Releasing the Dragon: Myths and Legends, Book One (8 page)

As soon as I started walking towards him he
looked up and met my eyes. Then his gaze traveled over my body
lingering on my breasts a little longer than the rest. Everywhere
his eyes roamed I felt heat building under my flesh. When his eyes
returned to mine they smoldered but I wanted to see them blazing
out of control. I walked towards him making sure my hips swayed
enticingly, running my hand from my thigh to the top of my hip bone
drawing his attention to the movement. When I stopped in front of
him we both seemed unable to speak or even breathe, as if one wrong
move would have us ripping our clothes off right there in the
entrance hall. The spell was broken when the younger man cleared
his throat.

As if waking from a trance Dragon said,
"Serafina, I would like you to meet my dear friend Solomon." He
gestured towards the younger man.

To say I was shocked would be an
understatement. This man was slender, a little less than six feet
and looked to be in his early twenties, certainly not old enough to
be the legendary Solomon I'd heard so much about. I must have been
gaping at him because Solomon chuckled and said, "I get that
reaction a lot. It's a pleasure to meet you. Dragon was just
telling me how the two of you met. It's nice to see him interested
in something other than work for a change." He reached out his hand
which I shook automatically still feeling a little stunned.

"It's nice to meet you too. I do apologize
for gaping at you. It's just; you're not what I expected."

Dragon spoke then, "All part of his plan.
Wait until you see him in his show. You won't even recognize him.
Altering his appearance allows him to go out in public without
being mobbed by his fans everywhere he goes."

"That makes sense; if my career ever takes
off I'll have to ask you for pointers. I'm looking forward to your
show. I've heard so many wonderful things about you."

"I hope it's better than you ever dreamed.
Tonight's show will be very special, a mythical tale of war and
betrayal." Solomon checked his watch. "It's time for me to do the
final preparations. Enjoy the show." He bowed to Dragon then to me
with his hand fisted over his heart before he walked away. I
realized then that all the staff members bowed to Dragon. It was
strange but I decided it must be part of the show; after all, the
resort is shaped like a castle.

Dragon turned to me with a brilliant smile.
"I am delighted you decided to join me."

"It was touch and go for a while but in the
end you were right. I couldn't let go without knowing," I told him
honestly.

"I'm glad to hear that, and I promise I will
not make you regret this decision." We heard a chiming sound that
must have been a signal of some kind because the crowd started
moving into the theater. "Would you like to go to our table now?"
Dragon held out his arm as he asked.

I took his arm and allowed him to lead me to
our table. When we entered The Gateway I saw that the floor had
several levels with tables spread all around. There were also a few
balconies which seemed to have the best views of the stage. I
shouldn't have been surprised when Dragon led us to a spiral
staircase on the side wall but I wasn't used to being on the arm of
someone of his stature. The stairs led to a hallway with several
curtained doorways. We stopped at the center curtain and it was
pushed aside by a man in uniform. Inside there was a candlelit
table set for two and beyond that a cozy looking sofa sat close to
the railing of a balcony.

The uniformed man who appeared to be our
waiter asked, "Would you like me to serve the appetizers now, Mr.
Drake?"

"I think we'll skip the appetizers tonight
Raphael and just start with the salads, but please bring a bottle
of champagne with the entrees, we have something to celebrate."
Dragon replied to the waiter.

Raphael removed our salads from a room
service cart in the corner of the room and placed them on the table
before leaving. Once we were alone Dragon pulled a chair out for me
and said, "I hope you don't mind. Dinner service usually continues
after the show gets underway but I prefer to watch from the sofa.
If we skip the appetizers and just eat the salads we should be able
to finish our entrees before the show begins."

I accepted the seat he offered and he sat
across from me. "I don't mind at all. I usually skip the appetizers
so I'll have room for the entree anyway." I took a few bites of my
salad before saying, "I still have some reservations about the two
of us dating while you're the one signing my paychecks."

He raised an eyebrow. "I could fire you. That
would solve the problem rather quickly."

By the mischievous gleam in his eyes I knew
he wasn't serious. "Why Mr. Drake, I do believe that could be
construed as sexual harassment."

He shrugged. "We could always settle out of
court. What can I do to make you feel better about exploring
relationship possibilities with your employer?"

I thought about that and answered him
seriously. "Promise me that you will never interfere in my career.
If this continues and our relationship becomes public, most people
will think I only have my job because I'm sleeping with you. I need
to know that's not true. I need to know that I've earned every
promotion and every assignment I'm given."

He looked me in the eyes and said, "I can
promise that I will never interfere with your career from this
point forward. I do have to confess though that I chose your
apartment and I requested that you not be scheduled to work this
weekend."

I should have been furious but I couldn't
manage it when I looked at the sinful grin curving his lips. "That
is exactly how people will be led to the wrong conclusions." I
shook my head with a little laugh. "Please tell me you aren't the
reason I was hired to begin with."

"Scarlett made that decision all on her own,"
he assured me. "She hired you based on your talent and your
abilities, not because of any influence from me. I didn't even know
you were auditioning until the morning after I saw you in Mystique,
and by then she had already made her choices."

I was embarrassed by the memory of what he'd
seen on the dance floor of Mystique, but Raphael returned and saved
me from having to comment. He served the entrees then opened and
poured the champagne. He was quick and efficient only causing a
short break in our conversation. Dragon asked him not to return
until he was called for.

"To Serafina, a wonderful new addition to the
Myths and Legends entertainment staff. May she shine like the
brightest star on a cloudless night." Dragon raised his glass in a
toast.

Smiling, I clinked my glass with his. "Thank
you so much. I hope I can live up to your expectations." I set my
glass down. "I have to ask, have you dated many employees in the
past? I'm only asking because I want to know what to expect once
the rumors start flying."

"Yes, I have dated some of the women who work
here at the resort. But honestly, I haven't been on a date for a
very long time. Managing this resort takes up most of my time and
energy. In recent years only one woman has intrigued me enough to
pull me away from my duties, and that woman is you, Serafina."

Dragon reached out to take my hands in his.
That small contact was enough to make my entire body sing. Tingles
of pleasure spread over my skin. A widening of his eyes told me he
felt it too. Whatever the connection was between us it was getting
stronger all the time.

"I know that may sound like a pick-up line,
but it's still the truth. The night we spent in Lilith's was one of
the most amazing nights of my life. I have never been drawn to
anyone as I am to you and I will do whatever it takes to make this
easier on you, but I will not let you go," Dragon promised.

The truth was plain on his face. He wasn't
trying to play games with me. In that moment all my worries washed
away and I decided that I really didn't care what anyone else
thinks. I wasn't going to let go of Dragon now or ever. "I believe
you and I can't deny I feel the connection between us. There's no
logic to it. We just met but I feel like I've known you my whole
life. No matter how crazy all of this seems I'm not ready to give
you up either."

He kissed my hands before letting them go.
"I'm glad that's behind us. Now, we should eat before the show
begins. I don't think we'll have time for dessert, but maybe I can
have something sent up afterwards."

"That would be great," I said before cutting
into my steak.

We finished our meal quickly. After Dragon
called for the waiter to clear the dishes, we heard another chime
signaling the show was about to start. We took our seats on the
sofa near the railing, sitting close with the line of his body
sending waves of heat into mine. I reached over and rested my hand
on his thigh just above the knee. I'm not sure why I did it, I just
wanted to be closer to him. When he turned to me his face was
surprised but happy so I guessed he didn't mind my forward
advances. As the lights dimmed he curled his fingers around my hand
where it rested on his leg. My eyes moved to the stage but it was
far more difficult to shift my mind away from the man sitting
beside me.

The lights dimmed, the curtains rose, and the
entire theater transformed before my eyes. The crown molding and
exquisite artwork disappeared to become an emerald forest with moss
covered trees and thick underbrush. It seemed so real. I actually
smelled a damp earthy scent in the air, heard the creaking sounds
of trees blowing in the wind, and felt the breeze ruffle my hair. I
wanted to reach out and touch something just to see if I could.

A man walked into view wearing robes that I
would expect to see on a medieval sorcerer. He was bald and looked
to be in his mid-fifties. When he reached what had been center
stage he stopped to address the audience. "Welcome to The Gateway
to the Otherworld. For those of you who do not know me, I am
Solomon, the sorcerer behind the magic here at The Myths and
Legends Casino Resort." Stunned by that revelation I took a closer
look and realized the sorcerer on stage actually looked like an
aged version of the young man I had met earlier.

Solomon continued his introduction. "In
centuries past the barriers between realms were thin, allowing
creatures both wonderful and terrifying to enter our world at will.
As the magic faded and technology grew the barriers thickened
blocking all but the strongest of these beings from crossing over.
With fewer otherworlders preying on them, the human race flourished
until demons, vampires and shapeshifters became little more than
myths and legends.

Tonight I will show you the tragic tale of
The Great War between shapeshifters and vampires. It was a magical
time when today's myths and legends dominated our world. There had
been peace between the shapeshifter clans of the north for many
years and the shapeshifters were focused on building homes and
growing families. It was during this time that the Dragon King
found and claimed his mate."

The scenery shifted as we watched, to reveal
a spring meadow full of wildflowers and sunshine. A beautiful young
woman danced into view and I noticed Solomon was nowhere to be
seen. The woman looked over her shoulder into the sky then fled,
dancing across the meadow smiling and laughing all the way. Before
she could get very far, a fierce looking dragon swooped in from
above and changed into a man as he landed behind her. The man was
handsome and carried himself with regal confidence. His muscular
body was without clothes after his flawless transformation. He
caught her in his arms and spun around in circles. Joyful music
that spoke of new love accompanied their ballet style dance
movements.

I was amazed by how realistic the dragon and
its transformation had been. This was truly the most magical show I
had ever seen. I couldn't imagine how Solomon was able to conjure
forests, meadows and dragons out of thin air. Let alone how he made
the beast turn into a man right in front of our eyes.

The meadow was replaced by a great hall
straight out of the middle ages. The stone walls were adorned by
tapestries and banners. The tapestries had detailed pictures of
dragons in flight high above a castle and its surrounding kingdom.
A fire breathing dragon with its wings spread had been artfully
stitched into each of the blood red banners. The couple, now
dressed in formal attire from that period, was joined by other
dancers who seemed to be guests at their wedding ceremony. It was
enchanting how the music and background changed to fit the story as
it played out. When the ceremony ended the crowd gave a loud cheer
before the scene dissolved into near darkness.

The music took on a sensual feel as a
medieval bedchamber came into view. On a bed covered with thick
furs the man was on his knees with the woman laid out before him.
The medieval costumes of the previous scene were absent and they
appeared to be nude. He held her leg over his arm as he thrust his
lower body towards her in blatant sexual motions. If I didn't know
better, I would say they were actually having sex. The flickering
of firelight gave the scene a dreamlike quality. As the music built
to a crescendo so did the passion unfolding on the bed. When the
woman seemed to reach climax the man pulled her up from the bed to
hold her against his chest. He drove himself frantically into her
body until he too felt the shattering ecstasy of release.

They held each other as they shuddered
through the sensations and gasped for breath. After a few moments a
strange glow slowly wrapped around their bodies like a serpent
twining around its victims. When the brightness of the glow
intensified into a blinding flash, the couple cried out, but not in
pain, more like the emotions they felt were too strong to
contain.