Page 11 of Storm of Blood and Shadow (Merciless Dragons #3)

“I must see the sorceress.” My wings beat hard, holding me in place as I hover before Ashvelon’s cave. He’s positioned across it, wings outspread to block the entrance so no one can see what’s happening inside.

“With respect, my prince, Thelise cannot have visitors at the moment,” he says. “She is working on the spell, and it requires concentration and precision.”

“But this is important. Please, Ashvelon.”

His eyes widen slightly. Though I have a reputation as the softer prince, it is still unusual for me to beg.

“I apologize,” he says. “But I am under strict orders to—”

“Orders?” I laugh. “I am your prince. You take orders from me and from Kyreagan.”

Ashvelon coughs slightly. “Of course, but I must obey her as well.”

“Ah yes. I noticed you answer to ‘pet’ now.”

“That is none of your business,” he growls.

“Perhaps not. And I will not mention it again, if you will only let me speak to her, just for a moment. I would not insist unless it were of vital importance.”

“Tell me the message, and I will give it to her,” Ashvelon says.

I debate the wisdom of voicing my request to him. I would prefer for only Thelise to hear it, but I may not have a choice. Ashvelon is twenty-five years older than me, a Prime of significant size and strength. If he will not heed my authority, my only other recourse is to challenge him to a fight, which he would surely win.

“You cannot tell Kyreagan what I’m about to request,” I say.

He dips his head. “I understand. I have my own secrets.”

“Ask Thelise not to change my captive. The red-headed dancer, Jessiva.”

Ashvelon’s neck arches, surprise flaring in his eyes. “You do not wish for her to be a female dragon?”

“I prefer her as she is. Small and human, with beautiful soft flesh.”

He hums deep in his throat, a sound of assent and understanding. “But you will not be able to breed her.”

“I know. I am willing to relinquish the possibility of offspring, if only I can keep her with me, just as she is.”

“I’m not sure if what you ask is even possible,” he says, “but I will mention it to Thelise.”

“And to no one else.”

“No one else,” he agrees.

“Thank you.” I’m about to turn away when Ashvelon says, “If you are doing this for the girl’s sake, why not simply carry her back to her people, out of range of the spell?”

“That would undermine Kyreagan too openly,” I reply. “This way, it will simply be assumed that the spell did not work on Jessiva for some reason. As long as you and Thelise keep my secret, Kyreagan and the clan do not have to know why Jessiva remains human.”

“I cannot promise Thelise’s silence,” he replies. “Discretion is not her strongest point.”

“Do your best to convince her, I beg you.” I hesitate, my neck and tail tense with guilt. “Even if it would not undermine Kyreagan, I’m not sure I would take her home. I am selfish. I want her to stay.”

“I understand. But you should look within yourself and know that selfishness is the enemy of true love. Your Grimmaw once told me that.”

My grandmother’s name is like a lance wedging between my scales, piercing my heart.

“Go now, my prince,” Ashvelon urges. “Thelise wishes all dragons to be on the ground with their captives by sunset, to comfort them through the change. Return to your woman. I will make your request to the sorceress.”

“You have my gratitude.” I duck my head in thanks, then mount to the open sky again.

As I fly, I ponder the enchantress’s words, her oath to Kyreagan, and her directive about remaining grounded this evening. None of it sits right with me. I don’t trust her.

Perhaps I should go back and try to get past Ashvelon, to demand honesty from the sorceress. I doubt she has any intention of transforming the women into dragons, but neither does she seem like the type of person who would attempt to kill us all and end her own life in the process, like her father did.

Why would she demand that all of us remain grounded? Perhaps she is planning to magically remove our wings? But that would make no sense—she would be trapped in Ashvelon’s cave with no way to get down. And without our powers of flight, none of the women would be able to get back to the mainland.

If Thelise is truly attempting to perform the spell Kyreagan requested, I can only hope she will spare Jessiva. Otherwise I will be sharing the seaside cave with a very angry female dragon tonight.

I’m not sure Kyreagan has fully anticipated the results of the spell. I imagine him trying to cope with a furious, fiery Princess of Elekstan in dragon form, and the thought makes me laugh as I glide through the golden air of the late afternoon.

I truly hope he has found Serylla. If I had time, I would help him look for her, but I must return to my woman. Whatever happens tonight, I will not leave Jessiva to endure it alone.

Before returning to the cave where I left her, I stop by the cavern to request a portion of cooked food from the women there. Several of the dragons have already landed in the courtyard and are preparing to settle in for the evening, while others are pausing there only briefly to collect their women and take them to higher roosts or protected hollows for the night.

In Jessiva’s absence, another woman is overseeing the preparation of the evening meal. She’s taller and more muscular than the rest, with brown hair that’s braided along the crown of her head before falling loosely around her shoulders. I believe she’s the knight that Jaerix snatched from a palace tower. I can’t be sure, though, since I’ve seen her with Runaris as well. She’s dirty and bruised, dressed in the remaining rags of her clothing, her pale eyes alight with resentful fire. Perhaps she fled today and was recaptured.

When I ask for food on Jessiva’s behalf, and perhaps a blanket, the woman gives me a large piece of white cloth and a makeshift basket of woven grass containing some strips of meat and a few roasted vegetables.

“Which dragon is yours?” I ask her, curious.

Her eyes go blank and startled for a second. “Jaerix,” she says in a low, rich voice. “Or Runaris. And… um… maybe Zaedian.”

“Indeed?”

“I don’t really know,” she says helplessly. “Two of them fight about it frequently, and the other pretends he doesn’t care. Why did you dragons have to complicate my life this way?”

“My sincere apologies.” I bow my head to her. “Thank you for the food. My darling thanks you as well.”

“Your darling?” She smiles a little. “How sweet.”

“Enjoy your last hours as a human.” With another bow, I take off. When I glance down, she’s standing there, staring up at me, her face horror-stricken.

Perhaps I should not have said that. It was rather insensitive, like something Kyreagan would blurt out.

It’s too late to fix it now. Someone else will have to comfort her. I’m running out of time.

By the time I reach the seaside cave, the ocean is fiery liquid gold, pooling at the base of the sinking sun. I sweep into the cave and begin to land, only to skid left at the last second to avoid crushing Jessiva’s recumbent form. She’s sound asleep just inside the cave mouth, where the last rays of the sun slant in to warm the stone.

The rush of my arrival wakes her, and she sits up, straightening her dress.

“I brought you food, and something to use as a blanket.” I place the small basket and the white cloth beside her.

“This is a piece of a cloak,” she says. “Barely enough to cover up with.”

Discouraged, I sit back on my haunches. “I’m sorry.”

Her gaze softens. “It’s better than nothing. Thank you for this, and for the food. And for…” She bites her lip, glancing away. “I never thanked you for saving me from those men on the rooftop. I didn’t feel like expressing gratitude at the time, because you immediately kidnapped me.”

“That’s fair.” I chuckle.

“But I am grateful. They would have raped me. So... thank you.”

“What is rape?” I ask. “That is not a word used among dragons.”

Her cheeks redden. “It’s a forced mating, where the male puts his cock into an unwilling female. It causes her great physical and emotional pain.”

“That is a cruel thought,” I reply. “I have not heard of such things occurring among dragons, at least not for decades. Perhaps among rogue dragons, but certainly not civilized ones.”

She smiles. “You consider yourselves civilized?”

“Do you think us brutes?” I counter. “We have our own language, history, poetry, and culture. We preserve the land, using only what we need. We are governed by laws, and we live in harmony with each other.”

Jessiva considers me for a moment, twisting her red braid. “No, I don’t think you’re a brute. I think you’re one of the most considerate beings I’ve ever met.”

I rumble low in my chest, prowling closer to her. “Even though I refuse to let you go?”

“Even then.”

I nuzzle the side of her head, inhaling the scent of her hair. “Eat your dinner, darling.”

Jessiva turns her face, her lips brushing the side of my muzzle. I can feel the pressure, and I can see the softness of her mouth against my scales. Deep in my heart quakes a miserable longing to feel every inch of her—to touch her, like humans touch each other, skin to skin.

She keeps her mouth pressed to the side of my muzzle, wrapping her right arm beneath my jaw, pulling my face closer to hers. It’s an intimate gesture, a moment so lovely and fragile that I don’t dare move. My heart thunders like a storm at sea, and lightning crackles deep in my chest, along the edges of the vast, dark emptiness in my soul.

Behind me, the light of the sun fades as it dips below the horizon, leaving the world bathed in golden dusk.

A horrible, searing vibration runs over my scales, right through my bones. For a moment I’m sure that my greatest fear is coming true—that the enormous void inside me is imploding, sucking me into itself—that it’s finally about to destroy everything I love.

For one horrific instant, I am bodiless. I do not exist.

And then I am solid again, my physicality restored, except…

Oh fuck…

I collapse onto the cave floor, shaking uncontrollably, shock searing like fire along my bones.

Jessiva screams and scuttles away from me.

I’m wrong. I’m bent, I’m shrunken, I’m… I’m soft .

I cry out, but what I intend as a roar of shock is a helpless whimper. Fuck, even my mouth feels different. Strange blunt teeth, a short rounded tongue—I can barely form words.

I’ve been crushed, reduced, unmade… I’m dying. My magic has finally destroyed me. My heartbeat swells to terrifying proportions, pounding with cataclysmic violence against my ribs. I can’t breathe.

Jessiva’s face appears over me, and her red braid swings into view. She’s whiter than usual, her eyes enormous with shock. And she’s larger than she should be.

“It’s alright,” she says faintly. “You’ll be alright. I’m going to put my hand on your chest, and you’re going to breathe. Ready?”

I feel her hand. I feel each slim finger and her warm palm, on my—

I look down.

Her hand is splayed on my chest. My human chest.

I vent a garbled, panicked sound, like the bleat of a mountain goat.

“Don’t try to understand it yet.” Jessiva’s voice falters. “Close your eyes. Breathe. Good… again. Deep breath. And again, deeper this time.”

I’m inhaling. Exhaling. Once I’ve done it several times, I let my body take over the task automatically, and I try moving my limbs. My arms . I have human arms, human hands. I place one hand over Jessiva’s fingers—her silky, slender, perfect little fingers.

Instantly my heart swells with unbearable joy and I let out a sob, my chest heaving under our joined hands.

“How did this happen?” Jessiva whispers. “What did you do?”

“Nothing.” My mouth doesn’t work the same way, so I try again. This time I manage to pronounce the words correctly. “I did nothing.”

“I kissed you,” she says. “And then you changed. That’s not possible. That’s… that’s the stuff of legends, old stories…”

“The witch.” I form the words carefully.

“You’re saying the sorceress did this? The one who was supposed to change us women into dragons? You think she turned you human instead?” A disbelieving laugh escapes her. “I wonder if she did this to all the dragons, or just you.”

“I do not know.” Talking is becoming easier. I trace my new tongue over my mouth, then touch it with my fingers. My lips feel soft and full.

Jessiva stares, watching me touch my mouth. “If the witch did this… fuck her for making you handsome.”

She rises abruptly and walks away toward the cave mouth.

I struggle for a moment before figuring out how to use my arms to push myself upright, into a sitting position.

“Handsome?” I ask.

“It means beautiful. Pleasing to the eye,” she snaps.

Something white slides over my shoulder, and I cry out, startled, trying to jerk away. “Fuck, what is that?”

She whirls around, then shakes her head. “It’s your hair, idiot.”

Reassured, I touch the long locks. My hair is pure white, luminous in the gloom. My skin is light brown, flawless and smooth. I probe the swell of muscle in my upper arm and trace a fingertip around each one of the little buds on my chest. My belly is still ridged, but differently than before—rows of muscle beneath warm skin. Between my legs is a cluster of soft white curls, and below that, something small and floppy.

“What is this?” I poke it doubtfully.

Jessiva has been sneaking glances at me, but when I ask the question, she takes a longer look. “That’s your cock.”

My heart sinks. “No. My cock is big and glorious. You’ve seen it. This is not a cock. This is wrong .”

“It’s normal.” Frustration and confusion edge her tone. “You’ve seen naked men before, right? Along the beach, as you mentioned, or perhaps when you were with the Vohrainian army?”

“We did not roost with the human soldiers,” I say. “I did see a few naked men when I was younger, but their cocks were bigger than this.”

“Maybe they were erect. As a dragon, your cock increases in size when you’re aroused, right? It’s the same for human males. Look.”

She crouches at my side and bites her lip, as if she’s debating something. Then she reaches up and pulls down her dress to reveal her breasts.

As the two beautiful round globes are exposed to my sight, a wild rush of desire traces along my new spine, through every nerve of my human form. Heat pools between my legs, rushing into my cock. It lengthens immediately, increasing slightly in girth as well.

I measure it against my hand. From root to end, it’s slightly longer than the distance from my wrist to the tip of my middle finger.

“It’s too small,” I mutter.

“It’s quite a decent size, actually. Not the largest I’ve seen, but above average.” Jessiva pulls her clothing into place and walks away again, pressing both hands to her cheeks. “Just when I thought things couldn’t get any weirder…”

“I will admit, it is strange.” But delight glows in my chest, surging and brightening with every passing moment. Excitement thrums through my legs, my arms, my very soul. “And yet… it is also fucking amazing.” I laugh, and the sound is lighter than my dragon laugh, more musical.

Jessiva must enjoy my new laugh as well, because she spins around to look at me again, and this time, she doesn’t look away.

I attempt to stand, then think better of it and crawl to the side of the cave, using the rocky wall to pull myself up. It takes me a few minutes to figure out how to position my knees and ankles, how to brace myself correctly, but I manage it.

I laugh again, because I’m standing. On human legs . I’m touching the stone with human fingers, and I can feel the variegated texture of the rock, the slight clamminess of its surface. The breeze from the sea pours over my new skin, brisk and cool, raising tiny bumps all over me.

Tears collect in my eyes, and I let myself shed them silently, even as I smile.

This is beautiful. This is incredible. I’ve always loved human bodies, and now I have one.

I focus on Jessiva as she stands in the entrance of the cave, watching me. She’s poised unconsciously, gracefully. Every glorious curve and angle of her body is so precious to my heart that I want to roar with the joy of witnessing her perfection. Her scarlet braid drapes her shoulder, its end a spiral curl. I can touch it now, that beautiful hair. I’ll be able to feel it—to feel her . I’ll be able to do all the wonderful things she can do.

An impulsive question leaves my lips. “Will you teach me to dance?”