Chapter 5
Old metal torches lined the end of the cavern wall as rocks opened up to a giant pool of shimmering water. The cascading of a small waterfall burbled from the back as smoother rock enclosed the remnants of the circular pool, allowing an easy way to lounge outside the water or slide in.
Griselda’s face lit up in awe at the beauty of some foreign gemstone inlaid near the waterfall’s display.
A small opening of the rocks above allowed a beam of translucent moonlight to trickle in and light up the water, bouncing off the multicolored gemstones and glimmering across its surface.
It was as though someone spent years smoothing the stones and crafting this place to be their safe haven against all external forces.
She turned to face the naga and saw him gazing at the water in a similar fashion. The moonlight shone off the bloodied marks grazing across his body. Surely he was just as exhausted as she was. As thoughts on what to say raced through her mind, he turned and trailed away from the pool of water.
“Bathe. I will be back.” He waved a lax hand over his shoulder.
“Wait!” Fear danced at the base of her spine, “I don’t know what to call you. Or where I am. Or if this water is safe!” Her eyes darted around as she motioned to everything.
“Water, safe. Here, safe.” A throaty vibration rumbled from him.
She thought for a moment he wasn’t going to answer her initial question as he kept slithering away until his hiss trailed down the cavern. Surely he didn’t think she heard him over the waterfall.
“Stupid scale brained lizard.” Shaking her head, she rolled her eyes and turned back to the water.
Her ears twitched in frustration. At least she could clean herself and try to wash the forest off.
This place seemed like it was safe enough.
It was relaxing at the very least, unlike what lurked beyond the cavern walls.
Griselda walked to the edge of the water and gently kicked her boots off, taking extra care around her bruised ankle. For some reason, her gut became uneasy at the thought of undressing. What if the naga came back in the middle of her nudity before she could shove her clothes back on?
Heat flushed her face again.
Would that be so bad?
She bit her tongue, trying to force the thought away. What would a naga offer that any regular man couldn’t? He could take her through the woods faster than any horse. Jump ravines better than any vaulter. Possibly make her see bliss in more ways than one.
Her blush spread further across her face as she tried reasoning such irrationality with herself.
She hooked her thumbs under the waistband of her tights and tugged them down with her underwear, purposely bending over so her cheeks peeked beneath her tunic toward the cavern entrance.
Wondering what the naga would do if he showed up at this very moment, she rubbed her thighs together at the thought and balanced onto her safe foot.
She bit her lip, squeezing her eyes shut as her core tingled and ached in a hunger she’d been craving to be satisfied for a long time.
It was hard to sleep with other people, let alone satisfy herself, with the watchful eyes due to being altar-sworn.
At least the naga didn’t judge her, that she could tell.
Though it felt pretty weird to be thinking about a beast that mere moments ago she was upset with for the reason of treating her like she couldn’t hold her own.
Like she had to be a child carried around on his back because she might wander off.
The memory of those strong scales slithering beneath her thighs tinged chills down her legs.
What are you doing? What does this scaled devil have that you want so badly?
Sighing, Griselda folded her tights and placed them next to her boots.
She pulled one arm through her tunic then tugged the other, pausing to brace her arms against her face after she scrunched the fabric over her heavy breasts.
Her entire body ached and the chill air was a welcome feeling compared to the heat outside.
Everything seared in response to the simplest movement.
That tumble into the ravine really took it out of her.
A vision of his arms around her face, his maw cracked in a toothy threat, and those eyes boring into her hazed into her mind.
He could have destroyed her back there, but instead protected her.
Why was that gnawing at her? Was he that hellbent on finding out about the pendant or did he have other motives?
She knit her brows together as the tunic flung over her head and onto the pile of tights and boots.
Am I nothing more than an experiment to this demented naga? Something he wants to keep around until he gets answers?
Scoffing, she walked to the edge of the water and sat on the edge.
The white dual braids hung over her shoulders.
Her mind warred between frustration and desire.
She wanted answers, but also wanted to know why she was feeling this way toward this creature she’d only heard inklings of stories about. None of which ended good.
Griselda dipped her feet into the water and gasped at the tingling coolness as it encased her injured ankle.
Grabbing the edge of the rock, she lifted and plunged her entire body with a loud splash.
The water swallowed her whole. She shuddered at the sudden bite.
Her nipples twisted into hard peaks. Her arms and legs pricked with near-painful bumps as every hair stood on end.
The water twisted around her braids and danced with the curves of her body, eagerly caressing every wound.
Breaching her face above the water, a steady breath escaped her lips as the chill eased into a comfort. She slowly relaxed and floated along the surface. Such a nice feeling after such a harsh day.
This weightlessness was something she rarely experienced. Mistveil only had a small trickling river to bathe in. If you could call it a bath. She couldn’t fully recall the last time she’d been able to submerge more than just her stomach when she sat in it crisscrossed.
Watching the glimmer of the moon bounce off the gemstones, her eyes followed differing light fractures only to realize there were flourishing plants hanging from the ceiling of the rocks.
Most of them looked familiar from the apothecary in her village.
Some with drooping purple flowers for pain relief.
Others with broad green leaves for wound healing.
Her thoughts wandered to their medicinal purposes and if the constant humidity is what elevated the properties of the water in this area.
Completely lost in her mind and relaxation, Griselda never heard the naga’s slithering scales sink below into the liquid depths surrounding her. Instead, she drifted off to a lulling sleep. Somehow engrossed with the idea of getting to know this naga and his antics more and more.
* * *
Thrasik sneered his lips and hissed, crawling down the cavern as his shoulders jerked forward with each hip swing. He balled his fists and snorted at the air. Griselda’s actions were bothering him more than he wanted to admit.
“Such a man-thing thing to do, poke fun and jabs at things they don’t understand!” Throwing his arms in the air, the words spat through his teeth.
This feminine creature may have willingly given him her name, but he wasn’t about to loosely give his to her.
His name had power. His name had urgency!
At the same time, it didn’t since being denounced from what should be his rightful kingdom.
He thrashed his head back and forth. Worked up over her ignoring his hand for assistance earlier and couldn’t understand why.
Her taste still lingered on his tongue from scenting during their stop before the cavern.
Such a strange flavor that drove him into pure curiosity.
Squinting, his brow furrowed even further as the yellow irises were overtaken by the growing depths of his slit pupils.
Something roused in his gut. Gnawing, writhing, and tearing at him in a way he hadn’t felt in ages.
Hunger. A deep aching hunger.
Thrasik flashed back to Griselda riding his back. Her weight was soothing despite the danger they had been in. He welcomed her warmth much too quickly for comfort. He wasn’t expecting that type of heat when she wrapped those delicate legs around his body.
Those deliciously tapered legs.
He unfurled his fists and covered his face. Slowly, he dragged his fingers down his eyes and gripped his jaw. It was turning into a carnal need. A need that felt it would eat him alive.
How desperately he wanted to drag his tongue over her legs. Up her plump thighs. To taste what hid behind those weak coverings. To discover how else she differed from him.
And her hands! She played with something that others loathed him for.
Not all males grew spines, and those that did never had as many as him.
Some of his tribe would say it meant he had a purer blood tie to the dragons of older age.
He never knew his brood mother or father, and the elders that did would shun their faces when asked.
Regardless, he could never let her know how intensely his eyes rolled back at her caress.
How sharp the shivers down his spine were.
This damned creature. Making his scales puff and causing him to stir at touches most consider normal!
Thrasik arrived at the cavern entrance and poked his snout out to view the star speckled sky.
The strange being had flown off to the other side of the forest and seemed to lose track of them.
So long as that oddity was disturbed by something else they should be safe here.
It was a horror he’d have to face one of these days if he stayed in these woods.
He didn’t want to address that right now.
Currently he was enjoying the aspect of having this beautiful creature to himself to investigate.