Page 31 of Trial By Fire

CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR

CORDELIA

Ifollow behind my mates. My focus is singular. Dravyn. His life hangs in the balance as we fly as fast as we can. Torin’s Dragon cradles him gently between his talons, they’re sharp like knives, yet Dravyn lays there peacefully, as if he is resting on a pillow. The landscape whips by so fast I fail to notice anything around me. Trees, rivers, homes, and flat planes. I ignore it all, my eyes trained ahead on automatic pilot as I sit back and let my Dragon guide me.

Before long, a wall of snow-caped mountains comes into view. I don’t allow my mind to wonder about how tall they are. I don’t give myself over to any thought as we land. We shift back to two legs. All of us naked. Torin holds Dravyn in his arms, Gale waits for me to walk in front of him, they form a protective triangle around me.I don’t need protecting,I think to myself. I ignore the cold, letting my fires warm me from the inside as we walk up a smooth worn path. A large cave entrance comes into view. Symbols that I don’t know light up as we approach, as if it is welcoming our arrival. A part of me wants to be curious, to question, to explore, but I push that part of me down. I can’t allow myself to think, thinking means feeling, feeling means remembering. I don’t want to remember. I allow myself to feel numb, at least in this state I can focus.

The dark cave is bigger than I expected, but I realize that this is the entrance. The path continues in various directions, so I can only guess this place is massive. More symbols light up all around us, blues, reds, greens, and golds flickering, glowing luminescent. It’s beautiful, I want to touch the walls, find out its origins, and give in to the wonder of this place. I keep walking.

A hand strokes my arm, offering me comfort. I look into the eyes of my green-eyed mate, his dimple greets me with a soft smile, but I don’t let myself smile back. I can’t, not now. Gale. I’ve missed his laugh. My body tries to betray me, my heat is far from over, but I push it down.

Dravyn. I look away from Gale, but he stays close, my eyes focus on the limp arm hanging by Torin’s side. I don’t seek out his thread that binds us through our bond. I’m too afraid that it’s gone. We need to get there. I let that thought carry me forward. I pick up the pace, willing the others to do the same, as if I know the way I let my body guide me. An archway comes into view as I round a corner. The same lights from the entrance greet me as I look over my shoulder, Adrian beckons me to keep going, letting me know without words that this is where we need to be. I sigh, letting a little bit of oxygen into my lungs. The tension in my body releases just a fraction as Torin takes the lead again.

“Welcome, Queen Cordelia.” Three women approach, one takes Torin by the arm and leads him toward the large, subterranean lake. All three of them have long white hair, so long it almost touches the floor. They wear long translucent robes, with white bands woven around their bodies for modesty. Their ages are unknown, but they feel infinite. I redirect my eyes, not liking the way they see straight through me. I look toward the lake. The water’s a clear shimmering blue. I can feel its power, it calls to me. It is a part of me, I am a part of it. It is where they chose me.Wait. Who are they?I question my inner voice, not knowing where the thought came from.

“You are correct, my queen,” the woman in front of me speaks. Her milky white eyes look at me and through me at the same time. Now that we were here and I knew they were taking care of Dravyn, I relax a bit. I allow myself to speak as I watched them strip him of his tattered clothes.

“You can read my thoughts?” I ask her, but the one who spoke before was not the one who answers. The woman next to her picks up where the other left off.

“We did. You’ve been lost to us a long time.” She pauses and looks at the woman next to her. Something passes between the two of them. When they both come to some silent agreement, they nod their heads before turning back to me in unison. “But that is a discussion for another time. Your mind is troubled,” she says with a sad smile.

I want to question them and ask what all of this means. But right now, it’s too big. I look around them and watch as Torin guides Dravyn into the water, the other woman floats out along with him. Her hands touch his temple, her eyes are closed as she speaks softly, words I can’t hear. The women in front of me steps aside, almost instinctively knowing I need to go to him. I join the others as they stand at the edge of the lake.

“He was attacked by Wraiths, they’re vicious creatures and can suck out your very soul,” she says while she looks directly at me. We will need to keep him with us until he awakes. His Dragon has awakened, thanks to your father. He’s already on the road to healing.” The mention of my father is like a stab through the heart, a crack in my armor. “We will do what we can to help him heal further, my queen.”

I back away, nodding my head, knowing that they will do what they promise. I don’t know where I’m going, but I slowly walk backwards, my eyes on Dravyn. I know in my heart he will come back to me. He did promise. I turn and run.

“You will return when your spirit is clear. We will tell you more then.” All three women’s voices echo behind me as I try to find my way out of the cave.

“Cordelia, baby, wait!” Adrian calls out behind me. I need to flee. The crack in my armor is spreading wide. I run toward the entrance, needing to breathe and needing to be in the air. Strong arms catch me, wrapping around me tight, his scent, amber and musk, make my knees buckle.

“What do you need?” Adrian’s lips hover near my ears. I can hear the others join us and I bite back a sob.

“I don’t want to remember,” I say softly. “I want to forget, just for a while,” I plead, sliding out of Adrian’s arms. I step away and face all three of them.

“Make me forget.” I close my eyes, and I welcome my shift. I let my Dragon take over. I give myself over to her and allow her instincts to guide us. She pushes off the ground and climbs high into the sky. We circle overhead, I take a backseat in her consciousness, and I watch as she calls to her mates. Her roar is loud and resounding, it echos off the mountains around us. They all roar in response. She climbs higher, above the clouds, she flaps her powerful wings, and they give chase. I can feel her delight, to finally be able to fly freely after we were trapped in the Fae lands. I can feel the warmth of her thanks. I smile my first real smile in what feels like forever. They fly like this for a while, reveling in each other's company.

All at once, we all collide, intertwining our wings and tails and cling to each other. How we manage to stay in the air is beyond my knowledge. Fighting for dominance, writhing together, emerald, red, sapphire, and bronze scales weave in and out forming a ball around us. My Dragon roars from the forcefulness of each joining, not one dick but two penetrate her at once. Her pleasure is my pleasure, my mind reels with my newfound knowledge that my mates in Dragon form have two cocks. My eyes are wide with shock as I watch our mating take place. Each one takes turns, no longer fighting, the ball tightens, restrictive, our scales ripple, more pleasure washes over me. Our bond flares to life: stronger, brighter, and solid. It thrums with power. I feel them, my awareness of them is like an awareness of myself. We are one. Our mates roar, all finding a spot to bite down on our hide as they continue to wrap around each other. Suddenly, they break apart from us, my Dragon hums a deep guttural sound as we fly toward the mountains. Climbing higher until they land on a ledge, they all shift, and I follow. Strong, muscular brown bodies greet me. My chest is heaving. Our skin glistens with sweat, and our pupils are blown from lust. I eye each one of them hungrily. I want them. I need them.

“Open the doors, Gale.” Torin’s voice sounds deeper, his cock is already leaking precum as he scoops me up in his arms and holds me tight. I don’t look at the doors we walk through into a cave, but this is a home built within the mountain.

“We are yours for as long as you need us, beautiful,” Torin whispers to me. I ignore the rooms as we walk. My eyes lock with his. His bronze-gold eyes glow and blaze with heat. His lips call to me, and I answer. Pulling his face down to mine, I get lost in his pleasure. My body is laid on cool sheets, and their hands stroke and rub my skin. My heat pushes want and need through me, and I welcome their touch. This is what it’s supposed to feel like. No thoughts, just feelings. Lips kiss mine, and our tongues tangle.

“Let us take care of you,” I hear Gale say from somewhere in the room. I’ve already surrendered myself. I can’t tell who is doing what. Like my Dragon, I let them take their turn. I receive whatever they give me. A mouth sucks on my clit, and another at my nipples, alternating between licking and nipping. I writhe within the sheets, falling over into a blissful oblivion. I moan loudly, and I notice the sound of my voice is foreign to my ears. It’s hoarse from screaming and crying. I can’t think about that now. I want to forget. I don’t want to think. Someone flips me over onto my stomach, and a strong body is waiting underneath me.

“You’re beautiful, I love you,” Gale says. I get lost in his words and the emotion along our bond. His lips brush against mine, and I melt into him. My pussy is seeking relief. I search for his cock, finding it, I lower myself slowly onto him, and we groan together. I need more. I need to forget.

“More,” I whisper. One word means so much. Adrian’s lips find mine, then Gale’s, as I bend forward, moving us gently. Warm hands stroke my ass, and I welcome the lube as it runs down the seam of my cheeks. “Please.” Another word, my monosyllabic ramblings is all I can muster. Torin’s cock slowly enters me. I press myself back, opening myself up to him until his hips are flush against me.

“Are you sure about this, beautiful?” The question breaks my trancelike state. I sway, bracing myself against Gale’s chest as I look into Adrian’s deep brown eyes. My eyebrows lift, of course, I am sure. When I don’t respond, he continues. Torin and Gale don’t move, I scream internally in frustration. I need to forget. “They will both knot in you. Are you sure?” Understanding hits me. He doesn’t want me to get hurt. I’m already hurt. I want to feel it. I need to feel it all.

“I am sure.” Three words. They begin to move as one. All I can do is receive. I feel as if I am unraveling, and slowly piece by piece, they knit me back together. I reach out and take Adrian’s cock in my hands, stroking him in time with Gale and Torin's strokes inside me. Bending myself further I swallow his length until he hits the back of my throat. His hands grab my hair and I let him fuck my mouth. I feel complete, and moan around him, letting him use me. I can feel Gale and Torin’s cocks enlarge inside me. I know what’s coming. I try to prepare myself.

“Did you let Dravyn knot in this gorgeous pussy of yours?” Torin lays a kiss on my spine. I only bob my head in response. “Good, then we don’t have to be gentle.” They both push past my barriers at the same time. I scream around Adrian’s cock as their cocks lock themselves inside. The intensity of the pain is short-lived as pleasure quickly soothes the ache. A hand finds my clit and pinches it hard. I explode into a thousand particles and reshape and reform as my orgasm hits me. They continue to grind inside of me until they both find their release. Every movement has me coming apart. Adrian pounds my mouth, tears run down my eyes as I struggle to breathe. So full. I am lost, and I don’t want to be found as he roars my name, spilling himself down my throat. I take it all, sucking it all down until there is nothing left. He pulls away, and my lips release his cock with a loud pop.

“I love you, Cordelia,” I let his tender words wash over me as I come again. Moaning, screaming, my voice almost gone from overuse. Knotted between Gale and Torin, who are panting from our joining, I let it all go. Their seed spills inside of me over and over again. I think of nothing else but them, us, together. I finally collapse, and Gale wraps his arms around me. I don’t know how long we stay knotted together, but eventually they ease themselves out of me. Warm washcloths clean my body, but sleep doesn’t come. We lay in a tangled nest of arms and limbs, their need to be near me as they all try to hold me.

“I’m never letting you out of my sight again,” Torin mumbles sleepily as he tucks me under his chin. I lay there between them, wide awake. I listen to their heavy breathing, all three of them sleeping soundly. Then and only then do I let the cracks truly open. I cry silently, wiping away my tears, and purging my body. My final release. I cry for my father, the man I barely got to know. I cry for Ms. Banks, who took care of me in her own way for so many years. I cry for my birth mother, a woman who only wanted the best for me, who I never got to meet. I cry for my heart mom, how I yearn to crawl up next to her and seek out her comfort. I cry for my mates, for every horrible thing that has happened to them. I cry for Arcadia, even now, I can feel the land calling for me to help. I silently reassure it that I will. Tomorrow. I will right as many wrongs as I can. My mates and I will fix what can be fixed. My father’s words echo in my mind. His final request.Heal the Realms. Reshape them, rewrite the way we live. No longer separate, but together.

With tomorrow comes my anger, my rage, and most of all, my true vengeance. My power flares to life inside of me promising wrath, blood, and bright white-hot fire.

War is coming...

TO BE CONTINUED

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