Being a true shifter isn’t the blessing it may seem. But through pain and darkness Perdita seeks to find her own life despite the ambition of others…
I had to admire the hint of pathos in his voice and Moth looked at him narrowly.
“Can. Maybe. Do old dragon love Mothwing?”
“Dear heart. Of course I love you. Do I not let you bully me and swear at me?”
She chuckled then, deep in her belly. “Dragon do love Mothwing.” She flew to his shoulder and whispered something in his ear.
“We will have to ask our beloved. But if she would allow I will show you.”
“Allow what?” I was instantly suspicious.
Mandrake explained. “Our beloved fae feels left out when we make love. She would like to touch our skin when we are together but we are afraid you might find the intimacy too much.”
I thought briefly and it came to me that Moth wanted to be a full member of our three in the same way Mandrake did. I smiled at them both.
“I think it would be perfect if Mothwing does whatever she needs to feel part of us being together.”
For a moment, I could feel Moth’s joy like a blazing comet but she banked it down and I knew she was thinking through her emotions.
“For now, food,” she said firmly.
In the warmth of the kitchen we sat down to eat. Mandrake and I had bowls of thick vegetable stew with oatcakes and sharp cheese, while Moth enjoyed honey and oats. When we had eaten our fill, I went to the still room and brought out a bottle of my own metheglin. Moth squealed her delight. Mandrake looked less delighted and I grinned at him.
“Do you not like metheglin?”
“I only tried it one time and that was too brown herby. It seemed more like soup than booze.”
Moth laughed. “Try a small.”
I poured a tiny drop into a glass and he took it with very much the expression of a man about to drink medicine. He barely wet his lips, but then his tongue flicked out to taste the spiced mead. He bowed his head in a very dragonish gesture.
“Mea culpa. This is a thing of beauty.”
Moth flew to his shoulder. “So beloved fae may not have dragon’s share?”
I laughed. “That wasn’t happening anyway, my love. Mothwing with a thick head is no fun to be around.”
I poured drinks geared to our sizes, and I noticed Moth looking suspiciously at the glasses. It seemed, however, that she was mollified by the simple fact that Mandrake’s portion was larger than my own. I grinned at her and she toasted me with the tiny crystal glass I had bought for her when we lived in Dragonheart trying to tutor the princess.
With the sort of unspoken consent that gave me hope for a true blending, we moved into the sitting room, where a noble fire gave warmth and light. For a moment I wondered how the fires in the cottage were so well established when we had been home for less than a day. Mandrake followed my train of thought because he laughed quietly. Moth looked from him to me before she cottoned on.
“Beloved dragon has kinship with fire even in his human form,” she explained.
“Oh. I have never met a true fire lizard before. No wonder they wanted you for the priesthood.”
“I was never cut out for such celibate rigidity. Nor for the idea of superiority to others.”
I touched his cheek. “No. I don’t read you as one of those mean spirited petty priestlings.”
He smiled but there was pain at the back of his smile.
Moth looked at him and when understanding came to her she gave a little cry of distress. She stood on his thighs and patted his face with gentle palms.
“Not be sad. Dragon has us now.”
He couldn’t resist her overflowing love and his smile deepened and warmed. His mouth was beautiful and I put up a finger to trace the outline of his full lips.
“Feel, Moth,” I said. “Our dragon’s lips are as soft as the finest silk.”
She put her hand alongside my finger and, as she was leaning against my chest I felt the thrill of her discovery.
“Smooth.” She laid her own lips against his mouth and licked gently. “Our dragon is beautiful,” she said in an awed voice.
I looked at Mandrake. “Garment off.”
“You too,” his voice was deep and sexy, “and beloved fae”.
So it was that we learned the texture of each other’s skin as the firelight painted our bodies with flickering patterns. Moth was the most surprised of us, not having understood that human skin has many forms and textures. I don’t think I need to explain which of Mandrake’s textures pleased her most…
The three of us eventually retired to the welcoming whiteness of the big bed I had always slept alone in, tumbling into sleep with all the uncomplicated affection of a basket of puppies.
We awoke to sunshine and one of those winter skies that is the palest and clearest of blues and looks as if it goes on forever.
Moth sat up and poked me with a determined forefinger. “Hot springs,” she said.
“Hot springs?” Mandrake was visibly fascinated by the idea.
“It’s a human thing. Two valleys over. They have dammed a set of hot springs and it is possible to swim in the hot water even when it is snowing.”
“Not snow today.”
“No, Moth, I never said it would. I was just explaining the hot springs.”
She thought for a minute. “So you was. We go swimming?”
“I don’t see why not. Mandrake?”
“Oh yes. I’d love to.”
“That’s settled then. A quick breakfast and we can be off.”
“Will we be flying there?”
“No. We go there as human, and it would be next to impossible to explain a dragon. We can use the quad bike that sits in the shed at the bottom of the steps most of the time. I’ll even let you drive.”
He looked a bit embarrassed. “Two things. How does Moth pass as human? And I don’t know how to drive.”
“Moth doesn’t need to pass, she just discourages human people from noticing her. And driving isn’t a problem.”
Moth patted his face. “Beloved will teach.” She became brisk. “Up now.”
Mandrake rolled out of bed and headed for the bathroom, leaving me to be prodded and pushed by a tiny tyrant.
“Stop it, Moth, or we won’t go. Let me at least piss and wash my face before you start in with the bullying.”
She giggled as I had intended, but she did at least stop poking at me with her pointy little fingers.
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