Page 58 of The Exiled Dragon

This was for her and her alone. Many nights I thought about what I would do if I were granted such a gift as a mate. This day should have never come, yet here she was dancing before me. Her soft hips rolled, and her arm freely waved into the air, as if she were a Siren in the sea. I captured her waist, pulling her back close to my torso. Swaying my hips with hers in the music's beat, she followed eagerly, finally turning around and pressing her ample teats next to my chest. My hands roamed her body, my Dragon taking over. My tail had already emerged, wrapping tightly around her ankle.

I dipped and twirled her, just as the Elves did with their mates. Odessa tried to dance away, but I always pulled her back so my nose could nuzzle into her neck. Her soft moans, her hands behind my head, had me capturing her lips. Her warm mouth tasted of the ambrosia she had drank, my tongue tasting every corner of her mouth.

“Creed.” Her eyes clouded with desire while my hands roamed her back, feeling the two dimples that had me constantly circling. My mouth didn’t let go, becoming hungry. I pulled her around my waist. The music sped up. Bodies danced around us in erotic waves of tension.

My Dragon vibrated, smelling the heat of her arousal even with the many bodies that trailed their own scents. Many Elves dispersed, but Odessa paid no mind as the music finally came to a stop. We were in our own world and didn’t care about anything else. The fire continued to roar into the minutes we now sat kissing by the fire.

It was the perfect moment I always wanted; to feel included, loved, and most of all, have a mate I never thought I would have. My fawn curled up in my lap, her eyes growing heavy from the ambrosia slowly leaving her body.

“It’s so beautiful here,” she whispered. “I never would have thought that just seven months ago, but it really is. The best part about it, though, is you are here. I would have sat in darkness for much longer if I knew you were on the other side waiting for me.”

I craved to tell her with my voice that I loved her, not that voice of my Dragon. The many things I would say to her, such as how beautiful she was, and how I did not deserve such a mate. How her body makes me feel things I’ve never felt or understood and how I was relying on my Dragon to show me the way.

My fawn’s body became limp, her head lulling into my shoulder. As much as I wanted to make love to her, it had been a long day. I had also wanted to mate with her in our nest, the one I had meticulously renovated since she had arrived in my life. Many more furs for comfort, my most prized possessions around the bed. If I was a rich Dragon, I would have the finest jewelry hung with care. She would pick whatever she wanted to wear every morning.

However, all I had were the snow-white furs, several broken pieces of mirrors, and my traditional decorative weapons. My nest proved to be subpar than that of my brother and Amora’s, but it was the best I could give.

Razak trotted up next to us, his head pushing under my elbow. His gentle whine, nudging Odessa, had her bury her nose further into my chest. Looking up into the sky, the translucent leaves, now parted since the rain had left earlier today, showed the blue moon in the sky. I wanted to pray to the Goddess for blessing me with Odessa, but technically, she wasn’t supposed to be mine.

She was to be with another, and I thanked Hades I found her first.

Picking her up tenderly, I carried her to the platform of our temporary nest. It was small and in a traditional ‘bed,’ as the Elves called it. Only a few furs and a cotton padding shielded us from the wooden table. Odessa’s eyes were adorned with the beautiful paints. Her beautiful skin was marred with the gold paint.

I hesitated, wanting to find my name amongst the tangles. Waiting, I smiled to myself. I’d wait until dawn when she was ready for me to trace every inch of her body and find it. Placing my forehead to hers, I kissed her lips. Her body immediately reacted, wanting to come closer.

Tucking her in tightly, like a newborn fledgling, I took my leave from the bed. It was now time to find out what black magic had been cursed upon me. Leaving my vest on the nearby chair and watching Razak curl up beside her, I shut the door, hoping to return a new Dragon.

***

I kept quiet, trampling through the fallen leaves. The soil was thick between my toes as I entered the small clearing where I had met Glinda on my first day. There she stood, in her black cloak with the golden swirls. Three other figures with the same cloaks stood close by.

“He’s here,” she whispered. They all took off their hoods. They had similar facial features— small faces and overworked hands. As I entered, they all wore smiles. “These are my sisters. Gloria, Gemma, Genesis. We are going to combine our powers to relieve you of this black magic. It is strong and it will be difficult to rid of your body.” I towered over the four. They all stood back a few steps.

“I think we may need another. Would our brother come?” Genesis spoke.

Glinda shook her head. “No time. There is a war upon us, and Creed and Odessa are right in the middle of it. If he is to protect the humans, he needs to have this removed.” Glinda began dropping salt into a large circle around the group. “There is only one thing I ask, Black Dragon.” Her body shook as she completed the circle. “That once the war begins, know that not all Vampires, Witches, and Sorcerers are evil. There may be few of us, but we remain loyal to the Cerulean Moon Kingdom and the Golden Light Kingdom.”

I bowed my head, crossing my arm over my chest. The rest of the Witches visibly sighed with relief. “Thank you,” they all whispered separately.

“Now, another gift.” Glinda held a vial attached to a necklace. Beckoning me to bow, I held my head over so she could place it around my neck. “This potion will give you an hour, maybe two, of regaining your voice.” My eyes widened, my hand gripping the vial like a precious gem. “There are no more of the flowers to create a potion powerful enough to permanently fix your voice, but I’m sure Odessa would love to hear your words leave your lips, even if it was for a few hours.”

I purred; my Dragon pleasantly appreciative of such a gift. My hands gripped hers and had them touch my forehead. A sign of alliance and friendship. She smiled widely for the first time, now pulling me to the center of the circle.

“Please lay down here, in the circle,” Laying on my back, I stayed perfectly still as the sisters gripped their hands together, all looking at one another and then at me.

“Be prepared for some pain, Creed. We are going to rip the black magic from your soul.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Creed

Myhandwentupto scratch my face as some salt spread around my body and tickled my nose, only to find that my hands were stuck to the ground. “For your protection.” Glinda stirred something in a small bowl in her hand. “You cannot move, and try your best to control your Dragon. We will bypass him and go straight for your soul. He protects you. He will want to fight back. We’ve also put a shield around the area, just in case he makes his presence known.”

The more Glinda talked, the more I became troubled. My Dragon could hear everything she was saying, and being restrained was enough to stir his concern. He was an animal, not completely understanding that another species would help us. Our kind pushed us away, and we had been alone for too long for him to understand the help we were about to receive.

“Ready,” one of her sisters said. Three of the others gathered their hands together while Glinda chanted foreign words. Her words became powerful until she dipped her finger into a black sludge that clung to her finger. Kneeling beside my body, she took her finger and positioned it over my heart. “Goddess Hecate, I provoke thee.” Her finger hitting my chest felt not of fire but a freezing sensation pulled deep within me.

Glinda spread as her finger did circles. “Sisters, circle the Dragon and me.” All the sisters strategically placed themselves so they were holding hands. My heart was in the middle of their circle. Again, Glinda chanted, now pouring the rest of the tar-like liquid on my chest.

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