Chapter 34

Chapter

Thirty-Four

Rose

By the time we arrived at Magnus's home, I felt like my skin was stretched too tight. I'd lost track of time and all I could think about was lying down and taking a nap.

"If I look as bad as I feel, I'm sorry," I whispered, collapsing onto the first chair that I came across inside. As much as I wanted to look around and explore his private space, the nausea rolling through me would not allow it.

Magnus smiled softly. "It's partially the effects of the glamour spell. It takes more magic than you think to keep it in place and also takes some getting used to. One of the many reasons glamour magic is not my favorite. The fact you aren't sick yet though, is a good sign."

"Oh great. Nice to know it could be worse." I pressed my head against the back of the chair and kept my eyes squeezed shut. I hadn't mentioned yet that the room was spinning, but as long as I couldn't see it, then it wasn't actually happening.

Magnus disappeared into another room but returned moments later with a glass of water in hand. "Here drink this. Until you get used to the magic in your body and all around you, you should pay careful attention to staying hydrated.”

I sat up to drink and he crouched down next to me and brushed my hair up and over my ears.

"I kind of miss the ears. They were cute."

I smirked at him. "I didn't even get a chance to see them. Or the wings."

"Speaking of. How does your back feel? Any phantom itching?"

I shook my head and downed the rest of the water. "I'm just really tired."

"C'mon." He reached underneath my shoulders and my knees and lifted me into his arms, again acting as if I weighed nothing. Since no one had ever carried me anywhere, I found it the strangest feeling that made my belly swoop each time he did it. "You should nap, but not out here."

"Aww," I frowned. "That was a pretty comfortable spot."

"If you think so, then you're going to love the bedroom. I took more care in how I furnished it, making sure it was perfect for whatever I needed."

"I don't know why, but I assumed you lived in the castle."

"I did. And do at times. I grew up there. And technically, I still have my own wing there. But as big as the castle is, a dragon needs a lot of space and the freedom to turn as much as possible. That's not allowed on castle grounds."

"What? He doesn't allow you to shift?"

He shook his head. "Not unless he needed the dragon for some reason. The king is paranoid and trusts absolutely no one. As long as he had that spell on me, keeping me loyal and available only to him, was an easy enough task. But in general, he was afraid of my power."

"Why? You're family."

Magnus scoffed. "I think family means two very different things to us than it does you. In all the four kingdoms, family are the ones you can practically count on to betray you. Power is an intense motivator and all fae want is more and more of it."

"That sounds selfish and unrealistic. Why do they even want more power? What are they going to do with it?"

"Keep themselves and their families safe from other fae predators, of course."

"Ohh." Okay, maybe they weren't all selfish. "But your uncle never felt that way? He never tried to protect you? Even when you were growing up?"

"Don't get me wrong. He did sort of protect me. My brute strength and fire-breathing capabilities in the wrong hands would be disastrous for everyone. But his schemes and plans had to be protected. He made it very clear I was his guard dog, and as such, I needed to learn and keep my place. To help anyone else was tantamount to treason and punishable by death no matter who I was."

My stomach churned again. With every new detail, my anger for his uncle grew exponentially. And so far, the rest of the realm was not making me love my decision to come here. Although from everything that I’d seen, there were small glimpses of what could be or what hid behind some of the darkness.

While Magnus had to deal with the underbelly of the realm his whole life, it sounded like there were plenty of other places not as infected by the King's poisonous way of ruling.

There were good people here. I believed that with my whole heart no matter what happened. And I'd be lying if I wasn't dying to explore magic and science here as well. I was convinced they could go together.

When Magnus set me down on his bed, my eyes were already wide with the sumptuous space. To my surprise, it wasn't a big room at all. There would be no dragon shifting in here.

It was also dark like a cave, despite how light it was outside. Thanks to dark green paneled wood walls and heavy velvet curtains, it would be easy to rest in here at any time of the day or night.

The chandelier hanging over the bed was as ornate and intricate as any I'd ever seen, and the piles of thick, furry blankets made for a completely lush experience that I was never going to want to leave.

I grabbed at the blankets and pillows and immediately began piling them around me. "My goddess, this bedding is the most luxurious thing I've ever felt on my skin. I can't get enough of it."

"When you spend a lot of time alone, you tend to surround yourself with all of your favorite things."

I froze at his words. Was he in my head? "I'm not sure I can picture you all alone for very long," I said absently, pulling more of the blankets around me. I could already feel the pull of sleep coming closer as I did.

"Ahh. That's where you're wrong. Dragons don't play well with others at all. We spend lots more time hunting and hoarding treasure than we do with people."

"You keep your treasure here? What kind of treasure?" I asked sleepily.

"Well, at the moment, you are my treasure. I'm going to hoard and keep you."

"That sounds a little stalkery," I laughed. "Are you going to lock me up too?"

"Call it what you like. But I will keep you here if that's what it takes to ensure you're safe."

I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open, but that didn't mean I couldn't issue a warning. "Magnus, if you try to lock me up or hide me away, you should know that I will poison you in your sleep."

"You could try, but you won't find any valerian here."

A small smile crept across my face. "Don't forget, I am a botanist, and I was raised by a bonafide kitchen witch. I guarantee I could find something that would do the job."

Finally, his smirk faltered, and I beamed because of it. While he was busy making assumptions about what was going on between us, it was important for him to remember that I wasn't a pushover. "You should see the look on your face. It's priceless. And while I may be swayed by your antics in the bedroom, it doesn't put you in charge of all things me. We're either in this together as a team, with both of us making decisions, or we're nothing."

His eyes widened, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. And while I knew that was short-lived and that my dragon-man, as Ensley so succinctly put it, would never be a docile creature, I got the impression he was definitely listening.

"Point taken, my little dark fae." He settled down on the bed next to me and pulled me against his body. As much as I enjoyed the luxurious bedding, nothing could compare to the warmth of him. And the safety I felt nestled in his arms. Not that I intended to say that to him out loud. His ego was already big enough. And I'd always believed that actions spoke louder than words anyways. No matter how cheesy that sounded the multitude of times I heard that from my mother...

Sadness blanketed me. The woman we'd confronted just a few days ago had been so different from the woman I'd grown up with. Her interest in my well-being had seemed functional, not motherly. And all the logic in the world about how she'd dedicated her life to protecting me didn't make me feel an iota better about it all.

Magnus suddenly lifted and leaned over me. "What's wrong? You're shaking."

"Nothing. I don't know. Just thinking about home and everything I left behind." I had a hunch while some of my emotions were processing, there would be others that would catch me off guard.

"Do you regret coming here with me?" he asked quietly. Almost reverently. I could feel the tension in his voice and it chipped away at my heart. There was a need in him that pulled at me.

"I don't regret anything. I'm annoyed that you weren't completely honest with me but any decision, rash or not is worthy of my belief in it. It was made for a reason."

"You're such a noble little thing. You would make an excellent queen."

I reared back so I could see his face, and the seriousness of it shocked me. "Why would you say that?"

"Because it's true." He pulled me back in his arms and nestled me close again before he continued. "It's simple, really. Your practical mind would serve a kingdom well. Couple that with your kindness and desire to learn and I believe you are the perfect combination for a queen."

"That's quite a compliment. Although I am not looking to be a ruler. I lack the knowledge of the realm and the experience. I'm afraid I would make a mess of things."

"And that is why you would be perfect. That desire to do a great job is more than anyone can ask for, and it's certainly more than they get right now.”

"I'll have to take your word for it. But honestly, I'd rather hear you talk about something more basic. Will you tell me what it was like growing up here?"

He was silent for so long I wasn't sure he was going to talk at all. But the silence between us wasn't horrible either. With my ear pressed to his chest, I could clearly hear the solid beat of his heart and the steady in and out of his breaths with the occasional rumble of his chest. I imagined that was his dragon. They were one, but they were also two and I had both looking out for me right now.

I found it truly comforting and snuggled closer.

I was drifting towards a deep sleep when he finally spoke.

"You already know time flows differently here than in the human realm, but for me it's been..." He paused. "Well, it feels like a lifetime since I was a dragonling. And the memories are both harsh and vague."

"Because of the time flow?"

"A little. But that doesn't mean you should worry too much. Honestly, you won't notice any difference unless you cross back over."

"How long have we been here?" He didn't ask what I meant, we both knew I was trying to wrap my head around how much time had gone by in the one day we'd been here.

"Several years."

I gasped. I'd known this would happen, but imagining it happen and actually having it happen were two very different things. In a few year’s time, the whole world could have changed. My parents would have moved on by now. Hopefully John got his car back. And my regular customers would have given up on me by now. And my cottage could be gone...

"Don't mourn the loss. Life here can and will be as rich as it would there, I promise. There are so many kinds of people to meet. Magic to learn. Not to mention species of plants I'm sure you've never heard of let alone seen."

He was right, of course. But...

"But none of that can happen if we don't defeat your uncle."

"We will. This has been coming for a very long time. It's time. I can feel it."

"Have you ever fought back before?"

"Yes. When I was younger. I assume that's why he locked me down with a spell. By the time I hit puberty, he could no longer control me. I did what I wanted and when. Fear and beatings only got him so far."

"And yet those are still his weapons of choice. Why didn't you want to stay with your brother?"

"Because he doesn't feel like my brother, and despite everything, this is my home, and I want to be here."

Because of that conviction alone, I wanted to learn everything I possibly could about this realm. But I wanted to see it through his eyes as well as mine.

"Do you have a favorite place to go here?"

He laughed, a lovely low rumble that passed through his chest and against my face, creating a tingle low in my core. "I do," he said. "There are caves that ring the edges of the realm. Some as part of the dark forest and some not. Those ones not in the dark forest led to the most magnificent pool and waterfalls that are more than big enough for a dragon. And on a clear day, the water sparkles and teems with magic energy."

"That sounds lovely. Can we go there?"

"Aye. We shall. As soon as we possibly can."

The rumble of his voice sent shivers running up and down my spine before moving around to my belly. "I would like that," I gasped.

The slow and low rumble in his chest intensified into a full-on growl. "It's back," he said through a clenched jaw.

"It's okay. I'm fine." These sudden waves of arousal were both a curse and a dream. Having this man's sole focus made for a really good time. But the idea that neither of us had a choice in all of this didn't sit right.

"You will be," he growled, lifting me under the arms and dragging me up the length of his body, setting fire to every nerve ending that rubbed against him. "Put your hands on the headboard," he instructed roughly.

"Why?" I asked, while complying with his request.

"So you have something to hold onto while sitting on my face."

I gasped. "What?" I jerked around to face him. "I can't do that."

"You can and you will. Unless you don't want all the orgasms I have planned for you." He smirked.

Oh Goddess, I could barely breathe. My body was a riot of nerve endings that wanted all of that and more. But my brain thought it was dumb. "Don't we need to rest before we go out and conquer the world?"

"Nothing will make me stronger than making you come. Now get back in place and let me enjoy this while I can."

I gulped at the force of his words. They shouldn't appeal to me half as much as they did. But I could feel the heat of pain building in my womb. I wanted him to bathe me in his cum as much as I wanted to smother him in mine. Every thought now going through my head was filthier than the last and it was perfectly clear as he yanked me right where he wanted me, that it was exactly where I wanted to be too.

And by the time I lost count of my orgasms and passed out from exhaustion, I could hear his dragon purring against my cheek. Only then did I realize there was no better feeling in the world. Being here with him, in this place, was the best decision I could have ever made.