“Please, call me Ryluth,” he politely requested as he walked beside her, obviously shortening his stride so she could keep up. Sofia was not a tall woman, but average for the time of her birth. She was so tiny that Ryluth had such worries about how everything was to work if he could convince her to stay, which, for some reason, this morning did not seem so completely beyond his capabilities.
“If you will forgive me, my lady, you appear to be in exceptionally good spirits this morning,” he said, opening the door for her and beckoning her to enter before him.
Sofia stopped and looked at the room, her jaw dropping. The room was large, as most were in his palace, but his breakfast room was very open and was full of plants. Large jewels from his treasure hoard were laid into the walls and pillars. In the morning light, the room was like a kaleidoscope.
“So beautiful,” she whispered.
Ryluth walked into the room behind her and closed the door.
“Yes, you are,” he said quietly, just behind her.
Sofia turned her head and smiled. “Thank you, Majesty... Ryluth.”
“It is only the truth,” he said while walking over to the small bistro table where breakfast had been laid on. “Please,” he said, pulling out a chair for her. “Have a seat and look over the offerings.”
Her eyes widened as she sat in the chair and looked at the food. He had done his best, trying to learn what modern humans liked to eat and got as close as he could guess for his chef to prepare. That old Dragon loved a cooking challenge.
“Bacon!” she cried and grabbed a piece while he poured her some morning tea.
Ryluth watched as she bit into the fried strip of meat with gusto, closing her eyes and moaning.
“I have missed this on the Demonworld. Cassie never brings enough from Earth.”
“We have pigs here on the Demonworld,” Ryluth explained. “We were the ones to teach Humans to cure their meat, so you can thank us for your bacon.” He smiled and she stopped chewing and stared at him. Then she began laughing. He cocked his head to the side. Sofia was acting as if she’d been drinking alcohol, but he could not detect any scent of any agent that would cause her to behave so uninhibited.
“I’m so sorry,” she was still laughing, but clearly winding down. “But, I just had this vision in my head of some dragon burning a pig and turning to ancient human beings and saying, ‘Behold! Bacon!’,” then she began laughing again and Ryluth began to chuckle himself.
After a minute, they both had stopped laughing, but were happily eating their breakfast.
“If you will forgive me for being so forward, Sofia,” Ryluth finally said. “You appear to be in somewhat better spirits this morning. It looks good on you.” He was not even stretching the truth about that. A laughing, happy Sofia was a beautiful sight to see. It really had knocked the breath out of him.
“It feels like a very long time since I’ve had a good, genuine laugh,” she admitted to him. “It is my hope, that it is a sign of things to come.”
He sat back in his chair, frowning, a thought had just occurred to him. “You really hated the Demonworld,” he told her, and she nodded at him, affirming his statement. “So, why did you return to a place you hated so much.”
“I was honest last night, I found nothing to recommend modern day Earth. I do not fit there at all, no matter what role I thought I would like to take,” she picked up another piece of bacon, chewing on it thoughtfully. “I had spent so little time there before I was taken, and I found that it was no longer my home, but returning to the Demonworld showed me that it was not my home either. I belong in neither place. So, now I search for a place that is home for me.”
Ryluth hoped his eyes hid the hope that he prayed that Wushin would fit her.
“What do you want to do with the rest of your life?” He asked, genuinely curious. He was delighted with the way she cocked her head to the side for a moment, something he noticed many Earth females did.
“I was trained, from birth, to be the wife of a nobleman,” she said, her nose scrunched up with distaste and Ryluth found himself sharing her distaste for that role. “And, then I was abducted to the Demonworld and spent centuries as a slave, which did not suit me either. I didn’t find any of the occupations on Earth, that Cassie was willing to pay for my training to learn, appealing. As I said, even the language had changed so much it was unrecognizable.” She shook her head and bit into another berry, her tongue sneaking out to capture some of the juice and its motion captured Ryluth’s attention completely.
Sofia didn’t notice as she was lost in thought. “All I can really do is run a household, but that’s an unappreciated endeavor any longer. I liked working at Seth and Brigid’s home, but it was not my own. I am quite ready for my own home.”
He sat and watched as her thoughts flitted across her mind and she spoke. He wasn’t sure if she even realized that she was conversing with a male, which Cassie had told him she avoided if she could get away with it. And she was alone with a male, which he had also been warned never happened if she could help it. Her friends on the Demonworld had protected her, insulated her. He was amazed that she had left that to come here, to his world, on her own.
“There are many homes here that need a firm hand guiding them,” was all he told her quietly, when what he really wanted to do was pull her into his arms and kiss her until she vowed to be his, run his home, make it her own.
She chuckled and picked another berry up. “With a mostly male population I can only imagine the state of most estates in this world.”
“Lennalth runs my household,” Ryluth sat up, frowning. “Do you find yourself wanting in my home?”
She laughed in his face. “You know I do not, at least I haven’t since I arrived. Your baths are exquisitely nice.”
He deflated in the face of her mirth. “I had been hoping to have an excuse to give the Dragon a good thumping.”
“Yes, I’ve seen Bax and his brother Rory who were good at thumping. They usually drag in their brother-in-law, Glenn, into their fracas, to demand payment for ever having touched their sister.”
It was Ryluth’s turn to laugh. “Rory is the male with the long, wild red hair, is he not? His female calls him ‘Feral Celt’, but I have no idea what she means when she says it.” Cassie’s family was so alive and boisterous that Ryluth found himself craving that kind of experience. He wanted that for his young. Because of their curse there were few brothers on his world, and no sisters at all.
Sofia nodded again. “They are a loud bunch, but there is love there, between all of them.” She looked off to her right and chuckled. “Cassie always says that she can call Bax and ass, but if anyone ever called him that she’d wring them out like Monday’s wash.”
Ryluth grinned and sat back in his chair. “What would you like to do today? Is there anything, in particular, that you would like to see?”
“I’d love to see a dragon,” Sofia pounced on that item on her wish list for this world. “Is there a place where you can observe them flying?”
Ryluth’s eyebrows raised. He could do that for her. “I believe I can help you with that,” he jumped from his seat, holding his hand out to her and Sofia only took a moment before she grabbed his hand. They went all the way up to the top of the palace, hand in hand and it never occurred to her to pull her hand away until Ryluth let go of her.
“If you could stand over by the door to the stairs, I can safely shift into my primary shape and show you the Dragon.” He pointed to the door and inside his head he knew it was a completely different dragon he wanted to show her, but he mentally punched that thought down and tried to remain polite and somewhat reserved with her.
She nodded and jogged over to the door and stood waiting. Ryluth let go of his human image and a large, black dragon, with scales shining a dark blue in the morning sunlint, was suddenly there. He looked down at Sofia, who stood with her hand over her mouth, as if she’d wanted to scream, but in her eyes, there was wonder. No one had ever looked
at him like that, and Ryluth found he craved that look.
*****
Sofia took her hand away from her mouth and stood, jaw on the ground, looking at a dragon! A DRAGON!
“May I touch you?” She whispered her fondest wish.
The dragon nodded his head and lowered his head. Sofia put a hand up and touched his nose, lightly, then, when he didn’t flinch or pull away, she began running her hands all over his face, his neck, and he lowered enough for her to run her soft, gentle hands all over his ears.
“You are magnificent,” she continued to whisper to him as if she was in a sacred place. “I cannot believe this, a real dragon. I am touching a real dragon.”
After several long minutes of her touching him where she could reach, even lightly touching his incredibly sensitive wings, she stepped back, to the door to the stairs.
“May I see you fly?”
Again, his dragon nodded and walked over to the edge of the building and was off, and then he caught an updraft that allowed him up over the castle, where he circled around in lazy circles so she could watch him. As he looked down on her he saw her mouth was once again open in wonder. He felt proud that he could show her this, show her... him.
He also looked out at the uncharacteristically crowded skies and saw females all over roofed areas staring up at the Dragons. And all of them were showing off for the females. One intrepid soul, Groffur, was breathing fire to show off for the slant-eyed beauty who had captivated him at dinner the previous evening.
Ryluth didn’t dare breathe his weapon, as it was green acid. He glanced up and saw Lennalth, for all his complaining about chattering females, rolling about, then throwing out his wings to catch the air and soar. He looked down and Sofia was still watching him with rapt attention. He felt a sudden updraft on his wings and looked and caught her shooting air up at him and laughing. Inwardly he laughed in sheer joy and the bugled out a Dragon call. All of the other dragons that were in the sky trumpeted it back to him and they all heard the delighted cries of all of the females on the roofs.
He slowly worked his way back down to his own roof on his personal wing and lightly landed, expecting the wind to buffet Sofia into the door, but she stood steady and he saw the ward against strong wind she’d put around herself. And before she could blink, he was in his Human form again.
He was not sure which one of them was more surprised, Sofia or himself, when she cried, “That was magnificent!” and threw herself into his arms, planting a small kiss on his mouth. He wanted more, always roused after a flight, and lay claim on her mouth with his own. She gasped, her body froze, then she relaxed, and he saw her eyelids lower as she cautiously kissed him back. Somewhere in the back of his mind he realized that Sofia was a horrible kisser, but then on the heels of that came the knowledge that she had never had the chance to learn. He supposed that rapists didn’t usually try to seduce the females at all, so how was she supposed to know? For all intents and purposes, Sofia was as innocent as a virgin who had been cloistered her entire life.
With great difficulty, he pulled his head back and his body that was wanting a more intimate knowledge of the lady.
“I am sorry, Sofia,” he murmured. “I did not mean to be so forward.” She had been the one to initiate the kiss, but he had to try to be decent. He kept repeating that in his head, hating that his body desired hers so much, when he really had no knowledge of how to seduce a virgin. Which was how he had to think of her, despite her years as a sexual slave to sadistic Demons. He hated thinking of what she must have suffered at their hands.
“No, I was the one at fault, throwing myself at you that way,” she said shyly, blushing endearingly. “I was just overwhelmed by the sight of you.”
It was Ryluth’s turn to drop his jaw to the floor. No one, male or female had ever said that to him. Ever.
“Thank you, Sofia,” he rasped, wanting so badly to kiss her again. “I, myself, have never seen a sight so magnificent as you.” He may as well declare his intentions, in a coy manner, at least.
She stared at him, her honey eyes wide and her mouth in an O shape, begging him to kiss her again. He was just about to do just that when the door to the roof opened and a very young page of his household stepped forth.
“My Lord, members of the Faerie Delegation have arrived.”
Ryluth pinned the lad with his glare. He was angry at being interrupted and furious the Faeries had ignored his warning to stay off his world until he figured out a use for them and their hedonistic world.
“I will be right down,” he practically growled. “They are not to leave the antechamber. Make that clear.”
Looking down at Sofia he made a quick decision.
“Would you mind accompanying me?” He asked. If she was to be his mate, he needed to judge how she handled diplomatic situations such as this. Though, gods knew he was not going to be diplomatic in the least.
She smiled up at him and nodded and held her hand out to him. Surprised he clasped her hand and walked down the many flights of stairs with her touching him.
In all of the known worlds, through all of the centuries he had existed, never had his heart known such unmitigated joy as that perfect moment in time.
Chapter Four
The moment ended as soon as they hit the ground floor. Ryluth’s eyes blazed as he stared at the Faeries and Sofia took a step slightly behind him, her fear of that race was bone deep. After what had happened to Sofia and Penelope at their hands, she wanted to be nowhere near them, in fact.
“What are you doing on my world?” Ryluth’s voice rang through the antechamber and made Sofia shudder from the disdain and wrath his voice invoked. “You are never to come here. We treat on the Technomage World for your useless goods.”
All three of the beautiful beings stepped back, as one.
“We were here to buy more goods...” A white haired, pointy eared fellow bravely began, only to be flatted by Ryluth’s anger.
“You are NEVER to step foot on my world again! It is because of you and your lust for more power that we are doomed.” Ryluth nodded at his guards who suddenly clapped mage shackles on each of three of the Faerie, who gasped in outrage.
“Put them in the cells below,” Ryluth said in a dangerous voice. He felt Sofia take a small step away from him. He closed his eyes as the knowledge that he may just have ruined any chance with her, but this had to be done. He could not hide any part of himself from her.
“I am sorry, little one,” his voice finally registered through her fear. “My god’s rage channeled right through me.”
Sofia merely nodded, but stepped no further away.
“If I may escort you back to your chambers,” he offered his elbow. “I have portals to shut down... again, and prisoners to interrogate.”
They turned once she put her hand on his elbow and walked to her wing.
“Cassie killed their walker and dumped his corpse at Mildread’s feet,” Sofia said at her door. “How could they have reopened a portal here?”
Ryluth looked down at her and Sofia shuddered at the anger in his eyes, like living flames.
“I intend to find out the answer to that question.”
*****
Ryluth stood at the portal and grimaced at just how easy they had made it for the Faeries to enter their world once more. He was furious at himself for not thinking that reopening the portal would allow the Faeries entrance to their world with just a little extra work on their part. Who knew the indolent race had it in them to actually work at something rather than stealing and killing?
“What do you need, Ryluth?” Cassie said, just behind him. He had caught her scent just as she’d appeared.
“Faeries entered my realm today, Cassie,” he told her. “I need to lock them out permanently. They are the reason we are dying and my god was very offended at their hubris.”
He turned and saw the witch nodding and with very little concentration she closed off the portal to all faeries, as she had done on her world as well.
It was said she hated the Faeries more than she hated elves, which was a lot.
“No Faeries may enter this world,” she said quietly.
“How can you exclude a whole race?” He asked, suddenly curious as to this powerful witch.
She held up a small, clear bag, with what looked like a strip of skin in it.
“DNA is a wonderful thing. I block them on a molecular level, and they don’t know molecules, so they can’t magic their way around it.”
“What is DNA?”
Cassie smirked and put the small bag into her pants pocket. She was always dressed in jeans, this one.
“Ancient Human Secret,” she said, smiling. “It’s what makes each race what it is.
“But we have Demons blocked at our portal,” he pointed out.
“Ah, but I don’t need a portal, do I?” She winked and then she was gone.
Ryluth hung his head. He knew he had to be such a disappointment to his god, to Threlzin. How was he ever to find the solution to this curse and make his people happy again?
As it was, he needed to find out how the vermin had gotten on to his world. The old wards should have worked, but had not. He sent a Palace guard to summon the High Priest and then headed down to where the dungeon was located. Lennalth was waiting for him.
He held out his hand and one of the dungeon guards threw a net into it. Ryluth waved the invisible barrier to the cell away and the Faerie looked at him with derision.
“Do what you will, Dragon,” he sneered. “In the end, I will own your scales and your blood.”
Ryluth sent him an evil grin, which caused the Faerie to pale a little more than he already was. “Oh, I love this game,” he said and threw the net over the Faerie who laughed and looked at Ryluth in puzzlement.
“Before you grow too smug, Faerie,” he looked at the male. “I don’t care what your name is, I don’t need to know it. I only need to know the name of the Drakkos who allowed you to enter Wushin.”
The white-haired Faerie looked smug. “I don’t know it,” he said just before the net began to glow and the male screamed as it burned his skin, and he moved to avoid touching is, which just brought his skin into further contact with it, making his scream and squirm more.
The Air Witch's Dragon Page 4
