by G. Bailey
“Isola? Elias?” I hear shouted, making me sit up from where I’ve been slumped on the floor in the tiny bedroom for god knows how long. My dragon whines as I stand up, stretching my arms and wiping my dry lips. It’s funny how time seems to stop when your heart is breaking. I feel like I’ve already lost Eli in a way, and what’s worse, I’m more broken than when I lost Jace. How could I love Eli more than Jace, when I knew Jace nearly my entire life? The only conclusion I come to is that I’m a crappy person, and Eli is likely better off without me. Then in the next thought, I’m furious at Eli and think I need to woman up. Or princess up? I actually have no clue.
“I’m in here,” I shout back, not even remembering who called until Dagan opens the door and, at seeing my face, closes it behind him in one smooth motion. He steps into the room and pulls me into his arms. I tense up for second, but when his smoky scent hits me, it relaxes me as well as my dragon.
“I’m okay,” I whisper, feeling how tense he is as my head rests against his chest.
“Elias is in a room with the door locked, and I’m betting he is regretting whatever the hell he said. I don’t want you to tell me what happened, but I do want you for the night. Let me take you out somewhere,” he asks. “A date, because we haven’t actually had a real one.”
“We went to the café in the rain and had sandwiches, that’s totally a date,” I tease him, and he chuckles.
“Eating those horrendous sandwiches is not a date. Plus, this is Dragca, not Earth. I want to take you on a date in our world,” he says.
“Where? We can’t leave . . .” I trail off as he pulls back from me a little, so he can see my face as I look up at him.
“Trust me?” he asks, kissing my forehead.
“You know I do,” I chuckle, and he steps back with a big grin, linking our hands and walking us out of the room. Thorne is sitting on the sofa, sharpening a sword while Bee sleeps on the sofa next to him. She even has Thorne’s dark-blue cloak covering her. Thorne looks up, but I can’t focus on anything other than the fact he doesn’t have a shirt on. Holy crap, he has nice abs. There are eight of them, covered in sweat, and his man nipples even look attractive. Oh god, now I can’t stop thinking about licking man nipples. I don’t even know if that is what you call them, or how they can be attractive, but his are. Thorne flashes me a smile and flips his sword over in his large hands as his wavy blonde hair falls into his face.
“Isola?” Dagan’s amused voice calls, snapping me out of my drooling, and I physically have to close my mouth. Why are all these dragon guards built like damn gods? It’s so unfair and distracting. I can’t even manage to collect my thoughts until I look away.
“Have a good night,” is all Thorne says, looking back down at his sword and going back to what he was doing. I look back at the doors in the room for a distraction. Knowing Elias is behind one of them just makes me sad, and it’s worse that he didn’t come to me, but in a way I’m glad he didn’t go far. Maybe he doesn’t want me anymore? I try to redirect my thoughts, forget everything going on, and focus on where Dagan is taking me. We walk out of the hut together and see that the lanterns are all lit, lighting up the dark forest, so you can only see them. I look up, seeing the outline of the two moons and the dozens of stars lighting up the sky.
“What kind of dates do you go on in Dragca usually?” I ask Dagan, who tugs me closer, wrapping an arm around my waist as we walk.
“I think it depends on the girl. If I could take you anywhere, it would be to the biggest library in Dragca. There are thousands of books in there, both modern and old. It’s amazing, and I would take you to a nice meal, then of course back to my place for dessert,” he tells me, and I chuckle.
“I like the sound of your date,” I grin mischievously, and he laughs. “But I will admit I’m slightly jealous of the previous girls that went on dates with you.”
“I never really got to date while growing up, to be honest with you,” he tells me.
“Why?” I ask, glancing up at him as he watches the forest as we walk.
“Well, I had to train, and then Elias was always getting into shit. I was the one getting him out of trouble all the time or taking the blame, so I would get stuck with extra training on our days off,” he says.
“That must have been crap,” I say.
“Maybe. Maybe not. I’m a pretty amazing fighter now because of it, and Elias isn’t dead like he would have been if I hadn’t helped him. Either way, it all worked out for the best because I’m here with you,” he says, tilting his head down and to the side slightly as he watches my reaction.
“So, you wouldn’t change anything?” I ask.
“No. There is only one thing about my past I wish I could know,” he says with a sigh.
“About your father?” I guess.
“Yes. We didn’t know who he was, and we never knew if he had family. Sisters. Brothers . . . just nothing. Our mum was so heartbroken she wouldn’t say a thing, and we were too young to remember,” he explains.
“Sometimes, you have to accept you can’t know everything you want to,” I whisper. “If I could know why my father did the things he did. If I could know why he sent you guys to me, why he never told me about Melody, or told me about anything important . . . well, it would change my life,” I say.
“He loved you, you know that, right?”
“I don’t. He left me on Earth, lied to me all my life. How could he have loved me? I don’t even know if he ever loved my mother because he cheated on her. How could he have?” I ramble out.
“I can only tell you one thing. When we first met, when you and your father were attacked, I knew he loved you. His reactions to everything happening in those moments, were to protect you. I ran and told you to duck, only because your father was running towards you, and I knew he wouldn’t make it. He was going to run straight into that dagger, no matter if it killed him, in order to save you. Whatever mistakes your father made, I believe he loved you very much,” he tells me, and I smile to myself as we take a right, away from the sounds of the people and the campfire in the distance.
“I didn’t know he did that. Maybe you’re right,” I concede quietly as I start to hear the sound of the sea and waves.
“I’m always right, kitty cat. Haven’t you learnt that by now?” Dagan teases.
“You’re always lacking modesty, but I don’t know about anything else,” I laugh, and he tickles my side, making me jump away from him as we start to see some lights.
“Where are we?” I ask as Dagan holds a branch out of the way, and I step through, straight onto a beach. We are on the rocks that lead to the water, which have several glowing white stones littered around.
“What is this place? What are those stones?” I ask Dagan as I walk over, stopping in the sand, just before the waves can reach my boots.
“Glow Stone Beach. A nice simple name, and in about ten minutes, something amazing happens. So, let’s get in,” Dagan explains, and I turn around just in time to see him pull his shirt off slowly and drop it on the rocks where he has already taken his cloak off. The moonlight shines on his chest, where his chiselled chest leads to a defined set of abs and distinct v shape dips into his jeans.
“Kitty cat, do you not want to swim?” Dagan asks, his voice full of amusement, and my eyes flash up to his, seeing the playfulness there. I clear my throat.
“Yep, I want to swim. But you are getting in first,” I say, crossing my arms, and he laughs loudly. He kicks his boots off, pulling his socks off next, and then drops his jeans until he is completely naked, totally shameless as he stands in front of me. I don’t let my eyes drop from his, which only seems to amuse him more as he walks past me, straight into the water. Holy crap, he is going to kill me with his hotness. If that’s even possible.
“Hurry up, kitty cat,” Dagan says, snapping me out of my thoughts. I quickly strip down, leaving my clothes piled next to Dagan’s before running into the warm water. I swim out to the nearest glowing rock, grabbing it as I place
my hands against it, feeling how warm the stone is.
“Boo,” Dagan says next to my ear, his hands slipping around my waist. I relax my head back on his shoulder as we float in the waves quietly for a while.
“Turn around, it should be any second,” Dagan whispers and helps me turn in the water. I rest my arms around his shoulders, looking up as he tucks a bit of my hair behind my ear.
“What’s this surprise then?” I ask, feeling curious now, but I'm also a little overwhelmed by how close we are and the way he looks at me.
“This,” he says, turning us sideways so I can see the millions of little blue lights in the water that are being pushed towards us by the waves. It looks like a wave of blue, sparkling diamonds, but much brighter.
“What are those? It’s beautiful,” I gasp in shock. This is what makes Dragca amazing.
“No one really knows. The people call them Sealights, and they come to this shore every night around this time. I’ve always wanted to see them,” he says as the little lights surround us in the water. They don’t touch us, just float around us. I wave a hand out in the water, watching how they move around my hand as I wave it in the sea.
“This is amazing, unforgettable,” I mumble, still waving my hand in the sea.
“Just like you. This place reminds me of you. That’s why I was so happy when I found out where we are, and I realized I could bring you here with me. This place is special, unique and so alive. It just shows, in a world where light magic is meant to be rare and practically impossible, there is this,” he whispers to me. I lean closer, sliding my hand into his hair as I kiss him, and his hands tighten on my hips, pulling my body hard against his.
“I didn’t bring you here for that, we can just stay and enjoy the water,” he says. I almost worry he doesn’t want this, but I can feel how much he wants me from where our bodies are pressed together. I drag my hand out of his hair, down his chest, and find his hard length, wrapping my hand around him.
“I want to enjoy you,” I say, and he groans as I speed up with my hand.
“Isola,” he rasps, pulling my hand away and gripping me tightly to him. I wrap my legs around his waist as he kisses me. Moaning when his hand grabs one of my breasts and flicks the nipple, I rock myself against his length. I slowly inch myself down on him, and he easily slips in with how turned on I am. Dagan growls as he kisses me roughly, his hands holding my hips as I move up and down, getting closer and closer to the edge.
“Mate with me?” he asks against my lips suddenly, and I stop with him still inside me. Dagan doesn’t let me completely stop as he moves my hips.
“You haven’t even told me you love me yet,” I gasp, and he chuckles as my back hits a stone, and Dagan presses me against it, somehow pushing deeper inside me and making me moan. He glides his hand slowly up my legs as he kisses me and breaks away.
“I love you, and you know it. I know it, though I’m a damn idiot for not telling you sooner. I want you to be mine, but the choice is yours. I just thought you might want to know what I am thinking about nearly all. the. damn. time," he says, punctuating his words with kisses as he pounds harder into me.
“Yes,” I moan out, and his right hand moves between us, rubbing circles on my clit as he carries on thrusting. His other hand drifts to my throat, angling my head so I have to look at him.
“Yes to what, Isola? Say the words,” he taunts, not letting me go, and no part of me wants him to either.
“I will mate with you,” I manage to whisper.
“Good, kitty cat. Now come for me. I want to feel you come around my cock,” he growls out, and I cry out as the orgasm that was just out of reach suddenly slams through me at his words. He picks up speed, and only a few thrusts later, I feel him finish inside me as he kisses me deeply.
“Damn. I wanted to spend months getting to know you, learning everything you like, but no part of me regrets this,” he mutters against my lips, and it makes me giggle.
“Good?” I ask, and he pulls back to frown at me.
“That was more than good. In fact, I think we should get out of the water, onto the sand, and see if we can do a longer repeat,” he teases, sucking my bottom lip into his mouth before letting go so I can answer as he pulls out of me.
“One thing first, though,” I say, pushing off the rock and wrapping my arms around his shoulders. “I love you. I needed to tell you that.”
“And I needed to hear it. I won’t ever forget this moment. It’s the beginning of us, our future, and I’m never letting you go,” he vows lovingly, and then kisses me once more.
Chapter Sixteen
Isola
“That’s just gross. You can’t drink the milk you just had a bath in, Bee,” I say, watching in disgust as she shrugs at me and carries on drinking through the straw she has put in her bowl of milk. I look over the table where Thorne is quietly eating his toast, watching Bee with the same revulsion I am. He meets my eyes, and we both laugh, shaking our heads.
“Hey, sis, where are Dagan and Elias?” Melody asks, picking up the glass jug of milk and a bowl off the side before sitting at the table. Melody frowns at Bee for a second as she gets the box of chocolate cereal off the table and starts pouring some into her bowl.
“I don’t know for certain about Elias, but Dagan told me he was going to see Kor. I bet he took Eli with him,” I answer, ignoring the sharp bite of pain that shoots through my heart at the thought of Eli walking out of here and not even attempting to talk to me.
“Makes sense,” Melody says, pouring her milk.
“A more important question, how do they have so much human food here?” I ask, pointing at the boxes of food they gave us.
“There is a portal here that opens into the back of a supermarket in Scotland. They send a team into the portal every night there to steal a little food. The humans think there is a stock problem, and our people are fed. It’s a win, win. It's part of why they chose this place, that and its close connection to the memory cave,” she shrugs.
“That’s kind of amazing, and what is the memory cave? You haven’t told us anything about it, and I think we need to know,” I say, and Thorne puts his toast down, turning so, like me, his focus is solely on Melody.
“It is where all seers go when they come of age. The cave is, in the simplest way to describe, alive with the memories of Dragca. When I went in, it showed me my mother as a child and then her being killed. It also showed me my birth and my death,” she explains.
“It shows you your future?” Thorne asks.
“Yes and no. For some people, what it shows comes true, and for others it does not. Like my death, for example. I was shown that I would die protecting you in the castle when Tatarina killed the king, but that didn’t happen. I wouldn’t worry, the cave mostly shows you the past and helps you find where you need to go,” she waves a hand.
“So, it’s like your powers? They might not come true, but there is good chance they could?” I question.
“Yes, and another thing . . .” she drawls out with a slightly worried expression.
“Out with it,” I say.
“The cave walls are made of the same glass as my orb. You cannot touch it, and it blocks all dragon powers,” she explains.
“All we have to do is get through the cave,” I say, taking a deep breath.
“You don’t understand,” Melody shakes her head at me as she speaks.
“Then help me,” I coax her gently.
“The cave is dangerous. It will show you things that will make you want to follow it, and then you will be lost forever. It will try to break you. Hundreds of dragons have tried to survive the cave and failed. Only one has ever survived going through it,” she says.
“Who?” I ask.
“Your ancestor. The very first ice king,” she says quietly and reaches for my hand on the table, covering it with her own. “If he could do this alone, then you can do this with Thorne by your side.”
“It’s been done before, so we can also do it,”
Thorne declares firmly, and when I look over at him, I don’t see any fear. Just pure determination. I have to do this for them. I have to give them their dragons back, or I will never be able to live with myself. I sharply nod at Thorne, letting go of Melody’s hand and standing up.
“Bee, are you ready to go train?” I ask her, and she sighs, flying up and landing on my shoulder.
“Sure. Must walk north,” she says, her voice full of attitude. I raise one eyebrow at her, and she just crosses her arms.
“I am coming with you. You shouldn’t be alone,” Thorne says, standing up and stretching before taking his plate to the sink. I spot the quiver of arrows on his back, a sword underneath it and the bow resting on the table. It makes me think back to the time he helped me use my dragon eyes to shoot an arrow, how I hugged him like he was my best friend, and how I felt something more than friendship in that moment. It’s hard not to think of our past with a tinted vision now I know he was deceiving me, plotting to betray me the whole time. I turn around, walking out the door and into the living room. I pick up my cloak off the sofa, pulling it over me and tucking it underneath Bee on my shoulder before clipping it. I wait by the front door until Thorne comes out with a bag on his back as well as his weapons.
“I can carry the bag, all of that has to be heavy,” I say as we walk out, and he shuts the door behind him before answering.
“No, I’ve got it,” he replies with a smile and looks at Bee.
“Where to then?” he asks her, and I look up as she points to my right, where there isn’t a path but just endless forest.
“To there,” she says, looking at us like we should know the way.
“That’s not a lot of information to go on Bee. We don’t have time to be messing around. Why can’t we train here where we know it is safe?” I ask.
“Trust?” she asks, shrugging and not blinking as her green eyes watch me closely. It’s like she is testing me in a way; I can see it in her expression and feel it deep down inside of me. I nod, looking back at Thorne who doesn’t say a word, simply following me as we walk into the woods.
