Pretty Painful by K.A Knight

Dabria

We lie side by side, relearning how to breathe, our hands woven together as we watch the stars in the sky.

“What now?” I ask, knowing I can’t go back to my normal life. I can’t face my parents, not yet, and I can’t exactly pick up where I left off.

“Next, we find the men who hurt you, who hurt your sister, and we kill them all,” he replies casually.

Blinking at the sky, I turn my head to see him, and he flips onto his side and props his head on his hand, watching me with those black eyes.

“I-we,” I stutter and he laughs.

“I told you I would kill them. I plan to, you can come with me or you can stay somewhere safe.” He shrugs.

“With you,” I say instantly and he smiles.

“That’s what I figured. So, we find them, we kill them, and then we go home,” he explains, watching my fingers as he strokes the back of my hand.

“Home? Your home?” My tone is tinged with confusion. I can’t imagine this dragon god fitting in my bed.

“Yes, little one, our home.” He shoots a smug look at me.

“Where is this home?” I ask, wanting to know everything about him.

“Wherever you want. I have a few houses around, but nothing I would consider home. I want to make one with you, little one, so you pick. Find us a place to make our new life. All that has happened is in the past, I only want the future,” he states, and it rips my heart out.

“Mishal—” I shake my head, not knowing what to say. “I would love that. I’ve never had a home. I was adopted, and though they never meant to make me feel second best, I was always aware that place wasn’t my home. I was an intruder in their lives. When I moved out into a shitty apartment…well, yeah, that isn’t my home either. I would love to make one with you.”

“Then it’s settled, we will make our first home together.” He grins, leaning down and kissing my nose. “Killing first, house hunting later.”

I laugh, I can’t help it. “I love you.” I shake my head and he grins, with Nyre flashing in his eyes for a moment. “And I love you too, my grumpy dragon. We need to make sure to get a bedroom big enough for you and him.” I wink and I feel him blow a kiss in my head before I sober up.

“How do we find where they kept me?”

His eyes unfocus for a moment before he nods. “I think I should be able to track it. I’ve also overheard a lot over the years. They didn’t think it mattered since I was chained up.”

I nod. “If it helps, I think it was some kind of warehouse.” I wince as the memories tumble back in and I push them away, still not wanting to deal with them yet. I will probably cry my eyes out when we get home, and let Mishal wipe them away and make me feel better, but for now I’m concentrating on the here and the now, not the past like he said.

“Hmm, they mentioned a holding facility in the industrial district. Ring any bells? I don’t even know what this city looks like anymore,” he grumbles.

“It’s over the back side of town, secluded. It makes sense. There are blocks of warehouses, but I think we can find it.” I kiss his lips before jumping to my feet. “Well, come on, mate. Let’s go kill some baddies.”

He jumps up, wrapping his arms around me. “Mm, I love the word mate on your tongue, though it does make me want to fuck you.”

“What doesn’t?” I tease.

He pretends to think, tapping his chin, and I push him away. “Change before you decide to throw me down and have your way again. Nyre, I need you, buddy.”

Mishal winks and I watch this time, wanting to see him transform. I expected it to be like in the movies or books, maybe painful with snapping bones, but this is seamless, painless, and magical. Scales flow across his skin, a glow forming as he quickly transforms from man to dragon. When it’s over, Nyre lowers his head to me, watching me with those golden eyes, and I take a moment to appreciate his beauty. I didn’t get a chance before since I was dying and all, but he really is beautiful. In a deadly way.

His head is massive, with green scales covering it, tinted in gold. His eyes are huge and golden with green around the edges, just like when he took over Mishal’s body. His body is equally as big, with huge spikes running down his head, back, and tail, which flickers behind him, thumping along the ground. His claws cut into the earth below him, long and wickedly sharp. His snout is bigger than my whole body, and when he grins, he flashes massive, sharp looking teeth. He is a thing of nightmares and dreams mixed all together, and I get an overwhelming moment of knowing that I’m in the presence of an ancient god.

I swallow hard, but he nudges me with his head, tilting it so I gently reach out and stroke him.

Never be scared or awed by me, mi cielo, for I am just a dragon while you are a fucking goddess, Nyre declares through our bond, his dragon snout unable to form human words.

Mishal said I could ride you, can I?I inquire, rubbing his face. Smoke blows from his snout and I swear he laughs.

Ride me all you want, mi cielo.

“Dirty, grumpy dragon,” I mutter out loud, a smile curling my lips. How do I get on? I query, glancing at his height.

He laughs again and I roll my eyes, but he drops down to the ground, tilting to one side to offer me an easy climb. I head that way and jump to grab a spike, and haul myself up, swinging my leg over his back until I’m seated below his head on his neck. I used to ride horses, so this has to be similar…right?

Don’t let me fall, I warn, tightening my grip on the spike in front of me.

He huffs more smoke as if offended, his body moving between my legs, and I can feel the power in him.

Never, mi cielo. Are you ready to soar the skies?

Yes!I chirp, beyond excited.

He pushes up from the ground, making me scream as he heads straight up with me clinging to his back. Nyre laughs in my head. We head right for the sky, bursting through the clouds before he levels out, flying straight with a massive flap of his wings. I sit up straighter in awe, looking around me at the night sky. It feels like I can touch it. I can’t even see the ground beneath me, just us and the stars. It’s amazing. Spreading my arms, I scream and he goes faster. Excitement races through me, as does exhilaration. Flying is fucking fun. He winds through the sky, and I squeal and grab his spikes as he dive bombs and rolls, spinning and turning.

Show off, I tease, and his big head turns to see me over his shoulders. His eyes are slit in amusement as he huffs at me, almost knocking me off his back with the force.

Go faster?I ask, knowing he has been trapped for so long and he deserves to stretch his wings, so to speak.

He shoots through the sky like a falling star, his wings flapping as he pushes himself, stretching out all those kinks. He glides back through the clouds and his tail skims the water of a river below before he shoots back up towards the moon like he might actually take me there. Laughter flows from my lips. No wonder he loves flying, it feels so free. No worries, no past or future up here, just the touch of the wind and us.

Nyre, it’s so amazing up here, thank you for showing me.

Just you wait, I will fly us all over the world. Across the pyramids, the black sea, the towers and skyscrapers, over land men have never even touched. I’ll show you everything this world has to offer.

Grinning, I hold on tighter as he banks and turns around to head back to the city. I pout in his head, wishing we could spend more time up here.

Soon, micielo, but first we have a blood debt to collect. It’s time we showed you what being our mate means, he growls in my head, and I sigh.

I had forgot for a moment…about everything, but he’s right. Those men need to pay, and while I’m free and happy, they are hurting girls. We have to stop them for Rachel and all those women who never made it out of those cages. I owe it to them.

We will be there through it all, you will never be alone.

He must have picked up on my anxiety, because his words are exactly what I need to hear. Laying myself down on his neck, still holding on, I cuddle my dragon as he cuts through the night, the mood somber now with the bloodshed that is to come.

I know. Thank you, Nyre, for bringing me peace. Now, let’s go kill some people.

I tease and he laughs, the sound rumbling beneath me and making me groan when it vibrates in places it shouldn’t.

Oh, we have plans for that.

I can’t wait.