CHAPTER FIVE
HELLION
“I look fucking ridiculous.”
“Since I picked the suit, I take offence to that.”
Dressed in his ceremonial best, Hellion stood at the gates of Nimue with his back straight, his hair braided with the small charms twisted through them to signal his stature rather than an outright crown on his gods -damn head.
And his expensive shoes were sinking into the sand.
The elaborate pearl gates had yet to open and welcome them inside. Once the pair had arrived, a guard had taken one look at Hellion and ran off to tell the others they had a dragon at the gate. It was fucking rude to keep him waiting.
He felt like a walking target, standing in the open. The official entrance to the siren Queen’s castle did not lay on the surface. No, they were far too fancy for the likes of that. Mermaids and sirens alike enjoyed playing into the mystical and mythical nature of their being. Did they think leaving him to stand on a quiet beach while he waited for the gates to open would do something for him?
Staring as the water moved back and forth, the slow rush of waves coming and going, he had to grit his teeth. Nothing but two fucking gates standing in front of him and the scenery. “Any fucking time today would be great.”
“Don't be such a hatchling .” Ruine stood beside him, disguised all over again to appear as though he was one of Hellion's subjects. While the dragon was dressed entirely in black to accentuate the whiteness of his hair and iridescent horns, the princeling had dressed in a dark green.
Watching Ruine disguise himself as one of Hellion’s kind had been interesting to say the least. The moment the demon had taken out his chalk, Hellion had been utterly intrigued. While he had been writing the incantations onto his skin, Hellion had been able to watch it come to life, a hallucination becoming so real he felt as though he could reach over and touch the extra horns the demon now sported. Ruine had changed his hair to a dark brown and braided the long silky length almost entirely in two twists down his back. The dragon wanted to touch. He wanted to reach over and see if it still felt the same despite the change.
Curling his fingers into fists tightly as he held them behind his back, the dragon scoffed at the childish insult. “I’m not being a baby.” He would complain until he made it back home, but he wasn't a hatchling. Fucker .
“You’re acting like one.”
“And you’re a pussy for not doing this alone.”
“And miss you all dressed up? Never.”
Hellion didn't have time for a comeback as the sea in front of them began to shift unnaturally. The water at the shore pulled further and further away, morphing and twisting until a tunnel of sea water formed around the pearly gates, creating the entrance. Shells of all kinds created a pathway for the pair to walk on as the same guard that had been waiting arrived through the darkened tunnel to collect them.
“The Queen sends her apologies for making you wait, Sire. Please, follow me to Her Highness. She’s excited to see you.”
I’m sure she is . The last time Hellion had a run in with Nadia had been at an official meeting where too much wine was drunk, clothes were stripped off and he’d explored just how wet a mermaid could get.
Already stepping forward, Hellion ducked slightly, always conscious of his horns touching anything. He didnt want fucking sea water spilling over his suit. Though while they were being led inside, it took him a second to realise Ruine hasn't moved yet. Looking over his shoulder at the demon, he actually looked a little green at the thought of walking inside the moving tunnel. Stopping in his tracks, Hellion stared at him, waiting.
Who’s the hatchling now, he thought sarcastically as he held a hand out to encourage him forward. The dragon understood what was wrong. Ruine had tricks and ways to escape almost everything. He had ways out of even the worst places, but when you had to write it down first?
Chalk was water soluble.
After a brief moment, the smaller demon fell into step behind him as they walked down flights of steps and through tunnel after whirling tunnel of water. Ruine’s hand stayed on his own almost the entire way. Ruine was smaller, but not in a feminine way. There was no softness in his hands or the hard muscles of his body but that didn't stop Hellion from running his thumb over the demon's knuckles slowly, reassuringly. Nothing would go wrong.
Hellion could keep them safe, it would be fine. He didnt have a wealth of magic at his fingertips but he had pure fucking strength and rows of serrated teeth to do that job.
Watching his feet on the last few steps, Hellion helped Ruine follow. The shelled flooring was slippery at the best of times and the swirling void around them might be held up by magic, but he could feel the weight of it.
Like the sea could come crashing down on them at any moment.
Releasing him, the dragon straightened his back, carried himself like the King he was and let that dangerous bravado he used fall into place as they reached a set of pearl and sea glass doors. The entrance to the throne room itself. Hellion could hear soft violin music drifting towards them from within, ethereal and fantastical. Music to put most at ease.
Above the huge arching wall of water, a giant whale floated by, unperturbed by the void below. Sea creatures floated around in their natural habitat. Something had the hairs at the back of his neck prickling and it wasn't the shark eyeballing them as it swam above either.
A slither of scales ran down his back, the creature within him flexing its awareness as if a threat were close by.
“Do you feel it?” Ruines voice was quiet, distant even as a Nimue guard strut formally from between the doors, his trident poised against his shoulder and navy armour buffed to a fine polish. Siren’s were all about their appearance, but there was something off. Something about the tension in the air.
Ignoring Ruine’s question, Hellion jerked his chin at the guard. “Take your fucking time lacky, you lot clearly think I have all day to waste on this visit.”
The no name guard looked at him and unless Hellion was fucking crazy, he swore he saw the fucker’s eyeball wobble in his head just a little.
“Her Highness was not expecting guests. She’s ready for you now.”
Gods his breath stank. Like fucking rotten fish.
“Well isn't that just perfect that she’s ready. Whatever she needs right? Not the guests.” Head and shoulders over the guard, Hellion walked on ahead of him, planting his hands on the heavy doors and shoving them wide open. He was a dragon. He didn't need to act like he was entirely high and mighty. He could instil a little bit of roughness into this place and Hellion let that be known as he scored his claws into the surface, little chips of pearl falling to their pristine flooring.
“There he is, King of the Mountain, above and below. Tell me Hellion, whatever are you doing down here in the water?”
Nadia was beautiful as ever, lounging on her lavish throne. If you asked Hellion, it looked more like a fucking therapy seat, but he never commented on it. Glittering fabrics that moved like water themselves were draped here and there, shimmering different colours. Huge white pillar’s made of coral that had her likeness carved into the surface loomed down at them as he approached her until he was a few feet away.
It didn't feel right. An entire throne room where she typically would have had it filled with adoring sirens and mermaids, where water shifters came to bring her gifts and rare stones were nowhere in sight.
It made his hackles rise in warning. He wasn't putting his claws away .
“I can't come and visit?” Hellion tilted his head a little at her. “I have a proposition for you. You like your pretty stones and the mountain has gifted us plenty of them. I figured we could arrange a trade of some sort.”
Nadia sat herself up from her relaxed pose, the siren Queen sweeping long blonde hair back over her shoulder. Like most of her kind, Nadia’s ears looked more like small fins that pointed out of her hair, too long to be considered elf, or fae. Her nails were sharp, elegant fingers webbed between and pearly pale skin shimmering like the stones themselves.
The top half of her body was as anyone would expect. Her skin glowing with health, several scales here and there, adorned with jewellery and glittering things a Queen would only have. Her breasts were covered with rows of gemstones layered like necklaces to form a top. It was all entirely normal– until his gaze reached her waist.
Her scales gathered in a low V below her belly button, her hips transforming into her other form. While they could choose when and where to lose their form to their sea creature status, Nadia was half and half for now. Her tentacles were like those of an octopus, moving, undulating with a mind of their own.
She was a gorgeous creature who knew it entirely too well - but that didnt mean shit to Hellion. “A trade?” Her interest clearly perked up.
“Why else would I come all this way? A deal is better sorted face to face isn't it? Rather than sending anyone to organise it and have wires crossed anywhere. I want to see if you’re amenable before bringing anything physically here. I wouldn't want to just assume. That would be rude.”
“So you came all this way just for a conversation? I love that about you, Hellion. Always so thorough about things. Come to me.” Holding her webbed hands out to him like a child would, wanting to be lifted.
Truth be told, his stomach curled at the thought of sitting with her like that. It wasn't that he had anything against sirens or their illustrious intentions. It was the way he knew those little suckers would go places he didn't want them to right now. Glancing at Ruine, his mouth pressed into a firm line. He was holding himself too tensely. Looking at the guard that had shown them inside too much and how many doors were in the room.
“My attendee could go for a walk while we discuss things, couldn't he? See the sights while me and you hash out some details.” Hellion didnt need a fucking show for this while he had to play horny dragon.
That demon was going to owe him big time for this and he would be cashing in on those answers along with plenty else.
“Of course. One of the guards can show him the grounds while we discuss our intentions.” Her eyes nearly shone at him as he approached her. Nadia reshuffled herself to press her body against Hellion’s side as he sat, her chin resting on his shoulder to stare up at him. “Now it’s just the two of us. How nice.”
Yet all he could focus on was the sound of Ruine’s footsteps being led away in the huge quiet hall.