Dragonfae & The Soul Catcher (6 page)

Thalia drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. She dropped her hands and met Lumos’ green gaze. “I think you have lost your wits.” She got to her feet. “One other thing, Nightdragon, why do you call me butterfly?”

“It is the Fae meaning of your name.” Lumos frowned. “I see you doubt me, but I speak the truth.”

“No…you don’t. You are no b-better than the men who raped me.” She straightened her shoulders. “You will not fool me with your silver tongue. My name is the reason my father banished me. He said my name means Soul Catcher—that I am so evil my parents left me for the wolves. In turn, he left me to his men.” Thalia turned. “It is obvious I cannot trust you either. I’ll not let you die because I’m no Soul Catcher but neither will I help set you free. It seems we are both trapped in this forest, Dragonfae, or whatever you are.” She called to Brew and took the path back to the cottage, walking swiftly until the building came into view.

A feral roar, followed by the terrifying whoosh of thousands of birds taking flight, echoed through the forest. Small animals rushed by, their eyes bulging with fear. Thalia turned to see white smoke pouring into the sky. The stench of fire tainted the pristine air.
Gods, the forest is on fire.
The top of a silver ash shuddered, toppled,then crashed to the ground.
Lumos.
She sprinted back towards the meadow, dodging the terrified wildlife. On the perimeter of the circle she stopped. Fear shook her to the bone. Her jaw dropped open at the sight of Lumos punching his blood-soaked fists into a tree. Steam poured from the Fae’s nose with every sickening thud. The meadow hung heavy with the smell of fire. The tree toppled and with a tragic pirouette slowly crashed to the ground. Thalia ran blindly towards him. “Lumos. Stop! Please.”

Chapter Four

Fullmount Palace

Drog, the Magus of Fullmount, gazed into the scrying dish and chuckled with glee at the destruction Lumos was inflicting on the Singing Forest. He absorbed the Dragonfae’s anger, relishing in Lumos’ pain. The man’s agony filled him like the sweetest wine. Lucifer, the Fae’s heartache made him drunk with euphoria. Although Lumos had refused the tainted wine and not succumbed to Drog’s potion, the Dragonfae had been easy to manipulate once the beast had found the mate he had sought for more than a century. The dragon had become intoxicated with desire, the beast’s senses trained on one objective—Thalia.

The instant the dragon had landed in the clearing and had morphed into Lumos, his capture had been simple. He would have killed the Dragonfae then, if not for the chance that his brother, Axim, would step up to take the challenge at Drakka. No, a far better plan was to make Lumos miss the deadline, and forfeit the realm.

Inhaling to draw in more of Lumos’ frustration, Drog puffed out his chest at his ingenuity. He had set his brother, Boris, the task of finding the Dragonfae’s mate. A simple spell had found the few females with dragon flames dancing in their eyes. By secreting each of the females’ scent via articles of clothing around the Dragonfae lair, Boris only had had to note which of the concealed garments attracted Lumos. Drog had found to his great satisfaction that the girl Thalia was the daughter of King Garro—a Nomag. The girl chosen by the gods for the Dragonfae heir, an innocent, had proved an easy target for Boris. The young Magus had cast a simple spell to turn Thalia’s people against her, blaming the girl for the death of their queen. The king had banished the female from the herd—or whatever it was they called a group of Nomags.

The Magus rubbed his hands together and chuckled. A shiver of pure bliss ran down his spine. After all, it had been his ingenious spell that had transformed the king’s men accompanying Thalia into a pack of lusty fiends worthy of their place in the Underworld. How he had enjoyed immersing himself in the innocent’s screams of terror. His cock ached at the memory.

Drog grinned into the gloom. His plan had worked beautifully. Six months had passed since his gift of fifty casks of the finest wine—tainted with a mind-controlling potion—had arrived at Drakka. Now with twenty dragons under his enchantment he had an army to rival the gods’ militia. He needed to gain control of Drakka and destroy the Gate of the gods.

The girl’s mind had proved easy to infiltrate. Nomags had no idea true magyck existed. The creatures had no barriers against dark telepathy and he could bend Thalia to his will with a snap of his fingers. Now, he would use Lumos’ desire for the Nomag female to control him.

Drog snorted with glee. He would dangle the girl in front of the Fae like a carrot for a donkey. He would control Thalia’s mind, with a suggestion here, a little push there, and he would have the girl manipulating the Dragonfae for him with consummate ease. Lucifer, imagine the satisfaction of having the Nightdragon under his control?

With a laugh, the Magus watched Lumos fell tree after tree. Damn, he could taste the blood streaming from the Fae’s knuckles, feel the crack of his bones.
Delicious.
How easily he had drawn the Dragonfae heir to the Singing Forest. The girl’s Dragonsong had been an unexpected bonus, then, to witness Lumos’ response to Thalia’s silk scarf, the Dragonfae’s desperation had been an unexpected delight. The lovers would have crossed paths eventually but perhaps a few years later. In truth, Thalia would probably die if Lumos mated her at this young age. The Faerie females matured at one hundred summers for a reason. The Magus shrugged—he didn’t care a fig about a Nomag of eighteen summers. He had set his sights on more complex matters.

Steam billowing around him, Lumos slammed his blood-soaked hands into the trunk of another tree. The Magus licked his lips.
How I wish I could lick the blood from your knuckles, Dragonfae.
The lovestruck dragon had proved easy prey.
Ah, Lumos, I have you imprisoned in a magyck circle, stripped of magyck and at my mercy. In three months, Drakka will be mine.

Chapter Five

The Singing Forest

Lumos shook his bleeding knuckles and turned slowly to face the witch. Her tear-stained cheeks surprised him. Why would she cry for a man she thought to be a liar? Nevertheless, there she stood, trembling with one hand outstretched, and begging him to stop hurting himself as if she cared. Did she understand what had angered him? He stared at the ground to gain composure, the need to draw her into his arms more painful than his injuries.

“This is my fault… I’m sorry for not believing you.” Thalia stepped closer and lifted his bloody hand. “I’m so consumed with my own problems I failed to see the importance of yours. Will you forgive me, mighty dragon?”

Words caught in Lumos’ throat. He lifted his head, meeting the witch’s flaming dark orbs. He noticed a small scar on her cheek and traced it with his finger. One touch and the connection between them sizzled up his arm. Gods, Thalia had felt the bond between them, too. The witch had flinched at his touch. Her jaw had tightened as if fighting the need to run. He studied her, breathing in her scent.

“You are a brave little butterfly.” He lifted his chin. “A seasoned warrior would never approach a dragon’s rage. I’m not angry with you, little one. It’s the men that made you so afraid of me that fuel my wrath. I want to hunt them down and tear them limb from limb.”

“I know you would.” Thalia pointed to the centre of her chest. “In here, I believe you. Gods, I’m so sorry.” She sniffed and batted at the tears spilling down her cheeks. “Allow me to see to your injuries. At least my healing spell will help.” She led Lumos to the rock pool. “Soak your hands. I’ll search the water for the weed I need to make a poultice, and, with a little magyck, you will be as good as new by the morning.”

Although the witch trembled, she lifted her chin and did not look away. Her courage amazed him. Thalia must be stronger than she appeared to have survived alone after suffering such a heinous crime. Gods willing, he had broken through the wall Thalia had wrapped so closely around her pain. Lumos sat on a rock to strip off his jerkin and boots. He gave Thalia a smile.

“There’s no need for you to get wet. I’ll go. I know what weed to collect.” He stood, walked to the edge of the pool, and dived into the clear, blue water.

Swimming into the pool’s depths, Lumos ignored the sting of his injuries, and floated, allowing the water to cool his boiling skin. Thalia’s fears and doubt in him had brought on the rage of the dragon. The beast wanted revenge against the men who had made her this way. How could he tell her he had travelled through realms seeking his mate, the singer of the dragon song? Her denial of him, the turning away, had cut deep into his heart. His inner beast had fought to get free. Without magyck to liberate him, the raging black Nightdragon simmered just under Lumos’ skin.

The Dragonfae rested on the bottom of the deep pool, enjoying the freezing water against his burning flesh. The weed the witch required grew in abundance around his feet. He grabbed a few handfuls, kicked his feet on the sandy bottom, and broke the surface of the pool.

Thalia swallowed hard at the sight of Lumos striding from the rock pool. Water ran in rivulets from his hair and trickled down his hard, muscular chest. His gaze met hers with a frightening intensity. A haze of steam hovered over his bare flesh. The handsome man tossed his dark head, and threw her a smile.
Gods,
her heart pounded with every step the man made towards her.
I must stay calm. Lumos needs my help. It is only a few paces to the edge of the circle.

“This boulder has a small depression, a good place to crush the weed.” Lumos placed the plants on the rock. “I’m afraid I don’t have any linen to use to bind my hands—do you?” He bent to pick up a round stone, and with slow, efficient motions started to grind the weed.

Thalia winced at the deep cuts in Lumos’ knuckles. “Let me do that. You should sit in the sun to dry.” She took the stone from his hands and knelt beside the boulder. Calmness enveloped her with a safety she thought no longer existed.
Can I trust you, Dragonfae?

“My body heat will dry me rapidly.” He sat on the rock and watched Thalia work the weed into a paste.

“You are soaked through. The leather of your pants will be ruined.” Thalia examined the glossy leather, so like the skin of a snake with half-moon scales. The Dragonfae’s clothes and boots shimmered in the same unusual leather.

“They will be fine. The fabric is a part of me and it will dry in a few minutes.” Lumos smiled. “Thank you for caring.”

This close, the scent of the man befuddled Thalia’s senses. Her face grew hot and she busied herself grinding the weed. Finding her attention constantly returning to watch a drip of water travel over the rippling muscles of the man’s broad chest, she turned away.
I must stop looking at him.
She tossed her hair over one shoulder.

“There, the poultice is ready.”

Without a second thought, she raised the hem of her cotton dress, and ripped off a wide band. Thalia looked up to see Lumos staring at her bare knees. She cleared her throat and coughed. This action brought the man’s head up swiftly and she frowned at him. Doubt, that nagging voice in her head, came again to haunt her, warning her not to trust him.

“This will do for a bandage.” She sighed, wanting the calm, safe assurance she had experienced before to return. “Lumos, I find it uncomfortable when you stare at me like that… It reminds me of Erik.”

“Erik?” Lumos held out his hand for Thalia to tend. “Is he one of the king’s men who raped you?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know, little butterfly, that you look at me the same way? I enjoy the way you admire my body.” Lumos met her gaze. “There is no sin in taking pleasure from the sight of another’s body, little one.” He touched Thalia’s cheek and lowered his voice to a whisper. “The gods gave us bodies to be admired. The sin is in taking what is not freely given, without love or respect for one another.” He lifted her chin. “I am not like Erik. I would rather die than hurt you.”

I wish I could believe that, but you are still a man and men bring pain and misery.
Thalia applied the green sludge to Lumos’ wounds. She ran the tips of her fingers over each injury and called to the magyck. The familiar tingle ran through her hands as white light bathed Lumos’ raw knuckles. She lifted his other hand and his warm flesh pressed against her palm. Fear curled in her belly followed by an exhilaration that astounded her. Gods, her mind had made two opposite decisions about Lumos.
I must be losing my wits.
She concentrated her spell on the deep cuts.
He deserves my honesty.

“I do look at you. In truth, I have never seen anyone like you. I must say, you are most handsome.” She wrapped the linen around Lumos’ hands and tied both bandages in a neat bow. She lifted her head. “I want to trust you but it is difficult to push back the memories of Erik. My mind won’t let me forget what he and his men did to me.” Forcing a smile, she patted his knee. The rock-hard thigh rippled under her palm. The soft fabric, warm, alive at her touch, sent a ripple of desire surging through her folds. Her breasts swelled and her aching nipples pressed against the rough linen of her dress.
Gods, what is happening to me?

“Your reaction to me is normal. We are attracted to each other, little butterfly.” Lumos sighed. “If not for Erik’s cruelty, what you are feeling for me would seem natural.”

“Natural?”

“Come now, before Erik laid hands on you, had you never looked upon a male with admiration?” Lumos raised an eyebrow. “For most girls of your age, it is all they speak about. My sisters are forever giggling over one Fae male or another.” He frowned. “I would hope that this joy is not lost to you forever.”

With effort, Thalia fought the need to run. Sitting this close, the heat of Lumos’ near-naked body radiated through her thin dress. She bit her bottom lip. To have a normal conversation with someone would be bliss. She wanted to know everything about Lumos and his sisters.