Grace, Viola - Half Blood Club 3 - Abandon

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Abandon

Book Three of the Half-Blood Club

By

Viola Grace The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Abandon - Book 3 of the Half-blood Club series. Copyright © 2007 Viola Grace SERIES ISBN: 1-55410-776-8

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Cover art by Martine Jardin

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Published by eXtasy Books Look for us online at: www.extasybooks.com

To anyone with a close group of friends. You know, the ones that you can see every week or once a year, and it is like you were never apart.

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Prologue

The half-blood club left Hookey’s house, and while Hex magically transported herself home, Jinx asked George for a ride. She obliged and shifted from a svelte woman to an emerald dragon in seconds. Jinx climbed aboard and in moments they were on their way to her home. It was faster than taking her car, and since she had taken a bus to the meeting, much more comfortable. With her entire body immune to magic, Jinx was unable to transport herself in a speedy and efficient manner. So, the ladies shuttled her where she needed to go. The lack of magical talent also meant that she was unable to communicate with her trusty steed, unlike anyone with magic that George would transport. The telepathy just didn’t work. In under an hour they were swirling to land in Jinx’s backyard. She, and all of the club members, kept a large open space in their back yards just for George. “Are you coming in for coffee?” Her dismount should have been easier; she’d had a lot of practice. “You bet. I’ll make it though, yours can be a little chewy.” The human-formed dragon swept into the house ahead of Jinx, and she shook her head as the domestic ritual was attended to. She waited in her study, and soon her friend appeared in the doorway with two cups of coffee, Jinx’s was just the way she liked it. George took the chair across the desk from her and looked on expectantly while sipping the dark brew. As predicted, “So, Jinx, are they ready?” Graylin Treel chewed on her nail and looked at the redhead across from her. “Of course. Exactly as requested.” She twirled one of her curly locks around her fingers and then met her friend’s gaze. “Are you sure that you want to do this? You are setting yourself up here you know.” “I know. But it is the only way to get the dragon of my choice and not have the council choose one for me. My pedigree is bound to make me very popular, so I need to move quickly.” She straightened and visibly put on a cheerful mien. “What exactly did I get?” She propped her chin on her fists and waited.

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“You know that this is like a weird house party thing, right? You place an order and a few weeks later I deliver.” Her green eyes were twinkling as she drew out the suspense. George was not known for her patience. “Just spill it already!” “Alright. You have one hidden flight spell; good for any one creature. A spell to summon transportation and a communication spell for any glass surface. He should pick one of them.” She shrugged. It was the best she could do on short notice. The magic flowed out of her pen and onto the paper in the form of spells. She couldn’t use any of that magic, but she could create it. Jinx was frustrated. “Fantastic. He will be sure to go for the flight spell. There are only a few of them in existence, and me and Mom have the other two.” A blinding smile lit her face and she rose to hug Jinx. Melissande stood still and accepted the embrace. Her friend’s strength was easily provoked, so she simply kept her own arms loose and relaxed as she returned the hug. Nothing that would prompt a squeeze. “You did great, kid.” Once in a lifetime was enough to be crushed by a dragon. It had taken her weeks to heal. “I am heading off to Grandma’s house. I should be there tomorrow, George. You have fun, but be careful. And come to visit if you get the chance.” Jinx grinned. Telling a dragon to be careful was just too much fun, and so was the face that George made as she returned to dragon form and tapped Jinx with her tail. The night waited and her friend was flying out to meet it. It was a glorious sight.

Chapter 1

George straightened her hair and took a look at her reflection in the rear-view mirror of her sensible sedan. This was it. Her mate was beyond those doors, whether he knew it or not. She looked good, she had the spells that she was brokering and the glamour was going to come down

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while her visit was in process. She had left nothing to chance. “Sitting here like an idiot isn’t going to get me in there, and won’t get him in anything either.” She shook her head and kept muttering to herself as she turned to the speaker box near the gate and pressed the button. The gates swung open soundlessly and she drove on without needing to say anything. The way her skin was prickling, there were at least three scrying balls trained on her at that moment. The speaker box would simply be a nuisance. A mundane inconvenience. Her heels clicked and echoed as she approached the double-doors. The house itself was fantastic. A gothic-modern combination that managed to be both ornate and spare at the same time. Dragons loved big houses and Rikard was no exception. The doors swung open as she reached the steps and her feet took her down the well-worn path that would lead to the study. She had been here before. “Grace? What do you have for me today?” He spoke without turning around so she was able to admire his physique from where she stood. Wide shoulders, narrow hips and a fantastic butt were all in her line of sight. It took her a moment to realize that he had spoken to her. “Three brand new spells. If I may?” She gestured to the sofa and coffee table. At his nod, she took a seat and drew the scrolls out of her bag. They looked ornate and ancient, but that was part of Jinx’s magic. She could write a spell with a ball-point pen on a post-it note, but when she blew on it to set the spell, it would transform into a scroll fit for the most white-haired wizard. With care and dexterity she rolled out the scrolls and fastened them down. She had done this often enough in the last few years. It had become Jinx’s main source of income in under two months after the first ‘made to order’ spells had come on the market. The magical community had money, and the club was willing to profit from it. Hex got the ideas, Hookey did the functionality tests and George was the front man. They did take custom orders, but normally Hex had come up with an idea for a new spell months earlier. Rikard turned from his contemplation of the world outside the window and a businesslike wave crossed over his features, settling the light bronze features into a foreboding shape. The icicle blue eyes went with his dark gold hair, and George wondered idly if he had been born inNorwayas one of theNorthernOcean dragons. “What have you here?” He pointed to the scroll that she knew he would gravitate to. “A spell to keep dragons in flight and launch from being seen by human eyes…or devices. It is one of only a handful in existence so far.” She let him peruse it. Until her seal was affixed to the bottom of the spell, it would not stick in the mind of the reader. They may be able to try it for a second, but the words would fade. “The next one to it is a spell to summon transportation, wherever the user happens to be.” She paused and smiled. “The most appropriate use would be while hiking or travelling alone.”

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“The final spell is a communication spell that works with any reflective surface. Even your microwave.” She smiled again and left him to his perusal. Every few seconds she checked her watch; it was less than five minutes now until the dropping of the glamour. She tried to let him have his time to focus on the product as all good salespersons should. Instead, she gracefully rose from the couch and wandered over to the same window that he had been staring out earlier. The yard was well maintained and extended to the forest half a mile beyond. Being a dragon, Rikard had purchased the hills and mountains behind his property to keep his horde. There was no way that he would have not made sure that they were accessible to him at the time of purchase. The garden sprawled in orderly bands of ten meter stretches of blooming flowers. They formed a sort of sunbeam pattern originating at the house. Oddly symbolic, and very optimistic. It was a pattern usually found in males who were trying to impress a female. From her research, he was single, and aside from an occasional excursion for sex, he wasn’t stalking any one woman in particular. She felt her nipples come to attention within the confines of her bra. It would only be a few minutes and the hunt would begin. She almost jumped out of her skin when he spoke. “Where do you find these fantastic spells? I have never seen anything like this that could be applied not only to modern man but modern equipment.” He shook his head and his hair flipped and gleamed invitingly in the light streaming through the window. “If I didn’t know better, I would think that you had just made these up.” She laughed; it was practiced. “That is impossible. No new spells have been written for centuries. I simply have access to some grimoires that are not public knowledge.” Her voice stayed light; it had taken a dozen or more experiences with this same question to get her response believable. “In all my centuries of life, I have never seen this type of spell. Nor have I heard of any books of the type you describe.” She smiled at him in a condescending manner, “Not all of the Archives were taken by the councils immediately. Some lived well into their twenties before becoming slaves to the Magus or Warlock councils. Who knows how many original spells are still to be discovered?” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. It was an odd gesture as dragons did not grow facial hair unless they had humans in their bloodline. “I suppose you are right. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that.” George turned rapidly back to the window to stifle her laughter. The reason that no one thought of it, was that it was the first spell that the first abducted Archive had written. She had duped a warlock into reading it, and thereafter hidden her personal writings and those of all Archives who would come after. The Archives knew their history. It became the first thing that they wrote when their talent came, and Jinx had shared this information as well as the personal journals that she had Hex find for her. It was a fascinating history and one well worth remembering. A tingling sensation started in her skin and George knew it was time. She kept her back to Rikard as he came to the sudden awareness that she was a dragon. She held perfectly still, but her senses were on overdrive.

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She could feel his power skating along her skin. He was much older than he had let on. In truth, even her mother hadn’t known how old he was. That fact alone frightened her. It meant that the time that Arabel had met him, he had hidden his power from her. Now he was hiding nothing, and that was the most chilling thing of all. His footsteps sounded behind her. She deliberately did not look over her shoulder. Without touching her, he leaned in and exhaled along the line of her neck. From left to right, he scented her, breathing her in as if to memorize her. A shiver ran through her as his own aura enveloped her, she dug her nails into her palms to keep from reaching for him. “Strange. You smell like a dragon.” His tongue darted out to the side of her neck and she almost moaned, “You taste like a dragon. But up until just now I was willing to bet that you were a regular mage.” Suddenly, he spun her, then gripped her by the upper arm and pulled her up to face him. “Are you truly what you seem to be?” She swallowed. “Do you see me as a dragon? With power, an aura of flight and the wild night dancing in my soul?” “I see you as mine.” That was the end of polite conversation for some time as his mouth took hers in a wild joining that set her blood on fire.

Chapter 2

As hard as his grip was, she held her own, grabbing handfuls of hair and keeping their mouths together. His groan of approval made her smile, which let his tongue tangle and twist with her own. It wasn’t enough. They were still too far apart. Getting a firm grip on him, she used a fair portion of her supernatural strength to turn him and slam him into the wall so that she could use one hand on the sconce

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to steady herself as she pressed her hips into his. They were fairly close in height, so it didn’t take much to align their bodies, and by the time Rikard had recovered from the shock George was grinding against him, the contact through her clothing spreading a damp heat between them. “You will follow my lead, Grace.” He pulled her away from him by the expedience of gripping her hair firmly. “I am not good at following leads, Rikard. I tend to blaze my own path.” As she spoke, she ran her hand down his chest to the hard length that was threatening to burst the zipper of his trousers. He reversed their positions and slammed her against the wall, hard enough to break the plaster and cause the sconce to drop from the wall. “You will submit to me today, Graylin. And every day hereafter.” He held her to the wall with the pressure of his hips on hers and she was already squirming against him. “Says you. I am not one to stay put.” Challenge flashed in her eyes. Her fingers tore at his clothing and shreds of fine linen were soon decorating the floor. Her manicurist would kill her. “Enough of this.” He pulled her legs around his hips and walked out of the morning room, down a hall, up a flight of stairs and into the master bedroom. Their route was marked by their clothing as it was torn off by one or the other on the way to the bed. She squealed as he tipped her onto the sheets, then shrieked again as he took one breast in his mouth with a suddenness that left her breathless. He could not fit the entire mound in his mouth, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t trying. The burning pulse of pain and pleasure caused her hips to arch against him in a silent plea. She was writhing in heat and waves of sensation as he switched his attentions from one breast to the other, teasing the nipples ferociously in turn. Her hands clutched at his shoulders and she gasped and moaned as he moved two fingers between her thighs to tease at her slit. Dampened with her juices, he twirled those fingers around her clit and she screamed as the flames of lust consumed her from head to toe, magic released as her body did. Rikard did not let up, but kept his fingers running around her sensitive nub until she shrieked again, losing her breath as sparks shot from behind her eyes. When she finally ceased to shake in reaction, Rikard spread her thighs and settled between them. She had not yet seen his cock, but it felt larger than was comfortable as he slowly moved into her. It was a short series of rocking thrusts that took him into her to the hilt. She felt stuffed and squirmed for relief of the pressure. Apparently this was his cue to begin to pound into her with savage purpose. Her body slowly caught onto his rhythm, then had to start again as he shifted up on his heels, raised her right leg over her body and laid her on her side. Her left leg was positioned between his thighs and this position left her wide open to him, which he exploited in seconds. Sliding home once again, he supported her right leg as he pounded into her, her breasts bounced, her

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breath caught, and the complete pressure on her from anus to clit had her shrieking in release over and over again, until she finally begged him to stop. He lay them down and took her from behind, spoon fashion, slapping his hips into hers with a steady rhythm until he groaned and shuddered in his own release. Graylin was unsurprised to feel teeth dig into her neck as he came upon his release. She leaned back into the bite and let him have his munch. When he emptied into her he relaxed, but stayed within her. He held her tightly against him and fell asleep with the sun streaming in through the open windows.

****

By the time she awoke, the blinds had been pulled down. His hands were running over her and flames were consuming her once again. It was slower this time, but just as hard as they came together in a whirlwind of passion. He simply felt right. No lover she had ever had had felt this right. There was no need to temper her strength, and as his tongue delved between her thighs, her hands shredded the bedding, feathers flew and fabric screamed along with her own voice as she came. Snarling in frustration she flipped him to his back, writhing against him until she felt his cock seated within her to the hilt. The talons that her fingers had become dug into his chest as she rode him, her wings breaking through her skin as she savagely took what she wanted. Her tail wrapped around one of the bedposts and anchored her as she flexed her hips and slid across his sweaty skin. Rikard’s growl preceded a howl of triumph as his body arched beneath hers, carrying her into the air and holding her there as his balls discharged their cargo of scalding semen. Her flesh welcomed him and she laughed in triumph, exposing her fangs to the darkness as she took his release into her and revelled in it. His hands teased her body, kept the flames of sensation heating her blood as his erection came to life inside her once again. This time he was having none of it. He pushed her aside, took his own draconic form and drove into her from behind. The sensitive skin between her wings was vulnerable as he ran his tongue along her spine. George’s tail wrapped around his thigh and kept him close with alarming strength. Her climax was elusive, she was more aroused now than she had ever been but she couldn’t cum. It was only when she felt his body cover her completely, his hands holding her hips and his teeth finding her neck that she rocked and shook as the coil of tension released. Pleasure and pain combined, her body sang in triumph as it felt the chemical cocktail of his venom hit her

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bloodstream. This was how dragons mated. Lust, blood and sex; all in a chemical blend that was designed to get her pregnant. Too bad she was on magical contraceptives. They might just have to do this again.

Chapter 3

It was only when the dawn beat its way through the gaps in the blind that she stirred again. She twisted in the remnants of the sheets and grunted as her shoulder pulsed in complaint. It was time to go. Carefully, trying not to wake the sleeping beast beside her, she shifted toward the end of the bed. As soon as she swung her feet off a hand clamped around her wrist and pulled her back with a thud as she hit his chest. “Morning, Rikard. Well, it’s been fun, but I have to get going now.” It was a blatant lie, but she wasn’t going to let him just claim her and hide her away. “You are not going anywhere. Where did you come from? Who are your parents? Why aren’t you registered?” He rumbled his questions in her ear as his hand kept her firmly pressed against his morning erection. “Well, I will answer the ‘where did I come from,’ question. My mother didn’t want to be kept by a male and so arranged to run into one while in dragon form, and while she was in heat. Nature took its course a mile or two above the ground in Realm; she knocked him down and flew away.” “A year later, she laid an egg in the mortal world, and twenty years later, I hatched.” That was it. Well, there was a lot more to it. He didn’t speak again for several minutes. “You are an egg-hatch? I thought that those were only a legend.” His hands and his entire body were still. Playtime was over. “Apparently not. I know that it isn’t common for a flight mating to result in pregnancy, but it does if the dragon is willing to remain in larger form for the entire year. If she shifts at any time in that year before laying, the egg is lost to the magic of transformation.” Her mother had explained the facts of life to her very early in her life, while she was an egg actually.

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Well, she had been a fully-formed adult when she hatched, so it made a certain sense. Her twenty years in the egg had been spent listening to her mother teaching her. Spells, facts of life, facts of dragon life, and how to live amongst humans. When she emerged, she was fully formed and had all the knowledge that she had been taught in the shell. It had still taken years for her to move and speak like a real human, but her mother’s estate had given her plenty of room to grow. To master her forms and her magic. When she had gone to the county fair at the age of fifteen, she had met the other members of the club, and she had discovered friends. Hookey began the glamour that would conceal them for the next nineteen years on that very day. It let them all breathe a little easier and kept their parents calmer. The girls could now practice their magic without having someone seeking out their growing power. “Why did your mother hide your existence from your father?” “She never told me. I assumed that she just wanted to be a single parent.” “Where were you going when I grabbed you?” “I was heading home. It’s been fun, but I have places to be, spells to sell.” She shrugged and tried to be nonchalant. Her confinement in his arms made it difficult. “I don’t think so. Not until I make you mine. Including in the eyes of the council.” His mind made up, he let her go and rolled to his feet. In an instant he had retrieved something from under the bed, and a second later he had her ankle in his hand and was snapping a cuff around it. A delicate and deceptively sturdy chain was dangling from the cuff. “What the hell are you doing, Rikard?” She tugged at the cuff and swore softly. “I am not going to unshackle you until I have returned here with the council’s approval of our mating, and your official registration. Sometime before lunch.” He smirked at her and walked to the doors that opened onto his balcony. With a smouldering glance over his shoulder at her, he leapt off the balcony and transformed on his way down. A ferocious black dragon hovered with his eye looking in the window for a moment, and then he was off to his gateway to Realm. Off to speak to the Dragon Council. “Shit!” A few more futile tugs at the cuff and she gave up. “Right. Plan B.” A cursory look at her surroundings let her know that Rikard was a neat freak, last night to the exception, and he favoured oak for his dressers and wardrobes. She stepped off the bed and then noted that the chain led to a neat coil that would be enough length to let her in the en suite bathroom. She shrugged then used the facilities for her morning ablutions. On her way back to the bed she noted a pile of clothing. It was her skirt. Hope flared in her. She fumbled with the zippered pocket and was rewarded with her cell phone. Success! A blush formed as she prepared to make the call that would set their courtship in motion. She hit her speed dial and was nibbling at a lock of hair as the other phone rang. “Okay, Hex, how did you know?” George was genuinely curious as she held the cell phone to her ear and swung her free leg off the edge of the bed. Her mind was recalling the last meeting of the club, when

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Hex had offered her help when George needed it. “I saw it. I didn’t know exactly when, but I did see you in trouble.” Silence fell. “What do you need?” “I need you to get me the heck out of here.” “Can’t you fly out?” “I can’t transform with this stupid shackle on my leg. He chained me to the bed, Hex!” Now that the shock was over, she was furious. “He chained you?” “Yep. There is just enough play to let me get to the bathroom and back, but my clothes are nowhere to be found. I need help here.” “Where is he right now?” “He flew off at dawn, about five minutes after he locked me in place. He said he would be back for lunch.” “Is there a large mirror nearby?” “Oh, Of course! Why didn’t I think of that? Yeah, there is one right across from the bed.” “Touch it and hold on until I come through, Okay?” “You bet, I’m on it now.” She reached out to flatten her palm against the cool slick surface of the mirror. Seconds later it began to ripple and shimmer. A hand appeared in the silver pool, then a foot, then seconds later Hex stepped through. Shimmering with energy, she looked ready for battle. She stopped short and took in the scene, fighting a laugh. “Wow, looks like you had a lot of fun last night.”

****

She surveyed the room. Sconces were askew on the walls, pillows had been disemboweled and the sheets were escaping the confines of the bed. The ambiance of the room was also heavily colored by the scent of sex that hung in the air. Perched on the edge of the bed was her friend, Graylin Treel. Known to the half-blood club as George, was splendidly nude. Black waves of hair partially concealed the love bites and bruises that decorated her golden skin. Her black eyes were tired but shining. “Yeah, it was tons of fun. I just want this damn shackle off so that I can get the hell out of here and contemplate trying it again.” Her left leg lifted slightly and waved in the air to cause a gentle jingling noise. “Uh, why did he shackle you?” Hex knelt down and began to chant in a low tone. Energy built up and

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surrounded the cuff. “Something about making sure that I was here when he got back.” George watched carefully and sighed.

****

No matter how closely she watched, she would never be able to pull off the spell with as much dexterity as Hex. It did seem a shame that with all of that talent, she would never be acknowledged as one of the greatest powers of the modern age unless she joined the aegis of the high council. With a shimmering pop, the cuff released. “C’mon. I think I hear something.” Hex looked uneasy as she began to feel the presence of power approaching rapidly. “Me too. Let’s go.” She jumped off the bed and stood next to the mirror. Hex raised her palm to the mirror and began to chant softly once again. The mirror turned into a pool of silver and she reached out to grab George’s hand as she began to enter the pool. “Shit, let’s go!” She shoved Hex into the mirror as Rikard came into the bedroom at a full run. His roar of rage followed the women through the mirror as they tumbled out the other side. Hex waved her hand frantically at the frame in her living room and it became a mirror once again. “That was too close.” Hex slumped onto her couch and flipped an afghan at her. Blushing slightly, she tucked the blanket around her naked form and scooted onto the other end of the couch. “I am so sorry. I never meant for you to get involved.” “Was that Rikard?” “Yep.” “As in, dragon council Rikard?” “Yep.” “As in, not going to stop until he finds you now that he knows you exist, Rikard?” Hex had her eyes closed, her head leaning back onto the couch. “Yep.” “As in, able to call upon the entire high council for a tracking spell to pinpoint your location at anytime, Rikard?”

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“Yep.” “Well, you sure can pick ’em.” She sat up and eyed her friend. “How long do you think it will take for him to find you?” “I think I have about a week. After that I am going to have to be ready to move very fast, very suddenly.” She sighed. “Why him?” She sounded curious. “I needed a dragon, right?” George waited for her nod. “So I did my research. Who was the best looking, who was not my father--that was a big one--and who had the best ratings in bed.” “Whoa, how did you find that last one out?” “I polled his ex-lovers. He likes it a little rough, very fast, and very often.” She blushed. “So do I.” “So, it was good then?” “It was fantastic. I left as many marks on him as he did on me. We started in the main hall and worked our way to the bedroom.” A dreamy smile crept across her face and her eyes fluttered shut at the remembrances. “How long did you say it was going to take him to find you?” Hex’s eyes grew distant. “At least a week, why?” George sat up and began to look worried. “There is a dragon coming in for a landing in my backyard as we speak. That’s why.” Hex got up and walked to the patio door. She breathed a sigh of relief. The silvery green dragon was extremely familiar. “It’s your mom.” Hex flipped the lock, swinging the door open in welcome. A minute later George’s naked mother was walking quickly across the grass and into the house. “Excuse me for a moment. I’ll be right back with some clothing.” Hex shot up the stairs as quickly as she could. The look in Arabel’s eyes was pure murder. “Graylin Treel. What the hell do you think you are doing?” “Whatever do you mean, Mom?” “The entire dragon clan has been alerted to your presence. Rikard himself just sent out an alert to locate you.” “Wow, that was fast. How did he know who I was? I didn’t give him my real name.” “He talked to the council at dawn this morning. He wanted to know who could possibly have had an unrecorded female birth in the last one hundred years.” “So, no one knows about me. Do they?”

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“Apparently Mathias had some idea. He immediately mentioned me, had me summoned to the council chambers and they Questioned me.” “Ouch. Are you alright?” Questioning hurt. It forced all information that was requested to be revealed. There was no way to couch an answer when you were put to the Question. “I am fine. The result of your little interlude however, is not.” Arabel sighed and sat on the couch next to her daughter. They really did look more like sisters than was proper. “Arabel,” Hex was returning, “When do you think the council will find her?” “In the next twenty four hours.” Arabel took the pullover dress that was handed to her. “You are not safe either, Izzy. You came up in Questioning.” Isobel almost fainted. “How?” “I was still under the Question when Rikard felt Graylin call you. He asked me if I knew anyone who could retrieve her from his house. Your name came up. I think that they alerted the Warlock council. They may come for you at any time.” “Well then, you had best take your daughter and get the hell out of here. Go. Both of you, out!” Hex shooed them out of her house and into her back yard. She stood quietly as they removed the borrowed clothes and transformed into great flying beasts.

Chapter 4

Across the psychic plane Graylin was being chewed out by her mother. “What did you think you were doing?”She snorted, fire shot out nearly singeing a nearby tree. “I mean, aside from screwing your brains out.” “The glamour was coming down, Mom. As of yesterday afternoon I was lit up on the mortal plane like a Christmas tree.” “Oh, honey. I am sorry. I didn’t know.”Arabel had always been careful to shield her daughter. It had

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been a habit that she had been glad to break when the glamour came into effect. “It’s alright, Mom. We all have to make our way in the world, right?”She banked left, enjoying the wind around her wings. It felt so good to fly through the mortal skies. She had never yet been to Realm, it had always been too dangerous with her status as an unregistered full-blood female. Some male would have claimed her and that would have been that. No other male would have come near her and she would have been stuck with the guy who got their first. “I got to choose him and I don’t regret it. At least it gave me some control over my future.”Her wings propelled her higher and higher and as she levelled out, she noticed what appeared to be a fighter plane in the distance. Her flight was lazy, the joy she felt in the sky unmatched in any part of her life. Well, last night had come pretty close. “Uh, honey?” “Yeah, Mom?” “Run.” That was no fighter jet, it was Rikard, and he was bearing on her with arrow-like intensity.“Hells.” She turned tail and ran, well, flew. She only had about a kilometre between herself and Rikard when she was given a reprieve. Arabel had come up behind him and landed on his back. She bore him to the ground with astonishing suddenness as her daughter headed for the mountain range. This was her one chance to make a break for it. So she did. Zeroing in on a lake in a valley between the rocks ahead of her she folded her wings, transformed into her half human form and dove into the water. A hastily muttered water breathing spell kept her from having to surface and she swam more deeply into the water, rolling periodically to check for her pursuer. Underwater was a whole new ‘sky’ to fly in. A dark shadow cruised low over the surface of the lake, then circled. Keeping still she tried to think like a fish. She let the currents move her and when she felt them moving her to the surface, she turned and swam for the depths of the lake with all of her strength. A maelstrom formed around her and she knew then that he was indeed one of theNorthernOcean dragons. They had a talent for water, and whirlpools were their specialty. The flickering thought of ‘this sucks’ went through her head just as she managed to reach a rocky outcropping to dig her talons into. She hung on for dear life as he aimed the vortex at her. Her wings fluttered in the violence of the water and her fingers began to slip. There was no way out except one. She let go, and as she rocketed to the surface in the grip of the swirling cone, she transformed into her dragon form the instant that she broke the surface. With all of the momentum of the vortex behind her, she bowled him backward with a head butt that sent him flipping into the lake as she once again took to the skies. With all the speed that she prided herself for, George found that she could outrun him. If she kept her

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mind on the flying and on her destination. He pursued her for hours. With a sense of triumph she felt her goal in the distance. Home. A dead zone. He would not be able to follow her, nor would she be able to change forms once she arrived there. All the magic in the area had been eradicated, so that was the ideal place for a dragon who was hiding herself, to buy a house. As they approached the border, she dropped low, skimming the surface of a field with her talons, then moved into her warrior form, the smaller wings giving her more control. When she felt the effect of the barrier, she flared her wings in a sudden stop and dropped to the ground to continue naked and on foot. She was now on her own property. In fact, she had purchased the entire dead zone simply to keep local humans from being distressed by her tendency to forget clothing. She didn’t look back to see if he had followed her example, but if he hadn’t the zone would spit him out the other side as if he had never passed. For magical creatures it either kept their magic from working, or allowed them to pass over it unharmed. Space folded as their magic kept them from having their flight interrupted. Dragons had more than enough magic to transport them past the zone. It was part of their charm.

Chapter 5

Running naked through the woods would normally have been enjoyable, but today was not the day for fun. She didn’t know how much time she had before he caught up with her, but in the meantime she was going to put on some clothes and drive like hell. Oh, and grab some dinner, she was starving. Her home loomed through the trees. A nicely appointed two-storey house, with a three car garage and a small pond for fish. Gardening was not her favourite thing, so lush grass was the extent of her yard décor.

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She had a service come and mow if she was leaving town, but as she only travelled for spell sales, it didn’t happen often. She palmed the lock of her lovely security system and the door swung wide. It was a handy feature when she was flying naked. There were no messages on her machine when she checked it, enough food in the fridge to make a killer sandwich, and as soon as she slithered into some clothes, she was getting herself some coffee. The next hour was spent fortifying herself and looking out the window to see if he had found her. It was not the most restful dinner she had ever had. When the sun began its descent, George skulked into her garage and selected her favourite. Her black convertible. It came to life with a purring roar. The comforting rumble made her smile. She backed out of her garage, and with a deft twist of the steering wheel she headed through the woods down the sloping trail to the main highway. It took long minutes while she looked over her shoulder every few seconds and thought about her next move. It was a bold move. One that she hoped he wouldn’t think of. And she could only pray that the council would not question her mother further about her whereabouts. The wind in her hair swirled it into a wild tangle in a matter of minutes, but still she kept her foot on the gas and the top down. It was another type of flying and she loved it just as much. The highway stretched in front of her, an endless black river to travel. As she exited the dead zone she carefully extended her senses to search for Rikard. He was nowhere to be found. A sigh of relief escaped her and at the next truck stop she gassed up her car, loaded up on groceries and beverages and picked up a road map. She carefully plotted her route and waved off the help offered by a few of the clients of the stop. They meant well, but their eyes trying to stare down her shirt made her shake her head in frustration. With a few exceptions, men were all the same. Visual cues were ninety percent of their attention attractors. She ran across the road to the department store, picked up camping equipment and then stomped back to her vehicle with calm deliberation. George had butterflies in her stomach as she cruised through the countryside with no sleep and only minimal bathroom breaks. Two days later, with no sign of her draconic stalker she was at her destination. Rikard’s mountains. Like most dragons, when it came to buy his house, he purchased as much land as he could, including the local foothills into the mountain. She had sensed a tunnel nearby the first time she had been there selling spells, also the time she had first begun to check him out. The tunnel was aimed at the foothills and she surmised that his horde was somewhere nearby. The next time she saw Jinx, she asked for a treasure detection spell. It was now working in full swing and had led her through the hills--after she hid her car--and into the caves that housed his accumulation of wealth. His horde.

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The enchantment that guarded the opening was nothing for her, she brushed passed it with hardly any effort at all. She slid through a crevice in the stone that was barely large enough for her and stumbled through the tiny passage to the main chamber. The walls of the cavern were polished and smooth; he had expended effort to make his hidden showpiece a masterpiece. “Holy gods.” She breathed out and had to gasp air back in. His horde was incredible. Gold, silver, gems, some neatly stacked, some heaped in a pile were every where. Paintings, tapestries, statues and armour made up the other half of his collection. There were weapons of every era mounted on the wall, centuries of history laid out in front of her and all she could do was giggle. She dropped her back pack and equipment, squealed and rolled on the pile of coins and jewellery. With the icy loot at her back, she scooped up handfuls of the gold coins and trickled them over her body, laughing the whole time. This was the perfect place to hide. With him looking for her out near her home and her mother’s home, he would not think to check his own. It was three days later when she found the scrolls. Hidden behind a statue of a dragon that she was guessing was a bust of either himself or a close relative, was a leather sack full of scrolls. Under the sack was a pile of books, but she took to the scrolls first thinking that they might be unknown spells. Instead, it was his genealogy and his biography. It made for interesting reading, he could trace his lineage back to Sirius and Ki. His line descended from their sonDevonand his mate Vinya. It was from Vinya that he got his water-borne talent, as she was a Northern dragon. She had also bequeathed her golden good looks to her son, Viktor who was Rikard’s father. The portrait and description of her was simply beautiful. Vinya had been a sight to behold. That ancestry would make him close to a thousand years old. He would have seen the exodus of the werewolves and vampires, the endless series of warders coming in for assessment and matchmaking, and a thousand other moments in the history of Realm. It made for absorbing reading and she only stopped poring over the histories to eat and when she nodded off. Day after day she filled her mind with the tales and exploits of his ancestors. It was only when she stopped to have a break and rub her eyes that she wondered how much time had passed. Her cell battery was on half charge, and she got no signal, but over a week had passed since she had taken refuge here. She needed to take a shower, badly. She was amazed that she hadn’t passed out from her own stench, come to think of it. George was just lucky that he wasn’t tracking her by scent, or he would have been in here days ago. Scrub brush in hand. She knew that there was a pool of water off the main cavern. She had found it on her first tour of the place. It was now time to grab her soap and a towel and to do what needed to be done.

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Chapter 6

“Ah, that’s better.” Her voice echoed in the cavern, and she smiled at the only noise she had heard all week. At first she had been straining to hear from Rikard, but after three days, she relaxed her guard. She had taken off her clothing, only wincing a little at the stiffness of the fabric. It was bizarre. She had never neglected personal hygiene for intellectual pursuits before, and she hoped it never happened again. The pool was wide and still on the surface, but there was a current underneath that swept away the handful of dirt that she dropped in to test the water’s ability to clear itself. As soon as the dirt cleared the surface it was swirled away by the movement of the water. It was a relief as she planned on soaping her skin until it was raw. Her clothes were first. The jeans and t-shirt fought the soap for a few washings and then gave in. The cloud in the water quickly dissipating and the residue of the suds swept away by the light undertow. She was next. Her hair was a rat’s nest of tangles and greasy locks. It really didn’t like the washing, but she forced it clean. The lather that she built on her arms and legs relaxed her, her body beginning to feel clean at last. She shook her head as she soaped and rinsed the rest of her. Wow. She was able to relax as the water pulsed gently around her. George leaned her head back against the stone lip of the pool and let her body go limp. It was a rare moment when she could just relax outside of her home with no worries. She found it strange that while she was hiding in a predator’s lair she could be so comfortable. Ah well, it must be a nesting instinct. Her body had acknowledged his as mate from the first moment he touched her, she just wanted to make sure that he worked for it. She was almost asleep when she heard the slow and rhythmic applause coming from the entrance to the pool’s cavern. With an extreme effort of will she kept her eyes closed. “About time you got here. With your affinity for water, I suspected that you would show up soon.”

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“Well, watching you bathe was very entertaining. Have you been here all week?” His voice was coming closer, his clothing rustled as he removed it to join her in the pool. A slight splash and she was no longer alone. Rikard displaced the water only slightly, but his control over it was confirmed as it began to tease her from neck to toes. “Why did you run, Graylin? That is your name isn’t it? Graylin.” She sighed and settled more deeply into the water enjoying the caresses. “Yes. But you know that. You had my mother Questioned.” “I would say it was necessary, but I wanted to know who you were.” Based on his tone, he was next to her, leaning in the same manner she was. “Well, my mom is pissed. The next time you meet her, you should really apologize.” “I will. Your father was surprised to learn of your existence.” “Matthias, right? Mom has mentioned him on occasion.” “You mean to say that you didn’t know who your father was?” She slitted one eye open at him. “I didn’t really care. I have done enough research to know how the majority of dragons treat their women. My mom didn’t care to be one of them, and that was fine with me.” His blue eyes were intent on her. “So, why did you come to me? You had to know what would happen. I have been attracted to you since the first day that I met you.” “And I knew I wanted you before I met you. Since the day I first started researching dragons and found your picture.” Both her eyes were open now. She watched to see how he handled the news that he had been stalked. “You came after me?” He looked both bemused and flattered. “I did. You were a good match for me, both physically and mentally.” He seemed to be at a loss. “That seems a little…cold.” “Oh, I thought we managed to heat things up.” Her smug smile recalled their hours of enjoyment. Lust flared in his eyes for a moment, then was pushed to the background. “So, you deliberately chose me.” “Yup.” “Then why did you run?” She waited for a long moment. “Because I didn’t know what happened next. I have control over every part of my life. Handing it over isn’t going to be easy.”

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He accepted that and absorbed it. She could see it running through his mind and saw the moment that he came to grips with being the object of her hunt. A brilliant grin broke over his features. “Trust me; I will take good care of you.” Trust him? She barely knew the real him. “I need to know more about you than just your sexual habits.” His smile reached into her soul. “Was that the extent of your research?” “Well, it was my main concern.” She felt her face heating in the onslaught of his amusement. “That and your bloodlines. I needed someone who would be able to stake a claim on me and get the council to enforce it.” He pondered her declaration. “And from what you have learned while going through my documents?” “You are old. You are one of the Sleepers, those who came to earth and slept centuries away in the mountains.” “I am indeed. I could not find a mate amongst my own generation. No one felt right. So I went to sleep.” He moved to face her, bracketing her with his hands beside her head on the lip of the pool. “And I only woke up fifty years ago. When my mate entered the world as an egg.” That shocked her cold. But the kiss that he delivered did a wonderful job of heating her up. His lips were magic against hers, his body not touching her anywhere but her lips. She felt her blood pounding in her veins as she tried to raise her hands to grip his hair. He stopped her as he simply moved away. “Come with me.” With a surge of water sheeting from him he left the pool and held his hand out for her to take. It was now or never. She had to choose. Her trembling, pruney hand slipped into his and he drew her from the water with a whoosh. Naked and wet, she padded after him as he led the way through the tunnels, back to his house. A fire was in his study, warming the smaller room. A cushioned bench sat in front of the fireplace and she was escorted to the seat. He disappeared from her view for a few moments until he came back with his hands full of hair brushes and combs. “Your hair needs some serious untangling, I brought all the tools that I thought necessary for the job.” “And you are just going to do it? Brush my hair for me.” “If you will sit still.” He took a stance behind her and started to gently untangle her long black locks. She was completely at a loss. No one had combed her hair for her since she was a child. It made her feel warm and safe, and protected. He began his work at the base of her hair and slowly worked his way up using spray-on conditioners, combs and brushes as the tangles called for it. Each lock of strands was carefully braided to keep them neat and he moved on to the next. It took him the better part of two hours to tidy her hair. Some of the tangles were so ingrained as to

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require teasing of individual hairs out of the mess. “There. All done.” He set aside his implements of torture. “You really should brush it a few times a day, or keep it in a braid.” “I haven’t washed it since last week, until today. And I drove here with the wind in my hair. I must have been a sight.” A blush would have formed, but it was too little too late. She was naked in front of the fire with a dragon as her hairdresser. It was far too late to blush. “You need some rest, Graylin. Let me take you to bed.” He held out his hand once again. She took it again, and quietly followed him to his bedroom. Repairs had been made to the linens and furnishings, but the rest was just as she had last seen it. With one exception. A large wardrobe was occupying a space previously occupied by an empty wall. She opened it and looked astonished at all the women’s clothing there. All in her size. “You went shopping for me?” “I knew that you would probably be naked when I found you, so I shopped around and made a few selections.” “That was very thoughtful. And kind of creepy.” She yawned in exhaustion. She hadn’t realized how tired she was until this moment. He drew back the covers for her and, once she had climbed in, he tucked her in and got into the bed on the other side. “Goodnight, Graylin. We will talk more in the morning.” He leaned back and closed his eyes. She looked over and felt a twinge of disappointment. Fatigue quickly washed over her and she was out like a light, all her lust banked for the next day.

Chapter 7

The smells of breakfast woke her. A tray being lowered into place over her got her to open her eyes

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more than anything else would have. She sat up as he held the bed-tray in place and surveyed his offering. Eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, fruit, juice and coffee. Everything a growing carnivore needed. “Thank you, Rikard. This is very thoughtful.” She tucked in to the meal and groaned in delight at the flavours bursting on her tongue. She had been eating dry food for only a week, but it seemed like forever. “I found your camping gear and figured that a change might be welcome from the dry rations and peanut butter sandwiches.” He grinned at her, and in is white starched shirt, open at the collar, and blue jeans, he looked a lot more casual than she had ever imagined him. “So, what do you have planned for today?” She tried to be coy, but while munching on a strip of bacon, it was tough to pull off. He snatched a sausage from her tray. “Well, you are going to get dressed and we are going to Realm to register you with the council. As you are an adult, you have to appear in person.” “I thought that it was handled by you when we first…you know.” She waved her hand to indicate the bed. “If you had been pregnant, then yes. But as you are not, it means that you need to register your pedigree with the council.” He gave her neck and shoulders a look, “Why aren’t you pregnant by the way? You were in heat when we mated.” “Uh, anti-pregnancy spell? It has been most useful over the years.” “Again you have told me of a spell that I have never seen or heard of before. Tell me, is the tale they are telling of a living Archive true?” “What are they saying?” “That there is a female Archive, unaffiliated with any council, and she was a member of your little group of friends.” “Do they know where she is?” “No, not yet. But they are looking, with every means they have.” George closed her eyes and thanked the powers for small favours. The more time Jinx had, the better her chance of escaping a fate of incarceration. She methodically made her way through the food, her previous enjoyment squelched by the news about Jinx. “Are my clothes dry yet?” She changed the topic with her usual subtlety. “I am afraid not. You will have to wear something from your new wardrobe.” “You picked out clothing for me?” “Well, your mother did help.” He opened the wardrobe and gestured to the collection of clothing within. “She gave me your sizes. I made the selections.”

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“So, we are really going to Realm?” She stood and made her way to the dozen dresses, selection of jeans and pile of t-shirts. The underwear was in a drawer, as were socks and stockings. “Um, I don’t wear stockings. I just wear dresses with bare legs.” “Hmm. Not proper, but with your skin tone, you can pull it off.” He eyed her legs. If she wasn’t mistaken, he licked his lips. Perhaps putting on an extra layer wouldn’t hurt. A garter belt was in the lingerie drawer and after selecting a matching set of bra and panties she slipped it on and began to carefully work the silk of the stocking up her thigh. It took patience and a good manicure to put on stockings; she had to be extra careful as her nails hadn’t had any attention for a week. Rikard was no help. He had pulled up a chair to watch her. As the straps fastened the stockings, she sighed with relief. It was the hardest part of getting dressed, and she had done it without a run. The dress she selected was understated, yet daring enough to push the line between her underwear and her outerwear. Fortunately she had chosen a matching color. “Alright. I am ready. Shall we go?” With a little digging she had found shoes in yet another drawer. They fit perfectly. Black satin stilettos that matched her bra, and also the trim on the dress. The possessive lust in his eyes was unmistakable. “I have been ready since I saw you in the cave, but yes. Let’s go.” The dress was a combination of cotton and satin. It was full enough to fall to her ankles and swirl when she moved, and swirl it did as she waited for Rikard to change forms and hover outside the balcony. Each flap of his wings blew the dress around her ankles and every now and then it flared up to reveal a hint of thigh. As he held steady, she jumped to his neck and settled astride it with a minimum of fuss. As soon as she was settled his heavy wings took them high into the sky. She could feel the power of his muscles under her and carefully kept herself from settling too tightly against him. One of the last things she wanted was to arrive in Realm aroused and flustered. Leaning forward and letting the ridge of his neck rub against her clit would do precisely that. The braids that he had placed into her hair were still in place and actually kept her from having her hair witch locked as they entered the portal into Realm two miles in the air. As they exited the gateway they came out into something that George had never seen. Over a dozen dragons were waiting for them, and followed them down to the courtyard where her mother waited, standing next to a male that shared George’s eye colour. She had wondered where it had come from. Her dismount was graceful, a lifetime of climbing off dragons, and she stood in front of Rikard’s dragon form and did not leave it until he shifted to escort her.

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He stood beside her, formal robes swirling around him, and she marvelled at the outlay of magic that it must have cost to clothe himself. He held out his arm and she took it. As one, they approached her parents, stopping only a few feet in front of them. “Mom. I am glad to see you are in good shape after your ordeal.” She nodded to her mother and a wink was Arabel’s response. “Father. It is nice to have seen your face at long last.” “Daughter, I am Matthias. And I am your father.” He looked over her shoulder to the crowd of men that had transformed from their dragon shapes. “And as such it is my responsibility to make sure that you have the best possible mate of all of the candidates.” “It is with that in mind that I have called upon the males who are here today. They will compete for your admiration and for the right to be your mate. It is my right as your father to do this, and your duty as my daughter to comply.” George was not as surprised as she thought she would be. It seemed right and proper that they be given a chance. But… “Rikard, will you join them in trying to win me?” Her gaze searched his. He was angry, but resigned. “I will indeed take all comers for your hand. No one shall part me from my destined mate.” He stood aside and gave her hand over to the keeping of Arabel. “Keep her safe for me lady. I will return when I have been victorious.”

Chapter 8

Matthias was revelling in his role as father. He had complete control. “The first competition will be to race to the goblin territory and bring back one of their stones of illumination. We will be able to tell by the scent where you got it from.” “Are you ready?” The candidates nodded. “Then go!” The first part of the competition was simply the fight to shift shape in the crowd. Rikard was off in a second, having simply shifted first into warrior form to lift him above the crowd, then into full dragon form and away.

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She watched him disappear into the strange new skyline and turned to her mom. “Well, I guess I stepped in it this time.” “You did indeed.” “Why are you standing so close to Matthias?” Graylin had a feeling she knew the answer. “Because we are formally bonding as mates. With you as proof of our fertility, they want to see if I can bear another female.” “Do you mind?” Arabel remained quiet for a moment. “It was not a part of my life that I had considered open for change. With hiding your existence from the council, I just wanted to let you have all the choices.” She smiled and winked at Graylin. “And the sex is better than I remember it.” “So, is mating in dragon form fun? I have never gotten to try it.” “It can be, just remember that there are consequences.” “Arabel, would you please introduce me to my daughter?” The dark husky voice preceded Matthias. His dark handsome looks and golden bronze skin were traits that no doubt contributed to her own coloring. He was also probably very popular with the magical women who filled Realm. “Matthias, Chairman of the Dragon Council, meet your daughter, Graylin Treel. She is an egg-hatch, and has three exceptional friends who are embroiled with the various councils as we speak. “Graylin, meet your father. He has risen high in the ranks of the council and is delighted to be a father after all this time.” “Pleased to meet you.” They both shook hands, then dropped them with a complete loss for words. “Matthias, just so you know. Rikard is my choice. He always has been.” The heavy thump of wing beats caught her attention and she looked toward the sound. Rikard was racing another dragon of similar size and it was a neck and neck competition. In the end, it came down to grip. Rikard’s opponent lost his grip on the glowing rock that he held and had to retrieve it. This let Rikard land on the parapet and hand the stone to Matthias. Bemused, her father simply watched Rikard change back to clothed human form. The rock that he held was only an inch long. The rock that had over balanced the other dragon was several feet long. As the other dragons came in and dropped their offerings, a similar size was found. All large rocks weighing hundreds of pounds. “I declare the winner Rikard! His offering was the best.” “But why? His rock was not the largest!” A wave of disgruntled voices agreed with the lone complaint.

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“No, but it was taken from the home of the goblin king. That increases its value over that taken from the mines.” Some of the other dragons looked a little perturbed at that. “Let me remind you that I never told you where to obtain the stones. The value of my daughter is in question. Keep that in mind as you begin the next two challenges.” Two more? Matthias was serious about this apparently. Normally she would have been happy that Rikard had chosen the best stone to bring back, but with two more challenges, she didn’t know how he would fare. “The next challenge will take place inside. Please follow me.” Matthias held Arabel’s hand and gestured for Graylin to take his arm. She did, and into the council chamber they went. He escorted her to a small ante chamber off the main council hall and she paced up and down, alone. Waiting for whatever the next challenge was.

****

Arabel almost fainted when Matthias announced the next event. “The next challenge is to learn a spell and use it on Graylin. Each scroll is for a single use only, and the spell will be erased from your memory the instant that you cast it.” She looked over at him, appalled. “Are you sure that it is safe?” “The room she is in has a dampening field. No injury can come to her while she is in there.” He murmured it to her and it stopped the seething fear in her, but didn’t calm her beyond that. His voice once again rose to address the assembled men. “Take a scroll from the table and open it. Each has a number on it and that is the order in which you will try the spell on my daughter. You have five minutes.” In an orderly fashion, they each took one of the scrolls and began to read, a few cracked smiles as they realized what the spell was for. Arabel felt suspicious. She went up behind Rikard and glanced at the spell. Her own mouth twisted up in amusement at the contents. If the males could get this to work, Graylin would have a heckuva time making her choice.

****

Graylin had almost worn a groove in the floor when the door opened. “Mom, what are you doing here, and what is that scarf for?” “The next challenge has been set up. The men will come in, one at a time, and try a spell on you. To

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make sure that you don’t cheat and pick Rikard, we need to blindfold you.” “Wait. You are letting these guys cast spells at me?” “Yes. It’s to determine their magicalcompetency. They were just given the scrolls and have had five minutes to learn it.” Her mouth twisted, “According to Matthias, as long as you are in this room, you can not be damaged. I would stay in here if I was you.” “How about if I just run screaming into Realm?” She perched on a chair and took the blindfold from her mother. “Then we would have a flight instead, and the fastest one to mate you would win. I am not a huge fan of rape.” That sent a chill down her spine. “Right. When do they come in?” “As soon as your blindfold is on, and I am out of here.” She tied the black silk across her eyes and tightened it. “Okay. Bring it on.” The door shut softly, and when it opened the next time, she knew it was not her mother. The whispered words slid over her, bringing a feeling of joy and laughter to her soul. It was relaxing and lightening. The magic distorted the voice, but she didn’t feel anything aside from the cheerful wave that passed over her. Whoever it was left the room a few seconds later. The second had much the same effect. A small trill of arousal snaked through her and she began to suspect that the spell was for attraction or something similar. By the sixth, she had begun to breathe heavily. Her body feeling a sharp spike of lust that quickly faded. The next few were fairly bland and merely gave her the feeling of well-being imparted by the first. At number eleven she rose from the chair and started to walk to the husky masculine tones, only stopping when she stubbed her toe and he stopped the spell. She sighed in disappointment. The next one did not stir her, but the final reader tugged at things so deeply buried that she was shaking when he stopped. A voice spoke, “You may remove the blindfold now.” Matthias was in the open doorway, a dragon that she didn’t know was facing her with a smug smile on his perfect face. Everything about his body proclaimed him to be a dark angel, from his black hair, silver eyes, and high cheekbones, to the width of his shoulders and the curve of his lips. “Khiron, this is my daughter, Graylin. In case you were wondering.” A satisfied smirk twisted his lips. “Pleased to meet you, Lady. I look forward to the final challenge. A woman as fine as you does not appear everyday.” He bowed low and she had a hard time looking away from the breadth of his shoulders as he rose. She had no comment to make, which scared the snot out of her. Khiron. Lord, he was pretty. “What is the final challenge, Matthias?” Her voice was steady and she simply spoke as if the dark god

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wasn’t standing a few feet away from her. “That is for them to find out.” A ball of light appeared in his hand and he lofted it gently to her. As it burst she fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

****

“This is the most surreal thing I have ever seen.” She stood and found herself in a flowing Grecian style gown. The odd thing was the two doppelgangers that were facing her as they rose from their own beds. Each move that she made was echoed by the others and in a few minutes she was totally freaked out. Arabel once again came to her rescue. She opened the door and took one look at the replicated daughters and laughed. “Don’t worry, Hon. It is just a simple diversion spell. The males have to pick you out of your two clones, so share a group hug to get your scent on them and then just wait.” “You will all be held under a paralysis spell until the men have cast their votes. That will keep you from making any signals to your choices.” “Fine. When does it start?” “In half an hour. Enough time for you all to have some snacks. It has to have been a trying day for you, Sweetie.” The snacks in question were transported in on a cushion of air, no human or physical hands touched them. There was baklava, chocolate, strawberries and all her favourite sweeties. It was too much to pass up. Her clones stood next to her at the table and she rubbed up against them to spread her scent. They sat together and lounged while eating the snacks. She encouraged them to touch her, then themselves and in a few moments there was an all Graylin orgy going on. She watched her selves writhe in passion while masturbating and was amazed. If that was what she looked like, she didn’t know if she wanted an audience the next time. Still it was impressive. Her skin flushed, her breasts heaved with her breathing and she shook and squealed with her climax. Extremely undignified, but enthusiastic, she had to give it that. Now they were ready for the guys. Let them try and tell them apart. On cue, her father came in, winced at the scent of arousal in the air, and cast the paralysis spell. She was cursing the pose she was in, one thigh exposed, one covered and her hands holding the folds of her gown. Either to push it up or down, it looked like either. And she had neglected to cover one breast. That would be distracting to anyone, let alone a man after her to mate. The clones were in her field of vision, and in much the same state. Their clothing askew and their skin rosy with their exertions.

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****

The dragons came in one at a time. Each male had two minutes to examine them to try to discover the real her. There were only two that figured it out, Rikard and Khiron. What a shock. While releasing the spell, she grappled with what would happen next. She had no idea. The two clones evaporated into smoke and tiny pixies flew free of the wrapping of magic. And as soon as she was free, she fixed her clothing and stood with a blush on her cheeks, chest and arms. Matthias looked her over and sighed. “I had wished for a clear winner, but I suppose that if they wish to, they can have a battle for the honour of your hand.” “If they wish to?” “Well, if they choose not to, they default their claim to you. That leaves you with whomever is left.” She looked from Khiron to Rikard. “What is your decision? Will you fight, or will you give up?” “For you lady, I will fight the devil himself.” Khiron swept forward to place a kiss on her hand, then moved it to her forehead, and finally a kiss on her lips that curled her toes. He was wrenched away from his gentle exploration by a scowling Rikard. He looked like a pale devil. But his face was the more beloved as she moved to him to kiss him while he glared at his opponent. “Rikard. I am not going to kiss your ear. Get those lips over here.” It was hard to have a deep kiss while grinning, but she managed to smooth her features as the warmth of his presence flowed through her. That was something that had been missing from Khiron’s kiss. The feeling of belonging, of being home. Sure, there had been passion, but that would fade. Or perhaps not, but it still lacked the comfort of Rikard’s embrace. So, now the two men she wanted would battle for her hand. And the rest of her. This day had taken a freaky turn.

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Chapter 9

There was a crowd gathering outside the Dragon council hall. It seemed that the news of a challenge was one of the greatest draws in Realm. She stood between her parents on the walk on the wall and looked down at the field where they would fight. Swords were standard, armour unnecessary. They faced off, waiting only for the signal to begin. All forms were available for the battle, but shifting lost points in the judgement and in the eyes of the watchers. It was the weaker opponent who would shift first. Or the one with a strategy. One never knew in these things. “This will not be a battle to the death! But rather to exhaustion! Take your places, and begin!” Matthias dropped a white handkerchief to the ground, and the instant that it hit, the warriors collided. With endurance in mind, they circled slowly, each looking for a weakness in the other, an occasional feint made the onlookers gasp, but it was only when they both engaged in hacking and slashing that the cheering and betting started. She sighed and looked around. It was bizarre, but ninety-eight percent of the crowd was male. It seemed that they enjoyed watching other guys bashing each other around. Each time that the dragons connected a roar came from the crowd. They were so equally matched that it seemed that hours would pass before a winner was declared. Graylin turned to Matthias and was about to ask if she had to watch the whole battle when a talon scooped her up and she was suddenly airborne. “What the hell?” She looked up and only saw a metallic blue underbelly, no clue as to whom it belonged to from her recent suitors. This was ridiculous.“Who are you and what do you think you are doing?” “I am Icarin, and I am claiming you as my mate.”He banked suddenly and it was then that George realized that they were being followed. A blast of fire struck Icarin’s neck, near his head and he shook it off and continued flying. She craned her neck around and saw a furious Rikard leading a pack of dragons, the one nearest to his size must have been Khiron. A second blast from Rikard and the kidnapper dropped her. She gasped in surprise, but before she could shift her own form her lover had her carefully in his grasp. The remaining flight of dragons was knocking her abductor about. “Are you alright? He didn’t injure you did he?”Rikard was flying as if she was made of porcelain. He returned to the council hall and set her delicately on the parapet before shifting his form back to human.

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“No. I am fine. He just surprised me is all.” Matthias was approaching rapidly. He looked furious and as the dragons returned with Icarin, he took out his fury on the now-human form. He began to beat the hapless male with an aggression that George found appalling. “What are you doing? Stop it!” He whirled on her as her hand tugged at his shoulder. “He defiled you! Taking you after he had already lost the right to a mate.” “You are the idiot who made me a prize! What did you expect? That you would get them all hot and horny, then leave them with nothing?” Her father’s mouth opened and closed in surprised. “It is the way things have always been done.” “I beg to differ.” “What?” “My mother found another way, Marcus and Lia, Alethea and Rhys,Devonand Vinya. They all found away around the Dragon Council edicts. They mated and bred without these trials.” He looked like a gaffed fish. His mouth opened and closed in amazement. Then he turned to Arabel, “You told me that she didn’t know of the other families.” “Don’t blame her. Rikard had a family history in his horde. I can read.” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her parents. “I choose Rikard. I selected him, he selected me, and we choose each other. I am sure Khiron is a wonderful choice as a mate, but he is not mine.” She inclined her head formally to the dragon in question and tried not to look directly at his nudity. None of the males had bothered to reacquire clothing when they shifted, and it was quite a sight. She tamped down on her hormones and tried to keep a straight face. Rikard came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned back into him and relaxed. Matthias looked at them and a resigned expression crossed his features. “You are right. I suppose my clinging to the older traditions is what kept your mother from me all these years.” Arabel smiled, “Wow. You have finally clued into it. Matthias, you were one of the most attractive men I had ever met. Even transformed, you were an amazing lover, but you were locked in a cycle of tradition and formality that didn’t suit me at all.” “And now?” “I am willing to work on it if you are.” She smiled at him in a challenging fashion. He was stunned. There was no other way to describe it. “Matthias, do you give your blessing to your daughter and myself?” His voice was soft and husky in her ear. The erection that was prodding her backside was the reason for his darker tone.

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Apparently, her in a toga was more than he could stand. “I do. But only with the knowledge that she herself has declared it.” She smiled as he looked pained at his statement. Perhaps evolution wasn’t that time consuming after all. Rikard asked the other male. “It will be recorded?” “It will.” “Then we will see you in a week.” His arms tightened around her and he pushed off the parapet with her in his arms. His wings began to flap and she laughed, startled, as she realized that his warrior form was what had been holding her. Heavy beats carried them low over the terrain and then he swept higher, climbing into the sunny skies of Realm. As they reached a point so high that she had trouble breathing he relaxed his grip and whispered into her ear, “Change.” Grinning with anticipation, she shifted to face him and moved into warrior form, her toga rising as her tail lifted the skirts.

Chapter 10

Wrapping her thighs around his hips, his cock nudged into the hollow that had grown wet during their flight. She grunted and circled her hips against his, working him slowly into her. Her high-pitched sighs matched his groans as he was slowly worked in to the hilt. At last, he was finally seated. “Do you want to move, or shall I?” Her joking comment had him diving through the sky, her claws biting into his shoulders and her own wings struggling to open. He regained control and once again climbed into the atmosphere.

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“Does that answer your question?” His grin was unrepentant. She wrapped her tail around one of his legs for leverage and began to rock her channel up and down his hardened cock. The sudden dips in their altitude were her clue as to how effective her ministrations were. Sweat glowed between them as they flew and fucked through the skies of Realm. Rikard’s eyes glowed as he approached climax, and his thumb found her clit between their writhing bodies. A few sharp strokes on that sensitized flesh and she screamed, making the way for his orgasm. His teeth flashed and he bit down sharply between her neck and shoulder as he came, pumping venom into her body to allow for her pregnancy. As his body shuddered in release, his wings lost their beat and once again they were falling, the ground sweeping up to meet them. George reversed their positions and now she was on ‘top’, her wings opening to catch them before they had gained too much speed. It was hard, but she managed to keep them aloft while he withdrew his teeth and came to his senses. She slowly took them to the ground and landed as gently as she could with him being nothing but dead weight. She sat next to him on a rock and watched the stars fade from behind his eyes. “Was it good for you?” He simply grinned at her. Completely unabashed at lying there with his cock softening, shining with her juices and his own. “Next time, we will try that over water. Less chance of hitting solid ground.” “You are imagining that there will be a next time.” “I have centuries to try and convince you. I am willing to try.” He stood and brushed some grass off his ass. “Shall we return to my home so that we can continue to bond?” He shifted into his dragon form and beckoned her forward with one clawed hand. Shaking her head in amusement, she mounted up and settled her nether parts against his neck, snugly. If she had to ride a dragon she was going to have some fun. “What are you doing back there?” “Turning your neck into a home entertainment center.”She rocked against him and in moments she was slick with her own juices once again. The remnants of her earlier arousal coated his neck, with his own contribution. “Alright, but don’t tire yourself out. I have plans for this evening.”He chose that moment to fly through some turbulence and she almost came from the friction. She did moan in release as he arched his neck to enter his portal to the mortal world. The magic swirling around her intensified her release and she was screaming by the time they exited over his home. She was shaking with the depth of her orgasm when he landed, sliding off him with a thump as she hit the ground butt first.

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He looked down at her and sniffed her from head to toe, then shifted back into human form. “You were busy.” “You were steering. I had to do something.” She was still flat on her back on the ground near the front door and her breathing was gradually returning to normal. “But was getting off against my neck your only option?” “Well, I didn’t have my tax returns, so it was my second choice.” She was unrepentant and looking up at him was funny, his erection had re-emerged and from her vantage point it seemed to be sprouting from between his eyes. “I have to take a picture of you like this one day. Remind me.” He grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet as she rambled on. “Come along. I have a few family heirlooms that I want you to have.” He walked with her steering through his repaired main room and study, down the tunnel to his horde.

Chapter 11

He took her past the room she had been living in, shaking his head over the mess she had made and to an ante room that she had not noticed in her learning orgy. It was much more orderly than the horde. He waved his hand in front of the wall and it melted away. Literally. The stone formed a puddle at the base of the cave wall. Inside were his prize possessions. The private jewels of a male dragon. A necklace, bracelets and anklets made of tiny and diamond-hard scales. “Were those taken from your…?” She looked down, and sure enough. Tiny scars that she hadn’t noted before dotted the skin above the root of his cock, and made a small trail down the skin of the shaft.

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“Yes. I created them fifty years ago. When I felt my mate enter the magical world.” He looked worried. “Are you going to put them on me?” Relief ran over his features and he reached for them. “I am not that liberated. I chose you, and everything that goes with you. That means your marks.” She stood quietly as he knelt to attach the anklets. They snapped on and the warmth of his magic flowed around her. The same reaction occurred with the bracelets. When the choker locked in place she was bound in warmth. She knew instantly that the warmth was his mood. Possessiveness blazed in his eyes as he surveyed her in the toga and his scales. “I think you would look better with nothing else on. Would you mind?” Smiling, she untied the cord that held it in place and slid the fabric off her shoulder and to the ground. She stepped out of it and toward him. And then was up against the wall once again, this time with his hard cock plunging into her and her own hands struggling for balance against him. She wrapped her ankles around his hips and let him pound into her, her own arousal growing more slowly then bursting as the bands she now wore sent a bolt of lust through her in an inexorable wave. She was coming again, arching against the stone and thrusting her hips out to meet his as he slid and slammed within her. His groan and suddenly un-rhythmic thrusts as well as the bite to her neck let her know he was spilling his semen into her in hot jets. Her body was still pulsing and shaking as she let her legs slide in short jerks back down so that she was no longer depending on the pressure of his body for support. “I gather that you like the look of me in your scales?” He was fighting to regain his breath, his chest was still heaving like a bellows. “That would be a safe assumption. Would you care to adjourn to the house, so we can get some rest?” She was a little weak in the knees and it had been one helluva day, “Sounds like a plan. Let’s go.” They staggered arm in arm back to the house, meandered up the stairs and then flopped into the bed with little ceremony. It had been one helluva day.

****

The insistent chirp of her cell phone woke her the next morning. She retrieved it from the pack that Rikard had brought her and almost jumped out of her skin at the message. She jumped up and grabbed her sleeping dragon by the shoulder. “Rikard. Do you want me to travel

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around without you?” She was frantically texting with her free hand, cursing and using both as she made a mistake. A few precious moments were spent thus, and then she tossed her phone into her pack and she began to look around for the wardrobe he had stocked for her. “No, we just mated. We are supposed to take a break and spend a week or more together.” “Great. Grab some stuff and come with me. We are going on a road trip.” She was loading her pack with the new clothing provided by her mate. He didn’t get up easily. “Where are you going?” She opened one of his drawers and started flinging clothing at him. “You remember all those new spells that I have?” “Yes.” “That they seem designed for modern times?” “Yes.” “And that I am the only one peddling them?” He was moving now, tugging on some shorts, then moving on to slacks. “Yes.” “One of my friends, Jinx, is an Archive. Her family just handed her over to a werewolf pack and her grandfather has objected. If something isn’t done soon, they might just tear her limb from limb. Or worse, hand her over to the Magus or Warlock Councils.” She faced him, wearing jeans, sneakers and a t-shirt. Her necklace of scales lying flat against her skin and proudly displayed. “She would rather die than be locked up like that. So I am going there to meddle in matters that are none of my business.” He shook his head wearily. “You just said it was none of your business.” George looked at him for a long moment. “I know that. But she is a friend. It is my business to meddle. Are you coming?” “Why don’t we fly?” “Because I don’t want to freak out the wolves with some dragons in the sky. They tend to think we are going to eat them, and we don’t want that kind of attention. We will simply be concerned friends staying at the guesthouse.” She flipped her pack over her shoulder and looked at his half-hearted efforts impatiently. “Let’s go, lizard butt.” “You will pay for that.” “Yeah, but you will have to get your butt downstairs to catch me, so it’s win-win.” She laughed and led her mate on a journey into the heart of werewolf territory. He enacted his revenge for the lizard butt comment several times on the trip, and she had to admit that he was very creative while using the hood of a car for leverage.

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She could only hope that the guy that Jinx got was half as creative, and that Jinx was flexible enough to manage it.

To be concluded in Archive…the fourth book of the Half-Blood Club.

About the Author

Viola Grace was born inManitoba,Canadawhere she still resides today. She really likes it there. Her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain maille, and a few others that have been forgotten. Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. A brilliant mind, with a twisted sense of humor.