Touch of Flame

No no no! It couldn’t be. Not him! This couldn’t be happening to her but the fact that he was standing there, right in front of her and she could see him already spoke for itself. No one could get into the cave except for her breedmate.

She struggled between wanting to shift and end this nightmare by burning him to ashes and wanting to crawl back into her corner and cry. Why was this happening to her?

She had waited so many years. So. Many. Years. In this darkness, alone waiting for the day her breedmate would come, scoop her into his arms and carry her away into the warmth of their home while promising to avenge her. She had lived on dreaming of that day so many times and now she got this.

A human.

He was… different but still human. If he was different in the sense that he was a witch, the bloody creature that cursed her then she would just perish.

“Who are you?” She demanded to know.

She studied him carefully, from head to toe. He was dressed strangely. Tall leather boots, folded midcalf, black pants with many belts, and strange things attached under his long jacket with too many buttons. He wore a shirt and a vest beneath. Too many layers of clothes, she thought. What was he hiding?

He was tall and although human, he looked strong and sturdy. No. She knew he was. It was her specialty as a dragon female to find a strong male by scenting him and he smelled… oh so good.

Besides the strong scent of salt and sea that was addictive, he smelled vital and virile. His scent was already making her react, wanting to seek him out. She clenched her jaw to the point of almost chattering her teeth. Was this perhaps part of the curse? How could this man be… her breedmate?! She wanted to yell!

“You can call me Ares,” he replied, his voice deep and smooth. Cold and calm. She shivered.

Ares. She refused to say his name out loud.

“And your name?” He asked.

Oh, Lord. Who was this man?

She looked into his unwavering emerald gaze. Breathtaking, she thought but then stopped herself, yet her eyes studied the rest of his face. His paler skin exposed him as human, but his face was carved with edges to cut a woman’s heart. His lips were not so full as a dragon’s but shaped like pink rose petals bringing a subtle softness to his edgy look. She took notice of the small scar right under his left eye, cutting briefly off his left eyebrow as well. She did not miss the thick brown hair that reached his shoulders.

He raised one thick brow when she didn’t answer his question and kept staring at him. His heartbeat remained calm. He was not scared. She was grateful because if he was human and scared of her… she couldn’t take it.

“You don’t have a name or did you forget?”

Bold. Did he not know she was a dragon or was he foolish? Or did he think she would do nothing to him because he was her breedmate? Foolish indeed. It would only take her a moment of blinding anger to tear his heart out but… he was the key to her freedom so she tried to stay calm.

“Nazneen,” she replied, trying to appear less hostile.

“Nazneen.” Her name rolled off his tongue in an alluring whisper. She shuddered.

“How did you find me?” She asked.

Surely since he was human and she wasn’t his breedmate he didn’t come here with good intentions. She felt the anger burn in her heart again.

“I had a dream, found the mountains, found the priests and they led me to you,” he explained briefly.

“You know who I am then?”

“I came to learn about you,” he said, a subtle smile on his face.

Interesting. Not only did he not wet his pants, but he could also speak like this to her.

“Perhaps in a better environment than a cave?” She suggested.

He was foolish. But was he stupid to release her?

“I am not sure how I am supposed to release you,” he said after thinking for a moment.

Stupid he was then. Great. A stupid human breedmate. She was cursed twice in her life.

“You just need to carry me out,” she said.

One side of his lips curved upward. Maybe not so stupid. He did come here with other intentions and not just to release her. She waited to be stabbed in the heart. She would kill him anyway as soon as he got her out of this place, so she could promise anything.

He walked over, without fear or hesitance. “Then hold this for me,” he said giving her the torch.

Nazneen took the torch confused. He was just going to let her out? Not bargain for anything?

Oh no! Now she understood. He was taking her out to have her killed. “Don’t try anything stupid, human. I am already hungry for blood.”

“You will have to trust me,” he told her and then picked her up with ease.

Heat filled her entire being. She had imagined this so many times in her head and longed for this moment when she would finally be released and find comfort in the arms of her breedmate. She couldn’t deny that she wasn’t entirely disappointed from the way he easily picked her up. Her was as strong as he looked and God… she inhaled his scent; he was comforting too.

Another part of her hated that she liked it so much. She should prepare herself for the battle waiting outside. For the heartache but for the moment she couldn’t help herself being drawn to this feeling. She had been deprived of contact for so long. Of warmth. She leaned into him, a tear falling down her cheek. The first and the last time she would be able to enjoy this.

Why did he have to smell so good and feel so right? If he had come inside shaking in fear she would have been less regretful. Why did he have to feel so strong? Like he would truly protect her.

She scoffed. She was a Katharos. As if she needed a human’s protection.

As he carried her out, she realized he didn’t mind that she was dirty and probably smelling like a decade rat, but he didn’t even wrinkle his nose.

“Who is waiting outside?” She asked.

“The priestess.”

“Only her?”

“Yes.”

She had a hard time believing him. He would take her out with only the priestess waiting. Or perhaps the priestess lied to him and she had her army waiting. She would finish her off as soon as they stepped out.

They were getting closer to the exit, the light reaching the pathway. She hadn’t been outside for an eternity. A hundred years locked in this dark maddening cave but it felt like a thousand years. She could feel the night breeze reaching her skin, but she didn’t allow herself to enjoy it. She had a battle to prepare for.

“Don’t try anything stupid. It will end badly for you,” he warned in that masculine voice.

He was even threatening her? They would see how long his threat would last.

“You are not afraid?” She said.

“Should I be?” He asked.

Foolish or smart? She couldn’t tell yet and she would probably never find out.

As soon as he stepped her out of the barrier that locked her in, she stepped out of his embrace, her senses already telling her where the priestess was. A moment later, her claws were around the woman’s neck as she pinned her down to the ground.

“Stop!” She heard Ares call.

But she didn’t care. Her eyes were focused on the priestess who was attempting to get out of her hold, but Nazneen was much stronger.

Suddenly she heard a loud bang and then pain shot through her leg. A pained groan came from her lips and she released the priestess, shocked by where the pain came from. Her eyes found Ares.

“I told you not to be stupid,” he bit out, his eyes firm, his features sharp.

He held a strange tool in his hand. What was that? Was he the one who caused her this pain? Was he a bloody witch? There was no other way she could explain how he managed to hurt her from a distance.

Her fury burned like no other. She wanted to raise hell on earth. Her breedmate was not only human but also a bloody witch. Ignoring the pain she rose, her eyes focused on him.

She would finish him!

She rushed through the distance, thinking she would be too fast for him to detect but the immense pain in her leg slowed her down and she heard another loud bang. Pain stabbed the side of her stomach now, knocking the air from her lungs. She fell to her knees.

“Ares stop!” She heard the priestess call while pain clouded her mind and she tried to catch her breath. “She is just hurt.”

She didn’t need anyone’s pity. Anger raced through her again.

“Until she behaves, some more pain won’t hurt our Katharos Queen. Isn’t that right, Nazneen?”

She glared up at him. He was still not afraid. Foolish it was. She decided to shift and finish him. Allowing her scales and her dragon to come forward, she took off into the sky.

***

Oh well, this is going great, Ares thought as he watched Nazneen shift. He never found dragons beautiful, but for a moment he was caught by how she turned from a dirty female to a white dragon, flying into the dark sky and looking like part of the stars for a moment.

Would she truly kill him? It was the answer he wanted anyway. For Ravina, he needed to know if she was safe. Would this dragon kill her breedmate?

She was still hurt even in her dragon form. He could see the red blood against her white scales as she flew closer. She opened her beastly mouth, to burn him. He could see the fire building and as it traveled down the distance Ankine came and pushed him out of the way and then shifted as well.

The two women began a fight up in the sky. He pulled another pistol but he couldn’t aim right. They were in a vicious fight, changing position all the time and he didn’t want to hurt Ankine.

His hold on the pistol tightened, and his eyebrows furrowed. Now Nazneen had her teeth in Ankine’s neck. He had to do something. His heart raced, so many things going through his mind. Suddenly he dropped the pistol, his hand shooting out into the air.

“Garcane!” He called.

Nazneen tore her teeth away from Ankine’s neck and made a screeching sound.

“Tus fendres!” He ordered.

He had no idea what he was saying or where it came from but he didn’t have the time to ponder on it now.

The two dragons came down to the edge of the cliff, their heads falling down as if bowing.

Oh well. How did he not know this before?

He should say something more. But no more words came to him.

He waited and then they both shifted back. Ankine fell to the ground bleeding from her neck and Nazneen was still hurt but trying to remain standing. Her eyes were even more hostile now. He quickly pulled another pistol.

“What are you?” She demanded to know. He could see the pain straining her face. She put a hand over the wound on her stomach.

“I do not wish to hurt you, so do not force me.” He told her.

“How could you do that?” She wondered.

“I will happily explain everything when I know you are calm and not a threat anymore.”

She couldn’t take the pain and eventually fell to her knees. His latest invention was indeed impressive and even more useful since she couldn’t understand what it was. She wasn’t trying to pull the bullet out. He had seen the confusion in her eyes when he shot her. She hadn’t been around to know about pistols.

“Are you a witch?” She asked.

From the way she said the word, he could tell she hated witches.

“No.”

She looked at the weapon in his hand. He put it back, holding his hands up in surrender. “I won’t hurt you. Let me take you to a safe place and help with those wounds.”

She looked at him suspiciously.

“You know, I could kill you easily if that was my intention.” He lied. “Now you know, that is not what I want.”

“What do you want then?”

“I will help you get back what is rightfully yours. The throne and all I want is your help in return.”