Chapter 24
Twenty-Four
Anna
Our journey south from Kylma under the darkening light was swift and uneventful, outside one pocket of unexpected turbulence.
“That was amazing,” I said as we began to descend, a dreamy smile on my face as the wisps of clouds trailed past, so close I could almost reach out and touch them.
“Good,” Caz rumbled under me, the warm silvery-white scales vibrating away happily.
I could just imagine the contented grin he must be dying to direct my way. He’d been making that same contented half-rumble, half-purr since I let out my first whoop of excitement once we were airborne.
“I’ve never flown like that before. It’s so freeing. Just up there, nothing around you but the air and clouds. What an experience.”
I didn’t want it to end, but when Caz’s claws touched down into a field of soft grasses and meadow flowers, it was time to get to business.
I got up from my “seat” at the base of his neck, carefully making my way along the forest of spikes and bony plates that covered much of his spine and making sure not to let the bag on my shoulders catch on anything.
“Thank you,” I said as I slid down the leathery membrane of his wing he held extended for me.
“You’re welcome.”
He shifted the second my feet touched ground and walked up to me, completely uncaring about his nudity despite us not being alone.
I unslung the bag from one shoulder and swung it around, desperately trying to keep my mind focused on something besides watching the stretch and flex of his muscles as he walked.
Or trying for the umpteenth time to count the rippled lines of his abs as they tapered down above his thick cock. Or just staring at his cock.
He was unbelievably attractive. Every inch of him was just solid perfection that my eyes drank in every chance they got.
I wanted it all. My willpower was fading by the moment, and as he smiled down at me, I couldn’t help picturing what expression would be on his handsome face when I straddled him for the first time, letting his cock slide deep inside me.
Fuck.
My pussy was pulsing with enough heat I thought my underwear was going to burst into flames. Just seeing him naked was driving me wild.
“Anna,” Caz said, reaching out to touch me. “The clothes?”
“Right,” I said, trying to hold myself back from moaning just from the pressure of his fingers on my arm.
It was a close thing. I nearly threw myself at him. The exhilaration of flying, combined with seeing his naked body right there, was almost too much. I was too amped up. I needed to calm down.
“Thank you.” He smiled down at me happily. “We can go flying anytime you want. Just say the word.”
The wet blanket was tossed on my fire just like that. I tried to keep my face from falling but failed.
“You mean, we can go flying anytime you’re available,” I said mutedly, looking away.
“Anna. I …”
He trailed off into silence, but I didn’t need him to speak to know he was berating himself.
“No, it’s okay. I know you didn’t mean it, Caz. I’m not mad at you.”
I waited while he dressed, looking around instead.
We’d set out with only four other dragons, all of whom had now landed and shifted.
They were nearby if we needed them but far enough to be out of easy earshot.
They had also brought spare clothing, carried in a much larger bag hooked from one of the dragon’s paws along with some other supplies they apparently needed.
“Still, Anna, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin the moment.”
“You didn’t. I should have been focused on my friend anyway. That’s why we’re here … for her, not me. Ella needs us.” I looked down the hill, spotting the lights and outline of a sprawling stone manor at the center of the large bowl-shaped depression. “That place?”
Caz hesitated, clearly torn between continuing the conversation or not, but in the end, he let it go. “Yes.”
“So why are we up here?” I glanced around the perimeter of the valley but couldn’t spy anyone else. “And where is everyone?”
“This is it,” he said with a grunt, motioning for the others to approach.
They neared, Dirk at the fore with Florian at the rear. I recognized Kolar as one of the frequent guards. The other was a dragon named Durion who I gathered was a trusted friend as well, though I had yet to cross paths with him.
“That’s it? The six of us against all the guards?”
Caz grunted. “Yarl calls this place his primary estate, but like most elites, he practically lives in the citadel.”
“Right, but he probably has more than five guards.”
“Sixteen, according to my intel,” Dirk said, speaking up.
“So how do we handle them? Why didn’t you bring more guards?”
Dirk glanced at Caz, who sighed. “Because this has to be done stealthily, Anna. Yarl can’t know it was us.”
“Why not?”
“Because it would draw too much attention. If I walked up to the front door and demanded Ella be handed over to me, questions would be asked. Lots of questions, behind my back. People would begin to wonder just who Ella is. And they would dig. I can’t risk them doing that.
They might figure out we’re after Milly as well.
Or they might deduce who you are. I won’t put you or your friends in more danger. ”
I frowned. That seemed to make sense, but … “There’s something you aren’t telling me about this. Isn’t there? What is it?”
Caz grimaced, the look twisting his normally pleasant face into something discomforting.
“This is as far as you go, Anna,” he said.
To his credit, he looked me right in the eye as he said it and didn’t flinch away, despite knowing I was going to be pissed. Not to mention that I wasn’t going to be left behind like that. Not when it was my friend.
I inhaled, those arguments and more on my tongue.
“No.”
There was a harsh finality to his tone. Spoken with the command force of someone used to being obeyed. He could simply have infused it with alpha command as well to get his point across, but he didn’t.
And maybe that’s a point he’s making as well. Though it wouldn’t work on me, but the message would be the same
I frowned, glancing between him and the cluster of buildings in the distance. But I didn’t push. Yet.
Caz let out a sigh of relief.
“Yarl is a powerful elite, not to mention an influential one,” he explained quietly.
“His word holds sway with many of the other elites. All of whom, at best, dislike me being the ice tyrant. If things go badly down there, I do not want them to have even the slightest clue who you are, or that you were there. Not to mention, if things get violent, it’ll be all we can do to protect Ella, let alone you. ”
He paused expectantly, waiting for me to try to force my way in once more.
“Okay,” I said.
His face opened in surprise.
“What?” I stuck my tongue out at him. “You made strong, logical arguments. I already forced my way into coming this far. I don’t like it, but I’ll wait here for you to come back.
I know my … limitations would make things more difficult for you.
By staying here, I give you a better chance of returning with Ella.
I’d be a bad friend if I worsened those odds. ”
Caz grinned.
“What now?” I asked.
“I love your brain,” he growled, moving to me. “You think fast and smart. It’s appealing. Intoxicating almost. Combined with the rest of you, it’s …”
I shoved a finger against his lips, stopping him dead in his tracks. “Focus. Mission. I’ll be here when you get back.”
“Of course.” He pulled me into his arms, and I melted against him, trying not to let my body respond any further to his unspoken desires.
“Go get my friend,” I whispered into his chest.
Caz’s dragon growled possessively in answer.
Fingers clutched at my jaw, tilting my head back. I arched up into him, feeling the heat of his kiss in every corner of my body as he smothered my mouth with his, taking what he wanted from me with ease.
“I will always come back to what’s mine,” he said in a soft but fierce snarl as we parted, an oath between us.
“Go,” I whispered once more.
“I’ll be back with her,” he growled and then was gone, disappearing over the edge and descending into the valley beyond.
The others flowed past on either side of me, silent as death in the night.
I sat down out of sight and prepared for a long wait.