A Curse of Flames & Blood

Chapter 7

Rahl

The journey back to Aerilyn's village was long and quiet. Aerilyn walks in front, leading the way to her home. She has been broody since the encounter with the demon. I don't mind too much, entirely distracted by the way her cotton pants fits snugly around her perky ass, the tips of her long white hair, currently braided back from her face, occasionally touching the top of her rounded curves. My dragon has been going feral inside my head at the sight in front of me. He wants to be let out, have his way with those perfect curves, push her down and fuck her while...

"I think it would be best to not shift into your dragon form for a while", Aerilyn's voice interrupts my fantasies and the silence. She doesn't look at me, instead keeping her focus on the outline of a small village in the distance.

"It would be best to keep your specific talents hidden until we have a plan to get rid of the demons", she finally peeks at me over her shoulder, her purple gaze spearing me.

"Can you do anything about the horns and wings?"

"I'd prefer not to, but I understand", after a moment of concentration I magick my large leathery black wings away. Tucked safely under the skin of my back. The single set of dark horns on my head, shortening slightly.

Aerliyn raises an eyebrow, "That's the best I can do about the horns, Princess" using the nickname to irk her. My dragon desperate to see the fire it saw in her eyes when she faced the demon. Instead she huffs a breath and turns back to the path ahead. I follow silently, but this time not even her perfect ass can distract me from my angering thoughts.

"That demon said that Simon wanted you, why?"

When she doesn't answer me, I move up to walk beside her, taking hold of her arm. Her skin is so soft under my touch, so comforting. She looks up at me, her eyes watery, desperate for me to believe her, "I don't know".

My thumb rub the inside of her arm, comforting her, as she continues to explain, "I don't know. I have never met Simon before the night that I saw him in our village tavern, magicking drunk villagers."

She looks away with a wrinkle between her eyebrows, "I thought I got away before someone could see me, but I didn't. When I got home the next day, he was waiting for me. That night, they ambushed us and took Ayla, my little sister."

I gently turn her face towards me, my hands on her shoulders, "I almost died trying to protect her, to stop them from taking her, but I failed", tears running down her cheeks. I wipe the tears from her face, fighting against the instinct to pull her into my chest and hold her.

"We will get her back, little flame".

Aerilyn

The village was quiet. No sounds came from the faded yellow tavern as we walked past. I picked up the pace slightly, feeling like hundreds of eyes are watching us. Soon the familiar leaning structure of our house came into view along with a sharp pang of desperation and regret. Instead I duck my head and turn left, towards Roclan's house. After three short knocks, the older man opens the door.

The older man ushers us inside before going to stand behind his kitchen table, looking from me to Rahl. He sinks into a deep bow, "Welcome home, your Majesty", he stays for a moment longer before lifting his head. Rahl dips his head slightly at Roclan.

I clear my throat with a raised eyebrow, both men looking at me. I motion towards Roclan, "This is the man who quested me to wake you, 'Majesty'", The dragon prince's lip lifts into an amused smirk at the sarcastic tone.

I put down my bag with a sigh and sit down into the chair, facing Roclan, "Have you heard any news of my sister yet?" He avoids my violet gaze as he scratches the back of his neck.

"Nothing yet", he makes himself busy with his potion work.

The dragon walks around the room, observing his surrounds with little interest, "You should tell him about the demon encounter we had on our way back".

At this Roclan turns towards me in surprise, I bite my lip before I answer, "One of Simon's dogs. Said Simon wanted me alive for something".

Roclan looks away awkwardly and I narrow my eyes at him, "Wouldn't happen to know why?", hearing the suspicious and angry tone of my question the dragon moves closer towards me, standing by my side, slightly in front of me while he looks at the old man. 

"Of course not!" Roclan exclaims, a look of feigned shock on his face. For the first time in my life, I was suspicious of Roclan. The older man has been our neighbor for as long as I could remember. He was there to help pay tithes, or care for us when we were sick. Sometimes he brought us food. He was like a father figure where we didn't have any parents.

I lean back, the picture of calm. But my mind was whirling. Roclan and the dragon continue a discussion of sorts, but I didn't hear a word. A plan forming in the back of my head. When I push my chair away from the table, the two men fall silent and look at me. 

"I am going to sleep", I walk towards the window and point to our house across the garden. "That's my house, I will sleep in my sister's room, you can take my room, dragon." I turn back to the table and pick up my bag. At the front door, I look at the handsome prince over my shoulder, "You better not snoop through my shit". With a huff, I am out the door.

Before entering our house, I stop in the garden, looking over my shoulder, making sure no one is watching, picking a handful of plants and shoving them in the pouch at my belt. Our house was cold and dark, the tables and chairs still thrown about. A huge pool of my dried blood still on the floor. I sigh before putting my bag down and grabbing a bucket of cold water and some lime soap Ayla made. My hands cramp as I grip the brush, trying to clean the blood from the floor. 

After the bloodstain was relatively clean, I make my way down the small hallway, I push open my door for the dragon. Turning towards Ayla's room was hard. The last time I was in this room, I lost my little sister to demons. I push open the door and enter, the door softly clicks close behind me. My sadness quickly gives way to anger and hate as the plan solidifies in my head. Someone has removed the dead demon, only a dark stain on the floor remained. The linen on her bed was shredded, a broken chair laid on the floor. 

I ignore everything and move over to her small work table under the windowsill where herbs are drying. I throw my bag on the bed and grab tiny vials and a mortar and pestle. I open the small pouch on my belt and take out the recipe for the exploding potion. Reading through the recipe carefully, I place it down and begin my work. 

I'll get Ayla back, even if it's the last thing I do.