Chapter 12

Spell

"It's not proper for me to kiss you, and be alone with you like this." I didn't know what to say. I'd wanted for so long to see him and be able to touch him, the idea that he thought I was being improper was enough to bring tears to my eyes.

"Ehd Wyrd... I love you... I don't care about what other people might think. I don't care about what's proper. Why are you acting like this? Don't you want to be with me too?" I dashed the tears from my eyes.

His fingers were gentle as he touched the wetness beneath my eyes. "Don't cry, Be'lah. Of course I love you and want to be with you. But I'm a prince too." I caught my breath, fearing the rejection that was sure to come. He was a prince, and I was a nobody, no matter what my grandmother said.

"There are rules and traditions I must honor. I cannot just play around with you. The curse cannot change who and what I am. I've always had to hold myself to a higher standard. The people of our kingdom expect no less. You do understand, right?"

I felt numb. We didn't have much time before the spell would end, but it didn't matter to him. We could die in the conflict ahead, but that didn't enter his reasoning. We loved each other, but it still wasn't enough. I didn't wipe the tears that trickled down my cheeks and dripped onto my folded hands. With my head bowed, my hair hid my face from his questioning gaze.

I wanted to leave him there, and fly away. For once, he was in no position to catch me, and I could find a place to hide in my misery. I could give myself over to the dragon Zhar, and be eaten. I could end the pain that was trying to rip me to shreds, like my heart was being torn from my chest. I never knew love could hurt so much. I loved him with all my being, but I couldn't have him.

"Be'lah? Dear girl, what's wrong?" I tried not to let him see me cry, but he pulled back my hair and I didn't turn away fast enough.

"Just leave me alone!" I stood and left him there, heading for the shadows of the trees. I fought to get my traitorous emotions under control. I wanted to be angry and blame him for my pain. But it was impossible to muster even a little hate for him. I loved him, even if he broke my heart.

"Be'lah..." His voice was soft in my ear, as his arms encircled me from behind. His lips brushed against my cheek, and I felt his body press against mine. I relaxed against him, and let myself dream of having him forever, just like this. The bubble burst when he turned me to face him. It was hard for me to meet his green eyes, even as he tipped my face up. "Why are you crying?"

"We don't have much time, and... I just want to be with you. I know it's wrong... but in a week I'll probably be dead, and then it won't matter what other people think." I saw the look of pain flash across his face.

"Don't say that! I'm not going to let you die; it would kill me too! I love you more than anything else."

"Then why are you so worried about spending time with me? I've been with you for weeks, alone and unchaperoned. I've slept in your chamber, and flown off into the night with you. Why do you suddenly want to push me away? I don't understand. Why does it matter now, that you're a prince? Why are you making me wish I'd never cast the stupid spell?"

"As a dragon, I didn't have to worry about the conventions, because it was impossible to be... familiar with you. But like this... I have to be mindful of propriety and my upbringing. I am a prince; it's not something I can simply forget..."

"I know!" I pulled away from him. It was easier to speak my mind when he couldn't touch me, and his eyes couldn't draw me in. "Why did you ever let me believe we could be together? You're a prince, and I'm just a commoner. I've always known that, but I thought maybe it wouldn't matter. I thought maybe you could love me enough to overcome our differences. But now I see how wrong I've been."

Stupid tears blurred my eyes, and I didn't see him move. In a heartbeat I was in his arms, and he was kissing me. I wanted to resist him, but I couldn't. I was his, as if he possessed my will. His kiss tasted of the salt of my tears, and I clung to him. I hated that I was so weak, but I couldn't let go. Again he was the one who pulled away.

"I love you Be'lah, and anyone who ever says you are common, will have to deal with me. I have no intention of rejecting you or pushing you aside." He stared down at me as he held my hands. "I think you've misunderstood me... perhaps it is my new found speech to blame. Be'lah, I want desperately to be with you. What I'm trying to say is that I can't put your virtue at risk by being alone with a single woman."

He fell to one knee, and gazed up at me. "Be'lah, would you do me the honor of being my wife? Marry me, and I will be overjoyed. I will give you anything you ask, and it will be my lifelong goal to make you as happy as you have made me. Please... marry me."

He wasn't pushing me aside. He was trying to play by a set of rules that was unfamiliar to me. I fell to my knees with him and threw my arms around his neck. I kissed his cheek, his chin, his nose, and his lips.

"Be'lah please... I cannot resist you. You tax my limits!" He pulled my arms from around his neck. "Can you not answer my question? Will you..." He stared at me, and I couldn't look away from his intense gaze. "...marry me?" It finally hit me what he was asking. He wanted to be with me for as long as we had. It could be a week, or it could be years. Maybe we'd have even longer, with his dragon blood and my elven blood. He wanted to marry me.

The lump in my throat tried to choke me, but I still managed to answer him. "Yes."

His look of wonder would be forever imprinted in my mind. His smile took my breath away, but his kiss set me on fire. We kissed like we invented it, with our bodies pressed together, and our arms wrapped around each other, in a dance of exploration and longing. I'd never felt the way he made me feel. Every touch made my skin feel as if it were alive only to respond to his hands. I trembled in his arms, and it felt like my stomach was growing a crop of flowers, that would burst out of me any second. If I ever thought I knew how love felt, I was wrong.

He took his sweet kisses away from me again, leaving me gasping. His hands cradled my face, and he smiled. "Be'lah, please... you're testing my resolve, and I cannot fail at this. I'm still dangerous to you." He helped me to stand, and we just stood there, staring at each other.

"Can you just hold me?" He groaned softly and took me in his arms. I wanted so much to kiss him. I wanted more than kissing, and I was shocked at how far I was willing to go with him. I wanted to make love with him, right there in the meadow, where anyone could find us.

"We can swim together, now." I wasn't sure I'd heard him right, with my cheek pressed against his chest. He pulled back, and grinned like he thought it was the best idea ever.

"Do you really like swimming that much?"

"No. But it's safe. If I swim with you, I shouldn't be as tempted to... ravish you." His words put an image in my mind that made my skin warm. I knew I was blushing, and I nodded nervously and headed for the water. I didn't even think about it, and I had my dress hanging on a limb, before I caught sight of Ehd Wyrd, staring. I was wearing only my undergarments, but he clearly saw more of me than he expected. I ran and dove into the water.

It relaxed me, as usual, and I watched as he approached the water. He took off his tunic, but stopped there. It was my turn to stare. His chest was strong, and I realized I'd never really looked at a man's chest before. I wanted to touch him, and swam closer. He sat down on a rock by the water's edge, and looked at his moonlit reflection in the water.

"You got a few things wrong. You've made me taller than I was, and you've changed my skin." He looked at his teeth in the water. "My teeth were never this straight and white either."

"It's how I see you. You're beautiful to me... I guess the way I feel about you came through."

"What's going to happen, when the curse is broken, and I'm not tall, with good skin and teeth?"

"I'll still love you, and I'll still see you as perfect."

"I'm not perfect." He stood on the rock and looked down at me. "I'm a lecherous man, who wants to do wicked things to a beautiful little elf." His crooked smile made my heart flutter. He posed for a moment, looking like a lion ready to pounce on its prey. Instinctively I started to swim away, then he leaped. He cut the water with more grace than I expected, and I swam as if my life were at risk. He was close, and I dove down.

I could have evaded him; I was faster and a better swimmer. But I stopped to watch his shadowy form, and he caught me. Underwater we came together, kissing, and touching in ways that would have been forbidden in the dry, light of day. For a few precious moments, I imagined how it would feel to be his wife.

Wrapped in his arms, we rose to the surface. We both gasped for air, but it wasn't because we were underwater. I slid my curious hands over his back and chest, and he was at a loss on where to put his own. Feeling his touch, through the thin, wet fabric, created an unfamiliar desire, deep within me.

"I don't think this was a good idea, Be'lah." He kissed me again, with a passion that made me tingle from the inside out. I clung to him, with our legs entwined. The feel of his male excitement was impossible to miss. Part of me wanted to flee, and part of me wanted to stay, and discover more of him.

"I want to lie with you..." He kissed me again, holding me tight and destroying any desire to pull away.

"I want that too. I love you." He shook his head at my agreement.

"We must be married, first. I cannot take advantage of your innocence like this!"

"You're not taking advantage—you're innocent too. Maybe we should do this now... we may not ever have another chance. I may die before..." In a moment he was out of my arms, and away from me.

"No! You're not going to die! I refuse to couple with you, just because you're under the delusion your end is coming. No. We will wait. Only when you are my wife—after we come through the fight and the curse is broken—only then will we be lovers." His imperious declaration held all the intonations of a royal decree. Prince Ehd Wyrd had spoken. It irritated me that he treated me that way.

"Fine, have it your way." In the water, I pulled off my camisole, leaving myself half undressed.

"What are you doing?" His voice cracked with the question, and he hurried to turn away.

"I don't like being wet if I'm not swimming, and we can't fly around until I'm dried out. I'm just going to wring out my wet clothes, and hang them to dry." I took off the rest of my undergarments, and swam to the shallow water, where I wrung them out. I was fully exposed as I stood at the water's edge. I knew he wouldn't look, even though part of me wished he would.

"Be'lah, you can't just wait here, naked! What if..."

"What if someone comes by? You know the island is almost empty, and this area is protected."

"No...what if I see you?"

"I don't care if you see me."

"But... we're not married yet. It's not proper!" I could see the back of his neck turning red.

"I don't care what's proper. Maybe that's because I'm just a commoner's daughter. Maybe it's because I love you, and I'm yours now, as surely as if you put a ring on my finger, and pronounced it to your kingdom."

"Be'lah please... why would you defy me? I only want to protect you, and do things the right way. It's part of who I am."

"I know it's who you are. But you need to understand who I am. I'm the woman who loves you enough to give you everything. I'm not holding anything back from you. If you want to make love with me now, I will. If you want to wait, and have a wedding, and a wedding night, I will wait." I stepped back into the water and sank down to cover myself.

"Just don't try to convince me that some rule or convention is going to protect me. I love you, and I know you'd never hurt me. And no matter what you want to believe, you need to understand that I may indeed die in the conflict. The prophesy tells me I will die, and my nightmares tell me I will die. I feel it waiting for me..."

"Stop it!" With his shout he turned to face me. "I cannot bear the thought of your death! Take the sun from the sky, take the ocean that surrounds us, but I beg all the powers that be, do not take the one I love! I will not live without you Be'lah!" He waded into the water, and came for me.

He gathered me, wet and naked into his arms, and held me so tight it almost hurt. He didn't kiss or caress me, but held me until it felt like we were one person.

"You cannot die—I won't allow it." He shifted, and I could swear I felt his warm tears on my cheek. "Please... don't take chances with your life. I need you more than the prophesy needs you. I'll gladly stay cursed as a dragon, if it means you get to live."

"What about the others? Do you think they want to stay cursed?"

"I don't care! The cost is too high. I won't let you die, Be'lah." He released me, and the water felt icy after being so close to his warm skin. I sank into the water for the sake of decency, but his eyes didn't leave my face.

"I don't want to die." Never before were the words more true. I wanted to live, and marry my prince, and make love with him, and have him for the rest of my life. "I don't want you to think I have a death wish. I intend to fight it."

"But you believe that fight will be futile." I couldn't answer him, and stared down at the water. "Don't fight this, Be'lah." His words snapped my head up. "Let me hide you away where he can't find you! My family and I can take care of this, like we were meant to a hundred years ago. You don't have to even be there—he can't kill you if he can't find you!"

"I can't hide from this, Ehd Wyrd! I've been training for this, I'm supposed to do this, you said so yourself."

"I was wrong. I didn't know there was something more important than removing the curse. You're more important than this curse! We can go now, and you can be miles away from any battle—even his dragon won't be able to find you. Please, come with me." He held out his hand, and I knew if I agreed, he'd soon have me hidden away, safe and secure. I also knew he would die if we did this—knew it as surly as if I'd dreamed about it for years.

"No."

"Why not?" His voice had a sharp edge to it.

"I can't hide from the prophesy, Ehd Wyrd."

"You can, you just won't! Can you please... just do it for me... because I ask?"

"Turn around." He was confused for a moment, until I headed to the water's edge, then he turned his back to me. With a simple spell, I floated my damp clothes over me, then dried them with a gentle, warm, wind. I finished dressing, then handed him his tunic.

I took him by the hand and lead him to a soft place to sit. We sprawled in the grass, as the moon dropped low in the sky, preparing for morning. With my arms around him, I rested my head against his chest. I didn't want to waste our time fighting.

"You know I can't hide." I softly kissed his throat at the opening of his shirt. "I love you too much to let you face your death alone. Without me there, you and your family will die. Don't ask me how I know this—I just know. It's not about the curse, it's about what Jheyms wants. He's willing to kill to get it. That won't change, unless we stop him."

"I would give anything, if this were not so." He gently kissed my temple. "I never knew I could love so deeply." I knew exactly how he felt.

He relaxed back in the grass, with his head pillowed on his arm. I rested partially on him, drowsy and content. We shared kisses, and soft touches, and he made no more noise about rules or conventions. With my cheek against his chest, I listened to the steady beat of his heart, and his calm breathing. I closed my eyes.

His kisses are so sweet, and insistent. His face blocks out the sky, as he smiles down at me, and I reach for him. His hands trace over my bare skin, and I've never felt so alive. I want him, with a hunger and desperation usually reserved for the starving. He moves over me, and I know we're about to make love.

I feel fear and apprehension, warring with love and desire, but I want him. I shift to open myself to him. There's pain. But it's not like I expect, and it doesn't let up. I hear the screech of the black beast, as red blooms burst from my love. I'm covered in his warm, life-blood. Talons tear through both of us, as the beast bites into him. My screams echo in the meadow.

"Be'lah, wake up!" I opened my eyes to beauty. The sun was shining down, turning his hair to molten gold. I sat up and immediately he held me in his arms.

"You're still human; this is wonderful!"

"How bad was your nightmare this time?"

"It was bad, but it doesn't matter. You're here, and you're safe." Snuggled in his arms, the nightmare faded. From holding and comforting me, we moved on to kissing and touching. But again his convictions put a stop to our closeness. He pulled away and stood.

"I think we need to go back to the caves. My mother will want to see me like this, and... I really want to see my family too." I looked up at him from where I was still reclining in the grass.

"You just want reinforcements, so I don't seduce you here and now." His open-mouthed look of surprise made me laugh. I stood and went to him.

"I've been trying to figure out how to get back. Only one of us can fly now, and I'm not sure if I can carry you. We could walk, but that might take a while."

"I have an idea." His smile told me he liked the idea. He lead me from the meadow and the waterfall, and I could feel when we left the area of protection, like stepping through a spiderweb.

We kept to the cover of the trees, but it was only a small hike to a farm he remembered. It was abandoned, and there was just something about the place that felt wrong. Seeing so much left behind, like the family was going to return any time, made me acutely aware that the prophesy wasn't just about me. All over the island, there would be places just like the farm. Places where normal people were planning to return, once they knew it was safe.

Ehd Wyrd barely even looked at the house, as he headed for the barn. He came out running and yelling, trying to catch the horse that had escaped. I watched as he tried several times to chase the animal down, only to see it take off running as soon as he came close. I had to wonder if it could sense he was a dragon in disguise.

He was sweating and muttering under his breath, when he came to stand beside me. "I can't catch the stupid thing! The horses return to the barn for food, but they're practically wild now. That's the best one of the bunch, but he won't hold still."

I kissed his cheek, and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Let me try."

I headed toward the pasture, and the horse watched me approach. I whispered a spell from the third law of magic—memory. "Remember me, horse? Remember how it was, when there were oats in the barn, and someone to brush you and take care of you?" It didn't take much to get the animal to come to me. I offered up an apple, and it followed me back to where Edward stood.

"You amaze me. Do I even want to know how you did that?"

"Magic." I smiled.

"I'll get the saddle and tack from the barn and..."

"No. We can ride him bareback; he''ll cooperate. The tack would only slow him down if we run into dragons." I wasn't sure if I meant the black, or Ehd Wyrd himself. Either was possible. His mouth set in a grim line, and he nodded.

We both rode the horse, and I sat behind Ehd Wyrd, with my arms around his waist, and my face pressed against his shoulders. He was a good rider, and I grew to enjoy the way the jostling of the horse moved his body against mine. I took the opportunity to absently touch his arms, legs, chest, and stomach. I didn't ride the traditional way, as I'd grown used to sitting astride when I'd ridden him in flight. I had to bunch all my petticoats beneath me, and still my skirt kept my legs modestly covered.

We rode west, with the late morning sun warming us. I was worried about what lessons I was missing, and I ran through the laws and what I'd already learned, in my head. When we came to the cliffs, we set the horse free again, and watched as it disappeared, back the way we'd come.

"How do you propose we get down?" I wanted to see what ideas he had, before I suggested my solution. He didn't wait, but leaned out over the drop and yelled. I thought for sure he was crazy. I was sure his voice wouldn't carry, and I was prepared to cast a spell to float us both down to the water, where we could swim through the mouth of the cave.

While I was still planning, a dark shadow flew over us. I couldn't help the icy fingers of terror that crept up my spine, as the black dragon wheeled and flew back toward us. In the sunlight, it glittered, like wet onyx, encrusted with diamonds. It landed before us, and fixed us in its golden stare.

"Look who else has joined the ranks of the weak and puny." Its voice seemed too bold for the light of day.

"Very funny, M." Ehd Wyrd was fearless, and walked right up to the dragon. "Can you take us back to the cave?" The dragon poked him in the belly with one claw, as if to point out how easily he could end him.

"Your chariot awaits—little man." I heard the distinctive sounds of dragon laughter. The black beast crouched down, and Ehd Wyrd helped me climb up on its back. I held tight to his arms, as they encircled me. It was too much like the flights of my nightmares, where it was Jheyms behind me. I had to reassure myself that I was awake. His kisses on my neck did wonders for reminding me that this was different.

When M took to the sky, it was with a burst of speed that nearly unseated us. Ehd Wyrd had always flown with a fluid grace, but M's wings beat the air with power and strength that dared the world to hold him back. I held on tight.

The dragon circled and flew out over the water. I held my breath for the dive, but it didn't come. Instead he headed for the sky, and the water dropped away beneath us.

"Hold on, he's showing off." Ehd Wyrd's words in my ear were almost lost to the pressure in my head. When the dragon turned for the dive, it let out a screech that covered my own scream. My ears hurt, and it wasn't helped when he pulled out of his dive, and struck the water on his stomach, like a skipping rock, jarring my teeth together. Ehd Wyrd had done a similar maneuver, but M did it with more power and speed.

After the fifth jarring bounce, we were airborne again. I closed my eyes, and leaned back against Ehd Wyrd, trusting him to hold me. I felt the spirals and loops, but I didn't even open my eyes. I sensed when the dragon was about to dive. It was a simple spell I cast, that would allow us to breath underwater. M dove, and it didn't take him long to come up in the cave. He didn't leap for the ledge as Ehd Wyrd always did, and I realized he was too big for the ledge.

Instead, he scrabbled up onto a rock formation, flexed his wings, and again flew. The hallway to the main chamber was barely big enough for him, but he knew what he was doing, and his body flattened out as he arrowed through the space. We had to duck to keep from hitting our heads on the ceiling, and I was very glad when we entered the main chamber.

Still he didn't land, but flew up high in the chamber. I had no idea the ceiling was so tall and he circled it as if he'd done it a thousand times. Knowing his history, I was sure he had.

"Eh'met, get down here, immediately!" Far below us, a beautiful, blond princess stood, with her hands on her hips. I was stunned that the princess thought to command such a powerful beast. I was even more surprised, when the dragon obeyed, quickly dropping from the ceiling and landing before her.

"What are you trying to do, get my baby brother killed?" The dragon's head drooped, and he made a mumbled apology. Ehd Wyrd helped me down from its back, and as soon as she saw him, she forgot all about chastising the dragon.

"Oh my! You look so handsome!" She flew into his arms, even though he was still wet from the ocean. While they hugged, I thanked M, and patted his shoulder. I wasn't forgotten for long. Ehd Wyrd pulled me to his side as soon as Rose released him.

"You can be the first to know... Be'lah has agreed to marry me!" He kissed my cheek, but I watched her expression, and she wasn't pleased with his announcement. She hid it well, and put a smile on her face, before offering her congratulations. She didn't look at me, as the rest of the family came over to greet us, and see the new Ehd Wyrd.

In no time, there was a party atmosphere in the chamber, and food was set out for the many humans to enjoy. Alyss and J'Spurr were inseparable, and Kharl and May were never far apart. At the news that I'd agreed to marry their son, Kharl and May were both pleased. J'Spurr teased that he'd make an extra effort not to eat me, so that I could live long enough to tie his little brother down.

Amid the food, laughter, and teasing, someone brought out a stringed instrument, and passed it to Ehd Wyrd. J'Spurr groaned as his brother tuned the instrument, but everyone listened when he began to play. At first the songs he sang were humorous, and his voice cracked with the high notes. But then he sang in a lower register, and his voice gained strength. J'Spurr stopped laughing, as he played expertly, and sang songs of war, loss, and undying love.

Two by two, they left us, and we were alone as he sang a song just for me. The love and longing in his voice, brought tears to my eyes. When he put the instrument down, I moved into his arms, and we kissed. I never wanted to be apart from him, but I had to leave him to go and speak with my grandmother.

All the way down the hall, I worried that he would be changed back when I returned. But R'ness was waiting for me when I stepped through the doorway.

"Don't bother making excuses, child. Return when the spell wears off, and we'll work twice as hard to make up for the lost time." I kissed her cheek, before running back the way I'd come. The main chamber was empty when I returned, and I found Ehd Wyrd in his own chamber. He was sitting there, on my small bed. I sat beside him, and he laughed.

"I've been so worried about following the rules and observing protocol. J'Spurr and Alyss are... not following the rules. He will marry her once the curse is broken, but they've already become lovers. Likewise, my mother and father have been hidden away in their private chamber. No one said a word, that we were alone together, with no chaperones—well except for Rose. I don't understand her."

"She doesn't like me."

"Don't be silly, she loves you; she told me so herself. She doesn't think I'm good enough for you. She wants me to wait until after the curse is broken, before I make any kind of commitment to you. She doesn't know that you already hold my heart."

"Why would she think you weren't good enough?"

He laughed. "I was a bit of a brat when I was younger. She made a good target, for me and J'Spurr. I've had a lot of time to... mend my ways."

"I still don't think she likes me."

"It doesn't matter. I love you. Nothing short of a royal command can keep me from making you my wife."

"She can do that?" I was suddenly unreasonably worried.

"She'd have to get it by my mother first. But she is going to be queen some day." He put his arm around me. "Don't look so worried, I am going to marry you." He kissed my cheek, and turned my face so he could kiss my lips. In moments, I was so carried away, the only thing I could think about, was that we were alone, and sitting on a bed.

His soft words in my ear sent shivers through me. "No one will stop us, if you want to... you know... " I knew what he was talking about.

"No." I pulled away from him. "Jheyms shouldn't get to influence how we behave. You told me how you wanted to do this, and I don't think we should compromise your principles, just because our time is limited." I put my arms around him. "However, I do still want to spend time alone with you. I don't need a chaperone to tell me what to do, or when to stop."

"I can't say I'm not disappointed. But I'm glad you understand me."

We spent the rest of the day together, just talking, holding, kissing, and being in love. When the night came, we snuggled side by side in my little bed, and I drifted to sleep in his arms. If I had a nightmare, it wasn't enough to wake me.

In the morning he was up when I opened my eyes. He looked at me with such sadness on his sweet face, and I was instantly on alert. I rushed into his arms, and we kissed. I felt his tears on my cheek when he whispered in my ear.

"I think it's wearing off. I can feel it... I love you so much... you better stand back..." I watched the transformation overtake him, with tears streaming down my face. It was a spell I knew, and could cast again. But we all knew that I wouldn't. It took too much out of me, and it was too close to the time of our battle. I was afraid it might be the last time we were ever together as a man and woman. I suddenly sympathized with Alyss and J'Spurr. I wondered if it would have been better to make love with him while I had the chance. But it was too late.

He dropped his head down, and I rested my face against his. The magic moments had passed, and we now had to deal with our reality.