Dragonfae & The Soul Catcher (16 page)

“I spent a year searching for the Nightdragon’s mate. This female, Thalia, is a child and nothing other than a healer at best.” Boris lifted his chin. “It wasn’t easy killing the queen and manipulating the king’s mind to make the man banish the girl to the Singing Forest. Nor was it simple to get into Drakka and seduce that bitch of a Faerie, Lucinda, in order for you to trap Lumos. I can only assume the Dragonfae has instructed her in some fashion.” He cleared his throat. “Drog…you are my brother, why would I deceive you?”

Biting back rage, Drog moved towards his brother, his long robes swishing against the paved floor. He wanted to claw at his throat for air. The atmosphere in the gloomy dungeon, filled with the acrid stench of potions bubbling in great cauldrons on the hearth, closed in around him. The Dragonfae had eluded him, broken free from his prison, and, somehow, now hid under the shield of the King of the Fae. He grasped his brother’s collar, lifting the younger Magus to his toes.

“This healer, Thalia, has blocked me from her mind, battled the Lutwych Hag, and somehow used her healing powers to kill the demigoddess Nehebkau. This healer, Thalia, had the magyck to release the Firedragon and used Pyro to remove the silver bands from Lumos, and now both Dragonfae have full power. Together, these three will be difficult to destroy.” He ground his teeth. “That half-blood Elf who stirred your loins, the one with the golden hair—what was her name? Do you remember her—the one you wished to fill with your seed? Ah, yes…Angelina. Where is she, Boris?”

“Dead… Angelina is dead.”

Drog tightened his grip until Boris’ face turned a deep shade of purple. “Angelina’s mother, the witch they call Nell—my sources say she met with Thalia. Now why would she do that?” He twisted the collar of Boris’ shirt. “Why would old Nell seek the company of a princess? Perhaps Thalia is not the king’s daughter?”

“The child I sired with Angelina is dead.” Boris gasped for air. “I left her for the wolves myself. I can assure you there were no more babes. Angelina made her own way through the veil. If you must know, she destroyed herself with magyck. It was none of my doing.” He tore at his brother’s fingers. “I know nothing of Nell’s visits.”

Trembling with rage, Drog released his grip. Magyck crackled around him as he balled his hands into fists. His brother’s ignorance in this matter surprised him. After this disturbing series of outcomes, it had taken less than five minutes to discover all he needed to know about the witch, Thalia, from King Garro’s High Priest.

“So, brother, your plan to produce an heir backfired? Angelina’s mother, the Elf, Nell, came to us with child. I believe she was a captive of yours from a raid on Aska?”

“Aye, brother, Angelina was the result of a mating of Duneos, a Magus from our rival clan to an Elf. She carried our rival’s blood and that of the Fae. That is why I allowed the girl to live. As soon as Angelina became old enough to breed, I impregnated her to produce an heir with magyck to rival both clans.” Boris rubbed his neck. “I poured magyck into my seed to produce a son. I planned to call him Anu…the catcher of souls. He would have been more powerful than even you.”

The Magus opened his hands palms up. A large leather-bound volume appeared, the gold edges glistening in the gloom. The book opened and the pages flicked through in a dazzling speed before coming to rest. He held the page out to his brother and indicated an entry.

“It would seem Angelina had other plans for her babe.” He grimaced. “She had the child registered in the Book of Sorcery with the name Thalia, the opposite to your wishes. Isn’t Thalia the name of the protector of souls or, in Fae, the butterfly…a new beginning? It would seem Angelina embraced the goddess Cymbeline.” He raised an eyebrow. “The child lived.”

“No! She can’t be the same person. I left the babe with a raw leg of mutton in front of a wolf’s lair.” Boris backed away clutching his neck. “She was five days old and I gave her no name. Tell me why I should do such a thing when I intended to kill her?”

“Angelina sewed the babe’s name onto her clothes—were you too addle-brained to notice?” Drog slammed the book on the bench. “No wolf ate your child. I’d wager Nell discovered your plan and followed you. She probably placed the child in the path of King Garro’s hunting party. A childless king would look on the babe as a gift from the gods—and—he—did.” With a screech of frustration, he clawed at his hair. “Do you understand Boris? Do you? With old Nell’s help, there is a good chance Thalia lives under the protection of Cymbeline, our sworn enemy. There is no doubt the witch carries both Elf and dark Magus magyck. What a way for Cymbeline to twist the knife into us, Boris, to give your child as the mate to a Dragonfae king!”

“No! I refuse to believe this falsehood. On my honour, I—left—her—to—die.” Boris squeezed his head.

Drog moved swiftly to his brother’s side. “Did the babe have hair? Can you remember?”

“Aye, the child had a mass of hair. It was red like the flames of the sun. Angelina remarked that the babe had an angel’s halo.”

Moving towards the scrying bowl, Drog waved a hand over the water. “Show me the likeness of Thalia of Broclarre.” He stared down at the image of Thalia, chestnut hair flowing down her back. With a groan, he turned to Boris. “See the product of your seed, the destroyer of dark magyck.”

“Lucifer, protect us.” Boris fought to breathe. “What are we to do?”

The Magus frowned down at the shimmering water. He ran a finger across the image of Thalia. “The Shadow Walkers are ready to strike at every opportune moment but to kill the Dragonfae will prove difficult. I intend to delay Lumos so he misses the deadline to fight for Drakka. There is no other ready for the task.”

“What about his brother?”

“Axim? I’ve thought on this. I doubt the Stardragon will leave Draconia. He will expect Lumos to win… And, in any case, he can’t rule both realms. By the time the deadline comes, it will be too late and Drakka will be mine.” He rubbed his chin. “Thalia has built a barrier to my thoughts but I need only a second in her lapse of concentration to make her respond again to my influence. She has, after all, a larger quantity of Magi blood than Elfin. Once through her pathetic barrier, it should be easy enough to control Thalia. I‘ll sow seeds of doubt in her mind about Lumos, to prevent the mating.”

“How do you know they aren’t mating now under the protection of the Fae?”

Drog grinned and rubbed his hands together. “Because, brother dearest, Lumos has that nasty trait I despise—honour. He’ll wait until the battle for Drakka is won and Thalia is Fae.” He chuckled. “By that time, I will have killed the witch or, better, still have her chained in my dungeon for breeding. We have many Magi worthy of impregnating her to produce a bloodline with superior magyck. Yes, that is a fine idea. Very fine. I’ll instruct the Shadow Walkers to bring Thalia to me. If she wasn’t your daughter, Boris, I would fuck her myself.”

Chapter Twelve

The King of the Fae’s palace—Nubra

Lumos ground his teeth. The desire to take Thalia and damn the consequences had become an ongoing battle with the Nightdragon. The scent of the witch made him hard all day long. His balls ached. Her amazing grasp of magyck had surprised him and he loved the changes in her appearance. He recalled the Elfin female his cousin had taken as a mate. The female had changed slowly before the mating. In fact, the female had taken many months to grow her wings. To see how beautifully Thalia’s skin glowed like a golden peach so soon after drinking his seed amazed him. In a few days, the fiery thatch on her folds had almost disappeared, leaving her smooth and delectable. His mouth watered with the desire to taste her again.

He led her into a magnificent bedchamber. The walls glowed with translucence, filling the area with a subtle radiance. Faceted crystals sat in small alcoves illuminated under a stream of light, sending a multitude of rainbows against the glossy, white crystal walls. The Faerie King’s palace overlooked a lush valley. Lumos gazed out over a veranda shaped from a living tree. The branches entwined to form the frames for windows, each bow resplendent with fragrant blossoms. The building, cut into the side of the Crystal Mountain and maintained entirely by magyck, had an opulence he had never encountered before. He glimpsed a tub through an archway big enough to bathe six.

“Goddess, just look at the size of this bed.” Thalia ran a hand over the royal blue velvet bedspread. “And I enjoyed that delicious meal.” She kicked off her shoes. “I have never had ambrosia before. It made me feel…ahh, sooo relaxed.” She flopped down on the bed and giggled.

Relaxed is good
. “Yes the meal was wonderful. Thalia, I spoke to Pyro over dinner tonight and he is letting the Firedragon free to hunt. Would you mind if I let the Nightdragon fly tonight while you’re asleep?”

“Why?” Thalia rested her head on her hand. “You said he would want to mate as soon as you let him free.”

Lumos sat on the edge of the bed and ran his hand up Thalia’s leg. “Oh, he wants to mate, this is true, but he is very hungry. I need to let him hunt.” He grinned. “A full dragon is a contented dragon and, with luck, he’ll not constantly insist I mate you after he feeds. To be honest, little one, I require the Nightdragon to concentrate on the battle to come. After all, you’ll be his reward for winning.”

“Am I not your reward, Lumos?” Thalia ran a hand down Lumos’ chest.

“Ah, but I can have your mouth on my cock, or taste your sweet pussy. In fact, the dragon only experiences the mating, the moonfire.” Lumos slowly unbuttoned Thalia’s buckskin breeches. The need to touch her consumed him. He plunged his hands inside to savour the slide of her silken skin under his palms. “And tonight I am going to pleasure you until you fall into a sated sleep.” He eased the breeches down Thalia’s legs. “Your scent is intoxicating.” He bent to nuzzle her mound “Open your legs so I can lap your cream.”

He loved the shudder of anticipation that shimmied through her. He dipped his tongue inside her slick folds and feasted. The witch bucked her rounded hips. Her breath came in short pants. Lumos cupped her plump ass cheeks and lifted her to his mouth. Her clit rose up full and plump to greet him. He nipped the hard bud then suckled.

“Lumos—gods!” She gripped the bedspread. “This is so…so wickedly delicious.”

Honey flowed from his lover. She shuddered, undulating. Lumos drove his fingers deep inside her. Her hot pulsating heat closed around him. Desire clawed at his balls—he wanted to take and take again to relieve the erotic pressure. He imagined her tight channel gripping his shaft in climax and groaned. He withdrew his fingers, trailing slick heat to her rear. She was so damn wet but he would require more lubrication for her tight hole He sat up and searched the nightstand. The drawer held a variety of sex toys, thick metal phalluses, bindings and leather floggers. A few bottles of aphrodisiac oil stood to one side. He grinned.
My little butterfly will love my cock in her tight ass if I use this potion.
He regarded Thalia’s flushed face.

“Let’s get comfortable, little one.” He dragged his tunic over his head.

Thalia pulled off her shirt. She wanted to taste Lumos. The day had been so long, and she needed him. This strange desire filled her constantly, fuelled by his delicious scent. She gazed up into the Dragonfae’s deep pools of lust.

“Why do you make me feel like this? I want you every minute, Lumos, and my folds are wet all the time… Gods, I know Pyro can smell me.”

“Although Dragonfae carry a beast inside, we are not like animals, sweetness. We don’t scent a mate and take her without consent.” Lumos rubbed Thalia’s nipples between his fingers. “We may enjoy many females before we mate but what we have is different. What we feel for each other, the need, the burning desire for each other, this is the onset of mating fever—the moonfire.” He bent his head to kiss the rosy tips. “We never mate without consent. In truth, we prefer a slow courtship. You see, my love, a Dragonfae mating is forever, so we must be sure.”

Indignant, Thalia pushed hard on Lumos’ chest.
You have to be sure? Goddess help me.
She had risked her life for him, protected him from the Hag—how much more did she have to do?

“I thought as much.” She glared at Lumos. “You say we cannot kiss and yet you kiss Faeries. You say we cannot copulate until I’ve accepted your dragon, yet you will not morph in front of me. Then you make the excuse of the battle to come and now you are not sure if I am suitable! What kind of a fool do you think I am, Lumos?” She snorted. “You’ve given me gratification, so I will not say you are as cruel as Erik but the intent is the same. In truth, you only want to use me for your own pleasure.”

“I’ve spoken the truth to you.” Lumos gave her a considering gaze. “Although not the entire truth.” He wrapped a lock of Thalia’s hair around his finger. “You are not Fae and if I mate you before you have transformed the act may well kill you.”

Thalia lifted her chin in defiance. “Another excuse! Gods, Lumos, they spill off your tongue like honey. Let me guess—I bet you tell all the females the same story, don’t you?”

“You’ve begun to transform already—your skin has the same golden hue as mine. The damage inflicted by Erik, the scar on your face, and even your virginity has been restored.” Lumos stared into Thalia’s angry face, the need to calm her paramount. “When I release my seed inside you, the second stage will start to occur, and then a scrape of my fangs will inject my saliva into your bloodstream.” He studied her closely. “Then you will become Fae and we will mate.” He brought the strand of hair to his lips and kissed the auburn silk. “I‘ve already made my choice, sweet butterfly.” He met her gaze. “Now it’s your turn to accept me… Trust me. for I am yours.”

Transformation? What the gods?
Thalia levelled a glare at Lumos.
When I become Fae?

“Are you saying that I’m changing into a Faerie? Good gods!—Do you mean that every time we make love, your seed is transforming me?”

“Aye, it’s true. Your being Fae, it is the only way we can be together as mates.” Lumos shrugged. “Most females would be grateful, as being a Faerie has its benefits.”