Page 27 of Upon Buried Embers (Upon Buried Embers #1)

Elf

Drogonah drops us off at the cave, flying to wherever he goes as soon as we dismount. Rohan takes me straight to his cabin and demands I bathe once we step inside. I don’t argue with him, not that I would anyway. But the mood is dire, and he’s pacing for some reason, his hands clenching.

I leave him like that quietly to the bath, knowing it’s what he would ask me anyway, not wanting to be on the receiving end of his anger.

I strip and enter the tub, sighing at the warmth, my eyes drooping. My thighs ache, not used to sitting on the hard leather of Drogonah’s saddle. My knees are also a little red from hitting the ground of The Graveyard, but at least they aren’t bleeding.

I lift a hand to my cut on the side of my head and feel the thin line that’s left. Whatever Rohan put on them worked really well. The same can be said with my hands.

You wouldn’t know they were injured if you didn’t focus too hard. You can barely see the indents where my skin has healed.

Just how Master loved. Almost brand new every time someone got out of hand.

Which was always.

I let the heat soothe my body, turning on my side and wrapping an arm around myself.

I can’t stop my eyes from closing for what feels like a moment, only to wake with a start, a cloth running over my arm.

I freeze, blinking at Rohan as he glides soap across my skin, being particular on the bruises left by Karag’s hand.

“He’s not a nice man, Elf. Stay away from him.”

“Okay,” I say softly, moving an arm across my breasts that are already out of sight.

“If you’re ever near him and I’m not there, go the other way, even to Drogonah.” He won’t stop staring at the redness on my arm, eyes full of anger.

“Okay.”

“Say more than just okay!” He shouts, and I jolt, a whimper escaping as I back away from him as much as I can in the tub, my arms curling around myself. Eyes closed.

“Fuck,” he breathes after a tense moment, but I’m too scared to open my eyes.

I hear rustling, and then the splash of water before I’m suddenly lifted and placed onto a lap, a very naked lap, as he gets in the tub with me.

My eyes fly open, his gaze already upon me as he shushes my panicked noises. I squirm, my hands gripping the sides of the tub, trying to get out, not even bothering to cover myself.

“Still.” I do as he commands, his tone clearing through the panic, the water heating up. “Tell me what is on your mind, and not what you think I want to hear.”

“I…” I gulp, crossing my arms over my bare breasts.

“Anything, Little Whisperer, I need to hear it.” He slouches back against the tub, eyes heavy as he moves me up a little to rest on his toned stomach. Leaving his hands on my bony hips.

“I do not want to be near him,” I mumble in regard to Karag.

“Good, go on.”

“Drogonah scares me, but a dragon is better than a man.”

A pause.

“He is. Men are vile beasts in a human body. They’re not to be trusted.”

“Even you?”

“Even me.”

“Will you hurt me?”

He opens his eyes. “I would never raise a hand to you like that.”

Words are just words, they mean nothing.

“And I can trust that, after you’ve told me not to trust you?”

“Yes.”

I huff before I can stop it, and he raises an eyebrow at me, his lips twitching a little.

“Are you frustrated with me, Elf?” His tone is layered with amusement.

“A little,” I breathe. “You tell me not to trust you, but trust what you say.”

“Contradicting isn’t it? But I’m a Dragonbond, I took you as my claim of The Pit, you’re in my clan. I take care of what’s mine . So you can trust that for now.”

“Even as I’m dragged behind a horse?”

“Yes,” he says without hesitation. “You’re not exempt from my rules, my punishments, or the way we live our life as a clan.”

I make sure my breasts are covered with one arm and I grab the cloth that’s floating in the water. I feel a twitch behind me as I rest on his stomach, and I try not to think about what that was.

“I…I don’t know why Serah did that. I would never purposely cause her harm.” The guilt is strong when I think about the wound on her leg too.

“I know.”

“You do?” I ask surprised, my eyes flying to him.

Dark ones pierce mine, a sheen of purple catching the glow from the flickering torch light.

“She likes you.”

“And that’s enough for you to believe me?”

“Yes.” He looks between my eyes before nodding to the cloth. “Wash yourself and then me.”

“I… like this?”

“Exactly like this.”

I look down and squirm a little, causing him to groan and his hands squeeze my hips. His hands don’t feel like Karag’s did, or Master’s and his… friends. Even with the pressure in his grip, his large hands don’t feel like a threat right now. It’s causing a fluttering in my stomach I’m not used to.

He passes me a bar of soap, and the smell of roses hits my senses, calming me. I bring it to my nose. My eyes shutting briefly at the floral scent. A pleased rumble comes from him.

With having to dress and undress in front of Rohan since he took me, I’m used to being naked near him, but on his lap is a new thing. Then I remember the last bath and the hardness that is now resting beneath me, and I can’t help but squirm a little at the unfamiliarity of it.

“I suggest you keep still, Elf, or we will find out just how much we can discover right now.” The water seems to get warmer with his words, and I begin to wash myself, feeling his gaze upon my skin.

I start with my arms, the suds soon covering them before I move to my chest, cleaning beneath my arm that’s covering me. Rohan’s eyes bore into the movement, a tic in his jaw. When I get to my ribs and to just below my navel, I stall, biting my lip.

“Keep going,” Rohan says, his voice gruff, deeper, and his chest rises and falls rapidly.

I move the cloth down, washing between my thighs, my legs twitching with the contact and a breath of air escapes my lips.

Rohan groans, shifting beneath me a little and I feel the hardness of his cock more firmly. I shift without thought, rubbing myself on his stomach and I accidentally moan, before freezing.

I… that sound has never come from me before.

I peek up at Rohan, my cheeks heating. His eyes are like molten lava as he looks down between my thighs. I quickly wash my legs, then move to Rohan’s arms to wash him.

What am I doing?

When I get to Rohan’s chest, he finally speaks, his voice darker, full of heat.

“One day, Little Whisperer,” he growls, fingers digging into me.

“It won’t be a cloth between your thighs, it will be me.

” I shiver, my stomach swooping as he pulls me closer, my center rubbing harder against him and he guides my head to his neck.

He bands an arm around my waist while the other reaches behind me.

My side is jostled a little with his movement, and it takes a moment for me to realize what he’s doing. When he groans, his other hand moves down to squeeze my thigh.

I realize he’s stroking himself.

“And on another day,” he breathes heavily. “You will be cleaning up the mess I make for you.” He groans, pulling me closer as I feel hot splashes against my back. “Fuck.”

He rubs his release into me and I shiver as a satisfied sigh comes from him.

There’s a burning in my stomach that’s too strong as my panting breath hits his neck, and I’m left with this unfamiliar feeling of need for something as Rohan finishes washing himself, then my back.

After a moment, he gets us both out. He never once looks at my naked body, and wanting to distract myself from the unfamiliar need pulsing through me as I wrap a large towel around me, I think of something to ask.

I think about what was spoken in The Graveyard, about The Games, about this…

Blessing. But instead, I ask, “Why don’t you deserve the title of Dragonbond? ”

He stills, hands on the towel he dries himself with and tension fills the space in a way that makes me instantly regret my words.

He looks down at his forearms, and I do the same.

At first, I don’t understand, but then I realize he has his ribbon off. My eyes go to his other arm and my lips part in shock.

How did I not notice?

Dragonbonds have a connection to their dragon. The proof of that is the dragon bestows his scales upon its Dragonbond’s forearm, from just below the elbow to wrist.

But Rohan… he has none. Just scarred skin beyond belief on his forearm. It looks like burn scars on both of them, sinking into his flesh. No scales in sight.

Rohan begins to wrap his forearms with the black ribbon.

“You’re not the only one who is different, Elf.”

“Hurry! We have to be quick.”

“Where are we going? I’m scared!”

“No matter what, you must not say our name, understand? No one can know.”

“I don’t want to go. Don’t leave me!”

“Quickly, now.” She places her hands on my cheeks, tears dripping down our faces as eyes like mine beg me to understand. “I will find you again, dear sister, I promise. It’s just for now.”

“I don’t want to be on my own!” Hands grab me, and I hold on to my sister’s hand for as long as possible through the doorway. “Come with me.”

“I can’t.”

I feel myself being jostled, fabric being pulled from over my head.

“You’re quite noisy tonight.” The tone is deep, sleep-riddled.

I grumble something, my fingers twitching as the rope around my ankle is pulled tight from being attached to the pole. I must make a noise of protest, one of discomfort as cold seeps into me, but I’m too tired to fully wake up, the dream still there in my mind.

“Fine, have it your way, Elf, but I don’t do these things out of the goodness of my heart,” Rohan murmurs. “I just want to sleep.”

I’m placed in something softer as heat comes from above me, a heavy weight that is not actually restricting. An arm is wrapped around my bony waist next, and I sluggishly reach a hand up, unconsciously grabbing hair and holding it tightly, like I don’t want to let go.

This is a nice dream, I think to myself. I’m warm, safe, surrounded.

Not on my own.

A huff that sounds like a laugh comes quietly. “It seems you’re attached to my hair, Elf?” I pull at it a little, a content sigh parting my lips. “Don’t get attached.” I’m not sure if he says that to me, or to himself.