If so, the eggs were the answer. It made sense.
If Deleny’s death had been because of the eggs…Oh, VoT, how many had she and Uthiel discovered that day before finding the empty nest and making love in it? It had been a game―just a stupid game―to them.
But did that excuse the mother dragon’s actions? Did it give the beast standing before him now the right to tear Deleny from his arms and drop her to her death?
No!
Uthiel placed the tip of the blade between two scales on the dragon’s chest and thrust.
When the tip was no deeper than an inch into the creature’s body, he stopped. He couldn’t force himself to thrust deeper.
Briar screamed, “No, Uthiel!”
He wrenched his sword free. Blood trickled from the wound, and Carnelian’s eyes glazed with pain and a touch of fear. But she didn’t flinch or attempt to defend herself in anyway.
The young black dragon wailed like the baby he was.
The massive head of the red dragon swung toward the young black one and emitted the saddest sound Uthiel had ever heard.
A sound he understood. Not a plea for its own life. Not even a cry of pain. But the sound of weeping, of loss and regret so profound, it almost brought him to his knees.
She was saying goodbye to her child.
Uthiel’s breath caught in his chest.
He couldn’t do it. What had started two years ago as curiosity and play had become a tragedy, yet taking the life of the majestic creature before him could never make things right. Nothing in this world or the next would. How could he have ever believed that would be possible?
Uthiel gazed at Briar with soul-deep sadness. He’d failed everyone after all. The Paladins of Albrath, Deleny, his family, himself and, most of all, Briar.
Was he healed, as Briar alleged, or would he never again be whole?
He shrugged. In the end, it didn’t matter. The life of another was too high of a price to pay for his own.
Dropping his sword upon the ground, Uthiel stepped away.
****
Briar broke free from the hands holding her and ran to his side. Throwing her arms about Uthiel’s waist, she clung to him tightly. “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, for not killing Carnelian.”
Her joy disappeared as she watched Uthiel’s face cloud with despair.
“Don’t you realize what this means, Briar? I can never be the man I so wanted to be for you, for us. I can never give you children. A future with me will be bleak, and after awhile you’ll come to resent it. I’ve failed you, my lady. I’m sorry.”
Briar lifted a hand to the stubble-covered chin she loved so dearly and stroked it tenderly.
“Oh, Uthiel, when will you listen to me and realize you are whole? Together, our love makes both of us whole, and you are the only man I’ll ever want or need or love. Without you, my life would have no purpose, no meaning. I love you with all I am, all I ever hope to be, for today, tomorrow, and all the years to come.”
She waited, hoping against hope her words had finally gotten through to him.
Uthiel shook his head. “You say that now, my lady, but as the years drag on and on, you will change your mind.”
Briar’s heart sank. What was it going to take to make this man realize his worth? With a deep sigh, she rested her hand against his chest, right over his heart, and gazed into the stormy-blue depths of his eyes.
“Let’s not worry about what the future may hold,” Briar whispered. “The future will come no matter what. Love me each new dawn as if it were the only day we’ll have, and I promise to love you the same way. It will be more than enough to last me a lifetime.
“Uthiel, my brave, honorable paladin, let the tomorrows and their worries take care of themselves. We’ll take care of each other.”
It broke her heart to watch a single tear make its way down his cheek. She leaned in, and with the very tip of her tongue, captured the tiny droplet of liquid, savoring the taste of both salt and man. Wishing with all her heart she could somehow kiss away his worries and hurts.
It wasn’t going to be that easy, though. His next words convinced her of that, if nothing else.
“Don’t you think I want to love you every day of my life? For I do, and I will. But I’m not a whole man, Briar, and now I’ll never be. No matter how much you wish to believe that I am, I know I am not.”
Anger flared at his stubbornness, and she tamped it down, knowing instinctively Uthiel would more quickly respond to a challenge than to her anger. “You think I’m wrong, that you aren’t healed? Then dare to let me prove it to you.”
She whispered in his ear, “Let’s go somewhere private. I’ll fuck you so long and so hard you’ll either come or die trying.”
Uthiel laughed, and the sight of it sent Briar’s heart soaring.
“Why, you naughty-talking little lass. Are you telling me you plan to fuck me to death in just one encounter?” he whispered back.
She couldn’t help but giggle as she nodded, “If that’s what it takes. Well, except for the dying part.”
Uthiel dropped to one knee. “Miss Briarlarn Tumbleweed, if you succeed in your quest, I pledge to you my love, my loyalty, my protection, my heart, myself, for today, tomorrow, and all the days of our lives.”
Leeky Shortz snorted, “What the purple pox marks made by a pickled polecat’s pustulated penis rubbing up against the side of a barrel of ale do ya make of that? All this lovey-dovey stuff is making me and Sarco hungry. Let’s go eat.”
****
Uthiel shook his head and sighed. Would there ever come a time when the irritating gnome didn’t interrupt an important moment?
He grinned up at Briar and said quietly, “Until later?”
She nodded, and he rose from his knee to embrace the woman who owned his heart.
That’s when it happened.
A brilliant flash of light momentarily blinded him, and a quake that shook the ground dropped Uthiel once more to his knees. He grasped Briar’s arm and drew her down with him.
Sarco gasped, then bowed.
Leeky stood at attention.
A very old male high-elf garbed in rich, royal-blue satin robes stood before the group. His white hair hung loose to his shoulders and his piercing violet eyes gleamed with power. The stranger extended a staff of glittering, ornate silver toward Uthiel and spoke.
“I am Wizard Arizon. You, Paladin, and your lady have fulfilled the fable I spoke of so many years ago. From this day forward, your lands and people will find rest in this valley. A new era of peace has begun. Under your guidance, the Paladins of Albrath will continue to be entrusted with the protection of the dragons and the magic they beget to this world. Castle Kuropkat will join with the Isle of Mist and become your home and you its master. You will rebuild.”
Uthiel shook his head. “Fable? Me…us? Why? How? I don’t understand, Sir.”
Briar poked him in the ribs. “The fable, remember? Oh my God Draka, Uthiel, the human fable!”
He felt like he should smack his head against something. How could he have forgotten the fable?
His voice rang strong and true as he recited it.
“‘When a man whose heart is stout and true joins with a woman whose love flows through and through. And together they embrace a soul who forgiveness is due, in order to save a life barely started and new. Then and only then will the shadows of ancient wrongs become light and the mist of misunderstanding be lifted and the world become bright.
“‘The time of waiting will come to an end as a leader steps forward of both dragon and men. Tried by fire and forged of true love, ruled by a heart as pure as a dove. United again Castle Kuropkat will be and a time of peace like no other all of Albrath will see.’”
The wizard nodded and chuckled. “Yes, that fable.” He raised an arm above his head, then intoned, “The sound of your children’s laughter will now take the place of the memory of past tears shed, and the castle and its lands will far surpass the glory of days gone b
y.”
Sadness filled Uthiel’s heart. “There will be no children.” He glanced at Briar, and felt selfish. How unfair of him to be the reason she would never hold her children close to her heart. She was so open, so caring, so loving. What a wonderful mother she would’ve made.
“Will there not be?” The wizard touched his staff to Uthiel’s shoulders, first the right, then the left. “Your future, young paladin, and your potential are of your own making.”
Uthiel sighed. If only that were true. Wizard Arizon continued to speak, and Uthiel pushed his own worries to the back of his mind and concentrated on what the high-elf had to say.
“You kneel before me as Uthiel Stoutheart, a mere paladin of the realm. Now arise and embrace your destiny, Uthiel Dragonheart, leader of the Paladins of Albrath, Protector of the Dragons, Master of Castle Kuropkat.”
Uthiel’s knees shook as he rose. Dragonheart? Had the great wizard Arizon actually said Dragonheart? He must have heard wrong. His heart pounded in his chest so hard he was afraid it would explode, and his breath caught, and painfully too.
The Dragonheart line, the most famous human dynasty in all of Albrath, had long ago faded into lore, lost for all time. Now he, a nobody, had just been honored with not only the name, the distinction, the castle, and the protection of the dragons, but also the leadership of his people? It was more than Uthiel could comprehend. He held tightly onto Briar’s hand, his one constant.
His voice cracked as he gazed into the face of the old wizard. “Thank you. I hope I can make you proud.”
Arizon Windwalker smiled, bowed, and shimmered, “You will. Of that I have no doubt, young Dragonheart.” Then he disappeared.
The huge red dragon made her way to Uthiel’s side, then, with the grace of a dancer, she bowed to him. In the deepest recesses of his mind he heard her voice for the first time.
“Uthiel Dragonheart, I am indeed Carnelian and I now and forever pledge thee my service. This day, you and the healer have given me back my life.
“It was an accident, what happened with your other female, and I can never convey how sorry I am. Please, accept my apology. I can’t undo what was done, but I can vow my service to you until the day I die, and I do. We’ve been joined at the heart, you, I, and the healer. I am your dragon, and you are my destiny.”
Carnelian rose to her full height. “Because of you both, the race known as dragon and the magic we bring to Albrath will now live on for centuries to come.”
The ground around them shook, and the air grew heavy. A fine vapor materialized on the horizon.
Uthiel gasped in wonder as familiar faces, tents and buildings dotted the small hillside above the waterfall. Castle Kuropkat gleamed in the distance, no longer broken and barren. The courtyard teemed with life.
Uthiel’s heart pounded in his chest as his father and mother rushed forward and embraced him so tightly he could barely breathe. The Isle of Mist had come to rest at long last.
Briar and Uthiel were home.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Uthiel surveyed the celebration on the hillside. The past few hours had been exhausting as explanations and introductions were made, people and dragons all settled in, and a feast was prepared and eaten.
His homeland was now and forever rooted here, nevermore to become mist and to travel to the far reaches of Albrath. It was strange but, at the same time, so very right.
Uthiel glanced at the beautiful woman standing at ease and chatting with his parents. He was very proud of Briar. Not once had she faltered as he’d taken her hand and presented her to them as the woman he meant to take as wife. Even when Midan Tumbleweed had stumbled groggily from the tower inquiring as to what had happened, Briar had maintained a straight face and gentle grace.
She’d taken on the role of lady of the keep as if she’d been born to it. Even with a persistent, young black dragon―sporting a Leeky-made sling around his wing―dogging her every step, Briar hadn’t stumbled or caught anything on fire, even once. Uthiel chuckled.
He watched her through hooded lids, loving the way her hands had a tendency to reach out and touch whomever she spoke to. How offering encouragement, friendship, and simply herself was as natural to Briar as breathing.
His people gravitated toward her as if she’d always been a part of them. And why wouldn’t they? Briar had a charisma that drew people in. She certainly had that effect on him.
But was she right about him being healed?
Uthiel’s cock hardened as he recalled Briar’s threat to make him come or fuck him to death trying.
He sighed. Did it genuinely matter so very much if he himself could never again find release, as long as he could give her satisfaction?
Wasn’t the joy in Briar’s lovely face when he pleasured her what was really important?
There would be no children, despite the wizard’s words to the contrary. Uthiel’s heart hurt for Briar because of that. But they would still have each other, and she had assured him no matter what the future held, he was stuck with her at his side for the rest of their lives.
But what if she was right?
She made her way toward him, and Uthiel’s heart soared. Her face glowed with love, and her eyes danced with mischief.
Was Briar planning to test her theory now? Did she really think she could actually fuck him until he came or died trying?
Uthiel laughed. Perhaps now was the perfect time to sneak away from the crowds and escort Miss Briarlarn Tumbleweed to a secluded place where she could accomplish her quest.
Either way he was a winner. He would get to slide his cock in and out of Briar to his heart’s content, and if she was wrong, then what a way to die.
He grinned.
****
“Where are we going?”
Uthiel marveled at her trust but wasn’t the least bit surprised at her curiosity. He chuckled quietly near Briar’s ear, “A place where I can have you to myself for a time, my lady. A place where you’ll be free to prove how healed I am. I’ll remove your blindfold when we get there.”
Briar’s happy sigh almost undid his determination to wait until they were at the perfect spot. His arms ached to envelope her, to lay her down on the soft grass, to enter the haven of her warmth.
Hand in hand they walked down the narrow, winding path. A thousand stars twinkled above, and the three moons of Albrath each gave off soft, shadowy light from their different phases.
Uthiel breathed in the fragrance of the wildflowers that filled the air, and gloried in the songs of the night birds and the sound of flowing water in the distance. This was their night, and he wasn’t going to rush it.
A gentle breeze blew warm across his overheated skin, and a quiver of anticipatory excitement scampered down his spine. No matter what else happened this night, his time with Briar would always be perfect in his memory.
When they reached his chosen location, he stripped off the blindfold covering Briar’s eyes. Uthiel delighted in her sudden gasp of surprise and tinkling laughter.
The crystal-clear pool below the cascading falls stretched out before them. Now much more serene than it had appeared earlier in the day, Uthiel watched as the tranquil water beckoned, and Briar inched closer. Likely the refection of twinkling stars dancing upon its surface irresistibly tempted her as much as it did him.
“I’ve chosen paradise as the place to pleasure my lady, and for my lady to pleasure me,” Uthiel said softly.
She spun in his arms until they faced each other. Mischief twinkled in her gaze. “Are you prepared to be fucked to death?”
Uthiel laughed. “Give it your best shot, my lady.” He twisted away from her. “Last one in has to take the top,” he taunted while stripping quickly, dropping his half of the Dragon Heart Opal on his pile of clothing and diving headfirst into the cool, inviting water.
When he resurfaced, Uthiel’s heart forgot to beat. Briar slowly waded into the water, the moonlight glowing on her peachy-perfect, naked splendor. She opened her full lips slightly
in a smiling invitation. Her high breasts, with their pert, dusky-rose nipples teased his taste buds, and his lips tingled with the desire to suckle their sweetness. Her cascading auburn-red hair curled about her luscious hips, partially―but not completely―hiding her perfect pussy from his sight. His cock throbbed in anticipation.
“I win,” Briar teased. “On top of you is always my favorite place to be.”
His heart swelled. God Draka, how he loved her.
Nothing mattered in the entire world but her. Not the Paladins of Albrath, not his new responsibilities as their leader, not dragons, or friends, or castles, or what the future may or may not hold. All that mattered was this woman, this night, this moment in time, and the pleasure he wished to give her unconditionally.
With reverence, with need, with hunger, he touched his lady.
Her hair smelled of misty morning dew and her lips tasted of the finest honey as he plundered her mouth. Their tongues warred as the tang of raw need met soft sighs and the urgent gasps of delight.
He nipped at her neck and was rewarded as her shiver rippled all the way down his own body. He suckled the pulse point below her ear and was well pleased to find the pounding of her heart matched the cadence of his own.
She quaked against him, and Uthiel smiled at her anticipation.
His cock demanded he hurry this. It throbbed with need, with lust, with fire, and still he resisted its plea.
Stepping back the width of a breath, he marveled at the woman before him. Briar, with her cheeks flushed and color high with passion, her eyes bright and filled with excitement and love.
“I need you, Uthiel,” her whispered plea rushed from her lips. “Fuck me now.”
He brushed a finger across her mouth. “Shhh, we have all night.”
He couldn’t help but smile as he scooped up a handful of water and poured it over her. Tiny rivulets landed on her shoulders and ran down her body, between her breasts, and across her belly before disappearing between her thighs. His cock spasmed and his balls throbbed.
Leaning toward her, Uthiel slowly sipped a single drop from the tip of her pebble-hard nipple. It wasn’t enough. Wrapping his lips about the swollen object of his desire, he suckled, and nipped, and suckled some more. First one, then the other.
The Academy Volume One Page 30
