I traced the line of Verin's jaw as he slid his arms beneath my knees and pushed them toward me. He opened me further, angling my bent legs out to the sides, and increased his speed. My hands went to his shoulders, clinging to him as he pumped savagely. His gaze dropped to where our bodies merged and his eyes flashed bright turquoise. The Blue Dragon was happy, and I was right there with him in every way.
“I love you, Elaria,” he said, suddenly solemn.
“I love you too, Verin.” I took his face in my hands to add, “Only you.”
Verin's eyes widened and his lips parted on a shocked breath but then he snarled triumphantly and lowered his mouth to mine. Lips slashing, tongue twining with mine, and cock pounding deep into my core, Verin went wild with elation. My nails dug into his back, pulling him even closer. Deeper. My heart was so full of him. It felt as if I couldn't love him any more than I did at that very moment. But this was just the beginning; I knew these feelings would only grow stronger. Verin was the love of my life. We would spend eternity together, every day filled with passion, laughter, and love. And we'd spend that eternity beneath the sea. Fuck the land; we could visit when I got homesick. Where Verin was, was where I'd be—from now until the day I died.
As Verin roared and emptied himself into me, I clawed my way into my own orgasm, thoughts of our future burning brightly in my mind. The Blue Dragon and the Queen of Song bound together in a love like no other.
Chapter Seventeen
“That's all you're wearing into battle?” I waved at Verin's fur-lined robe.
Verin chuckled. “We'll be hunting as dragons. I'll shift before I enter the water.”
“No ships?”
“Do you need one? You said that you can do anything with your songs; I was hoping you could shift into a dragon.”
“A dragon?” I blinked. “That may be something beyond my magic. I don't know. Honestly, I'm a little afraid to try. What if I get stuck in that form?”
“A frightened Spellsinger?” Verin scoffed as he pulled me toward him by my hips. “Surely not.”
“Even Spellsingers get scared.” I lifted my lips for a kiss and when I pulled back, I added, “But I can enchant myself so that I can breathe underwater.”
Verin grunted in approval. “Good. I'd hate to have to ride to battle in a ship because my consort can't swim beside me. Or perhaps you'd like to ride me?” He grinned wickedly.
“I think we both know how much I enjoy riding you.” I returned his grin. “But, in all seriousness, riding to battle on the back of the Blue Dragon sounds pretty badass; sign me up.”
Verin chuckled, then lowered his gaze to my body. “You already look badass in that wet suit.”
The wet suit I wore was part of my new wardrobe and so were my water boots and gloves. I had my hair braided back and folded up into a club so it didn't trail behind me and tempt Scylla to grab it. Everything was skintight and the suit was made from an advanced fabric that was flexible enough to allow for a wide range of movement. It also retained heat and had a very cool scale pattern embossed into it that shimmered indigo. Verin apparently wanted us to coordinate no matter where we went.
“Your Majesty?” A knock came at the bedroom door.
“Enter,” Verin called in response.
A soldier opened the door, bowed, and reported, “The army is assembled, King Verin.”
Verin grunted and nodded.
The soldier knew enough to take that as a “We'll join you shortly” and left.
“Give me a few minutes, babe.” I stepped away from him.
Verin grinned. I don't think he'd ever been called babe by anyone before and that made me grin too. He crossed his arms and waited, watching me like a barbarian king expecting to be entertained. That was fine with me; I liked singing for my dragon.
Kyanite?I called inside my mind.
I'm here, my love. I have the perfect song for your needs.
The gentle lilting intro of “Whitelady” by LYRA began to roll around me. Verin's expression softened into wonder. His arms uncrossed and fell to his sides as the music rose and I began to sing powerfully. Drums pounded, giving my song a running leap into a magnificent explosion. I closed my eyes and lifted my arms, welcoming the magic back into myself instead of releasing it into the world.
I felt the power beneath my skin—surging through my flesh to make it into something new. My words called to the sea and the rain and the wind. I sang of drowning but only to live fully; the sea would accept me and transform me. I would find a new life in the water, just as I had with one of its kings. I met Verin's tender gaze—now a brilliant turquoise—and offered him my song. I wanted to share with him what was most important to me: music. But this spell, in particular, was special. It would make me more like him—turn the bird into a fish.
As the lyrics spoke of growing gills and becoming a new creature, a tickle formed in my throat. I continued to sing past it and watched Verin's eyes widen. The music softened into its conclusion—a haunting mermaid melody—and I smiled triumphantly. The power settled and my hands lifted to my throat. There, on either side of my neck, I felt the delicate skin of my new gills.
Verin made a sound of arousal, admiration, and satisfaction—a sort of purring rumble—as he stepped toward me. He wrapped his arms around me and bent his head to kiss my throat, right over the gills. It was surprisingly erotic, sending a shiver down to my breasts, and my hands—laid flat on his chest—clenched in need.
