A very big man with violet eyes, a wild tangle of golden hair, and a lot of naked flesh, dragged me through th

roat. I felt the wind grab my skirts, and saw it lift the golden strands of his hair. My fe

ine and my torment as I struggled to breathe. It was a very long way down, and the wind seemed de

olar were longer and sharper than mankind. Even with such a savage expression on his face, he wa

owever, seem to puzzle him. He frowned as he brought me back onto the ledge and released my throat. I collapsed onto my

hair fluttered around his knees in brilliant threads of gold

uld wear a bruise the size and shape of his hand around it come the morning. My heart still skittered in my chest like a panicked rabbit fleeing pursuit. "I seek the

to do with the Fae

looked up at him from my position

awless skin. He was entirely indifferent to his lack of clothing, but I did not share the sentiment. It was the most u

es back up to his violet eyes. His pupils were convex, which, combined with

to recall the conversation and reply coherently. "And we have alway

n they involve brethren. They will only act if the brethren appeal to them to do so, and eve

pleaded. "

t into the cave. "And stay out of

otested. "Mathhi

he said. His golden hair brushed the back of his knees in snarled tangle

rs that were mounted to the walls, spilling golden light into the darkness, and sending shadows dancing across the

ms, before I recalled myself. "Please, I must try. Let me stay until the dra

spun gold. I wondered why, when there was a wealth of clot

lets y

ur. His laughter held the lush darkness o

ll to my knees, picking myself up stubb

t of it again. He did not seem inclined to do so, becoming almost preternaturally still, his gaze fixed on something I could not see. If his chest di

r, and narrow of waist, with the musculature of the most accomplished knight, and a face a bard would sing sonnet

e said eventually, with genuine cu

y until the dragon returned. Perhaps, with the golden-haired man's help,

me. He cast an assessing eye over me from head to toe and back again. I swallowed

ng to take a wife from amongst the brethren. It would be difficult for him to e

ren came in many forms... I could not imagine it, however. I shook my head and drew in a breath. "I

he remainder of this night. If you prove use

return?" Not this night, nor tomor

on wishes to return," the man rep

held in the cave. If it were me, I would keep him around purely for t

d if what a true smile would look like on his face, and rather thought I would not survive it decorou

enough to allow me to stay, but it occurred to me as I app

m, hesitantly. "I don't want to c

he replied. He had not moved f

fretted over the indecency of sharing a bed with a naked

oke and mystery. "Do not fear me, Princess," he said, turning on his heel and w

ry, expecting that at any time he would come to the bed and force himself upon me. But there was only the crackle of the to

ast that explained the piles of books and bo

the mattress shifted and he s

his comfort in his own skin if he had had to acclimate to always exposing it and might also explain why he lived in a dragon's c

leep, spe