Chapter Thirteen
Lonan
It’s a few days later, and we’re relaxing on the rooftop patio over brunch when a harried-looking magpie lands on the table. It screams at Vale before hopping down and transforming into a slender Fae with rich black hair.
He clears his throat. “Your Uncle Balthazar requests your, and your... ah... guests, presence. Immediately.”
And before any of us can do more than stand, he’s shifted, ruffled his feathers angrily, and is aloft.
“Fuck,” Ollie curses soundly.
Kai puts a hand on her arm. “What’s wrong baby?”
“I’ve never met the old codger. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to.”
Finn laughs. “You’re to rule the realm, Ollie, don’t you rather think you’re going to have to get to know him?”
She looks away furtively. “Perhaps. As another leader. Not as the Fae his great-grandnephew is shacking up with.”
Vale barks out a laugh. “Like I give a single flying fuck, Oleander.”
She looks away, taking a sip of her iced milk tea. “No, but I do,” she mutters softly. She puts her tea cup down with more force than strictly necessary and stands. “I should change.”
I stand, something bothering me as I watch Ollie go downstairs. “Stay,” I command, flicking a glance over my shoulder as I follow Ollie. Vale’s indignation is palpable. “I need to speak of strategy with the future ruler of the realm,” I add. Hopefully that thick-skulled dragon listens.
I catch up to Ollie in her and Vale’s bedroom. I grimace as I cross the threshold, jealousy flaring in me at their shared life.
I soothe myself with the promise that we’ll have centuries together. She’s mine, and I’m not going anywhere.
The light filtering in through the gauzy curtains is low, the wavering of them revealing a small balcony. The dim room is still cool in the early heat. Ollie tugs off her sundress, her soft white waves with the green highlights dropping down her back.
“Sweetheart,” I breathe, struck again by my incredible spirit mate. She turns, brows drawn, but her expression softens upon seeing me.
“Love,” she responds, stepping towards me and putting her hands upon my chest. I wrap my arms around her and she melts into me.
“Mmm,” she mutters, rubbing her face back and forth. “I’ve missed you. Missed the scent of you.”
I arch an eyebrow as I continue to hold her tenderly. “Well, you know where I sleep. You’ve seemed... rather busy.”
She chuckles. “Vale... well, he’s a dragon and he’s...”
She trails off.
“Capricious? Vainglorious? An asshat?” I suggest, rather helpfully, in my opinion.
She giggles and swats my chest. “Yes. And you, Commander, are remorseless and egotistical. Kai is domineering and disillusioned. Finn is nervous and feels inadequate. I’m proud and untrusting. But we must not describe ourselves by our worst traits.”
I bury my face into her hair as my hands start to wander her bare skin. “I’ll have you know, little Queen, being remorseless and egotistical are two of my best qualities.”
She laughs again. “Such bullshit. You’re kinder than you want to admit; just like Kai is a romantic at heart, for those very few he cares for. And Finn is fully capable.”
I frown at that, as I cup her ass over her panties. “Mmm, sweetheart, please.”
“I don’t have time to suck your cock right now, Lo.” But her voice holds a pained edge. She wants me.
I kiss her deeply as I walk her backwards towards the balcony. We emerge through the curtains, onto the balcony overlooking the quiet street.
“No, no, sweetheart, we need to talk, so that means we need our mouths to be not busy,” I spin her in my arms. “Grab the balcony, Oleander.”
“Lo...” she warns, but she tilts forwards a bit and wraps both hands around the wrought iron.
“Quiet, little Queen. Tell me of your plan with Balthazar. What do you intend to promise him?” My hand slips into her panties to her surprised gasp.
“I... a place on my council for one of his grandchildren.” Her head falls back onto my shoulder as I start to rub circles over her clit.
I’ve learned her body, what gets her there quickly, so I can avoid it when I want to draw things out.
I don’t right now though. I work her with the slow, firm pressure I know she loves.
“Mmm. And if that is not enough to get them to fly against Alder?”
“I... fuck, Lonan, please,” she starts, squirming.
“Ollie, have pity on me,” I beg as I rock my hips into her ass. “I won’t be able to think straight until I take care of you. Cum in my hand, sweetheart. Let me finish this.”
I dip my fingers lower, finding her absolutely soaked.
“Oh fuck, there’s my good girl. Now, if he won’t take up against the high king?”
“I... oh...” her hips rock and I feel her body tense. My cock throbs with the thought. She clears her throat and continues, “If the carrot isn’t good enough... he gets the stick,” she whimpers.
I groan, rocking into her body even as I continue to circle her swollen clit. “My murderous little love, you mean you’ll kill him if he doesn’t cooperate?”
She is silent, frozen, on edge. Suddenly, she tips over and her back curves. “Yes! Yes.” She pants.
My cock revolts as my hips shift and I cum too, her scent, her sounds, her need, her pleasure, tip me over without even touching myself.
She realizes it, the minx, and grinds her ass against me as she purrs, coming down off her high.
She swirls in my arms, placing her hands on either side of my face. She kisses me devotedly, and pulls away. “That was lovely. Thanks Lo. I really do need to get dressed. And you need to change your breeches.” She suppresses a giggle while I glare at her.
“What can I say sweetheart, pleasuring you brings me intense pleasure. Do I not make enough sacrifices upon your altar?”
She shrugs as she smiles and opens her closet and unhooks her bra.
I stare as she winds a deep yellow linen strip over them tightly, tucking the end under the wraps.
She grabs a rich ruby-colored gown made of the same material and pulls it over her head.
It’s loose, drapey, shapeless and dips off one shoulder.
She takes another yellow strip and wraps it around her natural waist tightly, stopping several times to lift the hem of the long dress in various places to include it under that particular wrap. She looks over and sees my staring.
“Uh... you going to go like that?”
“Yes. Should make an impression.”
I pause on my way out to press a kiss on the forehead. “Kai is near insufferable in his need for you. Please come give Finn and I a break.”
She nods, eyes wide. I had been teasing. Mostly.
WE STAND OUTSIDE THE basilica, the domed building made of huge red stones looms tall above the other buildings of the city. It’s nestled in the north on the Dannet Sea, and the city of Guivre Shores spreads out around it.
As we approach, I see a golden dragon land on the open third floor. They are large, larger than Vale, and are covered in scars. An old one, I muse. Few are left, from my understanding. I suppose it makes sense that Balthazar would want them as advisors, even if just for show.
As we had walked through the city, we saw several half-shifted dragons, bipedal but with scales and snouts.
They, even before Alder started persecuting shifters, were not Fae that were commonly seen.
Now, they are damn near impossible to come across.
I spotted lots of other shifters in their Fae or half-shifted form as we threaded through the busy, loud, but clean and orderly, streets.
Vale, dressed similarly to Oleander, except in shades of blue, drops back, Ollie holding his arm.
I notice how tightly she’s gripping him and I ache to soothe her.
I squash that feeling down though. My little mate wouldn’t like it if her nervousness was made public, nor do I know how Vale would react to me touching her in front of him.
“Great-grandmother Narisa chose to pass the Veil many years ago. She had ruled for nearly a thousand years, and all her clutchlings aside from Balthazar had preceded her in death.”
His blue eyes with the diamond pupils flick over us as he offers Finnick his other arm.
His voice lowers. “My mother, Rowan, is the daughter of Narisa’s only daughter, Evangeline, who died during the last of the Dragon Wars.
No other siblings besides Uncle Balthazar survived to produce offspring and he had only two clutchlings, who each produced only a single child, my two cousins.
I am not close with either, but they... could suck more, I suppose. ”
“That’s up for debate,” Ollie says pertly.
Finnick opens his mouth, but at that moment we approach the basilica. Vale blazes past the first guard with nary a look. Kai coughs and it sounds a lot like ‘spoiled royal,’ but Finn coughs loudly.
My gaze turns to Finnick, his green hand on Vale’s other arm. He’s so... proper. Meek. But he seems to be starting to relax around us. I suppose this means he likes Vale, to some extent at least.
As we step inside an open rounded door that a dragon could fit through, a guard steps out, face apologetic. “Sorry, Prince Vale, but I must search your guests.”
I blink at the title. Ollie had made it sound more like Vale was the forgotten near-orphan on the disappointing offshoot of the family tree.
“Fine,” he says, sounding exactly the way I’d expect a spoiled, bored princeling to sound. “But do not touch my consort.”
The guard hesitates but nods before giving us a quick pat down. Vale had warned us to leave weapons behind. So that means we are only lightly armed. The inept guard finds none of the blades. If we have to pull any of them, he’s going to be on kitchen patrol for a long time, best case.
Once searched, we head for a huge, wide staircase that appears to be carved out of a single piece of black stone. As we start up it, I realize it was probably dragon forged.