Captive Bride 341n1t

CAPTIVE BRIDE BY

Goldie McBride

© copyright by Madris DePasture writing as Goldie McBride, 2021 Cover Art by Jenny Dixon 2021 ISBN 978-1-60394Smashwords Edition New Concepts Publishing Lake Park, GA 31636 www.newconceptspublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

Chapter One

Princess Eugenia was terrified. In truth, she barely ed a time when she had not been fearful, on some level, about something—certainly since the death of her mother. She vaguely ed that there had been some fragment of security—not happiness precisely—but she thought contentment in the time before. Her nurse was not an especially kind or gentle sort and she had worried about displeasing the woman, but she had not been really fearful because she had known her mother stood between her and the old woman. After the death of her mother, everything in her small world seemed to change and she was constantly having to watch herself to make certain she did not displease else she would feel the weight of nurses’ hand—or sometimes even her father’s, although, for the most part he seemed pleased to pretend she simply did not exist. There had been morsels of affection, though, when her mother had been alive. Not a great deal, which had made those bits all the more precious, but some sprinkled here and there to bring little tidbits of joy to her existence. That had been many years ago, however. Now, she was a woman grown, according to her father, the king, old enough to be wed. To a man who was even older than her father and twice as cruel—according to gossip, at any rate. In vain, she had pleaded with her father not to tie her to King Carlo. All she had gotten for her troubles was a sound thrashing and imprisonment in her room until the details of their contract had been ironed out. She had had one glimpse of the toad she was to wed and that was the reason she was absolutely terrified now.

Because she had been guarded until she could be put into the carriage that was to take her to her ‘beloved’—given no chance to elude the dreadful future intended for her by seeking death. Not that it had even occurred to her to choose death instead until they had suggested it, but, having done so, planted that seed that she might try to escape her fate through that route, they had, at the same time, removed the possibility of it. Her nurse, the hateful witch who seemed to have been chosen specifically for her ability to make Eugenia most miserable, was escorting her. To make certain she did not fling herself from the carriage in the hope of catching the wheels if she could not throw herself under the hooves of the horses. She had faced many trials in her short life and managed to survive them. Something swifter than the long, drawn out misery she expected would have been welcome to her, a fleeting pain and then nothing, she thought morosely. She did not know if it was a blessing or a curse that she was to travel so far. A little of both, she supposed wryly. She had a little time to enjoy her life before she was wed to the horrid man her father had chosen. But she would have to face life with him until she bore a child for him. And hopefully died in childbed so that she would not have to endure producing more of his offspring. She pitied the child. She pitied herself more. She had had some hope, for a short while, that she would finally find love in a child—someone to love who would love her. But she could not believe any product of such a horrible man would love her even if she could find it in her heart to love it.

She was certainly not set against it. She could not avoid the marriage bed—no matter how badly she might want to. That being the case, a child would be the only possible reward for it and she thought it might be some consolation for having to endure. But she held little hope of that now. If he could even sire a child at this stage in his life---. And the possibility that he could not weighed almost as heavily as the possibility that he could. For if he could not, he would not be blamed. She would. A king could not fail. A lowly female, princess or not, certainly could. It was entirely her fault if she did not produce a healthy heir for her king. And entirely his doing if she did. Life was not fair, not for anyone, and less so for anyone who had the misfortune of being born female. Shifting around until she found some modicum of comfort in the bouncing, swaying conveyance carrying her to her doom, Eugenia sought sleep to try to escape—just for a little bit. * * * * Kiran Black-Dragon folded his wings and allowed himself to drop heavily to the ground while he was still several feet shy of actually touching it. He was not pleased when he had looked around and seen that those who were to him on quest had not arrived yet. He was hungry and he hated waiting for his dinner. Not that anything about his current situation pleased him.

He did not care to do any man’s bidding—from the lowliest to the highest. They were all the same to him—humans—and not to be trusted. And the Wizard King, Konstantin, was the worst of all in his humble opinion, mostly because he had magic to bend others to his will that the others could not command. Shifting into man-skin before any of the vile bastards could spot him and set up a screech, he turned to pacing impatiently along the side of the road that led to the village, and thus, the inn, from which delicious smells were wafting and making him hungrier by the minute. While he was pacing, trying to ignore his grumbling stomach, a shadow fell upon him and he looked up to see the other two poor bastards that had been roped into Konstantin’s machinations had finally dragged their asses up. Reuel Gargon-Gryphon landed first. Jaden Pegasus lit so closely behind him that he almost ran him down. Reuel, still in Gryphon form, whirled to meet him and reared up on his hind legs, uttering a lot growl of warning. Jaden stared him down, turned and kicked a couple of clods of dirt and grass at the Gryphon with his hind quarters, and then shifted into man-skin as he headed toward Kiran. “Foul tempered bastard,” he muttered under his breath. “He did not like your nose up his ass,” Kiran retorted and then laughed. “I would not mind that if you placed it just right.” “In your dreams, dragon,” Jaden growled. “You dragons are always such horny bastards. I have never figured that out.” Kiran narrowed his eyes. “A shortage of female dragons?” he growled. Jaden’s brow cleared. “Oh yes! Now I recall. Konstantin has bespelled them—or most. How many more tasks do you owe him before you are allowed to sniff one?” Kiran struggled with his temper for several moments. Luckily, he recalled that neither Jaden nor Reuel had volunteered to do the wizard’s bidding and, therefore, were in pretty much the same boat as he was. That lightened his mood considerably. “What is it that he holds of yours?” he

asked silkily. Jaden scowled at him. “Suffice to say … something I desire that he not hold,” he responded coolly. “Have they sent the sniveling little snit on her way, then? Is that why we were summoned so abruptly from our own affairs?” “Aye,” Reuel responded. “She is on her way to her eager groom. But I see no reason to rush. We are likely to be stuck with her for a bit if we do and I would rather not.” Kiran grinned broadly. “I would not mind. I have always had a thing for human females and, happily, Konstantin wants her presented well used since the virgin is something they all prize very highly.” He frowned. “That is a mystery to me.” “It is their tiny penises,” Jaden said pensively. “If she is still a virgin, she cannot compare theirs to another and find them lacking. They can tell her they have the biggest in all the kingdoms.” Kiran and Reuel both enjoyed that hugely and the threesome relaxed fractionally. “I suppose,” Reuel said, “there is really no point in just sitting around waiting when we must do the dirty deed for the bastard. We might just as well get on with it. Shall we draw straws as to who picks the cherry?” Kiran grimaced. “I am not made for virgins. You two can choose between you.” Reuel and Jaden both glared at him, completely out of charity with him at that point. “Mayhap instead of straws we need to compare our cocks,” Jaden said tightly, and looked around. “There is a log there. Let us lay them out and see who has the … one best to skewer the virgin. If she is mortally damaged by sheathing any of our ‘swords’ we will not all get a turn with her, after all.” “I thought you were not particularly keen on what order?” Kiran muttered. “I am always keen on rutting,” Jaden said. “And I am not that particular about where I stick it … so long as I can sheathe it.” Shrugging, they moved to the log, dragged their cocks out, and laid them across

it. “Kiran you are cheating,” Reuel growled. “I know fucking well my cock is not longer than yours.” Kiran uttered an irritated huff. “Oh, very well,” he muttered, shoving the full length of it out, and then added, “But I do not need to use the entire thing.” Jaden stared at it. “It is not the length I would be worried about,” he said dryly. “The breadth of it might be a problem. Can you not … tighten up a little?” Kiran let out a breath and relaxed his hold. “My fucking gods, Kiran!” Jaden snarled. “You do not have problems with wind drag? You absolutely cannot go first! I will have to strap something to my ass to keep from falling in if you are first.” Reuel was not particularly happy that he had won the contest. “Well then, it is settled. I will go first and widen it a bit and then Jaden and …. Honestly I feel like Kiran should wait until each of us have had a few rounds. She is not likely to survive that damned thing. Unless … is she, perhaps, a very large human woman?” Kiran and Jaden both frowned. “I do not recall hearing that,” Jaden itted. Kiran glared at him. “I will suck it in,” he ground out. Jaden and Reuel exchanged a long speaking look. “We are supposed to turn her over to that bastard so that he can send her to her groom in pieces once he has paid the ransom. I do not think he would like to have a rotting corpse laying about while he waits.” “Well we are getting nowhere arguing the matter among ourselves!” Kiran growled. “I am hungry. I am going to find the Inn where that smell is coming from and eat my dinner. Go or stay. I will you when I am done.” Shrugging, Jaden and Reuel followed him as he headed into the village in search of food.

“Although,” Jaden said pensively, “A full stomach may happen to be something we all regret if it transpires that the ‘beautiful Princes Eugenia’ is an ugly little toad. We must fuck her regardless of how foul she might be.” “You will not spoil my appetite with that, Pegasus! I am very hungry! And it will not bother me at all to rut the female—regardless of whether she is beautiful or not.” * * * * Kiran was not happy when they left the Inn. “Robbers,” he growled. “One can always count upon humans to be thieves and cheats. That was barely enough food to feed a child!” Jaden looked him over. “Three meals?” Kiran glanced at him in angry surprise. “When one is little more than a … morsel?” “I am only glad that it does not take that much to feed me else I would be a pauper,” Reuel said dryly. “As I will be,” Kiran growled. “Do not try to spin me a tale about your treasure, Dragon!” Jaden said sourly. “All the world knows what hoarders and misers dragons are!” “I am not a miser,” Kiran muttered, sulking when he saw neither of the others agreed with his assessment. “You should go and find a cow to devour while we fuck the woman,” Jaden advised him. “Then you will have the strength to do the deed.” “Why … I’m of a notion to do just that!” Kiran said, immediately cheered by the thought, but then he frowned. “I must help to extricate the female first, however, or that bastard will not give me credit for the task.” “That might be for the best,” Reuel agreed. “I feel certain that Pegasus and I could handle the situation, but one never knows about these things. If she has a high value to any of them there could be a veritable army guarding her.”

The trio shifted and took to the air at that, heading toward the Kingdom of Lavia. They flew over a small party along the road from the King’s main castle headed in the right direction, but decided that could not be the princess. When they made it all the way to the castle without a sign of a party that fit their notion of what the Princess Eugenia’s entourage would look like, they turned around and headed in the other direction. They were on the point of bying the little party again when they saw the carriage had broken down and the outriders were busy trying to lift the carriage and put the wheel back on. Two females, they saw, had climbed down out of the carriage to stand by the side of the road while the guards affected repairs—one very young and very well dressed, the other old and dressed in a very drab gown that suggested she must be a maid. “Now that is sad,” Kiran said, then added a little doubtfully. “Do you think that could be the princess?” “I am certain it is not,” Jaden said dismissively. “With no more than a half a dozen outriders? That would be just asking to have her taken, don’t you think?” Kiran circled around and dropped lower for a better look. When he did, one of the soldiers spotted him, did a double take, and then screamed, dropped the grip he had on the carriage and took off running. Naturally enough, that caught everyone else’s attention and all of them looked up, screamed, and began to run in every direction. “Now you have done it!” Reuel said tersely. “Well, is it the princess or not?” Jaden demanded. “I cannot see her well at all now that she has dove under the carriage.” “I will land and find out,” Kiran said decisively. Immediately suiting action to words, he dropped to the ground, stalked over to the carriage and grabbed the female, dragging her out. She screamed and began to try to fight him off as soon as he turned her over to get a better look. “Are you the Princess Eugenia?” That startled her enough that she stopped screaming and gaped at him. “I … uh ….”

“It’s her!” the old woman screeched from under the cover of the carriage. Dismay flickered through Eugenia and more shock. She had never liked the old woman, but she still found it unbelievable that she would betray her in such a way. “Stop … lying, you old witch! I’m not. I’m really not.” Kiran frowned at her. “Uh … this looks like the royal crest to me,” Jaden said. “I believe the old witch was telling the truth.” “Thank you!” she said from the depths below the carriage. “Do not thank us,” Reuel growled. “I’m of half a mind to skin you alive you treacherous bitch!” “You should,” Jaden agreed. “That is low!” “I believe I will just set fire to the carriage,” Kiran said thoughtfully. The old woman screamed, scrambled out the other side, and headed for the woods as fast as she could hobble. Kiran blew a blast of fire behind her to encourage her to run faster. “Now that we have settled that,” Kiran said, looking his prize over, “I think, yes, you must be the princess.” Eugenia swallowed with an effort, struggled with her terror. “If … if … you mean to kill me, would you be very kind and do it quickly?” Kiran glanced questioningly at his companions. Both of them shrugged. “I would gladly … if it were my choice, Princess. Your future husband is an enemy of the Wizard King Konstantin, however, and he has sent us to despoil you, and then he will ransom you, and after that he will cut you up into tiny pieces and send them to your future husband.” Eugenia stared at him for several moments while black spots gathered before her eyes. Finally, all of the spots ran together and she sagged in his hold.

“That was very well done!” Reuel said sourly. “Yes! Look what you have done! Frightened the poor child half out of her mind! That was cruel even for you, dragon!” Kiran gaped at him as rage slowly replaced his stunned confusion. “I did not make the plan, gods damn it! That was Konstantin! You two suggested that I tell her!” “I did no such thing!” Jaden said coldly. “I merely agreed that killing her quickly would be the kindest thing to do—if we were able to and supposed to kill her.” “And that is I meant when I nodded,” Reuel agreed. Kiran glared sullenly at both of them, but finally dismissed it. “Well—we have taken her. I think we should take her elsewhere to enjoy her, however, for I’ve no desire to have a lance up my ass when I settle to rutting her.”

Chapter Two

Eugenia knew she could not possibly have been unconscious for very long and yet when she awoke and opened her eyes it was to pitch black darkness. Wondering if she had gone blind, she blinked several times and struggled to sit up. “Be still,” said someone in a rumbling, gravelly voice. Eugenia licked her dry lips. “Who are you?” He nuzzled his face against the side of hers, expelling a hot breath against her ear that sent a shiver through her and made her skin pebble. “I am Kiran BlackDragon.” The shiver that went through her that time was far less pleasant. “Is this …. Is this your lair?” she stammered, fighting down the terror trying to swallow her. “Indeed it is.” She gulped, felt for some moments that she might puke, but managed to master the urge. “Are you …. Going to eat me?” He was silent for several moments, apparently considering it. “I might taste a little,” he said after a moment. Eugenia could not command her mind for several moments. “Could you … not just gobble me right up? I do not think I could bear to be nibbled.” He laughed, as if she had told some great, humorous tale. “You will not mind the nibbling I have in mind, I’m thinking.” Eugenia was certain that she would mind a very great deal, but she realized it was pointless to argue.

She heard a noise that sounded like someone stumbling. Then cussing. “It is as dark as Hades in here, dragon!” Dragon sucked in a deep breath and then blew it out. Flames shot forth and lit a row of torches wedged into crevices along the wall of the cavern. “Better?” “Infinitely,” Jaden said dryly. “I do not know why you did not do that to start with,” Reuel said irritably. “Because I did not want to wake the child.” “She is out again,” Jaden said flatly. “I would not worry overmuch about waking her,” Reuel growled. “You have only to open your mouth and you frighten her silly and she is out again.” “I think she is faking,” Kiran said in a loud whisper, “but no matter. We shall see what we shall see, but … ravish her, we must!” “She should not mind,” Jaden said pensively. “I cannot believe that she would wish to save herself for that saggy old bastard she is to wed.” “Exactly!” Reuel agreed. “When we are done, he will not want her, and she should be grateful for it. Particularly when we are such outstanding males—even in man-skin.” Kiran settled her gently on the bed of hay he generally slept on, hooked one razor sharp claw in the neck of her dress and ripped it from neck to hem. She continued to lie as limply as a rag doll even when he had pushed the sides of her clothing back for a better view of her. Jaden and Reuel both swallowed audibly as they stared down at her. Kiran felt his cock leap up so fast, a wave of dizziness washed over him. He glanced at Jaden and Reuel. “Hold her. She is bound to come around when I … kiss her.”

Shrugging, Jaden and Reuel settled beside her and anchored one arm each. Kiran shifted into man-skin, dropped to his knees and grasped her legs just above the knees. Then he clamped his mouth over the cleft he had opened wide when he spread her legs. She gasped, tried to surge upward. But as surprised as both Jaden and Reuel were by the dragon’s move, they had a firm grip on her. Actually a firmer grip, for their hands had tightened convulsively when Kiran had sucked the deep pink rosebud of her clit into his mouth. Eugenia bucked mindlessly several times as she felt the moist, almost fiery heat of his mouth on her feminine part, but she was firmly anchored by the three of them and could get no leverage with her hands or feet. In fact, each time she tried to lift herself, she only ground herself more tightly against him. Finally, panting for breath, she subsided, struggling with the heat that built in her woman’s place until she felt delirious with it. And just as no amount of physical struggle served to free her, neither could she free her mind from what he was doing. Every part of her, it seemed, was focused completely on the motions of his mouth and tongue. Abruptly, he speared the tongue deeply inside of her and she felt her body explode with more pleasure than she would ever have thought possible. And it kept on wracking her until her gasps became groans and then sharpened. She was shaking all over when he finally stopped. He sat back on his heels. “I think if you will take care, Reuel, she is ready enough that she will not be greatly damaged,” he said with satisfaction. Reuel was in such a trance he had not even shifted into man-skin when he took the spot Kiran vacated. He stared down at the deep pink slit for several moments, swallowing convulsively and struggling with the urge to taste her as Kiran had. He was supposed to breach her, however, he finally recalled, and looked down at

the cock he was massaging. Recalled abruptly to his state by the sight, he shifted into man-skin and leaned forward to press the head of his cock into the opening he saw. It was a tight fit, for all Kiran efforts to bring forth lubrication. The bastard had probably sucked it all up, Reuel thought angrily, but he persisted, sawing shallowly until he could go deeper, slipping deeper slowly until he encountered the impediment he had expected. He looked up at her face then and saw that she was watching him. He leaned over her then, brought his mouth to hers. “This will hurt, Princess,” he said with a growl and thrust past the barrier before she even had time to the warning. She gasped, fought the piercing of her maidenhead and finally went still. Reuel panted, waiting until he felt moisture inside of her and then began a slow, easy cadence, struggling with the urge to kiss her. Finally, knowing it was very likely the worst mistake he could make, he covered her mouth and explored it with his tongue. Her essence instantly filled him, reaching all the way through him and setting him on fire. She made a sound in his mouth that drove the madness higher and he found himself plunging into her faster and faster until rapture exploded through him. It was all he could do to drag himself off of her. Jaden helped him by giving him a shove that not only rolled him off, but sent him to the bottom of the mound of hay. Irritation flickered through him, but he was too weak to consider doing anything about it. And by the time he recovered enough to feel up to kicking Jaden’s ass, Jaden was lying on his back, panting for breath and in no condition to fight back. “Where is the dragon?” he asked when he’d looked around. “No doubt he has gone to find a cow to fill his other tooth,” Jaden responded dryly. “Oh … well in that case I believe I have recovered enough for another go.”

Eugenia groaned. “That is alright, dear heart,” he crooned. “You just lay there and rest.” “I am not despoiled enough yet?” she asked tiredly. Reuel glanced at Jaden, saw that he was looking at him and shrugged. “Not just yet, dear heart.” When he had rutted her a second time and collapsed to gather himself, he glanced expectantly at Jaden. “I believe I will give the child a few moments to rest. If I am not mistaken the dragon has returned and he has only stuck his tongue in her. He will want to stir the pot with his cock for a bit.” “I am not a child. I am a woman grown.” “And I am a hundred and if you are marriageable age, then I am a hundred years older than you and you are a child to me,” Kiran responded tartly, coming upon the conversation in progress. Eugenia sat up and looked at him when he shifted into his man-skin. “You do not look to be a hundred,” she said doubtfully. “That is because he is more like four hundred if I am not badly mistaken,” Jaden responded sardonically. Kiran narrowed a glare at him, but he did not deny it for the simple reason that he was closer to five hundred and he was satisfied to for four. Eugenia looked at Jaden. “How old are you?” He frowned at her. “Impertinent child.” Kiran laughed. “He is three hundred if he is a day.” “Two,” Jaden growled. “You do not need to know my age,” Reuel muttered. “Suffice to say we are not … young … in years or experience.”

“I am in my prime,” Kiran growled, daring either to challenge him. “ … In human years.” Jaden frowned, calculating. Finally, he shook his head. “I think not. A bit past unless my calculations are off.” Kiran dismissed it and settled to fondling Eugenia. “Are you rested, my pet?” “No,” Eugenia flatly. “The Gryphon rutted me twice and the Pegasus once and … whatever that was that you did.” “Delightful, was it not? I told you you would not mind if I had a little nibble.” Eugenia felt her face redden. “I am sure you should not do that.” “Why ever not?” Kiran asked, genuinely puzzled. “Because … because.” She bit her lip. “You cannot make a baby like that.” He laughed uproariously at that. Discomfort wafted through her. “Can you?” He pulled her close and nuzzled his face all over hers and her neck. “You are such a delight, my pet. I have not been so entertained since …. Well I do not recall. That’s a fact!” Issuing a deep sigh, he turned his attention to nibbling on her, charting a path from her neck downward until he reached her breasts. He suckled those, one at the time, massaging one while he suckled the other and then switching until Eugenia was a mindless mass of sparking nerve endings. It had begun to look like disappointment was in the cards for both of them before he finally achieved penetration, squeezing the head of his cock into the mouth of her sex. He paused then to catch his breath and hunched over her to kiss her lips. When he did, the muscles along her channel reacted by kneading the thick flesh he had managed to wedge inside of her, nearly expelling him. Fortunately, it also caused a flood of moisture in her channel and that, combined with sheer, teeth gritted determination ended in Kiran gaining more ground.

Heartened by that much success, he began to pump shallowly. It felt good enough to Eugenia to send her flying. And good enough to Kiran to tear the last of his control away from him. He did manage to hit bottom before he came, but only a handful of times and he was almost as disappointed that he’d come so fast as he was relieved that he’d managed to come inside of her. He gathered her up and petted her when he was done, partly because he was grateful he had not embarrassed himself, partly because she had pleased him by responding to him, and partly because she was so limp he was deeply concerned that he might truly have damaged her. For her part, Eugenia was still so frightened and shocked by her circumstances that she could scarcely gather her wits together. She was deeply grateful, though, that they had despoiled her thoroughly and made her distasteful to the man she had found so revolting. She was convinced that he would not want her now. And although that change in her fortunes meant her future was hazy at best, she was even tentatively happy—in part because she had been deflowered by anyone other than her future husband, and in part because, contrary to her expectations, they had not been brutal at all True, she was in pain, but she thought she would have been regardless of who had done the deed and, quite possibly, would have been in far more pain since it seemed to her that the ‘beasts’ who had abducted her had been very gentle with her and had gone to great lengths to see to it that they gave pleasure instead of simply taking. She could not imagine that her husband would have done so. He did not have a reputation that suggested such a thing—in fact, quite the opposite. Exhaustion claimed her while she was pondering it. Unfortunately, by the time she awoke, her perceptions had shifted just significantly enough to arouse more distress.

Or perhaps it was only that sheer terror had subsided to a lower degree of fear? Whatever the case, and despite the fact that the magical trio had wakened her at some point during the night for another exhausting round of rutting, her mind was still clearer—far more so that she could have desired. She was free of King Carlo, but there would be no happy ending for her. The king who’d arranged her abduction meant to kill her to get even with his enemy. Eugenia knew it was pointless to rail against fate, but it seemed so grossly unfair that she was to be used as a pawn in their war with one another. They would not be suffering. She would be. Kiran distracted her by prodding her to get up and then leading her out of his lair so that she could relieve herself. Clutching the shreds of her gown, she simply did as she was told, without argument, but she stared almost longingly at the long drop from the side of the cliff where they’d emerged from the dragon’s lair. He caught her arm. “Do not think that way, pet.” She met his gaze unflinchingly even though she was still mortally afraid of him. “Why? Because it would be inconvenient to you? I have done nothing to deserve a slow, painful, horrible death! If I am to die anyway, I think something swifter would be more to my liking.” Anger creased his brow and hardened the already harsh angles of his face. She quaked inside, for even in the form of a man, he was enormous and very fierce looking, but she stood her ground when he caught her chin. He merely studied her face for a long moment, however, and then released her. “No doubt you are sore,” he said, grasping her arm and leading her away. “I can make the soreness go away.” Eugenia bit her lip. “If you are suggesting more rutting will fix the problem, I am not convinced.” He laughed, but he said nothing as he led her back inside. Instead of stopping

where they had slept the night before—when they were not romping—he kept going, lighting torches along the way, until he reached a tiny pool. Eugenia stared at it with mixed feelings. She thought it might soothe the ache, but … mountain water tended to be freezing cold and she could not tell how deep it was. Nevertheless, it was clear he expected her to bathe. “Is it … deep?” “Not so much.” “Cold?” He sucked his breath in and blasted the fire at the water. “Not anymore,” he said complacently. Seeing her objections removed, Eugenia buckled. Shrugging out of the gown, she folded it carefully and draped it over a boulder and then returned to the pool. Before she could tiptoe her way into it, Kiran snatched her up and dragged her in with him. He even had a sliver of soap—which he used to bathe her—thoroughly. His own bath was rather more cursorily, but she supposed fairly thorough, as well, because he smelled far better than most of the human men she had been around. They had nothing to dry with, but Kiran took care of that. He licked every drop of water from her all over and then caught her thighs and thoroughly explored her woman’s place as he had the night before, lathing at her until she was screaming with the convulsions of pleasure wracking her. He stopped just before she ed out. She was so weak in the aftermath that she could do nothing but lie limply like a dead thing. He scooped her up and took her back to the straw bed and rutted her until he had

thoroughly pleasured her again and then left her in a semi-conscious stupor to look for food. “Let her rest a bit,” he growled at Jaden and Reuel as he left. “She is fragile because she is human and she has been sorely used by all of us when she had never even been with a man.” She felt the gazes of both of them upon her, but apparently either his words had made his point or they were not inclined to risk a fight with him over waiting a bit to assuage their needs again.

Chapter Three

Eugenia thought she must have followed Kiran’s suggestion, as well. She fell asleep. She had no idea how long, but she couldn’t think it had been long at all, and then woke to the smells of food cooking. She could hear the voices of the magical beings, the deep manly rumble, but could not actually understand anything they were talking about. She thought it was most likely her—or at least pertained to her—since she was their captive. The urge to discover, if she could, what they were discussing, was strong, but she doubted she would be able to creep close enough to hear without them hearing her first. She knew it was most likely vital to her to know, but at the same time that it was doubtful it would do anything but scare her worse. She didn’t think she would have been able to save herself if she had not been faced with powerful magical beings. Under the circumstances, she knew it was doubtful that she had any hope at all. She did have hope, though—even though she knew it was false hope. But they had been … amazingly kind to her. Amazing, she thought, because she was a stranger to them and not even of the same kind, when the people closest to her seemed to feel nothing for her. Certainly no pity. She did understand that women were always used to barter for land and riches, that it was not just a cruel act against her. It was the way of the world—not that it should have been, but it was and it seemed there was no way to change it when men ruled and they wanted it that way. It seemed to her, though, that if her father had felt any affection for her at all, he

would have used her to make an alliance with someone more appealing and less cruel. Or just less cruel would have been acceptable. She had not really had great expectations. None of the rulers of any of the kingdoms was particularly young or handsome, but there were two that she knew of that at least weren’t monsters. She thought she could have reconciled herself to either, perhaps even found contentment of a sort. She dismissed it after a few moments. There was no point in dwelling upon what ifs, especially when she had to deal with what was. Getting up after a few moments, she did what she could with her tattered dress and followed the light and the sound of voices until she reached the entrance to the dragon’s lair. “I am just saying that it was a paltry escort for a princess,” Reuel said. “I had expected resistance of some sort.” “Papa said it would be safer to have the small escort—that a large one would only announce that I was traveling with them.” Kiran’s gaze flickered over her. “If he expected that to make you safe it seems to me that it might have occurred to him that sending you off in a carriage with the royal crest emblazoned on the side would defeat the purpose,” he said dryly. Eugenia felt her face redden. “I suppose he just did not think of that.” Jaden grunted, flicked a look at the other two and held his peace. Eugenia saw when she had settled in the eating circle that, contrary to what she’d thought, they had not been cooking. The meal they were well into had been prepared when it arrived. Feeling a mixture of shock, disapproval, and reluctant amusement, she realized Kiran had stolen it off of someone’s cook fire. Dragon’s were notorious thieves, however, and she wasn’t sure of why she was shocked.

He grinned at her as he handed her a plate of food. “This rabbit stew I happened upon is really quite good.” His smile dazzled her so thoroughly that it took her a moment to reach for the plate. The stew was very good and she was hungry. And she still had to struggle to swallow every morsel. When she’d eaten all she could without being sick, she handed her plate back to Kiran. He looked at her disapprovingly, but he scraped the remains on to his own plate. “A mouse would eat more,” he muttered. “You will starve. You’ve barely enough meat on your bones now to feed me.” She sent him an uneasy look, but the way he was looking at her seemed to infer that he meant the ‘nibbling’ she found so pleasurable and she felt herself warm right up. She dismissed the urge to point out that it hardly mattered considering the plans for her. She would only be accused of harping on something unpleasant for them to hear. “Are we … are you taking me to the wizard today?” Everyone stopped eating and stared at her—as if it was something she wasn’t supposed to know—and then they glanced at Kiran. Apparently, they thought if the news was unpleasant it would be best if it came from him. Kiran, she saw, was frowning, but thoughtfully. “I believe we will do a bit of scouting before we make any decisions.” “We who?” Reuel asked neutrally. Kiran shrugged. “I can manage alone. If you have no problem accepting my assessment of the situation.” Jaden and Reuel exchanged a long glance.

“My thought is that we could each chose a different task and cover three at once.” Jaden studied him. “What would we need to have a look at that would take all three?” “Someone needs to check with Konstantin to see if there has been any change of plan and what the status is if not. Someone needs to see if there has been a search mounted—from either kingdom. That is three different directions—all very important information—and would be best if collected at the same time to get an overview of the situation.” Jaden and Reuel both transferred their attention to her. “What about her?” Kiran bent a speculative gaze on her. “I believe … we shall leave her here.” “And she’ll stay?” Jaden said dryly. Kiran chuckled. “Of course she will, won’t you pet?” Eugenia gaped at him, felt her color change several times and then stammered a response when it occurred to her that it would present her with a chance of escape. “Yes. I would.” He chuckled again. “You are very bad liar, dear heart. I will have to chain you.” Horror washed over her. “No!” He tsked. “It is not as bad as that. It would only be for a little bit and then no more shackles for our little princess.” “But … but … what if you didn’t come back?” “Well that is just absurd!” Reuel said. “Why would we not come back?” “Yes! We must come back! We are charged by the wizard to capture you and hand you over to him. If we did not …. Well it would be damned unpleasant, I can tell you.” “She is afraid something might happen to us and we would not be able to come

back,” Kiran said. Jaden and Reuel gaped at him. “She did not say that,” Jaden disputed finally. “Nevertheless, that is what she is fearful of.” “Or she wants us to think that so that we leave her free to take to her heals,” Reuel pointed out tightly. “Mayhap that, too,” Kiran agreed, unruffled. “But it is very unlikely a single one of us would be wounded to the point that we would be unable to return and astronomical that all three would. You will be fine.” She struggled with tears when he chained her, but he merely patted her head and told her not to cry. When the three of them had left, she sat down to study the manacle placed around her ankle, knowing even before she looked that it was unlikely that she would be able to remove it. And it turned out to be impossible. The reality of being left alone in the dragon’s lair had chased the urge to cry away. She settled to sulk and mentally innumerate all of the wrongs done to her and to think evil thoughts about all who had. She could not entirely decide whether her captors deserved retribution—or even to be blamed for what they had done. It seemed clear that they had had no more choice than she had and she certainly did not feel as if she was to be blamed for her situation. Aside from being born in the first place and even that had not been her choice. What, she wondered, might the wizard be holding over them to force three very powerful magical beings to his will? Even a dragon? She honestly could not imagine, but then she knew so very little about magical beings in general and these in particular. It could be something very personal or something in general.

But … the wizard must be very, very powerful. She supposed it was pointless to pursue it anyway. Even if she found out why, she had no powers herself. It was not at all likely that she might free them and thus herself from the machinations of the wizard. Unless they could find someone more powerful? The hopeful surge that caused her left ashes in its wake when it vanished almost as quickly as it had arisen. If they found someone more powerful they were not likely to take on the wizard to free them out of the goodness of their heart. They would expect something in return and it seemed doubtful they would have the coin—whatever the price. Kiran had treasure but it seemed to her that he would already have considered and possibly offered to buy his way out of whatever predicament he was in. In any case, it would not be right to expect him to pay for anyone other than himself. As far as she could tell he was only tied to Jaden and Reuel by the wizard’s demands. They didn’t appear to have even known one another before. And it seemed unlikely, anyway when Kiran was a dragon, Jaden a Pegasus, and Reuel a gryphon. She thought, ordinarily, that they would more likely be enemies if they knew one another at all. They did seem to be getting along well, all things considered but even she noticed the tension between them—a sort of arrogant contempt for one another as if each felt superior. She dragged her mind back from speculation about her captors to her problem. She had no idea how she might escape, but, saying she could and did, where would she go? That answer actually wasn’t that difficult or palatable. She could return to her father or she could beg a religious order to take her in. She had no confidence that either would, but that was the only possibilities she could come up with and although either would be far better than living on the streets as a beggar, neither really appealed to her.

She had just thought that she was miserable before her father arranged a marriage for her. By comparison …. Well, she was actually fairly happy about some aspects of her situation. The deflowering had been … painful and distressing, but she thought it would have been regardless of who had done it and it might have been far worse. And beyond that, the simple act had removed her from King Carlo’s clutches. And she was very cheered about that! She was still more than a little afraid of her captors—but she had also feared her father and her nurse—with more reason since they were prone to cuffing her when she displeased them. So far, none of the captors had harmed her. And they were very entertaining and kind to her. All in all, she was far more cheerful, she knew, than she should have been. Particularly when they had made no secret of the wizard’s plans for her. She had, mostly, been able to put that from her mind since her initial horror over it, either because her mind simply refused to acknowledge it or because she had been lulled by her treatment since. Perhaps both. * * * * Jaden’s satisfaction at having rutted the little princess faded the further he got from the dragon’s lair. Somehow, he decided, he had been fucked over far worse even than he had thought. And he had already thought it was very, very badly. Which had made him blindly furious, and that, it began to seem, had cost him far more than he had expected. Of course, he had been convinced from the time the wizard had summoned him and laid out his plan that he was caught in a spider’s web and there was no way

to escape. The frustration of acknowledging that was what had so infuriated him. Not the dastardly deed he had been summoned to perform, but the fact that he could not escape carrying it out. In other words, right up until he had awoken from his night of rolling in the hay with the princess, he had been focused entirely upon his own plight. Pinpricks of guilt had begun to penetrate his thick brain, however, from the time she had ed them to eat and he had seen that she looked much the worse for her night with them when he had felt … invigorated, pleased with himself. He had even entertained himself with anticipating his next opportunity to find pleasure in her. Those pinpricks had widened to great gashes when the dragon had returned from bathing her—not because she had looked even worse, but because she had looked … happy for so small a morsel of kindness. Anger suffused him at the thought. It was not his fault that she had clearly been sorely used even before her father had arranged such a heinous marriage for her. He had not harmed her—neither before nor since! He had been careful of her when he had rutted her and made certain that she enjoyed it as much as he did, or at least as much as she could. The gryphon was the one who had actually taken her maidenhead! If anyone had caused her actual pain and suffering gryphon was the culprit. Oddly enough, that made him feel no better at all. It did not take a great search to figure out why he had not been able to dispel his guilt with that reflection. Because he had still despoiled her, even if he had been second. And not only would the evil king no longer want her for that, none would.

Even if she, by some miracle, survived the wizard’s plans for her, they had ruined her. Well, perhaps, since she was a princess, she would be taken anyway, but they would be cruel to her if they did. She would be made to pay for her part in her fall from grace—even though they had taken choice away from her. He shook his dark thoughts off when he saw that he was nearing his destination with the reflection that she was no worse off than she had been before he had rutted her as he had been commanded to do. Or not much. She had been abducted and it would have been assumed that she was maiden no more regardless of what they had done. Of course, she would have had her maidenhead still, but her reputation would have been destroyed already. And the result of not taking her captive would have been worse for all of them. * * * * Kiran found a perch for himself to observe the activities within the keep while he was still a good distance from Konstantin’s castle. To his mind, there seemed to be a very great deal of commotion considering nothing had happened that he knew of beyond taking the princess. They had made no attempt to slay any of Eugenia’s party, per orders, since it was assumed they would rush back to inform the king of what had happened and set the stage for the ransom demand. But, if all had gone down as expected, why the hoopla? Her father may have been informed that she was taken, but there should not have been time to deliver the ransom demand and, in any case, the husband to be was to receive that and there had certainly not been time for him to have been informed or to have received the demand. He had no known association with the bastard. As far as he knew, neither of the

others drawn into Konstantin’s plot were known to be connected to him. So, even if they had been identified, which he doubted very much since the party had taken to their heels the moment they were spotted, why would Konstantin need to make any preparations at all? Because it looked to him as if he was preparing for war. Or perhaps a siege? It was not the sort of situation that he was inclined to fly blindly in to and he decided after a few more moments of watching that he would return to his lair and give that stirred anthill a little time to settle before he tried to make discreet inquiries. If he was guessing right, then the news would travel very fast since humans carried bad news twice as fast as good. And then he would know what he was flying into. He had a very bad feeling, though, as he took flight and headed back to his lair that this did not bode well for his pet. Not that any part of it had, but the turn of events seemed … even more ominous. Konstantin had planned to use her as a pawn. Did this mean he no longer had that use for her? And if not, what fate would he decide for her?

Chapter Four

Reuel was the first to return to the dragon’s lair. He was not terribly keen on entering since dragons were notoriously fickle. He had offered them hospitality and it was assumed, or he had, that the offer was for the duration of their alliance, but that did not mean Kiran saw it that way. And he had no real desire to take on an angry dragon. On the other hand, Eugenia was inside and the dragon had chained her and the more Reuel thought about that, the more inclined he was to ignore dragon’s temper. Shrugging after a few moments, he went inside. She looked so happy to see him discomfort flickered through him. A smidgen of guilt. He was the one who had pointed out that she hoped to be left free so that she could run and that had led dragon to manacle her. He was certain that Kiran would have without his prompting, would have simply ignored the comment unless he had already decided that he would. But it still made him feel guilty. And a little resentful because he did. Shaking the irritations, he found the key that dragon had left just beyond her reach, unfastened her manacle, caught her hand, and led her back to the bed of hay. When he had stripped her gown off, he tossed it aside and dragged her down. He had been far too randy after watching Kiran to take the time to thoroughly enjoy the princess when he had had his chance, and now, when the others were

gone, seemed the perfect time for it. She was rested, and he would not be plagued by the others champing at the bit for him to get done and get out of the way. She eyed him warily when he shifted and settled beside her, but she made no attempt to avoid his touch. Which was not to say that she appeared in any way eager for it either. That piqued him. He was convinced, despite his desperation, that he had done all that he could to make it enjoyable for her and thought she should have welcomed another performance. Perhaps she had enjoyed rutting dragon and Pegasus more? That thought put him on his medal and, whereas his original intent had been to simply explore a little and then appease his hunger, he decided to show her that he was a far better lover than either of the others. He settled then to exploring her body, searching for those places most sensitive and then stroking her and nibbling at her until she was writhing with building desire. In point of fact, he very quickly became so focused on the task that moments ed before it penetrated his mind that she was begging him to end her torment. And he was much too desperate himself by that time to feel the sense of triumph he had anticipated. He entered her carefully despite the sense of urgency, struggled with his control as much to prove his worth as a lover as to prolong his own pleasure as long as possible. He managed to hold himself back until she began to echo his movements, to gasp and moan with her rising excitement. That shredded his control and he began to race toward completion, thrusting into her and retreating in a rhythm reflective of his need until she arched her back and let out a long animal cry of rapture. When she did, it was if her song of ecstasy had drawn his beast out. His body seized and then convulsed, forcing his seed from him almost painfully until he had spent himself on her.

Weak in the aftermath, he sank heavily down upon her, panting for breath, glorying in the release. Until a cold voice intruded. “You should count your blessings I am not an enemy soldier, else you would have a pike up your bare ass now.” Reuel was on his feet before dragon had finished the comment. “I smelled you coming,” he said provokingly. “I merely accepted that we were in an alliance … for the moment.” Kiran narrowed his eyes at him. “Did you reconnoiter? Or only circle around and come back to wet your cock again?” Reuel felt his face heat. “I need no lectures from you, old one! Yes. I scouted the enemy.” Kiran studied him a moment more and finally shrugged his anger off with the reflection that the woman belonged to none of them, however fond he was growing of her sweet cunt. He was not especially offended by either of the insults Reuel had hurled at him since he knew very well that he was in his prime and also that the scent of dragon was not so much offensive as it was terrifying. “Leave her to rest, then, and we will compare notes outside … where you will not be bothered by my scent.” They settled around the fire—which dragon built up before settling the carcass of a buck on a spit above it to roast. No doubt for the princess since none of them were particular about whether their meat was cooked or raw—well neither he nor dragon. Pegasus preferred grains in his true form, naturally enough, and cooked human food when in his human form. Jaden appeared in the distance just then, and seemed to be struggling. It was obvious why even before he landed. He had three arrows protruding from him—one in the rump, one in the chest, dangerously near his heart, and one in his foreleg.

He and dragon approached the Pegasus as soon as he had landed. “You had a close encounter,” Kiran observed. Jaden gave him a look. “I have three fucking arrows in me!” he growled. “That is not ‘close’.” Kiran shrugged. “Looks to me as if you might need a hand.” Jaden was wrestling with pulling the arrow from his chest, but he broke off at that. “I can manage,” he ground out. “And you certainly would—if you were on your own. But we are here,” Reuel said pointedly. Jaden was not so certain he trusted either of them to pull the arrows out rather than shoving them deeper, but he could not reach the arrow in his ass and he would have to endure until it worked itself out if he did not swallow his pride and accept help. At least it was offered and he had not had to ask. “If that is an offer, I cannot reach the one in my hip ….” He had hardly gotten the complaint out when Kiran grabbed it and wrenched it free. “That was anchored well,” he muttered in surprise. Jaden dropped to his knees. “Because it was sunk in the bone,” he said, struggling with dizziness. “Ah! That would explain it. Shall I pick the other from your chest?” “He has fainted,” Reuel observed in surprise. “We should go ahead, then, while he is otherwise occupied,” Kiran said, grabbing hold of the shaft of the arrow in Jaden’s chest and yanking it out. Shrugging, Reuel wrenched the arrow out of his leg. Leaving Jaden to deal with his swoon on his own, the two of them returned to tend the meat.

Eugenia peered out about the time they settled, spotted Jaden, gasped and rushed to him. Reuel and Kiran exchanged looks of dawning outrage as she commenced to fawning over him. “Poor Jaden! He is so hurt! What happened?” Reuel shrugged, struggling with resentment. He had just spent thirty minutes or more working to please her and what did she do? Rush right past him to fondle the stupid horse! “No clue. The stupid bastard got himself shot full of arrows and then fainted before he could tell the tale.” Eugenia gasped, sending him a horrified look. “Reuel! That is so … callous! He is terribly wounded!” Reuel glared at her. “It is not my fault he is wounded,” he growled. “And he is not that bad off. No doubt he is feigning to elicit sympathy.” She gaped at him. “He fainted! How can you say he is not that bad off?” “Because he is a Pegasus, gods damn it!” Kiran growled irritably, incensed to see her fawning over the stupid horse. And for what? Jaden had not made her purr with pleasure, and sing! He had, gods damn it! “We are magical beings. It is just silly to pamper him. He will heal just fine!” Clearly taken aback, Eugenia merely stared at him for several moments, somewhat doubtfully. “Does it not hurt, then?” “I have been shot once or twice,” Reuel said, “when I have done something stupid—like allow archers too close. It hurts like the very devil, I can tell you! But I am still here.” When Eugenia saw Jaden’s head was too heavy for her to lift it to her lap, she settled beside him to stroke him soothingly, glancing in baffled irritation at the other two from time to time. It occurred to her when she encountered offended looks from both and that they were glaring at Jaden, not her, that it was anger that spawned their behavior—not at her, but at Jaden. And that it might well be jealousy prompting it.

She doubted it was for her so much against Jaden, however. She had no reason to suppose they had developed any affection for her only because they had thoroughly enjoyed themselves with her. If it was anything at all, she thought it was probably resentment that Jaden was getting attention they weren’t. Jaden was not happy when he finally roused. He stared at her for a long moment and then pushed away from her and shifted into man form and strode over to the fire, squatting with his back to her. “Well! That was certainly appreciated,” she muttered to herself, getting up after a moment and stalking back into Kiran’s lair. She was sticky from Reuel’s rutting and decided after a moment to head to the little pool Kiran had taken her to to bathe off. It would be cold, she knew, without Kiran to warm it but she had had a thorough bath the night before. She only wanted to dab off the stickiness and blood, she discovered, she’d gotten from stroking Jaden. When she had finished, she carefully tied her gown back together in as many places as she could find that lent itself to ties. After a short debate of whether to the men or not, she decided just to settle on the hay. No doubt when they finished discussing whatever they had decided to talk about when she had left one of them would be ready to toss her skirts again. * * * * Jaden could not prevent a grunt of pain as he settled near the fire. “You are wasting your time,” Reuel said dryly. “She has gone inside.” Jaden forced a grin—as if Eugenia’s presence had prompted it—and then ignored the provoking comment, looking at Kiran expectantly. “Well,” he prompted after a long moment of waiting, “What did he say?” Kiran shrugged. “I did not speak to him.”

“What?” Reuel demanded indignantly. “After you had the audacity to question me, you did not even go yourself?” Kiran looked down his nose at Reuel haughtily. “I did not say that,” he said coldly. “I said that I did not speak to him. As it happens something had the entire keep all stirred up. I decided to withdraw to allow them a little time to settle down since I thought that might serve my purposes better.” Jaden frowned. “That makes no sense. They would not even have gotten word that we had captured the princess yet. First of all because we had not reported it and secondly because no one else would have gone to Konstantin with the news.” “Exactly my thoughts!” Kiran responded. “Quite honestly, it looked as if they were preparing for a siege and I thought there was no point in sending the princess in for that. She will be more comfortable here with us until that is settled. And I also thought that it might mean that Konstantin had decided on a different plan.” “So you mean to get us in the middle of a war over the princess?” Reuel asked neutrally. “Nonsense!” Kiran said testily. “This not about our little woman. It is about three male primates beating their chests and challenging one another.” “Over her,” Reuel reminded him. Kiran shook his head. “She is only the pawn they are squabbling over—we think. And we do not know that. I think we should check again in a few days and see where the chess pieces have been moved.” “Well, as you have obviously guessed already, King Alfred is also up in arms. I was not greatly surprised by that since I was certain that the party we routed had headed for the home barn as fast as their legs could carry them and it seemed there had been sufficient time for them to have made it back with the news.” “As evidenced by the arrows in your ass, and from that, I believe we can deduce that they reported a dragon, a Pegasus, and a gryphon had set upon them. It does not seem a great leap that they would suspect Konstantin since, otherwise, the three of us would not have formed an alliance.”

“Maybe,” Jaden said, frowning. “There were fresh bodies hanging from pikes, though, and from the count, I’m guessing it was the Princess’ escort. Why would they execute them if they had believed we took the princess and that Konstantin sent us?” Kiran shrugged. “Humans are irrational beings. There is no point in trying to assign rational motives to the things they do.” “Well,” Reuel drawled. “King Carlo’s army is already on the move. They were half a day’s march from his castle when I spotted them.” “You are certain?” Jaden asked, shocked. “Aye. They were carrying King Carlo’s standard.” “That is very, very curious,” Kiran said, looking anything but upset about it. “This is a most involved puzzle.” “Indeed,” Reuel said dryly. “I do not think we are likely to figure it out, however. More importantly, what does it mean to us, I wonder?” Kiran looked past him and saw that Eugenia had come to stand in the opening to his lair. He smiled at her. “Why, it means that we can enjoy our little princess a bit longer, I’m thinking. We will wait until they have sorted things out between them and then we will see what must be done.” Eugenia decided to take that as an invitation to them. Leaving the cave entrance, she moved to settle by the cook fire. Jaden got up, winced slightly, and then moved a little stiffly to the fire to carve a chunk of meat from the venison on the spit. “Special treat tonight,” he murmured, ing a plate to Eugenia. “Charred venison and stolen bread and cheese to go with it.” “I did not steal it!” Kiran argued irritably. “It was lying there—abandoned and belonging to no one that I could see—and I took it.” He was shockingly bad, but she was glad for the stolen food, regardless of how he had come upon it. She just hoped someone wasn’t doing without so that she could eat, but she thought it likely they were. “I hate to be a bother …,” she said after a moment. “But … well I have nothing

to wear. I had a bridal trunk on the carriage and I was wondering …. Well, it has probably been taken in this length of time, but … still …?” “Oh!” Kiran said. “It is a very good thing that you have reminded me! I went back and collected all of your baggage …. For you.” Delight filled Eugenia. She beamed at Kiran with gratitude. “You did? That is wonderful!” she gasped with excitement. ‘That was so thoughtful, Kiran!” Jaden and Reuel exchanged a sardonic glance. Kiran caught it and glared at them balefully, but they had not openly challenged his claim and he thought it best just to let it go. The princess was happy and that was all that really mattered. “When we have finished eating, I will walk you in and we will see if we can find them.” She was so excited she nearly choked on her food trying to rush through her meal. “Could I … also have a bath?” she asked, thinking how wonderful it would feel to be clean and to have clean clothes to put on afterward. That request caught everyone’s attention. “Why certainly, my precious!” Kiran responded, beaming at her. Jaden and Reuel caught the hungry glint in his eyes, though, and when Kiran presently escorted Eugenia into the lair, they followed. All the way to the pool. Kiran did his best to shoo them away, but they refused to be dislodged, waiting only until Kiran had heated the water to climb in. Eugenia was a little disconcerted that all three decided to her. It was a little crowded, in point of fact, but she shrugged it off after a moment. She had had her skirts tossed by all three and they were all aware of it—had basically stood over her and waited their turn. So she had little they had not seen and they had little that she did not see since they went around naked when they were in human form.

And there was not a lot of privacy in her life at any point, so she was not especially shy. And she very much wanted a bath.

Chapter Five

“Konstantin’s castle is under siege—as I expected!” Kiran announced with obvious satisfaction. “I see that,” Reuel, who had followed King Carlo’s army and, naturally enough, arrived at the same conclusion when he had come upon Kontantin’s castle, said dryly. “Yes,” Jaden agreed, having followed King Alfred’s army to Konstantin’s castle. “Now what?” “I am not keen on running that gauntlet,” Reuel said, studying the archers and the siege machines. “Particularly not when it is most likely Konstantin will demand that we take part in the battle—for him—without any compensation.” Kiran frowned thoughtfully. “I wonder if he would be open to further compensation? Or, at least, re-negotiating the original one …?” “You think you can convince that bastard to give up his pawn? I had not thought dragons given to flights of fancy,” Jaden said sourly. Kiran shrugged. “I confess, the more I get to know her, the less inclined I am to hand her over to him. Not that I was ever keen on the idea.” Jaden glanced uncomfortably at Reuel. “I do not believe any of us would ever have agreed to do that bastard’s bidding for any reason …. Other than the blackmail he used. And, while I agree that the princess has a way of growing on one, there is still that issue to be resolved, and I see no clearer path to resolving it than I did before I was coerced into this … black deed.” “He is right,” Reuel said tightly. “I also have no taste for dooming the little princess—but I do not wish to doom my own, either, and I have a duty beyond that to do my best for them. I see no way out of this that is the least bit palatable to me.”

“But that is exactly my point,” Kiran said. “I have no notion of how this came about, but—possibly—it will put us in a position to bargain. I do not think Konstantin considered that he would be facing a siege at all—certainly not before he had even had time to gloat and demand a ransom. That was a large part of the appeal for him. And I am convinced even if he had foreseen a possibility he would not have expected two armies to march against him from two directions and catch him in the middle—barely prepared.” Jaden frowned. “Mayhap he was prepared before he even initiated the plot?” Kiran shook his head. “Not if the chaos I saw when I came before was any indication. There was panic in them if I have ever seen it and while I did not get the chance to observe Konstantin’s reaction, I feel like the people would not have been in a blind panic if they had spent weeks preparing.” “Well,” Jaden said, “there would almost certainly have been some panic anyway —in the serfs, certainly, since they always take the brunt of any calamity.” He was thoughtfully silent for some moments. “I believe I will go back to your lair, Kiran, and await a better time to speak to Konstantin. I am certain he is … preoccupied at the moment.” Kiran and Reuel followed him. A shock awaited the trio when they settled on the landing ledge just beyond the opening of the lair. Hey was strewn about and even as they settled, Eugenia appeared with another armload, which she tossed over the edge of the cliff. Kiran was outraged. “Here now! What are you doing with the bedding?” Eugenia stopped and looked at him. “We have been sleeping and rutting on it for nigh a week! It stinks and I cannot abide the stench any longer. You will have to find something fresh to sleep on.” The three of them exchanged a long look and, as one, headed inside the cavern to see what she was up to. Spring cleaning, apparently.

She had been very busy since they had left, their little princess. Jaden and Reuel felt a rise in amusement once their initial surprise waned. Kiran felt a rise in his ire. “What’s this? What’s this!” he gobbled, clearly struggling with outrage. “You have been … plundering my treasure?” Eugenia stopped and gaped at him. “It is all still here,” she responded somewhat indignantly. “I have not gone anywhere. I just saw that there would be far more room, and more comfort to be had if it was not just … strewn about. So I have stacked it neatly—over there.” She pointed. “But … but … but …. I like to wallow in it and I cannot wallow if it is stacked neatly in one corner. And, besides, it is not nearly as impressive. Are you certain you did not toss part of it down the cliff when you were tossing out my bed?” “Don’t be silly! Of course I did not toss part of it away. I did not mess with it at all except to stack it up.” “If you did not, then what is that?” Kiran demanded, pointing to the objects ‘decorating’ the emptied side of the cavern. “What?” Eugenia asked blankly. “That!” he said angrily. She was genuinely puzzled. “The household goods? Surely you do not count that as treasure? What is the point in having household goods if nobody is to use them? I was certain you would not mind.” “Well you were wrong!” Kiran roared. “I do mind! I do mind very much!” Her expression collapsed into one of dismay. “You are angry with me?” she asked unhappily. “I … I thought that it would make you happy. You have been so kind …. I wanted … I wanted ….” She burst into tears then without managing to finish the sentence and hurried away to the smaller cavern room where the pool lay. Of course, it did no good. The cavern amplified her weeping until it chased the three of them outside.

“Well! I hope you are happy,” Reuel growled. “You have made her cry!” “I …?” Kiran demanded, outraged. “Yes, you!” Jaden snapped crossly. “And now we will be cut off from that lovely cunt of hers until you make up with her!” “I …?” Kiran demanded, more outraged—too indignant about the accusations to think of a thing to say in his defense. She had … plundered his treasure! She had … turned his lair inside out—without a ‘by your leave’! And he was to blame? He left them to sort it out themselves and flew off to cool down. Once he had distanced himself it began to weigh on him that he had reduced her to tears when she had obviously been laboring under the false impression that he would actually welcome the plundering of his things. He did not, by the gods! But he could see that he had made her unhappy by venting his disapproval so … loudly and abruptly. He thought if he had used more tact and less volume she might not have been so upset. Of course, if she had not tresed to start with …! Had not crossed the bounds of what was allowed for a guest …. She was nest building, he realized after a long moment, almost as charmed by the notion as he was indignant. He studied over that thought, turning it first one way and then another to examine it and finally decided that there was a very good chance that she was— possibly unconsciously—because the three of them had treated her as if she belonged to them and freely sampled her assets. That did not set so well with him—mostly because it brought the fault in it back to his own door. Silly chit, he thought with a mixture of resentment, amusement, and … well guilt. He was a dragon! He could copulate with a human and thoroughly enjoy it. And he often did whenever the mood struck, but that was not mating. Nest building was mating, gods damn it, and she must know that!

True, she was young, but she was of marriageable age and would have been prepared for it and beyond that, he had been in more than one castle in his time and the humans were prone to fuck anywhere the mood struck them and there was a surface to do it. She would have seen it—however short her life had been —probably many times. Certainly enough to know that there was not necessarily a connection between a man tossing a woman’s skirts up and mating. They had very little more discretion than the lower order of animals. She knew better, he decided. She had been a maiden, but it did not follow that she was ignorant—simply untouched. Until the three of them had touched her very thoroughly. But shared guilt did not dilute it, regardless of what many apparently thought. It magnified it. In any case, he was fairly certain that it was he who had instigated and encouraged the other two to consider it as compensation for what they had been forced to do. He did not think that made them less guilty—they had still had a choice. But he thought it might make him more guilty. He could not take her as a mate, regardless. She was not a dragon. She was human and they had woefully short life spans. He supposed that would make it less inconvenient to him—unless he grew fond, in which case it would be very inconvenient. And he had a bad feeling that he might grow attached. Well, he decided, he would not. He simply would not. And he could not take her as a mate, temporary or otherwise, when he knew damned well that Konstantin meant to kill her to avenge himself on his enemy.

If he had had the power to stop Konstantin, he would not be in the position that he was now—as badly as he hated to it it, even to himself. But he should not have yelled at her, he thought, and wounded her sensibilities. To make it up to her, he went to collect fresh straw to make her happy and headed back to his lair. There he found Reuel and Jaden still perched outside, tending a cook fire—with a pot of filched stew if he was not badly mistaken after they had implied that he was a thief! “You have not been inside?” he asked a little uneasily. They both shrugged. “She grew quiet about an hour after you left,” Reuel said accusingly. “We did not want to go inside lest we get her stirred up again,” Jaden added. “Cowards,” Kiran muttered, stalking toward the cave with his armload of hay. “Says the craven idiot that made her cry to start with and then took off,” Jaden retorted. Pretending deafness, Kiran kept going. He found her asleep by the pool, having thoroughly exhausted herself—first by turning his lair upside down, he thought indignantly, and then weeping because he was angry about it. Scooping her up, he carried her to the bed of fresh hay that he had made and settled her carefully. She roused enough to clutch at him when he tried to release her. “Please do not be angry with me.” He stared at her uncomfortably. “I am not angry with you, sweeting,” he responded after a long moment. “Really?” she asked eagerly. He was instantly suspicious, but he felt an uncomfortable weight settle in his

chest. “I am not,” he lied, struggling to dismiss his residual resentment. She either accepted the lie and settled or she was aware that resentment lingered and accepted that she would have to give him time to get over it. She released her hold on him and he went back outside. “What do you make of this development?” he asked the others curiously. “The nesting thing?” Reuel asked dryly. “Well, I do not for one moment believe that she is pregnant!” Jaden said. “Or that she would know if she was.” Kiran frowned. “So you are saying she would only do that if she was breeding?” Jaden gaped at him. “How the fuck would I know what human women do? I have never been around one—well, not in one.” Kiran and Reuel both gaped at him in surprise. “Seriously?” Reuel asked. “Are you saying you have had human lovers?” Jaden demanded. “Because I certainly do not believe it.” Reuel glared at him. “Believe what you choose. That does not make it so.” “But you do believe I have?” Kiran asked carefully. “I believe you would fuck a goat if you could get it to hold still,” Jaden said tartly. “I most certainly would not!” Kiran growled, thoroughly insulted as soon as he had caught his breath from the outrageous accusation. “I am damned discriminating about where I stick my cock I will have you know!” Jaden studied him doubtfully for a long moment and finally shrugged. “You do not actually give that impression you should know.” “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Kiran growled.

“He is saying you have the aura of a whore,” Reuel said helpfully. Kiran punched Jaden in the chin, laying him out cold. It did not help his feelings appreciably, unfortunately. “Insulting bastard,” he muttered. “I am a dragon in his prime and we are magnificent, desirable creatures! Of course I have been with many females in my time—dragon and human. But it is because I have many years more than either of you!” They sat studying the fire in silence for several moments. Reuel finally broke it, harking back to the beginning conversation. “Mayhap she only thought the place needed a good cleaning,” he said. Kiran considered that. “Possibly. But it seemed to me …. Never mind. It does not matter. Although I suppose my anger might have been on of it felt a lot like nesting to me.” Reuel nodded. “And you are waiting for a dragoness to be set free to build a nest.” Kiran frowned at that and glanced toward the cave entrance. He could not see Eugenia with his eyes from where he sat, but his imagination furnished him with a plethora of heated images. “Yes,” he responded a little doubtfully. “That would certainly be most ideal … one would think.” * * * * Eugenia was not just upset that her ‘brilliant’ plan had backfired, she was almost as frightened as she had been when her captors had first brought her to Kiran’s lair. She had thought he would be pleased if she made him comfortable. Men never wanted to do the ‘women’s work’ of cleaning, but they seemed displeased, in general, if the place was a pigsty. And she had heard women say that they made their man comfortable and he was too lazy to stray. She had thought, after rutting, that being fed and made comfortable were their next favorite things. She could not have been more wrong! She had thought for several unnerving moments, in fact, that he would forget

that he needed her alive and throttle her. She was so relieved when he did not slay her on the spot that she had burst into tears. And, if she was honest, also because he had so thoroughly dashed her hopes into the dirt. It seemed to her that, rather than make him feel that he might want to keep her, she had only succeeded in making him wish to get rid of her. She supposed, going into the main cavern to look at what she had done, that she should set it ‘to rights’ by restoring it, but she was afraid that if she did that she would find that he had some sort of organization to it that had defied her comprehension. He might be more angry. And she did not want to make him any more angry with her than he was already. After a few moments of study, she decided that she might not achieve what he had had, but if she spread it out where he could see everything perhaps he would be appeased. It seemed to her that leaving it as she had ordered it would not be a good idea for it was likely to anger him all over again every time he looked at it. The household goods, she recalled, had been mixed in with the coins and jewels because she had unearthed them when she’d begun to sort those into separate piles. Deciding to start there, she collected the various things—gold plate and goblets, benches and stools and chests and small tables, sconces and candlesticks—and then carefully placed them in separate areas. Then she went to the pile of coins and scooped up as much as she could carry using her skirt as a basket and then dumped piles in and around the house goods. She went to the jewels next and repeated the process. She had gone back for the fourth gathering of coins and turned when she discovered that Kiran, Reuel, and Jaden had all come in and were standing stock still, staring at her.

Her gaze flickered from one to the next and finally settled on Kiran. She could not think that Kiran looked pleased at all and dismay filled her. “I … uh … was putting everything back,” she said unhappily. Irritation flickered through Kiran. “Well you cannot put it back the way it was!” Eugenia bit her lip. “No … but ….” Her bottom lip trembled. A look of alarm crossed the faces of all three. “Now you’ve done it!” Reuel growled. “Set her off again!” Kiran glared at him, but he approached Eugenia and patted her a little awkwardly. “There, there, pet. Do not cry.” She sniffed, struggled to contain her emotions, but the kindness was worse than being yelled at and tears streamed down her cheeks in spite of every effort to prevent it. She only just barely managed to prevent herself from wailing like a frightened child who has done something they shouldn’t and fully expects to be punished for it. Why, she wondered, had it seemed not only reasonable, but a very good notion to make herself useful by cleaning? She knew they were not going to change their minds. Because it had never been their idea to capture her to start with. They had been made to do it by the wizard and she could do nothing to remove that.

Chapter Six

Eugenia launched herself at Kiran’s broad chest, clutching him tightly because he was too big for her to put her arms around him. “I am sorry! I did not mean to make you angry. Please do not be angry with me anymore! I was … trying to be helpful.” It was at least close to the truth. Without itting that she was trying to convince him not to turn her over to the evil wizard. He would see that as a betrayal, manipulation, and it really wasn’t. She was actually quite fond of him and she did want to stay with him—if he could be convinced—because the only alternatives that she could see were next door to absolute horror. It would certainly not be a great hardship. His lair was far more comfortable than the castle where she had grown up, which was drafty and dank. And it smelled a great deal better since it was cleaner and not filled with people who never washed. She had adequate food and all of the rutting she could handle. And then some. It was hard not to like someone who treated one well—regardless of the circumstances, she had discovered. She would not have been against trying to convince either of the others, for that matter, except she could think of nothing to do that might convince them. She could not offer sex when they took that as they pleased, and she had nothing

else. To her surprise, Kiran settled his arms around her in an embrace. “I do not like for anyone to look at my things or handle them,” he said gruffly, “but I regret that I made you cry.” “No, no!” Eugenia said. “I was entirely in the wrong. I should never have touched anything without permission. It is not my home and I had no right.” Kiran was mollified by that—for it was the truth of the matter. He had some things that he treasured more than others. He had things that could easily be broken or lost. And he did not like anyone looking at his things because he thought they might covet them and try to steal from him and there was nothing he hated more than that! But he truly did regret wounding his little princess and he resolved that he would think of something to get her or do for her that would cheer her up. Unfortunately, nothing came to him. “What sort of things do you like, dear heart? Only tell me and, if it can had, I will get it for you … just to see your smiles.” She tipped her head back and looked up at him blankly, feeling her face redden as her mind went instantly to the things he did to her that she knew, absolutely, were things the church would forbid. She was going to Hades, she thought, because she really liked that. He studied her face. A gleam entered his eyes and he chuckled. “Besides that,” he said with amusement. “Or perhaps I should say, beyond that, for I will gladly bestow that upon you at every opportunity.” Eugenia bit her lip to hide a smile. He squeezed her and bent down to kiss her soundly on the lips. “Let me know when you have thought of something that I have not,” he murmured and then released her. More life, she thought forlornly, feeling a knot form in her throat and anxiety fist around her heart.

It was amazing, she thought, that she should be so reluctant to to the afterlife when the life she had had was so miserable. But then again, it was the age that terrified her, not the being there. It was almost more cruel that her captors had been so kind that they had shown her what life might have been like for her—could be—because it was something worth coveting, something she was even more reluctant to give up. * * * * One good thing that came of her attempts to clean and organize the dragon’s lair for Kiran’s comfort was the discovery of her dower chests. She had been less than thrilled at the time because it was a reminder of the groom awaiting her. Like a nasty old spider perched on a web. But when she had had time to calm down from the incident, she recalled the chests and the next time she was left alone spent her time sorting through them. That led her to conclude that she did have gifts that she could bestow upon her captors. She had enough household goods of her own to improve their lot significantly. No furniture, unfortunately, since that had been sent by wagon, but pillows and wall hangings, and plate and goblets. When the trio returned, she greeted them with a smile and a laugh of excitement. “Wait until you see what I have done!” she exclaimed as she welcomed them back. “I found all of my dower chests when I was … uh … the other day and there were all sorts of things in them to make us more comfortable!” Dismay filled her when she looked at Kiran and saw he was wrestling with his temper, but Jaden settled an arm around her and whisked her way. “Show me … these wondrous things of yours,” he said emphatically. “Yes,” Reuel said, draping an arm across her shoulders, “I would like to see them, as well.”

She was still uneasy about Kiran’s reaction, but Jaden and Reuel seemed so impressed with everything she showed them that it lifted her spirits. “It is very generous of you to be willing to share your things with us,” Reuel said, flicking a glance at Kiran. “Very,” Jaden agreed. “For these are just the things we need to make us all more comfortable while we … are here.” Kiran ed them after a few moments, obviously still struggling with whatever had angered him but making a valiant attempt to throw off his bad temper. “Very nice. Very nice indeed,” he muttered. “Fit for a king—or a queen.” Eugenia rushed to hug him. “It seemed only right to share … when you have taken such good care of me and I would have nothing at all if you had not gotten them for me.” “She is right. You deserve a big hug for retrieving her things for her. I am only sorry I did not think about it.” Kiran narrowed his eyes at Reuel’s observation. “I expect that was because you were preoccupied with fucking her,” he growled. Reuel showed his teeth in what was not quite a smile. “Indeed. I find that I am completely focused on our little princess when I am making love to her.” The byplay unnerved Eugenia a little, but she was pleased enough with Reuel’s remark that she was diverted. The challenge prompted Kiran to drag out the household items that Eugenia had unearthed previously—primarily the furnishings—and they had places to sit and tables to set their plates on when they settled down to eat their next meal. Eugenia sighed happily. “This is so much more comfortable!” she said. “And I found my needlework so that I have something to occupy myself when the three of you are not here.” The trio exchanged uncomfortable glances but agreed that the place was far more comfortable with the improvements Eugenia had made.

“Nesting!” Kiran uttered in a low growl when they had retreated outside to the campfire again. Jaden and Reuel exchanged a look. “I must say this makes me … uncomfortable,” Jaden itted. “I was not comfortable with the situation any of the time,” Reuel muttered. “It makes me feel guilty as hell. I do not know how we could have avoided it, however.” “By not fucking her?” Kiran guessed. Jaden and Reuel glared at him. “We were ordered to despoil her, gods damn it!” Jaden snarled. “I, for one, was never in favor of it.” Reuel and Kiran looked him over. “Alright! Well after I watched Kiran trying to eat her alive, I have to it I was … fixated. But I was still against it from the start.” “But you did it,” Reuel said pointedly. “You did not have to, so do not try to go there! I had taken her maidenhead in that time and, strictly speaking, that was all that was required to keep to the letter of Konstantin’s demand.” Jaden wrestled with himself. “I was not going to,” he lied. “Granted, I chose to, but I figured where was the harm when you had taken her maidenhead already?” Reuel clenched and unclenched his fists, as if he was contemplating choking the life out of the Pegasus. “Which means that I alone despoiled her because I was forced to,” he snarled. “The first time.” Reuel punched him. Jaden got up and punched him back. In a few moments the pair of them were rolling around on the cliff’s edge trying to choke one another. Kiran watched them with some detachment. “You will roll off the edge if you do

not take care,” he said when they were teetering on the brink. They broke off, glared at one another for several long moments and finally returned to their seats. “As entertaining as that was,” Kiran observed, “I do not see that it resolved anything.” Jaden and Reuel both glared at him but forbore comment. “I think I must decline the ‘offer’ the wizard made,” he said thoughtfully. “I am not happy about it, but I am even more unhappy to hand Eugenia over to him.” Jaden gaped at him. “You can do that?” Kiran frowned haughtily, as if to say that he was offended that Jaden could even question his abilities, but then he shrugged. “Not precisely. I am … compelled. But I am thinking that he is preoccupied at the moment and that it would be a very good time to find a way to break his hold so that I can exert my own will.” Reuel met Jaden’s questioning gaze and looked at Kiran again. “How do you think that might be done?” he asked doubtfully. Kiran shrugged again. “Konstantin is too powerful a wizard for any of us to defeat—or rather he has a sort of magic that we do not. We must find someone who could and would battle him who has a very good chance of defeating him.” Jaden sent him a sour look. “I could have figured that much out by myself.” Kiran lifted his brows at him. “Ah … But did you?” Irritation flickered across Jaden’s face. “In point of fact, it did occur to me,” he lied with the same haughty distain that Kiran had displayed before. “I just have not come up with a likely … uh … champion.” Kiran nodded. “That is a difficult one. I think we should go to the elves and consult with them. If anyone knows of a sorceress or wizard powerful enough to defeat the bastard, it should be them.” “Or perhaps they will know who to send us to to find out?” Reuel agreed.

“What would we do with the princess?” Jaden asked. “This … quest you are suggesting might take a few days. I do not like the thought of leaving her here for that space of time.” “Good point. We must take her with us.” Reuel frowned. “That would be at least three days’ flight for me.” “Me also,” Jaden agreed. “I believe that I could make it in two, but we have the little princess to consider. It would be difficult for her to make such a long journey as that without allowing her time to rest. She is very fragile. And it would be frightening as well, since she is a wingless creature. I think, as long as there is no huge rush, that we should walk. I believe Konstantin is far less likely to see us and figure out what we are up to.” “That is a very good point that I had not considered,” Jaden said. “The bastard is fond of commanding the skies with his minions.” “And he will have them circling the armies for surveillance.” “Which we must ,” Kiran agreed. “But we will give them a wide berth and if the bastard happens to catch sight of us he may believe that we are on the way to take the princess to him.” Reuel nodded. “I am thinking that is likely the best tact to take,” he agreed. “And that will allow us to enjoy our little princess,” Kiran pointed out happily. “As we could not do if we are in flight.” He frowned. “At least I could not do.” Jaden and Reuel sent him a sour look, but they saw no reason not to enjoy their time with Eugenia. She seemed willing enough to accept them. And they certainly enjoyed it. And, at some point, they realized abruptly, they would be forced to give her up. If they could find a way to thwart Konstantin, they could save her, but she was a human and a princess and not meant for the likes of them. She would not want to

stay with them. She would want to be returned to her own people. It was not a happy thought. * * * * Eugenia was ecstatic when she learned that they would be traveling to speak with the elfin people to see if they could find a way to break the wizard’s hold upon them so that they would not be forced to take her to him. She was also skeptical that a way could be found. And she was uneasy in her mind because she feared it was only something they had made up so that she would not be difficult when they took her to Konstantin. But she kept the doubts to herself because they had at least given her some hope that they would help her to escape her doom. False or not, it made it possible for her to enjoy the time she had at least to a degree more than she had been able to before. It frightened her half out of her wits to be carried down the mountain by Kiran— enough that she ed out as soon as he set her down on solid ground. She thought she might have before except that she was so focused on trying to hold on to keep from falling to her death. All three of them were leaning over her peering down at her when she came around from her swoon. She closed her eyes again and lifted a hand to her throbbing head. “What happened?” she asked vaguely. “Dragon scared you witless,” Reuel said. “And you fainted,” Jaden added. Kiran glared at them. “I did nothing of the kind!” he snapped. “It was the height that bothered her, was it not, my precious?” Eugenia managed to pull her lips into a semblance of a smile. “I do not recall,”

she responded vaguely, unwilling to tell him that, yes, he had frightened her half to death. “Well, we will walk for now,” Kiran responded. Not best pleased that she had not instantly agreed that he was blameless when he had taken the utmost care to fly straight down from the top rather than riding the air currents as he generally did. For he was certain she would not have liked gliding up and down with the whims of the wind. He enjoyed it himself, but then he had been born with wings and he knew humans did not care to fly at all. They were traveling light. They had all made up small bundles of things they thought they would not like to be without for any number of days, but none of them wanted to be weighed down when the walk itself was taxing. The terrain at the bottom of the mountain was rocky and uneven and that made it a challenge for all of them, but mostly for Eugenia. She was resolved not to complain, however. There was nothing more annoying than a whiner, she thought, and that was hardly the way to show her gratitude that they had taken on such an arduous and potentially dangerous journey for her sake. She was so relieved when they finally decided to stop to take a short rest and drink that it took every effort to refrain from groaning. Her feet, she discovered with a good deal of dismay if no surprise, were raw and bleeding from her slippers rubbing as she walked, and she could not bring herself to put them back on until she absolutely had to. “What in Hades …?” Reuel ground out when he had brought her the wine skin to drink and spotted the blood. Dropping to his knees, he snatched her feet up and examined them. “Why did you not say anything?” Eugenia felt her face redden. “I did not want to complain.” “Well, you should have!” Jaden growled. “You will be attracting predators bleeding like that!” Dismay and fear fluttered through her then and she glanced around uneasily. “Truly?” Kiran nodded, having come up to examine the injuries himself. “The smell of

blood ….” “Oh! Oh my! What should I do?” she gasped. “I will carry you,” Kiran said decisively. She gaped at him in horror, instantly envisioning herself clinging to his back in terror while he swooped through the air at blinding speeds. “Not … uh ….” He took pity. “I will carry you on my shoulders.” She looked up at him doubtfully and he shrugged. “I do not think you would be very comfortable on my back or I would suggest that.” “I will carry her on my back,” Jaden said complacently. “She will be comfortable there.” “Or mine,” Reuel said pointedly. “It was I who noticed the injuries. I will carry her.” “We will let her choose,” Kiran said with much the same complacency that Jaden had, as if he was certain he was hands down the favorite. Eugenia’s dismay deepened. There was no way for her to win such a situation. Whoever she chose, the other two would feel slighted she was sure and very likely be angry with her. And she did not want any of them to be cross with her. “I think I would rather walk. I will wrap my feet. I need to in any case, and then the slippers will not rub.”

Chapter Seven

Reuel ignored her and wrapped her feet himself and then shifted into his gryphon form and helped her onto his back. Jaden and Kiran both looked outraged at his highhandedness, but Eugenia was very grateful that he had helped her out of the corner they’d chased her in to. And she was happy about riding his back because, on all fours in gryphon form, he was the shortest of the three. His back was broad, but not as broad as either Kiran’s or Jaden’s and that made it far more comfortable for her since she didn’t have to spread her legs so wide. Of course, she should have sat sideways as ladies were expected to do, but she did not think she was really a lady anymore and besides that they had no riding gear—no lady’s saddle and no tack. Not that he needed to be guided, but that left her with nothing to hold on to but the mane of feathers and she was uneasy about holding on there. It was still tiring, she discovered—holding herself upright and keeping her balance as they continued making their way down hill from the foot of the mountain and into a green valley. They stopped to eat when the sun was overhead and then, when it began to sink toward the horizon, they stopped near a small brook and made camp. Kiran left them to set up and went off in search of food since they had brought little of that with them and had eaten most of it when they had stopped for the mid-day meal. He came back just as dusk was closing in, prickly with arrow shafts and carrying a pot of stew. Eugenia, naturally enough, was horrified. When he’d set the pot down carefully on the fire, he settled to pulling the arrows out.

“Oh my god! Did you get that getting food?” He sent her a startled look, flicked a glance at the other two, and then returned his attention to his task. “No. I wanted to reconnoiter the siege and I inadvertently got too close to a group of archers.” He rubbed his hands in anticipation when he had disposed of the arrows. “I am thinking it would not be a bad idea to snuff the fire once we have heated our dinner.” “That close?” Reuel asked neutrally. Kiran grunted, struggling to reach something in the pouch he had slung across his shoulder. “As the crow flies. But there is rough terrain betwixt and between. I am certain we are fine,” he said, grinning as he produced a loaf of bread that was still warm. “This will top off the stew very nicely, I think.” Hungry from the day long trek, they all focused on food as soon as they’d gotten their plates and left off on conversation. Eugenia was so tired that it was all she could do to keep her eyes open once she had filled her belly with the hot food. Settling her bundle by the coals of the fire they’d built to heat their supper, she unrolled it, stacked the contents beside it and rolled up in the bedroll. She had just gotten comfortable and begun to doze when Kiran dropped down beside her and dropped one arm and one leg across her. Grunting at the sudden weight, she shifted around until she managed to get comfortable and dropped off again. She woke at dawn with Kiran’s hand cupping one breast. Shoving it off, she struggled out from under him and stood up, looking around for privacy to attend her needs and then headed into the brush when she had picked a spot. Her beautiful men had vanished when she returned and taken their beast forms. Taken aback just for a moment, she halted in her tracks and stared at them. Jaden approached her and she saw her bedroll had been tied to his back and her other belongings bundled, tied together with the bundle he had brought and slung across his neck. He nudged her with his nose. “We’re … flying?” she

asked uneasily. “Jaden take you,” Kiran uttered in a deep, growly voice unlike the voice she had grown accustomed to. “We go look army.” Relief and dismay warred within her. She looked from Kiran to Reuel unhappily. “Please be careful.” “Careful, yes,” Kiran said and grabbed her up, hesitated as if he would embrace her or perhaps kiss her, and finally simply set her on Jaden’s back. She watched them take flight before Jaden headed deeper into the valley. He moved slowly as they continued downhill for a space of hours, until they had reached ground that was more level and then began to pick up his pace. With nothing to hold on to beyond Jaden’s mane, Eugenia discovered she was having more and more trouble staying on his back and finally simply lay down across his neck, curling her arms tightly around him. And she still fell off. Thankfully, he shifted to catch her as she slipped off and managed to break her fall. Finding herself still clinging to Jaden’s neck and suddenly nose to nose with him, Eugenia stared at him a little blankly for several moments before Jaden closed the distance and settled his mouth over hers, kissing her deeply. Warmth instantly flooded her, excitement sparking along her nerve endings and bringing vibrancy to every part of her. Unfortunately when Jaden broke the kiss to search for a comfortable bed of soft grass, he discovered they had chosen a very, very bad spot to stop. They were surrounded by armed men wearing King Carlo’s colors. And since Jaden had not heard them approach, he realized they had simply walked right into the trap set for them. It was really unfortunate, Jaden thought wryly, that he had decided to shift to catch Eugenia for now he had no ‘surprise’ for them.

Luckily for both of them, he heard the not too distant flap of wings far mightier than any bird. “Release the woman!” one of the soldiers bellowed. * * * * A jolt went through Eugenia at the sound of the voice because she hadn’t realized she and Jaden were no longer alone, but also at the ominous order. She was still debating whether to identify herself or not when Jaden spoke. “My Ginny is frightened,” Jaden called back. “Do not hurt us. We are only travelers.” Several of the soldiers made sounds of disbelief at the lie. “The princess was snatched by a strange menagerie that included a Pegasus.” Her eyes widened on Jaden’s face, but he did not meet her gaze. “Move ….” He’d been about to tell her to move behind him when he heard the sound of an arrow released. Instead of letting go of her as he’d intended, he gripped her more tightly and whipped around to put his back between her and the bolt flying at them to shield her. Even as he whirled, he glimpsed the dragon and the gryphon just cresting the trees beyond where they stood and relief trickled through him. He just hoped they weren’t too late. Kiran dragged in a deep breath and blew an arrow of fire toward the group of soldiers. It touched the ground little more than a yard from the first and skimmed the backs of most of the the half dozen or so men before those at the end whirled and fled. Reuel dove toward those who were fleeing and attacked with beak and claws even as Kiran landed to wade in, swatting running men hard enough to fling them like catapulted stones at the trees around them. But neither counter attack halted the progress of the bolt that had already been

released. It slammed into Jaden’s back so hard it knocked the breath out of him, broke his hold on Eugenia, and knocked her backwards with enough force that she flew away from him. Kiran swooped toward her and snatched her from the air before she could hit the ground. Curling his arms tightly around her to bind her to his chest, he shot skyward at a sharp angle that took him so high so fast that Eugenia ed out and went limp against him. On the ground, Reuel swooped down to help Jaden up. Jaden managed to gather himself enough to shift his form and run to catch enough air beneath his wings to get him off the ground. His climb was such a struggle, however, so sluggish, Reuel swooped around and made another run at the soldiers that managed to rally themselves, bowling them over when he swooped low enough to batter them with his talons. Then he arched upward and climbed beyond their range before they could rally again and retaliate. To his relief, he saw that Jaden had caught his breath and regained enough strength to climb higher. The two of them followed Kiran until he began to descend near dusk toward a glade at the edge of the forest. A stream ran through it and Kiran settled near the stream and carefully laid Eugenia on the grasses and examined her for injury. “Is she hurt then?” Reuel asked sharply. “She could not be!” Jaden exclaimed in dismay. “I blocked the arrow.” Kiran frowned. “I think, mayhap, she has only fainted. There is no sign of a wound that I can see.” “It seems a very long time for a faint,” Reuel said, feeling uneasiness knot in his belly. “I will have a look and see if she has need of healing.” “You should have a look at Jaden. That bolt looked as if it would catch him in the center of his back.” Reuel was inclined to argue that Jaden did not behave like anyone in need of his powers to heal, and beyond that he was a shifter and could heal himself as long as he had the strength to shift. But he was curious himself that Jaden had recovered so quickly and thought the wound might explain Eugenia’s prolonged

faint, as well. Jaden had been holding her tightly against his chest. If the arrow pierced, it might easily have ed through and into her. There was no sign of a wound anywhere on Jaden’s back, however. He brushed a front foot over the area and then looked at it. “Fairy dust,” he said blankly. “What?” Jaden asked sharply, trying to twist his head around for a look. “You are certain?” Kiran asked. “See for yourself,” he said, moving away from Jaden and heading over to where Eugenia lay. Relief filled him when he saw that she was stirring. Kiran examined the Pegasus’ back and discovered Reuel was absolutely correct. It was sprinkled with fairy dust. “I will be damned. It is.” He abandoned Jaden then and strode back to check on the princess, who had sat up and was clutching her head. Shifting, he ignored Reuel and pulled her into his arms. “Dearling! You had me worried!” Her head was throbbing and she felt so weak she was vaguely nauseated, but the moment Kiran embraced her she realized Jaden was missing and her heart nearly failed her. “Jaden! Is he …?” “He is perfectly fine. Do not worry your head over that jackass. He had me going, too, I must it, but some fairy was watching over him.” Eugenia pulled away and stared up at his face. “Truly?” she asked, craning to see for herself that Jaden was alright. Since he had no wound to concern himself, Jaden shifted into his human skin and ed the others. “The important thing is that you are alright.” Eugenia managed a wavering smile. “The important thing to me is that you are alright.”

Jaden grinned at her. “A fairy saved me. I must have done something to earn points.” Reuel and Kiran looked like thunder clouds and Eugenia did not have to search hard to know why. “And Kiran and Reuel saved both of us!” she added. “You were not hurt? Either of you?” That seemed to mollify them somewhat, although she could tell neither of them were happy that she had focused on Jaden before them. “Not a scratch,” Reuel growled. “Next time, mayhap I should try to catch an arrow?” Eugenia pulled free of Kiran and ran to him, hugging him tightly. “Do not say such things! I would be devastated if harm came to any of you! Especially if you were harmed trying to protect me.” Kiran looked around when he saw the light fading. “We have lost our travel supplies,” he said irritably. “We are lucky we lost nothing else,” Jaden said pointedly. “Aye, but we still have no food or bedding,” Kiran growled. He settled to considering what to do. He did not particularly care about the bedroll, but it meant Eugenia would be far less comfortable and there was no food for any of them and he, for one, found it very difficult to sleep on an empty stomach. The armies had no doubt stripped the countryside of anything they wanted and could use as they marched on Konstantin’s castle, but they were now north of the conflict and the area should be clear of soldiers and there should still be supplies to be had. “I will go and see what I can find for us. In the meanwhile you three can gather the makings of a fire and make use of the stream. Mayhap you could even catch a fish or two?” “I will go up,” Reuel said, “and make certain there are no parties of soldiers out this way searching for supplies that are close enough to be a threat. I would feel much easier in my mind to do that before we consider any kind of fire at all.” When the two of them had left again, Eugenia glanced at Jaden curiously. “Why do you suppose the fairy intervened?”

Jaden frowned. “I have thought and thought and I have no clue. I do not recall ever encountering a fairy. Of course, I know they exist, but I do not know of anyone that has actually encountered one. They are very standoffish … and, beyond that, they are known to be fickle. One can never count upon them to cast a spell that is beneficial—even when they seem to be in charity with you. So, I am grateful—especially since you might have been harmed if the arrow had gone through—but baffled.” “I do not suppose we shall ever know, then,” Eugenia said, disappointed. She got up, though, waited until the dizziness that assailed her ed and then began to clear the brush from a widening circle with her hands. Jaden ed her. When they thought they had cleared a wide enough area for their fire and pallets, they began to pick the hard sticks from the brush they’d pulled up and bunch it into bedding. At the very least, if Kiran found nothing, they would have some protection from the cold ground—a little softness to offer a modicum of comfort. When they were done, Eugenia made her way to the edge of the forest to relieve herself while there was still enough light to see that she was safe and then headed back to the stream and squatted beside it to stare at the water. Presently, a fish swam by, but it was a very small fish and Eugenia thought it was hardly worth the effort of trying to catch it. The next fish was a grandfather, without a doubt. She was about to make a grab for it when Jaden, whom she discovered had found a stick, made a stab at it … and missed. She frowned at him and pointed a little ways downstream. “You fish there.” He grinned at her, but he moved to a little distance away and they both settled to trying to catch anything that looked like it might feed even one. Reuel ed them shortly. Instead of shifting into his human form, however, he took advantage of his natural predatory nature and the assets he had and in a very short while he had captured a fine mess of fish and used his talons to clean them. It was nearly dark by that time and they still hadn’t gathered the makings of a fire so she and Jaden rushed to see what they could gather quickly and hurried back to the clearing they’d made. Reuel had shifted in that time and found flat stones in the streambed to use to

cook the fish. They had everything but fire and, for that, they had to await Kiran’s return. It was full dark before he made it back, but he had clearly put the time to good use. He had bundled various items into bedrolls he had filched—from the looks of it—from soldiers in the field. “Excellent!” he said when he had settled and spotted the fish, dropping the venison carcass he had brought. “This will take far longer to cook!” When he had lit the fire, he headed to the stream to clean up and came back in man form with the makings of a spit for the venison. Eugenia had opened the bundle he’d brought to see what it contained and set each thing out carefully before she took the blankets and spread them over the grasses she and Jaden had piled up for bedding. The bread and cheese she dug from the bundle had a little dirt and debris attached and a little mold, but she used a stick to scrape them off and they divided it up between them to eat with their fish. And warmth filled Eugenia as she filled her belly and listened to the men discuss the food they were enjoying and plans for the following day. It was the warmth, she thought, of feeling as if she belonged. She realized it was something she had never felt before.

Chapter Eight

When Reuel went up to scout the following morning, he discovered that at least one of the bastards had gotten away and made it back to report to his commanding officer. A party had been dispatched to search for them. He was just guessing, of course, but unless they’d set out to capture Kiran for his thefts—which he simply could not credit—they were after Eugenia. He headed back to their encampment when he had marked their location and speed and direction of movement and discovered the remainder of his party had already broke camp and settled to eat a bit of the venison that had cooked overnight to break their fast. Pulling off a piece for himself, he settled across from Eugenia to eat. “King Carlo has sent out a search party for us,” he announced. It was not welcome news to any of them. “You are certain?” Kiran asked. Reuel shrugged. “I have deduced. They are purposeful and they were already a good distance from their camp. I believe so, but without waiting to see, or capturing one and wringing the information from them, I know of no way to be certain.” Kiran nodded. “Well, to the good, the flight we took put them at least a day’s march behind us.” “By my best calculations, yes,” Reuel agreed. “And we have easier terrain in front of us.” “At least until we reach the Baleful Wood,” Jaden said dryly. Kiran stared at him. “Do you think they will be stupid enough to follow us in?” Reuel and Jaden both shrugged.

“Depends, I suppose,” Reuel said. “On?” “Whether they are more afraid of the denizens of the Baleful Wood or King Carlo.” Eugenia shivered at the mention of the king, feeling her enjoyment of her food wane abruptly. Fortunately, considering her sudden desperation to put more distance between them as soon as possible, the others finished up their food and they packed the remainder of the venison in the bundle Kiran was carrying and headed out. Eugenia’s feet, thankfully, had healed enough that she was not very uncomfortable walking, but she discovered that no one really wanted to wait for her to walk. She was taken up on Reuel’s back again and they stepped up their pace. When they stopped around mid day to eat and drink, to rest and relieve themselves, Kiran left to see what progress the soldiers had made. He was gone long enough Eugenia began to worry and she thought it also made Reuel and Jaden uneasy because they got up and began to gather their things before he returned and headed out again. Kiran caught up to them, thankfully, before they had gone very far. “We are maybe a half a day from the wood and the soldiers have gained a half a day, I’m thinking. It is a good thing that you had already resumed the trek.” “Do we … need to fly?” Eugenia asked unhappily. “I mean … I do not want anyone endangered only because the flying frightens me.” The males exchanged a speaking glance since they were very well aware that ‘frightened’ did not describe the full depth of her terror. None of them wanted to put her through that if they could help it. Because they had discovered that they were deeply bothered by her distress. “We will just move faster,” Reuel responded even as he picked up his pace. “I could make better time,” Jaden pointed out.

“Yes,” Kiran agreed. “But would you be carrying the princess, or dragging her?” he asked sarcastically. “Because I have not seen that she manages to stay on your back very well. The faster you go, the sooner she falls.” Eugenia felt her face heat with discomfort. Jaden was indignant. On the other hand, he knew that she was not very good at balancing on his back. He had no understanding of why she seemed to manage better when she was on Reuel’s back—perhaps it was broader? Kiran was concerned enough about the soldiers behind them that he left them again around the middle of the afternoon and checked the progress they had made and the ground gained by the soldiers. Apparently, he was satisfied because he did not suggest they take off running when he returned. “We should reach Baleful Wood in time to make our encampment within the wood.” Since it was nearing dusk, Eugenia was greatly heartened by the news, for she was so weary it was all she could do to stay on Reuel’s back by that time. Thankfully, it transpired that Kiran had not been optimistic in his calculations. They had not gone much further when they topped a slight rise and spied the wood stretching out before them from horizon to horizon. Eugenia shivered—and not merely because of the dark tales she had heard throughout her life about the place. It seemed … that cold crept from the place. There was a sense of brooding about it, danger, evil. It baffled her that the elfin people lived there when they had always been known for their goodness. But, according to legends, so, too, did many other creatures that were not known for their goodness. She had little time to brace herself. They reached the wood only a few minutes after they had spotted it and plunged under the canopy. Darkness enveloped them almost the moment they entered the wood—even though she knew the sun had

not yet set. When her eyes adjusted, however, she realized that some light still filtered through the leaves above them, making it possible for her to search her surroundings fearfully for any sign of the trolls or the demons and other unnamable creatures that were said to live there. Fortune favored her, for there did not seem to be any about. They traveled two to three hectares more and finally stopped when they had found a small pool of water. It almost seemed enchanted and Eugenia not only did not want to go in, she had no desire to go near it, fearing water dragons and sprites. None of her companions seemed to have a problem with it, but then again they were magical themselves. She was not. They debated, briefly, as to whether or not it would be wise to build a campfire. Finally, they decided that it would not be wise not to because of the denizens of the wood even it was possible that Carlo’s men might spot the fire. In any case, they were certain nothing could convince the soldiers to enter Baleful Wood, especially after dark. Apparently, they were correct. The soldiers did not follow them into the wood. They heated up the last of the venison and made a very good meal of it and then spread the bedrolls to rest for the end of the journey the following day. Kiran managed to beat the other two to the spot next to Eugenia and dragged her close for a cuddle. Eugenia certainly was not against it. He made her feel safe and she was in need of shelter. She was a little confused and disappointed that he made no attempt to rut her, however. None of them had once they had left the dragon’s lair and she did not understand why they had not, but she was afraid that it might mean they were tired of her. And the quest they had proposed was made because they were tired of her. She was relieved and appreciative that they had not simply turned her over to

Konstantin—or Carlo or her father—but she had thoroughly enjoyed it when they had tossed her skirts right regularly before. It bothered her enough that she finally nerved herself to ask Kiran. “Do you not want me anymore?” The question sent a jolt through him and he pulled away to look down at her. “Whatever would give you such a foolish idea as that, you silly chit?” She almost felt better that he seemed to be indignant about it, but she pursued it anyway. “Well you have not … We have not. It has been days! And you said that we would make the trek on foot so that we could.” He uttered a derive snort. “Child! We have been chased! And you have not done at all well—whether you will it it or not and I know that you will not. I confess it has not been particularly comfortable for me. I have to say my balls ache like a bad tooth, but we have plenty of time to fuck … once you are safe and you are settled.” A thrill of excitement went through Eugenia. “You do not … mean to leave me?” “Do not be silly, my love! Why would I do a stupid thing like that when I enjoy being with you so much—especially the rutting?” Sighing happily, Eugenia snuggled close to him and went to sleep almost at once, sleeping so deeply that Kiran had to shake her awake at dawn. To leave, she thought. Until she sat up, rubbed her eyes, and looked around. They were surrounded, she saw, by elfin warriors. “Uh oh,” she murmured. “Why have you brought the Princess Eugenia here?” the leader demanded. Eugenia gaped at him for a moment and whipped a questioning look at Kiran, wondering how in the world they knew she was Princess Eugenia when she had

never set eyes on any of them. Thankfully, her companions had not bent accusing gazes upon her and she decided that it must be some power the elves had to tell such things. “We came in search of wisdom,” Kiran responded. The leader seemed to relax fractionally. “What kind of wisdom and to what purpose?” Kiran glanced at Jaden and Reuel. “We were bespelled by the wizard Konstantin and set upon the princess. We wish to find someone with the power to break the spell he bound us with so that we may protect her from his evil.” The elfin leader was silent for so long Eugenia thought he would turn them away and fear of Konstantin had begun to replace her anxiety about the elves accepting them. “Why did you not ask the fairy? There are none more powerful that the fairy folk.” Eugenia gaped at him and discovered when she looked at her companions that they were as shocked as she was. Kiran frowned. “What fairy?” “The one who sits upon Princess Eugenia’s shoulder,” the elf responded dryly. Kiran grasped her shoulders and twisted her so that he could look, then he looked at the elf angrily. “There is no fairy!” “Ah. Now I understand. Why have you not allowed them to see you?” Eugenia, Kiran, Jaden and Reuel all exchanged uneasy glances. Eugenia did not know about them, but she had begun to think the elfin man was daft. She heard a tinkling laugh at that. “He is impertinent. He is not daft.” Eugenia stared at the woman who had simply appeared—one moment she was

not there and the next she was. She frowned. “I thought fairies were tiny creatures,” she said blankly. “You are also impertinent,” the woman said sourly. “I am not sure I want to be your godmother if you are going to insult me.” “I only ….” Kiran cut her off from saying more by clamping his hand over her mouth. “If you are her godmother then you must know she is in trouble and needs your help.” “Yes. That is why I came.” “Then you will break the spell?” Jaden and Reuel asked almost in the same voice. She turned to study them. “Which spell?” The foursome exchanged looks of confusion. “There is more than one?” Eugenia asked. The fairy shook her head. “This will take some sorting.” She was thoughtful for several moments. “I believe I should start with you,” she said, pointing her finger at Eugenia’s nose. Instantly, darkness swallowed her and she felt as if she was falling for miles and miles. Then, abruptly, she stopped. She was stunned, but she felt no pain and that was almost the scariest thing that had happened. Until she opened her eyes. Then she found herself in a room she had never seen before. After staring up at the ceiling for several moments, she pushed herself up slowly and looked around. It was not a very large room that she found herself in, but it was … quite beautiful. The bed was simply enormous and seemed to take up fully half of the

space. The posts that held it up were like … trees. Flowering vines twined around them and Eugenia found herself wondering whether she was inside a house or outside. There were walls, though—walls covered in beautiful satiny fabric that had designs running through it much like the vines on the bed posts—with heart shaped leaves and flowers shaped like trumpets. Morning Glories. Where was she? How had she come to be in this place, she wondered? It is yours. A place where you are safe from the evil men who meant to use you. It is my gift to you, child. Eugenia felt her heart thunder in her chest when she heard the words in her head. She did not know what to think of that. Had she imagined it? And, if she had not, then what had it meant? Slipping out of the bed after a few moments, she made her way to the door she had discovered in one wall and turned the knob cautiously. It wasn’t locked and when she had turned the knob and pulled the door open, she saw she was in a tidy little cottage. How did she come to be in the cottage, she wondered? Why could she not anything? “I am missing something,” she said, feeling just a tingle of uneasiness. Only silence greeted her and after a moment, she moved across the main room of the cottage and opened the door she thought must lead into the yard. It did … and it was a beautiful, wondrous yard. It was filled with flowers of all shapes and sizes and colors, filled with butterflies and singing birds. “This cannot be real,” she gasped, gazing around in wonder. It is beautiful if I do say so myself. And here you are safe.

“From what?” The voice did not answer. “I was in danger?” Yes. Very grave danger. “But I am safe now?” Yes. “Why can I not ?” I thought it might be hurtful. She felt the sudden urge to cry. “But … I am missing something! I have lost something.” What do you think that you lost? “I ….” She struggled, trying to capture something elusive, something that was so important to her that she knew, abruptly, that it was something she did not want to live without. No matter how beautiful the cottage was or how safe she was, she needed …. Them. And the very moment she acknowledged that, she ed. A woman she had never seen before in her life appeared before her, huffing irritably. “You cannot mean that, surely? They ravished you, dear.” Eugenia stared at her, still struggling to capture the memory. “They did not.” The woman frowned. “It looked like ravishment to me.” “They gave me love.” The woman tsked sourly. “That is a man’s concept of love—coupling. That is not true love.” Eugenia stamped her foot. “But it was! They took care of me and they protected me—and, yes, they took my maidenhead, but they were gentle with me! They were always kind and considerate. Do not take them from me! Please?”

The woman rolled her eyes. “Oh, very well! I think that you will deeply regret it in time. They are … beasts. You cannot expect them to truly love you.” Eugenia swallowed against the knot of emotion in her throat. “I truly love them. I can hope that they will love me and … if they cannot then they are still so far above those who should have loved me that there is no comparison. My father is the beast! My betrothed is the beast! And this Konstantin who would have used me and killed me—he is the worst beast of all!” “Well! I cannot argue that. That is why I banished all three to the netherworld.” With that, she vanished. Dismay flickered through Eugenia. In vain, she waited and waited for the woman to come back and tell her that she would make things right. Finally, she sat down on the tiny stoop of her cottage and wept. And then, when she had thoroughly ravaged her face with her sorrow and looked as truly horrible as she ever had, she heard the flap of mighty wings. She jerked her hands down from her face then and tried to focus her burning, blurry gaze. But she heard more than saw as three settled around her. Finally, their faces … their very dear faces swam into focus and she uttered a snort of happiness. Wiping her face and nose with her hands, she rushed to them. “You are here!” Kiran grabbed her and hugged her so tightly, bones popped in her spine. “Yes … although … Where is here?” he asked doubtfully, ing her off to Jaden and looking the place over. Jaden hugged her and gave her a resounding kiss on the lips and then ed her to Reuel. Reuel bent her over one arm and kissed her until her eyeballs were rolling around in her head. “This is that damned interfering fairy’s doing, is it not?” Kiran growled. Dismay flickered through Eugenia. “Uh … I begged her to ….”

He looked surprised and vaguely gratified. “You did?” “That is why we are here now instead of … that frozen hell she sent us to?” Reuel asked. “Never trust a fairy,” Jaden said. “I always said that.” “But she brought you to me.” They looked at her quizzically. “Why?” She bit lips. “Because I told her that I loved you.” They blushed. All three. And then chuckled uncomfortably. And then they all tried to grab her at once and spent the next hour trying to pound one another into the dirt. Eugenia sighed. “I am going to cook dinner! First one in that has already bathed sleeps in my bed tonight!” That prompted a fight over the water bucket in the well. Eugenia went inside to see what she had to cook, leaving them to sort it out.

The End.