Page 10 of Winter Goddess
"Do you think he's shifting?" Arc asks from behind me, but before anyone can answer, we see that he was right. With a gust of wind, the blue mist is blown away, revealing one of the most stunning women I've ever seen. A sleek blue dress hugs her wide hips and ample cleavage, and I'm not surprised that the fabric of the dress is the same colour as the dragon scales were moments ago.
She is just as tall as the women who welcomed us, if not taller. Her horns are delicate spirals, thick where they're surrounded by her lush black hair, and thin and pointy at the ends. They're shimmering with a slight silver hue, just like the horns on the dragon did. Oh my. It's just what I'd thought. The horns aren't on the helmets. The women have horns. Wow. Don't they get in the way? So far we've only seen female dragon shifters. Do men have the same horns? Don't they get in the way of kissing?
Silly Wyn, of course that's the first thing I'm thinking of. Kissing. I should be focussed on the dragon woman now walking towards us.
Her gait is slightly different from how humans and Guardians walk, heavier and more cautious, as if she's used to carrying more bulk around with her. That doesn't make her any less elegant and regal though. She's a woman who shouldn't be messed with, that's for sure.
"Are her eyes blue?" I whisper so only the guys can hear. Her face is shrouded in her magic aura, although it's less intense as with other people. I can almost make out her features, but there's still a lot of guesswork involved.
"Yes, the same blue her scales were," Frost confirms. "She's really quite something."
"Oi, stop ogling her," I admonish him, only half in jest. He's mine, and it's going to stay that way.
"Don't worry, I'm not into horns," he mutters and I can hear the grin in his voice.
Storm clears his throat. "Shut up, that could be interpreted as racist."
"Hornist," Crispin chuckles.
"Shut it," Storm repeats and they all fall quiet, just in time as the dragon woman is now in earshot. If she has normal hearing, that is. Her ears look like they're a fairly standard size.
There's movement behind us and I turn around. The five sisters - if they actually are sisters, maybe that's just a term they use here - have been standing behind us, but now, Agierth strides forward, passes our little group and heads towards the dragon lady. And kisses her. Hard. On the mouth.
Storm clears his throat again. Yup, I'm not sure what I'm seeing either. Is it normal here to kiss like this in public? Agierth's hands are tousling the other woman's hair, who in turn has wrapped her arms around Agierth's waist, her fingers almost touching her bum. It's a very public display of affection.
I'm not quite sure what to do and whether it's even okay to watch them. Maybe they expect everyone to look away? Or do they want us to see?
I've almost got used to seeing half-naked Guardians and Gods in my mother's Palace, but that's just physical affection, a way to satisfy their desires. This here is different. I can see the love the two women have for each other in their auras which have now turned a shade of red. It's the same colour I see when my men are close to me. I always thought my favourite colour was blue, but ever since my vision changed, I've preferred red. The colour of love. How predictable and yet beautiful.
Finally, the two women break apart. I'm feeling a little ignored, if I'm to be honest. I'm the Heiress to the Winter Realm, I've travelled far to get here, and I could be doing war preparations just now. Yes, I want their help, but the way they ignore us is a little over the top.
I step forward to bring some attention to myself. It's working. The woman in the blue dress focusses her attention on me - and her magic. It's spreading through the air around me as if it wants to see me from all sides. It doesn't feel threatening, but I increase my barriers just in case. I don't want her to get an accidental look into my mind. Through our bond, I can feel the guys do the same.
"Curious," the woman says loud enough for us to hear. "You really are a Goddess."
I frown. I was told that dragons insist on ceremony and traditions, yet she hasn't actually introduced herself yet, nor has she welcomed me. I assume she's someone important, but she's not behaving like it at all.
"Did you doubt that?" I ask, trying to keep my voice level. I don't want it to sound like a challenge. Well, maybe I do, but I'm wise enough not to.
"Of course I did. We were told you were a demigoddess, but a few days ago, one of our spies sent word that you have changed into a Goddess. I didn't think it possible."
"One of your spies?" This time, I can't help it sound like an accusation.
"Dear child, I hope you're not as naive as to think that I don't have spies in your Palace. I'd be a rather bad Queen if we hadn't."
I smile pleasantly. "Of course, I'm just surprised you openly talk about them. Most people like to keep the existence of spies a secret."
She waves a hand as if she's far above 'most people'. She probably is. The authority filling her aura is only rivalled by that of my mother, although hers has turned into an echo of what it used to be.
"Let's go inside," the woman says and turns without another word, heading towards the large doors at the other end of the courtyard. Agierth follows her closely, an arm still wrapped around the other woman's wide waist.
"Shall we?" I ask the guys and together, we walk behind the strange couple and into the dragon palace.
Chapter Four
The Dragon Palace isn't all that different from my mother's, except that everything is oversized. Dragon-sized, I guess. The ceilings are almost too high to see in the dim light created by hundreds of flaming torches on the wall. No floating lights here. It's all a little more rustic and old-fashioned than I'm used to, but it's impressive nonetheless.
The two women aren't waiting for us, and their tall legs give them an advantage, so I almost have to run to keep up with them.
