The drake at the. . .what does he mean?
Later, Sath.
“He did indeed, and I am grateful. All right. Perhaps you should show us to our room, Omerith, for I am terribly weary and would like very much to get some food and a good night’s sleep.” Gin rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. “We appreciate your hospitality more than you can know.” Sath nodded and stepped back in between her and the dragon, but this time she allowed it, too tired to tell him to move.
“Of course. Let me call my servants, they will show you to your room and bring you a meal. I will sort out what to do with the orb on the morrow.” Omerith looked toward the door, and in a few minutes, a group of dragonkind males and females—clearly all with human ancestry—entered the room. “Take the Nature Walker and her companion to the guest apartments, and make sure they have whatever they would like to eat and drink.” They nodded in unison and surrounded Gin and Sath before leading them out of the room and down the hall.
The room provided them was on par with the luxuriousness of the palace on Qatu’anari, and Sath immediately flopped down onto the large bed in the bedchamber—once the servants had left them to obtain food and drink. “This is more like it,” he said, grinning and waggling his eyebrows at Gin. She returned his smile, but it was not genuine. “What’s wrong? Do I have to crawl into that beautiful head of yours and find out, or will you just tell me?”
“You will not crawl into anywhere in my mind without my permission, Qatu,” she barked back and then put her hand over her mouth as Sath stared at her, surprised. “I’m sorry, oh my goodness, Sath.” Gin walked over to him and put her hands in his. He looked up at her, and she saw those teal eyes she loved so, looking at her from out of a wood elf body. “I am just tired, and truth be told, I miss you.”
“You miss me? I’m right here!” Sath pulled her into his arms and onto his lap, then kissed her before leaning back to study her expression. “You miss the Qatu me, don’t you?”
“I do. I miss you—I mean, you are you, regardless of how you looked, but tell me honestly, Sath—wouldn’t you grow weary of me in a Qatu suit after a time?”
“No, I mean. . .” Gin sighed loudly and stood up from his lap. She walked away from the bed to look out the window. “No, I wouldn’t because, under the fur, you would still be you.” Sath followed her to the window to stand behind her, his arms wrapped around her. “Here, where it matters, you are still you.”
He turned her around. “Close your eyes.” She did as he asked and soon felt him initiate their bond. Now, open your eyes and tell me what you see. Gin did and squealed with delight as she looked up into his teal eyes, now surrounded by his furry face. I am still me—but the outer me—the gift from your Sephine allows me to be your real mate in every sense of the word.
Yes, I know. But thank you for the reminder.
Still my Gin?
Always, or as long as you’ll have me.
Outside of the guest accommodations, a dragonkind female stood to watch. Ellie, back in control of her body, crept up to the female under her invisibility spell. Once she was sure that there was no one around, she clouted the female on the back of the head with a substantial bit of stone that she had found outside in the courtyard. The sentry slumped forward and fell to the ground, and Ellie wasted no time in dragging her around the corner and then casting invisibility magic over her unconscious body.
Now, Taeben, I am outside their door.
Excellent, my dark flower. You have served me so well. I fear that the next step we must take will cause you a great deal of pain, but I trust that you will continue to do as I ask, will you not?
Of course I will. Always.
Keep that thought in mind, Elspethe.
Why do I sense danger from you, Taeben?
Because you are in danger—good to know you have keen instincts, that will be helpful. You will give me a vital piece of my spellwork to bring myself back into the realm of the living—your body. You and the Mother Dragon have brought me everything I need.
Before she could ask him what he meant, Ellie felt the bond with Taeben sever. She could almost hear it happen, like a large sheet of fabric being ripped in two. Pain gripped her body, and Ellie cried out, wrapping her arms around herself—but her attempts to hold herself together were futile, as Taeben ripped open her soul and stepped out of what was left of her mind. She watched in horror as he looked down at his hands, her Ikedrian hands, and smiled with her mouth at what he saw. Deep inside her mind, Elspethe was still aware—barely so—and she screamed for help as she was pushed further and further back into her own consciousness.
Taeben felt his robes through her fingers, more vivid and real than any of the other times that he had taken over her body. He thought about what her hair might feel like and nearly laughed with glee as his hand—no longer hers—ran its fingers—his fingers—through its silky strands.
“Oh, yes, my dark flower, this will do most nicely.” He grinned at his words spoken with her voice and then snapped his fingers to renew the invisibility magic she had cast. “Yes, indeed.” He called up an image from her memory and used his own magic to copy it—no need for an illusion potion when one possessed the power of the Void, of the gods themselves.
