Page 40 of The Sacrifice

Her expression when I place the crown of solidified ash fused with dragon bones and gold upon her lovely head is priceless. Like a wide-eyed doe caught in a thicket with nowhere to run. If my hands weren’t maintaining a firm hold on her waist, I have no doubt she’d try to escape.

Once the Court has finished bowing to her, I sweep my blushing pet into my arms and seat myself on the far-left throne designating my alpha status. From here, I can make out Merikh’s dark eyes burning against mine, and I nearly sense my blood congealing in response. Stiffening, I dismiss his concerns. Let the whole of the Waste know for all I give a damn. Sometimes, the best way to hide is in plain sight. What better way to lead Kronos astray? If he believes this is one grand joke, a means to taunt him, she will be safe.

With my powers returning more and more each day I’m buried inside her, with my dragon growing stronger, I dare him to try and claim her. I’ll burn the Waste down itself before I let him take her. Or anyone.

I jerk from the sudden invasion of Tessie’s runaway rook fox as the creature bats at the ends of my robe. A sweet giggle rises from her throat, and she leans down to pluck him from the floor. He wags his bushy tails and licks her cheek, transforming that giggle into a laugh. A laugh of such purity and life, it ignites a fresh warmth in my chest. To think this tiny, young woman with all her scars and tattoos and her insatiable appetite is so pure, she could damn well resurrect the Waste itself.

Later, I fully intend to take advantage of that appetite by ridding her of this gown and fucking her raw right here on my throne as she wears nothing but that crown. The thought of her blushes and her screaming my name before the entire Court of Waste-folk has both my cocks hardening. For now, I content myself with roaming my hand across the thin skirts of her gown, pleasuring in the ample flesh of her thigh.

“Lord Drago...” she rises to whisper in my ear while scratching the fox’s ears.

“Drago tonight,” I correct her and tap the crown in indication. “You are our Queen.”

She squeezes her shoulders, chewing on her lower lip, more self-conscious, inconceivably more adorable. “Please don’t think me ungrateful. But—”

I tense, and Mayce leans closer, picking up on my body language. “What’s wrong?”

“This Court.” She gestures a hand. “It’s the Solstice. It’s the one time of year I remember my family was together and happy. And my sisters and I spent hours decorating the manor with the staff. The Borderlands are known for their Solstice Festivals, to celebrate life beyond...beyond Hollow Night.” She parts her lips, eyes widening in fearful recognition. My chest caves in at the blood draining from her cheeks, and her panicked, “Oh, never mind, please, just forget about—”

Gripping the back of her neck, I sweep in to claim her mouth, stopping her words. A demanding but brief kiss, after which I brush my knuckles across her cheek and meet those icy incandescent eyes with the power to freeze my heart. “You are absolutely right, my Queen. Forgive me for such a transgression. You desire decorations worthy of the Solstice? You shall have them.”

Without waiting for her response, I pound my gauntleted fist upon my throne in a thunderous gesture that has the whole Court stopping. “Go! All who are of the village and not castle servants. Gather as many weeping roses within the surrounding land as possible,” I command, referencing the only flower that grows within the Waste. None delay “The rest of you...” I direct my gaze to the staff, preying my eyes, visible through the mask, upon them. “I want every last damned candle you can find and brought to the Courtroom. And you will open the cellar reserves. Bring out our finest bottles of wine and send our fruit reserves to the kitchen for the preparation of wassail,” I add and kiss the side of Tessie’s head, only for her to tug on my sleeve and whisper her related desire. “And every orange that can be spared, bring here, along with mason jars of cloves,” I conclude.

Careless of how much Merikh seethes beneath his mask while all his muscles harden, I return to roaming my fingers across her thigh. She whispers a “thank you” in my ear. Chuckling, I inform her of just how much I intend for her to show her gratitude to me later. My fingers slide another inch, only to freeze upon her pubic lips, which are already slick from arousal. She jerks and tries to hide against my chest, but I tap her lovely pussy just once, insert those fingers into my mouth to taste her, and capture her chin. “You will suffer for a little while longer, my sweet pet. First, you must assess the decorations.” I gesture toward the host of servants entering the Court.

Eager with a wide-eyed wonder and unmatched passion, Tessie springs from my lap, righting the crown that almost falls as she hurries down the dais and to the dozens of staff. For the next hour, I remain on my throne and bask in the sight of her glowing, figuratively and literally. The more she beautifies my Court, the more embers kindle upon her skin and catch in her hair. She’s a goddamn vision, and everyone knows it. Especially my brothers, who cannot tear their gazes from her, including Merikh, though he does his best to feign indifference. No, he still does not believe she is our salvation, but after my dragon awoke, I had no doubt.

Once Tessie and the servants have finished with all the candles, I summon her to my throne and purr low in her ear, “Watch this, my pet.”

With a flick of my hand, every candle and candelabra in the Court catches fire and casts the area into a conflagrant spectacle. All worth it the moment Tessie gushes, sweeping her eyes to catch the firelight which transforms those icy irises to flaming frost. A violent hunger stokes my blood and feeds on my nerves, but I contain myself and observe as the fox brings her stem after stem of weeping roses. Ever since lighting the display, my powers have begun to fade, bowing to the mightier force of the Curse by which we are bound.

I study Tessie, smirking at how she even places roses in the withered skeletal frames of the corpses suspended in their cages. No fear. Her love of writing a new story over the dark things of the world does not simply pertain to her scars. Fuck, I can scent her from here. However hundreds of weeping roses grace the Court, they could not smother her essence. A dark rose scent to rival the gray blooms with their shriveled petal edges. Except, hints of orange zest and cloves fuse with that essence thanks to her where she's seated herself at one of the large center tables, presses her lips in determination, and stabs tiny holes into oranges to form a design with the cloves. Fucking hell, she’s oblivious to the goings ons around her. Oblivious to others who have spilled their fancied clothing to engage in more revelry. Countless animalistic limbs blended with human ones tangle, moans filling the Court. The smells and sounds of lust cloy the air while music plays on. And my Tessie continues with her creations.

My blood is too cold without her touch. No more than thirty feet of distance is still too far. By now, the embers playing with her skin have faded, leaving but a few to frolic with her hair.

“She’s astonishing,” remarks Mayce while dipping his cut of pork in a fresh berry sauce.

“Never thought I’d see the day when any girl would tame our bigheaded behemoth,” jokes Kyan from the throne next to the Fae.

“More than gratified to take you and your pretty wings outside, Kyan, and show you just how I really am,” I emphasize through gritted teeth while clenching my jaw, inclining my head to Merikh who remains stoic and hardened. Damned devil can’t take his eyes off Tessie.

After sipping from his wine, Mayce swirls the liquid in his goblet and reminds me, “You know what must be done, Drago.”

I growl at my partner, which startles him. Not that I can blame Mayce. Not once in all these centuries have I been so captivated by another being, much less a human. In the few days since she stepped beyond the barrier and into the Waste, in the days since she touched my chest and produced that one spark, this girl has speared through the armor of my scales, through my walls of fire to pierce my heart. She’s everything I’m not. I’m a damned devil, a malevolent monster. She is a gray angel of scars and swirls of ink. I am nothing but fire that seeks to devour and destroy. She is everything pure and only thinks of embracing and creating. Of saving.

And I cannot help but forge this path of destruction and darkness for her. I cannot protect her from the Curse, from myself, or us. Thus far, she hasn’t asked for protection, nor sought it. Turning my eyes upon her, I observe as she scoots out from her chair and holds four individual ribbons upon which dangle clove-decorated oranges. My cocks throb, pushing upon the scaled layers canvassing them as she approaches, moving to Mayce. He tilts his neck, demon mask shifting as she offers him the orange.

“You’re always wearing earthy-themed clothes, and your crown reminds me of branches. So, I decorated yours with little clove trees,” expresses Tessie, offering Mayce the fruit.

I’ve never known Mayce to be at a loss for words, but all he does is accept the fruit, turning it about in his hand. Fuck, my heart hammers against its fleshy prison, and more of my scales rise as the sight of her gifting us with these simple, yet significant creations nearly shreds my control.

“Wings for you...” she tells Kyan and even leans down to kiss his cheek. I cage a low growl because I will take far more than a kiss soon.

But first, she pauses before Merikh. Purses her lips and slowly lowers her hand to give him the orange. “Yours was a little more difficult, but I chose blood and water droplets. And I carved little fangs into each one even though I’ve never seen yours.”

Goddammit, Merikh hardens all his muscles, claws growing from his fingers. If that broody bastard doesn’t control himself, I’ll bury him in his coffin so deep underground, he’ll grow groundhog parts. Already, my cocks are painfully hard. My blood turns to ice. And my nerves tighten. It’s taking everything I have to not force her to her knees right here on the dais, bunch up her skirts around her waist, and thrust deep into her from behind. Flames will melt the ice in my blood. She will assuage my hunger.

“Take the fucking orange, Merikh,” I snarl at my brother, issuing an alpha command.

---