4. Kaida

The wind felt liberating as it rushed across Kaida’s snout. She felt the cool, invigorating caress sweep away all traces of her anxiety as Enzo’s brilliant blue and gold form flew beside her. The air danced over her skin, tingling as it went, full of life and energy as it assisted their travel toward Dragaal. As the wind whipped around them, Kaida could only hear the wisps of the air and the gentle waves of the water below them. It was always freeing to fly amongst the clouds. From the moment her wings sprouted from her back, Kaida understood why so many spent most of their day in their dragon form and being one with the sky. It was a taste of freedom not every person was granted in this world.

When the shoreline beaches came into view, Kaida felt her stomach tighten. The reality of her returning to Dragaal settled in. The letter seemed to be more diplomatic than a generous offer. Kaida had seen her father write letters like that. No matter what Enzo believed, Kaida knew there were hidden intentions to bring her back to Dragaal. This could be a way to ensnare her father into stepping down from his position. This could be a ploy to make her reject Enzo and return to the island while he mended his broken heart before Gemar found a more suitable mate.

Or this is to substantiate the claim that I am a Plasma. The only people who have seen my dragon are on the island, but if they come to the island, then they risk those who despise them being able to take their lives. They know better than that.

Then why are we flying to their cave? This will give them the advantage.

They don’t know that attacking me would be the worst thing they ever did. They won’t kill Enzo. He is the kingdom’s future since no males will take the throne after him. They kill me. He will abandon them.

They can always make another heir.

The barrier is down. Those who have grown tired of being outcasts will rise and fly here.

I don’t know. Many did not seem too keen on that idea.

If I die and the barrier is threatened to return, I think they will.

So, you plan to die?

No. I plan to receive answers.

Once the beaches were underneath them, Kaida waited to be thrown back from the force of the barrier keeping them from crossing, but there was no warm sensation against her scales of magic or arcs of light around her.

I did it. I truly broke the barrier.

It wasn’t long before the castle came into view. The sun reflected it the same way it had the first time she had seen it many months ago. The pearl scales shimmered with a radiant luster that captured the full light spectrum. Each scale reflected the sun’s rays and revealed iridescent hues that seemed to dance and change as the angle of light shifted. It had many towers at varying heights, with the smaller ones in the front and gaining height as it went back. Kaida zeroed in on the dragon in the shape of an S, with the lightning spurting out of its mouth to form a circle around it.

A knot twisted in the pit of Kaida’s stomach. Her momentum stopped, and she found herself hovering in the air. The sound of her heart in her ears as she stared at the castle made her want to turn back. Now that it was in her view, it was real. She was returning home. She could see her family again, hug her parents, and tell them everything that had been going on.

But could she trust them not to tell the king and queen about their plans? Her father was his right-hand man. Would he choose his daughter over his loyalty to the crown and king? Dracul was a loyal man through and through. Not once did he do anything to disprove his loyalty to the throne. Not even when Enzo grabbed Kaida from that room and dragged her to become part of the outcast. Dracul allowed that to happen to his daughter even though that meant there was a chance he would never see her again.

No. I cannot tell them that we plan to take the throne. I cannot trust them to keep it from Gemar. If they could not choose their daughter over the king when she was forced to be cast out from her home, they would not choose their daughter this time, either.

Enzo flew in front of her and hovered so he could look her in the eye. Inside their bond, he pushed through his feelings of worry about her. Kaida knew he could feel her questioning this plan while staring at the kingdom instead of flying toward it. How he expected her not to stop for a moment before re-entering the place that deemed her unfit to live in once he rejected her, she would never know. However, he did not experience it as she did.

Kaida shifted into her human form and allowed her wings to continue hovering her in the air. "I just needed a minute. It’s been a while since I have seen the castle. I thought I would never see it again."

Enzo also shifted into his human form and responded comfortingly, "I am right here. I won’t allow anything to happen to you again."

Kaida shook her head. "That’s not what I’m worried about."

"Then what is?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"I don’t know. A lot. I- I don’t know."

Enzo flew closer to her, reaching out his hand for her to take. Electricity danced against her skin as it connected with his. It was a feeling she would never grow used to now that they were mates. He was hers. Finally, hers.

"Things will not be like it was last time. We are bonded. His power can’t affect me since I am already bonded to you," he reassured her.

"That was the Dark Dimension, Enzo. It’s not the same as this weird ability your father has. We don’t know for sure if you can resist his ability just because you are bonded to me."

Enzo frowned. "I feel like it will. It’s not just me who is fighting this ability now. The others flow through me just as they flow through you."

Kaida blinked at him, astonished. "You can feel the others?"

"Not like you can, but I can feel them a little, especially if it is a strong emotion. I think that’s what makes you different, Kaida. It’s not just about your power. You can love us all. That alone is going to carry us through all of the shit we are going to have to muck through."

She lowered her eyes but wore a smile, "Come on. They’ll suspect something if we just fly around here. It’s not like we are tiny birds."

They both shifted back into their dragon forms and resumed their course toward the castle. The knot in Kaida’s stomach was still there, weighing her down and making her feel like they should turn back. The only thing motivating her to press forward was knowing Enzo was ahead of her, and she had her dragon to shift into if they needed to run. He would do whatever it took to keep them safe, and her dragon was mighty enough to bring the castle to rubble if necessary.

King Gemar and Queen Nande stood at the top of the stairs and peered down at Kaida and Enzo. At that moment, Kaida was happy that Azulia had fashioned a dress to represent her dragon. The stitching on the deep purple dress was in hoops to appear as scales. Some pieces were a little loose, such as a bright purple to show off the color of her magic and even a few spikes on the shoulders to show off her dragon’s horns on her face and along her back. Azulia also added a tiny scarf for her neck to hide the multiple mate marks since Enzo wanted to keep that from his parents. When she put it on that morning and looked in the mirror, Kaida felt fierce and ready to confront the royals who deemed her unworthy because her dragon had not emerged yet. Enzo was by her side, looking more royal than ever with his blue cloak and gold garment that almost resembled a suit. The colors somehow complimented hers, and he offered her his arm to take. It would draw their eyes to her right side, where the sigil pin was on the castle tower. It was a move to show his parents that she was his. Putting the royal sigil on her was telling them she was royal, regardless of their thoughts.

When they reached the top, Kaida curtsied while bowing her head. Enzo did not do a thing, though Kaida knew he still should have bowed. She gave him the side eye, but he stared into his father’s eyes. Kaida held her breath. Royals don’t usually challenge traditions. Enzo’s not acknowledging his parents as his superiors could cause his father to lose it. That wasn’t the plan. The plan was to kiss up to them so they would want to share information.

Gemar smiled at his son, "It’s wonderful to see you, son. I assume your flight back from the island was pleasant."

Enzo gave him a nod. "Yes. Clear skies and the wind were in our favor."

"Good." Gemar turned to Kaida. It took everything in her not to growl. "Kaida. It is a pleasure to see that you are home. Congratulations on your dragon emerging! That was a relief to hear."

"Was it? I would assume that was not something joyous for you after our last encounter."

Gemar’s face was rid of emotions. Kaida could not see how he felt about her remark at all. Nande’s lips tightened, but she managed to smile at Kaida. The whites of her teeth nearly sparkled under the sun’s light, reminding Kaida that the queen could be dangerous, too.

"I hope you understand our position when we learned of your... situation. Our son is the last of our line. Dragonless was not what we could afford in his queen. However, that was not the case. We apologize for not waiting longer than we had for your dragon to emerge. Tell me, is that usual for Plasma’s?"

"From the script of a document we found, yes. It takes longer for them to form their magic and connect with their person, which causes them to emerge later than others."

"Fascinating," Gemar said with a smile. "You’ll have to show us your Plasma’s form! I’ve heard she is quite a beauty."

Kaida looked at Enzo. He smirked to ease her concern, admitting through his smile that he had told Gemar what her dragon looked like. Kaida breathed more easily, knowing it was Enzo who shared the information.

"Gemar, let them go to their room and rest. It’s quite a journey from the island, even by flight." Nande patted her mate’s arm and gently pulled him back.

"Yes. That is true. Go to your room and get some rest. We can catch up at dinner."

Enzo led them to his room. His parents did not follow them or say anything else. It gave Kaida hope that things wouldn’t be too bad while they stayed here.

Well. Outside of his parents bringing up why they didn’t want me to be with their son until now.

I could have vanquished them so we did not have to deal with them further.

No. That would have led to more issues than less. Some people are entirely devoted to the king and queen but not so much to Enzo yet. Part of the politics of the kingdom.

I could vanquish them, too.

Kaida chuckled. I know. If they continue to annoy us, maybe.

Kaida was not surprised that Enzo’s room was large enough to be considered its apartment. There was an area on a small platform with his king-sized four-poster bed. There was a door to the left, which Kaida assumed led to the bathroom. On the right side of the bed was another door that opened to a walk-in closet. Off to the right was an area with a couch, a lounge chair, and a coffee table. Next to the living area was a small kitchenette with a refrigerator, counter space, and a sink. There were several cabinets above and below it for storage.

As she stared at the room, she marveled at the gorgeous deep blue color the walls were painted. The color reminded her of Enzo’s dragon, but the ceiling also seemed to be the sky’s color. Some cotton on the ceiling was also arranged to appear like clouds. Enzo noticed Kaida staring at it and chuckled as he walked toward the wall against which his bed was pressed. Next to the bathroom door, there was a light switch with two switches. Enzo flipped the one on the right first, darkening the room. Kaida heard the second switch flip, and then her eyes widened as the light show began on the ceiling. Inside the cotton were lights flickering in a random order to create the effect of lightning.

With her attention on the ceiling, Kaida did not hear Enzo approaching. She only felt his arms wrap around her from behind. The heat from his body felt beautiful as she relaxed in his embrace. She felt his lips against her neck. He softly kissed where he could, growling gently when he reached where her dress started.

"I loved how you held your ground today," Enzo murmured against her neck. "Not many people have ever looked him in the eye and challenged him like you did."

Kaida scoffed. "Maybe more people should."

Enzo nipped her ear. "I’d rather watch you. You rattled him more than you think."

Kaida whipped her body around to look at Enzo in his eyes. "He needs to be challenged more often. He needs to be put in his place. I was always your mate. You told me you didn’t care if I was dragonless or powerful. I was your mate, and you’d treasure that. He took that away from us. I wonder how many others he has controlled to reject their mate and choose another."

Enzo frowned at her. "Not something I want to think about, honestly."

"Well, maybe you should. If this has happened before, our people need to be in better hands. He should not be able to override what The Great Dragon has planned for us."

"It’s not like it worked. I still only wanted you. It wasn’t successful if he tried to command me to love another the way he commanded me to reject you. I turned down the rest of the daughters and then demanded to return to you."

"That’s my point. It didn’t work on you, but what if it’s worked on others? What if he’s manipulated the game since he has learned of his power? What if it hasn’t stopped at just mated pairs? What else has he controlled?"

Enzo smiled at her before wrapping her up in his arms. He kissed her neck where his mark had been and then nuzzled into her. Kaida melted into his touch, feeling her rising temper fizzle out. She wanted to be mad about it but didn’t see a point. It was speculation, what she was asking, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t look into it.

"This is why I fell so hard, so fast. The mate bond was just a bonus."

"How so?"

"It’s the way you care about your people. That could be your family, friends, or even someone you just met and took a liking to. You picked up the chocolate after the girls knocked it all down, even though you’re considered royal, and most would find that beneath them. You protected Azulia’s shop from someone on the verge of losing control. Yes, I heard about that from Arlo. You love fiercely and deeply. That’s why you’ve chosen to have Plasma and are destined to sit on the throne. Our kingdom needs someone like you who cares enough to find out about any threat to them."

Kaida looked up into his eyes and smiled. This was what she always wanted in a mate. Someone devoted to her and who loved her for her. Their bond filled with their love for one another before she lifted herself to plant her lips on his. The sparks she felt ignited inside her as he deepened the kiss that flowed through her body and had her toes curling. He grabbed her lip with his teeth, and it sent a shiver down her spine. The fire inside his eyes made her push against his chest so she could return to bed.

Enzo caught her intentions and grabbed her ass to lift her into the air. Her back hit the bed, and then, in the next second, his mouth was on hers. The feeling of his hand wandering around her body, looking for the crease to remove her dress, had a fire inside her stomach for him to find it. The expert use of his tongue distracted her. Kaida had her hand on the back of his neck, threading her fingers through his hair as he deepened his kiss and thrust his hips against hers. Even through all the fabric, she could feel his hardness as it rubbed against the sensitive area between her legs. The dress was flowy, just enough for her to be able to move her leg to widen her hips. Enzo growled against her lips and nipped at her bottom lip.

"Take it off," Enzo demanded as he pushed himself off her.

Kaida pushed herself to a seated position and unclasped the fabric from the front. Kaida watched Enzo flick his wrist toward the side of the room where a fireplace was built. She must have missed it when her attention focused on the clouds above them. A small bolt of lightning flew out of his fingers and ignited the logs on fire from the sparks. The room grew warm from the flames as Kaida unclasped the last part of the fabric from the right side to expose her almost naked body. Azulia designed the dress to be worn without a bra. The only thing she had left was a vibrant purple, lacy pair of boy shorts. Wearing a dress, the G-string wasn’t an option.

Enzo’s eyes stared at the panties while he slowly undressed. Kaida noticed how chiseled Enzo was from head to toe. Nothing about him said weak about his form. Like a statue of Pearler’s human form in one of the castle’s courtyards, Enzo looked as if he was carved from marble. Kaida approached him, pressing her hand against him. The last time they were intimate, she could not appreciate how gorgeous he was and enjoy touching him. This time, she refused not to take advantage of this.

Every part of him was as hard as a rock. Kaida loved the feeling of the heat from his body and the electricity that sparked between them any time they touched.

"Get on the bed."

Kaida smirked and did what she was told. Once on the bed, Kaida kept herself upright by leaning on her elbows. Enzo’s eyes scanned her from head to toe. She knew he admired her the way she did him. With a blink of her eye, Enzo was on top of her and spreading her legs so he could fit between her. With one thrust, he was inside of her. She felt her walls expand to accommodate him as he held the backs of her knees. Her hips lifted off the bed slightly so when he rocked his hips, he could slide deeper. The orgasm came so quickly that Kaida cried out until her throat felt scratchy. With every thrust, a new wave rocked through her.

With one quick movement, Kaida was lifted into the air as Enzo sat on the bed. Her knees were on either side of him, allowing her to take control. Enzo held onto her hips, but Kaida rocked herself to find the spot again. It didn’t take long before she felt the coil inside her stomach. She held onto Enzo’s shoulders as she found her rhythm. Enzo groaned as her climax built. Kaida crashed her lips against his, their lips in a frenzy as they rocked each other just right. They moaned together, becoming louder with every thrust of their hips. Kaida lifted her hip just a little more, and the orgasm tightened the muscles in her legs, and then she felt herself on her back again. Enzo began slamming himself into her, intensifying the orgasm until she saw spots. Their moans filled the room as they came undone.

Enzo collapsed next to her and then pulled Kaida against him. She nuzzled into his neck and breathed in the scent of fresh air after a rainstorm. Enzo’s chest rumbled as he kissed her forehead.

"I love you."

Kaida didn’t hesitate, "I love you, too."

"We need to wash up before we go to dinner."

Ugh. And here I thought we could stay in the room to do that some more.