Dragon's Blood (The Dragon's Gift Trilogy #2)

Right. Lucyan and Alistair doubled back to where Ryolas and Basilla were—the two had stayed behind so Basilla could finish healing the third horse. “How is she doing?” Dareena called, pitching her voice high to be heard over the sound of Lucyan’s flapping wings.

“She’ll be fine,” Basilla called back, patting the horse’s neck. “And so will we!”

“You three go on ahead,” Ryolas said. His lips curved in a knowing smile as he beheld them. “I know you are anxious to get home, and there is no point in slowing yourselves down on our account.”

“Are you certain?” Dareena asked. “I hate to leave you behind.” Dareena suspected that if Alistair had more experience flying, he might have tried to carry the elves. But he’d only just shifted for the first time and Dareena felt it unwise to push him.

“We’re more than capable of looking after ourselves,” Basilla said. “And besides, you really need to make it to the border before the anti-dragon spell forces one of you to shift back. Go on—we’ll see you soon.”

“Thank you,” Dareena said. She bade the elves farewell, and Lucyan and Alistair took to the skies again, speeding through the starry night. At first, they attempted to outrace each other, until Dareena complained that the wind was going to tear her eyeballs out of their sockets unless they slowed down. A quick check assured them both she was fine, but even so, they slowed to a more manageable pace, keeping their eyes on the real prize ahead.

Soon, they would be reunited with their brother. Soon, they would be home.





30





For the next several hours, the brothers flew, speeding through the skies as fast as they could without dislodging their passenger. Through it all, Dareena clung to Lucyan’s back, wrapping her arms around one of the spikes jutting from his spine as she gazed out at the world with wonder. Everything looked so different up here—the moon larger, the clouds thicker, the stars blazing so bright and true that Dareena almost felt as if she could reach out and pluck them from the night sky.

This high up, she should have been miserable and freezing. But with her body pressed against Lucyan’s hide, soaking in the heat from his scales, she was toasty-warm. It was rather like snuggling beneath a blanket with a cup of hot cider in one’s hands and a warm fire roaring in the hearth. Your nose and cheeks might be a bit cold, but that only made you savor the heat even more.

Dareena had a few such memories from her childhood, before her parents had been taken by that horrible illness. As she rubbed the elven stone on her finger, she wondered what her parents would think if they could see her now. When she’d been a little girl, she’d dreamed of being a princess living in a castle with handsome suitors currying her favor, but those had just been that—dreams. No one could have imagined in their wildest fantasies that Dareena Sellis would become a consort to dragons, riding them wild and free in the middle of the night. If only her friends could see her now…and her enemies! How had Mr. Harrin and Lyria Hallowdale reacted when they’d learned she had become the Dragon’s Gift? She would have paid good money to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.

Such petty thoughts are unbecoming of you, a voice in her head said—likely her conscience. She blushed a little—she was being a little catty, now that she thought about it. But surely she was allowed to indulge a little in the privacy of her own mind? She had come so very far…

A surge of energy rippled over Lucyan’s scales, distracting Dareena from her thoughts. She looked around, trying to see what had caused it, but in the darkness, it was hard to make out the terrain. Puzzled, she turned her attention toward Lucyan and Alistair, accessing the bond between them. She’d noticed that though she couldn’t speak with them in dragon form, she could sense their feelings to some extent. Right now, she felt joy and relief emanating from them—they both seemed quite peppy.

“Have we crossed the border?” she called, excitement thrumming in her veins. Lucyan rumbled something that sounded like an affirmative, and Alistair did a somersault in the air, then blew a stream of fire from his snout, lighting up the sky.

Dareena laughed, patting Lucyan’s hide affectionately. They’d finally made it out of elven territory! Only a few more hours of flying, and they would be back at Dragon’s Keep.

Unfortunately, Lucyan and Alistair didn’t have a few more hours of flying in them. Despite the boost of energy they got from crossing the border, they began to flag only an hour later. Dareena couldn’t blame them—this was their first long-distance flight. She clung tighter to Lucyan as the two dragons descended, landing in a thickly wooded vale.

“My goodness,” Dareena said as she dismounted. Her legs were a little wobbly, and she braced herself against Lucyan’s big body to keep from falling. “I didn’t realize how taxing that flight was. My muscles are going to be sore in the morning!”

Lucyan and Alistair’s forms blurred, and a few moments later, they were back in human form. “A good night of sleep and a massage will help,” Lucyan said with a roguish smile. “I think Alistair and I can help you with both.”

Dareena swallowed hard as she looked between both men, who were stark naked. Moonlight bathed their muscular bodies, beckoning her to close the distance so she could run her hands over each swell and crevice. The twin expressions of hunger in their gazes told her they wouldn’t at all be averse to the idea, and if she looked lower…

“By the gods!” Dareena exclaimed, rushing over to Alistair so she could take his right hand in hers. “You’re completely healed!” She ran her fingers up his new forearm, feeling the muscles and tendons flexing beneath.

“That I am.” Alistair’s eyes sparkled. He grabbed Dareena by the waist and lifted her high in the air, spinning her around and making her laugh with delight. “I worried I might never get to do this again,” he said roughly, pulling her against him so he could kiss her. Dareena clung to him as he kissed her deeply, savoring his hot skin beneath her hands. His cock pressed insistently against her belly, and she could feel herself getting wet as she imagined wrapping her hands around it—no, her lips...

“Quit hogging our mate, Alistair,” Lucyan growled. He pressed against her from behind, and Dareena gasped as he gently scraped his teeth along the sensitive spot on her neck. His cock ground insistently against her bottom, and she moaned as her pussy clenched in anticipation. She’d long fantasized about having more than one at a time…

“We agreed we were going to wash up together, didn’t we?” Alistair asked, adjusting Dareena so that he was cradling her rather than holding her flush against his body.

“We certainly did.” Lucyan’s eyes gleamed. “I’ll lead the way, brother.”