Chapter 11
The Words You Say
There was a hissing noise as they seemed to form words. “You failed us.” It accused Bree.
Calixto and Bree looked at the creatures. There were two of them and they did not have a definitive form. Instead, their outlines shifted and turned, making it nearly impossible to focus on them without getting a headache.
Bree stepped forward, “You are after me, not him. Let him go.”
The demons laughed, “Little witch, you have no room to negotiate.”
Bree slipped a hand into the folds of her dress and reached into another dimension where her chest was stored. She pulled her hand out of the dimension and stretched out her arm out. “I think I have all of the bargaining chips.”
The demons moved closer, “Give it to us!”
Bree pulled it back and dropped the object into the top of her dress. She felt it nestled between her breasts, “You must let him go first.”
“No!” Calixto and the demons all screamed at her. Calixto’s hand went around her wrist, “You promised!” His voice was firm and his red eyes looked as hot as the magma beneath them.
Bree gave him a smile and gently pulled her hand out of his, “Please, trust me.” He set his jaw but gave her an imperceptible nod.
“You will return this man to the top of the mountains, then we will begin negotiations.”
The demons hissed in response, “He himself has already expressed a desire to stay.”
Calixto stepped forward, “I consent to being returned to the top.”
The demons laughed, “What you will or will not allow has no place here.”
Calixto turned and looked at Bree. She winked at him and took several steps forward, “If you want your precious item, you will return him-”
The ledge under her cracked and fell away. Before she could fall, Calixto’s hands were around her waist, pulling her back to safety.
The demons cackled, “He is fast for a human.”
Bree was pleased when her companion did not answer the insult. Perhaps he was too angry by it. Hoping that was the case, Bree laughed. “You should have sent him back when you had the chance. My pet is not going to leave so easily now that he knows what you are trying to do.” She felt the air tense behind her, and Bree could imagine the angry look on Calixto’s face at her words. I’m sorry Calixto, she thought to him. Though she had not expected it, the air relaxed a little after her thought.
The demons moved forward, “We did not intend to drop you into the magma just yet, not until we retrieve what is ours.”
“Well, this is where we run into a bit of a problem, because the demons you had me steal this from seemed to have a very legitimate claim to it. I am curious to see which one of you is right so that I can determine who the real owners are.”
“It is us!” The demons swirled and shifted in agitation.
“But you have never produced any proof of that.”
“We do not need proof!”
“Are you sure? Because the Sentii had proof.”
“They are lying! It belongs to us.” One of the demons was doing little more than pitching a fit. The other one finally responded, “And what proof did they give you?”
Bree gave them a look of uncertainty, “I’m not sure if can tell you that.”
“It is ours!” The first demon shouted.
“Yes, yes, I have heard you say that several times, but saying it doesn’t make it yours. I mean, I could shout that right now, and you would dispute that it was mine.”
“You dare to mock us, little witch?” The second demon seemed far more attuned to what she was doing than the first.
She gave him a look of shock, “Mocking you? I am simply point out that one set of demons had proof, the others seemed to be lying to get something that they had no right to.”
The demons neared her, “What proof did they offer you?”
As soon as they were close, Bree stretched out her hand and wrapped them in a cold chill. The demons immediately started screaming and struggling against the web of cold, tightening it with every move they made. “The truth. You see, I'm not a little witch.” She squeezed the net, “I’m a sorceress.” The hissing and screams from the netting redoubled, causing the rocks on the walls of the volcano to come crashing down on all sides. An arm wrapped around her and Bree felt Calixto pressing her into his body. He was protecting her so that she would not lose focus.
Silently begging the gods to keep Calixto safe, Bree let out a loud laugh to make it look like she was not afraid. “The best proof they gave me was to let me borrow it. They told me to see for myself that it was theirs, and so I have.”
The yowls from the demons were unintelligible, but she pressed on. “Of course, this will not kill you, but by the time you recover, the true owners will be aware of your plans. So there is something for you to look forward to once you finish reforming.”
With that the demons disappeared. The instant they were gone, Bree turned and buried her face in Calixto’s chest. She pushed a field out several feet from his body so that he would not get further injured. As soon as the rock slide was done, she released the field and immediately began looking around them.
“And this is why I had not wanted to get caught away from their home.” The magma underneath them was rising. “I can’t fly.”
She turned to look at him, “I guess we can try climbing out of here, but I doubt that we will be able to get very far before this stuff over takes us. I am so sorry Calixto.” She wrapped her arms around him and felt his arms gently encircle her. “I am so sorry to drag you into this.”
“I don’t mind.” He stroked her hair.
She sighed, “I do. I mind very much.”
Calixto pulled away from her, “Do you mean that?”
She nodded, “I don’t mind dying, but I do not want that for you. I think it is even safe to say that I like you a bit.”
He smiled down at her as the heat from the magma began to reach them. She knew that meant they had a few minutes left. She wouldn’t exactly die happy, not knowing that he would parish too, but Bree could not imagine a better last view as she stared into his smiling face.
He pulled her close and whispered in her ear, apparently oblivious to the heat, “Do you like me enough to stay with me?”
Bree giggled, “I think that I can almost imagine a future like that. Almost.”
“Except…”
She pressed her face into his neck, “Except that we are going to die here and admitting that I could live such a life now might actually hurt.”
He squeezed her and whispered in her ear, “Say please.”
“What?” She pulled back and looked at his face to see if he was joking.
He was still smiling, but there was nothing to suggest that he was joking, “Say please.”
“Are you trying to make me feel less guilty now?”
He squeezed her hips with his hands, “Stubborn sorceress, do you trust me or not?”
Bree tilted her mouth in a half grin to humor him, “Please Calixto.”
He patted her on the head, “Good girl. I promise to be gentle.”
With that, Calixto stepped back and began to transform. His toned body began to expand and change in ways that should have been impossible. Bree watched in awe, her eyes catching every detail of the change, yet she had a difficult time believing what she saw.
The magma was spitting and bubbling below them as a large red dragon unfurled its wings and gently wrapped its claws around Bree.
As he moved away from the ledge, Bree looked up at the nearly perfect body of the man who had chosen her. If she had thought his human form was gorgeous, it was nothing compared to the beauty of the creature that he was by nature. “You are right, I don’t think I would have believed you if you told me.”
The dragon looked down at her, and if dragons could smile Bree knew what that smile would look like as she watched Calixto. She laughed as they flew out of the volcano top and headed toward a clearing that would have taken several days to reach on foot. His wings opened and the shadow he cast would easily have covered a small village. Calixto was big as a human – as a dragon he was gigantic.
“Do you think you could land us over that way?” Bree pointed to a location far from the volcano, a distance that would have taken several days with a horse. Calixto rumbled as if question was an insult. With impossible speed, they headed toward the place where Bree had indicated.
Bree was gently placed on the ground and a moment later Calixto stood beside her. His face wasn’t as cold as it usually was, but there was no trace of superiority or an oncoming lecture. The man’s eyes blinked a few times as he watched Bree.
Shaking her head, the young woman threw her arms around his neck. “And I thought you were attractive in your human form. Ye Gods, how many people know there are dragon shifters out there? It can’t be very many.”
Calixto looked down at her with a half grin, “A few more people know about the existence of dragon shifters than the continued existence of a sorceress.”
Bree’s lips formed an oh before she chuckled, “It certainly explains how you understand power. I can’t even imagine what that kind of power feels like.” Her hand ran along his chest.
Placing his hand on hers, “And I cannot imagine what it is like to have so much power in such a small frame.” He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it.
Stepping forward, Bree pushed her body against his, and she was pleased to hear the sound of his laugh.
He pushed her away from him, “Now is not the time for that.”
“There is never a better time for love making than after a near death experience.”
He looked down at her, “Is that so?”
“Here let me show you.” She took his hand and pulled him away from the erupting volcano. It was all but forgotten. There was very little life around it, and they were too far away from it for it to be more than a pretty sight to watch.
The pair reached a large cabin. Bree turned the handle and entered it, pulling Calixto behind her. He pulled his hand out of hers, causing her to turn around. “We cannot be here.”
Bree looked at him confused, “Is this place dangerous for you?”
He frowned at her, “It isn’t our place. We can’t go making use of a human’s domicile at our leisure.”
Bree smiled at him and reached into her storage dimension, “Here, this should make you feel better.”
He read over a short missive. “You just happen to know the owner of this place?”
Bree nodded, “I have this kind of agreement in pretty much every province, state, city, country, prefecture, and domain in Letera. A lot of people owe me.” She wrapped his arms around her and pulled him toward one of the rooms. “Now let me show you the proper way to celebrate a near death experience.”
Calixto did not need any coaxing. He pulled her to him and swept her feet off of the ground. She laughed as he began kissing her neck, a laugh that soon turned into a moan. He slipped her dress off of her body before they had even reached the bed. Bree was tugging at his shirt as he tossed her onto the bed. She laughed as she flew through the air. Almost as soon as she hit the bed, Calixto was on top of her, one hand cupping her breast and the other pulling her leg around his hip. Shocked at how aggressive he was being, Bree murmured in his ear, “I don’t remember you being this eager before.”
Pulling back and looking down on her, the man replied, “Perhaps it was the lack of a near death experience.” He began kissing her as she laughed.
His hands were fast and efficient as they explored her body. Calixto had brought her to peaking less than a minute after getting her onto the bed. Bree was panting as she flipped over on top of him and worked his pants off with her hands and feet. Before she could do anything else, Calixto’s husky voice broke her concentration, “I don’t think so.”
The world spun and Bree found herself once again under him, “I am no one’s pet.”
Bree laughed as he kissed her forehead and down her face, “It had to sound believable,” she panted into his hair. “If they knew you were anything else, they would have killed you.”
Calixto stopped and looked at her, “With what? Magma?”
“Of course, they were-Oh,” she looked into his eyes as he smiled at her. She gave his arm a slap, “I didn’t know you were a dragon.”
The bed vibrated as he laughed and spread her legs apart with his hand. The laughter stopped as soon as he began to move into her. Bree wrapper her legs around his hips and arched into him. For the first time in a long time, she allowed someone else complete control over her body.
Several hours passed before either of them was ready to stop. Bree ran her hand through Calixto’s hair as she rested against his chest when a noise caught their attention. Both sets of eyes turned to looked at several wisps hovering over the ground a few feet from the bed.
“We are sorry to interrupt your procreation, but we have business with the witch.”
Bree sat up and stretched her hand out to her dress. A small, shiny object levitated over it. “It’s quite alright. I didn’t expect you so soon, but it would be best that you get this back into a secure location before something happens to it.”
The creatures moved in a way that suggested they agreed. “We thank you for your assistance. It was much quicker and far less risky than the other option.”
Bree nodded, “I know. I was glad to be of service.”
“Have you decided on your payment?”
Bree was aware of Calixto watching her as she shrugged, “I still haven’t thought of anything for myself. However, I hear that there is an expedition taking off from Berenice in about a month. I don’t really care one way or the other about the main objective, but there is a young researcher on board. She is quite intelligent and rather witty, so I would like to see just what she is capable of. If you would guide the course of her ship to a location that is suitable for her purposes, I would say that is payment enough.”
The wisps moved around as if in thought, “Directing the path of ships hardly seems like adequate payment.”
Bree smiled, “It may not be quite as simple as you may think. The Aeoleans are planning to destroy the ships before they reach their destination.”
“Ah,” there was a little sound of excitement in the response, “That sounds more like a game than a payment. And what path would be most beneficial for this researcher?”
Bree shrugged, “I have no idea.”
“You need us to figure that out?”
“And that is why it is adequate payment.”
The wisps moved in a way that was hypnotic and sounded like a breeze travelling around the room. “We look forward to repaying our debt to you. And we wish you health in your future dealings.”
Bree bowed her head. The wisps and the item disappeared.
Calixto moved too fast for Bree to resist. His hands pinned her wrists to the bed and his body lay on top of her. He looked down at her, “You said that you were bored, but based on what you said to the magma demons, you weren’t just working because of boredom. It sounded like they were trying to start something more serious.”
Bree shrugged, “Yes, and I interfered because I was bored. I’m sure that things would have worked out alright because the Sentii are incredibly intelligent, just a little too trusting. All I did was help avert open conflict.”
Calixto blinked at her, “And roughly how many lives do you think that you saved?”
She gave him a half grin, “It’s impossible to see the future, even more impossible to see all possible scenarios. Perhaps I save thousands, or perhaps I didn’t save anyone.”
“You received no payment for your work.” His voice was low and his eyes kept shifting to her breasts. She watched as he forced his lovely red eyes to look at her face.
“She really is a bright girl, and seeing her potential come to fruition is the best payment I can imagine.”
Calixto release her hands and looked away, “I am sincerely humbled by what you have done, and I apologize for the things I said to you. You are not selfish and foolish. The world has no idea how lucky it is to have you in it.” His eyes darted back to her, “Well, you are foolish, but not out of selfishness.”
Bree smiled up at him, “And you are almost the perfect man. The only thing wrong with you is that on the very rare occasion, you are wrong.” Her hand traced an elegant red dragon covering his shoulder. “So, you all literally wear your shape on your body.” Smiling up at him, Bree realized that she never wanted the touch of another man. Calixto complimented her in a way that no one else could. “Gods, I actually found a virtually perfect man. Unbelievable.”
Calixto smiled down on her, “Your words hurt.”
Bree sighed, “Next you will tell me that my smile is painful too.”
Slowly Calixto lowered his head and began to kiss her neck. Bree let him move her thighs apart and stroke them with his hand. “No,” he murmured, “your smile is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.” His movements were slow and deliberate as he gently pressed into her. Bree let out a satisfied groan as his mouth sought hers. His tongue parted her lips as he worked deeper into her.
The End
Kerensa’s Dragon
By: Lisa Daniels
Chapter 1
Not All Fools
Kerensa fought the urge to put her hand up on her hat as the breeze whipped around her. That was something only a woman would do, and the last thing she wanted was for anyone to suspect that was what she was. The young woman had taken a lot of care to make sure that she appeared as manly as she could. With her 21st birthday just past, the young woman’s figure was already a bit strange for a man’s, but she was lucky enough that women in her family relied heavily on their clothing to enhance the feminine aspects they usually lacked. Anyone who just glanced at her would believe that she was a young man in his late teens who took exercise seriously. The problem was if anyone decided to look a little closer. Her hips may not have been much further out than her waist, but it was just enough that a keen pair of eyes would notice the dip. From there it would not take much to realize that the muscular looking chest was not actually muscular.
After everything she had been through that was the last thing Kerensa wanted.
For nearly the first 16 years of her life, Kerensa had spent much of her time in books and learning because her mother had almost completely forgotten about her youngest child. With two older brothers and three older sisters, Kerensa had been nearly invisible. It had made the first 15 and a half years completely open for her to choose her own path.
Then her mother had succeeded in finding a wife for her second youngest child. With all of her other children married to suitable partners, the mother had finally realized that Kerensa existed. Within a week of the marriage, Lady Gwavas had nothing else to do and a younger daughter who, by all outward appearances, was reaching an age where marriage should be the priority.
It had come as a shock to her youngest child, and not a pleasant one. Suddenly the young woman went from spending her days in the library and talking with her father’s friends to being the object of inspection and criticism. Lady Gwavas’s initially positive appraisal of her daughter had quickly soured after two hours together. Nothing that a young woman should know or be concerned with learning appeared to have crossed her youngest daughter’s mind. When Kerensa had attempted to explain what she had been doing, her mother had not understood anything. It was like the woman and her offspring spoke two completely different languages. There was no surprise that the end result did not please either of the two women. Lady Gwavas muttered about not having enough time to get her daughter prepared for the party that was required to present her as an eligible partner. For her part, Kerensa could not understand why she was being subjected to something that she had never been prepared for up to that point. She had assumed that her own life would be run differently, in part because of her close relationship with her father.
Compared to his socially conscious wife, Sir Gwavas was level-headed and intelligent. He had never been satisfied in his marriage, but that had never been too much of a problem as it was entirely easy to distract and ignore his wife. She had her own ideas of what her role was, and was never concerned by his expectations. As this seldom interfered with his interests, Sir Gwavas had largely let his wife manage things that interested her. Several of his children showed promise in their abilities, but his wife always whisked them away too quickly for her husband to have much of an effect on their lives. With no real interest in children, this had not bothered the man. Not until Kerensa.
As a young child, Kerensa was thought to be mute and intellectually inferior to the other Gwavas children. When she was four years old, Sir Gwavas had wandered into her room looking for something one of his servants had told him was in the child’s room. He had questioned why that was the case, but none had been able to provide an adequate response as no one knew how the tool had made its way there. Kerensa was quietly playing. Her soft green eyes turned toward him, but he did not see what his wife, children, and servants saw as the child looked at him. The look in her eye was one of curiosity and observation, almost like she was studying him. She watched him for a moment, as if she expected him to do something. When he simply stood there and looked at her, the young child had returned to her play. Instead of looking for the tool that he had come to get, Sir Gwavas had moved to the side and observed her. After a few minutes, he realized there was a pattern and method to her play – Kerensa was building things with toys, despite not having the necessary education or equipment to construct anything. What had initially looked like a messy pile of dolls was clearly a replication of the cathedral they had been to a few days before.
Sir Gwavas moved over and sat beside his daughter. He knew that she had never spoken a word, but he was curious if she could hear him or understand if she was spoken to directly.
“Hello Kerensa. It looks like you have made the dolls into the St. Bernard Cathedral.”
Her little face shifted back to him, her blond curls bouncing beside her adorable face. She simply blinked at him.
Thinking that the child could not comprehend, he decided to speak of the place’s relation to their family as he looked over the strange replication of such a famous structure. “You know there is actually a tunnel here,” he pointed at a back area where there was a gap in the dolls, “it goes down several miles and it was used to help hide our family during the civil war four hundred years ago. That is how we came into power, by sticking to the side of the queen, even after she was removed from the throne. It is strange to think how different things would have been if they had not been able to hide there. How different would the family line have been without that help at a critical time.”
“We wouldn’t be.”
The voice was small, but very serious. Sir Gwavas looked around the room to find the source. Kerensa’s instructor was nowhere to be found. Frowning, he realized that his youngest daughter had no supervision. “Where is your nanny? Your mother should have someone here watching you.”
The voice spoke up again from beside him, “In there with him.”
Sir Gwavas looked around again, but a movement from beside him caught his attention. Looking at his daughter, the man saw that she was pointing to a closet.
“Kerensa…did you speak?”
She looked at her father and blinked, her little arm still extended toward the closet.
The man stood up and strode over to the closet, a look of concern on his face. He pulled the door open and found a young woman and one of his servants mostly in a state of undress. The look of horror on their faces would have been humorous if not for the fact that his daughter had witnessed something that was very inappropriate. Without a word, Sir Gwavas closed the door. He walked over to his daughter and held out his hand. A gentle smile played on his lips, “It looks like their business is going to take a little longer. I think you should come with me dear.”
Kerensa’s face did not change, nor did she say a word as she stood up. Placing her little hand in his, she let her father lead her out of the room.
The next morning, the young girl woke to see her father standing at the window looking out. “Father?” Her voice was firmer than the day before.
The man turned with a smile, “I thought that you could join me every morning.” She simply blinked at him. “Would that be alright with you?” he asked realizing that a young girl may not be too keen on spending her days with a bunch of men and their books. A smile slowly crept across the girl’s face and she nodded.
Perhaps that was why her mother had entirely forgotten about the youngest daughter, because for over a decade she had been in the care of her father. If Kerensa’s mother had thought about her at all, then Lady Gwavas would likely have assumed that her husband would raise the girls with the same understanding and values shared by the other women of their social standing. So, it was that an early misunderstanding of the young girl’s silence and intellect ended up freeing her from her mother’s attention and giving her a world that was better suited to her interests.
When that life was interrupted a few weeks before her 16th birthday, Kerensa had not taken it well. She had maintained rational arguments with her mother, sisters, and sisters-in-law, but to no avail. The woman could not understand how a young girl could possibly be interested in anything other than socializing and marriage. Kerensa could not understand what they could not understand about how unsatisfying she felt their lives were. Finally, everything came to a head over three years later at a family gathering. Two of Kerensa’s siblings and their spouses were in attendance for the falling out of her mother’s efforts.
Lady Gwavas was still hoping to make her youngest daughter into a desirable partner, or to at least to teach the young woman the error of her ways. Knowing that the daughter and Sir Gwavas had a tight bond, the woman thought it best to address him with the problem at hand. “Darling, did you know that Kerensa didn’t feel that marriage was good enough for her. She told me this just the other day at the Jostine’s Ball. Apparently, she incorrectly believed that it is unsuitable for the life she thinks she wants. It took a good bit of persuading, but Jeannie and I finally made her understand the truth.” Her husband simply looked at her, so the woman turned to her daughter and daughter-in-law, “Is that not the silliest thing you have ever heard?”
The eldest son’s wife spoke first, “What else would she do?”
Kerensa’s sister picked up from there, “I can see why she would feel that way though. It’s not like boys flock to her with those ugly things she wears on her face.”
Her sister-in-law leaned over, “You really should stop wearing those dear. You are so much prettier without them.”
Kerensa raised an eyebrow as the three men in the room looked on with interest in the feminine bullying of the youngest member of the family. Pushing her glasses up a little on her face, Kerensa was not about to listen to the harebrained advice of the women in the room. “You do realize that I wear these because I do not see well, right? Without them, I will look rather foolish stumbling around any room.”
Her mother laughed, “You don’t need to see or move around, my dear. You just need to stand still and be seen. That’s what matters.”
The other two women quickly agreed as the young woman blinked at them. Finally, Kerensa decided now was as good a time as any to point out that she did not in fact subscribe to the life the rest of the women cherished, “I will not live my life blind the way you three have.”
Though they did not understand the exact meaning, the three women did recognize an insult when spoken from the youngest daughter. Kerensa’s sister was first to find words to express her annoyance, “We have lived our lives knowing full well what we needed to do and we are all happy for it.” Her voice was full of disdain for her sister and the idea that the women were anything other than completely satisfied with their lives.
Kerensa spoke in a calm, nearly monotone voice, “You live in ignorance of your realities. Of course, you are happy, but you cannot pretend it is the same thing as knowing what you need to do.” Her eyes looked at the three men in the room, and suddenly there was a tension that had not been there before as she spoke, “I dare say all three of the men in the room would agree that you hardly know what you need to do.”
Her eldest brother began coughing as her brother-in-law looked on at her with curiosity. Only her father was smiling at the exchange.
Kerensa’s mother spoke up, “We know all that is required for women of our station. We give our men children and raise those children into a society that is fitting for their breeding. That is all our men expect from us, and we accomplish that as only high class women can.”
Kerensa cleared her throat, “That is true. They have come to expect no more from you. And yet, none of the men in this room are satisfied with your feeble contributions because you fail to please them in any way that actually matters to them. Once they have an heir, you serve very little other purpose since you do not believe that any more is required of you.”
The three women spluttered at such open contempt from Kerensa. Her sister-in-law was the first to speak up, “Surely they are happy with what we offer! There is nothing more noble or desirable than that. Right Fender, you are happy with me?” She turned to look at her husband, the eldest boy in the family.
He gave a slight inclination of his head and said, “My dear, I wouldn’t know how to ask more of you.”
Kerensa immediately burst into laughter, “Oh, but you are still the charmer, aren’t you Fender. It’s no wonder you are still able to bed any woman you take an interest in.”
Fender’s wife’s eyes went wide open as she turned to look at her sister-in-law, “There is no way he would do that!”
Kerensa simply looked at her and flashed a mirthless smile, “I have to admit that his appetite is far more restrained than my brother-in-law’s – he’s not particularly picky at all. The number of men he’s bedded is nearly as many as the number of women, and station does not play any part in his choices. Of course, he lives with Jeannie, so I can’t say that I blame him for wanting a constant escape from my sister. If she were to move back into this house, I would certainly have to leave that same day. I am just fortunate that I have that option, unlike my sister’s unfortunate husband.” The man watched with passive amusement, his eyes sparkling at the young woman as a hint of emotion was betrayed in her last response.
Kerensa’s mother was storming over to her when Kerensa’s father cut in, “Kerensa, dearest, I think you have said quite enough. Why don’t you go do some more of your studies? I hear that there is an exceptional dragon hunter in town. You may be able to do some real research on your latest paper.”
Kerensa’s eyes had gone wide as her mother turned on her husband, “She will stay here for the punishment she seems so eager to have. Did you not hear what she said about the lovely men in our presence?”
Her husband looked back at a newspaper as he responded, “I did. I also heard how you three were bullying her into thinking as you do instead of using persuasion to back your views. I fear that Kerensa has a far more intelligent and capable mind that you three are not likely to be able to persuade or bully. Our little Kerensa has read too much to believe any of the stuff that goes for common sense around certain types of women. Finally, and here is the part you clearly missed, neither of our lovely men here have denied what Kerensa said.” He looked up at his youngest child, “Go ahead honey. I heard that she was staying at the Cut Throat, so please make sure to take Chadwick and Manford with you.”
“She?” Kerensa’s eyes went wide. “You mean the dragon hunter is a woman!” It was the first time during the discussion where excitement and emotion were so obvious on her face. Kerensa’s mother stood in stunned silence as the pair ignored her.
The man held a finger up to his lips, “It’s a secret so make sure you are careful as you approach her.”
Kerensa hurried out of the room as her mother turned on her father. The last thing she heard was his request to the butler to take his wife for a lie down to calm her nerves.
Lady Gwavas largely gave up trying to improve and prepare her daughter following that day. She almost completely ignored the girl, deciding that the girl deserved whatever misery she created for herself. The woman’s attitude toward her husband was somewhat icy as well as she felt he was undermining her in her role. In the end, both the father and daughter took pleasure in the change, and Kerensa finally began to think of the direction she wanted to take her life.
Women were not allowed to be scholars, which proved to be a barrier that even money could not break for the young woman.
One night, the servant Chadwick had convinced the young woman to come out with him to a tavern. Kerensa had been too young to go before her mother’s meddling, then she had been forbidden as long as her mother was involved in her life. Now without anyone to tell her what she could and could not do in the home, Kerensa was more than happy to accompany the young man.
At first, Kerensa was entirely unimpressed with the kind of people in the establishment. Then a stunning red-haired woman had plopped down on a seat next to her.
“Don’t you think you are a little out of place here?”
Kerensa’s head turned, thinking that the woman must be addressing someone else. The young woman’s response was merely to look the gorgeous woman in the eyes. The woman tilted her head to the side and an exquisite grin spread across her face, “You don’t think so?”
The young woman blinked at her, “I doubt I am any more out of place than you are.”
The woman’s lips twitched as she looked the young woman over, “Oh, I am certainly more in my element here.” Conspiratorially, she leaned toward Kerensa, “I dare say that you are lucky that I am the first to approach. You do realize that the men over in the corner are talking about what they can do to the youngest daughter of Sir Gwavas, don’t you?”
Kerensa sat up straighter at the words, and she swallowed hard. Looking around, her eyes sought Chadwick, who had gone to get more drinks for them. She found him caught in conversation with a few men that she recognized from deliveries they had gotten recently.
Finally, her eyes met the red-haired woman’s gaze, “People really know who I am?”
“Of course. Do you really think that you blend in with those clothes?”
“I-I-I-“ It was one of the few times that Kerensa had been at a loss for words.
“Don’t worry. I will stay with you until your companion returns, but you and your lover had best get out of here before anything happens.”
Kerensa shook her head, “We aren’t that. I mean, he works for my father. And-”
The woman looked at the man, “That is an absolute shame. He is quite an attractive man.”
Kerensa’s head swiveled to look at Chadwick, who looked very energetic as he talked with the others. Now that she looked at him properly, she could see the woman’s point.
Suddenly there was a hand extended to her, “I’m Bree. Witch and spy for anyone in need of a particular type of assistance.”
Kerensa looked down at the hand, uncertain what to do. The woman named Bree stretched out her other hand and placed Kerensa’s hand in her’s. The motion was exaggerated as she shook the young woman’s hand. “It’s a hand shake. I hear it is all the rage with humans.”
Kerensa frowned, “Aren’t you a human?”
The laugh was almost hypnotical, “Gods bless you, but you are very generous. Most people would not say such a thing. So, what brings the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in one of the wealthiest nations on the planet to a tavern?”
Kerensa answered simply, “Research.”
The woman lifted both of her elegant eyebrows, “Research? What kind of research?”
That was all Kerensa needed before launching into her theories and ideas about Vetitum, a place renowned for its wealth, cold, and seclusion from the rest of the world.
Bree proved to be an ideal listener. When the young woman finished talking, she quickly began to apologize for her enthusiasm, to which Bree waved off the words. “Never apologize for what you love. It taints it with a false sense of regret. Oh!” She looked at the young woman, “Actually, I think I may be able to help you.”
By the time Chadwick reached the women, Bree had told Kerensa about an expedition that was to leave Berenice in about six months. The witch had given her some advice on how to disguise her gender and how to behave so that she could pass as a man when surrounded by a ship full of men on a long journey. Kerensa got the impression that Bree spoke from personal experience as she quickly jotted down the ideas.
Now here Kerensa stood on the ship, dressed as a male researcher. She had been unable to cut her long hair, but in every other aspect, she had tried to appear masculine. It had been a particular challenge as none of the men in her life took the outfit seriously besides her father. He had given as much support as he could, but his time was incredibly limited and his assistance only given with half of his attention.
Only her father had seen her off as her mother and sister were completely against her taking a trip, and that was without knowing the full extent of what she was to do. The young woman had been ok with that as it meant she could leave dressed as a man without anyone causing trouble for her. Sir Gwavas had given her a big hug the evening before and wished her well. Chadwick was to join her as a research attendant because even Sir Gwavas was not entirely comfortable with his daughter on a ship full of men without someone he could trust. He also was very aware that Chadwick was in love with his daughter, but this appeared to be more of a boone as that meant the man would keep a close eye on Kerensa.
Her eyes looked over everything, from the ship to the men to the water. It was surreal and wonderful. With a smile, Kerensa bent over to pick up her luggage as a young man began to pass her.
“Please allow me to help you with that.”
Kerensa looked up, half expecting to see Chadwick already breaking his promise to act like an assistant than a servant. Instead, she looked into the startling sky blue eyes of a very well-off looking (and finely built) gentleman. The man’s clothes were incredibly white, a color only used by those with a lot of money or royalty as it was next to impossible to keep anything of that color so impeccably clean. The seams were stitched with golden threads that matched the buttons and the delicate designs around the base of the neck. The shirt moved up the man’s neck and folded over just a little, exposing an incredibly pale, muscular neck. The outfit may have been the first an onlooker would notice, but it would not hold anyone’s attention beyond a couple of seconds.
Not when the wearer was altogether more startlingly handsome than his clothing. The man’s hair was a pale blond pulled back in a way that only nobility in a few countries wore their hair. All of those countries were a long way off and were known to be far wealthier than anything in the part of the globe where Kerensa lived. The fact that he was relatively pale indicated that he was probably from the land where no one dared to travel because it was entirely unfriendly to outsiders. It was so far north that even Scythia seemed almost tropical by comparison. At least Scythia had a summer. Not that anyone had ever traveled far into that distant land and returned. One of the few things known about the place was that it was a land formation completely covered in ice and glaciers.
It was the one place where she had longed to go.
The people in Kerensa’s part of the world had called the land Vetitum simply because a ban on traveling had been made nearly 100 years ago when they had unsuccessfully waged war on the tiny frozen continent. The war had been so one-sided that most people where Kerensa was from refused to acknowledge it had happened. She only knew about the war after delving into some of the private libraries of her father’s friends over the last few years. It was somewhere that Kerensa would have paid her family fortune to see just for a day. How did a place where nothing could grow contain so much wealth? That was the question most people asked. The more pressing question to Kerensa was how in the world did anyone live on such an apparently barren continent? One day would be enough to at least hint toward the answer to that riddle.
For the first time in her life, Kerensa was struck speechless by the sheer beauty and elegance of the man in front of her. She blinked a few times, unable to say anything as her eyes tried to process what she had thought would be impossible. Somewhere in her mind was screaming at her that this was the chance of a lifetime – there was someone in front of her who was probably from that fabled land. She had to say something! Anything! But too much of her brain was preoccupied with a completely different assessment, a completely unrelated idea of what once in a lifetime could mean. It was a new experience for her, and for a moment, Kerensa could understand why poets and artists were so enamored on beauty. The man was everything that artists described, and the kind of image that she had always laughed off as being not only unrealistic, but unattractive based on the impossibility of it. Kerensa had always been a firm believer that there was no point in desiring the impossible when there were plenty of challenges that were attainable if she just put her mind to it.
The man’s head tilted to the side as he waited for a response. When she said nothing, he gave her a smile and reached down to pick up her largest pieces of luggage. He gave her a dazzling smile, and her mind noted the little dimple that appeared. Feeling self-conscious, her eyes looked away from his and down at her luggage, where she noticed his elegantly gloved hands. The fingers were slim, yet he did not seem to have any trouble lifting her bags and moving away from the ramp.
“If you would be so kind as to direct me toward your cabin,” he looked back at her when he realized that she was still standing where he had left her.
Several of the men looked over at them, but just as last time, they quickly returned to work, completely unconcerned with researchers and wealthy travelers.
Kerensa felt her cheeks flush for the first time in years as she realized that she must look like a complete idiot. “I’m sorry, I’ll carry those.” She moved forward to take her bags back.
“I would hate to have one of the researchers get injured before we even leave land. Just show me the way and make sure you ask for help next time.” The smile never left his face as he brushed off her delayed reaction.
It was the kind of behavior that Kerensa had been accustomed to as a woman from a particular type of family, but she had not expected that sort of treatment onboard the ship. She was completely disarmed as she nodded her agreement and headed toward the cabin the captain had shown her a few days before.
It was only as she was walking that she began to think of a number of questions. Why was the man carrying her stuff? Was he one of those men who was hoping to buy knowledge from those who studied? Or perhaps he was hoping to sway researchers to back something he wanted approved? That was fairly common with men who did not understand how seriously scholars took their work. Kerensa was reprimanding herself for being so foolish as she came up with reasons why such a stunningly beautiful and obviously privileged man would want to help her. Especially since she looked like a boy. Whatever his reasons, the young woman was certain they weren’t altruistic. She resolved to set him straight as soon as they were to the cabin so that there would be no expectations from the man later.