The Light of Elysium

74 - Touched by a Goddess

Elissa's PoV

As my legs give way underneath me, I think, Oh no, not again...

Two dragons are performing spellbinding acrobatics and weaving intricate patterns against the azure blue of the sky. One is huge, its scales glinting ruby red in the sun, while the other is smaller and has purple scales with silver accents.

The red dragon locks talons with the smaller dragon, which responds with a keening sound. Necks and tails entwine, and they shoot upward in a twisting blur of colour.

I blink. Above me the blue sky is now empty. For a second I'm confounded by a sensation of weightlessness until I realise that I'm being supported bridal style. A slight twist of my head brings into view a familiar brooding face.

Swiftly looking away, I catch Antares's eyes, which flare. Heat suffuses my cheeks with the realisation that I just had a vision of him mating with another dragon. I wonder if he saw it too. He makes a rumbling sound, which could either be due to amusement or anger.

"Kai, can you put me down?"

Completely ignoring me, he carries me across the courtyard to the base of wide steps, which look like they have been hewn out of the mountain.

I try again. "It was just a vision. I am fine now and I am quite capable of walking."

Still he does not relinquish his hold and obstinately states, "I am duty bound to deliver you safely to my queen."

I wriggle futilely, and give him my best excoriating glare, also futile, before resigning myself to being carried. If it wasn't for being in the arms of possibly the most irritating man that I have ever encountered, I might have liked to stop and admire the beautiful architecture. But no, the exquisitely carved stonework and tranquil courtyards whiz by with barely a glance.

Finally, Kai places me on the ground before a pair of gorgeous metal doors with the figures of two large rampant dragons beaten into the bronze. Either side of the doorway are underdressed guards, who could be sculptures in their own right.

The doors swing open on silent hinges into a huge hall. Carved columns line the room and multicoloured light from a stained-glass window depicting a massive dragon plays across the vast white marble floor.

A woman, who I can only assume is the Queen of the Dragonites, is sat resplendent upon a golden throne. The throne is made from a sculpture of a dragon stood on its hind legs, its muscular thighs providing the seat, while the upper body and wings form the sides and back.

The queen stands to greet us. Oh my, she is a statuesque, with a voluptuous, Amazonian figure barely contained in a flimsy concoction in gold. I feel like a pale twig in comparison. Her face is more handsome than beautiful, with an equine nose, dark eyes and framed with thick dark hair.

Kai bows. "My queen."

She rises, sashaying with seductive steps towards the warrior and slides her hands up his chest, leaning in to brush full lips across his. Yeah, don't let me interrupt your reunion.

"Welcome back, Kai. I knew that you would not fail me."

Kai seems completely unaffected and quickly gets down to business. "Seraphina, allow me to introduce you to Princess Elissa."

Remembering my manners, I curtsey gracefully. "Your Majesty. Thank you for receiving me at the Red Palace."

"Do call me Seraphina. Come, let us wash the dust from your throat after your long journey."

She places an arm around my shoulder, enveloping me in musky perfume and leads me into an antechamber filled with gilded furniture and an ostentatious crystal chandelier. While she takes a semi-reclined position on a chaise, I sit more primly on a sofa opposite her and Kai remains standing.