5. Tori

"S

o, this is him?" Jun gently reached out and stroked the scales on Abraxas' side.

"Yes, turns out the DragonKing is actually a dragon." I placed my hand next to his.

"That's not what I mean, and you know it." My brother shot me a scowl, and I couldn't help but laugh. How often had I given that same look to Abraxas? Hell, to everyone? The laughter died quickly.

"How could you know about us, Jun? You had that collar long before we… well… before we were anything." I was unable to imagine what being controlled in such a way would have been like, so I didn't want to push and make him relive it so soon.

AsI feared, the dark circles under his eyes seemed to grow, and his face grew pale, but he linked his finger to mine, and it was steady.

"The collar… it made everything like a dream. WhenI obeyed Hadeon, it was like being drunk on ambrosia, out of control, but nothing hurt. But when I disobeyed… there was nothing but pain."

Iremembered the throne room and the small look of defiance in his eyes. What had that cost him? He squeezed my finger tighter.

"And you fought back. You disobeyed."

Hisfree hand went to his neck, rubbing where the collar had been. "Not as much as I wanted. I was never as strong as you were, Tori. In that strange reality, sometimes I even convinced myself I could hear your voice telling me to fight back. But it hurt too much, and eventually, I just stopped."

Isqueezed his finger back. "You know I was only strong because I had you, Jun. No one could have fought off an enchantment like that. I'll tell you what we had to do to get it off you another time." I gave him a small smile, hoping to lighten his mood, but it didn't work. His face grew even more grim.

"He wanted to do the same to you. I heard him. He even had the collar made… Pallas told me, but she promised she wouldn't let that happen."

Helooked over his shoulder at the woman, who was dozing by the fire that still flickered from our dinner. A bit of his smile returned.

"Is she a..." It didn't feel right to say "lover,"even though I very much wanted to know. But his skin grew even paler as his forehead became sweaty. My heart stopped. I hadn't let myself think about how Hadeon had called Jun his lover, not that anyone controlled like he was could ever be that. The thought filled me with so much rage that I could feel it shaking the earth beneath my feet. That wasn't fair to Jun. He was the one who had suffered, and my outrage didn't help him.

Iwanted to loop my arm over his shoulders and hold him tight, but I resisted. "I'm sorry I asked. We don't have to talk about it. If you want to, when you"re ready, we can. But for now, perhaps a bit more rest? We are going to try to get out of here tomorrow."

Jundidn't speak again but nodded and made his way to lie down next to Pallas. They didn't touch, but she rolled over, so their pinkies were intertwined as they lay side by side.

Ineeded rest as well. I could feel the exhaustion of everything weighing on me. But instead of approaching the fire, I simply pressed my back against Abraxas' hard side and slid down so I was cradled in the crook of his arm.

"Good night, my DragonKing."

The ocean of my mind ebbed calmly. But it glowed that mystic blue of the wild spring. I landed on the shore, but I was also in the cavern, the ocean becoming the spring that glowed softly. I knew it wasn't real since I couldn't focus on anything, and my surroundings shifted with my thoughts. So, a dream then? I sat where I had fallen asleep, but there was no fire, and no one lay around it. I leaned back into the hard scales of Abraxas' side, only to find a cool, soft body instead.

Abraxaswrapped his arms around me and whispered in my ear, "It's good to see you, little bird."

Ispun around, and there he was, just as I remembered him. Just a fae man, his ears pointed and his smile wicked. His long silver-white hair ran down over his bare shoulders, and I saw the scars from our fight with the Nalle across his chest.

Heraised his hand up and cupped my face. "Aren't you happy to see me too, Tori?"

Ipunched him right in the face.

Helet out a pained groan, but I didn't stop. I slammed him down, but he snagged my wrists and flipped on top of me.

"YOUASSHOLE!" I rammed my feet into his stomach, and he flew back as I scrambled up. I lunged at him again, but he easily blocked me, sending my arms off to the side. His viridian eyes twinkled, and it only pissed me off more. "You absolute asshole! Why didn't you tell me? You said we had no secrets, and now… now…"

Heblocked my blows, and I could hear an occasional muffled groanwhen one landed, but he was laughing now. "I'm dying, Tori. Be gentle with me."

Islammed my fist into his chest, and tears streamed from my eyes. "You can't, you liar. You can't die." I collapsed, my face pressed to the skin of his chest, sobbing. He wrapped his arms around me and gently stroked my hair.

"I wanted to tell you, my little bird, every single day. It was forbidden. No dragon has ever revealed our ability to shift, not once in all of written history. I couldn't tell you, even if you are my…" he trailed off.

"Say it," I commanded.

Hesighed. "Even if you are my mate."

"You lied to me about that, too. How long did you know?" I lay on his chest for a while, listening to his heartbeat. It was weak, so weak.

"I knew from the moment I set foot in Niata you were my mate. Whatever magic it is that connects us, it must have been bound by the sea and the salt water. But once I touched that land, I knew you were meant to be mine."

Thatstirred something in me, a deep hurt. He was dying, and I didn't know what to do, but still, I found new ways for pain to cut me.

"So, what? AllI've felt was a lie? This was all because of some mystical connection we had no control over."

Helaughed, really laughed then. "The connection may have drawn me to you, and yes, I convinced Hadeon to let me take you to Xyr because of it. But do not think I didn't regret that choice many times over."

Ipushed up off of him. Was he really saying what I thought he was?

Heraised his hand and gently pushed a stray hair back behind my ear. "For a time, I hated you. I hated how weak you made me. I hated how my every waking thought was consumed by you. I hated how when you were near, I couldn't control myself. You possessed me, mind and soul. I hated how I would have done anything, anything, for you to smile at me."

Hehit me with that grin that pulled at my heart, and his eyes sparkled. "BecauseI saw you, Tori. I really saw you, the ferocious, caring, and uncontainable force that you are. How could I not have hated you completely and fallen madly in love with you?" His words soothed my aching heart. "I fell in love with you the moment you held your sword to my throat with that perfect ass planted on my chest, and let me tell you, that had nothing to do with this bond. You were so filled with life and fire, and it reminded me what I was truly fighting for before hatred turned my heart to stone."

Hesqueezed me tight, and I lay my head back down on his chest. "I love you, too, Abraxas." I let myself linger there with those words finally shared between us, and I imagined his heartbeat grew a bit stronger.

"No more lies, Abraxas," I sighed. "Or maybe it doesn't matter. I don't even know if this is real or if it really is just a dream."

Hegripped my face softly, running his thumb over my lips. "Does this feel real?"

Ishivered. "Yes."

Heleaned in. "And what about this?" His lips traced over the sensitive skin of my neck, trailing small kisses up and down.

"Yes."

Hishands came up, gentle at first, caressing around my waist. His fingers trailed lightly over my skin; the sensation was almost unbearable as he traveled over my ribs. But then his thumb traced the curve under my breast, and I felt my nipples peak.

"Is this really the time for this, Abraxas?" I was still mad at him, but that feeling was quickly melting away into something much more primal.

"I can think of no better time, my little bird." He didn't have to say the rest. This might be the last time. My eyes pricked with tears, and I refused to accept it. I found his lips with mine. He tasted real, and the warmth of his lips and tongue pushed away the chill that still gripped my heart. I weaved my fingers through the long silver locks of his hair, pulling him even tighter to me.

Hishand encompassed my breast, and he teased me by tracing around my nipple gently but never giving me that pressure I craved. I growled at him, and he chuckled, "Impatient princess."

Itraced my hands over the planes of his chest, letting my fingers caress every line of him and running along the scar that wrapped around his ribs. I placed my lips on the pulse that beat under the skin of his neck. I pushed my hips into him. His responding hardness had my own arousal growing, and I ground down harder until I had him whimpering beneath me.

Theworld seemed to swirl. I could still see him, but I could feel the damp warmth of the cave as well, the grass pressing against my face. "I think I'm waking up."

Hegrowled and grabbed me by the back of my neck, spinning us and pinning me under him. "I'm not letting you go yet, Tori." Our mouths crashed together, and our hands moved with a new desperation. The real world faded away, and I just focused on him, forcing myself to only feel his weight and the smooth sensation of his skin.

Weripped off the rest of our clothes, and I felt the velvet hardness of him press against my cunt, my arousal coating him. He ground into me, his teeth scraping over the skin of my shoulders. I lifted my hips to him, and we fit together perfectly.

Ifelt his hands move up the inside of my arms until his fingers were tracing the grooves of my palm. Then he tightly wove his fingers through mine, holding me to the ground as he thrust into me. Each meeting of our hips brought me one step closer to the edge, that beautiful golden light threading between us. He released one hand to run it down my side, over my hip, and down my thigh. He pulled my knee up along his side, and he shifted himself deeper inside me. The new position had him hitting that place that had me seeing stars.

"Abraxas…" that delicious tension was building in me, but I could feel the world swirling again, trying to rip one more thing away from me. I closed my eyes, trying to stay in that place, when his lips met mine.

"Tori, my love, look at me." I opened my eyes, and his face was so beautiful. His skin was flushed with effort and arousal; his soft lips parted as he moaned. I kissed them, swallowing the sound.

"Stay with me, Abraxas." I ran my fingers through his hair, down his back, feeling the muscles pulse with each agonizing thrust. He tightened the grip of his fingers on mine in time with the drive of his hips.

"Until the sky burns, Tori." He held my hip tight, his fingers commanding the skin and flesh beneath them, as he slid into me with relentless force, and I was lost. That golden light that lived between us became the stars in the sky, and I was floating in my body, my climax weaving itself into every muscle and nerve. I moaned his name over and over, and I felt him shudder along with me. Before we could come down together and I could revel in the feeling of him in my arms, he was gone.