Above her, his wings stretched gloriously. For weeks she’d longed to touch them, to see them up close. She stroked along the edge, trailing her fingers over the webbed flesh that stretched to his back.Fascinating.He shivered above her at her touch, and so she increased her ministrations, reveling in his reaction. Soon his rhythm grew more urgent. Gentle movements turned to firm thrusts.
She wrapped her arms and legs about him, longing for more. Only wanting to get closer to him. Only wanting him deeper inside her. The magic was back again, and this time she could hear in his trill that it had seized him as well. Power flooded her veins, radiating pure light as they both pitched over the edge.
Everything caught fire. The trees around her lit up with magical light as if they’d ignited a room full of candles. And all she could think was that something amazing had just happened. Something, judging by Tavyss’s expression, he wasn’t expecting.
Chapter Ten
When a dragon bonded with his mate, it was for life. There would be no other woman for Tavyss but Medea. He’d offered, and she’d consented. And although what they’d done had certainly sealed his fate, for him the connection was permanent the moment she’d accepted his offer.
But as the light faded and her breath came back to her in a gasp, Tavyss realized the danger he was in. Medea was most certainly powerful. The blast of power they’d given off was nothing short of celestial. That energy was far more than what he could put off on his own.
He stroked her hair back from her face and transferred his weight to the patch of moss beside her. Never taking his eyes off her, he asked, “Do you know what you are, Medea?”
Her gaze broke away from his for a fraction of a second, darting to the side. He didn’t miss it. “I love you, Tavyss.”
“I love you too. But now you must tell me the truth, the entire truth, of how you came to be here and how you wield such power.”
Tears formed in her eyes, and his heart broke to see it. It wasn’t his intention to cause her pain, but he couldn’t protect her if he didn’t know the truth. His inner dragon chuffed at the thought. Yes, it was clear he’d need to protect her. If she was from the outside and therefore forbidden from living in the garden, that meant Hera could never know she was here.
“I wanted to tell you the truth. More than once, I tried and failed. I just couldn’t. I… I was afraid you’d never speak to me again, or worse.”
“But now you must tell me. There is nothing you can say that will turn me from you. I have already examined several scenarios in my mind. I am prepared. Tell me what you are.”
In fact, he’d considered a range of possibilities. He’d guessed a witch but there were others. Perhaps she was a lesser goddess, hiding here from some sort of trauma, or a type of fairy from another land. That would explain the wings and the magic. He’d known extremely powerful fairies in his day.
“I am a witch,” she said.
Tavyss sighed as the truth settled in. As he’d suspected. He closed his eyes against the pain of the revelation. “You lied. You were not born in the garden as you said?”
Her eyebrows rose toward her hairline. “I was born here,” she insisted. “As were my sisters. I didn’t lie about that. But I let you assume that meant we were creatures of the garden, and we are not. Our parents were from the outside.”
“How?” He pulled back. In his home world of Paragon, dragons did not often consort with witches. A witch’s magic was strange. While a dragon’s flesh was inherently magical, lending to their talent for invisibility and for protecting their treasure, a witch could command the elements. Witches, most certainly, were not allowed in the Garden of the Hesperides.
“A long time ago, my parents performed a service for the Egyptian goddess Isis that involved them journeying into the underworld. When their work was done, the goddess hid them here so that they would be safe from the retribution of Hades for what they’d done. My mother was pregnant and gave birth to me and my sisters here in the garden.”
“That’s impossible. As an Egyptian goddess, Isis could not get past me or through the gates. Hera’s own wards protect this garden, and my own ensure I’d never miss a soul trying. Hermes, I’d believe, or Zeus himself. But not Isis. It’s impossible.”
She sat up and tugged her dress over her head and down around her ankles. The neck fell over one shoulder in a way that made him long to take her in his arms again. It was dark now, but his dragon sight ensured he could see her clearly.
“My father sang you to sleep.”
His eyes widened at the thought. Wouldn’t he remember if something like that happened? “No.”
“Yes. His name is Orpheus, and he is a descendant of the sorceress Medea, my namesake. He inherited a powerfully magical voice. Not only did his song soothe you to sleep, it wiped your memories of him and my mother.”
Tavyss’s fists clenched. Medea could not be held responsible for her parents’ indiscretions, but the idea that Orpheus had used his sorcery to overpower him caused his throat to burn with pent-up rage.
“Even if he charmed me to sleep, he couldn’t have made it through the enchantment in the gate. That was placed by Hera herself.”
“That would be the work of my mother Alena. She is a descendant of Circe and a master of transfiguration. She transformed a worm into a key while it was in the lock. You see, the worm conforms—”
“I see.” He didn’t need it explained to him as if he were a child. He stood, swept his tunic from the ground, and began to dress.
“Tavyss, I’m sorry. I should have told you before.”
“Yes, you should have. Your parents have broken the goddess’s law. You are not to blame, and I will make it my mission to protect your place here, but Orpheus and Alena must be punished for their trespassing. Hera must be informed.”
“No!” Medea scrambled to her feet. “She’ll kill them. You can’t tell her.”
