"Okay. Well, if I'm going to be flying us to the forest, I should probably get in some practice."They packed up the few belongings they would need and left the rest in the room. Garthildur said the room was rented for the rest of the week and there was a sturdy-looking lock on the door, so it seemed like a good place to store them.The street outside was both very different and yet quite similar to what he had imagined. He had seen many medieval marketplaces in movies and TV shows. Earth entertainments were all pretty close, but way off at the same time. It was extremely noisy and filthy. There were people everywhere all clamoring to sell their wares, and it reminded him of videos he'd seen of the frenzied action on a stock market trading floor in New York.Alana skillfully navigated through the crowd and led him to the city gates. Once outside, he turned to look back.Gralden nestled up against the base of a mountain, the quality of housing getting better, larger and more expansive

Rachel Delmar was in a truly foul mood. She was pacing back and forth near the bonfire in the center of the camp and throwing murderous glares at anyone who got too close. Not that many did get close because it was the middle of the night and they were all on lookout duty.Her plan wasn't working. Why wasn't it working?She was even more disturbed that she'd enacted the plan in the first place. Kidnapping wasn't exactly her life's ambition and she found the idea abhorrent. Yet here she was -- masterminding a kidnapping. Although, given who her father was, she wasn't really couldn't be too surprised at the plan she'd come up with. You learned a few things being the daughter of a brilliant but malevolent asshole.But why had she acted on the idea?Rachel absentmindedly played with her ring. Why was she being such a horrible person?"My lady." One of the lookouts interrupted her thoughts."What!" Rachel whipped around to stare at him. Behind her, the fire flicked ominously.The lookout d

Wurven's remaining men were cautiously testing Ethan's defenses while their leader stood back and watched. He had drawn his longsword and was holding a wooden shield on his other arm. He had a war hammer hanging at his side via a leather strap; it looked like a two-foot long framing hammer with a slightly larger head."I've got an idea, but it'll take time and completely drain me." Rachel said softly to Ethan."Do it." Ethan said jabbing forward with his spear again.Over the next ten seconds, Ethan noticed a slight change in the atmosphere that reminded him of how it had felt when Drousin had magically unshackled Alana. It made him shiver and his scales stand on end.Then Ethan felt the air change.Something went past him in the direction of the four leading bandits. In moments, frost appeared on their clothes and weapons. As one, they turned to run, but they weren't anywhere near fast enough. Ice covered their entire bodies and they fell.Ethan looked behind him to see the massive a

"Tell me what you want, Alana." He repeated patiently. The heat of his breath was causing shivers to run up and down her body and making her tremble. She wanted him to touch her. Why wasn't he touching her?"I want to..." Alana couldn't bring herself to say it."You want to feel me inside of you." Ethan whispered into her ear. "You want to be wrapped around me while I penetrate you to the core. Is that what you want?"Alana nodded. Illuminar forgive her, but that's exactly what she wanted."Yes." She found herself whimpering,"You are mine." He said, almost casually. She felt a tug at her core -- their bond. She could feel it at the back of her mind -- a gentle pressure to obey him, to follow and serve him."I am yours." Alana repeated. She liked how that sounded.His long tongue emerged to gently lick her neck. She moaned and tried to embrace him, to pull him down on top of her, but her hands and feet were still tied. Her mind said he should stop -- that this was a bad idea -- but ev

"I understand why a dragon would risk his life for a job at my bank." Lord Borden said after nearly a minute of deafening silence. "But I don't understand why he would wish to marry my daughter.""Marry your daughter?" Alana said."You know I'm a dragon?"Lord Borden raised an eyebrow. "A disguise gem is an effective way to remain inconspicuous, but they are hardly foolproof. I run the largest bank in the ten kingdoms; security is paramount.""Wait, back up to the part about Ethan marrying your daughter." Alana insisted."I offered a contract bounty for my children's safe return, and the reward for rescuing Beth is her hand in marriage." The man said as if that explained everything."But I don't have to marry her right? I mean, I don't have to accept the reward... Do I?""A contract bounty is a legal contract." Lord Borden explained. "By fulfilling the terms of the bounty, you implicitly sign the contract. Meaning you agree to collect the reward offered. You cannot ask for more, and t