“Uleirlel knows what happened. I want to talk to her. Can you fly me to her home?”
“After I clean up a bit and eat breakfast.”
“What do you eat for breakfast?”
“The leftovers from the night before. Yereth has returned.”
Anya walked back into the cave. “I’m amazed you found this mountain cliff with so many caves—enough for all of you.”
“We’ve always lived here. I don’t know who found it in the first place, but it’s served us well. We could never live among mortals in their habitat. We need the mountains.”
She had her answer. If she was the only one left and could claim the throne, she could never claim him or Yerith as her consorts. Yerith? He hadn’t shown any interest in her, yet, although she admired him as much as she did Cyton. Then again, she’d spent more time with Cyton and she’d only been there a very short time.
“Will you check on what’s happening to the castle and my people today?” she asked again.
“Yes, I promised you we would. If you ask one more time, I’ll spank you. Let’s eat.”
“You wouldn’t dare!”
“Don’t tempt me, Princess.”
They ate bread and leftover bird. Anya missed her usual fruit, eggs, and biscuits. She wondered what she could do with what was available. “Do you eat fruit?”
“Yes, when we bring some home. Yesterday we only brought game back with us.”
“I miss my fruit.”
“Then today we’ll bring fruit back with us,” Yerith said and smiled.
She felt his gaze on her and knew he also had an interest, though he wasn’t as forward as Cyton.
“I’ll be back for you in a little while,” Cyton said after depositing her in front of Uleirlel’s cave.
“What is this?” Uleirlel looked angry as she stood. “I don’t like unannounced visitors.”
“I’m sorry. I asked Cyton to bring me here so I could talk to you.”
“Talk to me about what?”
“I need to know what happened to cause the rift between my people and yours.”
“It’s not talked about. But since your father apparently never told anyone and you’re going to be our queen, you have the right to know.”
“It must have been very bad.”
“Sit, child. Here, have some of my herbal tea. I just made it.” She poured some liquid into a cup and handed it to Anya.
“Cyton also told me you can help unlock the magick hidden within me. Why did none of it surface? No one in my family had special powers.”
“So many questions. I’ll start with your first one. Many years ago, your father courted Yurkis’ daughter. They were to join in marriage and Theldaia was to be his queen. At least, that’s what he led Theldaia and Yurkis to believe. They mated many times. When your father kept postponing the official ceremony, Theldaia tried to force the issue by removing the birth control spell. She told him she was expecting his child and thought he would finally set the date for their official joining. He was very angry. He shouted he wanted no dragon child and banned Theldaia from the castle. Within a few months, your father took his first bride, and shortly afterward, another. As you know, your father had many wives.
“Theldaia became ill. She pined for your father and wasted away. Nothing could heal her broken heart, no medicines, no spells. First, she lost the baby. Then she suffered a slow death. Yurkis’ pain and anger at losing his only daughter was appalling to witness. He vowed to destroy your father, the castle and all the royals. The council talked sense into him and he agreed that war was not the answer. He set new laws. No dragon was ever permitted to speak to a royal or their subjects or have anything to do with them. No one from our clan was allowed to venture beyond the forest. This law was passed to all the clans to obey at all times. Yurkis was and is The Timeless One and much revered among our people.”
Anya tried to absorb it all. She’d always known her father was fickle, a philanderer, but this was beyond cruel. To lead a woman on into believing she would be his queen only to discard her like a dirty rag, that was unforgiveable. “I’m so sorry. I knew my father was spineless, and not the best of kings, but for him to do something like that, is unthinkable. I wish I could make it right.”
“It happened so long ago. Yurkis himself broke the rules when he allowed you to remain with us. He has a good heart. To send you back would have meant certain death.”
“Maybe he thought that the death of all my brothers and sisters was enough retribution for the loss of his child. Dragons live for hundreds of years. Doesn’t he have other children?”
“Sons. No daughters.”
“I would like to see peace between us. We can all live in harmony. Why can’t dragon folk live among mortals?”
“You’ve seen how big we are when we shift and the spread of our wings. We need plenty of room. Your houses and streets are too confined for us. Look at the size of our courtyard.”
“I suppose you’re right. But there are the open fields.”
“And how would you know about the fields? I thought you’d never left the castle.”
“I was told about them. My father didn’t allow us to go beyond the main gates, but others shared their knowledge.”
Uleirlel snorted. “He was still afraid of Yurkis’ retaliation.”
“Do you think that was the reason?”
“Definitely.”
“If I’m the only royal descendant left, I will claim the throne. As queen, I’ll do everything in my power to bring peace back to us all.”
Uleirlel nodded. “I said you were saved for greater things.”
“Now, can you unlock the magick within me?”
“Your father must have had the sorcerer Unayus cast a spell to lock the magick in all mortals, though I should stop calling them that. They’re about as mortal as me. Why he would do such a thing, I don’t know. I also don’t know if I can find a counter spell, but I’ll try. Since Unayus lived in your castle, he may not be alive for me to contact him. That’s if he’d even talk to me. I’m tired now, child. Leave me be.”
“Cyton hasn’t returned yet.”
“Go wait for him outside. He’ll see you and will come to fetch you.”
Anya spent the day in the courtyard with the women, trying to learn as much as possible about their culture. When the men returned from their hunt, she waited eagerly for them to join her.
“Did you check out the castle, Cyton? Yerith?” she asked.
“We did,” Yertith said, his face somber.
“It’s all gone?”
“Much of the castle is still standing but there is no sign of any life,” Cyton told her in a soft voice.
“The aliens?”
“We didn’t see their crafts. There are survivors in the townships.”
Her heart was heavy. “I need to go back.”
“We’re not positive the aliens have all left. We didn’t see any of their ships, but we didn’t delve into the townships deep enough. There could still be aliens present,” Cyton said, not meeting her gaze. “I think it’s dangerous for you to return right now. If they find out there’s a royal alive, they’ll try and capture you to get information about the treasure.”
“I don’t know where the treasure is or if there even is one. Surely my father would have talked about it.”
“But they don’t know that, do they?”
Yerith confirmed it. “No, they wouldn’t, and they would torture you horrendously. You need to wait, bide your time. Cyton and I will investigate further as time goes on. When it’s safe for you to return, we’ll tell you.”
“And in the meantime, I’m nothing but a slave—all right, a servant. Are there no other clothes here? Do your women all dress in this type of clothing all the time?” she said, pointing to her bra and belt.
“Yes, most of the time, but our women do have formal clothing for special events.”
“Like what?”
“Weddings and celebrations. On such occasions
they wear gowns that equal the gowns the royals wear, but for daily life they’re hardly suitable.”
“Don’t you tire of living in caves? Wouldn’t you like to live in nice homes?” She knew it was a stupid question, especially after Uleirlel had explained it to her.
“And how could we shift and flap our huge wings? This is the best habitat for us. We have all the room we need for our dragons.”
“Why can’t your dragons defeat the Gonks?”
“They do, if we have enough time to shift into our dragon. Sometimes the Gonks overpower us so fast that we can’t summon the magick to shift.”
“Oh. It’s still all a mystery to me.”
“The meat is in the smokehouse. Anya, we need more vegetables and bread. If you go to that building over there,” Cyton pointed her toward a wooden building, “it’s our market, where you can get all we need.”
“What do I use to buy it?”
“Oh. Sorry,” Yerith said. He dug into a pouch and produced small pieces of gold. “Here you go. That should be plenty.”
“What is this worth?”
“They’ll weigh it. It’s more than enough. Believe me.”
With her empty bags slung across her shoulders, she entered the building. Amazed at the array of flour, vegetables, grains and fruits, she bought until both her bags were filled to the brim. Yerith hadn’t been kidding when he said she had plenty of gold to pay for everything.
“I bought a whole bunch of stuff, but now I have no empty bags for the meat. Do you guys hunt every day? And the women have to get the meat each night?”
“Yes. That’s our custom. I’ll fly you up so you can empty your bags,” Yerith offered.
Anya emptied her bags and turned to Yerith to fly her back down to the courtyard. She noticed his ardent gaze scanning her from head to toe. “Yerith?”
“Anya,” he said in a deep voice. “I desire you so much.”
“I’m flattered, but I’m betrothed,” she said softly, though at the same time she couldn’t help but admire his body and the way his loincloth tented.
“Your betrothed is gone.”
“You know that for sure? He didn’t live at the palace. I don’t know if he was already at the palace in the courtyard for the wedding when the attack came.”
“Wasn’t he a royal guard?”
“Yes.”
“Then he would have been at the palace, and there’s not a soul left alive.”
“He was one of my father’s guards. Maybe he hid and fled, like me.”
“Do you love this man?”
Anya was lost for words. Had she ever loved Sorlos? No. She barely knew the man. All she knew was that they were promised from birth. She’d met him once and had shuddered. He was a short, rather stocky, gawky, strange looking young man, with insipid eyes, mousy thin hair that hung limply down his back, a hooked nose and very thin lips. She’d questioned her father at the time and gotten into trouble.
“Anya, do you love this man?” Yerith asked again.
“I don’t really know him. No. He was chosen for me at birth.”
“Were you looking forward to joining with him for life?”
She didn’t want to lie. “No. I didn’t think he would be a good husband, but my father insisted I obey.”
“You’ve never known love, or a man who desired you for who you are.”
“No.”
“I’ve fallen in love with you and I want to make you mine. I also know my longtime friend Cyton has fallen in love with you. In our culture, we can share a woman. Could you ever love both of us?”
“Yerith, I’m flattered, but this is all so new for me. If I’m to claim the throne, how could I ever have a dragon as my consort? Let alone two dragons.”
He took a step toward her and Anya waited, her heart fluttering wildly against her ribs. He pulled her into his arms. His cock jutted out and throbbed against her stomach. These men were so big, so strong. Lifting her, he raised her enough for her face to be on the same level as his.
“Cyton has seen you naked. I want to see,” he said and set her on her feet.
Within seconds, he’d undone the bra and the belt, and they fell to the floor. All she had left on were her boots. His hands were on her breasts, his fingers tweaking her nipples. Liquid pooled between her thighs, her pussy throbbed and her clit swelled. It wasn’t possible. She couldn’t possibly have the same feelings for two men, two dragons. He lifted her off her feet and pushed her legs around him. If she didn’t want to fall, she had to cling to him for dear life. Her legs locked around his hips, her breasts pressed flat against his chest. He cupped her bottom, and at the same time, sought her mouth. He kissed her. His lips pressed hungrily on hers and he sucked her tongue into his mouth. She could hardly tell the difference between Cyton’s kiss and Yerith’s. Her libido went into overdrive. She pushed her pussy hard against his abdomen as his tongue swirled around inside her mouth. Her juices spilled.
“Anya,” he whispered against her face. “You’re beautiful, so delightfully elfin. I’ve fallen in love with you.”
She came to her senses and pushed hard against his shoulders, causing him to release her. “How dare you!”
“I’m sorry. I meant every word I said.”
“Don’t you know that a union between me and either of you is impossible?”
“Why?”
“I’m going to claim the throne. I’ll be the next ruler of this world. My father—”
“Your father is the one who instigated the rift between our people.”
“I don’t care. I can’t have shifter dragon husbands. It’s unheard of, and you’ve said yourself you can’t live among us.”
“It’s unheard of by who?”
“By all our people.”
“And you know this how? You’ve been sheltered your whole life, dealt mostly with women, never been outside the palace gates. You haven’t got a clue how the population of Vorcia feels.”
He had set her on her feet. She hastily fastened the bra and belt, but couldn’t help notice his erection. His belt had fallen to the floor and below the waist, he was naked. His cock throbbed against his belly, the tip reaching his bellybutton. It was big, fat, and as large as Cyton’s.
Oh Goddess, I crave these two men now. I’m grieving for my beloved departed, but at the same time, I’m in heat for two dragon shifters. Goddess, help me, please? If I am to take the throne, I can’t take these men as my consorts. She stepped back. “Yerith, I have feelings for Cyton, too.”
“I know.”
“How do you know?”
“I told you. We have special abilities.”
“Uleirlel told me we’re supposed to have special abilities, too, but besides hearing the Goddess’ voice, I haven’t experienced any.”
“What else did Uleirlel tell you?”
“She doesn’t know if she can find a spell to counter the one placed on us. I wonder why my father had the sorcerer do such a thing. Uleirlel said she didn’t understand either.”
“Maybe someone misused their powers?”
“Then why wouldn’t my father punish only the guilty one?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t heard many good things about the king. I’m sorry.”
Anya swallowed. She had to accept that the man she loved had an evil side, a trait he’d never shown to his children. Then again, how well did she really know him? Once a week, the king had dinner alone with his children. She recalled how he would bounce her on his knee when she was little and felt her throat constrict. As she got older, his affection became less. He seemed more interested in marrying his daughters off and concentrated his attention on the heir to his throne, her older brother Yankema. She didn’t even know her brothers well, since the women and girls were always kept separate from the men and the boys. She was close to her sisters but, one by one, they had married their respective betrotheds. Her sister just above her was to be joined with her betrothed the day of the invasion. Anya was the only one left without a husband. T
he king was quite old when she was born. After she’d been born, he took no more new wives.
A tear escaped as she thought about the woman that she’d never see again, her mother whom the king had discarded not long after she was born. Why her mother had angered the king, she didn’t know and never would.
“I’m sorry. I upset you,” Yerith said and reached out to touch her.
She jumped back. “I need to go and get meat,” she snapped, swallowing hard and wiping her eyes.
Chapter Six
Anya had been with them for two full moons when Yurkis summoned her and her two protectors early one morning. Anya wondered what it was all about as the three of them hastened to Yurkis’ cave.
He was a formidable man, even bigger than Cyton and Yerith. He was also much older. His once very long black hair was streaked with gray. Anya had only seen him a few times from a distance. He awoke awe within her and she feared the man’s anger against her father. But he had allowed Cyton and Yerith to keep her. He hadn’t ordered them to take her back to the forest for the Gonks to devour.
“Approach.”
“Timeless One, what is it you desire from us?” Cyton asked.
“I’ve spoken with Uleirlel. She informs me the girl is the next ruler of our world. It is time to return her to the castle.”
“There is no one left alive in the castle, Timeless One,” Yerith said.
“My scouts tell me there are still many mortals in the towns.”
“And aliens,” Cyton said. “We don’t want to send her toward danger.”
“Do not lie to me, Cyton, son of Otora. You should know better. You both wish to keep the woman with you because she is comely. You desire her. That’s why you lie. The aliens are long gone.”
Anya stepped ahead and turning faced the two men. “They’re gone? You deliberately lied to me. You know I want to go back to the castle. How dare you!”
Tears threatened but she managed to control them—tears of anger and disappointment in the two men.
“Girl, you control your anger well. You are not like your father. I see a resemblance to your grandmother.”
“Yes, it was said I look like her.”
Anya's Dragons Page 4
