The Selection: Bride Of The Dark Dragon

LARA

The dark fire is so different from the usual one that everyone can create. Its flames look cold to the human eye, glimmering with purple and white shades, reminding me more of a storm than of fire. It’s fascinating to watch Demir walk out of it but I am not fooling myself by thinking that I can touch it. I’ve read the stories about how deadly it is as a child and have no desire to experiment with burning my skin.

“It was nice of you to greet me,” he smirks and I blush, remember how he saw me at once when I came to take a peak.

“Aren’t you supposed to look after that ambassador of yours?” I cross my hands and lean on the nearby wall, my eyes not leaving the gerdian for even a moment! Right now I am sure that he is spying since he knows that I am Gideon’s sister. And because of me, he has such easy access to our house.

“That man can protect himself, trust me! Besides, he has the other guys with him. There is no need for me to be there right now in his appointed chambers and I have a few hours for myself now,” he answers lazily, walking around again and coming to the table with the unicorn figurine again.

“Don’t touch!” I feel the b***d rushing to my cheeks, “That’s very delicate and…”

“Oh, Lara, trust me, I am very good at handling delicate things. You’ll see.”

My lips part at the audacity of his comment because at that moment he was clearly looking at me, eyes traveling through my body. And yet again I felt that the fabric of my dress is too thin and almost transparent to talk to him.

“What are you doing here, Demir?” I give up and roll my eyes, “If somebody sees you here…”

“That’s sweet, now you are worried for me!” He chuckles and steps closer.

“No,” I furrow my brows and push him inside, “I am worried for me! I don’t want people here to hate me even more…”

I regret it the moment I say it and Demir’s face changes in an instant.

“What do you mean hate you?” He asks and I avoid looking him in the eyes.

“It’s nothing,” I let go of him and turn away. How embarrassing! “Just why did you come? Answer me!”

He is silent for some time and when I turn to see what he is doing, he is looking at me with something strange in his gaze. And at that moment I really hope that it’s not pity. I hate pity even more than I hate hatred. I honestly shouldn’t care what he thinks yet it would be a lie to say that I don’t. For some reason, it is important to me what this gerdian thinks of me.

“Do people here mistreat you, Lara?” He asks in a serious tone that probably signifies that it’s not a joke to him. Or is it what I want to think about it?

“This is my home, Demir!” I try to sound as firm as I can, “All sort of things happen here but I would never complain on my own people.”

For a minute or so we are just staring at each other and the smirk appears on his lips again. And, Brighta, I don’t like that smirk.

“Fine, I hear you,” he says, “Luckily, I know the perfect place for us to talk where no one will see us!”

And before I even manage to squeak, he pulls me close by the waist so that my face almost tucks into his firm chest in the black jacket of a bodyguard. I lift up my head to look at him in shock and notice sparks of dark magic in his eyes again. Does it happen on a whim or is there something triggering those sparks?

But what happens next makes me forget all the questions. He presses me hard against himself and dark flames appear all over him. My first instinct is to push him away but his grip on me is too strong. And I want to scream when I see the flames catching on my clothes and hands… Yet I don’t as I feel no pain. Only tickling and tingles…

My lips part as I look at him again and see a vague smile on his face as everything around us turns dark. And the next second we are both standing at the wisteria hill. The wind delicately touches the branches, making tiny petals curl and dance in the air. The gerdian lets go of me, leaving only goosebumps all over my skin from the contact that we’ve just shared.

“What was that?” I ask him.

“Transportation,” he explained in one word. I sighed as I knew that no details would follow.

“D-did you just use dark magic on me?” I mumble in shock.

“And you are alive and in one piece, aren’t you?” he chuckles, “The skies haven’t fallen on your head and all that.”

“That’s so typical of a dark one to say!” I exhale loudly through my nose.

“Seriously, what do they tell you about us here?” he asks, “You seem so… repelled by the whole idea of someone with dark magic.”

“And why wouldn’t I be? You know very well that I have Light inside of me. Light and Darkness are incompatible!”

“Only because Light is merciless,” he retorts and I look at him in shock.

“It’s the darkness that destroys things, what are you even talking about?”

“Name one thing that darkness destroys!” he raises his brow and for one hundredth time today, I am shocked with the audacity of his way of thinking.

“Plants!” I name the obvious.

“Don’t their seeds need darkness to germinate?” he gives out a laugh and I don’t find what to answer to that, “Besides, there are plenty of things that grow without sunlight.”

“What are you trying to say exactly, Demir?”

“I am trying to say, Lara, that there is no light without darkness. And the darkness is what we all come from in the first place. Even the Light. There is the place for both in the world, moreover, the world needs balance. But unfortunately, you, light ones, still do not get it. That we can coexist in peace. And live happily ever after together.”

“So, why did Smoke came here? To coexist together?” I snort seeing how he cringes at the dragon’s name.

“He was worried for you, Angel,” Demir says suddenly and comes closer, brushing a palm over my cheek. Which creates the very same tingles…

“Why?” I whisper, not being able to push him away for some reason.

“That’s a very interesting question, Lara,” he says, lowering his head so that I could feel his minty breath on my skin, “Maybe he was intrigued… Or maybe he was worried about you…”

“I thought dragons don’t do anything without their master’s orders…” I mumble, feeling how his hands wrap around me. Possessively, greedily…

“They don’t,” he whispers in a husky voice and touches my lips with his. Delicately, like a fluttering wing of a butterfly at first, barely touching… But then again, more confident and even slightly demanding… And so sweet that I close my eyes from all the new sensations… My breathing gets hectic and I part my lips to get more air. However, that’s not going to happen as the arrogant gerdian deepens his k**s, now probing me with his tongue… And, oh, Brighta the Goddess of Light, I feel like I am flying… Better even…

A weak m**n escapes me and Demir growls in approval, pressing me harder against himself. His hands are roaming my body and caressing me at the same time.

“So sweet,” he mumbles as if he was in a daze…

I don’t know how much time passes but after a while I forcefully break the k**s, panting and taking deep breaths of air that I need so much right now!

And that’s when I notice them… Dozens of shining lights in the sky! Warriors of Light!

“Oh, Goddess!” I whisper, looking at them and Demir follows my gaze.

“What’s going on?” he suddenly sounds serious and not playful at all. And I realize that I am slightly disappointed that he gathered himself so fast…

“I think… they are looking for me,” I confess, “I was locked in my room and…”

“Who dared to lock you?” the sparks of dark magic appear again in his eyes and they look like they are about to leave his body and explode.

“My brother, but he is doing this for my protection!” I try to explain to him but he doesn’t look too convinced.

“That’s not a way to protect a woman,” he says and I stay silent. Because for the first time ever I probably agree with him.

“Go,” I say, “They’ll see us from the sky and you will be in trouble. And so will I.”

“They will not see us,” he smirks, “I put up a barrier around us. They wouldn’t see a thing here.”

I have to say that this is impressive. I didn’t even notice how he did it!

“But staying here is still a bad idea,” I shudder slightly from the cold air and in less than a second, his jacket is wrapped around me.

“I can take you back to your room,” he says.

“No,” I reply way too quickly, “Gideon already knows that I am not there… Can you, maybe, take me to my friend’s house?”

“I am afraid not,” he admits, “I need to know the place to be able to transform you there…”

“Then… Then take me to a corner of the main square,” I suggest, “You have already been there, right?”

“Right,” he nods and steps closer, his hands pulling me into his embrace much slower this time. As if he is savouring it. I look in his eyes as dark flames surround us again and in seconds we appear in the darkest corner of the square.

“Thanks,” I say, even though I don’t know really what I am thanking him for. He is the one who got me in trouble in the first place? Shouldn’t I be at least a little bit angry at him? Or have I lost my mind because of one stupid k**s? Even if it was the very first time I was kissed like that…

I want to step away from him when a familiar voice sounds behind our backs, “There you are!”