by E. J. Krause
"We were mad at first," Andi said, "but Gretchen, Angus, and Jonas assured us you meant no harm."
"Timothy said the same thing, but he didn't go into detail," Ben said. "He promised you guys would handle that."
The three dragons and their guards shared a look at the mention of Timothy, and Ben could swear they also included Angus and Gretchen in that eye contact. What was that all about? Andi joined him in not having a clue, but both Cassie and Lee looked unconcerned. He never was very good at reading them, but he had a feeling they were content to let he and Andi handle this conversation.
"And we shall," Quinn said at last. "What you heard is true. We mean no disrespect, and certainly no harm, in wanting you imprisoned. We do so in an attempt to foil this prophecy. If you two aren't out and about in the multiverse, there's no way you can travel down the path of evil. Yes, there's an equal chance that you'll travel down the path of good, but why leave anything to chance? Besides, it's a bit harsh to call this imprisonment. True, you'd be stranded here in the Stronghold, but Gretchen showed you around, right? This is the lap of luxury. And I'm sure she wasn't able to show you everything. This place holds secrets that even those of us on the Council haven't yet discovered."
"I know I wouldn't mind being stranded here for a few millennia with no one but my mate to keep me company," Vanessa said in a sultry voice. She reached back and ran her fingertips along Byron's chest. He flashed her a hungry smile that reminded Ben of some of the ones Andi gave him. Ben glanced her way and found her blushing, both from watching Vanessa and Byron's private moment, and at the thought of so much alone time with Ben. He, too, had to admit it sounded wonderful, especially if they could get the chastity spell lifted.
"Aye," Geoffrey said with a grunt. "And the meals here are out of this world. That's perk enough to be on the Council. If Lydia and I were forced to live here, I'm not sure I could hang onto my girlish figure."
Everyone laughed, and Ben double when he realized Andi's stomach was rumbling at the mention of food. Maybe she could be talked into this yet. She rolled her eyes at him when she realized what he was thinking.
As the laughter died down, a thought struck Ben. "I should apologize for the way I treated your messenger a few days back. The one who came to our house."
"Fillmore," Lee added.
The Council members, including Gretchen and Angus, wore blank looks.
"We didn't send him, especially with any sort of message," Quinn said.
"We don't have anything to do with that rat," Vanessa added.
"So who sent him?" Cassie asked.
Quinn shrugged. "As far as I know, no one in the Council has spoken to him in ages."
"You know how he is," Geoffrey said. "Always thinking he's bigger than his britches."
"No need to tell Leon," Angus said in a bark of laughter. "I'm sure he still has happy thoughts about the time he gave Fillmore a big ol' knuckle sandwich."
"I'd have liked to have been there for that," Byron said, while Vanessa smiled and nodded. "What did he say to you?"
"I kept it together while he insinuated my parents deserved to die, but when he uttered disparaging remarks about Cassie, I lost my temper."
"The slimy snake was lucky Lee struck first, or I might have killed him," Cassie said.
Everyone in the room lost themselves to laughter.
"What did we supposedly send him to say?" Quinn asked, when it quieted down.
"The truth, really," Ben said. "That the Council would be watching us closely. But he said it in such a way that I wanted to rip his guts out."
"What was his game?" Hannah, Quinn's mate, asked.
Both Ben and Andi shrugged, so Lee elaborated.
"We discussed it and couldn't come up with a clear answer. Now that we know the Council will indeed be keeping a close eye on the two of them, I'm stumped."
"Could there be a mole in the Council?" Cassie asked. "But, again, what would be the point in this case?"
Andi spoke up. "If there is, I bet it's someone from the other group. They didn't like us."
"That's not true," Gretchen said. "Many of them are wary of you, but there is no animosity."
"So why are you guys," Ben motioned to Quinn, Geoffrey, Vanessa, and their guards, "so nice, while the other group didn't want anything to do with us?"
"Think about what the prophecy says," Quinn said. "However it goes, you two are going to be important figures, not only in the dragon world, but in the multiverse itself. It could be a scary proposition, no matter which way the prophecy goes."
"There are those who hope you two do turn to the evil side," Vanessa said. "If that happens, the Council has reason to intervene and keep it from coming true."
"You can't be saying that some on the Council…" Cassie started.
"No, of course not," Vanessa quickly amended. "I didn't mean anyone on the Council." Ben wasn't quite sure what to make of her expression. He glanced at the faces of the other dragons around the room and similarly couldn't read their expressions. They didn't look guilty, but there was something more going on here.
Before anything more could be said, Gretchen stood up. "The Council meeting will be getting underway soon, and we still need to get our guests to their rooms."
Everyone stood, and the three dragons and their guards again professed their joy at meeting Ben and Andi. Within seconds, they were back in the crisp marble halls, on the way to their rooms.
Chapter 15
Gretchen led them to their rooms. Her and Ben's was right next to Mom and Dad's, and Gretchen informed them that all the other rooms were unoccupied at the moment. Seemed like a waste of so much luxurious space, but that was the way things were done.
Mom and Dad ducked into their room for a moment to freshen up and change into a new set of clothes. They had to hit the Council meeting first. Gretchen assured them that everything hanging in the closet would fit perfectly. Andi grabbed Ben's hand and they disappeared into their room.
The marble theme from the rest of the Stronghold was gone in favor of softer touches. The walls were lined in light blue velvety wallpaper, and the carpeting felt like a sponge under her feet, both caressing and comforting her soles. On the far wall, a window showed a beautiful beachfront view, with waves gently lapping up onto a white sandy beach. There was, of course, no such thing beyond that portal, so she wondered if the view could be changed. The beach looked inviting, but she always had been partial to alpine scenes.
"This is nice," Ben said, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. She tilted her head up and met his lips with hers. He walked them to the bed, and they sank in, both sighing as they did. They floated amongst a million feathers, which both pulled them down and supported their full weight. Andi could honestly say she'd never been in a more comfortable bed, and being in Ben's arms made it all the better.
They made out both leisurely and frantically, complementing each other's movements, as only those bound at the soul could do. But as much as Andi wanted to spend the rest of the day right there, another itch won out.
"Can we head over to the flying area now?"
She must've had a certain twinkle in her eyes when she said it because he chuckled and nodded.
"Can't wait anymore, huh?"
"No." She hopped out of the bed surprisingly easy considering how fluffy it was, and raced to the closet to discover what sorts of clothing the Stronghold had for them. Inside she found fancy gowns of every color, all made of satin and other comfortable fabrics. Next to those were clothes for Ben: button-up shirts, both long-sleeved and short, and slacks. She had no doubt they couldn't find anything finer for sale back home.
Under Ben's admiring gaze, she stripped off her shirt and jeans. The chastity spell wouldn't let them get naked in front of each other, either forcing the onlooker to turn away, or else not allowing them to fully strip, but it had no problem with them being in their underwear. For this reason, she'd begun buying sexier and sexier stuff, much to Ben's delight. Dad would have a conniption
if he found out, of course, but he never did any laundry. Mom, on the other hand, helped her pick out some of her better sets.
She touched each dress. Every color of the rainbow and then some was represented. She knew which one she liked best and which Ben would pick, but she decided to ask anyway. "Which one should I wear?"
As expected, he didn't even have to consider. "They'll all look great on you, babe, but blue always looks best."
She smiled and pulled that one out of the closet. It slipped effortlessly over her head, and she had to both look down and check the mirror to make sure it was really on. The material was so light and airy, that it felt like she was wearing nothing at all. It'd be nice once she got used to it.
Ben stripped to get dressed himself, and it took all of her self-control not to jump him. When they'd first met, he had a scrawny body, but now, thanks to hours upon hours of sword training with Mom, he was pretty chiseled. Even though both were masters with their weapons, and their powers saw to it that they needed no practice, they still logged several grueling hours a week. Their reasoning was that it was fun, but she didn't get it. Must be a Dragon Guard thing.
Once he had his new clothes on, they were ready to go. He didn't have nearly the selection she did, so he chose a pair of black slacks and a light blue short-sleeved shirt.
"Why can't they have jeans and t-shirts?" he asked, picking at the material. "This stuff feels like I'm not wearing anything at all."
"If only that were true," she said, and then threw him a wink.
Andi practically sprinted to the flying area. Someone would be around soon to fetch them for the Dragon Council meeting, so she wanted to have as much time as possible. There was so much to explore, and she had no idea if she'd ever be back. After all, this was her parents' first time, so it wasn't a guarantee. It also depended on how this whole prophecy thing turned out, but she didn't want to worry about that at the moment.
Once they walked into the huge area, she didn't waste any time transforming. Without even prompting him, Ben leaped towards her, and she contorted her body so he could scramble onto her back. Once he was seated, she rocketed off to the other side of the vast room to explore the various nooks and crannies of the cave system.
"How deep do you think they go?" Ben asked. "Maybe there are caverns as big as this area, or groups of smaller rooms? Maybe an underground maze?"
"I don't know. Anything's possible." She hoped he was right, as that would be so cool. Even tunnels that connected the various holes in the rocks would be enough for her. Something to fly through to give her that all-important rush she so craved.
She didn't tear over as fast as she could, as she wanted to keep Ben steady on her back. When they took their monthly trip to the San Bernardino Mountains for her and Dad to fly, she occasionally flew with Ben for a few minutes, but they never went far or fast. Because of that, she wasn't quite sure how close to top speed she could get before he wasn't stable. Maybe after they explored, if they had time, she could find out. If he was up for it.
They passed over a rocky terrain to get to the other side of the room. The magic from the ground permeated her soul, filling her with a light-headed giddiness. Ben felt it, too, but it didn't affect him anywhere near as strongly. His vibes mostly spoke of enjoying her reaction, and they were both happy with that.
Once at the rocky cliffs, Andi landed and looked around. Some of the caves appeared to be a few feet deep, while others went back further than she could see. "Should we dive into some of the deeper ones?" she asked Ben.
"Sure, sounds like fun."
Before she could jump into the first hole, the entrance door across the way opened, and a dragon and her guard entered. From this distance, she couldn't identify the two, but she was almost positive they weren't council members, and the servants here weren't dragons at all. Something in the back of her mind buzzed that this was odd, and a quick dip into her encyclopedic brain explained why. No one, not Jonas, Gretchen, or any of the Council members had mentioned other dragon visiting the Stronghold. It would be poor etiquette to neglect to mention others, and it was also against dragon law. This was to prevent anyone from being needlessly surprised, either physically, emotionally, or politically.
"What's wrong?" Ben asked. "Who are they? Do you know them?"
"No, why? Do you sense something about them?"
"No, I felt your nervous energy right after they walked in."
Oh, yeah, he would. "Whoever they are, they're not supposed to be here. The Council would have said something. So it might be nothing, but…"
"Yeah, stay on guard," he finished. "Should we go say hello to diffuse anything before it starts?"
"Might be a good idea."
Before they could move, the woman transformed into her true shape, a black dragon about the same size as Andi. Her mate vaulted onto her back, and they charged faster than even Dad could fly. There was nothing friendly or playful about this act; it was a combat maneuver. The dragon's guard proved this outright by pulling out a wicked-looking sword, easily as long as he was tall, over six feet.
Anger flashed off of Ben right before his magical power pulsed. Without looking back, she knew he'd created an energy sword and shield. Though made of nothing solid, both blade and shield would prove to be stronger than any steel.
Andi had looked it up after he'd done this in Rico's realm, and no Dragon Guard in recorded history had ever boasted of this particular talent, so it had to be from his other set of powers, the ones he'd have possessed without her. Though this no longer scared her, she'd never really broached the subject with him. They were destined to be a pair even beyond the Dragon-Dragon Guard binding, and it was the reason they were the subjects of the prophecy.
The black dragon reared up to them and sprayed a stream of acid. Though that blatant attack caught Andi by surprise, she had no trouble dodging out of the way. She did a quick barrel roll, making sure Ben didn't fall, and headed for one of the deep holes.
"What the heck?" Ben screamed into her mind.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, good flying. But who are they?"
"Don't know." She dove into one of the cave openings and hoped it didn't dead-end. They'd be sitting ducks from the other dragon's acid spray if that happened. The tunnel narrowed, but as her heart rose in her throat, it opened into a large cavern, as big as her house. A quick glance around showed at least two other ways out, and she almost zipped through one when Ben told her to wait. He leapt off her back.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
He didn't answer. She felt his concentration, so she didn't ask again, trusting him. Energy flew off of him and covered the hole they'd flown through.
"What is that?"
"A net or something. Whatever it is, it should help."
Andi let out a sigh and braced herself. "Sometimes I wish you had a better grip on your powers."
"Be glad they usually work," he said.
She supposed that was true, but before she could say so, the dragon and her guard roared down the tunnel. Would Ben's spell work as intended and capture the two unknown enemies? That would be ideal, as they'd be able to interrogate them. Had they been sent by the Council? No, she couldn't imagine Gretchen, Angus, or Jonas trying to kill them, or even allowing the idea to fester. It had to be something else.
The black dragon and her guard hit the entry hole and smacked into Ben's spell. It didn't hold them, but it did trip them up. Both the dragon and her guard tumbled to the cavern floor. Andi could have coated them in acid, but she wasn't willing to kill them until she knew what was going on.
"Be careful," Ben said. "They've already proven they don't have the same aversion."
"Do you have any more tricks up your sleeves?"
"You know as well as I do that I have no clue. You'll be the first to know if I have something," he said, as he leapt towards the other Dragon Guard, his sword and shield leading the way.
"Fine." She lunged after him, aiming for the dragon, who was still pul
ling herself to her feet. She did know that, but it didn't mean she had to like the answer.
*****
Ben drove his shield at the other Dragon Guard's head, hoping he could knock him out of commission. This guard looked to be about the same age as Andi's parents, and he stood about the same height as Ben. He had large, ropey muscles, perfect for wielding that vicious-looking two-handed sword, but he also moved with the speed of a tiger. His dark brown hair didn't quite match his mate's scales, but it wasn't far off. The energy net hadn't bought them as much time as he'd hoped, as both enemies were already rising to defend themselves.
The guard parried Ben's approach, and rolled in a backwards somersault to gain his feet. Ben had to admit that was a pretty nifty move, but, of course, he didn't voice it, even to Andi. He couldn't let this guy get the upper hand, or even equal footing. Ben ran his own sword for the guy's heart, but the guard blocked it and threw in a counter attack that Ben's shield caught. Both tumbled away from the other and gained their balance to be ready to launch another attack at the other.
Dragon roars filled the cavern, and before Ben could initiate round two, Andi's voice drifted into his mind. "I couldn't get any real information from her other than they've been sent to kill us, which we sort of figured out on our own."
"So they're assassins?"
"That's what I'm taking from it. See if your guy is more talkative."
Andi and the black dragon clashed. Ben had seen her battle demons and other monsters, but never another dragon. While he wanted to watch and make sure she was okay, he couldn't spare the concentration, or his enemy would split him in two with that oversized sword. He had to trust that Lee had prepared her enough to hold her own.
The guard performed a tight front flip and brought his sword down where Ben had been a fraction of a second before. Ben thrust his shield in the guard's face. The guard kicked the shield hard, knocking Ben back. Both set themselves, poised for the next round of attacks.
"Who sent you?" Ben asked.
"Someone who wants you dead," the guard said in an accent Ben couldn't place.
