Instead I wrapped my rear claws around the railing for balance then unfurled my wings and soared into the clouds.
Chapter Fifteen
Melisandre
I let out a shriek.
Part sheer terror, part exhilaration. Surely, this was all a dream. I’d wake up in a few minutes, safe in my bed, trembling all over from the realism of it. The wind rushing past my face, the raw power in every rhythmic sweep of his wings. Of all the images shown to me by the Oracle, soaring through the sky on the back of a dragon had not been one of them.
Moments ago, my sensuous lover rose from my bed, lifted his arms to the heavens – and morphed into a horrible beast towering over me. My nightmares became reality. I was terrified at first. Who wouldn’t be? The dragon opened his eyes, and I was face to face with the monstrous creature, staring into his glowing red orbs.
I could tell the moment Drayke came in touch with his humanity. It was when I saw my reflection in his eyes. His inner self recognized me, and the angry red glow became a warm golden light.
That’s when I stepped forward to touch him. I needed him to know I wasn’t afraid. Or worse – repulsed by his beast.
“You’re beautiful!” I crooned, stroking his wing.
And he was. As we ascended into the sky, the first rays of the sun caught his wings. They were iridescent. Brilliant red and orange and yellow and gold, the colors flowing and melting together into even more vibrant shades as his wings moved and the light played over the ever-changing angles of his scales.
We flew on. The land sped by at a dizzying pace, cities and towns giving way to fields and forests. I never knew how beautiful my kingdom was till I saw it from above, spread out for me like a giant three-dimensional map. On our left lay the range of mountains separating our kingdom from the harsh desert, where savage creatures lived. At their northernmost point, far behind us, snow-capped peaks gleamed white against the brilliant blue sky. Lower down, the slopes were carpeted in blue-green pines. As we headed south, the climate became more temperate, and I looked down on a canopy of lighter green. I knew beyond our destination a tropical jungle climbed up the mountainsides – a riot of flowers, palm trees, and giant ferns with fronds as big around as tree trunks at their base.
Drayke said we’d go to a mountain fortress below the temple of the Oracle. That’s where he hid when he first took on his altered form, and it was still his refuge.
Taking the princess to the dragon’s lair. The phrase sounded like one lifted from a dark fairy tale. By rights I should be shuddering and bemoaning my fate. But I was no longer a naïve and helpless virgin princess. I was a queen – and now I was a woman. I had the power of the stars at my fingertips and the power of a dragon’s seed deep in my core.
His enormous wings made short work of the journey that had taken me three days by land. I recognized Mt. Jarazal. From the air, it looked as forbidding as it did on foot. A barren landscape of jagged gray rock rising into the sky, the slopes crisscrossed with rivers of darker cooled lava. We flew higher, and I caught sight of the temple.
The scope of it took my breath away. I knew it was huge, but I’d only seen it at night. I’d fallen into a deep sleep after witnessing the Oracle’s visions, and Antonius had carried me back to the coach. We were headed home by the time I awoke.
Perched in a wide flat clearing hewn from solid rock, the ancient stones and columns glowed in the golden light of the morning sun. I could see the structure would soon be plunged back into the shadows. The rear wall of the temple stood against the sheer face of the mountain, with high cliffs to the left and right blocking the sunlight for all but a few hours. In front, beyond the clearing, a pathway strewn with huge boulders wound between the cliff walls, making it nearly impossible to travel any way except on foot. The way Antonius and I had come.
This place was the perfect location for the fortress Drayke spoke of. Hidden away, inaccessible by wagons or even legions of soldiers marching in rows. I could imagine a band of outlaws taking refuge here. Sentries perched on the clifftops, ready to pick off intruders as they made their way single file through the passage.
The temple sat on a high stone platform with wide steps up the center leading to the entrance. It looked as though it was meant for a congregation of thousands, and I wondered again what had possessed my ancestors to build it in such an inhospitable location.
A double row of columns all around the outside supported the massive dome with its center open to the heavens. The metal-clad dome reflected the sun’s rays, giving it the appearance of being covered in gold.
The dragon alighted on the wide terrace at the top in front of the huge bronze doors. It knelt, folding its front legs so I could slide off. As before, the doors stood ajar, as though we’d been expected. I took a few hesitant steps then turned back. My last visit had been a bizarre mix of nightmarish visions and erotic fantasy. I wasn’t looking forward to another such experience.
The creature reared up, snorted, and spread his wings, blocking my retreat. I froze, shocked. His eyes glowed red again, as though spending hours in dragon form had dulled the spark of humanity in him, leaving only the ferocious creature.
He’d said his beast wouldn’t harm me, but I wasn’t ready to test it. How long would my handsome lord remain a dragon? It was one of many questions I forgot to ask before soaring away with him. I backed away slowly and took refuge in the temple.
The sun’s rays came through the opening at an angle and struck the interior of the dome on the westernmost side. Soon it would be high overhead, illuminating the dais and throne, before disappearing behind the high cliffs. Darkness would come early here, no matter what the season.
Above my head, the interior surface of the dome was sheathed in the same metal as the exterior, shining so brightly I wondered for a moment if it was made of pure gold. Our world was blessed with natural resources, but could our distant ancestors have mined enough gold to construct the entire roof of this vast temple? Impossible.
I dismissed it as a trick of the light and ventured farther.
The throne stood empty. I breathed a sigh of relief. I’d had enough drama for one morning. I didn’t need another encounter with the Oracle and her disturbing prophecy.
Taking advantage of the last rays of sunlight, I wandered around the interior, examining it. The craftsmanship was excellent. I ran a hand over one of the walls. Each huge stone block fit against the ones around it so tightly I doubted I could slide my knife blade between any of them. I thought I’d been well-educated but nothing in the history I learned of the World of the Seven Stars had prepared me for seeing the skill, the planning on a massive scale, by ancestors so distant we had lost all record of them.
I heard a noise behind me and whirled around. Drayke stood at the foot of the dais, stark naked, just as he’d been in the Oracle’s vision that night long ago. I swallowed, my pulse racing. He stood in the sunlight pouring in now through the dome. Tall and proud, his manhood thick and heavy once again. I could see no vestige of his dragon form.
He caught me looking at his cock. “An occupational hazard, my lady. Every time I shift back, I find myself in this state. But I’ve never had a beautiful woman available to take advantage of the situation.”
He stretched out his hand.