Page 36 of The Dragon Sacrifice

He gestured to the opening, to the blue sky that was visible but beyond their reach. “Our magic extends to here.” His finger dragged an imaginary line across the cave floor several yards back from the mouth of the cave.

“You mean, we can’t go out there?” The disappointment was immediate and crushing. To see the sun, to smell fresh air, but not actually be able to go out?

“The bounds of the curse tie me to this place. If I were to leave, I am not sure what would happen, but it wouldn’t be good. You might be able to make it outside, but we suspect the horde awaits just outside the mouth of the cave. If they caught you, they would surely kill you.”

Seela winced, feeling cold. “Like a bird in a cage who can see outside, but not touch it.” She stared at the blue sky longingly.

Stenton put a soft blanket down, arranging the basket of food on a corner. Together they sat, quietly gazing out at the blue sky. A bird skimmed past the opening, its wings lifting it higher before it disappeared. The pain in Seela’s chest felt like a knife. What she wouldn’t give to float away.

“What does it feel like to fly?” she asked.

Stenton leaned back on his hands, shaking back his shoulder-length hair. “Amazing. Like nothing else in the world. The wind in your wings, dropping and spinning. It’s…” Stenton darted his eyes away as emotion stole onto his face. “It’s been quite a while since I’ve had a proper flight. I’ve mostly forgotten what it’s like.”

Seela nodded, sensing she should not pry further. “Tell me a story about what court was like before… this.”

Stenton grinned. “Now that I can do. It was glorious. You’ve heard of The Castle on the Hill?”

“I’ve heard of it. In children’s stories. I never knew if it was real or not.”

“Oh, it was real.” Stenton’s eyes sparkled at the memory. “It was the most glorious kingdom this world has ever seen, built by the nine dragon lords before the Great War. Everything was gilded in gold, hallways lit by magic, glittering butterflies in the ballroom, swans in the shimmering pond in my father’s gardens. They were legendary.”

“You grew up there?” she asked.

He nodded. “It was a dream. We had everything we ever wanted, and we never appreciated any of it.” His eyes lost their sparkle. “I suppose if one good thing came from this curse, it’s that we learned to appreciate everything we lost. And it’s brought my brothers and me closer together. Sometimes too close.”

“You love your brothers, don’t you?”

He grinned. “Love to fight with them, if that’s what you mean. Nothing like a dragon squabble to take out half a human town. The damage we used to do just fighting over our toys…”

“There was a lot of jealousy?” Seela was thinking about her flirtations with all three brothers. Was she causing more tension by spending time with all three of them? That wasn’t fair. But then, she couldn’t pick just one. Each had their own unique qualities, things that made them special.

Stenton stared at her until she met his gaze. One of his large hands settled gently over her own. “Seela, if you are worried about my brothers and me fighting over you, worry no more. We are big boys. We can handle the situation before us.”

“And what is that situation?” she asked.

His thumb began slow circles over the skin of her hand, soft and light. “The situation is that we all like you. And we are hoping you like us. Which of us you like the most is completely up to you. No pressure.” Stenton’s eyes roved her face as he leaned in closer. “But I hope it’s me.”

There was that confident bravado she loved about him. His body had slid in, cutting the space between them into mere inches. He smelled so good, like some sort of lavender soap. His grin showed off his straight white teeth and accentuated that princely jawline. But it was his eyes, like all the princes, that dazzled her, nearly glowing like two orange gems as he watched her intently.

“Seela,” he said in a low rumble. “I’d like to kiss you now. Kiss you in a way that will make you forget my brothers’ names, even your own.” One hand brushed her hair over her shoulder and down her back, giving her a thrill. “I’d like to touch your body in ways that will make you wild with passion for me.” His mouth moved close, lips skimming the skin of her neck before pulling away. Seela shivered.

“Stenton,” she whispered, leaning into him. Her hands pressed against his chest, feeling the rounded muscles beneath the thin fabric.

“Yes,” he said, his nose tracing under her ear. “I’d like to make you cry out my name like that. Over and over.”

Staring up into his face, at his full red lips, she could not stop her heart from racing as she waited to see what he would do. With the other two men, she’d felt fairly certain of their desires. With Stenton, he was as unpredictable as the wind. The idea thrilled her, hardening her nipples against her bodice. Between her thighs warmed and tingled.

“Do you want that, Seela?” he murmured, lips tickling against the tender spot where her neck met her shoulder.

Seela nodded, gipping him tighter, worrying that if she let him go, she might not get the release her body was begging for.

Stenton smiled. “You won’t be sorry.”

His teeth bit her neck, sending a shock down her body, the pleasure and pain mingling in a way that Seela had not known could be so desirable. She arched, fists tightening around his clothing as if she might rip his shirt off. Instead, he did the disrobing, finding the strings that held her dress together in the back and pulling them apart. The garment began to loosen, sagging around her heavy breasts.

He smiled as her cleavage was revealed a few tugs of string at a time. “Those are marvelous.”

She blushed, her chest heaving as he let the fabric slide further. When her nipples appeared, he sucked in a breath. “Oh, yes, Seela,” he said, reaching out to touch one with the pad of his finger.

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