Chapter 22
Hyto kept hold of me as we sailed into the sky. I
could hear Delilah and Shade screaming from the ground below, and I
looked down to see them staring at us, horrified. The ground sped
away at a dizzying speed, and my fear of heights began to kick in.
Everything was spinning, and the only thing between me and a
plummeting death was someone who hated my guts. Delightful.
As I tried to think about what I could do from
my position, I heard another shriek echoing from our left. I did my
best to look around and saw that Smoky was staring directly at us.
He knew that Hyto had hold of me. Vishana came circling around, her
great wings giving her position, even as her long, snakelike body
coiled to give her purchase in the air.
Hyto hovered, his wings gently beating the air.
“What are you going to do now? Going to strike me with your fire?
Send me spinning to the ground? She’ll be dead before you touch
me.”
“What do you want?” Smoky’s voice echoed across
the expanse.
Hyto laughed, then said. “Your life, my son.
Your life. If you choose to follow, meet me on the Cusp.” And then,
the world began to spin, and everything vanished in a cloud of
smoke and vapor.
We were in a different realm, but it wasn’t the
astral, that I could tell. And it wasn’t Hyto’s private dreyerie.
He was still in dragon form, but as we soared over tall timber,
toward a misty ledge on the cliff face, I saw a cavern mouth.
Great, more caves. I was mildly
claustrophobic and with all the caves and barrows lately, all I
wanted was to spend a week out under the open sky.
Hyto hovered over the ledge and let go of me
about four feet off the ground. I dropped to the narrow outcropping
and scrambled to catch my balance. As he was transforming, I
quickly looked around for a place to run, but there was none.
Unlike his other dreyerie, this place had no path leading down. The
cliff was straight with granite beneath the snow. I’d never be able
to climb down the rock face. I decided to chance the unknown and
raced into the cave before he could lay hands on me again.
“Camille? Where the fuck did you go, girl? Get
your ass back here or I guarantee, you’ll be begging me for mercy
when I find you!” His voice was harsh and he was panting. He must
have been hurt by the attacks while in dragon form.
I glanced around, wondering where the hell I
could hide. I couldn’t see—coming into the darkness after the
blinding light of the snow-covered mountain had the same effect as
if someone had snapped a flash camera in my eyes. I stumbled ahead,
holding my hands out to feel for the walls. After a moment, I made
contact and I pressed against the rock, praying he wouldn’t notice
me until I’d found a place to hide.
“I said, get the fuck out here.” And there he
was—standing not ten feet away. I could see the glimmer of his
robes.
Hell, what was I going to do
now?
He swung around and then stopped, staring in my
direction. A low, throaty chuckle told me the jig was up. “Well,
well. There she is.” He started for me and I backed up, fumbling in
my robe for the unicorn horn. It still had some energy left in
it—probably enough for one big blast. If I had to, I could bring
down the cavern on both of us, and I was considering doing just
that. The thought of being buried under tons of rubble wasn’t all
that appealing, but the thought of Hyto putting his hands on me
again was even less savory.
“Leave her alone!” Smoky’s voice came from the
front of the cavern and then I could see him—my eyes were
adjusting. “You wanted me. You have me. Let her go and I’ll
stay.”
“No!” I shouted at him, realizing he was getting
ready to make a trade. “Don’t you dare! He’ll kill me after he
kills you. It’s both of us or neither.”
Hyto let out a loud snort. “She’s smart for her
kind. I’ll give her that. She’s also sweet. Her meat will be tender
and delicate . . . or maybe I’ll keep her around to be my toy for a
while. She’s very amusing when she’s in pain.” And then he lashed
out. A jagged spear of ice came reaming out of his palms, aimed
directly for my husband.
I screamed and thrust the horn in the air. Maybe
none of us would come out of this alive, but Hyto would die. “Lady
of the Land, hear me!”
The cavern shook violently and the spell Hyto
had cast slid off target by a mere inch, but it was enough to give
Smoky time to dodge it. Hyto let out a string of curses in what I
could only imagine was dragonese. I grabbed for the wall as a low
rumble began to shift through the cavern. There was a roar behind
me, and I screamed again as rocks and rubble began to fall.
“Camille!” Smoky shouted at me, and I tried to
make my way around Hyto, but the damned dragon caught hold of me
with his hair and drew me toward him.
“You decide to play for keeps, then you take the
consequences, girl.” He wrapped his hair tight around me and I
screamed as he squeezed until I could barely breathe.
The shaking went on and on, and the ceiling
began to cave in, stalactites crumbling to the floor from where
they had hung for a thousand years. A cloud of dust began to rise
and I started to cough. I could hear Smoky shouting my name, and
Hyto’s horrible laughter as the world started to spin.
The roar became thunder, and the thunder a
cascade of sound and movement. I closed my eyes, trying to protect
them from the debris, and held tight the unicorn horn. I just
wanted everything to stop. Regardless of the consequences, I wanted
it all over. I was tired of fighting Hyto, of being afraid every
time I turned around. I was tired of the pain and threats, and the
knowledge of how ready he was to make good on every one of his ugly
promises.
“Enough,” I whispered. “Moon Mother, enough. If
you want me to come home to you, take me now. But please, spare
Smoky and his mother. And send Hyto to the depths of the
abyss.”
There was another loud roar, and then the dust
suddenly began to clear and I felt myself fall to the ground. I
opened my eyes and saw that Hyto was screaming—I couldn’t hear him
through the cacophony of the falling rocks, but the long tendril of
his hair that had held me up was on the ground, cut off from near
his head. As I stared, droplets of blood began to flow out of the
severed ends. Next to him stood Vishana, her nails long talons,
dripping with blood.
I whispered to the horn, “Calm, please . . .
calm the earth.” And the shaking slowed to a halt. As I stood up,
bruised and covered with cuts from the flying debris, Smoky
struggled out of another pile of rubble. He raced over to me and
pulled me into his arms, but I pushed him away.
“We aren’t done yet,” I said, nodding to
Hyto.
Vishana turned to the white dragon, who was
struggling to stand. She lifted one delicate arm and backhanded him
so hard that she tore a long gash in his face. He let out a curse
but fell back, leaning back against the rocks. A large stalactite
that had been delicately propped against a pile of rubble shifted
and fell across his legs. He was trapped by a ton of rock, and
there wasn’t room for him to transform into his dragon self.
Smoky stepped forward, but his mother held up
her hand. “Your father’s life is forfeit. But since I am here, I
have the final say. This shall be done in the Dragon Reaches.
Gather your wife, and I will take Hyto. Meet us in the Council
chamber. Camille has first right of punishment.”
First right of punishment? What did that mean? I
was about to ask when Smoky merely inclined his head.
“As you wish, my Lady.” He tenderly lifted me in
his arms as Vishana grabbed hold of Hyto’s arm and, the bedraggled
dragon in hand, vanished.
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I don’t
understand—what’s going on? Where are we going?”
“You are going to meet my people, my love. We’re
going home. To the Dragon Reaches.” And
then, before I could say a word, the world again began to turn, and
we spun around and around through the Ionyc Seas, just me in the
arms of my beloved Smoky.
The hall was larger than I could have imagined.
Picture an amphitheater large enough to seat row after row of
dragons—in their natural form. Add to that a central pavilion from
where Smoky told me the Wing-Liege and the Council presided. The
ledges for the dragons were fashioned of a stone that reminded me
of marble. One entire wall was open, missing, facing the sky, and I
realized that the dragons flew in from there, landing on the
spacious deck that stretched the entire front of the pavilion. The
skies here were pale blue, with billowing clouds rolling across the
sky. The temperature was chilly, but not icy cold like in the
Northlands, and I wondered to just what realm the Dragon Reaches
belonged.
As we appeared in the center of the room, there
was a bustle and a number of dragons—some in their human form,
others in their natural form—stopped to stare at us.
Vishana strode into the room. “Your father is
being wing-strapped for now. But I have spoken to the Wing-Liege
and he has already agreed: Hyto must die. The question is, who gets
the first right of punishment. We will meet within two hours. You
have time to rest and relax. Camille, I imagine you would like to
bathe—the dust in the cavern was thick and your people do not have
our natural abilities.”
I stared at her, realizing she was as clean as a
whistle. Same as Smoky. “What is with you dragons? How do you
do that?”
Vishana laughed. “Iampaatar told me that you and
your sisters continually badger him about his secrets. I’m afraid
this one is not to be found in a detergent bottle or a washing
powder. Now, Iampaatar—take your wife to my chambers. Bid my
chambermaids to wait on her—whatever she needs.”
“Excuse me, but the collar . . .” I left the
question unfinished, merely brushing the yoke I still wore around
my neck.
“That will be removed soon enough. You will
never need fear wearing it again after we are done today.” And
then, with a gracious nod, Vishana left us, gliding over to talk to
a group of other dragons, who I assumed were silvers. They had the
same coloring and feel that she did.
Smoky insisted on carrying me, and I didn’t
object. After the past few days, being pampered was a blessing. I
wrapped my arms around his neck and covered him with kisses as we
headed out of the Council chamber.
The Dragon Reaches were huge—as befitted
dragon-sized inhabitants. As we entered the main complex, I
realized that most of the dragons were walking in human form
through the corridors, but the chambers themselves were large
enough in which to change shape.
Smoky carried me down one marblesque corridor,
and as I gazed at the walls, I realized that as ornate as the
chamber was, it was far from pretentious. The engravings on the
walls were muted, tone on tone, but as I looked closer, they proved
to be meticulous and I began to get the impression that they were
history in motion—a pictorial history of the Dragonkin.
The light in the chambers came from open windows
along the walls—huge slits that looked out onto the sky. How far up
we were, I could not fathom. I felt a little giddy, but whether it
was from altitude or from just the knowledge that Hyto was locked
away, I didn’t know.
“I hope Delilah’s not too worried,” I said,
suddenly realizing that my sister had no clue what had happened to
me. The last she saw, I’d been carried off by Hyto, and Smoky and
Vishana had disappeared along with us. “I wish I could let them
know I’m alive.”
“They’ll know soon enough. I know it’s hard, my
love, but we cannot leave yet. We must finish matters with Hyto.”
Smoky buried his face in my hair and gently kissed my cheek. “I am
so proud of you, Camille. You’ve been brave—and you’ve kept a
calmer head than I.”
Saying nothing, I tightened my grip around his
neck, reveling in the feel of his arms, his presence. We came to a
turnoff to the left and Smoky opened the ten-foot door leading into
the chamber. As he carried me over the threshold, I let out a
little gasp.
Smoky set me down. “Welcome to my family home in
the Dragon Reaches. Your home, too—I told you on returning from my
last trip that the Council put the seal of approval on our
marriage. You are welcome here, as much as any dragon.”
The room sparkled. Voluminous lengths of silver
and blue material draped across the walls, sparkling with metallic
threads. The same crest I remembered seeing on a shield in Smoky’s
bedroom adorned the wall—a huge bas-relief sculpture set in lapis
lazuli and silver. A dragon, glancing over his shoulder, was
engraved on the front with nine silver stars shooting out of his
mouth into the sky.
Stretching over the dragon—two silver foils
crossing blades shimmered, set in silver. Beneath the dragon, nine
silver snowflakes drifting down from the sky. The borders of the
crest were set in silver, with two vertical lines of knot-work to
the left of the dragon.
I slowly walked over to the crest. “Tell me.
This is the one in your barrow. You said that belonged to your
father and your grandfather . . . is this, then, Hyto’s
symbology?”
Smoky nodded. “It is my paternal crest, yes. But
I count it as my grandfather’s more than Hyto’s. Hyto did not
deserve it—he carried the shield out of obligation rather than
honor. Over there, on the other wall, is my mother’s crest.”
On the opposite wall, the crest was set in
silver and onyx. In the center, a dragon coiled, etched in the
onyx. To the left, five sparkling silver stars. To the right, four
stars faceted from diamonds. I gasped at the size of the
diamonds—they were as big as my fist. Overhead, nine lines of
silver arched over the dragon. Below, something had been written in
silver, but I could not read it. Instinctively, I could tell that
this crest outweighed the other in importance—by a long, long
ways.
“What does this say?” I asked, kneeling down to
look at the writing.
Smoky knelt beside me and made a sign of
genuflection toward the crest. His voice was low. “It says,
Dreams into action, life into death, take honor
to heart, bring honor to breath. It means . . . my mother’s
family is one of the oldest in the Dragon Reaches. I am truly a
lord among my people. We are looked to for role models. My mother
is very big on honor—which is why she married Hyto in the first
place. Her father had promised . . . she could not break his
promise.”
I nodded. “I think I like your mother.”
He smiled, then. “She is an amazing dragon, a
woman who values truth over treasure. She does what needs to be
done and does not flinch from duty. Come though, you should bathe
and prepare yourself for the Council.”
A shiver of fear ran through me. “What should I
expect? What am I getting into?”
Smoky paused, then shook his head. “You will be
fine. I cannot prepare you because it is expected that you come to
Council as who you truly are. If I coach you and you act according
to what I say, the elders will know.”
Oh yeah, that made me feel better. I swatted
him. “Fine, then. Give me soap and water and if you can find
something that will fit me, clean clothes?”
Smoky led me to a bathing chamber with a huge
marble tub that was filled with bubbling, steaming water. I
stripped and he ogled me as I crawled into the dragon Jacuzzi,
enjoying the whirl of froth that immediately began to ease my
muscles. I leaned back against the marble, nearly falling asleep,
letting the tension soak out of my body. After a moment, I noticed
that Smoky had taken off his clothing and was crawling into the tub
with me, a lecherous look on his face.
His long, muscled body was magnificent and I
couldn’t help but run my gaze over the six-foot-four icy drink of
water. His hair coiled and curled, sure signs that he was ready for
playtime, and one glance at his cock told me the same thing. He was
standing at attention, engorged and rigid. A swell of desire broke
through my weariness.
“Oh, you think you’re getting some?” I couldn’t
help but laugh. My wounds weren’t hurting as much, thanks to the
Moon Mother, and the knowledge that we had Hyto strapped down and
preparing to face trial made me ever so giddy. I leaned forward,
crossing my arms over my breasts. “What makes you think you can
crawl into my bath unasked, sir?”
“Because, you are my chosen mate, and my wife,
and I know you too well—you’ve got that look on your face that says
you’re hungry for sex. I’m sorry the others aren’t here. Well, I’m
not, to be honest, but I know you like to play with all of us. I’ll
just have to be enough this time.” But his eyes were twinkling and
I knew he was teasing.
“You think so? What if I say I have a headache?”
But at the sight of his puppy-dog face and pleading eyes, I
relented. Truth was, they were all enough, at any one time. But for
keeps, I did need all three of my husbands. I loved them all, and
my love for them just kept growing as we were together. I couldn’t
imagine any other combination that would make me this happy.
I pulled him to me, and he knelt between my legs
in the spacious tub, as I leaned back against the warm marble. He
fastened his lips to mine, as his tongue entered my mouth, playing
against my own. We kissed for a long moment, him lying atop me, my
breasts pressed to his chest.
And then I pushed him back, just a little, my
hands on his shoulders. “We need to talk first. We really need to
talk.”
He looked a little hurt and his expression
stabbed into me. “Did I do something wrong? Are you not ready yet?
I know Hyto’s attack . . .” His voice drifted off and he stroked my
face. “Do you want to wait until the collar is gone?”
“No, no, my love. It’s not you, and I do want
you. But we need to discuss a couple of things first. I want there
to be no secrets between us.” I slid up to a sitting position and
took his hands in mine as he sat cross-legged in front of me.
“All right. Then what?”
As I gazed into his eyes, I couldn’t help but
smile. “I love you so much. I love you . . . And Trillian and
Morio. You are my chosen mates, as you would say. I am a better
woman because of your influences on me. Please, though, know that
what happened with Vanzir . . . there was no choice. It wasn’t his
fault. It wasn’t mine. Don’t blame him—he was trying to protect me
and the energy blew up in our faces. I don’t want you angry at him.
I would never have let him touch me like that if there had been a
choice.”
Smoky pressed my hand to his lips, kissing my
fingers. “I realize that, now. I wanted to kill him at first . . .
but then you disappeared and Trillian and Morio convinced me I was
being stupid. They wanted Vanzir to help find you. And he did. I
won’t hurt him, my love. I’ll even be nice to the demon. Just don’t
think badly of me.”
“I could never think badly of you. You are not
your father, Smoky. You are a good man—a great dragon.” I stroked
his face, feeling the smooth skin under my fingers. “Don’t you ever
have to shave?”
He shook his head. “I seldom have more than a
five o’clock shadow. Green dragons tend to have facial hair—but
silvers and whites, rarely. Is there anything else on your
mind?”
I nodded. “Yes, love. Your father and what he
did to me. Smoky, it’s going to take me a long time to get rid of
the memories, but the Moon Mother helped me understand my reactions
to some degree—and I know that I’ll come to grips with his attacks
eventually. What humiliated me most was groveling at his feet—I
will never bow to any man’s foot again, unless it be a king or
sovereign where custom dictates. And when he beat me . . .”
I paused. But he read me as if I were ink on the
page.
“I will never touch you that way. I will never
lay hands on you—I will not hurt you, Camille. I’m sorry . . . I
wish I could wipe away what he did, but at least I can help mend
the scars.”
The catch in his voice broke my heart. I was not
the only one who’d been hurt. Hyto had done his best to destroy
both me and his son. He’d made Smoky feel helpless, feel like he
could not protect his family. He’d ripped at Smoky’s very sense of
self. We would have to mend each other’s wounds.
“My love, kiss me.” I pulled him in then, hungry
for his touch. He hesitated, but I pressed my lips to his.
And then his weight was against me and we were
leaning back in the bath, with him stretched out against my body.
The mood shifted—we needed one another, hungry and desperate to
reconnect.
“Camille . . .” He covered my face with kisses,
his hair gently dipping into the water to gather me up. I wrapped
my legs around his waist, not wanting to dally, wanting him to
reclaim me, to leave his mark on me that I was his, not Hyto’s. My
nipples were taut, stiff against his chest, and he lifted both of
us out of the tub.
My legs still wrapped around his waist, he
carried me, with both of us dripping and wet, into a chamber off
the bath. There, a bed with blue coverings waited. I scarcely
glanced at the room, but on the nightstand, I saw a picture of me
in a silver frame, and on the other nightstand I caught sight of a
picture of me with all three of my loves on the day we brought
Trillian into the marriage. Our wedding picture.
“Smoky, don’t ever leave me,” I whispered into
his neck, as we stood by the bed.
“You’re mine. Forever mine.” He lay down,
reaching for me. “Ride me, my love. Take control—it must be at your
own pace.” And then, his hair gently—ever so gently—lifted me by
the waist and brought me down astride his hips.
“Hold my arms,” I whispered, and two more
strands rose to take hold of my wrists, stretching them wide so my
back arched. Held firm, but by my own will, I could feel him
waiting below me, pressing against me, making me wet I could barely
stand it.
I lifted up and found his eager cock and then,
with a wanton cry, slid down on him, the friction driving me wild
as he thrust himself into me. I was so slick and he was deliciously
thick and wide that I let out a little shriek, squirming against
him as his heat began to pulsate through my body. I moaned, my head
dropping back as we began to move, synchronizing rhythms.
His hair stroked my back, my sides, my face as
he reached up and cupped one of my breasts, squeezing the nipple.
With his other hand, he reached around, fingering my ass, slowly
working his way in with his index finger. A white-hot flame shot
through my body and I let out a low groan as I rode him, rocking
against his hips, feeling him drive into me again and again.
We were flying. I opened my eyes to see the
clouds building outside the window as we rocked. And all the pain,
all the anger, all the fear dropped away as we soared. As we
reached the zenith, it started to snow.
“Smoky, love me.” And then I burst into tears,
coming hard and fast—my entire body caught up in one giant orgasm
of release.