Chapter Twenty-Seven

Cassandra

Cassandra didn’t realize how long they’d been in the lab until she noticed the lights had been turned off in the hallway. They’d made decent progress and recorded their findings, but there wasn’t much more to be done right now. It was unlikely she and Qadaire would be there to put the pieces together anyway. In two days, she had a conference with others in her field to talk about the cure for Canine X-3. The Kingdom of the Great Flame’s pathologists would have to pick up where they’d left off. She would do the best she could via contact with Dana.

Speaking of the author, a soft knock rapped on the open door. “Hey, guys. I planned on apologizing for getting back so late, but I see you guys didn’t notice!”

Cass grinned at her new friend, then turned to scan Qadaire. She’d been keeping an eye on him ever since they arrived, but in the past few hours, something had shifted.

After cleaning up the lab and stacking paperwork on Ryuu’s desk, they exited the way they came. The building was way less crowded, everyone having left for the workday. That was reassuring, knowing it was one less thing for Q to stress over.

Dana led them to a sci-fi dune rover that immediately made Cass think of Star Wars. She glanced up to see Dana smirking at her. There was seating for four within the cagey metal frame, and surprisingly comfortable looking seats.

“My glider. Something straight out of a movie, huh?” Dana laughed. “I couldn’t drive it through the market earlier, but we’ll take it to my place. Assuming you guys still want to chill for a bit?”

Cass glanced at Qadaire. She wouldn’t push him into anything he wasn’t ready for.

“Yes. Let’s go, dudes,” he said with a painful-looking attempt at a smirk.

They hopped in the outrageous vehicle and Dana sped off. A bubble formed in the bottom of Cassandra’s belly, like the excitement of a roller coaster. She held her hair to the side, tucked her dress tight between her thighs, and laughed like a child. A similar sound rose beside her, and she forced her giggles to subside so she could observe Qadaire. His smile was so genuine and pure, she took a mental picture. His bottom hands gripped two of the structural bars, while he held his uppers out of the nonexistent roof.

Something in Cassandra whispered a hypothesis. If Qadaire lived somewhere he was welcome, then he would smile more freely.

The thought stifled her laughter. She put a pin in that for later.

The house they pulled up to was—unsurprisingly—huge. Dana whipped the glider around the side of the brick house and hopped out. Cass and Qadaire followed suit.

“Rathym won’t be here long, but we should be able to catch him briefly.” Dana gave Cass one of those looks. “He spent a couple centuries away from society. I think he enjoys being part of a community that appreciates him, but don’t tell him I said that.”

Cass smiled along, casting a glance at Qadaire. Would he like it here, too?

Once inside, Cass whistled in awe of the home’s interior structure. How did they get all these buildings to be so large? She supposed it came along with the species, obviously, but it was still humbling to witness. The difference between this home and the other building she’d been in, however, was the distinctly human-sized furniture. She didn’t know Dana very well, but she suspected it was her bookshelves that lined the far wall, fully equipped with a sliding ladder. Cassandra sank into an intricately carved armchair that would be way too easy to fall asleep in, while Qadaire hung awkwardly right inside the door. She waved him over, pointing to a plush armchair beside hers.

“Addy, they’re here!” Dana called. An auburn-haired woman peeked around the corner, smiled, then disappeared. “They have to grab her mattress.” Cassandra’s brows shot up, making the other woman snort with laughter. “Traeyr’s a demon. He’s bound to her but can’t leave her bedroom.”

“Ahh! Hence the one-room house.” Cass giggled. “That’s genius.”

A crimson dragon that perfectly matched the description in Scales and Handcuffs lumbered into the room. He held a fancy wine bottle in one hand, a bundle of wine glasses in the other. “Hello, my treasure’s guests. I will not be joining you today. Please enjoy this offering instead. Drink your fill.”

The bottle didn’t look like enough for five people to drink their fill, but Cass thanked him and accepted a glass. Rathym poured another and offered it to Qadaire, who also accepted it. She’d never heard him speak of alcohol and wasn’t sure if it affected him. She kinda liked the idea of tipsy Qadaire. She had a feeling tipsy Q would be very bold in bed indeed.

Moments after the door shut behind Rathym, Addy returned with Traeyr in tow. He was huge, Cass estimated somewhere around seven feet tall, and covered in fur. He sauntered in, a king-sized mattress casually strewn over his shoulder. It looked so natural, like he’d been carrying it around forever and didn’t notice its presence anymore. He leaned it against the far wall and swiped his hands together once.

“You’re the scientists!” Addy exclaimed. “You guys saved all those puppies.”

“Yep,” Cass confirmed. “But it was only because his magic made it possible.”

Addy shook her head. “What a miracle you guys found each other.”

“Not my magic,” Qadaire spat with disdain. Cass heard the raise of his voice. He was making sure he wasn’t mumbling. “It was my venom.”

The women exchanged glances. Cass was sure they’d heard his tone, too. Before she could say anything to comfort him, Traeyr stepped forward, taking a seat on the coffee table. He cupped his palms like he was holding an invisible ball and gazed between them. The shadows in the room reached for him. Tendrils rose like vapor from under the coffee table. There was black movement in her peripheral as her own shadow was pulled from behind her. The shadows of the room flickered and danced to him, around his furry arms and through his horns. Soon, they settled between his palms.

“Darkness.” Traeyr’s eyes flicked to Qadaire’s, a yellow glow lending to his striking stare. “I have it, too.”

The demon’s words struck Cassandra right in the heart. She put her hand on Qadaire’s top right where it clutched the armrest.

The shadows in Traeyr’s hands swirled. They collected into groups, transforming into a swarm of wispy black butterflies. With a flick of his wrists, their wings took flight and they rushed back to their places, the light in the room returning to normal.

Qadaire nodded at the demon and lifted his glass.

The night could only progress positively from there, which it did, especially because of the wine bottle. Cass had been wrong. It was more than enough. It was endless.

The longer they stayed, the harder it was for Cass to ignore that little voice. Was it wisdom, or was it wishful thinking?

Cass clung to Q’s neck. The cool night air of the human realm was a stark difference to the warmth of the Great Flame Kingdom. Qadaire’s black wings skillfully maneuvered them through the air, the sound of their strength beating against the wind a constant sign of her safety. Flying would take some getting used to, for sure, but right now she kinda liked it.

“I didn’t know you could drink.” She burrowed deeper into his hold. She didn’t even realize she’d started to kiss his neck, with tongue, until she felt warbles vibrating in his chest. “How much wine did you have?”

“Enough. My body metabolizes it quickly, but luckily, there was plenty.” A sweet, innocent giggle hitched the end of his sentence. “Why? Are you trying to deflower me?”

“Would you drop me if I tried?”

“I’m not sure, dewdrop.” He squeezed her tighter and whispered in her ear, “Try me.”

Was he serious? Only one way to find out. She licked him from collarbone to earlobe, nibbling there as she shifted in his arms. Keeping her hands locked around his neck, she straddled his torso, her dress falling away from her thighs. He didn’t falter, his hands moving with her, keeping her close. Safe.

She rubbed against his bump, hidden by his trousers. His eager erection grazed her ass in a way that made her moan against his temple. She laced her fingers into his feathers, careful not to pull too hard.

His wings never stilled. She shouldn’t listen to the meddlesome urge to test his control this high off the ground. Should be afraid of the fall. But she knew he would never drop her, and at the very least, he would catch her if he did. So she grazed her thumb down the center of his abdomen, undid the button of his pants, and traced the creases of his bump.

“Cassandra.”

She swallowed the moan in the shape of her name and licked the back of his teeth. The way his arms tightened around her encouraged her to roll her hips, which caused the fluid leaking from his vent to saturate her panties.

Qadaire groaned, then croaked out, “I knew this dress deserved more praise.”

Cass giggled. She entwined her ankles behind him and leaned into his shoulder heavily. This time, his bottom hands took the meat of her upper ass and shoved her pelvis against him, rolling her down while he thrust shallowly up, driving the tip of his cock through the slickness between them. Her breathing hitched, the insistent demand in her core growing in frequency.

She focused on the sound of his beating wings, not ready to come undone yet. The cool night air whispered over her legs, whipping her hair to one side. She sucked on the bare skin of his neck, clenched her core, and eased herself over him again, slowly, rolling far enough below his bump that the tip of his cock kissed her clit.

“Oh, fuck.” Her arms trembled around his neck, her body rumbling with the quakes of an impending orgasm. “I don’t want to come yet.”

The warbles in Qadaire’s throat darkened and he chuckled hoarsely. “I know how you feel.”

That gave Cass an idea, but not one that could—or should—be attempted so high in the sky.

“I want you, dewdrop.”

She squirmed against him as one gray hand dropped to the back of her knee. It traced her leg, leaving goose bumps in its wake. Once he reached her thigh, she was practically vibrating under his touch. When he hooked a finger in her lacy panties, she keened and bucked, pressing into that lone finger.

“What’s this?” Qadaire snickered. “My dewdrop wore special panties, hoping I would take her in the sky?”

“Did it work?”

“Not the way you think.” He pulled his hand away, bringing it between them. He didn’t look away as he loosed the claw on his index finger, traced it up her thigh, and sliced through the lace on either side of her hips. With a shift of her weight, the garment fell to the ground for some unsuspecting hiker to find later.

“So bold,” she teased. Her eyelids fluttered as he ran his clawless finger over the seam of her bare pussy. “I want you so fucking bad.”

Qadaire tsked. His wings pumped behind him. Finally, he sank his finger into her, his thumb to the side of her clit, which pulsed in protest. She pressed against him, forcing his finger farther inside, but he withdrew.

He brought his wet finger between them again and sucked it clean with a groan. He dipped inside her again and brought it to her lips. She hungrily accepted, suctioning her mouth around his finger and sucking like it was his cock. The taste of her mingled with the salty taste of his lubricant, and she sighed, pressing her needy pussy against his dripping bump.

“Do you taste us?” Qadaire said reverently. “That is my favorite taste in the world.”

“I need you inside me. Now.”

“So impatient, dewdrop.”

She was getting impatient. As sexy as all of this was, there was an emptiness in her that needed direly to be filled. The only person who could possibly ease that emptiness was flush against her, but not close enough. She reached between them and grabbed hold of his cock. His wingbeats slowed. Her heart raced, the excitement only growing.

The three arms that held her steady loosened just enough for her to tilt her hips. She rubbed his cock through her soaked labia and over her bundle of nerve endings before sinking the tip inside. Just for fun, to tease them both, she rode the bulb of his cock for a few agonizing rolls of her hips.

“Yes. That’s it, dewdrop. Take what you need.” Qadaire’s bottom hands gripped the backs of her thighs, not guiding her yet holding tight. “It’s yours. Take it all.”

She sank down until her pussy swallowed him completely. Her inner walls fluttered around him and she knew that if she rubbed her clit against his saturated cloaca, that sweet, wet friction would drive her over the edge.

They’d stopped moving. Q’s wings pulsed to the same rhythm of her hips rocking over his. She squeezed her thighs around him, using the leverage to squeeze his cock from base to tip, using her inner muscles to milk him for every last drop. Any moment now, he would come. Then she would let go.

“Ahh, Cassandra.” His tone might’ve concerned her, but it was too familiar. She whimpered and worked double-time, forcing her inner muscles to contract even tighter on the next upward roll. She swore she felt the vein on the underside of his shaft pulse inside her. “Woman, I’m going to burst!”

“Mmm,” she hummed against his throat. She loved making him come. She loved the way his warbles became incessant, the way his body went stiff, the pure look on his face that fractured her heart. The way his hot spurts fill her, always lasting longer than should be possible, until she overflowed. She loved the feeling of his come seeping out around his cock, traveling in teasing little rivulets over her asshole. She loved it even more when they continued to fuck while she was so impossibly full of his come already, only to take even more.

She peered at him through heavy lids as she continued to siphon his come until she felt it stream inside her, warm liquid filling her to capacity. She slowed to let him catch his breath, kissing his neck until his shudders subsided. He leaned his forehead to hers and stole a chaste kiss before nodding. She took his cue readily and rolled her hips again, this time pressing herself hard against his textured bump.

As her orgasm convulsed through her muscles, Qadaire let out a primal groan, and she felt him drown her cunt with more come.

Cass hardly registered the inhuman sounds they each were making. A silly, drunk part of her mind decided these were the sounds that binary stars made as finally conjoined with their beloved, into one brilliant nova eruption.

Qadaire’s wings pumped harder again and she watched the stars grow farther away as he resumed their flight. Another roll of her hips and she saw those stars behind her eyelids. Another roll, and she felt his barely-deflated cock back at full mast inside her.

“Qadaire,” she whispered against his feathers. “I love you. Even your darkness.”

“Cassandra,” he breathed.

Wrapped in his arms, they slow-fucked in the night air. When another orgasm claimed her, sleep close behind, she couldn’t say whether she was falling or flying, just that she was finally alive again.