Bound by Blood

I wrote a ton these past three days and decided to post it all in a big chunk. Yeah so maybe The Hobbit trailer got to me. MAYBE. a bit. That and I missed an old character of mine and decided on a new plot line to follow C: I'm still checking some editing crap, but I think it's at least readable.

Thanks for reading!

 

Drust: One month later –



I’d kept Skaa from every town I could, and Vella and Skaa did the hunting. Vella was much more equipped to catch danger before it happened, being what she was. I didn’t mind letting her supervise, but it did feel like the cowards way out.



Skaa was making progress. His bouts of insanity were few and far in between, and when he did start to lose it, I calmed him down and made him sleep. I felt terrible making him do things, but I knew it was far better than letting his mind rot.



Every once in a while I’d catch him staring blankly, and I could swear the shadows were moving. I’d tried to keep him busy after I started noticing that. The Darkness didn’t have quite the same lure it used to, but it was still a trigger, and I didn’t like him messing with it.



Vella spent most of her time away from Skaa or keeping busy. She’d left to send an encrypted message to her people some time ago telling them Zielyr was dead, to move on and forget. Good for them. If only it was so simple for us. Vella spent most of her time in a dark place, I could see it in her eyes, her thoughts turning inward and becoming dangerous.



I started forcing Vella and Skaa to talk. Both of them were opposed to the idea, but once Skaa started to get over his lingering hatred of her because of her mother, he realized they actually did have a lot in common. Both of them felt compulsion to do certain things when they used their power, and both knew of different tricks to avoid its call. They talked and shared and became rather friendly.



I was a little jealous of the time they spent together, but I knew they both needed it. I kept a firm grasp on the present, unwilling to look to the future. I was just as scared of what happened next as Skaa was. He didn’t sleep very well, his mind plagued by the same nightmares I had, but from an entirely different perspective.



I woke up sweating and sick, he woke up screaming and barely lucid. He’d almost killed Vella when she’d been just a little too close for comfort. I was the only one that could stay close to him without fear.



He’d wake up, realize he was alone inside, and cling to me for support. It was mutual, my own fears rising to the surface when my deepest fears came clawing and biting back to the surface. It was slow-going, but I think it was helping. Both of us were a mess, but I was coping better than him, so I knew I’d have to remain in charge.



It was tiring and hard, keeping up with his mental states. I eventually decided I’d had enough of this moping about and fear, and I sat him down and asked, “Can we go home?”



“Home?” I couldn’t see his face with him pressed against my chest, but his voice sounded uncertain.



“Love, what’s mine is yours. I want to take you home.”



“I don’t want to hurt anyone.”



“I don’t think you will.” I honestly didn’t. That blinding rage I’d felt from him before was all but gone. There was leftover frustration and fear underneath the madness, but that was all I noticed. “I’ll take you someplace public to be sure. We’re also in need of supplies.”



He shifted in my lap. “Where?”



“Vella says there’s a town just around that peak.” I pointed, his gaze following my finger.



“Okay.”



We waited until nightfall before we set off, unwilling to cause any unnecessary panic. It took a solid couple of hours to get to the town, and once we were there, Skaa didn’t seem to be having any problems. I walked both of us to the nearest tavern, the streets in a sleepy town like this all but deserted at night.



I set up the stairs, Skaa close behind. His wings were pressed flat under the cloak, his ears sideways and flat beneath the cowl. We stepped inside and we got a couple furtive glances, but not too many outright stares. I sat us down near a window close to the exit and asked Skaa. “How’re you doing?”



“Fine.” His voice was strained, and I looked him over to be sure, but he didn’t seem to be lying. He tensed and shifted slightly when a man stepped up to our table. “A man traveling alone with a dark skinned Hellion?”



I tensed, a hand on the knife strapped to my thigh. “Do you have business with us?”



“If yer’ the pair worth 90,000 Trins, I’d think so.” I froze. A bounty? How didn’t we know about this?



I stood, easily a head taller than the man and I used it to my advantage. “You have us confused with someone else.”



He took a cautious step back, and I could see men all around us shifting, deciding if we were worth the fight or the money. It was a high bounty, and many simply seemed to be weighing their life against their greed. His hand fingered the sword tied around his waist, then drew it. I stepped back out of the arch and Skaa stood, fangs glinting beneath parted lips quivering in a snarl. Several other men stood at the ferocity in his growl, self-preservation pulling them to their feet.



I drew the short dagger and ordered Skaa. “Stay.” I looked to the men, my eyes narrowed dangerously. “Back off. I can’t say what my Hellion will do next, but I can say for certain that it ends with either all of you dead, or only some of you dead. Decide.”



A few people stared, then scrambled off out the door. A fight it was then. I really didn’t want Skaa fighting, but it would be hard to keep him still if everyone started fighting us, and I certainly didn’t want to be caught between him and his claws.



I made a decision and took a step back. “Kill them.” Skaa’s pupils dilated, then he was gone, just a blur of a shadow flitting from one threat to the next. Each body hit the floor with a dull thud and a gurgle, their throat slashed to ribbons. He made to kill the bartender but I stopped him with gentle pressure on his mind. He stopped mid-strike, half crouched on the counter. He leapt down, looking around at the dead, then back to me for instructions.



Skaa was little more than a sharpened sword if I told him to kill. He hadn’t done this, I had. I swallowed, this scenario all too familiar. I spoke up so the bartender could hear me. “We don’t take kindly to threats. Do you have the poster?”



He scrambled with something under the bar, then slid it down the counter and fled. Skaa snatched it up and paced back to me, but his eyes were on the dead, not the paper. I took it and ordered, “Eyes on me.” I made sure he obeyed before I read the poster.



It’s no wonder. Word of his description had gotten out as Zielyr had started gathering power. He was the Obsidian Slaughterer now apparently. His face was being held accountable for crimes he didn’t commit, and myself by association. Rumor must have gotten out about me as well. It’s not like a half elf was a common sight, even if I appeared to be mostly human.



I frowned, stuffing the poster into my belt. “Let’s go.” I stole one of the horses tied out front, assuming it belonged to one of the dead men.



Skaa grumbled, “And now we’re horse thieves.” Nice to know his sense of humor hadn’t vanished. Skaa hopped up behind me and I ran the horse the opposite direction we’d come, then circled back on a rocky bank of a frozen creek back to our camp, just in case they decided to follow us.



I hopped from the horse and told Skaa to find Vella. He left and returned moments later. I handed her the paper, and she frowned, “Wanted? Now what will you do?”



I sighed, “I don’t know.”



She added, “That isn’t fair. You save them and the ungrateful bastards put a price on you.”



I closed my eyes, battling the frustration. “it’s not like they knew he was possessed, only we knew that. No one knows what really happened.”



“They should.”



Skaa brushed my arm with his fingertips, his voice too quiet for Vella to hear. “Does this mean we don’t have a home to go home to?”



He looked at me expectantly and I clenched my jaw, swallowing down a biting response. I was frustrated and tired, and didn’t need this too. I took his hand, my fingers sticking on the drying blood. “I’m sorry I used you.”



He shrugged, “You’re the alpha, you make decisions. I follow. Simple.”



“All the same.” I took my hand away and crouched, cleaning my hands off in the snow. I looked up at Vella. “Can you get a message to my people?”



“I can.”



“Underground?”



“Of course.”



I nodded. “I don’t want to put my people in a position for harboring fugitives.” I took out the poster, the likenesses of both of us remarkably accurate for rumors. “It doesn’t say who issued the bounty. See if you can find that out too.”



I found a bit of parchment and wrote what I needed and handed it to Vella. “This goes only to Tanus.” She nodded seriously and then mounted the horse. She assured us she’d be back as soon as possible, but waiting would be torture.



Skaa said, “I bet I could Shadow Walk there.”



“No.”



“But-“



“Using it makes you unpredictable, and you’ve made a lot of progress. I won’t let that go to waste because I’m impatient.” He looked away, but didn’t argue. I added, “Clean yourself up.” I felt a surge of guilt through our bond, but I ignored it. I knew he had left it because he liked the scent of carnage and death. I wasn’t going to encourage it.



I watched him trudge off, and I had no doubt he was just going to lick it clean. As long as it didn’t make him aggressive, I could live with that. I’d just ordered the deaths of all the men in that tavern just to prove a point. I couldn’t talk.



                  We each had our weaknesses and our faults, it made us more…god forbid, human. I could use more of that.



                  Skaa –



                   Drust waited for Vella with as much patience as he could muster, but I knew it was eating at him. It ate at me too. On top of that, I wasn’t sure he noticed, but I had, and without Vella around, it was even more obvious; He hadn’t touched me since Mekot was killed. Grim, thinking like that. But he hadn’t, and I was noticing. A lot. He was deliberately keeping his distance. He didn’t even sleep too close.



                  Still, if he didn’t want to, there wasn’t anything I could do to make him, but it still hurt. He was still my mate, and that kind of rejection, it ached. The emotions I got from him were mostly stress, anxiety, worry, occasionally a bit of peace. I knew I was the cause of most of it, and it brought on a guilt that worried at my appetite. Drust at least noticed the lack of appetite, but he noticed a lot of things about my health recently. He commented, “Why don’t you eat?”



                  “I feel sick.”



                  He understood what I meant perfectly fine. “Why?”



                  “Guilt, worry.”



                  He’d stopped eating, and he gave me his full attention for the first time in a while. “Again, why?”



I flattened my ears and looked away. “You don’t touch me anymore. I’m making you anxious, you’re stressed about taking care of me. I’m a bother.”



He let out a heavy breath and stood and moved so he was sitting right next to me. “You can read my emotions, but don’t assume my thoughts. You should have told me sooner.” He kissed me lightly so he could continue. “You aren’t a bother, you’re my entire world. I want you to be happy. Yes, it causes me some stress, but that’s normal.”



He said, “I didn’t touch you because I didn’t want to give you too much to think about. I thought I’d just be getting in the way. Don’t think it’s because I don’t love you, please don’t.”



I leaned in for a kiss and let him take control, his hands sliding into my hair and sending chills down my spine. I wiggled closer, my hands slipping below his waist, and he pulled back. He was blushing, his cheeks red and not just with arousal. He said, “There’s also…that.”



“What?”



He bit his tongue and looked down in shame. “I touch you and I remember…I remember what it was like before.”



My stomach twisted and my throat tightened. I took my hands away, but he stopped me, keeping my arms around him. I looked up in confusion and hurt. He said, “I wasn’t done. It scares me, but it’s also…exciting.” He couldn’t meet my eyes. “Sometimes, I liked it. I liked it when..I liked it when he fucked me sometimes, I know you saw it.” I had. For the sake of his pride I’d tried to forget. “I was so scared before, back when you made me complete the bond, but now…”



I finished for him. “It turns you on to be dominated.”



He glanced up. “Yes.”



I leaned close again, my anxiety fading. This I could fix. “All you had to do was ask. You want me to try?”



“Yes, just…nothing-“



“That reminds you of him, of then. I agree.” I kissed him, forcing my tongue between his lips. I pulled back abruptly, “Stop me if you’re uncomfortable, and I’ll try something else.”



He nodded, his eyes fixated on me as I crawled between his legs. I muttered, “Buttons.” He took care of them so I didn’t destroy another shirt. I didn’t think Vella would take kindly to being treated as a housewife.



I put my nose to his neck and inhaled, deeply enjoying the scent of his arousal. I tore at the leather straps on his arms and over his chest, tossing them aside and spreading his shirt. I didn’t completely remove it though, I just gave myself easier access to his chest. I kissed his neck, spreading my jaws and swirling my tongue over his skin. My hands skipped his stomach, admiring taut muscle and smooth skin.



                  He started panting as I worked my way down his neck. My voice was husky, “Do you enjoy being tied up?”



                  His voice was a gentle moan. “Yessss.” I purred and took his wrists, holding them in my hands and moving them above his head. I took one of the leather straps for his sword and tightened it around his wrists. Not so tight that he couldn’t escape if he really wanted to, but enough that it would take some effort.



I moved slowly, so I wouldn’t miss his protest if he wanted me to stop. On the contrary, he spread his legs and moaned, rubbing his groin into my thigh. I murmured, “I like that sound.” I rubbed my knee up into his crotch and he gasped, closing his legs around my thigh, then spreading them wide. I smiled, “If being submissive gets me this is bed, I’ll never challenge you again.”



He looked up, flushed, “Really?”



“I know you like it when I fight back.”



“Yeah, you’re right.” He was far more agreeable when his cock was involved. Note to self.



                  I took one nipple into my mouth, my tongue swirling over the hardened nub. I grazed his skin with my fangs and he stiffened. I looked up, searching for a sign to stop, but he was only reacting in pleasure, nervous that if he moved too much I could break skin. I said, “Don’t hold back on my account. I won’t hurt you.” I licked again and he arched, pushing down against my leg.



                  I reached down to his waist, tearing at the strap of his belt, loosening it, then tugging it off and tossing it aside. I rolled him to his stomach, my fingers under his waistband as I tugged them down to his thighs. I chewed at one hand, dulling my claws so I could touch him without fear. He squirmed and I put a heavy hand on his lower back, pinning him in place. I coiled my tail around his ankle and pulled so he was directly under me.



                  He grumbled, “Cold.” I’d almost forgotten how fragile he was to the cold. Stupid. I lifted his hips up off the ground so his ass was raised, but his chest was still on the ground. I wrapped my wings around us to protect him from the breeze and exhaled across his back.



He shivered and I apologized. “Let me help.” I curled my hand around his cock, and gently worked his hardening erection.



He said, “You said once that we’re all slaves to desire.” I didn’t stop, but I listened. “I understand now.”



I moved my grip lower, rolling his balls between my fingers. “Why tell me now?”



He panted, and thrust his hips down into my hand. “I don’t want anyone but you to touch me, ever, but you’re the only one I’d ever let dominate me. You’re the only one I trust.” He paused to moan. “The only one I’ve ever trusted.”



I curled over his back, resting my cheek between his shoulder blades. “I’m honored to have it. I crushed your pride Drust, that you would willingly give it all to me is…”



“It wasn’t you!” I stopped, his back heaving beneath me. “This feels different. It wasn’t you.”



“Okay.” I hummed, genuinely happy. It vibrated against his chest, and Drust pushed back against me. I let my hum evolve into a purr as I turned my concentration elsewhere. I slid back down over his back, my tongue against his backside. I made sure he was slick, using the only resource available to me. He didn’t seem to mind, in fact he seemed to enjoy it immensely. I took my blunted nails to his backside and he tensed. I reassured him. “I chewed my claws, you’re safe.”



He relaxed against me as I forced one digit inside, then another. It had been awhile since he’d been used like this and I was going to have to be careful not to hurt him. I stretched him, adding another finger and he grunted. I waited and spread my fingers, working them in and out in a slow, careful rhythm. He eventually relaxed and I added a third. It didn’t take too long before my slow ministrations coaxed his erection back to life, the tip seeping precum.



I smeared my thumb over the slit and down the shaft as I removed my fingers. I lined myself up against his entrance and slowly pushed inside, expecting his hiss of pain. I waited, fondling him and purring encouragement as he adjusted to my size. He grunted, “Deeper.” I obliged, careful not to hurt my mate. I kept his member at least at half mast while I sunk into his velvet heat.



I ghosted my hands over his ribs when I was fully sheathed inside and murmured, “Feels good to be the bitch, doesn’t it?”



He moaned, leaning back into my stomach. His pants were still around his knees, keeping him from spreading his legs any further. I tightened my hands on his hips and rocked into him, his scent spiking in pleasure. I groaned in a wave of pleasure of my own as he clamped down over my length. He snarled, “Move!”



I hummed and licked his back. “Mmm, ask nicely.”



“Please move.”



“Nicer.”



He panted, trying to move on his own, but his hands were still tied and my hands on his waist held him firm. He gave up and said, “Please fuck me?” I didn’t move so he tried a different approach. “Fuck me already!”



I chuckled and pulled back just enough to thrust deep and fast. He grunted and let out a yelp, his hands clenching into fists. I grit my teeth and growled in the back of my throat. “Damn you’re tight.” I shifted over his back and let him thrust into my hand, his moan deepening into something erotic when I struck that spot inside him.



He met each of my thrusts with one of his own, a soft moan accompanying every movement. I was already at my limit, thrusting deep as I climaxed, my balls tightening as I shot my cum inside him. He grunted and came into my hand, collapsing on the ground with a sated sigh. “I’m cold.”



I laughed breathlessly, pulling out and wrapping my arms around his chest. I sat back, lifting him into my lap. I folded my wings over his shoulders and untied his hands. He grimaced and yanked up his pants. He mumbled, “That’s going to get uncomfortable.”



I rested my hands over his stomach, his muscles rippling with each breath. “I’ll steal you a new pair later.”



“How romantic.” I smiled against his shoulder, my nose flush to his neck. “You like to smell me.”



“And?”



“Why?”



I kissed warm skin. “You smell nice.”



“What do I smell like?”



I shrugged. “I don’t know. You.”



“Wanna know what you smell like to me?” I waited. “Smokey. Warm. Something like that.”



I twitched my tail, my ears pricked forward. “I never knew that.”



“You don’t sweat much.”



“I’m adapted to the cold, sweating can kill you if it freezes on your skin.”



He sagged against my chest, throwing his head back to rest on my shoulder. “I missed this.”



“Umm, fucking?”



“No, you ass. You know what I mean.”



“I missed it too.” I waited a minute, then added, “Now might not be the best time, but Vella’s been back for a little bit now.”



He stiffened and looked around. “How long?”



“Long enough, she’s waiting a decent distance away.”



“What’s decent?”



I called, “Vella! You can come out now!”



I heard her boots crushing ice as she crossed through the trees to where we were sitting. Drust heart fluttered in his chest and I asked, “Nervous much?”



“She’s a woman, you’re naked!”



“Yeah.”



“Have some modesty.”



I grinned, “She a grown woman, it’s not like she’s never see it before.”



I could see him debating with himself on weather or not to stand. If he stood, It would be more obvious I was naked, but if he sat, then it would be compromising for him. In the end he stood and left me sitting in the snow.



It did nothing to deflate my ego when she arrived looking a little embarrassed and flushed. She muttered to Drust, her eyes flicking over me with wide eyes. “Didn’t see anything.”



Drust kicked my pants at me and grumbled, “Now you have.”



Vella looked between the two of us and her eyes softened. “You two seem…happy.”



Drust’s head snapped over to her, then he cleared his throat, still buttoning his shirt. “So what did you find out?” I stood and managed to get my pants back on without skewering myself, which was more complicated that it should have been.



“Nothing good. I’m sorry, Drust.” She took a folded piece of paper from her coat and handed it to him. I kept careful watch over his emotions since I couldn’t read over his shoulder. Near the end of it I felt his heart hollow out in despair.



“What?” Drust rubbed his mouth and turned, pacing back and forth. I waited, my eyes watching him carefully while my heart focused on the turmoil inside.



He swallowed and glanced over to me, his eyes glazed. “Tanus was assassinated.”



He handed me the paper, and from what I read, nothing had gone well. Tanus had been assassinated, and the new general was the one that had ordered the bounty. I didn’t recognize the name, but Drust seemed to. I wasn’t sure if Drust had ever found out, but now was the time to tell him. “You know he had a daughter.”



Drust froze and stared. “How could you know that?”



“I smelled it on him. He made me promise to keep it to myself. He was your friend, I wanted to keep my word.”



His eyes narrowed in pain and he said, “I’m not mad at you. But this does change things a bit.” Both Vella and I waited for him to continue. “If I didn’t know, then Kane certainly didn’t. We have to find her. For Tanus.”



Vella spoke some reason. “You’re both wanted, and Kane issued the bounty. You don’t think getting into the city will be impossible?”



“We have to try.” He turned to face Vella. “Tanus never took another wife. His daughter could be alone. Hell, so much time has passed since then. Shit.”



I took Drust’s arm and he looked at me. “She’s fine. We’ll go find her and make sure she’s safe.”



Vella asked, “And take her where? You’re fugitives.”



Drust snarled, “I’ll figure that out later.” He glanced at Vella. “Thank you. You know, you don’t need to come with us.”



She looked between the two of us, her gaze lingering on me. “I’ll go with you. You’re too impulsive to plan this properly anyways.”



I gave her a tight-lipped smile. “Thank you.” I glanced at my mate and said, “We’ll find her. Tanus didn’t have any other friends?”



Drust’s face twisted in pain. “He was friends with me, I highly doubt it. Everyone was afraid of me, except Tanus. You saw how he acted around you; it was refreshing. It was like he saw you for who you really were, and didn’t flinch.”



“He was a good man, he didn’t deserve this. If what you say is true, then every moment counts.”



Drust saw where this was heading and stopped me. “I said no.”



“You need the time, I can handle it.”



“No!”



I stepped close, my ears flat in submission. “I’ll still be here. I’ll come back.”



He glared at me, his answer curt, “Fine. Do what you will.”



I glanced at Vella, “Will you let me Shadow Walk with you? I’m not going to lie, for someone like you it’s going to be very, very uncomfortable.”



She folded her arms and glanced in the direction of where I assumed she left the horse. She shook her head to herself, then said, “Yes, I’ll do it.”



Drust headed back through the trees to the camp, grabbing his bag and his sword, drawing it a few inches before replacing it into the sheath. He muttered, “Everyone I care for slips through my fingers.”



I stood behind him, staring at his sword. “I’m still here. And for whatever reason Vella’s here too. You’re not going to lose anyone else.”



“I hope not.”



He set the sword down, then stalked off with another pair of pants to clean himself off the best he could.



He came back moments before Vella. She said, “Sent the horse home. It can’t be too hard to steal a horse, not after the bounty on your heads.”



I glanced at Vella, Drust already knew the drill. “This is going to terrifying. It’s going to feel like I’m suffocating you. That feeling will go away in a second, just bear with it.”



She frowned. “Sounds fun. Do we need to do anything?”



“No, it’s…simple.” I reached out and placed a hand on their sternum, then pressed forward. They swayed back on their heels, and when I blinked we were in a clearing just a few miles from Drust’s city. It was the closest I dared jump any of us. As I predicted, Vella immediately turned and retched, her whole body quivering in the wrongness of my power.



I let Drust comfort her and did her the biggest favor I could by backing away. I took another slow step back, then stared skyward. I closed my eyes and swayed, shifting my weight slowly from foot to foot, humming slowly and quietly to myself.



The sun was setting. Night, I liked the night. So much Darkness. I tilted my head, listening. Skaa? That was my name. I blinked slowly when a raindrop hit my nose, then another, in a slow drizzle. I muttered, “Rain, rain go away, for there’s a sickness in your bones.”



                   I looked down to clear grey eyes. No, they were blue. I giggled, “I know you.”



                  He said, “Come back.”



                  “I haven’t gone anywhere.”



                  He took another step forward, his voice pleading. “Come back, Skaa.”



                  I blinked and looked up again, the rain sliding off my feathers and sticking to my eyelashes. “You know, my real name is Skaalazahir.”



                  “I didn’t know that.” He reached for me, then stopped, his fingertips just short of my shoulder.



                  I glanced at the distance between us and frowned, I followed his arm to his eyes and muttered, “Myiin.”



                  “I don’t know what that means.”



                  I repeated myself. “Space. Gap. Distance. It means all of those things. Myiin. That shouldn’t be there.” I shuddered and sank to the ground, my head in my hand. “Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain.”



I felt his hand on my shoulder. “Yes, it’s raining. Skaa?”



I listened and breathed. In the distance thunder rumbled, raindrops pattering onto a bed of dead pine leaves and dripping from the thin branches all around me. It was soothing and also so maddening.



I sucked in a quick breath, then muttered, “We aren’t alone.” I heard him turn as I doubled over, my arms wrapped around my middle. “Don’t draw your weapon.” I stood slowly and turned my head. The man that stepped from the trees wasn’t a man at all. His black hair was pulled back into a tie on his back, some loose strands clinging to his face from the rain.



Drust asked, “You know him?”



“I know his kind.”



He grinned, but it seemed forced, each of his teeth razor sharp. “Now that’s rude.”



I said, “He’s a dragon. What do you want?”



“What makes you think I want something from you?”



“Why else would you talk to us?”



He nodded slowly then asked, “How did you come to be here?” I simply stared back, so he asked again. “How?”



“Darkness.” I answered. Clearly he’d seen us arrive.



“Can you do it again?”



Drust stepped in front of me. “No. You saw what it does to him.”



“I did. I’m intrigued. That does not happen often hellion.”



I bared my fangs. “What are you doing so far South?”



“Many of us came this way when we heard about the Chaos God.” I flinched, and he noticed. “You know of him?”



“No. Leave us alone.”



His voice was guttural, challenging. “I think not.”



I blinked and suddenly he was moving; fast. I spun, skidding back on the wet ground. I knocked his claws aside and ducked when he lunged, jaws wide. I fell to my knees, flaring my wings as I twisted, catching his knee with my tail.



He staggered, snapping his jaws together as I took the opportunity to hop back, landing in a defensive crouch. He glanced at me, then had to turn and dodge Drust’s sword. He swung for his chest and gasped as the dragon caught the edge in his hand. Drust kept pushing, but the Dragon’s physical strength was too strong. Drust ended up sliding back on the pine needles.



I snarled and flung myself at his back. He anticipated my move and let the sword go, Drust’s momentum sending the tip digging into the ground. His claws caught my swipe, leaving my other arm free as he grabbed my wing. He turned, ignoring my claws catching in his back, and threw me over his shoulder into the ground. I hit hard and groaned, the wind knocked out of me. I coughed and gasped for air, pain spreading across my shoulders in a fiery wave.



He sat on my chest, his claws digging into my wrists and drawing blood. I bared my fangs and he snapped his jaws shut inches from my nose in warning. I growled deep in my chest in protest, but he spread his jaws in a screeching roar. He was demanding submission, and I was loath for him to put those fangs in my neck. I twisted my head back, baring my throat and looked away, a keening whine of submission replacing my growl.



He sat back, but was still well within dangerous proximity to my neck. He growled, “Call off your pet.”



“Drust, stand down.”



His voice was laced with rage. “Not until he backs off.”



“He’s not a threat.”



“Bullshit.”



“This is quite normal, he’s not a threat.” I added, “Yet.” Drust seemed to accept this answer, because he sheathed the sword, but out of the corner of my eye I could see that he and Vella both were on edge. Dragons could be civil if they wanted, and this one still wanted to talk. He wouldn’t kill us without reason, it wasn’t in their nature.



The dragon grinned, but it was predatory, a simple baring of fangs. “Now hellion, where were we?”



“I was saying no.”



“Show me.” His eyes narrowed a fraction, his lips quivering in a snarl.



“We don’t have time for this.”



He switched to my native language to cut out my friends. “Oh, but I do. A banished hellion oddity, a godling, and a half-breed criminal, all traveling together.”



I tightened my jaw. “You’re well-informed. How?”



He tilted his head. “That’s not your concern. Show me.”



Curiosity was one thing, but everything suddenly clicked. I started to laugh, which was a little hacking since I was still breathless. “You’re a rogue, you have no quiver.” He snapped his jaws shut in anger. All loners like him and me knew the bite of loneliness. My tone turned serious. “You’ll not find me to be your answer. Leave us be.”



“You go where you please. I need that kind of power.” Now he sounded like he might be desperate. That was odd for a dragon, their ego’s usually didn’t allow for that kind of humility.



“I said no.”



His grip tightened around my wrists and I winced, blood pooling around his claws. “I’ll do what I need to have it.”



“What purpose could a dragon have with instant travel. You have wings, get there yourself.”



“Don’t mock me! This place cannot be breached by simple strength. As if I hadn’t tried.”



My instincts cringed in warning. “Where do you speak of?”



“You’re going to take me there.”



I scoffed, “Or what?”



“I won’t let you leave. You’re staying right here with me until you do.” Interesting. I thought for sure he would jump straight for the death threats.



I stared at him a moment, then looked over to Drust, who seemed completely bewildered by the entire exchange. “Let me up. I have to talk with my companions.”



“Don’t run.” There was that desperation again. I could, if I wanted to, but Drust had been right. My mind was in shambles when I used it. Coming back from that kind of bliss was hard. For now, the dragon had his hostages.



                  He rolled off me, and watched me with careful intensity. I smeared the blood on my wrists, the wounds already healing, though my back was pounding in dull pain. “He’s not going to let me go. You’re both free to do as you wish.”



                  Drust bared his teeth in an angry grimace and glared at the dragon. “Can’t we just kill him and be done with it? We don’t have time for this.”



                  If the dragon heard him and cared, he didn’t show it. I sighed, “I don’t usually like to admit it, but he’s strong. Stronger than me. I’m sure nothing Vella couldn’t handle with her power, but she can only use it on inherently evil creatures. Dragons are fierce and egotistical, but not evil.” Drust glanced at Vella, and a curt nod was all she offered. He glanced to me. “Another jump?”



                  I frowned. “Not a good idea. Not so close together.”



                  “So what do we do?”



                  I said, “Easy. Leave me with him, find the girl.”

                  Drust’s eyes burned with rage. “I am not leaving you with him.”



                  “The girl has waited long enough.”



                  “But-“



                  “I survived without you for decades. I’ll be fine for a few days.” My tone was gentle, but the comment was biting all the same.



He sagged and rubbed tired eyes. “I know, I just…”



                  I drew him into a kiss and whispered gently, “I said it once before, Dragons aren’t evil. He’s all threats now, but if I help him, he’ll owe me. You never know when you’ll need a dragon.” I kissed him again, but more passionately than before. “I don’t like being away from you either. It won’t be long, I promise.”



                  Some of his rage from before had faded to be replaced with worry. “But he wants you to use it.”



                  “I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.”



                  He drew me into a hug, his hands tangling with damp hair and feathers. “Be safe. I love you, I can’t tell you enough.”



                  I squeezed him back, taking a long slow draw of his scent. “I love you too.” I stepped back reluctantly and pointed behind him. “Head that way. There should be a town just under a mile from here.”



                  The dragon watched us silently, and now that I looked, I saw that the desperation I’d seen earlier was still there now. I watched Drust and Vella head off, the rain covering the sound of their footsteps, and I already missed him. I heaved a sigh, and turned back towards the dragon. “Do you have a name, or is this strictly professional?”



                  “Call me Storm.”



                  “Skaa. Now tell me, what would drive a dragon to such desperate measures.”



                  His tone was venomous. “Dwarves. They took something precious to me, and I want it back.”