Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series
Her Elemental Dragons: Stroke the Flame: Chapter 41

Kira ran her hand down the dark stubble on my neck as she gazed at me with a satisfied smile. “We should have done that a long time ago.”

“I’m glad we waited. I wanted our first time together to be meaningful.”

“It was perfect.”

I pressed a kiss to Kira’s neck as I held her close. Perfect wasn’t enough to describe what we’d just shared. I’d been with plenty of women before, but sex had never been as good with anyone else. Then again, I’d never felt this way about anyone before either.

I loved Kira. I’d known for a while now, maybe since our first kiss, maybe even before that. I could tell she cared for me too, but I wasn’t sure she was ready to hear those words yet or speak them back to me. It didn’t matter though, because I felt the love between us every time we touched, like an everlasting flame that flickered but would never die. Now that we’d officially bonded, it was even stronger.

At that thought, I remembered the entire reason we were here, which had been easy to forget in the heat of the moment. “While I’d love to keep you here all night and make love to you again and again, the others are waiting.”

She sighed and snuggled in closer against me. “You’re probably right, but let’s wait a few more minutes.”

“My pleasure.” I ran a hand down her back. “Are you sore at all? Do you need anything?”

“No, I’m fine. I just feel warm all over.” She paused and a strange look came over her face. “Do you think I have fire magic now?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. Do you feel any different?”

“Not really.”

“I didn’t either, at first.” I paused, remembering the flames that had swept over us. “I wonder if I can turn into a Dragon now. I guess I thought the Fire God would appear to us or something.”

“Me too. Maybe he was giving us some privacy.” She lifted herself up to a sitting position, drawing my eyes to her full breasts. “Calla said we should go through those doors when we were done.”

While the temptation to toss her back on the bed and cover those breasts with kisses was strong, there would be plenty of time for that later. “Let’s go.”

We reluctantly left the bed and donned our clothing again, then headed for the double doors at the back of the room. They were thicker than the one we’d entered through, and as we approached they opened with a blast of heat.

The doors led outside near the volcano’s crater, which made the night glow orange in front of us. I slowly approached the huge circular pit, where the intense heat was coming from, while Kira hung back. I didn’t blame her for being wary, but curiosity drew me forward and kept the fear at bay. Fire couldn’t harm me anymore, and the chance to peer inside an active volcano was something I couldn’t miss.

I got to the edge of the crater, where a stone ring had formed around it almost like a wall to hold the lava in. The crater went deep into the earth, where dark magma oozed and bubbled and flared up. I could only stare at it in awe, captivated by its beauty and power.

Suddenly a huge blast of lava shot up into the air and I fell back. The heat became so intense I wasn’t sure I could bear it. I scrambled back to Kira, who stared up at it in awe. As I followed her gaze, I saw why.

From the crater rose a colossal dragon made of shifting, sliding lava, with bright bursts of fire for eyes. Most of his body remained inside the volcano, but his head and long neck towered over us, while his talons grasped the edge of the crater with an impact that shook the ground under us.

When his massive wings spread out behind him, sending lava flying into the air, I dropped to my knees in awe. The Fire God looked different from when he’d visited me before, but he was even more impressive and terrifying in his true form. Like the other Gods, no one knew his name. It was said the Gods’ names were in a language that couldn’t be understood by humans, and when I looked upon him now, I believed it. He was alien and incomprehensible and yet familiar at the same time, like this magic inside me recognized that it had once belonged to him.

“You have done well, my children,” a huge voice boomed from his molten mouth, which was covered in large, sharp fangs dripping with lava. “But your journey is far from over.”

No one would ever call me a humble man, but for the first time in my life I felt it, along with a sense of pride at being called his child. I bowed my head. “What do you wish of us?”

His fiery eyes burned into mine. “You are the new Crimson Dragon, my representative in this world. Serve me well and prove I have chosen wisely.”

I swallowed and nodded slowly, feeling the huge weight of responsibility on my shoulders. “What must I do?”

“The others will look to you for leadership and guidance, and you must help them find balance. None of the elements exist alone. Even now, I am surrounded by my brothers. The air above me. The earth below me. The water beside me. Remember that.”

That wouldn’t be easy, especially when I was the one getting into fights half the time. Not to mention, we still didn’t know where Reven had run off to, or if he would ever return. “I will try. But I have to ask, why did you choose me?”

His great wings fluttered, sending sparks flying into the air. “Each of the Gods values different attributes. I look for bravery, passion, and energy.”

“There must be dozens of men who represent those qualities much better than I do.”

“You misunderstand.” His long, reptilian head lowered as his eyes focused on Kira. “We find the mate who will best bring out those qualities in her.”

Kira’s face paled as the God’s talons inched toward her. “Did you choose me too?” she asked, though I heard fear in her voice. I was impressed she’d made it this close with her fear of fire, but she was handling it well, all things considered.

“No.” His head tilted as he studied her. “Do not be frightened.”

She bowed her head, as sweat ran down her temple. “I’m sorry. I’ve been afraid of fire ever since my parents were killed by the Crimson Dragon.”

“In a way they were, and in a way, they were not.”

Kira cast me a confused look. “They weren’t killed by him?”

“The people who raised you were killed. The people who created you still live.”

Kira’s hand went to her throat. “They’re alive?” she whispered. “Who are they?”

“This journey will lead you to them, but you may not like what you find.” He suddenly reared up, his great flaming wings spreading wide. “Only together can you stop the Black Dragon and her mates. Now go. Your companions need you.”

Before we could react, the Fire God descended into the lava again and vanished. The sky immediately darkened and the heat returned to a more bearable level. I wiped sweat off my forehead and shakily rose to my feet, then turned toward Kira. She looked like she was about to ask me something, but then a distant scream and a huge rumble drew our attention. The Fire God’s words rang in my mind as we burst into a run back toward the temple’s doors.

In the front hall, a battle had clearly been fought and lost. Numerous Onyx Army soldiers filled the room, and the dragon statue—which I now realized represented the Fire God and not Sark—had toppled over. Auric and Slade had been captured by soldiers and were on their knees with their hands bound behind them and swords at their throats. Calla lay on the ground bleeding from a gash on her chest, while her four priests hovered over her glaring at the man who pointed his large sword at them. General Voor.

As we entered, every single person in the room turned toward us. “There they are,” the General said. “Surrender, and we’ll let the priests live.”

Rage exploded in me at the sight of Calla’s blood, the toppled statue, and my friends being held captive. How dare they come into this sacred place and attack the priests here. These soldiers had once been men I’d fought beside, but now I only saw them as the enemy. The Fire God wanted passion and bravery? I’d give him that.

The heat flared inside me and I embraced it, letting it wash over me until I was burning alive. Blood red scales rippled over my skin as my entire body expanded and shifted and became more. My fingers turned to talons. My teeth became fangs. Fire burned in my throat as my long tail flickered. With a great roar, I spread my large wings.

I was a Dragon.

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