I checked my satchel for the twentieth time, wiggling uncomfortably in the saddle.
“Would you quit your fidgeting girl?” Carva grumbled from her mount.
“Sorry. I’m just not used to this whole riding in like the cavalry thing.”
“Inconvenient, but should we take to the air we would tip them off that we’ve discovered their little secret.” I was startled as Gael trotted up to us, clearly much more at ease on his mount.
“Where did you guys even get horses?” I asked. “It’s not like I’ve ever seen one in your entire stronghold.”
“It’s easy enough to find a caravan trader who has a taste for precious jewels.”
“The real questions should be why we’re allowing you and the rest of your merry band of misfits to come along,” Myrik said, his voice that same low rumble that never failed to send chills down my spine. “We know where they’re being kept, I don’t understand why you need to come along.”
“This is my plan, remember? If you think I’m just going to sit back and let you guys have all the fun, you’re sorely mistaken.”
“Are you sure this is the wisest decision considering your condition?” Dwyllverys asked, passing me a dagger to add to my belt. I have her a sharp look, but she didn’t waver.
“I’m doing this because of my condition. If I we don’t get the sorcerers before Perin has a chance to squirrel them away into the castle, we’re all as good as dead.”
“Still,” Gael said, voice soft and full of caring. “That’s not necessarily a reason to endanger yourself.”
“I’m going!” I snapped. “And that’s final. I’m tired of this debate and I’m sure you all are too.”
They quieted and the silence was only broken by Jayne laughing lightly as he moved forward. “Are we actually going to get going at one point, or are we just going to keep on with the friendly banter?”
“He’s right.” I said, trying to nudge my horse forward. It seemed it was much more difficult to do without all the adrenaline I had pumping in my veins like the last time. “Um, how do I get it to start?”
Gael rode up beside me and gently took my reins. “Like this,” he said, quickly demonstrating a few basic commands. I nodded, blushing a bit, and took them gratefully.
“Thank you.”
“Of course. Shall we head out on this journey? It’s a day and a half’s ride to the caves, and I’m sure we’ll want to arrive well-rested and under the cover of night.”
“Sounds good to me.”
And with little fanfare, we were off. If the other dragons had anything to say about our covert operations, I didn’t know of it. But I had the sneaking suspicion that the Queen had decided to leave the rest of her progeny out until this whole fiasco was over. I couldn’t blame her. There would no doubt be malcontent at declaring me her progeny, and there wasn’t really time to deal with that at the moment.
Excitement coiled in my middle as we set out from the base of the mountain into the thick woods that surrounded it. We were close. So incredibly close to reaching our goal. All we had to do was get to the caves, subvert any sort of traps there could be, then kidnap a couple of sorcerers.
Easy, right?
I grumbled at my own forced humor and focused on the road. There was still that pesky fact that I needed to tell both Gael and Myrik that I was pregnant. I really wanted to wait until the dust settled before any big reveals, but what if something happened? It felt wrong to keep such an important secret from the two of them.
Then again, I supposed I should tell them I loved them both first.
My breath hiccupped, and my hand went to my mouth. Had I really just thought that? The L word? The one that I was way too busy and realistic to use?
And yet there it was, floating in my mind like a beacon that had just been realized. I loved Gael. I loved Myrik. From the Prince’s golden hair, to his earnestness, to his utter devotion to those he cared for. From the Advisor’s dark, brooding eyes to his dedication to knowledge, to his belief that I was an amazing creature that could save his entire people. I loved them.
My stomach dropped right through myself and the horse only to be trod into the dirt. This complicated things even more. Then again, maybe it didn’t… but it felt like it did, and that’s what mattered, right?
“You okay there?” Carva said, riding up beside me and looking as comfortable as she could be. Her plump form took to men’s clothing well, the hose making her thick legs look downright sinful. She had a large crossbow strapped to her back, and a much smaller one to her thigh with a jam-packed quiver hanging from her saddle. If anything, she looked the part of the bad ass hero more than me. “You look like you’re thinking some deep thoughts.”
“Most likely because I am,” I answered with a sigh.
“Is it about what I think it is?”
“Probably.”
She nodded, the epitome of cool. “Anything I can do to help you?”
“…yeah, actually. I think there might be. Tonight, can you distract Jayne for a bit? Lead him away from camp so I can have some privacy?”
“Well that might just be the most fun favor I’ve been asked in a while. Aye, I can keep his eye while you do whatever it is you have to do.”
“Thank you,” I said, a bit relieved.
“That’s what friends are for, right? Or at least I think it is. I’ve never really had any friends. They tend to die off too quickly.” I gave her a look and she shrugged. “What? I didn’t kill them. But between sickness, childbirth and these damn nobles treatin’ us like cattle, you learn not to get attached to anyone.”
“I hate that that makes sense.”
“Don’t we all. But you’re going to change that, aren’t you? Lady Mercedes of the Pale Dragon, who rode in on lightning to save the world.”
“Geeze, that does sound pretty cool when you say it all out in one breath like that.”
“Aye, it does.” She looked ahead to the strapping, youngest dragon. “Well, if I’m ta keep Jayne’s attention all night, I need to lay out some bait first. You ride well, Mercedes, and don’t get too wrapped up in that head of yours.”
“I won’t.” I answered, grinning brightly even thought that was a complete and total lie.
I could feel Perin trying to get in. Like ghostly apparitions, his fingers clawed at my mind, begging some sort of purchase. It was a nearly endless effort to keep him out, but I would. I had to. If he got in now and saw what I was up to, the jig would be all over. There was no Plan B, especially since no one else in my group knew what the entirety of my plan was.
I took a calming breath as the errant Shepherd slammed into my mind again, and once more he was kept out. Yes, we were close. Less than forty-eight hours until I had his queen and we were in checkmate.
But it was going to be a very, very long two days.
*
No one ever told me how boring horseback riding is when your pace is somewhere above a leisurely stroll but below a decent trot. My thighs hurt. My back hurt. And my horse seemed to need to stop to relieve itself every hour like clockwork. Which was especially ironic considering I didn’t even think they had anything like a clock in this world beyond a sundial or a hour-candle.
By the time sunset finally rolled around, I was more than anxious to get off of my steed and stand for a while. Or even better yet, lie down. Even the uncomfortable, emotional conversation I knew I would have to have was better than the throbbing through ninety percent of my lower body.
We stopped, and everyone dismounted, but I found myself stuck just like I had when Prince Julian had swept me off to his castle. Apparently, some things never change.
“Is something wrong?” Gael asked, coming up to pat my ride’s flank.
“I can’t lift my leg to get off the horse,” I admitted lamely. “It’s completely asleep. One hundred percent dead weight.”
“Sounds like a terrible predicament,” He said with a quiet laugh before holding his arms up. “Alright, slide off then, I have you.”
“Are you sure?”
He gave me one of those looks. “I toss stones twice the size of you for fun. It will be fine.”
“If you say so,” Although I knew Gael was plenty strong enough to catch me, I still felt that stomach drop as I let my muscles relax and fell to the side. It lasted a couple seconds, before I landed safely in his arms and he crushed me lovingly to his chest. “Do you feel like you could build us a fire while we tend to the horses?”
“Sure, but it seems awfully ironic to trust the pyrotechnics to the humans while there are three dragons about.”
“It does indeed, doesn’t it?” he retorted, setting me down in the center of a clearing before walking off to do all the probably important animal husbandry stuff that I had no idea how to go about.
But, I could build a fire, and so that’s what I would have to do. I spent a few good minutes lying there in the grass, wiggling my legs little by little until blood returned to them. I was still pretty wobbly when I got to my feet, but I managed to putter around and get some dried bark, twigs and medium sized sticks to build my little inferno teepee.
It was my abuela who had taught me the skill, actually. We had been on a camping trip when I was about seven, and she taught me how fire and water were the two most important things to survival. Cue several days learning how to create, put out and properly maintain a life-giving blaze. That had certainly been a fun getaway.
I missed her so.
I didn’t allow myself time to mope however, and got on with the layering of my kindling. The key was to make sure air could get to all parts of the fire, as it would starve without oxygen to give it fuel.
Constructing my little fire circle proved to be a fairly adept distraction, and by the time the rest of our circle was returning from feeding, watering and whatever else with the horses, it was ready to set alight. I pulled out some flint from one of my belt’s satchels, ready to go all survivalist, but Myrik just laughed dryly before snapping his fingers.
A spark appeared in the center of my structure, then the entire thing quickly went alight. It was the fastest I had ever seen a fire take and I would be lying if I wasn’t feeling a little bit jealous.
“Fancy,” Carva said. “It’s time to eat some of those rations then, yes?”
Oh right, we hadn’t really eaten all day. My stomach let out a forlorn growl and I realized that I was probably pretty hungry, the signal just might have been overpowered by the massive amounts of stress plus the homicidal maniac trying to barge into my brain.
“Oh yes, rations please. That would be nice.”
“Thankfully, Dwyllverys packed us fairly hearty meals.” Gael said, handing out the small canvas sacks he had brought over from his mount.
“Yeah, uh, why isn’t she with us again?” Carva asked, ripping into hers and immediately pulling out some sort of roasted fungi that looked pretty delicious.
“As the only healer and apothecary of our people, we couldn’t risk her.”
“Oy, so the rest of us are expendable.”
“To a certain degree, yes. The loss of any dragon is a grave tragedy, but the loss of Dwyllverys would be insurmountable.”
“Geeze, and she’s so humble. You never would have known.”
“There’s a lot of things about her you might not guess right off the bat,” I murmured, remembering that conversation we had before everything had gone to hell in a hand basket. “She’s pretty amazing.”
“She is a Champion of our Queen,” Myrik said brusquely. “She did not earn that place easily. None of us did.”
“Oh yeah, I’m sure. I’m not diminishing any of ye lads’ greatness. I’m just sure you can understand why us women folk appreciate seeing other ladies being treated as equals rather than just baby makers.” She took a large bite of her food and then chewed it slowly with an open mouth. “But you guys would never stoop so low as to treat women like cattle, right?”
Myrik laughed and it was Gael who winced at the barb. “We were all against the breeding pens. They were an atrocity-”
“Save it,” Carva said, swallowing her food. “I know it’s all politics and fear and blah, blah, blah. I don’t care. It’s over and done with, and when we’re done with this I have a mighty reparation coming my way.” Her eyes flicked to me and she gave me the faintest of nods before standing. “This food is good, but it’s nothing like some fresh meat. Jayne, ye ever trapped small game before?”
“I’m a dragon. We hunt great beasts on the plains and snatch sea monsters from the waters when they rise too close to the surface.”
“So, I’ll guess that’s a no then. Come with me, I’m going ta learn you something special here in these woods.”
I chewed my own food gratefully while Carva pulled off her con effortlessly. I had to hand it to the dark-haired beauty; I didn’t know how I would survive this whole mess without her. I’d probably be dead or still locked in the palace dungeon.
It took a few minutes for the two to walk off, their voices fading into the rest of the night’s sounds, Jayne arguing the entire time about how he didn’t need to learn how to hunt small animals and Carva listing off about a dozen different meat related euphemisms.
But before I could even open my mouth to blurt out something about talking, or needing to have a conversation, Myrik stood. “I’m going to establish a perimeter. We should take shifts.”
“Wai-”
But he was already beyond the tree line of our little mini-clearing and disappearing into the increasingly darkening twilight.
“Well shit.” I grumbled to myself.
“Something wrong?” Gael asked, his brow knitted together with worry. I was struck for a moment with how sweet he was. The whole world was crumbling around us, we were fighting a man who had literally broken the rules of this world just to serve his own insane goals, and yet he still cared about how I felt in each and every moment.
I wanted more than anything to tell him that I was pregnant. What I had seen in that holy place between worlds. But I knew the moment the words left my lips that he would turn me around and fly me right back to the stronghold.
And I couldn’t have that happen.
There was a plan that was unfurling, and I had to see it through.
“No.” I answered automatically before thinking better of it. “Yes. I… there’s something we need to talk about?”
“Oh?” He asked, getting up from where he had was beside the fire to come sit down beside me. “What is troubling you?”
I look his large hands in mine, looking up into his lavender eyes. Even though I had planned my words for the entire day, my mouth refused to move.
“Yes?” he asked, as patient as ever.
“I…” God, what was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I just spit it out? I was never a woman who minced my words. Why was I suddenly acting like I was? “I love you.”
Words could not describe the illumination that spread across his face in a happy wave. His eyes went wide, a joyous smile going from ear to ear. “Forgive me my speechlessness, I… I had hoped you had felt as much.” He pulled me to him, strong arm against the small of my back. “I have worshipped you since the day I saw you. I would have been content with being your guard, but I would be a liar if I did not say I hoped for this.”
I felt his face descending towards mine for a kiss, and as much as I wanted to press my lips to his with all the passion churning through me, I knew that I couldn’t wimp out here.
So, I pulled back at the last moment, and looking up into the concern that was clear in his lavender gaze. “But,” I whispered, voice cracking.
“But?” He repeated, ever patient, ever ready to listen.
“I love someone else too.”
That did it. His face clouded over and he pulled from away a bit. “I… I think I require more explanation.”
“While you were missing, Myrik took me under his wing. I thought I would hate him at first, but it wasn’t like that. We… we ending up being together. It wasn’t planned, and it was after he rescued me. At first, I thought that was that, but…”
“But again? I am learning to dislike that word very quickly.”
“I’m sorry. I just- I feel like I have to say this to you.” I forced myself to steady my breathing. I owed Gael my honesty. Or at least as much as I could give. “But I saw something when I was with the Queen, a vision from your ancestor spirits. And it made me realize that I needed both of you in my life, and you both needed each other as well.”
“Myrik and I? Need each other?” He would have been scoffing if he wasn’t so goddamned regal. “That is hard to believe.”
“I know, but that’s going to be easy after what I say next.”
“Perhaps that is even more difficult to believe.”
I squeezed his hands, and I was grateful that he didn’t yank them from my grip. I needed him to be my anchor right now, as I admitted something I had been withholding for months.
“I’m not from here.”
“My lady, I know you think me affable, but I am not an idiot. I know you are from the Shimmering Isle.”
“That’s not what I mean,” How did I say this? “I’m not from your world. At all. Everything that you know? I’m outside of it. I come from a reality where there’s no magic, no dragons, no fey at all.”
He stared at me, and I could see the wheels spinning in his head. “I remember overhearing something, in the pens. I dismissed it long ago…”
I sighed. “Don’t tell me, you heard someone call me the Lightning Rider?”
“Ah yes. That is what it was.” He quickly seemed to center himself. “Was that title literal?”
“Not quite. I just came in more of a splash of water than any sort of electrical spark.”
“Electrical?”
“Another word for lightning.”
“I see.”
Several moments passed as he seemed to ponder. I stayed quiet, respecting his need to sort out the massive information dump I had just placed on him. “So, if I am to understand, you love me. And you want a future with me. However, you also love Myrik, and you say that we will eventually grow to be friends rather than the strange tolerance we hold for each other now.
You are from a different world, but you are choosing to stay here to save this one. You never were a seer from the islands, but arrived here in a wave and have an official legendary title known by the humans.”
“Yeah, that about sums it up.”
More silence as he seemed to mull his words. “I understand.” He said. “Although it is more that I understand that I don’t understand, but I hope that I might understand one day.”
“Um, what?”
His arms wrapped around me once more and he pulled me to him once more. “You are a mythical woman who has done things that should not be possible. If I have learned anything, it is that I need to trust you. I might not understand why you do the things you do, but I will try as long as you keep me in your confidence.”
Now it was my turn to stare at him, completely in awe of his kindness. “You say all these nice things, but I think you’re the amazing one.”
“Well,” He murmured, his face dipping towards mine again. “Maybe we can both be amazing.”
I couldn’t resist any longer, and closed the distance between us. “I think I can get behind that reasoning.”
And then we were kissing and everything was right again.
Although being stressed had become about eighty percent of my personality, it all melted away as our mouths moved against each other, quickly gaining in passion and heat. If the practical side of me was working, I would have put a quick curtail to the make-out session, considering that we were in the middle of the woods with three others milling about that could walk in on us at any moment.
But all that logic was somewhere on the ground where I wasn’t going to be picking it up any time soon.
He was pushing me backwards, his hands pulling at the shirt that was tucked into my hosiery as his tongue dominated my mouth. My own fingers fisted in his hair, urging him onward as my legs wrapped around his middle.
“I prefer you in skirts.” He grumbled as he fought with my belt, his breath short and full of passion.
I couldn’t help but release a giddy laugh. “Now you know how I feel all the time. Why so many buckles?”
He stopped fiddling with my clothes long enough to share my mirth and pressed another biting kiss to my lips. “I would look fairly fetching in a gown, wouldn’t I?”
“Oh yeah,” I said, picturing it in my mind. “I think a little mint number, with a broad collar to show off those strong shoulders of yours.”
“I shall fetch the tailor the moment we return to the mountains.”
“Sounds good, but let’s go back to you ravishing me breathless.”
“Are you sure? Because I hear that you women folk love to talk about-”
I quickly shifted my hip, kicking out one of his legs and spinning us so that I was on top and he was flat on his back. “The next few minutes will go much better for you if you don’t finish that sentence.”
“Understood.” His voice grew low and rumbly just the way I liked it, and I dipped down to lock lips with him again.
It was like something was unleashed within us, and all the banter fell to the side as we voraciously devoured each other. We were clawing, ripping at each other’s clothes without a care that we would have to continue to wear them tomorrow. I didn’t give up my perch atop my golden prince, and the raw power of it was enough to drive me mad with wanton desire.
I buried my teeth into the skin of his neck, his shoulder, his chest. Licking and laving along his musculature as he had often done along mine. I rode the high of his breath, hitching and bucking as I made my way lower, until I reached the lacings of his breeches.
And when I finally freed him from his pants, he let out this ragged gasp that made me feel like a goddess. I paused a moment, my eyes flicking up from his member to gaze at his face. He was looking at me with such a sense of rapture and anticipation, that I couldn’t resist the urge to tease him a bit.
I lasted a handful of seconds before he let out a groan and lifted his hips towards me in a physical beg. Wicked smirk across my face, I kissed him exactly how I knew he wanted me to.
His reaction was immediate and confident boosting. My tongue worked him over while I shuttled along his length. In an echo of my earlier actions, his fingers wound into my hair, and he tugged in a counter rhythm to his hips.
We went on that way for several minutes, and I was totally into it, until he suddenly pulled me off breathlessly. “Stop,” He gasped, his face covered with little beads of sweat. “I don’t want this to end. Not yet.”
I couldn’t argue with that logic. I crawled back up his body and pressed my lips to his, as ravenous as ever. It didn’t take long for him to sit up, forcing me back as well.
“Stand up.” He ordered, voice a low growl.
I complied, of course. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleased when he yanked my pants down from my hips, and placed little kisses along my pelvis.
“Gael,” I whispered, voice barely audible.
“Yes?”
“I need you. Now.”
He didn’t need any more convincing than that. He pulled me down into his lap, entering me in one fell swoop. It was impossible not to cry out, so I stuffed my wrist into my mouth to stifle my moans.
I rode him with utter abandon, while he thrust up into me with equal passion. It had been too long since I had let myself fall into such passion, and I was living for every single second of the reprieve.
I couldn’t say how long we ground against each other, writhing and gyrating and losing ourselves to our rhythm. I could feel that wave of pleasure come rolling in towards me once more, and I became almost frenzied in my reaching for it.
And when it hit, I was rocked to my very core. Waves of heaven poured over my head, drowning out every other sense. I gasped, every muscle in my body squeezing then releasing in unison.
I thought it couldn’t get more perfect, but then Gael found his own end, his nails biting into the skin at the small of my back. I was blessed with the rush of pleasure doubling in on itself, lasting far longer than usual.
When we finally came down from our respective climaxes, we shared another tender kiss, gasping and breathing heavily into each other.
“I suppose we should get cleaned up.” I whispered into his full lips.
“Yeah, probably. I don’t know how long Carva and Jayne are going to be.”
“Oh that’s going to be a while. I’m more concerned about Myrik.”
“I see.” He became quiet as we dressed. “You need to talk to him, don’t you?”
“Yes. I do.”
“Is now the best time?”
I remembered all the times that he had mentioned smelling Gael on me. “Perhaps not. I’m sure I’ll get another chance.”
Gael reached out, squeezing my hand gently. “Don’t worry. If he feels even a tenth of what I feel for you, he will listen to what you have to say. And if he chooses to walk away,” The Prince smiled cheekily at me. “Well, more for me.”
“I knew you’d say that.” I said, laughing once more.
We finished cleaning up and he took me into his arms once more. “Shall we lay out the bedrolls for our companions?”
“Yes, that would probably be a good idea.”
And with that we went about being good travel partners like we hadn’t just rutted in the woods like wild animals. But strangely enough, the surprise joining filled me with more resolve than ever.
This was going to work.
I just had to make sure I didn’t suddenly trip at the finish line and ruin all our hard work.