by Marie Harte
Jentaron, king of the dragons, stared down at him with a sly grin. The new king had only hatched a month ago, yet he carried pieces of wisdom and a knowledge of dragonkind that far surpassed that of any normal dragon. Full of magic, the first blue dragon in over ten thousand years, Jentaron was quick of wit, quick to laugh, and quick to punish any who had wronged those he considered his responsibility. He also appeared to take after his brothers Teban and Ranton, who were known for lingering in human form.
Today he wore a pair of loose white linen trousers over his human skin.
“Welcome, James. Are you feeling better?”
James slowly sat up, relieved to find he’d been clothed in jeans and a button-down shirt, clothing he’d normally wear when visiting the dragons. With any luck, no one had seen him dragged into the stronghold naked and unconscious. So embarrassing. He rolled his neck and shoulders and felt no pain. “I feel great.” He did. It was as if Naya’s bites had never been.
“You’re welcome.”
James paused. “Ah…thank you?” A glance into the dragon’s blue-and-silver marbled eyes, full of mirth, warned him to be wary, so he changed the topic. “You know, you really do look a lot like your brothers.” Any attempt to get the king’s mind off James’s prior condition. Truth be told, Jentaron did look like his brothers. Not as broad in the shoulder as Ranton, nor as tall as Teban, but Jentaron still had similar features. Those sharp cheekbones, a strong nose and square jaw. He had white-blond hair, whereas his brothers were dark. That smug grin, though, that was all Teban. “Where is that green-scaled brother of yours, anyway?”
“Teban and his charming guest are touring the fertile fields. They’ll be back soon.”
“So he asked you to babysit me?” So annoying.
“Not exactly. You weren’t healing as quickly as you normally do, so Teban asked me to help.” Before James could protest, Jentaron blew a wave of blue flame over him.
James started to pat down his chest in a panic before realizing the fire didn’t burn. “How…?” As was the case with James’s own blue fire, the magic didn’t harm him. It soothed, merging with and boosting James’s energy. Of all the demons known to the lower realm, only he and his siblings managed blue flame. Dragons breathed fire. As in the red-and-orange stuff that scorched and left nothing but ash behind. But this?
Jentaron shrugged. “Eve told me it’s thought that a demon mutation several millennia ago spawned the first dragon. Perhaps our fire isn’t so different.”
“Speaking of Eve, where is she?” James’s sister had mated Jentaron’s brother a few weeks past. Now she and Ranton, the big bastard, acted as the king’s Guardians.
Jentaron sighed. “They never let me have any fun. I wanted to see the female havoc, and they denied me. So I came here to be with you while they keep an eye on Teban and his guest. She’s quite attractive and full of chaotic energy. I can’t stand not getting closer to her.” Jentaron quivered like a pup.
At times like these it was easy to remember Jentaron had been an egg not long ago.
“Yes, those plump breasts. The tight belly, those muscular thighs. Yum.” Jentaron sighed. “I’m lonely. I miss sex.”
Then again, Jentaron was a full-grown dragon with needs. “Ranton not sharing Eve anymore, eh?” Imagining his sister servicing two dragons made him want to poke his eyes out. Perhaps he should mention that to his father the next time Asael wanted to throw him in The Pit. Thoughts of his sister having sex were much more traumatizing.
“No.” Jentaron sighed again. “She taught me much, but she’s not for me. The havoc, on the other hand, might—”
“No.”
At Jentaron’s raised brow, James amended, “I believe she’s taken a liking to Teban. I’d hate for you two to fight over a female.”
“But she smells so good.” Jentaron closed his eyes in bliss. To his chagrin, James recognized a future lady-killer. The dragon king had what most females favored: a strong character, dense muscle, handsome features and, damn it all, wings. Bad enough James had to deal with Teban ferrying the sultry havoc around. She’d cooed over the dragon prince. If the dragon king expressed an interest, James would have no shot whatsoever. Not cool.
“So—Teban. I need to talk to him. Where is he?”
“Yes, you do.” Jentaron grinned. “You ran out on your term of service. I would have gone to Asael to demand justice, but Teban assured me you would pay. Should I talk to your father about your lack of honor?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m a cheater and a con artist. Big news.” James snorted. “Quit being a narc and tell me where your big brother is.” Probably not smart to boss around the dragon king, but James was a demon, not a dragon. And he wasn’t in the mood.
He called forth a ball of blue flame and bounced it in his hand while he waited. An inner part of him felt itchy, as if he were missing something. Friggin’ Jentaron was becoming a huge pain in the ass. Hell, James had asked a simple enough question.
Jentaron’s eyes narrowed. “Demon, only the fact you’re Eve’s brother holds me from taking your head.”
“Yep. You’ve got little-brother syndrome down pat. Whiny and annoying. Just like Duncan.” James’s identical twin. Technically, Duncan had been born first, but James liked to reinvent history to his benefit.
Just as Jentaron took a few steps closer, Eve and Ranton entered the chamber.
“Thank the Dark.” Eve blew out a breath and glared at Jentaron. “Where the hell have you been? I was—”
“We were,” Ranton corrected in a low growl.
“—looking all over for you.”
“You honestly think someone might try to harm me in my own stronghold?” Jentaron blinked.
“J, we’ve had this talk before. You might know you’re all-powerful, but the rest of the Abyss sees you as an untested youngling.” Eve shook her head. “Please, let us protect you. At least until the New Year.”
“Oh, right.” James brightened at the reminder of a party. “I almost forgot about that.” The lower realm celebrated their New Year on the date Lucifer had created the Abyss. Roaming the Ordinary for thousands of years had gotten old, and cold, far too quickly. Demons preferred heat wherever possible. The Abyss was lovely.
To James’s surprise, he found he liked Teban’s place as much as his cherished demon lands. It was so fiery and stark here. So beautiful with all its jagged rocks and venomous inhabitants. It felt like home.
“Very well,” Jentaron agreed. “But on the New Year celebration, when I demonstrate my skills, prepare for a new set of responsibilities. I will not need such close guards then.”
Eve rolled her eyes. “Yes, my liege.”
“He is bossy, isn’t he?” James asked.
Ranton snorted, and a puff of smoke left his nose. “Yeah, he is. Come on, little brother.”
“I’m your king,” Jentaron reminded him with a smirk. “You’re supposed to bow to me.”
Ranton pounced and put him in a headlock. Then both males started wrestling. Jentaron proved surprisingly agile, but Ranton was a dragon warrior, unbeaten in any form of combat.
James raised a brow. “Are they like this all the time?”
Eve tried not to grin. “Pretty much.” She stared at James, and her smile grew wider. Meaner.
“What?”
“You know you came in looking like death.”
“Thanks.”
“A tiny female was carrying you. Like you were a baby needing tender care.”
The dragon siblings stopped fighting to laugh at him.
“No. I was injured. Teban…” The asshole had allowed the female to carry him into dragonlands, where one and all would have gotten a good laugh. Teban, I’m going to make you pay for that. Though irritated, he had to admit Teban’s vengeful side was terribly attractive.
“Don’t worry, James. When I told Duncan, his first con
cern was how you were feeling.”
He groaned. “You told Duncan?”
Ranton added, “She did. Right after your twin realized you were healing, he laughed and laughed. And then I think he laughed some more when he heard that not only had the female havoc carried your sorry ass, but that a nine-year-old whooped said sorry ass.” Ranton chuckled.
“She looked like she was twelve,” James snapped, mortified. Teban and his big mouth. “And she was havoc!”
Eve ducked her head. “Really, James. How can I call myself a Sinclair?”
James wanted to pound someone—preferably someone green with wings and a snout. “Where. Is. Your. Brother?” he asked the dragons through gritted teeth.
“Ah, James. You’re awake.” The source of his aggravation finally entered the room with pretty Kihra by his side. “Time to begin your ten days of service.”
For stealing a freakin’ dragon egg. James glanced at Jentaron—the freak egg in question. “I still don’t see why this is necessary,” he muttered. “It’s obvious the egg—” he pointed to Jentaron “—came to no harm.”
“That’s debatable,” Ranton argued. “It’s also obvious too much demon influence prior to his hatching has made him like this.”
“Ranton.” Eve planted her hands on her hips. “That’s a terrible thing to say.”
“And so true.” Jentaron nodded. “I blame Eve.”
“I blame James,” she growled.
“It was all Duncan’s idea.” Charging the twin who wasn’t around to defend himself with the crime? James’s standard MO.
Kihra looked around with an innocent curiosity. “So many dragons.” She paused in her inspection of Eve.
“My sister,” James explained. Damn, but he hadn’t imagined the havoc’s beauty. Kihra had an archaic sense of energy that leant to sin. He wanted to roll in her power, right after he seduced the fight right out of her.
“And my brothers,” Teban added. “This is Ranton, commander of the dragon legion, and Jentaron, our future king.”
Shit. James watched Kihra all but genuflect before Jentaron, and it annoyed him to no end to see the king take her by the hand.
“So, you’re havoc. What a lovely female. You’re hot.”
“Subtle he is not,” Ranton said with a chuckle.
“No,” Teban interrupted. “She’s actually hot. Touch her hand.”
Then Ranton was getting all touchy-feely with Kihra while Eve watched. Had his sister no pride? Her mate was touching another woman!
Ranton looked startled. “She is hot.”
“I know. Fascinating.” Jentaron practically purred with enthusiasm.
Time to cut in. “You know, this is just super having everyone around,” James said. “But I need to get busy with my service payback, as ordered by my father. You remember Asael, our great lord of pain and suffering? The Fallen who has a love affair with The Pit?”
“Oh, right,” Eve nudged Ranton. “We’ll see you later, then.” Eve and Ranton dragged Jentaron away, but not before Eve shot Kihra a sly grin. “Oh, and thanks for saving my brother. The way you carried him here. It was…touching.”
“Yes, well, he was so weak, I felt sorry for him.”
Eve, Ranton and Jentaron left laughing.
Next to him, Teban fought to contain his own grin.
“That was cruel, even for you,” James snarled.
“Oh, come on. You were hurt, and she wanted to hold you. She’s really strong.”
Kihra nodded. “I am. Watch.”
To his and Teban’s astonishment, she lifted the dragon prince as easily as she’d handled James. When she settled Teban back down, they both stared at her.
“You see? I am in no danger from you lesser beings.”
“Lesser beings?” Teban puffed up. Prideful lizard.
“She obviously means you. We demons are made of stronger stuff. And before you accuse me again of being weak,” James said to Kihra to forestall more insults, “your niece bit me like a bazillion times over the course of a few days. It wasn’t just blood loss. She’s venomous.”
The havoc shrugged. “Our young are more potent than the adults.”
“Exactly.” Vindication, finally. Wait. Kihra was venomous too?
She frowned at him. “I still see no sign of your supposed strength.”
Teban shrugged. “Me neither. But what can you expect from a ‘lesser being’?”
“Hey, I’m strong.” James teleported behind her, caressed her cheek, then vanished before she could grab him. He reappeared behind Teban. “It’s a mind game with me. Not a physical fight. Catch me if you can, lesser beings,” he taunted.
She pulled a short blade out of thin air and threw it, but he’d already vanished and teleported behind her. He hugged her from behind as they watched the blade embed into Teban’s stone wall. By Baal’s bones, the female was strong.
Not wanting to get on her bad side when he had sex on the brain, he kissed her soft skin and blew a patch of blue fire over her neck. Nothing to burn her, but a heat to warm her from the inside out. He focused the flame to sink deeper, seeking her core, stirring her sexual need.
Her moan was like music to his ears.
“Tsk, tsk.” Teban shook his head. “Playtime is over, James. You owe me.”
“Please. We both know my father’s ‘justice’ is worth two shits.” He kissed her neck again, pleased when Kihra angled her head away to allow him better access. Not one to let an opportunity slide by, he sucked her neck and cupped her bountiful breasts. Teasing her nipples into points distracted Teban.
The dragon didn’t blink for several seconds, then shook his head and stepped closer.
Kihra moaned. “Sacrifice now?”
“Not yet, sweetheart.” But Teban’s gaze hadn’t left her breasts. “James, let her go.”
“No.” James ran his hands down her belly to dip under her skirt. Damnation, she wore nothing to impede his reach toward her—
He suddenly found himself no longer touching her, pinned under Teban’s…tail? The uptight monster had shifted into his true form. And he was big.
“Oh, dragon prince. So handsome.” Kihra ran her hands over Teban’s scales, delighting in his large size, which took up most of the room. Knowing he’d pushed Teban past the lazy dragon’s limits, James surrounded himself with blue flame. And just in time.
Teban snorted and a burst of red-and-orange dragon fire licked James from head to toe. It tickled and, truth be told, it made James hard. He’d always felt aroused by Teban’s flame, come to think of it.
Kihra stopped touching Teban to stare at James in awe. “So pretty. That blue is powerful.” She reached closer, then drew back her hand. “You are not as weak as you first appeared. That is good.”
Her words amused Teban enough to make him smirk at them, baring long fangs James secretly found attractive. He’d always thought Teban too handsome for his own good, as a dragon or a human. But now he was hard pressed not to desire the male, whereas before he’d only ever lusted after females.
“It’s time you paid for your sins, demon,” Teban said as he shifted back to human. He hadn’t retracted his wings, and Kihra stared between his new form and James.
“Will you hurt him, dragon prince?” She sounded eager for yes.
“Call me Teban, sweetheart.” Teban hadn’t looked away from James, and a spark of evil intent was plain to see.
“Fuck.” James felt rock hard and aroused to the point of pain.
“Teban. What will you do?”
Teban explained to her the circumstances leading up to James’s debt. The prank to steal a dragon egg and blame the theft on the angels was still a classic. James knew he and Duncan would go down in infamy for that one, so nothing Teban wanted to do to him was too high a price to pay. Besides, they were friends—friends who’d just recently
gotten off on some lovely frottage, but still, friends.
“Oh, that was wrong.” Kihra shook her head. “But so devious. I’m coming to like you more and more, demon.” She paused. “James.”
“Thanks,” he said drily, but part of him meant it. He wanted the havoc to like him. To want him. “So, Teban, you going to talk me to death or what?”
“I’m going to use you as my slave for the next ten days.”
James sighed. “Whatever.” That sounded boring but fair. He’d been tortured, humiliated, and nearly killed too many times to count in the past four centuries, so life as a dragon’s slave wouldn’t be more than he could handle, not by a long shot.
“May I help, Teban?” Kihra asked.
“I insist upon it.” He smiled and caressed her cheek. “Now let’s tie up my new slave. He needs a good whipping.”
“This is what you bitched about me missing? A whipping?” Not very creative or thoughtful. James had expected more from the dragon.
Then they stripped James down and hoisted him up in chains. Though his ankles had been chained to the floor, his wrists were outstretched, imprisoned by chains hanging from the ceiling.
Teban explained to Kihra what he had planned for the “naughty demon”.
James felt tingly all over. A whipping was just the beginning of what his kinky friend planned to do. Hel-lo, Teban, you pervy green bastard. Where have you been all my life? “What the hell?”
“Exactly.” Teban smiled, showing sharp teeth. “A demon at the mercy of a dragon and a havoc who are very, very hungry. Time to feed, Kihra.”
“Oh, Teban. You are a most considerate host.” She glowed with happiness, which made James even more excited.
“I try.”
They advanced, and James had one last thought. Asael, you conniving manipulator, you knew what you were getting me into. Then the pain began, and he found his own slice of heaven in the depths of the Abyss…
Chapter Four
The archangel Uriel paced around his heavenly receiving chamber as Annua, his most favored of holy warriors, reported, “The dragons decimated our ranks, I’m afraid. We’re taking some time to rebuild. But our hosts aren’t yet ready.”
