Layla clutched Dusk close. Throwing her arms up around his neck, she crushed him to her as she choked a sob, trying to keep her shit together. But it was useless as his strong hands rose, stroking her hair and back, pouring his soothing vibrations through her. They hummed in synch with the waves still flowing through Layla from Adrian’s concentration on the singing bowl orchestra. As Dusk moved his lips from her forehead, cuddling her close with their cheeks pressed together and their hearts pounding as one, she felt him give a soft smile.
“Hi, baby.” Dusk spoke at last, human once more. “Did you miss me?”
CHAPTER 5 – HUMAN
Layla didn’t know what to say to Dusk’s sweetly cheeky and entirely human question. It was perfect and insane all at once, and she laughed, despite being choked with sobs. Her heart filled with light to have him back, and as she hugged him fiercely, laughing and sobbing, he hugged her deeply back. And then he pulled back and found her lips, and they were kissing on top of the mound of broken rubble; kissing as if they could breathe each other’s very last breath. It went on a while, as Layla lost herself in the feel of him come back to her.
Every rumble and laugh and flow of powerful magic.
They were breathless by the time he pulled away. Layla’s heart glowed as he smiled down at her, his eyes a bright diamond-white as he laughed, nuzzling her nose. She hadn’t realized Adrian had used a wind of power to whisk himself up to the top of their rubble pile until he stood beside her. Reaching out, Dusk corralled Adrian into their trio as he turned his head, setting a hard kiss to Adrian’s forehead before they set their foreheads together.
As Dusk held Layla to his glorious nakedness, he shook Adrian by the back of the neck. “Don’t you know by now that yelling at me just pisses me off, Adrian? It doesn’t matter if it’s done through telepathy.”
Adrian laughed, his bright laugh of joy that Layla loved so well, his blue-green eyes sparkling. “Asshole. Tore down half my palace in your dumb rage. I was right to yell at you.”
“Come on. It’s only a tenth of your palace. Nothing you, Rachida, and Emir can’t rebuild in a month or so.” Dusk chuckled with bravado though tension tightened his eyes. Layla could feel it inside him, that he knew what his Dragon had cost them. It was a relief to him also that they’d been able to bring him back to his human mind.
And that more hadn’t been lost today.
As Layla watched him now, she realized Dusk had changed. Like a gemstone, Crystal Dragons were never done growing, never done maturing in their magic. His stasis these past months in the crystal sarcophagus had changed him, and as Layla watched his skin, it seemed to shine now with a subtly-refracting light beneath the sun like it was made of diamonds. As Dusk turned his head to watch her, Layla saw a flash of gold ripple along his high cheekbone and into the midnight-blue serrated Dragon-scales at his outer cheek. It was beautiful, like the shine of a peacock feather, and as Dusk watched her, she saw his wry smile.
“Changed again, have I?” He chuckled, though something in it was pained.
“It’s amazing.” Reaching up, Layla traced that flush of gold-blue, turning his cheek so she could see it again. As she caught it in the sunlight, she saw it arched down the side of his strong neck into his collarbones, flooding out in a fractal pattern over his strong chest and fit shoulders. Stepping back, Layla blushed as she watched those spreading fractals of gold trace his lines of Dragon-scale back in over his hipbones to his groin. Normally a grey-blue color, his phallus was colored now with that gilded flush, and as it rose to excitement as Layla blinked at him, Dusk pulled her in close with a masculine chuckle.
“Don’t stare, Layla,” he growled into her neck, hot. “It’ll make me think about a lot more than what we should be thinking about right now.”
“But it’s so pretty.” Layla felt dumb as she stared up at him, melting into his strong embrace and dazzled by his change. It felt stupid to be admiring him like staring in a jewelry shop window, but it was instinct.
Ladies loved shiny – and Dusk was oh-so-shiny.
“How is everyone here?” Dusk spoke again, as he glanced to Adrian. “Did anyone get hurt?”
“A few injuries, some magical exhaustion.” Adrian spoke levelly as he regarded Dusk. “Rachida gave me the report as you shifted back. No casualties, just a mess.”
“Thank god.” Dusk heaved a sigh of relief. “I’m so sorry I lost control in the palace, Adrian.”
“It’s just good to have you back.” Corralling Dusk by the back of the neck, Adrian gave him a little shake. A deep camaraderie passed between the adopted brothers, and Layla felt how much they loved each other. Like the sweetest river passing through her with a warm wind, it curled through her body and through the Bind, making her heart glow with golden light all over again. As if both drakes felt it, they gazed at her as one.
And then a slow, winsomely cheeky smile lifted Dusk’s perfect lips. “So, you can make Crystal sound-waves now, Layla? When the hell did that start?”
“I didn’t know I could.” Layla shook her head, starting to smile as Dusk grinned handsomely at her, his irises returning to a more normal sky-blue sapphire as she watched. “Adrian and I are manifesting strange abilities ever since you had your first full shift. He can make fire-crystals. Or rather, crystals that are on fire – or made of fire, maybe?”
“Shit.” Dusk’s dark eyebrows rose as he glanced back to Adrian. “For real?”
“For real.” Adrian nodded soberly, though Layla saw a hint of pleasure lift his lips. “I think we’re all sharing a lot more now that you’ve leveled up.”
“Maybe more than we know.” Dusk frowned, suddenly gazing out over the rubble, taking it all in. Layla wondered if he was thinking about that smelted diamond-fire he’d menaced Adrian with before they got him to listen. Heaving a sigh, Dusk’s hands massaged Layla’s waist as he glanced to Adrian. “I’m so sorry about the palace, Adrian. Truly. I loved the East breakfasting hall.”
“Nothing that can’t be replaced.” Adrian spoke quietly as he held Dusk’s gaze, gripping his shoulder. “Come on, let’s get you inside, get you some clothes. Feeling human enough to sit down and have a talk while the clan rests? I know they could use it.”
“Sure.” Dusk nodded with a wry grimace. “I owe them. I feel like I’m going to have to grovel to the clan for a hundred years for this pissing-fit my Dragon stirred up today.”
“Groveling is not necessary, Egypt. We’re just glad you’re alright.” A growling voice spoke as someone else ascended the rubble pile. Layla glanced over to see Emir gain the top, a deep pleasure in his black eyes though he didn’t smile. Moving forward, he gripped Dusk’s shoulder, and the two shared a moment. Layla knew the clan’s Battle-Lord had been a surrogate father-figure to both Adrian and Dusk when they were boys. They’d trained hard in magical fighting under his tutelage, but Layla had learned Emir was a fair and decent person. As he stood with them now, Layla felt the history they shared, both men regarding Emir as family. And as Rachida ascended the rubble, holding up the hem of her elegant caftan from dragging with one hand, her green eyes sparkling with pleasure, Layla felt the family’s love.
A family she was part of now.
“You are in serious trouble, young man!” Rachida scolded as she came to Dusk, seizing his face in her hands and planting a fierce kiss on his lips before pulling back and shaking him. “I have half a mind to ground you for a decade for all this mess!”
