Our soul. The voice was matter-of-fact. Ancient. Modern. Timeless. A hint of humor crept into her mind.
I see you can still speak, Old One, Dax said. And you prefer to do so with Riley.
Now she felt the dragon's laughter vibrating through her mind. He was very amused at Dax's expense.
She loved that Dax found the entire thing as amusing as she did. Nothing ever seemed to ruffle him, and in truth, they were all three very connected.
He is the strong silent type until he gets in a fight and then all thought process goes out the window, Dax informed her.
Riley laughed, the sound taking wing in the night sky. She loved to hear Dax sound so carefree. All he'd known was duty, and, although he was determined to find and destroy Mitro, he took time with her to enjoy the moments they shared together.
The dragon shimmered into solidity. Huge, his great bulk settled, giant wings outspread and fanning, creating wind. Riley clasped her hands together and pressed them hard against her fluttering stomach. The Old One craned his long neck toward her, and even though she was still partially in the trees lining the meadow, his wedge-shaped head nearly touched her. He stared down at her with his opalescent eyes-eyes as multifaceted as Dax's, although where Dax had a volcano's flame flickering behind the gemstones, the dragon's eyes appeared golden in color.
His snout was long, with the upper jaw curving down over the lower jaw, revealing gleaming teeth. He had one horn in the center of his nose, a short, wicked-looking weapon, and two more, just as lethal, beneath his chin. Horns protruded all the way down the back of his head and down his neck, great sharp gold and red spikes protecting his head. She could see just how dangerous the dragon would be in a fight.
His scales were absolutely, incredibly beautiful. Every shade of red from a deep crimson to a pale red covered his body, the plates overlapping to protect him in a fight. Riley touched the lighter-colored ones closer to his belly, a little in awe.
Very politely, the dragon extended his leg to her. Riley's pulse raced, her heart kicking into overdrive as adrenaline rushed through her veins, but she didn't hesitate. She stepped onto the Old One's leg and swung one leg up and over to settle into the small leather saddle positioned just at the neck junction. She didn't have to be told that Dax had provided the saddle for her. There were no reins-it wasn't at all like riding a horse. She found stirrups, more to brace herself with than for any other reason.
Riley grasped one of the long spikes and held on tightly. The Old One didn't need to be told she was ready; their connection was growing stronger, just as her bond with Dax grew stronger with every passing moment. She felt the tremendous strength as the dragon gathered himself to make the leap into the air. Great wings pumped strong and they were aloft.
Riley lifted her face to the star-studded sky, laughing with sheer joy. She had dreamt of adventures, yearned for so much more, hungered for that one partner, that perfect man who would fit with her, would give her the courage to embrace life. In this perfect moment she had it all. She felt Dax entwined deep inside of her, holding her close-safe.
The dragon was such an unexpected gift. Dax had given her so many in such a short time. He was everything she'd ever dreamt of. It was impossible not to fall more and more for him. He had spun ties around her heart without her even realizing he was doing it. There was something so incredible about the combination of the gentleness he inevitably showed her and the fierce, explosive warrior he could suddenly become the moment circumstances demanded.
The Old One flew high above the forest, and looking down she could see the damage the blast had done to the mountain. Mudslides had swept away trees in sections, cutting paths through deep forest. Steam vents had opened, and ash covered everything, but this side of the mountain had been spared the worst of it. For all the mess of the ash, looking down on the canopy was incredible. As if reading her mind, and he probably was, the dragon dropped down closer so she could even make out the animals and birds taking shelter in the branches.
The wind tore tears from her eyes and blew her hair back from her face. The sound of her laughter echoed through the skies. She could see why Dax had entrusted the dragon to make the journey. The powerful wings beat down and up, creating a wind of their own, so that dragon and rider streaked through the sky, high above the miles of rain forest. The river looked like a ribbon and the various streams feeding it appeared to be thin threads cutting through the dark forests of trees.
She should have been afraid, but Dax was too close, in her mind, whispering to her, pointing out waterfalls and cool, hidden pools as well as the silvery, moonlit leaves exposed after the wind from the Old One's powerful wings blew the ash away.
All too soon they were back to the mountain, and the dragon circled, descending over a ruin of a village. To one side of the ruins she spotted a sea of stars, petals open, bathing in the moonlight.
Dax. She breathed his name in a kind of awe. It's so beautiful.
Yes, it is. Thank you for showing it to me through your eyes.
The dragon banked hard and she clutched at the base of the spike at the junction of his neck, gliding as he approached the field of flowers. She held her breath, afraid he'd land in the middle of them and crush all those swaying night star flowers. Again she had the impression of amusement from the dragon. He settled just to the right of the field without as much as a bump. Very politely he extended his leg.
"Thank you, Old One," she said softly. "That was ... extraordinary." Riley scratched around the base of the horn on his nose.
The red dragon inclined his head, his eyes glowing affectionately. She stretched, pacing away from him to get a good look at the flowers. The field was tucked around ancient circular stone structures, and raised platforms dotted the slopes, very indicative of the Cloud People. Mist moved around her, enveloping her, nearly obscuring her vision of the ruins. Up so high, where she was born, in the familiar stunted growth of the lush forest, she took a moment to look around, hoping the blast from the other side of the mountain had spared the forest itself.
Thankfully, there appeared to be very little damage. The ruins were intact, a historical treasure for generations to come. The forest itself, the flora and fauna supplied by the heavy mist forming the veil of clouds shrouding the upper mountain. And that field of rare flowers ... It smelled like ... him. Every breath she drew brought him deep into her lungs. She tasted him on her tongue, setting up that terrible craving.
Riley turned and saw him. Her heart nearly stopped beating. She actually pressed her hand over her heart in a kind of protest. Dax stood tall and straight in the middle of the field of white stars, those glittering flakes of variants of red falling all around him like a shower of gold dust. The moon caressed him with fingers of light, stroking through his blue-black hair and highlighting the color of his skin. His shirt stretched taut across his heavily muscled chest. Arms and thighs were roped with muscle, rippling beneath his casual clothes. Only Dax could manage to look elegant in jeans and a white T-shirt.
The expression on his face as he looked at her robbed her of any sane thought. He looked at her with such a mixture of tenderness and desire her body just went up in flames. In that moment, she wanted him to belong to her as she'd never wanted anything in her life. There was only Dax and the amazing night, the joy bubbling brightly in her after her incredible, impossible ride on the back of a magnificent dragon. After that sensual, sexy ceremony she'd so willingly participated in.
His world was both terrifying and breathtaking. She'd never felt more alive, more sensual, more in tune with herself and the world around her than she did when she was with him. She felt beautiful and intelligent and even brave. It didn't matter that she didn't fully understand what a Carpathian was or what it would entail being with one. She only knew she wanted him to be hers. For once in her life she wasn't going to think every angle to death and be too cautious to make a move.
Dax's glittering eyes locked with hers and she knew she was completely, utterly lost, and she didn't even care.
Chapter 13
Dax held out his hand to her. Riley couldn't look away from his eyes. The flames burned and leapt, a fiery glow that threatened to consume her. Her very core caught fire, burning in answer, burning for him. The combination of his potent masculine scent surrounding her and his glowing eyes mesmerized her. She took a compulsive step forward, needing him just as much as she needed the air to breathe.
She didn't remember moving after that first step, but she stood in front of him, close, so close she could feel the incredible heat of his body. He burned with desire-for her. It was there in his eyes, in those leaping flames, the way he looked at her as if she belonged to him-with him.