Page 45 of Fire and Fate
"This is the eastern valley," Zara's voice comes into my mind as we crest a hill. "We grow most of our food here. The soil is rich and the water clean. Our farmers work the land with respect rather than exploitation."
I can see what she means. Fields stretch out below us, planted with crops I recognize and some I don't. But unlike Valoria's farms where every inch is maximized for production, these fields have spaces left for wildflowers, for trees that provide shade, for small streams that wind through naturally rather than being redirected for convenience.
We move on, and she shows me more. The northern forests where the trees grow so tall their tops disappear into the clouds. The southern cliffs where dragons practice flying, diving and soaring with aerial acrobatics that steal my breath. The western lakes where the water is so clear I can see straight to the bottom even from this height.
"That's the capital city," Zara says as we approach a cluster of buildings that makes Valoria's castle look small by comparison."Embrath proper. Most of our people live there or in the surrounding villages. We have markets and schools, libraries and temples, everything a civilization needs."
The city is beautiful, built with the same white stone as the castle but on a grander scale. The buildings rise in tiers up the mountainside, connected by bridges and staircases that seem to defy gravity. Gardens grow on rooftops and balconies, adding splashes of color to the pale stone. I can see people moving through the streets, tiny from this height but clearly going about their daily lives with purpose and peace.
"Your people think we're monsters hoarding treasure in caves," Zara continues, and I can hear the bitterness in her mental voice. "But we're just people trying to live our lives. We have families and friends, hopes and dreams, the same as anyone else. The 'treasure' your warriors seek is just the accumulated wealth of centuries of trade and craftsmanship. It belongs to our people, not to whoever can kill their way through our defenses."
Guilt twists in my gut. I came here prepared to help Kaia kill dragons, to steal that wealth for Valoria's greedy king. I never questioned whether it was right, never stopped to consider what it meant to attack a civilization for their possessions. I just accepted that dragons were monsters and therefore fair game.
But nothing I'm seeing supports that narrative. This is a thriving kingdom full of beauty and life, not a monster's lair built on destruction.
We move for what feels like hours, though it's probably less. Zara shows me hot springs where dragons bathe, mountain peaks where they go to think and be alone, valleys where young dragons learn to fly under the watchful eyes of their elders. She shows me a world I never knew existed, one that's been hiding just beyond Valoria's walls this entire time.
Finally, she lands in a secluded grove, her wings folding against her sides as she touches down on soft grass. I slow to a stop beside her, panting slightly from the long run but exhilarated in a way I haven't felt in years. This is freedom,truefreedom, and it's intoxicating.
Zara shifts back to human form, and I watch the transformation with fascination. Soon, she stands before me naked, unconcerned about her nudity, and gestures for me to shift as well.
I do, my wolf form melting back into human. The cool air hits my bare skin and I'm suddenly very aware that we're both completely naked in this grove. My cheeks heat as Zara just smiles, something predatory and pleased in the expression. "Don't be embarrassed. This is natural for shifters, is it not? We can't exactly carry clothes through transformations."
"I know," I manage, trying to keep my eyes on her face rather than letting them wander. "It's just different with you. More intense somehow."
"That's the mate bond," Zara says, stepping closer. "Your body recognizes mine as belonging to you, just as mine recognizes yours. It makes everything more intense, more significant."
She reaches out to cup my face, her thumb stroking my cheekbone. The touch sends heat flooding through me, desire pooling low in my belly. When she leans in to kiss me, I meet her halfway, desperate for the contact.
Her tongue traces the seam of my lips and I open for her, gasping at the sensation of her deepening the kiss. She tastes divine, and I find myself pressing closer, needing more.
Her hands slide down my sides, mapping my body with reverent touches. Every place she touches feels like it's on fire, nerve endings lighting up with pleasure. When her fingers find the sensitive spots that make me gasp and arch, she makes a sound of satisfaction deep in her throat.
"You're so responsive," she murmurs against my lips. "So perfect."
She guides me down to the soft grass, following me so she's hovering above me. The position should make me feel vulnerable, but instead I feel safe, protected, and desired. Her eyes are dark with want as she looks at me, taking in every detail like she's memorizing me. "I want to pleasure you," Zara says, her voice low and intense. "Will you let me?"
I nod, unable to form words. My body is already aching with need, responding to her proximity and her scent with visceral intensity.
She takes her time, kissing a path down my neck to my chest. Her mouth is hot against my skin, tongue and teeth working together to drive me wild. When she reaches my breasts, she lavishes attention on them until I'm squirming beneath her, gasping her name.
Her hand slides lower, fingers tracing patterns on my stomach before moving to the apex of my thighs. She makes that sound of approval again, clearly pleased by my body's response. "So wet for me," she says, her fingers beginning to move with purpose. "Your body knows what it wants."
She works me with skilled fingers, building the pleasure gradually, slowly adding one finger inside of me and then another. "That's it," Zara encourages, her voice rough with her own desire. "Let go for me. I've got you."
Zara dips her lips to the curve of my neck, sucking lightly on the skin as she continues to plunge her fingers inside of me. I cling to her, the heat of her magic wrapping around me until all I can sense is the dragon queen giving me pleasure.
A broken cry tears from my lips as I fall apart on her fingers, Zara moving to swallow my sounds as she kisses me. She hums against my lips as I sag against the grass, her hand soondisappearing from my between my thighs and coming up to cup my breast. “You’re going to be addictive, little wolf.”
“Not little,” I mumble against her lips but I love the endearment anyway as lean my head back against the grass, staring up at the canopy of trees above us. The afternoon light filters through the leaves, creating patterns of light and shadow that dance across our bodies. I can hear birds singing somewhere nearby, the rustle of wind through branches, the steady sound of Zara's breathing beside me.
"Some of the warriors really thought you all lived in caves," I say eventually, a chuckle escaping despite my exhaustion. "They told stories about dragons sleeping on piles of gold in dark lairs, attacking anything that came near."
Zara laughs, running her nose alongside my cheek. "We would never be so beastly as to do something like that. We have beds, Solace. Very comfortable beds. And while we do appreciate beautiful things, we don't hoard them in caves. We use them, display them, and share them with our people. What good is wealth if it just sits in the dark?"
Kaia
It's been sweet nothings all day with both Alessia and Solace, gentle touches and whispered words that make my heart feel like it might burst. We've taken baths together, the three of us soaking in water that stays magically warm, washing each other's hair and skin with oils that smell like flowers I've never encountered.
