Chapter Nine #2
When she pulls away, she settles into the crook of my arm even as Finn tentatively does the same. I turn and kiss him too, his hand landing on my face and curling around the back of my neck. As I pull back I smile at him, resting our foreheads together.
I get the distinct impression that if Ollie wasn’t here, he’d be more than up for some funny business.
We all settle in, and as my eyes drift shut, I feel both Ollie and Finnick press a kiss to my bare chest.
WHEN I AWAKE, FEELING revived, I notice that the light slanting in between the purple curtains is low. My next thought is the absence of Ollie. I sit bolt upright, disrupting a yawning Finn.
He chuckles tiredly, “She’s downstairs. Vale and Lo got home about ten minutes ago.”
I twist and pull him to me in a hug. He needs the contact, the validation. I lay a kiss on the top of his silken hair.
“Let’s go,” I murmur as I feel him smile against me.
We quickly get out of bed and grab our shirts, tugging them on as we head downstairs. The air is warm though no fires burn in either fireplace.
That blue-skinned fucker turns as I enter the living room, his pretentious-ass cardigan open, revealing his pecs and abs. I notice for the first time that he has a pierced nipple. I manage not to roll my eyes though it damn near takes an act of the gods.
“Ah, General,” he purrs, “Are you ready for our sparring match?”
I cross the room, getting into his space. He’s tall, as is common for dragons, I know, but only just a hair taller than me. “As ready as you’ll ever be.”
Ollie makes a displeased noise. “Vale, friends are coming for dinner.”
“Won’t take me that long to wipe the ring with him, treasure,” he responds in a disarming voice, though his eyes never leave me.
“Magic, blades, both, neither?” I question, already annoyed with this jackass.
Hopefully kicking his ass will ease that feeling, because Oleander deserves my acceptance of this.
He chuckles as he turns, pulling open the front door.
“Whatever you want, fire boy.”
WE STAND IN THE RING at the community training center, staring each other down.
I had called for both blades and magic, to his surprise.
I think he expected me to cut off his shifting abilities by calling for only blades, but fuck that.
I wanted him to know that I could kick his ass no matter his shape.
Ollie stands off to the side, Finn’s arm over her. Lonan stands next to them, hands clasped behind his back, though I can see the tension in his stance.
I look back to Vale. He’s shirtless, a small, curved blade at his side. I unsheathe my short sword, my long sword strapped to my back, and pull fire to my left hand.
“Ready?” calls Ollie, her voice nervous.
When we both nod, she calls, “Fight.”
Vale rushes me, no dance, no finesse, just his wings sprouting from his back, as he pulls his blade. He flies over me and I drop, releasing fire. It misses; he’s faster than I expected in the air. My magic hits the domed top of the ring, burning off on the shield harmlessly.
He lands upon the ground as I spin and attack. My blade meets his and we both spin away, his tail swinging around and whipping against my leg in a stinging line. I jump and roll and come up throwing magic.
Vale raises his small blade as he charges at me. I let him get in much closer than I normally would. I raise my blade to block and as I do, I let the tip snag the hoop that pierces his nipple.
It rips out, blood splattering. I grin, menacingly, and he evaporates into blue dust, wings flapping as it dissolves. He screams, mouth open, and crackling light emitting from it.
Yes, perfect. A pissed off dragon is a dragon who will make mistakes.
He swoops and I drop to the sawdust of the ring. I roll onto my back, letting my flames fly. I see him swing aside, barely escaping it, before I scramble up.
He flies the arc of the arena but then drops to the ground as he dissolves, again becoming Fae shaped.
He runs towards me and as I lash out, he spins away, lithe as a dancer. It reminds me of Lo’s style. I drop, sweeping a leg, as I often do for Lonan, to get him into close combat.
It works for the dragon too, as he wasn’t expecting it. I leap on top of him and our blades lock. I lean my weight down into mine as I grin.
“Yield?”
“Fuck no, fire boy,” he spits.
I snort and before I can react, this bitch knees me in the balls.
I grunt and roll off him, the pain radiating down my legs. What a pussy-ass move.
He charges me as I rise, blade out. His short sword cuts a line along my bicep but I drop my sword and punch him in the face, sending him reeling.
As he scrabbles to his feet, I wipe at the blood dripping near my sword hand. His sword swings again and I duck, reaching out my left hand and heating the air particles near it.
The heat radiates, and he yelps, dancing backward.
He pulls a dagger as his wings emerge. He uses them to lift him as he rushes me. My eyes catch again on his wings as I flip my dagger in my hand.
Just before I throw it, however, a perplexing sense of remorse hits me. I can’t take out his wing.
As I wrestle with avoiding seriously injuring Ollie’s former... current... lover, he kicks out, his heel connecting with my chest.
I’m knocked to the sawdust as I gasp, trying to get my breath back. I roll, ridiculing myself for not taking the opening, when Vale jumps on my back. Good. I love wrestling.
I roll again, spinning, ending up on top as his wings dissipate. I grab his leg and plant my foot near his hip, under the leg, and spin to lock them, dropping low, and Vale screams. I’m suddenly inhaling blue mist.
Oh fuck, gross, that’s literally him.
I roll away, gagging, and a blue tail whips out at me, catching me on the ribs.
I rise up into a crouch. The shimmering blue dragon is medium-sized, given what I’ve seen of dragons.
Vale launches himself into the air, flapping around the magical dome, screaming, blue blood dripping from his chest. He’s tiring though.
So am I, flits through my brain.
Like fuck I’m losing though.
I pull flames to my hand and let a few fireballs fly.
He’s just circling, avoiding me, so I watch his pattern. I catch him, twice, looking to Ollie. I count the beats. Sure enough, it’s almost every six seconds. I pull heat to my hand and watch. On the next count of five, I loose it directly ahead of his flight path.
He hits it, wings curling in, and headed towards the sand of the ring. I tug back my magic, not wanting to seriously harm him, just as his big body hits the ground.
I sheathe my sword and wipe blood from my forehead as Ollie, Lo, and Finn head into the ring.
Ollie lays her hands upon the heaving blue scales of Vale’s side as Lo and Finn head to me.
I watch the dragon disappear, leaving a blue-skinned Fae who appears to be smoking. He pushes up, slowly, to his feet.
Lonan kisses me and it takes me a moment to return it. After so many years hiding our relationship, I still startle at public affection from him.
“Very nice, flame,” he says softly, face quietly proud.
I tug Finn to our sides, my arm going around his waist.
At that moment, I sense Ollie approach so I turn and take her and Vale in. He looks rough, but I am sure I do too. Ollie steps to me, tugging me down for a hard kiss.
She whispers into the space between our bodies, her voice hard, “Asshole. This had better be the end of it, Kai.”
I grunt as I pull away slowly from her to face Vale.
He silently raises his arm. I clasp it, our hands gripping each other’s forearms firmly. I swallow down a cringe as I feel something in my arm shift.
Vale’s deep blue eyes meet mine. There’s a modicum of respect in them, and perhaps I can let Ollie know this will be the end of it.
I clear my throat, feeling exhausted. “Uh, sorry about your nipple.”
That bastard smirks. “I’m sure your mate will kiss it better for me.”
Fuck. Him.