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060: Things You Can't Take Back
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 061: Unfriendly Tide
[Kora]"Ori," His grasp on me is tight enough to draw blood on my legs as he fights his inner demons over the scene before us. "Orion."Slowly he turns his head towards me. It takes a moment for him to realize I am in pain, and when the realization finally reaches his eyes, his face falls in horror. He had forgotten he was still holding me, so enraptured in what the Elf King did to that poor drake's mind."Orion," I repeat, now that I have his attention. "I need you to take me to the lab and then, to our bedroom. I...ah..." It hurts so badly. I must finish this before I lose my strength and cannot follow through. It will hurt more if I let things continue. "I want to be there when..."He understands what I'm asking and nods, saving me from the need to finish my thought. I am grateful for his ability to read my thoughts and intuit my needs. He is a far better mate than I deserve.I have him grab my satchel, and then direct him to which tools we need. The rest of our people are dispersin
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 062: Burning
[Carnelia] We've been on the road for a week and at this rate, I'm going to kill this blasted bard before we make it to the mountain. Leon promised this "break" would add no more than a week to our trip. But it has already been more than that, and we are so far afield that even if we were to head to the coast from here, we'd have added a full two weeks to our overall journey. The temperature is getting colder. Soon winter will settle in and we'll have no choice but to stay where we are. "The town of Ridgecrest is just up ahead," Leon mentions as we come to a crossroads. "We could try the old minstrel trick, get some free food and a place to sleep that isn't under the stars," he suggests, "or we can take the trail to the right and get back to Ana's sooner." I almost reply "Let's head back," when a brief look at the dark woods in that direction makes me hesitate. It has been over a week since I last slept in a real bed or been warm and dry. We just came out of marshland, and my boot
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 063: Misunderstandings
[Primus]The town of Ridgecrest is no more.All that remains is the smoldering frameworks and floating cinders that were once wood and brick. Homes and livelihoods were destroyed in an all-consuming blaze that touched every building, avenue, and field. Despite our best efforts, we couldn't get the flames to stop. The fire was like none I had ever encountered before. Neither water nor smothering the flames made much difference. It was as if the flames were fueled by anger.But that isn't the most impossible part.The word on the street is that this fire was started by a dragon."Dragon?" Millie struggles to put on her clothing.She looks singed and dirty like she had been out in the flames already. "Are you okay? Did the fire get you?""I don't know what you are talking about," she shrugs off my questions, as she grabs her things."It's a miracle this building is still standing," I recount how the flames seemed to touch everywhere but here. "It's almost like whatever caused this blaze w
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 064: The Dragon
[Carnelia] He must not know. He can't know. Especially now that I know how he feels about me. And how my feelings for him ended an entire village. I am the dragon. Or at least, I think I am. It's the only conclusion that makes sense. I can't remember anything from last night other than screaming over Leon's escapades and tearing off my clothing in rage. I never wanted to care about him, damn it, but the heart doesn't always give you a choice. And now to hear from his mouth that he loves me, and that he wants to claim me as his own, to keep me close to his heart and protect me--I don't deserve that affection, not after what I did. It doesn't matter if I didn't have any control. Nor does it matter that I can't remember doing any of it. I know it must be me. Listening to the stories of the villagers who remember, the dragon swooped down from above, shining gold in the moonlight. The nails and horns and the webbing between the partitions of the wings are all as black as ichor. I se
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 065: Sky Dancers
[Primus] "I am the dragon." As those words leave her mouth, she moves away from me, and the ground begins to stir. The trees whisper her name as the wind rushes around us, like the perfect beating madness of two wings pumping the air, willing it to dance around us. "Millicent," I call after her as her body begins to disappear into something new. "That is not my name," the deepening echo of her demands as her eyes glow golden in the darkness of nightfall. "Say it, Primus." A word comes to mind, a name. A name that has come to me so many times in my dreams that I even gave it to my favorite lute. "Carnelia," my tongue, still tasting of her, speaks the name like candy, sweet and spicy at the same time. "Yes," she moans as she transforms. She grows taller, and wider, her face elongating, growing snapping fangs as large black and gold horns sprout from her head. She screams in ecstasy and pain as scales sprout all over her body, ending in her long, thick tail. Wings flow from her ba
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 066: Living Nightmare
[Ona] Unable to stand still, I pace back and forth in the grand gallery, watching the storm clouds gather on the horizon. Primus and Carnelia have been gone for over a week and I have no idea how much longer they will be gone. By now they've either found one another and reconnected or killed one another based on the glare Little Sister was giving her mate when they left together. It is strange, being in this dream all alone, waiting for a sign. Time has no real meaning here. Without the two of them to interact with, it feels like my part of the story is merely an afterthought. This castle only exists because they need it to exist. Once they are done with this part of the dream, this reality I exist in will cease to be necessary. I hope to be long gone before that happens. I do not want to see how I might change if the dream changes around me. With no better way to spend our time, each afternoon and early each morning I come to observe the road for any sign of my wayward brother and
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 067: Renewal
[Primus]The castle is a wreck. When I finally trapped and caught my mate in the tower, we rutted like the beasts we are, ramming into every surface, howling in delight to find one another again. The taste of her, the feel of her, I had forgotten how sweet it is. How could I ever leave this? I want to wrap myself in her for eternity.In the joy of finding one another again and knowing the depth of everything we have endured makes this mating even more sweet. Not only are we choosing each other for the first time in this dream world but reaffirming our original vows. We are together.We choose each other. Again and again.We finally remember who we are, a knowledge that is both a blessing and a curse.Once we are finally spent, we lie together, looking at one another in wonder. It feels like it has been an eternity since we held one another."You came after me.""You told me to. You told me to come find you, remember"She is a marvel. The golden scales that pepper her muscular arms look
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 068: Hard Confessions
[Carnelia] There is another scream. There is no doubt in our minds. That has to be Ona. "When I came in to find you," I explain realizing Primus is unaware of his sister's condition, "She was carrying a clutch." Primus' eyes widen in horror as the truth settles in. If she is carrying eggs, she might be ready to lay them. But as another scream rips through the room, if she is laying her eggs here, in this strange place, something has gone terribly wrong. A flash of fear and pain rattle into me from the bangle I share with Ona, projecting her feelings into me as vibrantly as if I were feeling them myself and I pick up speed. I'm not sure how I can help, but I can be there. The hallway is long and smooth, formed from shell and glass. I've never seen anything quite like it. Finding a window, I notice we are underwater when a large tropical fish floats past. We are in Undersea, Tritus' realm. I would stop and take a moment to marvel if Ona wasn't in so much distress. As more screams
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Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 086: The Wanderer
[Primus]Her face haunts me in my dreams. My beautiful wife. I can't stop thinking of our last evening together when we finally reconnected and pledged to do whatever we must do to stay together.But she isn't here with me and I can't find her. The way to Elfholm is a mystery as no traveler who has encountered the elves remembers where. The illusions are so thick that they often lose themselves. It seems that the harder I search for her, the more difficult it becomes.Fate can be brutal. It doesn't matter how strong you are, how honorable or just, fate doesn't care. A king can be brought to his knees by it's whim. Carnelia is not with me but when I close my eyes, It's almost as if I can feel her in my arms again. Carnelia. My sweet and wonderful mate. It has been two weeks since I last held her. Two weeks since I heard I saw her through a film of darkness.She was so brave. So strong. But I can feel her pain. She needs me more than ever. Whoever has her, they are treating her cruelly.
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 085: Love and War
[Kora]I tried to call the Celestial Kingdom using the shared communications devices between our two countries. I wanted to update them on Orion's situation, to ask for aid and counsel. Elfholm has stopped sending messages demanding my presence at their Moon Council. I have tried sending my messages only to find my signals blocked.The False Queen demands my presence at Skyfall. With each refusal, she sends me a new piece of my love. At first, it was just a bit of hair, an article of clothing to remind me of his fragile situation.But it has been weeks.So now it has become talons and horns, fangs and scales.How long do I have before it is fingers and toes? His arm? His manhood?I am tired of being stuck here. I am tired of waiting.My father kept many labs. He was an anxious sort, very suspicious, and tended to over-plan. I can appreciate this about him as these are traits the two of us share. The colossus at my castle was not the only one, and while I am tempted to take this other
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 084: Shards
[Ona]She didn't warn us. She hardly even said goodbye. She looked at us with such sad eyes as she swept her hand upwards and we became encased within a sphere of darkness."I am so sorry..." Her last words faded and distorted as my brother screamed her name, screamed for her to stop.But she couldn't hear him.I held my little brother close while the darkness swept our little family, our remaining guards and nurses, up and out of Elfholm to Luxandra above.Freedom. She sacrificed herself for freedom.When the inky darkness receded, we were only footsteps away from the Eastern Gate in the Realm of Air, close to the home duchy of Eleanora the False Queen. Carnelia used her newly developed abilities to phase our entire number across a vast amount of space.Not even the Elf King himself was able to move us all so far so quickly.What is she becoming now that she is growing up into her power?"We need to get moving," I try to urge my brother, who has fallen to his knees, his hands reaching
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 083: Moonspeaker
[Carnelia]"I refuse," I hold my head high. "Allies do not treat one another like prisoners. If you wanted my help, you should have asked rather than chain me to this realm.""We're sorry, Your Majesty, but we feel it is necessary with your history to keep you contained. It is for your safety as well as the safety of all gathered here," an elderly drake steps forward, the starflower jasmine glowing blue throughout his long tendrils of hair."It took three of us to bring you back from the shadows when you unleashed your small nightmare," he explains. "We must keep you powerless or risk your wrath. We know the pull of a mother to her children. Why did you try to flee? You are safe here?""Why would any mother feel a need to leave quickly with her children and family--fear for their safety." I glare directly at my uncle. "As you say, I am too powerful. If someone were to threaten their lives," I refuse to remove my eyes from my uncle, who matches my gaze with his steely hardness, "I might
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 082: Torn
[Carnelia]The darkness takes me again, but this time, I have learned how to navigate it. The seemingly limitless void takes on shape and form. If I can find my anchor, I can find my way.Remembering the last time the shadows tried to take me, and how I used the shadows to take me to Primus instead, I focus on his voice, his scent, and the way I feel in his arms. He will be my anchor, my mate.The darkness slowly recedes and the silence is replaced with the sounds of my children crying as Primus calls my name."Oh gods, Carnelia," he weeps along with our babies as his hands grasp mine.Looking up, I see a dark, unnatural cloud looming just above the exit to Elfholm. Thalan doesn't plan to let any of us escape after all. I thought my uncle had at least a little bit of honor, but if I think about it, I can see the advantage of keeping us here. Ona and Primus he might let go, but me, my babies--we're his blood. His brother's legacy. Had I been born powerless, he might have let me go, but
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 081: Homebound
[Carnelia] Ona and I began to make plans immediately. We would all leave under the guise of returning Ona and ensuring her safety. Because our children are so very young, we would be taking them with us as well. Once returned, we'd close the gates again. As far as we understand, the Moon Dragons cannot phase into the Celestial Kingdom. The only way to get to the Celestial Kingdom without the gates being opened is by using a 4th form. Yes, the Moon Dragons have a 4th form, but that doesn't mean they'd just be able to enter the Celestial Kingdom without resistance. There are other defenses in place as well. They'd have to bring an entire army of Moon Dragons. And there is no reason great enough for the Moon Council to approve such an open act of war against fellow Celestials. The plan wasn't bad for one cobbled together from excuses, driven by hunches and fear. Elfholm isn't safe for our family any more, not with the Elf King so determined to keep me here. A drake like him wouldn't
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 080: The Queen's Knight
[Athony] The universe can be cruel. Sometimes the mate she chooses for you is a dream. Sometimes she is your nightmare. Often she is both. Eleanora keeps me around because I am useful. She is very stubborn with a willpower of steel--excellent qualities in a queen, but terrible ones in a mate. But she is loyal to those she finds useful. Why else would she still keep Segundus' corpse rotting in a vat of amber fluid? We thought it had been lost to the fire, but the universe isn't just cruel but capricious. She saw fit in her infinite wisdom to hide his corpse below several layers of earth, down a long lost tunnel leading to tracks that go to the sea. We found it a moon cycle earlier, and the joy in Eleanora's eyes was only overshadowed by her smile of victory. "We must have the Technician," she insists. "When that beast is in our grasp, we will win this battle and reclaim our rightful places." "You deserve to be Queen of us all," I bowed before her. As she touched my shoulder to r
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 079: Broods and Bonds
[Carnelia] "Primus" Moving as a shadow I find myself by my mate's side. I became the shadow. My husband is curled up in the nest with our children, snuggly resting by their side, lending them his warmth and protection, but as soon as he senses me in the room, his eyes snap open, glowing green like fresh leaves. "Carnelia."He slowly untangles himself from our brood, and I want to smile at the sweetness of it all but I'm terrified. Not only by what I just heard from my uncle but by what I might become. A creature of shadow. A creature of the void. "You came back to me," he cups my face as he brings himself closer, touching me tentatively like I might turn into vapor and disappear. For all he knows I might, I hurt his heart when I walked away. "I will always come back," I wrap my arms around him, taking pleasure in his solid strength. I need him to anchor me. Without him and our children, I might float away, becoming darkness. I need this. Breathing him in deeply, his warmth comf
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 078: The Shadow Walker
[Carnelia] The shadows call me now. I'm no longer alone when I leave the light. "A consequence of spending too much time too close to the void," Thalan explains as we turn the corner. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to hear them. Had I known you were a universal dragon sooner, I'd have pulled you from the dream immediately, even at the risk of your mind." We pause by a dark window. Everyone is asleep or close to it now. I left Primus with our children. I long to return to them and to reassure my mate that I will not leave him. I don't know how we are going to make this work. My heart is torn in two. But one thing I've never been more certain of is the importance of our little family. Even if I have to burn this world and forge another from its ashes, I'll find a way for Primus and I to rule together in peace. "The void," my words echo as it bounces along the crystal-covered cavern walls. "You keep mentioning this void, but I saw only Primus' dream." "Then how did
