nostrils and floats
away with the wind. “A few years before her death, when she was
quite old, she decided to replace the curtains in the library. I
walked into the room to find her teetering on top of a twenty-five
foot ladder. I remember being so angry that she could have fallen
and broken her neck. She looked at me with her large eyes and
called me a silly dragon.”
My exact words I spoke only a short
while ago. My voice softens when I say, “I was told brides cannot
bear children. Is this true?”
His reply is so low I can barely hear
him. “Yes. Only a true mate can bear a dragon.”
His sadness swells within me and it
actually hurts. I have no explanation for the deep connection I
have with him. It’s like there’s an invisible string attached to
our hearts. His vibrates the string and sends messages into mine.
I’m being the silly one now, so I speak to help dissolve the very
real ache I feel right now. “That is much like it is for beastkind.
Well, I guess not exactly. Before we figured it out, beastkind
mates could only have sex with humans to procreate. After thousands
of years of prejudice against other beastkind species, we
discovered different species can mate and produce offspring
successfully.”
His response is instant. “No, it is
nothing like dragons. If any man touched my bride, before or after
me, or if I’m lucky enough one day to mate, it would mean the man’s
death.”
One part of his sentence doesn’t quite
make sense. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean by before you
mate.”
He huffs out a loud breath. “All
brides are virgins. It is the only way they have a chance at
transcendence to dragon.”
A laugh escapes me. “You’re kidding.
Your bride is expected to be a virgin?”
His skin heats under my paws and I
know he’s angry. His reply travels through my brain with a sinister
feel. “It’s nothing to laugh at. This is why we were cursed to
begin with.”
I’m hoping that because he’s still
speaking to me he isn’t that mad. “Tell me of the curse, dragon.”
Sarn gives a heavy sigh and I know I’m causing him additional
irritation, but I cannot contain my curiosity. “Please.”
With another grumble, he begins the
story. “Drakon, the king of dragons, fell in love with the daughter
of a Goddess. He courted her knowing she was his true mate. When he
finally consummated their union, he discovered she had given her
virginity to another. He was mated to a woman who would never
transcend. In his great rage, he killed her.”
We both remain quiet until he speaks
again a few minutes later. “A dragon’s rage is incomparable to
anything you’ve ever seen. Mine is worse. You cannot want to be
around me if I’m ever in that condition.”
I shift to my human form and stretch
out on his neck so I can wrap my arms about him. “Don’t be silly. I
trust you. We’re friends.” His scales become too hot for me to
touch, so I unwrap my arms and slide down a bit.
“ During one of my rages, I
all but killed Laryn’s bride. I burned her with my fire and her
flesh melted to her bones. The pain I caused her and Laryn cannot
be denied. When I tell you to get away from me because I’m going
into a rage I mean it.”
His story stuns me. I have trouble
believing he would harm a woman. I don’t feel threatened by him in
the least. “You said all but killed her.”
“ Bastian came to earth’s
realm months ago and told me Roxanne, the bride I burned, has
transcended to dragon. That’s impossible for you. I am dangerous
and out of control in a rage. You cannot trust me at those times.
Please promise you will leave when I say.”
I can’t accept this. “And did you lose
Calista shortly before this disastrous event happened?”
He doesn’t answer. He flies to the
clearing where we started our flight and lands in the center of the
copse of trees. His shift is so sudden I have little time to find
my balance as my feet hit the ground. I place one hand down
away with the wind. “A few years before her death, when she was
quite old, she decided to replace the curtains in the library. I
walked into the room to find her teetering on top of a twenty-five
foot ladder. I remember being so angry that she could have fallen
and broken her neck. She looked at me with her large eyes and
called me a silly dragon.”
My exact words I spoke only a short
while ago. My voice softens when I say, “I was told brides cannot
bear children. Is this true?”
His reply is so low I can barely hear
him. “Yes. Only a true mate can bear a dragon.”
His sadness swells within me and it
actually hurts. I have no explanation for the deep connection I
have with him. It’s like there’s an invisible string attached to
our hearts. His vibrates the string and sends messages into mine.
I’m being the silly one now, so I speak to help dissolve the very
real ache I feel right now. “That is much like it is for beastkind.
Well, I guess not exactly. Before we figured it out, beastkind
mates could only have sex with humans to procreate. After thousands
of years of prejudice against other beastkind species, we
discovered different species can mate and produce offspring
successfully.”
His response is instant. “No, it is
nothing like dragons. If any man touched my bride, before or after
me, or if I’m lucky enough one day to mate, it would mean the man’s
death.”
One part of his sentence doesn’t quite
make sense. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean by before you
mate.”
He huffs out a loud breath. “All
brides are virgins. It is the only way they have a chance at
transcendence to dragon.”
A laugh escapes me. “You’re kidding.
Your bride is expected to be a virgin?”
His skin heats under my paws and I
know he’s angry. His reply travels through my brain with a sinister
feel. “It’s nothing to laugh at. This is why we were cursed to
begin with.”
I’m hoping that because he’s still
speaking to me he isn’t that mad. “Tell me of the curse, dragon.”
Sarn gives a heavy sigh and I know I’m causing him additional
irritation, but I cannot contain my curiosity. “Please.”
With another grumble, he begins the
story. “Drakon, the king of dragons, fell in love with the daughter
of a Goddess. He courted her knowing she was his true mate. When he
finally consummated their union, he discovered she had given her
virginity to another. He was mated to a woman who would never
transcend. In his great rage, he killed her.”
We both remain quiet until he speaks
again a few minutes later. “A dragon’s rage is incomparable to
anything you’ve ever seen. Mine is worse. You cannot want to be
around me if I’m ever in that condition.”
I shift to my human form and stretch
out on his neck so I can wrap my arms about him. “Don’t be silly. I
trust you. We’re friends.” His scales become too hot for me to
touch, so I unwrap my arms and slide down a bit.
“ During one of my rages, I
all but killed Laryn’s bride. I burned her with my fire and her
flesh melted to her bones. The pain I caused her and Laryn cannot
be denied. When I tell you to get away from me because I’m going
into a rage I mean it.”
His story stuns me. I have trouble
believing he would harm a woman. I don’t feel threatened by him in
the least. “You said all but killed her.”
“ Bastian came to earth’s
realm months ago and told me Roxanne, the bride I burned, has
transcended to dragon. That’s impossible for you. I am dangerous
and out of control in a rage. You cannot trust me at those times.
Please promise you will leave when I say.”
I can’t accept this. “And did you lose
Calista shortly before this disastrous event happened?”
He doesn’t answer. He flies to the
clearing where we started our flight and lands in the center of the
copse of trees. His shift is so sudden I have little time to find
my balance as my feet hit the ground. I place one hand down
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