Chapter 14 #2
That was when I heard a booming roar that shook the entire realm. It was deeper and throatier than anything Zephyros was capable of. I glanced up to see an unbelievably gigantic red dragon I did not recognize, diving toward me. Its talons wrapped around me, each claw nearly doubling my height.
I peeked through the gaps between the claws. Dread and defeat clenched around me when the volcanoes came back into view.
Then the familiar jagged edges of the castle appeared in the moonlight. The enormous dragon circled the castle, reducing speed, then swooped low and released me onto the landing dock just outside the main doors.
I hit the ground and rolled a few times before finally coming to a stop on my back. I noticed the sun was just beginning to rise. My body ached. My vision blurred in and out of focus, and my head throbbed with dizziness.
When I regained my senses, I heard the clanking of steel and two males shouting. I rolled onto my stomach and lifted my head. Cercies and Aurelius were fighting with swords and bursts of magic. It was sunrise. Cercies was here for my training.
“You degenerate swine, what did you do to her?” Aurelius yelled.
“Nothing! It wasn’t me. It was a group of soldiers!” Cercies defended, blocking Aurelius’s blow.
“You were supposed to be protecting her!” the Dragon Master shot back, spinning and blasting him with white light.
“I was! She fled from me and ran into them.” He met the blast with a burst of fire.
“Maybe if you weren’t such a revolting bastard, she wouldn’t have run from you. I told you to behave, but no. As soon as your dick gets hard, you forget all about the mission!” Aurelius scolded.
I watched the two of them fight. They were evenly matched in skill, but Cercies had a clear advantage in physical strength and size, while Aurelius relied heavily on his speed and magic. They were so consumed by their battle that they did not notice me.
“You’re one to talk. I may have looked at her, but at least I didn’t try to kiss her!” Cercies snarled, holding his blade to Aurelius’s throat.
Before I could stop him, a voice like rolling thunder crashed down from the sky, heavy with power and command.
“Enough!” Titus roared, and the word itself felt like an order for the entire realm to hear.
A burst of energy shot down, and all three of us became immobilized.
My chest was pinned to the gravel by an invisible, vengeful force.
Then the ground shook as a massive red beast landed nearby.
Titus dismounted the dragon and commanded it to go.
He stepped toward us with all the poise and power one would expect from a High Lord.
“I leave for a couple of days, and not only has the human I left in your care been assaulted, but she also escaped!” he scolded. His magic still pinned us all to the gravel, leaving us unable to move.
“What! When? How?” They looked at me in utter disbelief. “If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it. She escaped on Zephyros in a storm with no saddle. She made it halfway to Tercia before I found her. I was on my way back when Draxxinar heard Zephyros’s cries for help.”
“That’s impossible. She doesn’t have any magic,” Cercies said in disbelief.
“What of Zephyros? Is she all right?” Aurelius asked, full of concern.
Titus nodded. “Zephyros was able to fly in Draxxinar’s tailwind. She made it back and is currently in the keep.”
Silence fell among the three males. They looked at one another as if holding a conversation in their minds. Questions flickered across their faces.
Then Titus released us from his magical hold. I groaned in pain and inhaled deeply, relieved to finally fill my lungs fully for the first time since his magic had pinned me to the ground.
Thunder cracked. The storm must have been moving toward Embris because the rain had begun to fall violently.
I rolled onto my back, and Titus walked over to where Draxxinar had dropped me. His amber eyes glowed in the dim glow of twilight. Rain soaked us both, drenching us to the bone within seconds.
His gaze was intense, but for the first time, he did not look at me like an object, a tool, or a servant. No. The look in his eyes was one of respect and awe, and perhaps the slightest hint of apprehension.
He held out his hand. The gesture completely caught me off guard. Was he really helping me up? I stared at his hand for a moment, then looked at him in confusion. Was this a trick? Hesitantly, I placed my hand in his, and the contact sent a shiver through both of us, quick and undeniable.
His hand felt unnaturally warm, and somewhat intimate. He pulled me to my feet, my boot slid on the gravel and I stumbled into him, colliding with his solid chest. His arms caught me; it was quick and instinctive like a reflex. I had to tilt my chin all the way up to meet his gaze.
His hold was warm and steady, and my heart fluttered far faster than it should have. His thumped hard but steady. For several moments, we simply stared at each other in the pouring rain. His expression was unreadable.
Was he feeling what I was feeling? Then again... What was I feeling?
"Would you like some privacy with your mortal pet, Titus?” Cercies taunted, breaking the moment.
Titus released me and turned his back coldly. Then he spoke to his second and third in command.
“It seems we have greatly underestimated our mortal companion. Let
us go inside. We have much to discuss, and I need a fucking drink.”