Aimee
Backing away slowly, she kept looking up and up as the entire wall seemed to melt away as a dragon the color of ice stepped through, looming up high above her.
A large, taloned foot came down, crushing some of the fallen ice below it into little more than ground powder. Aimee swallowed nervously as she realized that could just as easily be her in a moment. The great being didn’t speak at first, eyeing her as it slithered through the crevice, the ice melting and flowing around it before returning to its earlier position.
It was the most eerily beautiful and yet terrifying scene of her life. Even more than when she’d met Rhys for the first time. The white dragon didn’t even seem to notice as the ice conformed to his bulk and then slipped easily back into place. It was the action of someone so used to doing it that they barely noticed it anymore. Like breathing, it was an action that came with reflex, not thought.
“Well, well, well,” it said at last, sliding up to her more like a snake than a dragon she thought. “What do we have here?”
If stereotypical evil had a voice, she figured this had to be one of the top five results. Just hearing it speak sent shivers down her spine and curdled her gut.
“Uh, hi.”
What the hell, speaking up couldn’t hurt. She was dead, there was no way out, and she’d told Rhyolite to piss off. Nobody was coming to save her.
“It speaks.”
“I do.”
“Excellent. It will make this all the easier.”
Aimee didn’t like the thought of that. Not one bit. She needed to stall. To delay. “Are you a friend of Rhys?” she asked, hoping mentioning his name wouldn’t provoke the massive dragon.
“Who is this Rhys?”
“Uh, right. His name is Rhyolite.”
The white dragon paused for a moment. “No, I have never heard of him. Why would I have heard of some insignificant human?”
“Well, he’s not human,” she said brightly. “He’s a dragon. Like you.”
Yellow eyes blinked slowly as they regarded her. “You have met another dragon before? Yes, yes, that would explain why you do not run or cower in fear, though you should.”
Shit. That just about did it then. Whoever he was, this guy was not here to make friends.
“I’ve met two, actually. Sorry, you’re in unlucky third place on my dragon-meeting list.”
“Interesting. Who is the other?”
“Some dick named Obsidian. Real charmer, like you.”
Well now she’d gone and done it. Her mouth just didn’t know when to shut off sometimes, despite her brain screaming at it to just be quiet. For once.
“Obsidian.” The word came out full of old anger and hatred.
“Oh goody. You two know each other! Fantastic. But what do you want with me? An introduction? I don’t really know where he lives, I’m sorry.”
“No. I am here for a queen. A woman to stand by my side.”
“A queen. Oh wow. Do you have a kingdom then? Are you a king?”
“I will be. I shall start with this pathetic town, and then spread my reign across the rest of this wretched continent.”
Aimee shook her head. “Sorry, not interested. I’ve already had one dragon try to lay claim over me. I don’t need a rebound just yet.”
At just the mention of Rhyolite laying claim to her Aimee felt her skin burn. She hated the sensation. Every time she’d thought of him, her body always reacted this way. It was like his little lust-bomb never wore off! The longer she’d gone without seeing him, without being able to touch him, the worse it got, like he’d worked it into her to get stronger and stronger, so that she’d eventually cave and go back to him. So far only her anger at such a subtle, underhanded tactic was keeping her from giving in and doing just that.
Now though, she desperately wished he could be here to defend her. Her entire professional life she’d worked hard to ensure that she was trained and prepared, ready for any scenario, precisely so that she could be the one that was able to help others. But that was with other humans. Against themselves, or mother nature and the elements. A dragon?
No fucking thanks.
This was well and truly beyond anything she could hope to deal with. It was time to fight fire with fire, but she had no way of calling for his help.
“You will be mine.” The white dragon spoke loudly, the ice vibrating with his voice, spilling her to the floor as it shook unsteadily beneath her.
“Never!”
Behind her ice cracked, the yellow orbs flaring with anger as she shouted her defiance. If she was going to die, she may as well do so not being afraid, resisting until the end.
“YOU WILL BE MINE! I HAVE SPOKEN!”
The walls shattered as the dragon howled its proclamation at her. Aimee curled up into a ball.
“RHYS!” she screamed, wishing he was there.
He would never do this to her. No matter what he’d done, Rhys had always been a gentleman toward her. Except for that first meeting where he’d tried to eat her. But after that, he’d treated her with respect and dignity, always going above and beyond to do right by her. This was not something he would ever do.
Visions of his short brown hair and bright blue eyes played across her mind. His gentle warm touch and booming laugh. The way his nose wrinkled when he was deep in thought, and the sharp lines of his jaw that seemed soft to her touch. Memories of how he held the door for her, or his enthusiastic approval as she tried on outfit after outfit for him, somehow finding things in each one to compliment her about. Then there was the way he’d treated her in the bedroom. Like she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, clothed or naked.
His attention to her had been exquisite, and that one night of fateful passion had left her with a thousand memories to relive upon lonely nights. Never once had he pushed her, instead he’d let her call the shots, even as he’d been in control physically.
“Oh Rhys,” she moaned.
She’d never been so wrong about a man before in her life. And now it was too late to do anything about it.
In front of her the white dragon came closer, lifting its front leg high, razor-sharp claws sparkling even in the overcast skies.