Draconess

After scrubbing off the grime and dirt of the dungeon in a long wide bubbling bath, I dunk my head right under the deep water and swim the rest of the muck from my body. A good hour into the bath, Lixar and Andoll had been bantering back and forth, first with words, then with insults, then with some filthy insults, then Andoll started to threaten to kill him.

It was great entertainment but I also couldn’t get a word in, so I just enjoyed the show. Their heated exchanges kept rising in intensity… so… I wasn’t surprised when it all jumped to the next level.

The whole bathing area had a nice view of the city which sat below the Uldaya Palace. As I swim to the top, I finally hear smacking. Skin on skin.

I swim to the edge of the pool by them and rest my elbows on the tiles to watch Lixar boldly fucking Andoll. He’s licking on her tits while ramming her from the front.

I raise a brow at the violent interloping, but as they seem to set up a nice pace, Andoll suddenly goes into a rage. She claws at his face and Lixar reels back.

“Hey, hey, I eat demons like you, don’t you forget it, insane lil’… cute lil’ you… oh fuck, yes,” Lixar scolds her for thrashing around, but he also enjoys it. Sicko. Lixar flips Andoll around, pushing her head down and squeezing her legs together with his much larger thighs so she can’t move. As he starts fucking her again, but from behind, pressing her down, she finally starts to moan and Lixar looks over his shoulder at me, wriggling his eye brows as if to say… this could be you. I just glare and haul myself out of the water, “Want to join us -?”

“NO!” I yell and walk over, smacking him over the back of the head while I walk past them, to my ribbons. I wrap them around my body while they keep fucking, Andoll is panting, tongue literally lolling from her lips.

Oh, moon guide me out of here, quick.

This was only going to get so much worse.

“Hey, no leaving without my permission–” Lixar tries that tone while glaring at me.

“No,” I repeat, finishing the ties, “I’ll be back in a moment anyway.”

A lie.

“I can’t –” Lixar stops fucking Andoll as he keeps staring after me, “I’m doing her a favour, don’t make me stop to chase you–”

“Keep fucking me you fucking cannibal! Now! Now! Now!” Andoll screeches the order. Lixar pouts at me as I shake my head.

“I’m not a canni-” he can’t finish.

“Fuck me!” Andoll snarls.

“She’s waited long enough, Lix, don’t disappoint,” I add, walking by and avoiding Lixar’s reach as he tries to drag me into it. No, thank you.

I skip to the side and glare back at him as he starts fucking Andoll faster again to shut her up.

I walk out onto the balcony and then turn to the vines wrapping around the palace. I jump onto them and start scaling the palace walls with my tied palms and feet, while I hear Lixar yell, “What the hell are you doing, Chryonex? Come back!”

I don’t answer.

I keep climbing up, knowing the guest rooms are above this section of the palace.

I would find them soon enough.

…Zarcar and Dayarexna…

As I’m climbing upward, I see a mid-way balcony that has no pillars separating the usual spaces. I expect to gaze into a communal room, instead, I get a bit of a shock.

Torrent is right there.

He’s standing on his bedchamber balcony, alone, arms crossed over his bare torso as he wears light cotton britches.

He’s staring over his city, his silver eyes alight with flame as he thinks deeply.

I’m paused on his level, up the vines. He hasn’t seen me yet. It looks like he’s just come out onto the balcony a few seconds ago.

However, as I’m staring at him, Torrent’s head starts turning, so I start climbing.

Ah, oh.

“Chyronex,” Tor barks my name.

I look down to see him quickly approach the vines, looking up.

“Shh, I’m not escaping,” I hiss back down at him, “I’ll speak to you soon. First I need to… talk to… Zarcar…” I mumble the last part under my breath.

I pause briefly to look down and I see Torrent, gone.

Shit.

He’s going to intercept me on another level. Argh, couldn’t he leave me alone for two seconds? He cared too much.

I hurry along now, listening and waiting to hear… there… a little sweet sigh.

Two balconies across. I hop onto someone’s stone railing and I run along to the next set of vines. I hold onto the corner and listen again.

The voice comes from… down.

I stand on the balcony once more and I see them one level below me.

Zarcar is sitting on a thick stone railing while Dayarexna stands at his feet, chirping away, “I really like the people here, they seem really happy and safe compared to Swendula… it’s much more barbaric and rough. Maybe you can take me shopping tomorrow at noon, I’d love to buy new dresses -?”

“No,” Zarcar murmurs it, completely disinterested.

“Zarcar? Please – I want to explore… fine then… at least sleep next to me tonight? I get so lonely and cold and I get nightmares sometimes –”

“I’ll get more logs for the fire,” Zarcar keeps his answers simple.

There is a strong silence and I look further over the railing, spying on what they’re doing now. Dayarexna… I can’t help think of her as naïve Salt, as she paces her way to Zarcar’s side and presses a palm to his chest.

My hands tighten on the vines.

I’m about to jump down there… but not just yet.

This moment was crucial. I wanted to see what would happen next.

“I miss your hands on me,” Salt whispers it, only the wind taking the words up to my ears. Zarcar leans back his head and doesn’t blink as he sighs and lays one hand on her cheek.

“I told you… Rexna… never again–”

“But I need you,” Salt begs, “Please. That one time, I think about it all the time. I think I… I love you...”

Little shit. I said I loved him an hour ago. That’s the only reason she was trying it now.

“I took what I needed… now I protect you… nothing more… go lie down, it’s been a long day –” Zarcar pauses and I look over even further.

Salt is trying to take off her gown to seduce him.

Nope –!

I jump.

Bam.

One foot lands on the balcony, next to Zarcar’s boot. He freezes as I lunge over his leg and grab Salt’s robes, pulling them shut.

“Do that again and I’ll throw you off this balcony to see if you can really fly like a real Draconess,” I hiss into her face, “Leave us,” I shove her back and she stumbles, tears forming in her eyes, her cheeks blushing in embarrassment, “Stupid. Get lost.”

“…whore,” Salt whispers the insult, “That’s what he said.”

“I am a woman,” I correct her, “Get inside –”

“Zarcar,” Salt begs him for support, “Protect me?”

“Go lie down,” Zarcar snarls at her, “And stop talking. Get inside. That’s a command.”

“…yes, sir…” Salt bows her head and turns, running inside.

I slam the door shut to give us some privacy and I turn around to see Zarcar still reclining in his nook of the balcony.

I waited 3 years for him to look at me like that. Hidden fury. Passion is what I needed and I could see it. I could feel it in his gaze.

My eyes run over his body, totally stiff.

But his eyes, black orbs, are focused entirely on me and my outfit.

“…you never learned…” Zarcar whispers, in a low growl, “Did you?” he hated my ribbons because they showed too much skin to other men.

I try to ignore that and I slowly come forward to stand by his side, placing a bold hand on his chin, I force him to look out to the city… to the centre, “Look. That’s my Onyx tower.”

Zarcar gulps and I skip back as he snaps his head back and snatches up my wrist, managing to drag me back into his front.

Zar just holds me close as he glares me over, “…you used my brother… to bring Andoll back to life…?” he rumbles the question.

“Do you forgive me for my… betrayal?” I ask, forcing myself to look into his eyes, “…for leaving you… I mean… I can fuck whoever I want… but…” I smirk a bit and Zarcar’s eyes harden.

“Leaving me?” Zarcar asks, his jaw locking, “You don’t seem to get it, do you? It took you damn well long enough, now all I can think about is you fucking hundreds of unworthy mortal men –” Zarcar’s snarl starts to deepen and I lose my smile, “…that wasn’t a part of the deal with Lucifer… was it…? You chose that. You… took your time.”

Oh, no.

Zarcar could see underneath it.

I thought I could hide that part well.

The part I refused to acknowledge. I pretended not to think about it.

A part of me wants to smile. A part of me wants to break from his total understanding. Zarcar knows that I also prolonged the deal… because I was testing my resolve while being free. I had been his captive for so long I just wanted to experience total freedom. All it taught me was that it hurt. All of it hurt. It was complicated, okay?

“…I was in pain… Zar…” I explain to Zarcar lightly, pulling out of his grasp. I turn quickly around and sit on a chair, resting my feet under my butt as I cross my legs and hold my ankles. I purse my lips as Zarcar stays where he is.

I watch his gaze harden further.

Suddenly, I feel 19 again.

When he completely balled me over with his way.

He was rather wise… because he understood my nature too well.

Now, it’s like he’s reading my mind while judging me.

Yep. Zarcar knows too much. Even now. Bloody Warlord.

I feel a sudden presence behind me, before I even hear the balcony door open. I glance over my shoulder and I watch Torrent barge through. My eyes rove over his naked torso and I can’t help salivating a little. He was very attractive with those loose cotton pants… he was just another Zar… I swiftly glance back at Zarcar, Torrent’s little brother… and he’s not phased by my look to his older sibling.

“Viperae,” Torrent speaks, “Still a viper… but now worse…”

“Because I climbed some vines…?” I ask, scoffing, trying to avoid the real subject of importance. The deal with the devil. My manipulation of Torrents’ power… it was kind of a big deal, I was just waiting for Torrent to realise how much I fucked him over.

“Shut up.”

Zarcar and Torrent both scold me.

Huh?

I raise my chin. Excuse me? I stand to gain some of my height back, even though Zarcar jumps down from his seat on the balcony and blocks my access to a quick exit. I freeze when Zar places a hand on my shoulder and pushes me away from the balcony railing… only to get me closer to Torrent.

I jerk away from both of them, but Torrent quickly stops my wild struggling by grabbing one arm and twisting it behind my back. I can’t move. I hiss and Torrent keeps me still between them, with that one grasp.

“I need to work this Draconess out,” Torrent growls at his brother, “Will you help me, Zarcar? Unless you’re resentful about the punishment she received?”

“I was… but not anymore,” Zarcar is honest, avoiding my gaze to converse with his brother, “Now that I know why, I am more interested in finding out a solution with you…”

“Rey calls her feral… I am inclined to agree,” Torrent twists my arm a bit tighter when I try to struggle and I go red in the face as I have to stay still, heaving in breaths.

“Chyronex… you love me, do you…?” I hitch my breath. Zarcar’s question… I look up and I want to nod, but I’m angry, so I just glare my answer at him.

“That’s good,” Torrent breathes, “It’ll make this easier.”

“Agreed,” Zarcar nods.

“What will be easier -?” I ask, “I refuse to play Mystifying games with you two –”

“There is no game when a quick taming is called for,” Torrent explains, snarling the answer, “A taming needs to be slammed into this Draconess, until she loses her recklessness and succumbs to sense. Mystifyer’s guide. We are your Keepers. That’s our calling. We are not fighting a war with demons every day in a Venatores, so in the mean time you can learn to calm down and show some respect.”

“Huh,” I try to keep it in but I start laughing, “Ha, ha, ha…! You can both treat a Queen with respect, that’s what I am!”

I hear Salt laughing at me through the door. Bitch! Argh.

Torrent and Zarcar don’t even have to correct me, they’re just trying not to laugh and they seem to share in some kind of amused look. I huff out a breath and I try to kick back, but Torrent leans down into my ear, “…the night is sweet, focus on the slow breath between your teeth…and sleep Chyronex… sleep…” a sleeping curse.

“The night is sweet,” Zarcar also starts, simply adding in an extra un-needed dose of Sorcery.

I fall asleep standing up, at the mercy of these two curious bastards. Hopefully they didn’t work out something permanent; like a way to keep me caged.

Knowing these two, I wouldn’t bet my luck on them being generous, or kind. They were both strict. Blergh.

I may need Lixar’s humour to get myself out of this.