DragonRider by S. Rodman
I let myself be talked into this, but here I am, sitting on the end of my bed while Natasha and Rowan braid my hair and weave flipping white flowers into it. Apparently everyone wears flowers in their hair for Solstice. I’m not entirely convinced that I’m not being pranked but hey, this bit is nice.
We are chatting and drinking actual mead, of all things. Natasha has some weird music playing softly on her phone. It feels like being a teenager getting ready for a night out. Not that I went out when I was younger. Or had the type of friends I could get ready with. But this is what I imagine it is like.
“Your hair is so gorgeous,” sighs Rowan wistfully. “You should wear it down all the time.”
I snort in disagreement and take another sip of mead. The drink is sweet and not unpleasant. It’s definitely going to get me drunk. Is everyone going to get drunk? That is certainly the impression I am getting and it can’t be a good idea.
“What if the tylwyth attack?” I ask.
“There has never been an attack on Solstice, it’s one of the reasons it is a sacred night.”
That doesn’t sound good. It sounds like a perfect ploy to lull riders into a false sense of security. Wait a hundred years, and then invade. An impeccably played long game.
“We think their portals don’t work on the Solstice,” says Natasha. “Well that’s what tutors taught me when I was young, anyway.”
She sees my worried look and smiles.
“Don’t worry, every region has a fortress that stays on watch. It was our turn last year. It was horrible. So this year we are partying our asses off!”
A party does sound fun. Though I’m sure drunk people, and this huge fire they are planning on having isn’t the safest of combinations, but hell, these people ride dragons and fight battles with alien fairy demon things. I guess a little bonfire isn’t very intimidating after that.
“You know,” says Rowan and I can tell by how she is slightly slurring, that she is already a little tipsy. “Most people go topless and paint their chests with blue spirals.”
My mind goes straight to Cai and Harlen. Are they going to be shirtless? Is Cai’s pale, dancer’s body going to be adorned with body paint? Is Harlen’s bronzed six pack going to be on display? Suddenly I’m very keen for this party to get started.
“I’ve got wode, we could paint you,” offers Natasha.
I shake my head in horror. No one needs to see my premature dad bod. Cai makes pale look good. On him it’s all ethereal starlight. On me it just looks pasty and unhealthy and almost neon. Scattered with some random freckles.
Natasha shrugs at my refusal and pulls her top off. My eyes are bugging out I swear, but I can’t help it. I’ve never been in the same room as real life naked boobs before. I snatch my gaze away but not before I see enough to confirm something. I am definitely one hundred per cent gay.
Rowan opens up the pot of blue body paint and starts decorating her friend. They continue chatting and drinking, as if nudity is no big deal. So I guess it isn’t for riders and rider-kin. Gosh, If everyone is going to be half naked tonight, lord knows what I am going to do with my eyes. I’m just going to have to stare at the fire.
Stare at the flames while standing there awkwardly, and angst over Harlen and Cai and their situationship and what it means for me. Yep. That definitely sounds like me at a party. The exact opposite of the life and soul. So, I guess that makes me what? The death and void of the party?
I snort laugh to myself and take another sip of mead.
A short while later, Natasha and Rowan decide it is time to leave. As I stand up, dizziness rocks me. Shit, this mead is good stuff. I’m already drunk.
My friends lead me out of the castle and down the hill. Drums beat out and beckon me to join them. I feel the pulse beating through me. It feels like the heartbeat of the land and it calls me to match my own rhythm to it.
We pass a rocky outcrop and come to a flat piece of ground that overlooks the lake and the mountains beyond. The little plateau is dominated by the hugest bonfire I have ever seen. It has to be at least eight foot tall.
What looks like a hundred people circle it, all looking wild and free. Body paint, naked skin, feathers and masks. Those with drums are moving exuberantly. Others are dancing. Joyful whoops echo out to the night air. The sight takes my breath away.
As I step up to the flames, I see Cai. His chest is bare. Blue spirals adorn his skin, snaking over his abdomen and pecs. His pale hair is loose, tumbling down to his slender shoulders. A crown of blood-red flowers sits on top of his head. Tight black leather trousers cover his long legs. Far tighter than his riding leathers. These sit so low on his hips it’s obscene. I love them.
My gaze rakes over him. Over and over again. Drinking in the sight, consuming it. I have never in my entire life seen anyone look so incredibly hot. All the things I’ve heard before, like not being able to breathe, blink or move, are apparently really true. I always assumed they were metaphors and used them as such, but now my muscles are turning to jelly, probably from the lack of oxygen caused by me being unable to breathe.
Cai has to be a fey prince. I can no longer believe he merely looks like one. And I really can’t believe I’ve had him. Me. Kirby Taylor, has taken the cock of the fey prince of sex.
He is not even looking at me, he is staring into the flames instead and the reflection of the fire in his eyes is adding to his otherworldly appearance. He lifts an impressive looking silver tankard to his lips and takes a deep drink. I wonder if it’s mead and if his lips will now taste like honey.
Someone crashes into me and squeezes me into a bear hug. Harlen’s familiar presence engulfs me. All muscles and warmth and a manly musk.
“Kirby!” he bellows happily. “Have some cider!”
He releases me and thrusts a tankard into my hand. It sloshes everywhere and the sweet smell of fermented apples washes over me. I take a sip and gag. It’s like vinegar and battery acid.
“That’s disgusting!” I splutter.
Harlen laughs. “I made it myself. Been brewing it since last autumn.”
“I…I mean it’s very strong,” I stutter, floundering desperately.
A strong whack on my back makes me stagger. “It’s not meant to taste nice, it’s meant to put hairs on your chest!” yells Harlen gleefully.
His brown eyes are sparkling. Tiny yellow flowers are scattered through his chestnut curls. My gaze drifts lower and discovers his naked, bronzed and muscular chest. Blue spirals circle his nipples and draw attention to them. They are beautiful nipples. All dusky and inviting. I lick my lips and tear my gaze away, back up to his face where I find him smirking at me.
“I don’t want hair on my chest,” I say.
Harlen’s eyes light up. “Oh, so you’re smooth skinned? I’ve been trying to imagine red chest hair.”
His gaze drops down to my crotch briefly, before flicking back up to give me the filthiest wink in the history of winks. Letting me know without a shadow of doubt that he has been thinking about far more than chest hair.
“You look damn fine with your hair down,” he adds with an evil, appreciative leer.
My cheeks heat. Spectacularly, by the feel of it, I look away from Harlen, only to be caught by Cai’s gaze. He looks murderous for a moment, then he looks away and the dismissal hurts more than his fury. Is he mad that Harlen is flirting with me? If so, who is he jealous of? Or is he like me and feeling envy from all directions?
Surely it’s far more likely that he wants to keep Harlen to himself?
I’m startled out of my morose thoughts by someone running around the fire handing out unlit wooden torches. Harlen grabs one and hands it to me with a flourish. I grin at him.
Everyone else starts lighting their torches from the bonfire, so I copy them. The heat of the flames is intense. I feel it soak into my skin.
Suddenly, everyone starts whooping and yelling and inexplicably running away from the fire. Harlen takes my hand and pulls me along as we chase after them. I’m running down a Welsh mountainside in the middle of the night whilst holding a flaming torch. Surrounded by hundreds of people, and a truly gorgeous man is holding my hand. How did this happen? How did my life come to this?
The night is lit by a myriad of flames that seem to swirl and snake down the mountain as people pick their way through the rocks. The dotted lights shine through the darkness and through it all the deep drums keep up their rhythm. It’s a truly awe-inspiring sight. A wondrous phenomenon to be a part of.
Far away, over the sea, Ri pauses in his fishing to send me a warm feeling of love. He is happy that I’m happy. And I’m happy that he is happy, flying free with the other dragons, feasting and frolicking. I send him a wave of warmth and love back and then my thoughts are scattered to the wind. We’ve reached the lake shore.
A huge maze spiral has been carved into the earth. The crevices filled with sawdust and set alight. Creating a blazing, flaming effigy. Some people circle the maze, others start to dance through the fire, following the snaking, twisting path. Harlen pulls me towards the entrance. The drumbeats fill my ears. Wild feral cries fill the air.
“Wait!” I yell. “We need Cai.”
Harlen looks back over his shoulder at me. “He won’t want to come.”
“Yes, he will.”
My eyes find him easily. He is standing not too far away. Somehow separate from everyone else despite being surrounded by people. He is staring at us intently. I hold my hand out to him and beckon. He hesitates briefly and then, with a few swift strides, he joins us and takes my outstretched hand.
I turn back to Harlen to give him a satisfied ‘I-told-you-so’ grin, but his attention is fixed on Cai. Harlen’s face show surprise, but his eyes are burning with intense joy. My heart flips over at the sight.
Harlen lets out a loud whoop and runs into the maze, yanking me with him. As I’m pulled forward, I jerk Cai with me. The three of us stumble and stagger into the burning maze.
We dance, twirl and twist through it. Keeping our feet moving fast enough to not get burned. Everything is cast in orange and yellow firelight and the very air shakes with the beat of the drums. Harlen is laughing, his dark eyes brimming with glee. I look back at Cai and he is smiling too, his blue eyes flashing like sapphires. Both their hands feel warm and strong, and I love that I have one of each. Harlen is pulling me and I am pulling Cai. I’m laughing and laughing.
We reach the centre of the maze and spin around. Then we dance gleefully out. As we leave the maze, I’m breathless and giddy. Harlen is snatched away by a crowd of friends and Cai says something about water.
I’m dizzy and the flames are hot. The drums are reverberating in my ears. I need some fresh air. I stagger away to the lakeshore. Hells, I’m drunker than I thought. It’s cool by the water. The gentle ripple of tiny waves against the shore is soothing. I can breathe. Big lungfuls of fresh country air fill me. I still feel the thrum of the drums. I can see the orange glow from the flames. But I can’t see anyone down here. I am alone.
The heat from the fire starts to leave my body. My heart rate is slowing. I’ll go back soon, but this is nice.
“Kirby?” rumbles a voice by my ear.
A yelp of fright escapes me, and I stumble. Strong hands take my shoulders and steady me and I find myself standing chest to chest with Cai.
“Are you alright?” he asks.
I stare up at him. His face is all shadows and contours in the dark. His eyes are as colourless as a storm laden sea.
I nod. His lips take my own, and he does taste like honey. His arms encircle my back and press me even closer to him. The kiss is tender, deep. Almost desperate. Cai kisses me as if he is starving and I’m the only source of sustenance in the universe. His lips are soft, yet urgent and the feel of them sliding against me awakens every nerve ending that I posses. The sensation of his kiss sparks along my entire body.
I melt into it. Surrender to it completely. My arms wrap around his neck so I can cling onto him and try to stay upright. His tongue claims my mouth and I whimper.
I’m hard, so very hard, and I can feel his erection pressing against my stomach. I fall to my knees before I’ve consciously decided to. But I want to. I really want to. I want to take care of him. I want to serve him. I yearn to give him this. I look up at him and find him staring down at me with a feral gleam in his eyes. He is hungry for this, hungry for me.
Battling with his tight leather trousers takes far longer than I want it to, but finally his cock is free.
I admire it for a moment. It’s a thing of beauty. Full and thick and long and I can’t believe I’ve had it inside me. No wonder I was driven to the very limits of ecstasy. This cock before me is sheer perfection.
I place my hands on his legs for balance. Mead and cider is swirling through me, making me unsteady and I really don’t want to fall.
I wet my lips in preparation and take just the very tip of him into my mouth. He groans and runs his hand over my scalp. I swirl my tongue over the head of his cock and exult in the soft cry he gives me in return. Then my mind ceases to work. I suck, I lick, I devour. The weight of him on my tongue, the slide of him over my stretched lips. I’m in heaven, I have to be. No moment this perfect exists on Earth.
“This is very distracting,” grumbles Ri.
“Revenge for every full moon!” I snap at him.
Ri huffs and pulls away from the bond. Leaving me in peace to worship Cai’s glorious cock. I lose myself in the glory of it. My own cock is straining painfully against my jeans.
I hear footsteps behind me and I’m about to pull away in horror, when Harlen’s warm presence kneels behind me. His body is chucking out fierce heat, and it’s solid and comforting against my back. His hands reach around me, undo my jeans and free my aching cock to the cool night air. My whimper is muffled by the cock in my mouth. Harlen’s strong, confident hand wraps around my cock and he starts to stroke it with exquisite skill. Jesus Fucking Christ. How am I not going to bite Cai? Somehow, I manage to wail with my mouth stuffed full.
Harlen’s hands on me while my mouth is full of Cai is a dual delight I can barely cope with. I’m going to be utterly destroyed. This bliss is beyond anything I have ever imagined.
“You are doing great, Kirby,” whispers Harlen in my ear. “Give him a little more suction.”
I do as I’m bid and Cai lets out a strangled moan.
Harlen sighs. “See, he likes that. Go a little faster.”
I comply and Cai whimpers.
“See how his legs are shaking? He is very close. Flick your tongue across his slit and get ready to swallow.”
I obey and Cai grunts. His cock throbs in my mouth and then he spills down my throat. I want to try to drink it all but Harlen tightens his grip on my cock and my mouth falls open with a cry. I collapse back against him, my head lolling against his shoulder. He pumps and pumps. One hand grips my hip tightly, holding me still so I can’t thrust into his movements, I can only take it. My body is trembling. My muscles are quivering. Obscene, carnal noises I did not know I could make are spilling out of me non stop. I know Cai is right in front of me, watching everything. Watching me become completely unravelled and undone.
My orgasm detonates with the force of a thousand burning suns. I am incinerated by it. There is nothing of me left. I have been smited by the angel of lust and I am nothing but screaming euphoria, until I slip into darkness.
I float peacefully for a while. Then I hear voices. Feel movement. I’m in Harlen’s arms, being carried in a bridal carry somewhere. I can’t open my eyes but I don’t need to. I’m safe. I’m happy.
“Are you sure he has only passed out?” asks Cai.
“Yes, stop fretting,” I can feel Harlen’s voice through his chest. It’s a nice feeling, as is the gentle sway of him walking.
“Fucking hell, Harlen. We just assaulted him!”
Harlen chuckles. “No, we didn’t.”
“He is so drunk, he has passed out! He wasn’t in any state to give consent.”
“Cai, calm down. He wants you, he wants me. It’s all good.”
Cai makes a noise of disbelief and derision. I want to speak, I want to reassure him that I’m more than fine, that it was wonderful, but I can’t move. I can only listen.
Harlen lowers me down and soft sheets caress me. I murmur but I still can’t do anymore than that.
“Why are you taking his trousers off!” snaps Cai.
“Because they are wet from kneeling on the ground,” answers Harlen wryly.
Cai makes a strange strangled sound of mortification and Harlen chuckles again. Warm hands manoeuvre my body. It’s strangely endearing. I feel cared for.
“He is so beautiful,” remarks Harlen.
What the hell? Okay, I have to be dreaming. No way is this real.
“And so fucking sweet, he doesn’t belong here!” says Cai.
“That’s not very nice,” says Harlen.
“You know what I mean!” Cai sounds exasperated. “This place is going to ruin him, look what we did to him tonight!”
“Stop moaning, Cai. You got your cock sucked, Kirby got to blow his load. I’m the only one not taken care of here.”
“Fuck off!” snarls Cai and I can hear him back away as if he has suddenly realised that Harlen is a dangerous predator.
“Cai, Cai, Cai,” sighs Harlen. “Why do you always put up such a fight, when you always cry out yes in the end?”
“No,” says Cai sternly and the command in his voice sends shivers down my spine.
Harlen, however, seems immune to it.
“The harder you make me work for it, Cai. The harder I will fuck you,” promises Harlen.
Cai draws in a soft shaky breath and then silence falls. I want to see them staring at each other but my eyelids won’t budge.
When Harlen speaks, his voice is gentle, tender even. “There is nothing wrong with being vers and a switch, Cai.”
“I’m not…I don’t…”
It’s strange to hear Cai sounding so flustered and flummoxed. The power Harlen has over him is astonishing. No wonder there is a love hate thing going on.
“Hmm mm,” teases Harlen. “Let’s go to your room and you can tell that to your pillow while I fuck you into the mattress.”
The noise Cai makes speaks directly to my cock. It twitches and tries to stir. I try to call out as I hear footsteps leaving my room, leaving me alone. I want to see what Harlen just promised, I want to watch that. Fucking hell, I want to witness that more than I have ever wanted anything. But my treacherous body carries me off to sleep instead.