Page 15 of Don't Fae With Dragons

“What now?” Port asks after a moment.

I think for a second before saying, “Now, I suppose I have to drink you both under the table.”

They laugh again, and we all finish our glasses of wine together, before pouring more.

It will be a good night.

CHAPTER 10: MILI

Iwake up in the early morning, before the Sun has risen. I stretch beside Aurora just as she’s going to sleep, as usual. Everything feels normal, and there’s a moment of quiet peace before I remember Kar is sleeping in the next room. I push myself up with a start, and Aurora raises an eyebrow.

“Something startle you?” she asks.

I shake my head. “No, it’s –it’s nothing.” But there is something. Yesterday’s sex was quite the experience, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.

Aurora’s eyes harden slightly as she slowly says, “Regretting anything?”

I feel my eyes welling with confusion and shame, and I close them firmly to stop the tears. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I’ve done.” I feel her arm rest on my leg, and I look up at her through my tear-clouded vision.

“Ask him to leave, then, hm? No harm done.” I open my mouth to contradict her; I don’t want to kick out someone in need. She continues, though, “You aren’t meant to be with anyone else – you’re meant to be withme. You’ve only been with women before, anyways. Why change that now?”

For a moment, I feel some quiet discontent at what she’s saying; after all, at least part of it was nice with Kar. It wasdifferent than what I’m used to, but I did orgasm. I think. It wasn’t ... Realm-bending, or anything, but it was about as pleasurable as my intimacy with Aurora usually is. Aurora’s eyes bore into me, though, and after a moment, I nod with forcefully inspired resolve.

“Alright,” I say. “I’ll speak with Kar.”

Aurora smiles broadly, eyes sparkling with wild confidence – as if there’s been a battle, and she’s won. “Good. I’ll see you at twilight, Mili,” she says happily, lying back on the bed to sleep.

Seeing that I’ve been dismissed, I stand and sigh shakily. I sit at my vanity briefly and brush my hair, trying to gather up my thoughts and confidence, and I think back to Aurora’s words. It’s true that so far I’ve mainly been with women, but I like men, some of my best friends are men. I’m trying to think who do I know that’s a man, present company excluded of course. Not Kar, someone in town, hmmm who else. I guess not many.

I finally get up from the vanity and walk out to the living room.

I scan the bookshelf and feel relieved to note it hasn’t been disturbed. Kar’s still asleep on the loveseat when I walk in, and I note the grimace on his resting face. He twitches quietly in his sleep, and I go to wake him up.

“Kar,” I whisper, shaking his shoulder gently. “You’re dreaming.”

His eyes shoot open, bloodshot and crazed-looking, and I leap back as he flings himself at me. I roll out of the way as he lunges, his long fingernails looking horribly claw-like as he attacks. He recovers quickly, pulling himself into a sitting squatand staring at me. He pants wildly and his back arches as he prepares to leap again.

“Kar!” I cry out. “It’s me, it’s Mili! You were having a nightmare.”

He cocks his head to the side, and a vision of him as an owl hunting a mouse in the night sky flickers in my mind. I shiver at the thought, but lift my hands up to show that I mean no harm. A split second later, his eyes soften and he drops out of his offensive stance.

“Mili,” he whispers. “I’m –I’m so sorry.”

I smile, still half-terrified, and reply, “It’s okay.” I don’t ask him, but I’m curious what he was dreaming about that was so violent.

He stands slowly and holds a hand out for me to take. After he pulls me up, he envelops me in a cool hug, his cold hands pressing into my back. He kisses me on the forehead, then pulls back to face me.

“Thank you for waking me. I was – it wasn’t a good dream.”

I let out a soft laugh. “No, I’d imagine not.”

He nods, still looking a bit frenzied, and I motion for us both to sit on the loveseat. His eyebrows furrow, as if he can already feel what I’m going to say, but he sits.

“Kar,” I start, “I have to speak with you about last night.”

His eyebrows pull even tighter together, and his mouth turns downward. “What about?” He smirks, then, and says, “You seemed to have had a lovely time. I felt your thighs quake – I know you came for me.”

I blush at the memory; I suppose Ididcome with him. I didn’t expect to, which is part of what makes this all so confusing. The more time passes since we had sex, though, the more clear my memory becomes. It wasn’t Kar that I was coming for, not really. I remember sensing someone ... different, even while Kar was inside of me.

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