As he waltzes back, hauling Lærke up out of her chair by her hands, then me, I have to laugh, always amused as shit by Ström’s antics, and the way he so effortlessly gets the party started.
We rock, we sway; we move to the music now as we dance to thedrumming bass beats. Everyone is up and dancing now, even Bjorn, as he moves in on me with Ström to relieve our stress together, and just be in something simple for the moment.
And it’s everything I need to get out of my head, as my inner drakaina takes all that music and rolls around in it, like a cat. Even my black drake sways with the music, its ineffable nature charmed like a cobra as I start to heat up now, grinding on Ström and Bjorn in my little plum cocktail dress.
It’s such a relief that when Ström unbuckles his slacks, then kicks them off, leaving only silky crimson briefs behind, I laugh.
“What? Let’s make it a pants-off-dance-off!” Ström moves back to me, grinding on me once more as Bjorn backs up my rear. Lærke is dancing with Mikkel and grinding on Baldur, and I really don’t mind, as we all begin to laugh and sway now, getting into the feel of things.
My inner drakaina begins to restore as I revel in the music and my mates. I remember what fun is now; I indulge in playfulness as Ström spins me right into Mikkel and Baldur’s arms, away from him and Bjorn.
Mikkel and I are kissing, and I don’t know how it happened. But as Baldur cinches in close to my back, moving a hand down to rub my clit through my dress, while Mikkel eats his wicked kiss into my lips, I feel that great big Ouroboros in the Void begin to braid between all of us.
It’s still far away, nothing close enough to glean power from yet. I feel it like an echo, though, coming closer as we dance and sway, and revel in the oncoming night.
Little curls of our bright etheric fire manifest all around us now, as Mikkel claims my lips and Baldur kisses my neck, even Bjorn and Ström stepping in now to be a part of it.
As Bjorn steps to Baldur’s side, I feel how Baldur reaches out with his free hand, netting Bjorn around the neck. Bjorn has only a small growl of protest now as Baldur kisses him, hard.
The rest of it, entirely heat.
As if Baldur kissing Bjorn unleashed a floodgate for us, Mikkel and Ström kiss wickedly now, and with obliterating purpose, as Mikkel presses hard to me. I reach out, seizing Ström’s crotch, and he gives a delicious moan, as Mikkel bites his lower lip.
All my drakes break from each other now, turning their kisses upon me as mouths fevered with pleasure kiss my lips, both sides of my neck, and my nape. Someone pinches and rolls my nipples through my dress as someone else reaches under my mini-dress to stroke my labia and ass, and I fall into their arms, surrendering to my mates.
But then I feel a sad stare, as if from far away. It’s Lærke, standing by herself, so alone as my drakes and I canoodle to the heavy bass beat. She looks so bereft, so tired and exhausted all by herself as she just stands there, wooden and watching us, that my heat with my drakes breaks.
Suddenly, I want nothing more than to help my sister-in-arms.
Who has no arms to hold her in the night.
“Lærke. How can we help?” I go to her now, removing myself from my drakes so I can extend both my hands to her. As I take up her dangling hands, I feel how leaden they are. She gives me the saddest smile I’ve ever seen, despite our celebrating being alive right now.
Heartbroken and bereft as she watches us.
“I’m touched, Rikyava. Really, I am.” Lærke’s voice is soft now as I rest our foreheads together in this moment. “But my woes and sorrows are not for your Bloodbond to solve. You know as well as I, that I’m not one of your drakes. And I never will be.”
“Still. There has to be something we can do. You’re family,” I protest now, squeezing her hands and making her look up.
“You can’t heal the wounds inside me, drakaina,” Lærke says chidingly now, but also sweetly, as she squeezes my hands back. My drakes have joined us, moving around Lærke and me as we stand together. Mikkel wraps an arm around his sister, and so does Ström. Her sigh is the worst thing I’ve ever heard as she looks up at Ström and gives a wry smile.
And I suddenly recall Lærke once found love—and had it ripped away.
By our most horrible enemy’s henchwoman, Alfhild Fey.
10
SISTER
Ström and Lærke’s history comes back to me as I watch him take her hand now, comforting her. He’s not in love with Lærke anymore; I can feel it through our bond. That ship has long past sailed for him, thanks to Alfhild Fey doing such a number on him and ending their relationship. Ström’s sadness echoes Mikkel’s, however, as Mikkel clasps Lærke close now, kissing her brow and pressing their cheeks together.
I know the twins and Ström were a threesome in the past, but that past is long dead, over a hundred years gone. I sense how Lærke feels alone now, though, since both Ström and Mikkel have found a place in my Bloodbond.
And she hasn’t.
I feel her deep sadness that everything has turned out this way, but I can also feel through my bond to Mikkel that Lærke no longer pines for what they once had. She knows Ström is good for me and this bond. Just as she felt for Mikkel, she’s happy we all found each other.
But it can’t help her heartbreak—that she’s the one left out in the cold.
