Her Deal with a Dragon

Chapter 6

~Tyran~

Something woke me from a sound sleep. Someone was crossing the ward. I cursed and dragged my head up. The cavern was completely dark and a heavy steam hung in the air. I forced my wings to tuck against my back as I struggled to my feet. The magic circle dimmered a bit as I broke contact with it and shuffled on shaky legs towards the door. When I reached it, I shifted into my human form and pulled on my pants, not bothering to scry who was trespassing. A woman had been leaving me offerings of late. She was not a local, which seemed odd. Probably a newlywed bride.

But she was consistent and the food went a little way towards replenishing my ever dwindling strength.

I shuffled up the eternally winding stairs, wishing I had been strong enough to just fly up to the entrance that led to the main altar.

I felt another ward trip and suspicion mounted. My single patron never ventured inside. No one had in years. Before her.

It must be Vania again, I realized with irritation.

I cursed and quickened my step. She had kept me waiting for days, anxious that she would return and I would have to pour more magic into the wards. Of course she would be here now that I had finally passed out from exhaustion and been unable to stop her. I sensed her as she entered the Altar room and stopped at the central table.

I paused and attempted to scry. It was fuzzy at first, but then I saw her hands carrying the ceremonial dishes off to one side. I began trotting, my muscles weak and threatening to collapse.

I finally reached the top of the passage and turned the corner into the sanctum.

I froze and stared. It was Vania, but nothing like I had seen her last.

She had her back to me as she carefully set aside Ren's alchemy supplies.

She wore a dress of dusty rose with an open back that plunged almost to the base of her spine. Thin laces kept the sides together, disappearing beneath her rich brown hair that tumbled in thick curls down her back.

She turned to survey her work and propped her hands on her hips. She was quite willowy, with long legs and good muscle definition in her bare arms.

Clarity crashed down on me and I almost choked. She was here to seduce me. It was most certainly not the first time someone had approached me with ulterior motives, but to think that someone so young and seemingly innocent as her would do so caught me by surprise.

She seemed to sense me and turned in a half circle, scanning the darkness that was broken only by her small lantern. It was a different one from before, as she had left that one behind in Ren's study when I showed her the door.

I stepped forward, forcing myself not to tremble or show any weakness.

"My my. It seems as though you intend to make a habit of trespassing, little mouse."

She startled, and her head snapped in my direction.

"You said I couldn't come back without anything to offer," she retorted, "so I brought you the most valuable thing I have."

She braced her hands on the table behind her and hoisted herself up to sit on the altar.

A mirthless, determined smile curved her mouth. "I offer myself. In exchange, I want money. Preferably in currency."

I let out a long sigh. How predictable. That's what everyone wanted. Money, power, or some sort of spell. It was a bit disheartening to think that was all anyone wanted me for.

But I wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to get some energy from her.

"Are you aware of what you are doing? What it means to offer yourself to a male?"

She nodded stiffly. "Of course."

My head buzzed uncomfortably as I gathered my scraps of magic. I wasn't above accepting what she was offering me, but it would be uncomfortable on the cold, stone altar. I called up the image of a thick Chemian Sheepskin and reached out with my magic, pulling it to me. She gasped softly as the heavy bundle landed beside her with a muffled thud, then looked at me in wonder. I gestured toward the sheepskin. "Well, make yourself comfortable. I can hardly be expected to set my own table, can I?" I drawled, looking to get some sort of rise out of her. Even the most manipulative humans have limits to how much they will sacrifice their ego. Watching them desperately trying to hold back their anger never failed to amuse me.

To my surprise, she didn't even hesitate, simply slid off the altar and began spreading out the skin, though her neck, cheeks and ears were red with embarrassment. I felt a twinge of guilt, and promptly shoved it down. I would soon find the limit to how far she would go for this farce.

Once the sheepskin was arranged to her satisfaction, she turned around and smoothed her hands over the front of her gown. It was obviously not made for her, being much too loose in the chest and hips. I belatedly noticed how thin she was and considered backing out, but she stubbornly raised her chin and I found myself gesturing towards the borrowed dress.

"Are you going to stay in that?"

Her face flamed and she clenched her jaw. Then she tilted her head to the side and looked at me through her lashes with an attempted coy smile that was a little too sacharine. "Do you want to help me out of it?" She asked, her voice like poisoned honey.

I snorted, shaking my head. "If it's all the same to you, I would much rather watch."

She turned her back to me and began unfastening the delicate laces at her back. Once they were all undone, she slid the dress from her shoulders to settle about her feet, revealing her simple undergarments. She slowly removed them with trembling hands and let them fall as well. She looked over her shoulder at me and I jerked my chin towards the altar.

She took a deep breath before turning to climb up. I let my eyes run over her body, noticing how truly thin she was. She had good proportions, and she wasn't hard to look at, apart from the lack of body fat. I wondered what sort of fasting ritual she had engaged in. The ceremonies of the Shrine were largely a mystery to me, and fasting was something I hated and was all too familiar with.

Vania settled herself on the sheepskin, legs hanging off the side of the alter, facing me with expectant trepidation. I steadied myself and strode forward as casually as I dared. Subconsciously, her hands wandered to cover her breasts and I smirked.

"Don't cover them. I was enjoying the view."

Her face flamed and she lowered her arms.

I reached out to touch her shoulder and she tensed. I dragged my fingers down her skin and marveled at how soft it was. She shuddered and I smirked, catching her eyes. My hands began to roam, caressing a path to her breasts, then down to her hips. She let out little gasps every time my fingers followed a new path and I found myself growing ravenous for her.

I urged her to lie down and worked my way down her thighs until she unconsciously parted her knees slightly. Returning to her upper body, I explored her skin with my lips until she relaxed and began letting out throaty sounds that fired my blood. Forget everything else, I wanted her so badly I was starting to lose my mind.

Feverishly, I made my way down her abdomen until I finally reached the apex of her thighs. A steady trickle of energy flowed into me from where we touched, growing stronger with her arousal.

I circled around to stand at her feet and wrapped my hands around her ankles. She let out a little shriek when I pulled her ass to the edge and draped her legs over my shoulders. She wriggled, scooting back a bit and tantalizing me with the sensual press of her thighs against my head. I gripped her hips holding her in place, and earning a gasp from her. I met her eyes and grinned.

This was going to be fun.