Dragon 6 Chapter 28 (Patreon)

Ikta tore open a portal as we got to the surface and gestured to T. “Respected Lich, here is your portal home.”

“Thank you.” He nodded. “I’ll be at the wedding, Zach. Good luck.”

“Thanks, T.” I waved him goodbye as he stepped through the portal, and Ikta snapped open another one.

“This is our ticket back to the dragons.” Ikta smiled.

Regina frowned. “You know where our village is?”

“Yes, but—” Ikta started but was cut off by a roar from the other side.

“You fucking bitch. You dare to enter my village?!” Tiamat was screaming from the other side.

“— but for some reason, I avoid it,” she finished, rolling her eyes.

“Probably best if I go first.” I stepped through the portal, finding dragons on the other side leveling spears at my chest. Tiamat was stomping out of her temple.

“Hi, mom. I have a ride for us.” I gestured at the portal.

She stopped short. “Ikta?”

“Yeah. But you can call me daughter-in-law soon.” Ikta waved safely from the other side of the portal.

“Oh, no. No NO NO! This won’t do.” Tia looked at me as a smile dawned on her face and she became terrifyingly calm. “How is your oath worded? Let’s see if we can’t get away with me killing her for you. Then you wouldn’t be breaking the oath!”

The portal Ikta was looking through shrank. “Hey, he promised to let me bear his whelps. Don’t be some overbearing mother.”

“Excuse me? Those are my grandbabies you are talking about. Mine!” Tiamat rounded on the portal and breathed fire.

The portal disappeared for a moment, only to open on the other side of me. “My darling, please protect me from your mother,” Ikta pleaded.

“Do not call him ‘darling’, or anything else for that matter!” Tiamat grabbed a spear from one of the nearby guards, all of whom were standing in stunned silence.

Tiamat waved it at Ikta threateningly, but I was in the way. “Don’t you dare use him as a shield. Fight me!”

Ikta’s arms came through the portal just enough to wrap possessively around my shoulders. “Tell her, future husband. We are destined for each other now. Every son must leave their mother for a lover.”

The word ‘leave’ brought a raging panic into my mother’s eyes, and I knew the situation was about to seriously escalate.

Tiamat was spouting gouts of fire out her nose as she bent the spear in frustration. “He is my son and that will never change, wench. I don’t care if he’s promised something to you.”

I sighed, deciding to fill in the gaps for my mother and hope she’d relax a little. “It was the request of The Dreamer. I made a second agreement with Ikta for the same conditions, only I also needed her help.”

Ikta looked at me shocked, before a big grin spread across her face. “Even if we have some fae, you’ll be a good father for fae.”

“You won’t be having any of my grandbabies with him.” Tiamat narrowed her eyes as the spear finally broke. “Son, we will talk about this later.”

“Sure.” I sighed. Like fuck was I having that conversation again. My mother’s opinion wouldn’t change; she’d just have to accept it.

“We were going to head back to Summer’s territory and get ready for the wedding. If you can promise not to attack Ikta or destroy anything, you can come with.”

Tiamat’s mouth floundered like a fish on dry land. “You are going to take her side? Over your mother?”

“Yes,” I deadpanned. “So, are you coming?”

Tiamat narrowed her eyes again, recovering from her shock. “Of course I am. Girls, take care of the place. I will be back.” She pointed to several of her guards before stomping straight towards me.

Though, I didn’t tell her there was a brief stop we had to do first.

Ikta opened up a portal for all of us to where Winter was still frozen, wrapped in The Dreamer’s vines. The plants were far more numerous, their roots cracking open the ice slowly.

“How do you free her?” Maeve asked, clutching my arm as she stared at her frozen mother.

I frowned, not sure, but I stepped forward on a hunch. The nectar had given me The Dreamers blessing, I doubted the vines would harm me.

Ikta tried to stop me, but I put an arm to stop her. The Dreamer’s vines reacted to me, twitching and almost bowing out of the way. With my hunch validated, I moved forward more confidently. I touched one, feeling nothing like what I was told would happen. There was no endless dream consuming me.

“I was blessed by The Dreamer. The vines and flowers won’t bother me,” I told the others to make sure they wouldn’t be concerned.

Stepping up to the cube of ice, I ripped off the vines and put a hand against the cold surface. “Come on out, Winter. It is safe.”

Inside the ice, Winter shifted and the ice started to fall away.

“It seems that I’m free.” Her eyes had always been silver, but now they held a certain darkness. A little wisp of gray mist like had been in Iapetus’ eyes swirled within them. The shine was gone, and they were a gloomy gray like clouds announcing a storm on the horizon.

“Ah. So many of you came. You shock and disappoint me, daughter,” Winter scowled at Maeve. “This was your chance to take the crown.”

“Sorry to disappoint you. But I am not yet ready.” Maeve bowed. “Welcome back, mother.”

Winter turned to the rest of us and smirked at Ikta. “Maybe next time we fight, you won’t be so lucky.” She clenched her fist, and gray veins ran underneath her blue skin. “I managed to trick a titan out of their power.”

She seemed proud of herself, and I almost wished her hubris would have consequences. But they would be more far reaching than any of us would have liked. As a king, I had to make hard and unfortunate decisions.

“Well, now I have the Dragon King on my side.” Ikta leaned on my shoulder and teased the angry queen fae.

“If you touch my son, I will come and destroy your kingdom,” Tia promised.

Only now did Winter notice my mother, and then she frowned at what she saw. “Who… never mind. Ikta, let me go home. I tire of your company.”

Ikta didn’t hesitate, snapping a portal into existence. “Please, feel free to leave.”

Winter threw her cape over her shoulder and stepped through. “Maeve, are you joining me?”

“Not yet, mother.” Maeve frowned at her mother’s behavior. “I will spend some time with my mate.” She leaned against me, causing Winter’s temple to twitch before she turned, and Ikta closed the portal.

“What a bitch,” Helena spoke what we were all thinking. “After everything you did, Zach.”

“I did it for Maeve. No one else,” I told them as much as myself. “Winter is playing with powers that she can’t control.”

I hadn’t expected to see such a physical shift in her as a result of the power, but now that I saw her, it made sense. I just hoped whatever was tainting her nature didn’t cause future problems.

“Winter brought the titans into the conflicts of our world. Her deal with Iapetus is not likely to be the only deal being made right now. The world seems to try to create its own balance.” I looked down at my bracer and the snake coiled around it in a new light. “I don’t know what this means.”

Maeve kissed my temple. “Whatever comes, we’ll face it together.”

Ikta opened a portal, and we went straight into it, coming out at the entrance of Summer’s Chateau. My mother snorted and scowled at the place with a critical eye while the rest of us just flowed out.

“Well. I’m going to go take a bath. I will smell you all later.” Trina turned and headed off.

Helena scowled at me before softening just a little. “So, you fought a titan?”

“Yep,” I answered point blank.

“Huh. Not bad.” She gave me a grudging nod of respect and flew off. Apparently, that was the point that I earned her respect.

“She’s a grumpy one. Bet we could put something fun in her tea and loosen her up.” Ikta leaned on my shoulder, half enjoying it and half teasing my mother.

“No putting things in people’s tea. Do I have to make you promise all of these things?” I glared at her.

She rolled her eyes and practically poured herself off of me. “No. I’ll behave.”

Summer burst through the doors as Trina got to them. Doves fluttered out and sunlight seemed to pour out from behind her as she made another grand entrance. “Welcome back!”

“Summy!” Ikta smiled.

Summer blinked in confusion at Ikta. “Another guest. Summy?”

“She’s trying to be friendly,” Maeve explained. “Come on. I’m sure Zach will tell you the story.”

Summer looked at me expectantly with a beaming smile on her face.

“Come on. I think Trina was right, I need to bathe.” I sniffed under my arm and immediately regretted it.

“I can help.” Ikta smiled, and with a snap of her finger, a portal to a pool of nymphs awaited me.

“Nonsense.” Summer pinched her fingers and crushed the portal. “I have a bath fit for a king here. And I also have some ladies to service— I mean— serve you while you bathe.”

“Show me the way.” I nodded to Summer, who gave me a strange look, surprised I’d taken her up on her offer. “I’ll see you all later. I need to talk to Summer.”

That only made her manicured brows climb higher on her forehead, but she turned and gestured for me to follow her.

I strolled along behind her as the rest of the group split off. Evelyn gave me a lingering look, but I didn’t invite her to the bath just yet. “I don’t think it’s time for that Evelyn. But if you can resist, you are welcome to join.”

The nymph did a little happy hop and abandoned Maeve in a heartbeat.

“I see how it is,” the Fall Lady sighed dramatically. “Take good care of my nymph, mate.” As she said the last word, Summer nearly missed a step, but she recovered and stayed walking forward.

Evelyn came to my side and grabbed my hand, sending a wave of tingles through my body and awakening a very specific part of me. She smirked, as if knowing the effect that she had on me.

“My king.” She batted her frosted eyelashes at me as she clung to my side. “May this one help bathe you?”

“Sure, but I won’t turn down Summer’s nymphs either though,” I warned her.

“Oh, they have nothing on me, but let them try.” Evelyn giggled.

Summer was clearly eavesdropping, but she didn’t make any response as she walked us through the fae wing of the chateau.

As we moved, nymphs were stopping what they were doing and watching me follow their ruler with interest. A few of them dropped what they were doing and disappeared through the closest door.

“Sorry, some of them will appear in the baths, pretending they were planning on that the entire time. We generally keep the bathes open; it builds community. Apologies if it makes you uncomfortable,” she apologized with a smirk that said she wasn’t sorry at all.

She walked up to a pair of double doors, which she threw open with a flourish to reveal several large pools. Two of the pools gave off plenty of steam, while a third was cool.

“Ladies, we need some assistance.” Summer clapped twice.

Nymphs seemed to come out of the woodwork, and before I realized what was happening, all of my clothes were gone. With each touch, a fire surged through my body, making me harder and harder. Given my current state of undress, it was obvious.

“Excuse me. Could one of you go notify my mates that I’m back and in the bath?” The nymph I was looking at bolted away to accomplish the task.

Summer pouted. “So then this won't be that kind of rendezvous. Shame. I had hoped your trip produced a sudden change of heart.” She was now naked, and I had a little trouble with how gravity defying her chest was, even without anything holding her large pale mounds up.

Evelyn whispered in my ear, “You like them that big? Are mine not enough?” She pressed my hand to her chest, and more fire burned inside of me.

It was clear to every nymph in the room just how I felt about the ladies present. Summer even noticed with a raised brow.

But I had some practice with being surrounded by lovely ladies and being publicly naked. “I wanted to talk to you about what happened while we were in the Wilds.”

I stepped over to one of the hot pools and slipped in. As I submerged my body under the water, two summer nymphs came over with a towel and a basket, setting them beside me.

Evelyn stayed close and grabbed the soap and a soft brush. Then she slipped in beside me, lathering up her hands as she ran them along my shoulders. It was more of a massage than bathing.

I couldn’t help but let out a groan as all the tension bled out of me.

“You can lean back on me.” She pulled me back to rest on her soft, inviting chest.

Summer just watched with a smile as two nymphs tended to her similarly, though she leaned against the edge. “You seem far more comfortable with nymphs.”

“They like what they do for a living. If anyone has a problem, it is their own judgment they have a problem with.” I couldn’t stop making grunts as Evelyn’s hands both washed and massaged me.

I could get used to something like this.

“But there was a reason I wanted to speak to you first. Our journey was longer than expected. I had to make several deals.” I smiled at Summer.

But she frowned as I mentioned the deals. “Excuse me?”

“I made a deal with The Dreamer. She was upset that the balance would be thrown off after I mated Maeve.”

“No!” Summer stood quickly, splashing and startling the two nymphs. Anger was plain on her face. “I release you from any obligations regarding me. If needed, I’ll go demand it of The Dreamer herself.”

I was shocked. “Didn’t you do all of this to get closer to me? To try and become one of my mates? The Dreamer told me that you were trying to win my favor. She wanted me to produce children with you and Ikta to keep the balance.”

Summer was pissed. She splashed water in frustration. “No. I wanted the love of the Dragon King. Not his kids, or at least, not just his kids.” She scowled at me.

I frowned and thought about her words.

Summer stepped up closer to me through the water and lowered herself to my level. “I held this wedding to become your friend. I wanted to lay the foundation for something more, not force it through some obligation.”

I opened my mouth and closed it. Not quite sure what to say. If I was honest, it made her even more appealing that she felt as similarly about mating as I did.

Not sure what to say, silence lingered for a moment before Evelyn stepped in. “Summer, he was given a period of time.” She settled back into washing me. “And he was asked to also take your nymphs.”

There was a small squeak from the two nymphs that had been tending to Summer.

“And this is better how?” Summer scowled.

Summer had lived a long life, and I realized that she likely had considered seducing me and winning my heart some sort of challenge. I’d taken away her victory. Now I needed to put a challenge back on the table.

I leaned back into Evelyn, the nymph reading my movement and making a comfortable seat for me. “The Dreamer didn’t get into specifics, just that I should mate with you.” I let my eyes dance over the bevy of nymphs in the bath. “And your nymphs. I wonder who I’d prefer? Maybe you won’t be able to capture my attention after all. Maybe you’ll just be a simple alliance while your nymphs enter my heart.”

Summer had some fire return to her eyes before she laughed. “Oh. You dare say that you’d prefer my nymphs over me?”

“Why not? They are the dessert after I’ve struggled through the main course?” I continued to egg her on, smiling at her.

Summer gave me a seductive smile and patted my cheek. “Oh, you will regret that.”

“I don’t think I will.” Reaching behind my head, I grabbed Evelyn’s head and pulled her forward so that I could kiss her soft blue lips, savoring them as her hands slid over my chest and down to gather my cock, giving it several loving strokes. “Nymphs are quite talented at what they do.”

“Yes, and you still need a bath,” Evelyn teased as she broke the kiss, her hands coming back with a bar of soap and working her way across my chest.

I sat across from Summer in the warm bath, positioning Evelyn to straddle me as she worked.

Summer lounged and let her breasts rise just to the surface of the water as two beautiful and naked nymphs washed her. She studied me carefully. “I think this could work.”

“Glad you understand. Also, you might need to know, something is wrong with Winter,” I added. “She took power from Iapetus. I also think she set something into motion that will cause humanity to come into conflict with us. Be very careful,” I warned Summer before the doors burst open. My siren was first through the door.

“Husband.” Jadelyn slipped into the water, noticing how comfortable I was with Evelyn. “Do we have a new nymph?” she asked without a hint of jealousy.

Scarlett was next, followed by Morgana, then the rest of my mates piled into the bath.

“The pool is about to get very crowded.” Summer smirked and the nymphs came to attention, helping the ladies as they got settled in the pool.

“Well, at least I finally got you into a pool of my nymphs,” Summer laughed.

My mates looked at me with a strange expression as I started to tell them my tale.