A Dragons Favorite Piece (Book 2)

15 Frenzy

The day I've experienced flashes in front of me without restraint. The moments I shared with Nash, the laughs I shared with Eos, and the haphazard shift to help my mate. The man I love turning into an elemental dragon. But the pain. It rips me. Tears through my body with such an ache that I can't place the right words to it. The copper on my tongue soaks through my teeth, pooling at my lips until it spills onto my chin. I'm gurgling, my body shaking as I fall back on the ground, holding my gut as if just my hand can save the life spilling from me. A shudder of visions comes over me, rocking my eyes as I fall into the abyss of another life.

A woman's body that isn't my own settles on a rock bed on one side of what appears to be a cave. The hazy dream slowly falls into some form of reality while I wrap my head around the change. When her eyes trail around the room, there isn't a single exit, the only way out being up. It's an unsettling feeling to be almost in control of the body while still monitoring something that feels old; it feels... as if I've experienced it before. She stands up, watching a woman and man fall into the hole she's currently relaxing in. Volcano. Yes. That's what this is. Her father's volcano. The couple look at the woman – no me – and have a moment of worry before they realize who stands before them.

My father, the Visayan god Kanlaon and ruler of time waltzes over with an eerie smile, "We come in search of you." The woman's voice translates into someone my more modern body can understand, "We are lovers that climbed the mountain. We didn't mean to fall in." Intriguing that they were searching for my father and yet didn't mean to sneak through his defenses and fall into his volcano. I almost call upon their lies, but my father raises a hand, keeping me quiet. Docile. His pet of the mountain. I was told to let them pass, but now I'm meant to play into their stories. How humiliating of him. After I'd begged him to let me free so I could roam, so I could learn to love as the humans that stay at the base of the mountain do. It's my favorite night when my father lets me out of his chains to shift into my human form, Lola. Similar, but far enough from Lalahon that no one knows the wiser.

"Welcome to the world without time." Father waves his arms dramatically, "I am Kanlaon. This is my protector and daughter, Lalahon." He waves his hand towards me with slight dismissal.

"We know you grant wishes." The husband boldly proclaims, bringing himself forward. He's an attractive male with tan skin and dark hair. His green eyes stand out with such shine that I almost ask to pluck them from his head as trophies, "And we are unable to have children."

"And how does that pertain to me?" Another bland response. My father rather hates granting wishes. He believes that it's the human's job to serve him, not that he can do anything on their behalf. It's a sad thought that many years ago, he would work side by side with him until they betrayed him and stole from his mountain. Now, he smokes their crop that they can never touch as a mocking reminder, "Do you wish me to pluck children from houses and gift them to you?" A sinister smile breaks his lips, "Or would you like to make a deal?"

The woman wails in agreement. Her hands crossed over her chest, nodding repeatedly in begging, "Please, anything! I want my children. I deserve them!" Her husband nods in agreement, pulling his brown-headed wife into him. She works to bury her head into him, staying as close as possible while Kanlaon thinks of what he'd desire from the two humans before him. I try to speak, but he's raising his clawed hand again. Silence. I internally swear to rip his head from his body and drink the power of his blood when I get the chance.

"Trade the death of one for the birth of four." He snaps his fingers, "And I don't have all day."

"Father!" I screech, breaking the silence he'd forced upon me, "These are human lovers!" The husband looks to his wife, who sets her jaw wretchedly. Her hands grasp his front covering, pulling him down for a long, slow kiss. I go to speak again, but the woman doesn't hesitate. The moment her lips have left him, she throws him to the ground, wailing for him to be the sacrifice. The man lays flat on his back in shock, letting his eyes drag over the woman he loves without a moment of regret. I watch him soften from the slight anger that overtook him, his hands pushing him to stand before the ruler of time.