We interrupt this hiatus for a special announcement.
A chapter. Enjoy.
Thanks Lunar D. Hayase for all the fantastic encouragement.
Dove woke up with bleary eyes and a warm cocoon surrounding her. It was nice to wake up so cozy and she made a groggy mental note to get dozens of pillows to throw on her bed when she got home. It was fantastic, and good on her aching joints.
Breathing softly she stretched, almost completely forgetting she was in enemy territory. When she tried to roll over she was met with a heavy arm around her waist weighting her down, one that shouldn't have been there. Her eyes widened, a blush consuming her when she realized exactly what had happened. She'd fallen asleep next to a predator of a dragon and suddenly she felt the distinct lack of clothing.
"Xander!" She screamed, trying to shove him away.
He groaned loudly and raised himself up only enough to move over her and collapse again, his cheek rubbing against her breast.
"Xander!" she struggled. "Heavy."
"You're fine." he muttered, his voice was rough and he'd obviously been in a sound sleep. He nestled his body into hers and purred contently.
She struggled still, pushing against him in vain. He emitted a soft growl that froze her on the spot. Her mind told her it was a pathetic attempt to warn her into being obedient when he wouldn't hurt her. He still needed her after all.
"That's better." he muttered, running a hand down her bare thigh.
"Why—Why am I naked? Why are you?!"
"You should really keep your voice down." he yawned. "Why are you screaming, happ?"
Dove made a frustrated sound and learned very quickly that wiggling against him at the moment was a bad idea. "Naked? Why?"
"I don't like sleeping with clothes on." he mused, a small smile curving at his lips as his amusement set in. "Animals shouldn't wear clothes."
"Xander." She pushed at his bare shoulders. "Get off me."
"Mm mm. Sleeping." he mumbled. "Do you always wake up so early?"
"I kinda doubt it early." she sighed, trying not to move. It was hard enough for her with Xander's probing hands. She should have left him sleeping. She tried to move out from under him again but he wouldn't budge from his spot on top of her. He was like a brick wall that would not be moved before he felt like it.
He trailed his tongue across her collar bone and purred from the taste. "You are tempting, happ. Even so early in the morning."
He leaned up to hover over her and grinned wide. "I can't imagine why you're so embarrassed. After the last day we've spent?"
Dove's blush spread quickly and stretched down to her chest. It hadn't been long since she'd graduated and it had been over a year since she had a boyfriend. A year, and she'd never been in a situation like this. It would give her poor mother a heart attack, and her brother more than likely would have caused a scene. Her aunt would have been the only one to hand her a condom and wish her the best of luck.
"Are they prude's on the Far side?" Xander grinned, "Oh that must be it. I haven't had a shy meal in ages, even considering which we're virgins."
"What have you done with my clothes?" she stared.
With a martyred sigh he rolled off of her in all his naked glory, not showing a hint of modesty whatsoever. "I tossed them somewhere."
Dove scrambled up quickly and grabbed her clothes before running into the bathroom with his amused laughter following her. He'd actually undressed her. He had no sense of personal boundaries whatsoever.
She stayed in there longer than what was probably necessary but she needed time for her blush to settle and her heart rate to go back to normal. He was more than likely still waiting for her, laughing at her.
Coming out slowly she peeked out into the room; he hadn't moved at all. Laying face up, breathing slowly, his eyes were only half-open, he could have fallen asleep at any moment. The look was almost enough to send her back into the bathroom.
"So that Prince only brings his woman here at night, right?" she asked, walking out. Immediately shifting subjects. "I kinda wanna have a look around to see if all the rooms are the same."
"That's probably not a good idea." he mused, yawning slowly. "But do what you want. Just be quiet."
Dove raised an eye. "Seriously."
"I'm not your caretaker." He shrugged, rolling over.
She stared at him and mimicked his shrug before slipping out into the hall. She had almost expected him to scold her or stop her. He wasn't exactly a white Knight sort of man.
The corridor was longer then she remembered but she was starved and being carried at the time. There we're three other doors that matched the one she'd come out of and she was disappointed to see the rooms were all identically to that one too.
"Well shit. What's the point to empty rooms?" she muttered softly, creeping around silently to see just how big and empty this section of the castle really was. What was the point of an empty tower?
She didn't have a huge house at home but it was plenty big enough for all seven members of her family. She couldn't imagine having so much wasted space around. It would drive her insane. So what if they were magic rooms? What good were they? Did they ever have so many guests. She cringed. Who would want that many guests?
"Shit." she shook her head, after peaking in another room. "What a waste of space."
"Think so?"
Dove tensed, it not being the voice she hoped it was or even one she recognized right off. She spun around quickly and felt her stomach sink instantly. Not a voice she could recall right off but the face was another story.
"Well what have we here?" Jester smirked, moving closer to her and grabbing her chin. Of all the Princes she could have run into, it had to be this one. "Oh yes. I do remember those soft green eyes. Everyone's looking for you, you know."
Dove frowned, sliding along the wall as if she could slip away but he stayed in front of her as she moved.
"Well, Dove? Shall I call my pap and see what he'd like to do with you? He was overly put out to learn you were missing." Jester tsked as if he were scolding a child. It was completely degrading.
"Seems to me you would have already had that been what you had in mind." Dove muttered.
He smiled wide. "That accent of yours is certainly becoming. You know I've thought so from the first time seeing you."
"That supposed to make me feel warm and fuzzy?" she muttered.
"I don't see why it wouldn't." he mused, stepping closer. "I could call for pap but he tends to get in the way in certain areas. I'd much rather keep you a secret here."
Dove raised an eye, already knowing what he was implying but if using stupid as a defense worked then she'd try it, that's for sure. "Secret?"
"Mm." He purred, leaning closer. "You see it's a rare day indeed pap comes to this particular wing. You see, it's mine. I keep it for personal engagements and he wants no part of that. He'd never think to look for you here."
"I'm supposed to trust that you would hide me here?" Dove stared at him, feeling entirely uncomfortable with him in her face.
He smiled. "With a little compensation, I dare say we could work something out."
Dove frowned. Was everyone going to try to make a deal with her where sex was the outcome and compromise on her part? No way in hell. He didn't have half the appeal of a moody dragon. She glared; annoyed that he'd backed her up against the wall.
She looked up when she heard a faint gasp and even Jester glanced up at the maid girl who was red in the face from embarrassment.
"Seems I won't be in need of your services today, pax`xpa wavyir`x." Jester smiled sweetly, staring down at Blossom and Dove couldn't tell if the words were an endearment or something more sinister.
"Yes, Reece Jester." She said softly, bowing in half before turning to leave. The second her back was to them, Jester's attention went back to Dove.
"That will more than likely be the only interruption we'll have." He muttered.
Dove scowled. "Oh I dare say I wouldn't mind other interruptions."
"Really, did you find your time in the cells below so alluring? You must tell me what about them fascinated you so. I'm sure I could recreate some of it for you."
She heard the threat clear as day and swallowed nervously. She knew how these rooms worked, they were stocked beforehand and using your own magic you could pull any of those things into room. That of course didn't include the things he could pull out of thin air on his own. There was no telling what he had really stocked his personal rooms with. She really had no intention of finding out either.
"Perhaps you should spend a little time down there and figure it out for yourself." she commented, flattening out against the wall.
He made a face that most would consider cute and smiled at her. "That seems a little cold-hearted, my dear convict. Do you treat all whom court you this way?"
"Is that what this is?" she raised an eye. "You need lessons, I know some fourteen year olds that could help you out."
His eyes sparkled brightly. "Lessons, is it? Do you think you're qualified to give them to me?"
"For a fee?"
He laughed, "Your fee would be my not turning you in and sending you back down to the cells to waste away. It would truly be a shame."
"Bastard." she muttered under her breath.
His hand found her waist and had her pinned back to the wall. "Not that I don't find this little chat entertaining but I do think it would be a better idea for us to take this someplace more private."
"More private then your own deserted wing?" she raised an eye, trying to think of a way to slip away or at the very least, distract him.
Jester grinned. "You rather I take you in the hall? Interesting concept."
"Well to be honest I'd rather you'd let me go. I think I've been held prisoner long enough for one lifetime and I'm pretty much over it." She hated the fact that she was backed into a corner. Her only defense being a lazy dragon who didn't know she needed him.
"Hmm...I think I like your last idea better." He said instead, raking his gaze over her slowly enough that a shiver went down her spine.
Dove scowled, trying to hide the swell of fear he forced into her. "You can like it all you want. It won't get you anywhere."
Jester smirked, smirking as he tugged at the front of her shirt, his fingers brushing between her breasts. "The more I think about it, the more I'm deciding I don't care."
She reached out to grab his wrist. "I went to school with guys scarier then you. I'm not one of those girls you bring here."
"I think you're bluffing." he grabbed her arm and pinned it back against the wall suddenly. He grinned wide as his free hand rubbed between her breasts roughly before grasping one to tease. "I think you'll give in just like all the rest so make it easier on yourself."
Reflexively her knee shot up, hitting him in the stomach. She barely had the time to notice his touch was nothing like Xander's before she bolted down the hall. Feeling a tremor under her skin.
Jester gritted his teeth and nearly snarled as he gripped the wall where she'd been. It was only a second before he was hollering "Guard!"
"Shit!" She hissed, in the heat of the moment she'd forgotten she needed to keep her presence hidden, "That was a way bad move."
"Guard!" he yelled again. "There's a fucking cripple in my chambers!"
"Is that all you've got in your chambers?" Xander asked darkly as he emerged from the room to glower at the Prince and the guard who was running from the other end. "Perhaps you didn't look thoroughly enough."
Jester looked up and his eyes widened with realization, making Xander grin, canines showing. He looked to the guard as he forced himself upright, "Quit dragging your feet and kill the beast!"
"How do you propose I so that." The Guard muttered timidly, holding his sword awkwardly as fear of the dragon set in.
"Loving you at this moment." Dove muttered to herself, skidding to a stop behind the dragon. She watched Jester back up in fear and the guard practically trembled. The only other one around was a maid timidly poking her head out of one of the rooms.
A part of her would like to think Xander had come to her recuse but odds were good he was protecting his sacrifice.
She clenched her hands into fists and paused, standing up right when she felt a familiar presence wash over her. It was coming closer. With that, came relief.
Xander glanced at her curiously before shrugging off whatever he'd been thinking and looking back to his prey. "Good luck with that." He mused in a cynically playful manner to the guard as he stalked closer. At the last minute they both got the sense to run but it was far too late and before long Xander was ripping them apart, enjoying his kill in more than one way.
"Give a girl a warning!" Dove yelled, clamping her hands over her ears and shutting her eyes tight. When they were down in the cells she'd gotten sick just from the sounds. She could have blamed it on her weak stomach but didn't want to take the chance.
Xander didn't respond. She wasn't his concern at the moment, food was.
Dove looked up at Blossom, knowing the girl was the one to fetch the dragon for her. She too was holding her ears and pointedly looking at the floor. "Thank you." The girl nodded, sliding back into the room, looking pale.
Power surged and pounded against her chest, a familiar power that made her move. Dove walked past the maid, her feet speeding up as she finally felt at him. The other half of her powers was close and she was getting pulled towards it like a magnet. It felt as frantic as she felt herself. "Hurry up, Xander." she muttered, having no intention of stopping but knowing he'd get irritated if she wandered off on her own again. She ran down the hall.
Arizona was leading Baron through a narrow hallway at the end of which, a spiral stair case was visible. She didn't know what floor they were on but the servants had access to them all with these stairs. Unfortunately they were full of servants.
Baron grabbed her wrist, leading her with him this time as if he knew exactly where he was going. "No stopping. No slowing down. I highly doubt anyone around here that sees us is going to say anything."
"And if they do they'll probably have the wrong assumption about this." She mused casually to calm her own nerves.
"I'm fine with it either way," he said, taking the stairs two at a time. He spared her a grin and was somehow able to navigate where he was going. It wasn't long before they could both feel the old magic that only a dragon could possess but his joint magic was stronger to him. It awoke the magic in his blood.
Arizona was on edge, mostly by the feel of a dragon so close but it didn't make her feel any better to think that someone was bound to question the sudden swirl of magic in that particular level. "At least we're in a floor of lesser use...not sure I want to be here though." She commented as she followed after him, keeping his pace so he wouldn't drag her.
Baron released her, swiftly leaving the stairs and heading straight for the dragons power but seconds after he turned down the corridor he crashed into a girl and had his arms wrapped tightly around her.
"Dove." he muttered, one arm hugging her tightly and his marked arm clasped fingers with hers. The marks on their arms glowed for a moment before returning to normal. Pulsing in response to one another.
"You came..." Dove said, choking back her cries and she leaned into him.
Arizona ran to catch him but stopped abruptly when she saw the two. Two fully grown twins. Their magic was thick in the air, nearly enough to make her shudder.
"Of course I came you...stupid." Baron muttered, stroking her hair. "I've been looking for you since the day you were taken away."
"I'm sorry." She said quietly, resting her head on his shoulder but he pulled her away just as quickly to examine her. Being clean was an upside but she was still covered in bruises and cuts.
He frowned hard, looking up from her to Xander who was finished his meal, then back to her. "You okay?"
"Just knocked around." she promised.
There was a pause as they stared at each other. More being said in that silence then in words. "Don't lie to me. I don't like it." Baron said softly, giving her a scolding look he could only pull off when things were serious. "You okay?"
Dove looked up at him and smiled tiredly. "I feel like shit but I'm okay now. I'll be okay."
He frowned still but liked that answer better and pulled her back to hug.
"Together at last. Finish it later." Xander commented, "Now would be time to make our escape."
"Why are you traveling with a dragon?" Arizona asked suddenly, looking Xander over skeptically.
"Not exactly what I pictured when I think dragon." Baron mused, looking at him.
"He's not so bad." Dove shrugged. "We've come to an agreement of sorts. Part of that is getting the hell out of here and he just ate a Prince for me so that really earned him points."
"Yay. He ate a Prince, now how about the freaking King." Baron muttered. "I'll help and everything."
"You made a deal with a dragon?" Arizona stared at her, clearly thinking the girl was a lunatic. "Was letting you live at the end of it part of that deal?"
"Ouch, starting to sound as though you don't trust me." Xander looked Arizona over. Concerned, he was not. "Maybe you shouldn't, hunter, but she will be fine so long as she holds up her end."
"You may intimidate me but that's not to say I won't take your head off." Arizona stared at him, "I was merely asking a question on the specifics of the agreement."
"Who's she?" Dove raised an eye, tilting her gaze back to her brothers.
"You're making deals with dragons and your questioning my judgment on people to help me rescue you? Someone needs a nap." Baron smiled, sighing in relief. "But really, let's get out of here."
"Come." Arizona turned, "We'll leave the way we came. Claw might not say anything. Hates this family as much as we do. We might be able to convince him."
"You expect to leave a witness to point them in the right direction?" Xander asked despite his following.
"Unless he is capable of coming with us. You will not harm him dragon." Arizona glanced back.
"You know…I really don't need a guide." He stared at her with a malicious gleam in his eye.
"If we're over five years old I'm not gonna tolerate any bickering." Dove demanded, looking between the dragon she was used to and he girl she'd never met. "My head is killing me so we escape and allow me to find a bed."
"Figured most of the servants won't give a damn about us anyway." Baron continued, following Arizona. "We get out and they we contemplate what to do about these assholes. Especially since apparently every guard in this place is out looking for you two."
"Your twin may be present but that does not make it smart for you to try commanding things of me." Xander looked at Dove but there was amusement on his features.
"Then sleeping with you gets me nowhere." Dove said frustratingly, smirking at him.
Baron stared at her, almost stumbling in his walking. "Hey, that falls under that list of shit I don't need to know about, okay?"
Dove nodded. "That's right; you and I are not that close."
"Perhaps on the Far side it's different, but no that was not the intent of our deal." Xander grinned.
Arizona rolled her eyes, hurrying down the steps. She couldn't fathom how the other three could talk to quickly and so casually in such a distressing moment.
Dove flipped the dragon off, and Baron teasingly grabbed her hand. "Things I don't need to know about." he repeated.
"Shut up. I'm tired and I hurt okay?" Dove sighed. She'd gotten a bath and one night of decent sleep but she was still sore and banged up from her month of captivity.
"Can you move faster or does one of them need to pick you up?" Arizona asked as she navigated them through the hall ways.
"One of them carrying me will slow us down regardless." Dove muttered.
"The dragon should be able to do it and if he can't then I will" Arizona rolled her eyes, "Can you move faster or not because I'm sensing guards."
"Not too many" Xander shrugged.
"Setting off alarms is stupid when not all of your team is composed of fighters." Arizona shook her head. "They're wondering around outside looking for you two. Last thing we need is them storming the Sipigo."
"The man breathes fire. I think we'll be okay." Dove said, not sure why she felt the sudden urge to defend the dragon.
"One dragon may be able to take out a two hundred of the Raaie's guard but he cannot do it and protect you and neither can I and I'll be damned if I just involved myself and my family for you both to die anyway." Arizona said, her voice low but all the more serious as she shot her a severe look before looking to Baron, "We are done debating. Can you run and can you do it quietly."
"Hells." Xander cursed, lifting Dove up suddenly into his arms, she squirming he let her move onto his back.
"Thank you" Arizona shook her head "Not that damned hard."
"One more word hunter and I'll string you up for the guards to play with." Xander growled.
Baron smiled faintly, still buzzed from being back in his sister's presence. "So on that note, I intend to finally kick some ass and make a spectacle of myself..."
Woo, thanks for reading ^_^
whirlingwings- She will! Thanks for reading
J Luc Pitard- Thank you so much for the kind words! story and a game right? ...maybe i'm just easily entertained.
Lunar D. Hayase- This update is for you! ^_^ thanks for your amazing reviews.
katred48- thanks for reading!