An Heir For The Flame Read online

  Then a different thought struck her, sending a stabbing pain through her heart. She might never see her child, after all ShanRohit had remained unhatched for over a thousand years before being awakened by Trinity's presence. She would possibly be dead, and gone from memory, by the time he hatched.

  The dragons had said she would age differently now, but would that be enough? When ShanRohit returned she would ask him to ask the elders. This brought her some comfort, after all ShanRohit would be among the elders, he at least would see their child and bestow his wisdom and love on him.

  So deep in thought was Trinity that she did not sense the intruders. The first she knew of them was when she swept the dirt out onto the large stone balcony outside of the door. If she had known, she could have run back inside and been safe, instead they caught her by surprise.

  A hard blow to the head sent her reeling. Before she lost consciousness she was aware of being lifted and carried. Then through a dream she saw the dragon fire. He had returned, ShanRohit had come back to rescue her, now she could let go of her consciousness and sleep.

  ***

  Trinity struggled through the fog of her dreams. She felt strange, as though her world was being rocked slowly, like a cradle, yet she felt as though she was floating high in the clouds. Desperately she struggled to open her eyes, but the light hurt her and she closed them again. Her head hurt, a steady throbbing radiating out from where she had been hit. This, coupled with the sense of movement, made her feel sick.

  Her mind searched for answers, perhaps she had been badly hurt and ShanRohit had taken her to the city to be cared for. He must be carrying her very carefully which was why she could not feel the beat of his wings. All she wanted to do was go home, back to the dragon stronghold, she would force herself to come to and tell him she was alright.

  With a great effort she opened her eyes. It took her several moments to realise she was not still unconscious because the view before her was wrong. There was no mighty dragon, there was not even the human form of ShanRohit there to comfort her, instead there were five men, or at least she could see the legs of five men.

  Struggling to turn her head she looked up and saw the rest of the strange men. Her heart sank, she had not been rescued by ShanRohit, the fire she had seen was that of the gas trapped and then burned to fuel a balloon. She had only ever seen them in picture books in the palace library, in fact she had believed them to be the figment of some artist's over active imagination, until now.

  Lying back she closed her eyes again trying to fight the intense need to vomit. If she kept still they would think she was still unconscious, and then perhaps when they landed she might have a chance at escape.

  One thing she knew for sure was that they were high in the sky and for the present time she was trapped. Taking deep breaths she managed to calm herself, she listened to the sounds around her, the calling of the birds, sea birds; they must be near the coast. Where were they taking her?

  Then one of the men spoke in a foreign tongue. Instantly she knew just how much danger she was in, these men were Galvainian Marauders, she had been taken by the very people ShanRohit was protecting her city against. She understood the language, one thing her parents had insisted on was her education. This is what she heard.

  “I still question the sense of this.”

  “It is the only way to get rid of the dragon. The cursed beast will beat us back onto the far shores in the north if we cannot stop him.”

  “His fury will be great when he knows we have taken her.”

  “That is what we rely on. Our brothers will keep him occupied in the city port while we get her to Cranos Island.”

  One of the men laughed, “And then we simply wait for him to come and claim his bride and incinerate us all?”

  “No, there have been some new weapons installed since you were last there. We intend to shoot him down from the skies.”

  “Impossible!”

  “No, they have modified their harpoons; we will spear him like a creature from the deep ocean.”

  “This I would like to see. I wonder what dragon meat tastes like?” A couple of the men laughed.

  “We can feast on his flesh when he is dead, but I do not think he will be so easy to kill.”

  Trinity kept her eyes tightly closed but tears still managed to squeeze out and roll down her cheeks. She needed to do something to stop them killing ShanRohit, her one true love. She was bound to him in more ways than she was aware of and knew she would not live without him. Sliding her hand down and over her stomach she thought of their unborn child and knew she had to find the strength to escape.

  ***

  Some time later they began to descend, the basket rocked wildly as they hit the breeze skimming over the surface of the sea. Trinity felt sick again, but lay still and tried to think of happier times in the mountain valley with her dragon. It helped, but also made her feel sad; she desperately wanted to go back there, to be safe again.

  With one final bump they landed. Shouts and cheers rang out all around from different voices.

  “Yes. Success, we have his woman on board. How did the decoy go?”

  Trinity heard a man curse loudly, she did not understand the word exactly, but got the idea. “Fifty men and two ships lost. Let us hope it is worth the price.”

  “If we kill the dragon then it will be worth it. Come let us get our bait inside.”

  Arms wrapped themselves around her and she was lifted, held against the toned, muscled chest of one of the Galvanian Marauders. He smelt of the salty sea air and of tobacco, mixed with the musky tang of a man used to working in the outdoors.

  He was the only other man to have had any kind of impact on her senses. This did nothing to calm Trinity's nerves or stop her planning her escape.

  She kept her eyes almost completely closed so she could see a little but they would still think she was asleep. Lying limp in his arms she was aware of him carrying her into a large building that looked like a small fort from the outside.

  She knew of places like these that had been used as lookout points for many years. Unfortunately they were spread up and down the coast and gave her no clue to where exactly they had brought her.

  Once inside she had to let her eyes adjust to the dim light, there were only a few torches along the corridor they were now going along. Trinity could not tell if there was anyone else around, she was trying to decide if it was worth her trying to escape now, when they stopped. He stood before an iron door, kicking it wide open with his foot. He went inside and leaned forward to place her on a mattress on the floor.

  This was it, her only chance before she would be locked in this cell. Taking him by surprised she wriggled out of his arms and then landed a punch on his face, which hurt her hand terribly. Undeterred she raised her knee to strike him in the groin.

  He was too fast for her, dodging out of the way before grabbing her wrists and holding them tight. The pain of his grip ran through her body, but she would not allow herself to cry out.

  “So you were awake, Princess, I thought you were.” Even his voice had an effect on her. “Now that was not polite, if you try something like that again I will be forced to keep you chained up. Do you want that?”

  For the first time she looked at him fully in the face. Her breath caught in her chest, he was handsome, dark hair and eyes, yet with a hint of warmth and humour. Her breasts heaved, she tried to tell herself it was from the effort of attacking him, yet it felt like something else.

  “Ahh, you like what you see? Most women do, why not help us trap your dragon, and then we can have some fun later. I know you had no choice but to go to the foul beast. I can offer you freedom from that. What do you say?”

  She looked at him then, and he could see from the fire in her eyes that she would never agree to help them.

  “Very well.” He released her and pushed her down onto the mattress. “Let me know if you change your mind.”

  He shut the door behind him and then locked it, test
ing to check its strength. Then he walked off down the corridor, away from her. She was left lonely and desolate, unable to hold herself together she went to the furthest corner of the cell and threw up. Then she dropped down onto the mattress, her head pounding painfully, she closed her eyes and slipped into unconsciousness again.

  ***

  Trinity longed to find sanctuary in her mind, to block out the terrible danger ShanRohit was in because if her. Yet even in the dark of her unconscious she found herself calling to him, desperately trying to find him and warn of the danger waiting for him.

  Then when all seemed lost she heard him, the beat of his wings, so much like the beat of his heart. Looking around she tried to see him, but all was dark.

  “ShanRohit, turn away from me,” she called out her warning into the nothingness.

  The beat of his wings grew nearer, and then they were so close to her she could feel the movement of air from their downward sweep nearly pushing her off her feet. He was here.

  The sound stopped and she felt the frisson of electricity that accompanied his shimmering from dragon to human form. It had always been there but only in the complete darkness did she acknowledge it.

  To Trinity it seemed the loss of vision made every other sense more acute. So the first touch of his skin against hers was as though a red hot poker had seared her skin, she jumped, and then relaxed. It was his touch, it was him. Her consciousness had conjured him out of the nothingness to soothe her.

  His lips left a trail of fire along her arm and up towards her neck. So soft, like a feather tickling her throat, yet the thrill it sent through her made her body respond immediately. She turned to him and although she could not see him she found his lips with her own. She kissed him, wanting to ignite her other senses too.

  He tasted faintly of molten metal, as unique as the creature he was, yes, she had remembered everything about him. Lost to the feel of his tongue exploring her mouth, she folded her arms around his neck instinctively, pulling him close.

  Pulling back she whispered in his ear, “I love you.”

  Through the dark it seemed as though his eyes were really made of fire, they burned fierce and deep. She held his gaze and willed him to fully understand all the love she held for him. If this was the last time she saw him, even if it were just a dream or some hallucination, she wanted him to remember her for eternity.

  Then she sat down on the dark ground, and pulled him down beside her. This was the first time she had instigated their lovemaking, but she wanted him to know just how much she wanted and needed him. She put her hand around his neck and pulled his head towards hers, seeking out his warm lips and taking her fill of him.

  Their mouths melded together and she began to try to remove his clothes, fumbling in the dark. He followed her actions until they lay naked in each others arms. His hands found her breasts, stroking them and kissing them making her body heated.

  She spread her thighs and encouraged him to lay between them, holding his cock firmly in her hands and pumping it until it stood rigid with need. Then she guided him into her, pressing her heated sex onto his hard shaft.

  He slid into her easily; deep inside her sex she felt his pulsing cock. The feel of him exactly how she remembered, tipping her world on its axis until she no longer knew who she was or where they were in time or space. None of it mattered, only the two of them.

  Three. There were three of them now. She felt his thrusting cock inside her, her mind overtaken by the need to join him in the climb to ecstasy. With her hand firmly on his shoulder she boldly pushed him off her, he retreated, even in the dark she could tell he questioned her motives.

  Trinity pushed him again, laying him down on his back, and then she mounted him and guided him back inside her sex. He groaned his approval of this position, it allowed him to go deeper than he ever had, her body pressing down on him.

  He impaled her in his cock, his hands gripping her hips and showing her how to move to gain the most satisfaction. Soon she knew what to do, circling her hips to allow his cock to stretch her, and then rising slightly off him to come down on him fully.

  He could not keep himself together, this new fierce woman she had become had to be satisfied. As his orgasm crested, he pushed his thumb against her clit and rubbed the little bud until she came. They joined together in their climax, their two bodies melded together in this dark place.

  His seed spurted deep into her, filling her with his warmth. The steady vibration of his cock making her sex contract around him and then let go before gripping him tightly again. She drew his seed inside as she had before, even though her body knew it was not needed any longer.

  When they had both finished they lay together, Trinity not willing to let go of this apparition she had conjured up. She felt that if she did not let him leave her subconscious mind then he would never leave her, and would remain safe from the marauders.

  After a long time he pulled away from her. “I have to go, Trinity. I have to come and find you.”

  “No!” she said gripping him tighter. “They will kill you.”

  “I have to try; I cannot live in this world without you.”

  “But I am the bait for a trap. They intend to use a weapon on you when you fly here.”

  “A weapon? It would have to be a terrible weapon to hurt me,” he said. full of his own power.

  She gripped his face between her hands and turned him towards her in the dark. She did not care whether he could see her or not, she simply wanted to pour all her love and concern into these words.

  “You must not come. They will shoot you down with their weapon. There must be another way, go to my father and ask for his aid. Tell him you will only fulfil your side of the binding if I am alive and he helps to rescue me.”

  “He knows that is not the truth.” There was something hidden in his words, some meaning.

  Slowly it dawned on her, her father’s last betrayal. “You have already asked him?”

  ShanRohit fell silent. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. This was stupid it was just her subconscious playing tricks on her. This was not real, ShanRohit was not real, they were both images in her head. So she laid her head on his shoulder and rested a while.

  Suddenly she felt another pull on her consciousness, someone in the real world was shaking her shoulder trying to wake her. She did not want to go but she had no choice.

  ShanRohit held her tight, “I will come for you,” he said.

  “No. Stay away.”

  “I cannot, but I will remember your words and find another way to rescue you.”

  His voice seemed so real as he drifted away. “I love you,” she repeated.

  “I love you too, Mother of the Flame.”

  Chapter Three

  With tears stinging her eyes, she woke up. The handsome Galvainian stood before her. He had brought her food and some water, together with a bandage for her hand and ointment to bathe her head.

  “We need you to be in one piece when the dragon comes,” he told her.

  Once again she felt attracted to him, and she was possessed by shame. How could she betray her true love for this man who meant them nothing but harm?

  “I want nothing from you!” Trinity tried to shove herself away from him but he caught hold of her leg and pulled her forcefully towards him.

  “Do not worry; I am not going to force myself on you. However you need to eat, but first let me have a look at your head. I believe the pain in your hand is enough of a reminder to not try to escape, I am stronger than you.” He smiled at her and her insides turned liquid. She wanted him to touch her, to make her feel better and forget everything. Then a different heat, an angry heat radiated out from her chest, and the feeling vanished.

  Her anger returned and she wanted to spit in his face and send him away, but she would be more help to ShanRohit in good health. If she was weak when he came she would hold them back, perhaps making escape harder. So Trinity sat still and tried to ignore any further effect he might have on
her, looking in the opposite direction while the man worked.

  “There now, that was not so bad,” he said as he finished his voice silky smooth. He looked at her intently, and then a smile hovered over his lips. “Do you have any cuts or bruises elsewhere?”

  “No!” she answered quickly.

  His eyes travelled down her body, lingering on her breasts. Involuntarily she blushed and put her arms across her chest.

  “Do not be shy, if you need to remove your clothes for me to examine you for further injury. I can assure you I have seen it all before, I will not be shocked.”

  Trinity mustered all her self control and turned towards him full of fire at his words. “I do not need to remove my clothes for you!”

  “Are you so sure?” his voice sounded so seductive.

  Her eyes were drawn to the curve of his lips when he smiled. Her tongue flicked out and licked her own lips, imagining what it would feel like to kiss him. Trinity felt herself being drawn to him, her eyes roamed over his body, perhaps she might need to remove her clothes, so she could let him touch her. Who would ever know?

  Her body became heated again, but this time not with arousal. With the heat came the thought of the child she carried and her love for ShanRohit. This was all that was needed to stop all thoughts she had for this man.

  Drawing her body up straight she set her face firmly and said, “Thank you for the food. That will be all,” she said dismissively.

  Taking the food she turned her back on him and he left the room laughing softly.

  Once again Trinity found herself hating the way her body had reacted to him. Trying hard to keep her thoughts firmly set on how she could escape, rather than the colour of his eyes, she sat and chewed her bread. Then she settled back down on the mattress and waited.

  ***

  The Galvainian visited her every few hours with food. He talked to her as though they were old friends, Trinity took on the mantle she had worn for so many years, that of Princess.

  “I am sorry if the bed is uncomfortable, and the food is not much,” he apologized so sincerely.