked from around, separating this patch of greenery from another one. Groups of people, both old and young, walked around, while others sat on the benches strategically placed in the area.
I recognized a park when I saw one. Arthuria’s capital, Camelot, had numerous such places for the enjoyment and relaxation of all. My father’s palace boasted huge gardens, as did my own domain, granted to me as was per my position as prince and my rank as general.
The park itself wasn’t what surprised me. Neither did the fact that the path held no sign of the rainbow colors I’d become accustomed to. What did unsettle me, however, was the sight of the buildings that loomed beyond. The oasis of greenery seemed surrounded by mammoths of brick, mortar, and glass, towers that by far surpassed what I’d seen in Merlinia so far.
To make matters even more confusing, the people themselves were strange, dressed in clothes I didn’t recognize and toying with odd items. One of the objects in question reminded me of Victor Frankenstein’s invention, and I briefly entertained the notion of attempting to contact the man before disregarding it. There were too many people around, and I suspected it would hard enough for Dineiro and me to blend in without me trying to steal someone’s possession.
“Dini, we’re not in Merlinia anymore,” I told my mate through our bond.
It seemed clear that our foe had sent us to some distant land where we wouldn’t bother him. I might have been a prince, but there were numerous places out there I wasn’t even aware of. Arthurian explorers had trouble going beyond Merlinia, which was why whatever territories awaited there remained largely a mystery. I could only hope the people here understood the common tongue, because otherwise we’d be in huge trouble.
My Mate's a Dragon Slayer? Page 7
