"What is it, my lady?" Gizmel asks concerned.
"It's nothing," I lie. "I think I know my dragon's power though. The same as my mother's. Sonic blast."
"I knew it! Very good fortune, my lady. It is a deadly powerful talent."
"Great," I mutter. My dragon snickers at me. Don't ask me how a dragon snickers, but she is able to do it in the most sarcastic annoying way possible.
I look back at the scrying bowl. Trav is a massive red dragon with glittering scales that reflect the sunlight with an orange and black cast. Conyac, on the other hand, is shades of blue. His smooth scales radiate between pure, stark white, and Prussian blue. He is just as big as Trav and for a moment, I fear they might start fighting each other. Instead, they leap into the air as the Org army approaches.
Chapter 15
Trav and Conyac fly straight for the oncoming army of gigantic deformed humanoids. They look like orcs, trolls, or some similar creature from fairy tales and video games. Behind the vast army of horrid bodies, I see three giants of the same race. They are bigger even than Trav and Conyac in dragon form. They hold trees for clubs, and their footsteps are like earthquakes, shaking the ground. I gasp in fear.
Conyac unleashes his icy breath on the giants. Two of them are frozen solid in an instant. He lands on one with his claws and fangs bared, cracking the frozen monster into a million pieces. The ice falls and crushes the men around its feet. The army scrambles away as Trav breaks the second behemoth.
The third giant swings his club and nearly bashes Trav just before he juts away. Trav flies upward and arcs in the air, blowing his fire breath at the beast. The monster catches fire, screaming as the super hot flames lick his flesh. It tumbles to the ground, trying to roll out of the flames. But it's like an oil fire; nothing will put it out. The giant burns on the ground, igniting the Orgs who didn't make it out of the way in time.
The rest of the army continues toward Castle Warren. I gasp when I see how close they really are. Conyac and Trav swoop in behind the army, biting and clawing at the Orgs on the ground. They are a substantial foe with tooth and claw, but nothing compared to their full dragon power. Trav's men come in from the front, swords swinging. There is a cannon in the midst of the battlefield. A resounding blast sounds outside. I run to the window, just as the entire keep rumbles with the shock of the hit.
"Oh no!" I yell.
"Fear not, my lady," Gizmel says through clenched teeth. He isn't very convincing.
Conyac and Trav transform in the midst of the battle, fully clothed in their armor, their enchanted swords in hand. They fight like ninjas, taking out dozens of Orgs as they swing and dance in battle. I'm awestruck by their power and beauty. It is a sight to behold these men fight, even though it is brutal and bloody. They dodge the enemy with ease and make a path through the Org army toward the keep.
They fight with the Warren soldiers, side by side, until the Org army has dwindled to a much smaller number. As if by an instinctive command, the entire Org legion turns and begins to retreat. Trav's army continue to pursue them, taking out the rest of the Orgs they can catch. When I see Trav and Conyac returning, I hurry down the stairs to greet them.
I run down the stairs into the courtyard and find them both battle weary and bloody. As two sets of eyes fix on me, I stop. The men surround them in the chaos of post battle. Broken limbs and bloody gashes cover the soldiers. Trav and Conyac move toward me as one. I take a sharp breath in and hold it, not ready for what I know will come next.
Trav reaches me first, stopping short before me. He is covered in blood, his own mixed with that of his foe. Conyac comes behind him. He falls to his knees and puts a fist to his heart. Trav, seeing the gesture, joins him on the ground.
I look at them kneeling before me, confused. "My lady, I have fought to defend the realm. To prove my worth to you."
"I have fought bravely, and led my army to defeat the enemy that threatens us all. My sword and my fire are for you, lady," Trav intones.
"My ice and my sword," Conyac follows.
"Okay, okay," I say, embarrassed by the display. "Just get up. I want to go back to Skyland. Can someone please take me?"
"I will take you," Conyac says, standing.
"I will take her," Trav growls.
"But the Orgs are at your door, Warren. Shouldn't you stay?" Conyac says, a smirk on his lips.
"I will go where the princess goes," Trav snarls.
"Fine. Both of you take me back. I want to get home before nightfall and sleep in my own chambers. I don't like staying here."
Conyac gives Trav a triumphant look, and Trav snarls at him. I roll my eyes at them both. I'm so tired of this competition.
My inner dragon tells me I know how to end it, and I'm beginning to get the idea myself. I just don't know if I can bring myself to say it out loud, let alone consciously choose it and live it.
"Let's go," I groan. The princes lead me back to the carriage, and I sit beside Gizmel. "I am so tired of this," I tell Gizmel after the princes have shifted. Trav grabs the handle.
"The princes are overzealous, my lady, but they are right in being so...enthusiastic. What you saw today was a mere fraction of the Org army. It was a test, a shot across the bow, if you will. They are testing our readiness and our strength. Without the power of hilock, the Org will soon defeat us."
I sigh and look out the window. I know what is coming. I'm going to have to choose one of them. No one ever said I could choose both; even if I really wanted that, which I'm beginning to believe I do, it probably isn't an option.
My inner dragon begs to differ, but I still don't believe it. I don't want to believe it. The idea of being married to one of them, making love to one of them, fills me with anxiety, let alone doing it with two. How would that even work? I see a vision of exactly how mating with the two of them would work, and I squeeze my eyes closed and groan.
"What is it, my lady?" Gizmel asks.
"It's nothing. I'm just trying to come to terms with the whole hilock thing. What is that all about anyway? What exactly will the man I choose do again?"
"He will plant his mating seed inside you and give you the mating bite. You simply have to take him."
"And what would happen if both of them did that?"
"I don't understand, princess. Are you asking how both might make hilock with you?"
I blush, glad this didn't come up when the princes were present. I bite my lip and scrunch up my eyebrows. "Well, it could happen. They're always trying to get a piece of me at the same time."
"I suppose both could perform hilock at the same time," he says thoughtfully. "Then both would receive the king's power." A flash of inspiration crosses his face, and he smiles at me as if I’ve just discovered the cure for cancer.
"That's it!" he yells. We land gracefully on the ground in Skyland.
Chapter 16
"What?" Conyac says, as he opens the carriage door. I've been so distracted, I haven't even noticed we've landed.
"The princess had an idea of how to speed along the choosing process," Gizmel says. "She thought..."
"I thought," I say, cutting him off. "That I would make love to each of you once, without making hilock and then it would make it easier for me to decide." What just came out of my mouth?
Conyac scratches his chin, thinking. Then a slow smile crosses his face. "Done. But I get to go first."
Oh for God's sake.
"Maybe we should discuss this with Trav," I suggest. I know Trav won't go for it.
"Maybe we should discuss what with Trav?" he says, landing beside the carriage. I feel trapped as all three men look at me, expectantly.
"Princess Dani suggested we take turns making love with her," Conyac offers. My heart almost stops as Trav pulls his lips back, showing rows of straight teeth and his long, deadly canines.
"Fine, but I go last," he says.
Shit.
"Done!" Conyac says, slapping Trav on the back. Trav growls and storms away.
Holy
hell.
Conyac eyes me, grinning, and offers me his arm. I take it, sighing heavily. We descend out of the exit ramp, and the staff is there to greet us. The soldiers Trav left behind gather around him, asking about the battle. Uria hurries to me and asks if there is anything I need and assures me that my rooms are ready for the evening.
Conyac won't stop looking at me like a kid in a candy store as we walk over the hillside and through the front gates of my palace. Hammon tells me dinner is in an hour, and I thank him.
Three days ago, I never would have expected to have two hot princes ready to make love to me, a palace, and a loyal staff at my beck and call. This is so freaking weird. Not only that, I'm not a six-foot tall elf princess with glowing silver eyes.
I excuse myself from Conyac and head to my room to get ready for dinner. There is a bath waiting for me in the tub, and I get in to wash quickly before dressing. Uria is there to help me pick a gown and do my makeup and hair. By the time I'm done, there are still a few minutes until dinner.
Hoping to avoid the princes, I head out a back of the palace onto a long-forgotten terrace overlooking the cliff. My stomach clenches and my heart flutters as I take in the vast expanse of the canyon below. My dragon roars to be let go, to fly, but I have no idea how to let her out or even if I want to.
Growing more courage, I approach the stone wall. There seems to be no bottom in sight, and the other edge of the canyon is a mile away. Red walls of rock glow in the evening sun in the distance. I can smell the fragrant flowers of the gardens around the other side of the palace. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, trying to take in the moment, trying to make sense of it all.
I move slightly forward against the stone wall, which instantly crumbles. I scream, losing my balance.
Flailing, I fall into the endless pit below.
Chapter 17
I fall. The wind whips by me as I plummet into the depths of the canyon. I can hear myself screaming, but it doesn’t register as me. All I know is that I’m going to die. I see the bottom of the pit, and my inner dragon comes crashing toward me. She’s awake and alive and full of passion and anger. In that breath of a second, she’s taken over my body.
I don’t realize it until I’m flying that I’ve transformed. As my wings beat against the air, I can hear the call of Conyac and Trav from above. They’ve taken flight, and their cries tell me of their shock and fear. I glide upward with giant, beating wings and circle around them on the air. Swooping, I come to land on the grass. The males land beside me, licking at my scales with their long, wet tongues.
Letting out a roar, I let them know my strength is unquestionable. I am queen. I know it. I am the lady of this land and the last of my kind. My bright silver scales speak of the depth of my power.
My human mind convulses, trying to take in what has just occurred. I know that this woman, raised on Earth, is weak. I am angered at my own weakness, but she fights me to gain control of our body. I know we must be further integrated, but for now, I cannot abide by her fragility.
She pushes against me, and my precarious hold on our body lessens. I slip away and transform back into a woman.
I fall to the ground, speechless, crying. The men run to me, kneeling around me. Hands touch my back, shoulders, and legs. I don’t understand what happened. My fractured mind can barely hold on. I want to crack into madness, but all I do is cry.
“Get away from me,” I growl at the men, rising from the damp ground. They back away, and I run down the path and up the front steps of the castle.
“Dinner is served, my lady,” Hammon says. I groan as I pass him, running up the stairs and into my room. Locking the door behind me, I let out a petrified yelp. What just happened? I fell off a cliff and almost died, but then… Then I became a dragon.
I put my hands to my head and pace the room. They told me it would happen. I’d been hearing and feeling her inside my mind for days. No matter how much I want to deny it, I know she’s there, waiting, biding her time.
I’m locked into this life. There is no way back to Earth, but that doesn’t stop my mind from obsessively working through every possible escape. I can feel the dragon just below the surface. She is clawing at my mind, trying to get out.
“Stop!” I scream, pressing my palms to my temples. Her thoughts snake through my brain. Her voice is soothing but aggressive.
“Bind, we must,” she says, slithering inside me.
“I don’t want to be you,” I shout at myself.
“And I do not want to be you. You are weak. Soft. Not a dragon born princess.”
“Screw you,” I spit out. I realize I’m arguing with myself, and it makes me feel like I’m going insane. My rational mind tries to offer logical suggestions. I’m passed out in the cave back in Glacier National Park. This is a big delusion. But I know it isn’t.
I sit on the bed, tears sliding down my cheeks. She’s right. I am weak. I’m not cut out to be a dragon princess. I couldn’t even hack it in my old job in a world I understood. How am I possibly going to cope with being a changeling on an alien planet?
“If there was a way for me to give this to someone else, I would.”
“You cannot. We must bind. We must become one.”
“How exactly are we supposed to do that?” I ask my inner dragon.
“Accept me. Let me give you the strength you lack.”
“I’ll work on it.”
There is a knock at my door, and I open it to find Hammon standing in the hallway. He looks worried as he wrings his hands.
“The princes said you changed, my lady. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” I say, drying my eyes.
“Are you coming down for dinner? The princes are waiting for you to join them in the dining room.”
“I’ll be right there. Just let me gather myself.”
Hammon scurries away, and I quickly fix my face and hair and change into a gown. I look better when I glance in the mirror on the way out, but my eyes are still rimmed in red.
I make my way downstairs and enter the grand dining room where the princes are seated at the long highly polished wood table. As I enter, they stand, putting their hands over their hearts. I take my seat at the head of the table and nod to them as I sit.
I don’t enjoy the ceremony, but I suppose it’s something I’ll have to get used to. Servants bring us the first course of fruit and salad.
“About our agreement,” Conyac says as I pop a piece of fruit in my mouth. I cringe. I don’t want to face the sex agreement we all made, and the fruit I just ate is incredibly sour.
“Yes. That…”
“We should begin right away, princess. There is no time to waste. The Org are marching out of the mountain in a massive horde, headed straight to Castle Warren. We cannot hold them off with our current forces,” Trav says.
“I’ve sent my troops to reinforce your garrison, Trav,” Conyac says.
“It won’t be enough. We need the power of the king and queen. One of us must make hilock with the princess. The power of the monarchs is the only way we will win this war,” Trav protests.
“The princess isn’t ready to decide. We must give her time.”
“There isn’t time!” Trav smashes his fist on the table; the dishes and silverware bounce from the surface.
“Guys. Look. We can start…tonight.” I gulp, not sure what the hell I’m agreeing to. I know I can’t put it off much longer. Trav is right. The Org will destroy Endor if I don’t choose soon. I’ve seen what they are capable of. If what Conyac and Trav say is true, a horde of those things will bring us all down. I don’t want to see that happen to my new home.
Even if I don’t really fully understand what is going on, there won’t be anywhere to hide if the Org conquer the rest of the planet. I’d be safe in Skyland for only so long.
“It will be the greatest honor to make love with you this evening, my lady,” Conyac says. An honor indeed. I flush with heat and desire. What have I gotten myself into?
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Chapter 18
Uria helps me bathe and dress in a skimpy, sheer nightgown that seems to accentuate the color of my nipples underneath. When I see myself in the mirror, I instantly cover myself with my arms.
“This is the customary garb for hilock, my lady,” she says.
“We aren’t making hilock tonight, Uria. Just doing it,” I say, annoyed.
“Yes, my lady. I simply thought the prince might like…”
“Yes, yes. Very well. I’m sure he’ll like it.”
Uria asks if I need anything else before excusing herself. I’ve had a bottle of wine brought to my room, and I sip my second glass. Anticipation is burning in my veins. I like Conyac, and every time I’m near him, every time I’m near either of the princes, I have the not-so-subtle urge to take my clothes off.
There is a soft knock at the door as I sit at the side of my bed. I don’t want to answer it in this see-through dress.
“Come in,” I say.
The door swings slowly open, and Conyac stands at the entrance of my room. He eyes me, seeing the special see-through gown. I’m sure he can see my nipples in profile and I resist the urge to cover myself. I’m a grown woman. I’ve been naked with a man before. It’s time to get over this hesitation and just do it. That’s what I tell myself at least.
The truth is I’m terrified. I’m shaking like a leaf in the wind, and my inner dragon is growling at me, telling me I’m a worthless mouse. I snap back at her. If she wants to bind, then she has to give me some room. I won’t get through night this if I have to listen to her insulting me the whole time.
Conyac closes the door, not taking his eyes off me. “You look beautiful, princess,” he says in a low growl. The sound of his voice sends a thrill of desire through my core. I know what’s coming, and my response is both lust and fear.