Life was in the warmth of Adrian’s breath as he kissed her, and Layla breathed that life in as she felt his massive fire-bright drake unfurl from him now, coiling sweetly all around her in the summer breeze. Fire and ash were in his scent along with cinnamon and jasmine, drowning her in passion and glory, love, lust, and sorrow as they kissed. As their hearts connected deep inside the Bind, Layla felt her drakaina cascade out in a sweet wave of bourbon-orange heat, swirling into Adrian and making him moan softly as he kissed her deeper. As his power poured all through Layla, her power poured through him.
Swirling a sweet wind through the trees and enveloping both lovers as they kissed.
Layla didn’t resist as Adrian pulled back, taking her by the hand. Leading her off the path and into the hollow, he led her to the exact same spot they had been that day on the Dragon-hunt; as Layla felt again the passion of the thunderstorm and their own burning hearts in that gloriously powerful morning. This morning was different, soft and wistful as Adrian laid her down on a bed of mosses, all the greenery whispering like the trees now as Layla and Adrian’s winds shuddered them. As he lay down with her, Adrian reached out, stroking her face with a gentle pleasure as Layla sighed for him, her lips curling up in a smile.
“I love you, Layla Price,” Adrian whispered, as their winds rippled the ferns all around and the high trees above. “Whatever else happens… know that I have loved you, and continue to love you, and will always love you. No matter what.”
“I love you too, Adrian Rhakvir,” Layla murmured back as the winds of their power entwined all through the hollow. “I will love you until the heavens burn out and all the stars fall from the sky. You are my blaze and my passion, my heat and my heart. My breath is stolen just to be near you, and has been ever since you walked through that gallery door and into my life.If I love myself, I love you. If I love you, I love myself. Close your eyes, fall in love, stay there.”
“Always.” Adrian spoke, whispering his lips gently over hers.
“Always.” Layla whispered back.
Leaning in, he pressed her with the sweetest, purest kiss.
And then he kissed her again, taking their time in the bright summer morning.
CHAPTER 17 – MOMENT
Back in Layla’s rooms later that afternoon, Layla and Adrian were both washed and coiffed but not yet dressed for the night’s events, waiting for Dusk to arrive with their solstice outfits. They’d spent all day in the forest, making love and lounging, napping and talking quietly about the future, then making love again. It had been a timeless day; a serene memory now in weeks and months full of tension. But a strange thrill moved through Layla now as she and Adrian moved around her suite snacking on a light supper. The impending fight seemed strangely exciting, as her Dragon stirred restlessly inside her with a hot wash of bourbon-orange scent, eager to finally do battle against Hunter. As she and Adrian had been doing all day, Layla again found herself wondering what life might be like if they actually made it through tonight.
And as she watched Adrian, he glanced at her also, feeling her thoughts.
Just then, a knock came at the doors and Layla felt Dusk’s clear river-water energy outside. As Layla invited him in through the Bind, she felt him set a strong hand to her door and push in. Bustling into the room with his do-it-all demeanor, along with the fighting readiness of his drake, Dusk made no small talk as he laid Adrian and Layla’s outfits for the evening out upon her bed, unlocking crystal cases and pulling out accoutrement.
Dressed in one of the most magnificent outfits she’d ever seen, Dusk wore a tux jacket of gold Dragon-scales tonight, sleek like golden steel; each scale viciously serrated, yet so elegantly close-fitting that he looked like James Bond in it. Wide swaths of midnight blue and white ran through the jacket, in a contour-following pattern like Dusk’s own scales. The tux pants were dark midnight blue, the shirt classically white with a midnight bow-tie; but as Layla peered closer, she saw those items also shimmered with Dragon-scales, though from a distance they looked like fabric.
As Dusk brought out her dress and Adrian’s tux, Layla saw her gown was made of the same golden Dragon-scales as Dusk’s jacket but sleeker, while Adrian’s tux was like Dusk’s but with swaths of crimson and aqua running through it, the trousers and bow-tie black. As Layla reached out, touching her golden gown, she felt how strong and smooth it was, each tiny piece of scale the indestructible armor Amalia had said it would be. Running her hand over the creation, Layla saw how slinky it was, magnificent – and realized she had no idea how it would look until she finally got it on.
“Time to get dressed.” Dusk spoke briskly at he glanced at them both. “Rhennic, Reginald, and Fury will be here in twenty minutes so we can all go down together. Luke, Rikyava, Rake, and the Madame are already down in the Grand Ballroom with the Ephilohim and King Lethou Mathii… others are arriving as we speak.”
“Amalia outdid herself this time.” Adrian spoke with an admiring shake of his head as he began pulling his tux off the hanger. “These are incredible.”
“And they’ll protect us through the first part of the ball, until we have to shift and fight.” Dusk filled them in, eyeballing Layla and Adrian. “If you shift back to human at all, try to haul on at least a piece of your outfit, as every piece has a charm to act as if the garment’s still whole, repelling blades, talons, and such from your entire body. Layla, your gown is in three pieces – if you’re in a tight spot, just grab the shrug and the garment’s protection will work.”
“Got it.” Layla spoke as she began unhooking the amazing gown from its hangers and saw it came in a sweetheart bodice with a low back, a slim trailing skirt with a long train, and an ornate shrug for her shoulders that flared up in a massive collar behind her. Dazzling white and red fractal-patterns in the gold shrug-collar matched her own Dragon-scale patterns when she shifted, the collar extending up with spears of white-gold behind her shoulders and neck like a real Dragon’s mantle. Looking closer, Layla saw that white-gold fractal pattern swirl into smaller spikes outside the bodice, shimmering in waves of spikes down the skirt with a flare coming off the train like Layla’s own spiked Dragon-tail.
Deeply impressed, Layla shook her head like Adrian. But he was already shucking his shirt, vest, and trousers from the day and hauling his new outfit on; shimmying out of her cocktail dress, Layla began doing the same. Giving her a quick kiss, Dusk went to the table and began to eat as Layla and Adrian got ready. Adrian was soon resplendent, his ensemble coming with black shoes plus gold and ruby cufflinks that he affixed quickly.
As he curried his hands through his brush-cut black hair, he lifted an eyebrow at Layla. She had only managed to get the skirt on, cool and sleek against her skin, and now turned, holding the bodice to her chest as Adrian hooked it on behind her. It was perfect, the firm-scaled bodice feeling like snug armor, regal and fierce for the night. Holding up the shrug, Adrian extended one arm-hole and then the other as Layla eased it on. The construction of the mantle made the whole thing stand up behind Layla’s neck like a Dragon Queen, stately and intimidating as she turned, and Adrian’s eyes lit with blue-gold fire to see it.
“The Golden Dragon Bind. Who would have known?” Adrian spoke softly as Layla donned Reginald’s pearl jewelry set for the evening, all-of-one-piece now in a glorious cuff for her wrist so she could still wear it when she shifted, and Dusk’s Egyptian diamond bracelet, which he had informed her would up-scale for her shift also.
“Hunter, apparently.” Dusk commented from the table, chewing a handful of dates as he gestured to Layla’s dress. “But I doubt he saw all this. He sees a lot in hisPattern, but I also wonder how much he misses – like Amalia putting herself in danger tonight to stay and help us. Details count when it comes to a battle. And Hunter only obsesses about his own outcome.”
“I hope it proves to our benefit tonight.” As Adrian gave Layla a soft kiss, she felt more presences arrive beyond the door. As Rhennic entered her suite with Reginald and Fury, Layla saw that all of them looked viciously handsome in their tuxes for the night, just like Adrian and Dusk. Magnificent in a tux similar to Dusk’s, Rhennic’s jacket had blazing storm blue and purple details, while Fury’s tux held silver running through the gold with black. Reginald’s tux jacket was nearly a match to Layla’s dress but without red, only pearl-white running through the gold, the pants black.
And as they all stood before her, Layla suddenly understood Amalia’s magnificent design of their outfits tonight.
“Weare the Golden Dragon Bind, not just me.” Layla spoke as she looked at them, a smile lifting her lips. “All of us hold the Golden Dragon bloodline from Nadia, and it strengthens the Bind, inseparable – and Amalia is helping us show the world tonight. The only person in our Bind who isn’t of the Golden Dragon bloodline is Hunter.”
“Because he forced you into Binding, by tasting his blood at Samhain last year.” Dusk spoke knowingly as he lifted an eyebrow at Layla. “You never chose Hunter, Layla – he pushed the issue. I think if he hadn’t pulled that trick on you, you never would have selected him for a potential mate. Or invited anyone else into the Bind without Nadia’s bloodline, either.”
“King Arini held the bloodline, I felt it whenever we were together, pulling us towards each other – just like I feel with all of you.” Layla mused now as she glanced at Adrian. “It makes me wonder if Luke holds it, too.”
“Probably.” Adrian spoke softly now, his gaze deep. “Even though you two have a rocky history, Layla, Luke has incredible power. Power that I think Nadia’s Ascendant-born bloodline gave us all. And continues to do.”
Everyone was silent a moment as they digested that thought. But then the mood broke as Dusk suddenly uncorked a bottle of champagne at Layla’s breakfast table with a flourish, putting the white napkin underneath the bottle as he deftly poured six glasses into crystal flutes. As everyone migrated to the table, he handed them around.
