Page 48 of The Rowan's Stone
“Mercy,” he spits out with fists clenched at his sides.
She slowly backs away and lowers her sword, but not her guard. He isn’t the type to surrender, and she knows it now.
With a roar, he shifts to his dragon and charges her. The cadre runs up beside me, ready to intervene, but I know we can’t, and I know she can defeat him.
Fire shoots out of his mouth, but she stands there with her shield intact and not a single flame touches her. Using witchfire, she returns his fire with a volley of her own, searing him down to the bone.
“Damn it, I don’t want to have to kill you,” she screams at him, but he doesn’t listen.
Surprisingly, the crowd is strangely silent. The lack of honor he displayed when he shifted to his dragon turned them against him. When he scans the crowd for approval, they stand and turn their backs on him. It’s the worst insult you can give to a dragon, and it’s the last straw.
With one last roar, he lays a stream of fire on her, and she hunkers down, waiting him out. When he takes a breath, she throws one large ball of witchfire at him, and it burns through his scales and incinerates his heart instantly. He turns to ash, and a second later, he’s gone.
An anguished roar comes from the far end of the field, and in a flash, his brother is charging her. Like me, he can wield all three powers, and he’s aiming all three at Arden.
“Daire!” I shout. Knowing he will grab Arden, I run toward the rampaging dragon, shifting on the fly. A blur paces alongside me, grabbing Arden out of the path of the dragon just in time.
The dragon roars with frustration when he finds Arden gone. He looks at me, and hesitates, but I can see the moment he makes up his mind to take me out. He’s been waiting a long time for this opportunity, but I’ve been trying to avoid it, hoping he would take a different course. I didn’t want to kill another dragon, but Arden was right today—honor is non-negotiable, and he has none.
With the roar of kings, I let him make the first move. He decides to use shadow and ice, instead of fire like his brother. He’s used to fighting dragons who don’t have the three powers, and it shows. Ice appears beneath my feet, but with a little heat, I melt it easily. His shadows slither across, trying to find vulnerable spots within my scales, but my shadows are there to meet them, shredding them instantly. I whip my body around and use my tail like a sword, striking him across the face, and before he can regroup, I crash into him and hold him close. Bringing my talons up, I heat them with my flame until they’re forged iron spikes, and I strike hard and fast, ripping his heart out of his chest. With my flame, it burns to a crisp, and he falls to the ground in a pile of ash. The entire battle took five minutes.
Shifting back to human form, I look up at my people in the stands. “Anyone else want to challenge for king today?” I shout, giving them time to come forward.
None do. I can’t say I’m surprised. It’s precisely the reason I ended the battle quickly.
“There’s a lot of change coming to this kingdom. For far too long, I’ve let things slide, but no more. We’re going to find our way forward with honor and integrity. Every law will be thoroughly examined, and together, we will vote on whether to keep it, change it, or abolish it. Obviously, I’ll be abolishing the law against women fighting. I’m sure my mate will agree.” The crowd cheers. “Starting tomorrow, we’re holding elections for new council seats. The seats will be open to both men and women. If you want to be considered, add your name to the ballot. Every seat will be open.” I stare at the two men who argued with me earlier. “And make no mistake, I’m King of Dragons, no one else. You answer to me.”
My gaze finds Arden’s, and she smiles, holds up two fingers, and mouths, “I’m so proud of you.”
For the first time since I took the crown, I’m finally confident I’m the best ruler for this kingdom, not anybody else, and I’m looking forward to the changes coming.
Who knew this day would turn out like it did. Tilting my head, I think about her new seer abilities and her earlier comments. Maybe she did.
* * *
Standingunder the hot spray of the shower, I let the water wash away the dirt and grime from my body. Two dragons, gone and buried. Everything in me wants to feel guilty for not addressing the situation before today, but I refuse to let it get a grip on me. Guilt is the reason I ended up on this path in the first place. If I expect the people to change, I must as well, which means assigning the blame to the ones who made their own choices, but it’s a hard habit to break.
The shower door opening startles me out of my thoughts. My eyes snap open and find Arden waiting for me. She’s breathtaking, from the fire in her eyes, to the flush gracing the tops of her breasts, down to the long legs I can’t wait to feel wrapped tightly around me. I pull her into the shower and shut the door.
“This is a damn fine surprise, lass,” I say gruffly, loving her spontaneity.
“Mmm, I’ve missed you,” she informs me, running her hands over my shoulders. “Looks like you were almost finished, though?”
“There’s not a damn thing that could get me out of this shower now,” I tell her. “Let me take care of you.”
Switching places, I place her under the spray and grab the soap. Lathering my hands, I slowly wash every inch of her body. The soft glide of my slippery hands is mesmerizing, and her silky-smooth skin tempts me too much. After the first path over her entire body, I begin again, but this time, my mouth follows my hands on their journey. Skimming her neck with my lips, I lick and suck, paying close attention to several spots I know are triggers. My hands continue their soapy caress on her breasts as my slick palms rub her nipples lightly until she gasps and arches into my hands, wanting more. My hands close on the plump mounds, cupping and kneading them.
Kneeling, I grip her hips and turn her to wash the soap from her breasts before turning her back around so I can capture them in my mouth. My lips are firm, grasping her nipples, alternately sucking the hard buds into my mouth or running my tongue over them to flatten or flick as I please. I make sure I pay equal attention to each one, and hearing her moans makes me hard as a rock.
Fuck, she’s beautiful. And mine.
Soaping my hands up again, I run them over her sweet ass, kneading each cheek, then down the back of her legs and back up on the inside. Even when she thrusts her hips forward, I ignore her unspoken request and continue repeating the same path.
When I feel her fingers lace through my hair and give it a hard tug, I cup her knee and pull one leg over my shoulder so I can move my mouth from her breasts down her stomach to the nub between her folds. My tongue begins flicking back and forth, waiting for the exact moment when her body tells me it’s ready for more. Her hips thrusts forward, and she opens wider. Capturing her more firmly, my mouth begins sucking and licking, while my fingers plunge into her sweet warmth.
Her hand grips my head, pulling me in tighter, and her sweet moans fill the air. Adding another finger, I curl it up and find the ridged spot guaranteed to bring her over the edge. A few more strokes, and suddenly, I feel her convulsing around my fingers. While waiting for the tremors to stop, I place soft kisses on her stomach.
A few minutes later, I stand, and she pulls me in for a deep kiss. Worshipping her mouth with mine, I kiss her deeply, never letting up. Picking her up, I wait until she wraps her legs around me before turning and placing her back against the tiles. My cock nestles tightly between her folds, and I slide it back and forth, then ease into her, but I don’t thrust. Pulling my mouth from hers, I wait for her eyes to find mine.
