Touch of Flame

Ares woke up a little disorientated. He stared at the ceiling knowing he was in his room but tried to remember how he got there. It all came back to him, the journey to the sea, discovering his identity, and then he got back home, soaked and freezing and…

Images flashed through his mind of what happened in this bed and he wasn’t sure what shocked him more; the fact that he pleasured her or that he drank her blood.

Great. With a groan, he sat up. What kind of mess did he create?

He ran his fingers through his hair, still replaying what happened to understand. It was the warmth and rush of blood. As they lay in bed naked, he felt her body grow hotter and then he could almost smell the blood and hear how her heart pumped it faster in her veins. The rush had made him thirst but… she was a dragon. He thought he took human blood.

He ran his tongue over his teeth. No fangs but his canines were a bit different. Slightly longer and sharper. He hoped this wouldn’t be a constant thirst and just something occasional. Turning into a blood-drinking monster was not the kind of adventure he wanted before his death.

Drinking blood? He was still not sure how he felt about it because his taste deceived him. It surely tasted like heaven last night. God! It was blood for heaven’s sake!

As he tried to get out of bed, his thoughts made him pause again and he took a deep breath knowing the mess he created. Not only did he drink her blood but… why did he even do that?

He tried to understand and recalled that it was her blood. The smell became stronger when she was aroused.

Alright. Could someone shoot him?

A knock came from the door.

“Come in!” He called.

His servant Jose stepped inside. “Good morning, My Lord.”

“Good morning.”

Jose and Eve had worked for him the longest and took care of the household and made sure the rest of the servants did their duties. Jose made sure everything was ready for him in the morning and helped him leave his room in fine shape and as fast as possible. He was a busy man.

Once he was ready, Ares left his room. He frowned as he walked down the hall, hearing noises from what seemed to be the upper floor. He could hear the footsteps and the servants talking.

Ignoring it, he continued through the halls and went to Nazneen’s room. He knocked on the door despite not hearing a sound coming from inside. He had a feeling she wasn’t there and opened the door. Peeking inside, he made sure he was right before leaving.

Where was she? She didn’t seem to mind the blood-drinking or did she? She was a dragon but still, he wasn’t sure if blood was their thing. It could be very odd to her. It was certainly odd to him.

When he arrived at the garden he found her sitting there, drinking tea at one of the tables. He slowed down, memories flashing through his mind again. It wasn’t the right time to recall her full breasts against his chest or even in his palm, or the heat between her legs or the sounds coming from her lips.

He clenched his jaw, feeling his own blood rushing to his groin. Well, she was exquisite. Only if her personality matched her looks but it was better this way. Less reasons to like her and complicate things.

He descended the stairs leading away from the entry and walked to the table. She turned her head and eyed him before smiling. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” he replied pulling the chair to sit down.

Once he was seated their eyes met in silence for a moment. He felt he should say something about last night. No matter how much he wanted it to just vanish it wouldn’t.

“About last night…” he began.

“You are a Marozak,” she cut off.

That wasn’t what he wanted to discuss but, “it seems.”

She nodded casually as she picked an apple and a small knife.

“About last night…” he tried again to resolve everything and move on.

“Don’t worry about it. I will not misunderstand and if you are worried about the blood then… it was like mating. Except that wasn’t what you were doing.”

Mating?

“So you drink blood?”

“Not really. We bite to mark and we might accidentally consume some.” She said trying to peel the skin off the apple.

He nodded, watching her fail. “What are you doing?”

“I don’t like the skin,” she shrugged and the knife slipped from her finger and cut her. She flinched a little but then continued.

“Just give it to me,” he said reaching across the table. She smiled as he took the apple and knife from her.

The skin was the part he liked the most. As he peeled it off he ate it instead of throwing it away. He could feel her gaze on him. “You are very good with your hands,” she spoke with a sultry voice.

He looked across the table. She wasn’t thinking about the peeling and for some odd reason he felt a need to show her what else his hands could do with such a body.

Ares discarded the thought with a frown and gave her the naked apple before picking one for himself.

“I will pack some weapons and then we should go back,” he told her.

Something in her eyes changed but she nodded only.

After having breakfast, he came out with his packed weapons and she flew away with him back to the mountains.

Ankine was already waiting with news. “Where did you go?” She wondered stressed.

“What happened?” He hoped no one found out about them yet.

“Many things.”

They sat down in the temple to speak. “King Tural is dead.”

Ares and Nazneen looked at each other with a frown before turning to Ankine again.

“King Malachi killed him.”

“Why?” Nazneen wondered.

“Apparently, King Tural sent people to kill King Malachi and his human breedmate.”

Ares’s heart ceased to beat.

Ravina!

“Both were injured and King Malachi had been recovering for days so once he recovered he executed him.”

Injured? His heart clenched, thinking she went through something horrific with dragons again. Was she alright?

“For now King Malachi had taken over the rule until a leader appears from our clan. Families of the purest of blood are now preparing to meet with him. You should go there since the opportunity already presented itself.” Ankine spoke.

Ares could see Nazneen shrink in her seat. She wasn’t ready.

“If she goes there and she is the purest of blood, will the position just be given to her?” Ares wondered.

“Usually there is a fight for the throne. Sometimes the purest-bred King might not breed with a purebred queen so the successor could end up not being a Katharos. He or she will then have to fight the one who is a Kathaors in the clan and the winner takes the throne. But Nazneen is both the heir and a Katharos.”

Ares nodded and looked at Nazneen. She took a deep breath. “I shall go then,” she said.

“I will come with you.”

“No. That will make things more complicated.” She told him.

Right. He was human and he might stand in the way of claiming the throne. She needed to smoothly get back the throne first.

“I will go with her,” Ankine said.

Ares turned to Nazneen. “Will you be alright?”

She nodded. “Yes, I will be fine. I am just reclaiming my position.”

She tried to sound confident but he knew she was nervous. She hadn’t been among her people for a while so it was only natural.

“You will do fine.” He assured her.

Both women went to get ready and then flew away. Ares watched them disappear into the horizon, wishing he could go with them and see how Ravina was doing. But he also worried for Nazneen. King Malachi could kill a King, so he wasn’t very comfortable sending Nazneen away like this. Something began to bother him.