You seek to mate,he said.
With you, yes,Loxvonla said.
With he who slew many enemies and displayed great prowess during the war,the dragon above added.He whose strong blood must be, for the good of our people, passed on to the offspring of the next generation.
The woman looked up at the black dragon—at her sister.Did you not say it was his striking silver scales, powerful musculature, and sleek symmetry that made you desire him as a mate?
It is notonlythose attributes, else his brother might have sufficed. But he survived the attacks of many soldiers, the traps of those whosought to destroy our kind, and even a betrayal that should have resulted in his death.
He is blessed by the gods.
Such a blessing might be passed along to his offspring.
Rylana had readied her bow and shifted to untying a few of the arrows knotted to each other and the strap of her quiver. The tenseness of Jildarin's body, his rigid tail straight out behind him, and the irritated power emanating from him all warned her that he didn’t care for their proposition. She didn’t know if he felt he needed the spices badly enough that he would agree to it anyway, but the cold looks that the sisters kept pointing toward Rylana promised her that she was in danger. Maybe it would have been wiser to stay in the city and let a dragon deal with other dragons on his own.
You will cease speaking about me as if I am not here.Jildarin growled, his muscles bunching under his scales.
You will mate first with Foxvonla,Loxvonla said.It is her fertile time, but I will also be ready for you afterward. Who knows when the gods may surprise a female with eggs? I will give the spices to your servant to hold. After you’ve satisfied us, you may depart with them and with her.
Rylana paused, wondering if she could take the spices and slip away, running back to the city with them, while Jildarin flew off in another direction, leading the dragons away and ditching them. Or mating with them. Whatever he ended up deciding to do.
You will not manipulate me into mating with you,Jildarin said.
The woman had already taken a step toward Rylana, as if she assumed her plan would be acceptable.
We’ve been told you need these spices,the woman said.Badly.
I do desire them, but I will not allow myself to be manipulated into mating. I did not succumb to Sophoneliza’s advances, and I will not succumb to yours.
We are desirable and powerful,the dragon atop the rock said.There is no reason that you shouldn’t want to mate with us and create offspring. Our kind needto hatch many eggs, especially now. As powerful as we are, we were not without losses in the war.Her reptilian gaze again shifted toward Rylana.The humans, in particular, enjoyed targeting our kind.
Rylana slid an arrow out of her quiver. Could the dragons recognize her? As Jildarin had? And know she’d been an enemy?
You do not think he mates withher,do you?Loxvonla’s lips twisted with distaste as she also regarded Rylana.Zilek-grozanarav has admitted thathehas desires for the two-legs andmates with them when he is in that form. It is appalling.
Is that not whyyouhave taken that form, sister?the female dragon asked.In case that is what his sensibilities desire?
We will have him one way or another,Loxvonla said.
You will not,Jildarin said.And you will leave my servant out of this.
“It’s Rylana,” she said.
If she is his servant, she must serve him inmanyways. Can his dragon side be satisfied with mating with a puny human female?
If she were to die, he might have sexual need for another.
Rylana, not liking the direction of the conversation, nocked an arrow. If only she had mithril weapons with her. Unless she could take one of the sisters in the eye, her projectiles wouldn’t harm them much.
A pebble shifted and fell from Toadstool Rock, clattering down the side. Talons scraped at the ledge, and the black dragon looked like she was prepared to spring.
Jildarin growled and shifted closer to Rylana, extending a protective wing.You two will leave, and you will take the spices with you. I will mate with neither of you, and you will not harm the two-legs.
Once she is gone, you will have none left to mate with but us.The black dragon dove from the rock, flying straight toward Rylana.
Jildarin shifted and sprang into the air, the beats of his wingsrustling Rylana’s clothes. She pointed her arrow toward the descending dragon, but Jildarin crashed into her, knocking her into the rock formation.
Instincts shouting a warning, Rylana whirled back toward Loxvonla. Still in her human form, she sprinted across the meadow, fingers curled like talons. Flames sprang from her hands, and gouts of fire streaked toward Rylana.
