"I don't like it either. Join me for a swim?"
I hesitate, but it's been so long since I've swam, and the night is perfect, and why the hell not? I let my robe fall to the ground and step into the lake, Derek's gaze unwavering from my body.
The water is cold and refreshing, and I don't cheat and use my fire magic to warm it. Instead, I let my body adjust to the temperature until I am submerged. Then I dunk under and swim towards Derek, popping up just in front of him.
"I'm sorry I lost my temper," he says softly, his wet dark hair gleaming under the Dragon's Breath. "I'm still conflicted about how I feel. Protecting you and our family is my top priority, so it's difficult making decisions that go against that."
"I know," I say. "But we have to expand who we think of as worthy of our protection," I say. "Especially when it comes to children. Those kids need us."
He raises his hand to caress my face, moving closer to me in the process.
My breasts graze his chest under water, and my body responds instantly.
"You're the kindest soul I know," he says, and then his lips are on mine and all I can think about is him. Us. Our watery world where nothing else exists.
He was the first to offer me the job that changed my life.
He defended me when his brothers didn't want me in this world.
He brought me back to life.
And as his arm slips around my waist and I wrap my legs around his, I feel us both coming to life once again.
He tastes of the sea, or sunshine and rain and sunsets on the beach. His lean, muscular body easily supports us both and I feel how urgently he wants me as he presses against my spread legs.
His hands slip down to my ass, his fingers digging into my flesh as he tightens his hold on me, and our magic blends, water splashing against water, as playful as dolphins at sea.
Our kisses deepen, his teeth tugging at my lower lip, then diving down, exploring my throat as I lean back.
I use our joined magic to push us up to the surface of the water, making a kind of waterbed for us that we spread out on, my body pinned beneath his.
Enjoying the access this position gives him to the rest of me, he teases and tastes every part of me, using his magic in thrilling new ways to take me to the edge.
We are cushioned by the element we both love, supported in this lake like a dream come to life, and when pleasure crashes into me in waves of nirvana, he does as well, filling me and driving me to new heights.
As he reaches his own climax, I join him again, and the bed beneath us pulls us under, letting us sink to the bottom of the lake, locked in our embrace. I use air magic to create a buffer around us and light magic to illuminate the underwater world we find ourselves in, as exotic fish swim past us and coral colored plant life sways in the currents.
He holds me tightly and I tuck myself into his arms, enjoying this unusual and magical moment for as long as I can.
Later, when our energy returns, we make our way to shore and dress.
Then we walk back to the castle together, hand in hand, enjoying the quiet moments of the evening, and when we reach my room, he hesitates, but I hold open the door. "Stay?"
He does.
That night I don't dream, but I do feel a deep warmth and safety as I drift on the clouds of my subconscious, and when I wake in the morning, Derek is still there, still holding me, his presence eternal and his love unshakable. He pulls me closer against him, his body wrapped around mine, my back pressed against his chest, and I feel his arousal as he drops kisses onto my neck.
I moan and press into him. "How long have you been awake?"
"Not too long."
I don't believe him, but it doesn't matter. I'm glad he stayed.
I press my ass against him, and he growls under his breath. "Don't you have to go to see Ifi and Elal soon?" he asks, his voice heavy with longing.
"Yes. So, we can't do a three hour marathon, but surely we have time for something?"
In a flash, Derek flips me over and pins me to the bed, pressing the weight of his body between my legs. "I can definitely give you something," he says as he trails kisses down my neck and to my breasts, stopping to give each their share of attention before moving further south. His fingers dig into my hips as he uses his tongue to push me to the edge of the cliff.
And then I'm falling. Pleasure crashes through me as he continues his attentions with his fingers, while positioning himself to plunge into me.
I bite his shoulder to keep from screaming in ecstasy as he fills me, while he uses his hands to tease and torture other parts of me.
Once he climaxes, I'm ready again, and together we drown in each other's arms.
The Weapon
I am so small I can barely be seen.
How can this great love be inside me?
Look at your eyes. They are small,
But they see enormous things.
~Rumi, The Turn
After that wake-up with Derek, I'm ready to have a productive day. I try not to let the weight of the world—literally—derail me from finding joy in the moment-to-moment blessings. So while I will do everything in my power to stop the destruction of the Otherworld—obviously—I also can't ignore the love and beauty I have around me every day. If anything, knowing how easily something can be torn from us, seeing the immortal greatness of dragons die, it has reminded me to stay present and be grateful for every moment I have with the ones I love.
I find Sebastian in the library, sitting by the fire and reading an old leather-bound book to Ana—who looks like a whole new child now that she's been bathed and dressed in clean clothes which fit her properly. Her golden hair shimmers against the fire light. Her cream skin is nearly translucent. And her eyes, a silvery blue, seem to shine when she looks at Sebastian.
He doesn't notice me yet and continues to read from the book, which is red with a silver title that reads, "All the Fairies Dared to Do."
"Platious never felt that she was brave or strong or right or good, and her name spoken aloud made her want to cover her ears," Sebastian says, pointing to a picture on the page. "Her wings sagged, and her hair never stayed where it was meant to, and her skin did not sparkle like the other fairies of the garden. So she felt herself plain. She did not yet know that within her held the seed of truth, and once planted, it would give her wisdom beyond measure."
Ana sees me and smiles, leaving Sebastian and running over to me for a hug.
"Hey, honey. Did you sleep well?"
She nods. "It was the most comfortable bed I've ever felt. Even my friend liked it."
"Your friend?"
Sebastian nods. "Every child needs an imaginary friend," he assures me with a wink.
"Of course," I say, smiling. "I'm glad you and your friend were comfortable." I put an arm over her shoulder and walk back to Sebastian. "Sounds like you were getting a fun story."
"Oh yes. I love Platious. She thinks she's not good, but she's so good. She just doesn't see it yet."
I share a glance with Sebastian, and I can tell we are both thinking about Cole. "Sometimes people need to be reminded of who they truly are before they can see the truth in themselves."
She nods sagely, then takes the book from Sebastian. "Can I keep reading while you're gone?"
I raise an eyebrow, surprised she knows how to read. But I assume Lyx helped with that. She was pretty committed to helping her people learn to read and write so they could engage more fully in their world.
Sebastian grins. "Yes, enjoy. But promise to tell me what happens when I get back."
"Deal!" she says and runs out of the room clutching the book against her chest.
I sink into the couch next to the sexy Earth Druid, sliding easily against his heavily muscled body. "That was adorable."
He blushes, actually blushes. "She's a sweet kid. You were right to bring her home."
I lean a head against him. "Thanks. I couldn't just leave her. But I realize we are going to have to figure out what to do with her lo
ng term." I glance up at him, catching his gaze. "What happens to kids like her here?"
He frowns. "We don't have a great system for caring for orphans. If no one claims her, or takes her in, she'll end up on the streets where she isn't likely to survive long."
"Shit. That's ridiculous. Why? This is a small, wealthy community with many beings who are nearly immortal or at least long lived. Can't you figure out something better than 'kick 'em to the street and let 'em die'?"
"It is something that needs changed. There are many things that need to change in this world." He pulls me into him and kisses my forehead. "Maybe you'll be the change we need."
"On that note, we should get going. I want to see what Ifi and Elal learned about Lyx's death." I move to stand but Sebastian pulls me back to the couch.
"Not until you've eaten. Liam told me how drained you were last night." He grabs a plate of food from the side table and hands it to me. It's piled high with eggs, bacon, fresh baked bread with a thick pat of butter, and a bowl of berries and cream.
I'm about to tell him I'm not hungry but my stomach rumbles, betraying me.
Sebastian raises an eyebrow and I smile. "Thank you. This looks delicious."
While I eat, Derek and Elijah join us, with Liam following behind holding a baby dragon in one arm and Alina in the other. "She ate!" he says to Elijah. "You were right. Cooked shark was the way to go." He glances at me in exasperation. "We tried every kind of meat we could think of. Then it occurred to us maybe seafood since she's a water dragon. It took a bit to get to shark." The Fire Druid grins at the dragon in his arms. "You're such a good eater, aren't you?"
"This might be the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life," I say, watching them.
Elijah rises and takes the dragon from Liam. Zara hiccups and spits water all over him, but he just laughs and puts the baby in the crib so he can dry off.
"Here, let me," I say, and I place a hand on his chest and channel fire and air together, drying him in an instant.
"Thank you," he says, his smile almost boyish.
"What will the rest of you do today?" I ask as I take Alina from Liam and give her some love. She pulls at my hair and laughs as she singes the edges with her fire.
"I'm staying with the kids," Liam says. "I thought I'd take them all on a hike and let these two practice their magic somewhere safer."
"I'll join you," Elijah says. "I need to get out of the castle for a bit and enjoy some fresh air. Plus, you'll have your hands full with three kids."
I look to Derek who shrugs. "I'm going to go back to the crime scene to see if I can find any new leads."
"Where's Matilda?" I ask. I haven't seen her around much since Lyx's death.
"She left last night and said she'll be back soon, that she had something to look into," Sebastian says.
With plans in place, Sebastian and I head to the carriage. I could offer to fly us or teleport us, but I'm just learning these abilities and taking another person with me seems risky at best. Besides, there are worse ways in the world to spend a morning than in a carriage with a sexy vampire druid.
I'm about ready to climb into the front, assuming Sebastian will be driving, but he ushers me into the back. "We've got a driver," he says.
"Who? Lily isn't home and everyone else is busy."
I watch, and see the reigns to the horses shift and move through the air… and I smile. "Mable?"
She flicks the reigns to let me know she's there, and Sebastian raises an eyebrow. "You learned her name? How?"
"I have my ways," I tell him with a wink as we crawl into the back of the carriage.
He sits across from me, our knees touching as he leans forward so we're closer. "I'm glad we'll have some time together," he says reaching for my hand.
I take his, squeezing it, and enjoy the feel of our skin touching, even if it's just our palms. "Me too. I feel like we haven't had a minute to ourselves in ages, with all the work we're doing in the new world and now this."
"You've done an incredible job helping build a new community," he says. "I see how the people look at you. You're a hero to them, and they don't even know you're a Fate."
I laugh at that. "I'm 100% sure they do. Nothing stays a secret in this world for long. Y'all are quite the gossips."
He grins, unable to deny it. "Either way, you've healed a lot of hearts. Mine included."
I know he's still broken about Cole, but it's good to hear some healing has occurred. "This is my home now too. I wasn't exaggerating when I told the Mother of Dragons that this world is part of me now. Or maybe it's more correct to say I'm a part of it. I don't know how it happened exactly, but when I did that spell, it changed something inside me, and added something of me to the fabric of this world. I haven't wanted to admit this to myself, let alone anyone else. But Sebastian, if this world is destroyed, I think I might be destroyed along with it, regardless of where I am. I don't think I'll survive if Amora gets her way."
Sebastian sucks in a breath, his grip on my hands tightening. "How certain are you?"
I drop my head, not wanting to see the heartache in his eyes when I tell him. "I could be wrong, of course, but I don't think I am. I'm… " I look up, unable to pull my gaze from his any longer. "I'm pretty certain. I can feel my life force attached to this world. I know after we found out what I am, we all speculated about my life span. But the more I've used my powers, the more I've felt this connection. I don’t think I’ll die naturally unless this world does. Which felt like a long time, but now it has the life expectancy of less than two weeks. And so do I."
He's quiet for a few moments, his face hardened against this news. "Maybe Elijah's books can uncover someway to fix this," he says.
"I think the only fix is solving the murder," I say.
"Assuming the Mother of Dragons honors her word," he whispers, pressing his lips into a tight line.
"Why wouldn't she?"
He shrugs. "The dragons follow their own rules. They always have."
"We'll just have to make sure she honors her word this time," I say. "Not just for my sake. We wouldn't be able to evacuate the entire population of this world in time, even if we started now." I pause, thinking. "Should we start now?" I ask. "Should we go public and encourage everyone to leave? To save as many as we can, at least."
He looks pained as he considers the possibility of failure. "If we did that, we would reduce our odds of finding the killer. They would leave, and we wouldn't have any chance of saving the world. And as you said, we still wouldn't be able to evacuate everybody. And where would they go? Not everyone here can pass as human, and even those of us who can would become targets in your world. It would lead to more deaths."
I sigh. "Yeah, I know. But I was hoping I was wrong. Because I'm worried about our odds. We have so little evidence to go on."
"We'll find more," he says. "We have to."
The carriage begins to slow and I look out the window, surprised to find we have already arrived at the cemetery where the morgue is located.
Unlike the first time I came here, today is a bright day with a light breeze that makes the grass covering the graves sway in synchronicity.
Mable stays with the carriage—presumably, I can't actually see her—and we walk across the cemetery towards the mausoleum when a thought occurs to me. "Are there ghosts here?" It seems the logical place for them.
Sebastian shrugs. "Most likely, why?"
"I just realized Mable might enjoy visiting with others of her kind. They must be a very underrepresented group in the Otherworld."
Sebastian tilts his head and looks around, as if seeing the area with new eyes. "I never actually thought of it like that before."
We approach the mausoleum— a towering gothic building that casts a long shadow over the cemetery with its clustered columns and sharply pointed spires. The stained-glass windows are filled with light today, as the brightness of the Dragon's Breath spill through them.
I pick up my pace when we are close, excited to
see the gargoyles that guard the doors.
Okura comes to life first, her stone wings stretching and flexing as she flies down from her perch to land in front of us, a pouch at her stomach heavy with her baby, like a kangaroo.
"Okura!" I run up to her and hug her stony body.
She laughs, and the sound is much like rocks tumbling down a mountain. "It has been too long. And I have heard tales that your truth is finally known, Fate." She bows her head in reverence.
"Oh please, not you too. I'm still just me. How's the baby?"
Akuro lands beside his mate and grins widely. "She is the sun and moon and the stars all in one," he says proudly as Okura pulls the sleeping child from the pouch and hands her to me.
My body sags under the weight of the baby, and Sebastian wraps his arms around me to help support us both. The child blinks, it's eyes large and curious, and then she smiles and reaches out with a little fist to grab my hair.
I laugh. "It seems babies everywhere are all the same."
We spend a few more minutes visiting, with promises to get our families together soon, and they open the doors for us.
As we walk in, Okura says, "We are here if you need us in the upcoming struggles."
I turn towards her. "What do you mean?"
She closes her eyes. "A war is brewing. The Age of Dragon is coming to an end. Much will be decided in the coming days. Be well, Fate. Count us amongst your allies."
“Thank you,” I say, then Sebastian and I continue our walk through the dim halls, and today the smell of death and old flowers is even stronger than normal.
We stop before the large arched double door I recognize from our first visit here, and this time I'm prepared for the scene as we walk in.
Since my powers have manifested so strongly, I'm no longer impacted by the heat and the flames dancing along the edges of the marble walls. It's a large room with dead bodies lying across tables scattered throughout, and long stretches of glass tubing connecting beakers of bubbling liquid in varying shades of green, orange, grey, and purple. I ignore the specimen jars that line the shelves. They creep me out.
I Am the Night (The Night Firm Book 3) Page 6
