Serpent's Kiss: A Dragonfire Novel (39 page)

Jormungand roared at Thorolf, the might of his breath and the stench of it sending Thorolf tumbling to the beach. He shoved Chandra behind himself as the monster bore down on him. He’d expected to be bitten, but Jormungand spewed venom at him.

It was vile. The venom was green and so acidic that it burned. It sprayed all over Thorolf, drenching him, and putting him in agonies of pain. That new tattoo could have been sucking it up, drawing it into his body. He shook, trying to get it off his hide, but it eased beneath the scales to his skin.

Then it burned even more. He bit back a scream, determined to defend Chandra to the last. He stumbled and fell to one knee, his wings dropping. Chandra came to him, wiping the venom away with her hands. He stopped her, seeing how red it turned her skin.

To his relief, spewing the venom was the beast’s last act. Jormungand fell to the ocean with a splash, then moved no more. That crimson blood stained the water, spreading in every direction, even as the waves lapped at the fallen body.

Thorolf had a heartbeat to feel relief, then the venom reached the spot where he’d lost his scale. The pain was so intense that he thought he was being cooked to death. He thought of Astrid’s last moments, hoped he’d set the balance right, then knew no more.

Chapter Fifteen

It couldn’t be.

Chandra couldn’t lose Thorolf, not now.

But it was just as the old story foretold. Chandra saw the venom wash over Thorolf. She felt his pain when it slid over his scales. When she saw the bare flesh where he was missing a scale, she feared the worst. She tried to cup her hand over the spot, but the venom burned so badly that it could have been dissolving her flesh.

She’d never felt such pain.

She’d never felt such nausea.

And then the toxin was beneath her hands, running into the chink in his armor, driving straight to the heart of him. Thorolf could have been dipped in tar, he turned so black, then the blackness was running out of his pores like viscous ink. It poured from his body, so much more venom than she realized had even washed over him.

Was it the
Slayer
blood?

Whatever it was, she couldn’t stop it. When the flow slowed to a trickle, Thorolf was as pale as ice.

And just as still.

Chandra wasn’t sure what had happened. His scales looked brilliant and clear, cut from ice or diamonds. She could hardly look straight at the bright splendor of him. There were no spirals on his scales, and nothing resembling a tattoo. The holes in his forearm from the serpent’s bite were still ringed with red, but looked dry. They weren’t pulsing anymore. Had the serpent’s venom undone Chen’s spell?

Chandra might have hoped, but she felt the firestorm fade and feared the worst. Thorolf began to shift between forms without regaining consciousness, shifting from man to dragon and back again with convulsive speed. They were engulfed in a shimmer of pale blue, but even that light was fading steadily.

“No!” Chandra roared. Her protest made no difference.

She tried to summon magic, but felt that there was no response to her appeal.

There was only the dim golden glimmer of the firestorm, but it was diminishing fast. She had to do something, but there weren’t many choices.

The firestorm! On impulse, Chandra kissed Thorolf, sealing her mouth to his. She coaxed his reaction, echoing every caress he’d ever given her, feeling the inadequacy of her amorous experience. To her relief, the firestorm’s light brightened.

She felt his heartbeat quicken.

She stripped him naked, running her hands over the muscled strength of his body, her lips following her fingers as she caressed him from head to toe.

“Come on, firestorm,” she whispered, willing it to grow in power.

Moments later, she saw its silvery gleam flicker between her palms and his body, lighting to a bolder radiance. She repeated her caress, sliding her hands over every inch of him, slowly coaxing the firestorm. His skin warmed. His color improved. His breathing became deeper and more regular, and his heart beat with greater strength. She felt her own body respond, a sexy heat unfurling in her belly, a desire that made her survey him with pleasure. She caressed him ceaselessly and whispered to him, unable to imagine her world without him.

“I love you,” she admitted.

Thorolf sighed and turned his head, his hand landing on her shoulder.

He had to have heard her.

Chandra ran her hands across his chest once again, then quickly cast off her own clothes. Even losing that contact for a moment made her worry that she’d lose the progress she’d made, but Thorolf looked to be asleep. His breathing remained the same. She ran her hands over him once more, making sure she guided the firestorm over all of his skin.

He murmured something, a word under his breath. Chandra leaned over him, her hand on his chest, and kissed him again.

The firestorm heated to a silvery blaze, encouraging her as nothing else could have done.

Thorolf’s eyes opened the barest slit, but enough that she could see their vivid blue hue. “Firestorm,” he murmured, his voice a little louder this time. His hand fell on her shoulder, the weight of his palm sliding up her neck to cup her nape. There was satisfaction in his slow smile, and something about his expression that left her very aware of his dragon nature. His quick downward glance prompted his smile to widen even more and lit a sensual gleam in his eye.

He liked that she was naked.

Chandra liked that they were both naked.

“We did it,” he said, a bit of a question in his tone.

“
You
did it,” Chandra corrected, bending to brush her lips across his. The firestorm launched a volley of tantalizing sparks, leaving her dizzy.

Thorolf caught his breath. “Surprised?”

“Not at all.” Chandra braced herself on his chest. He closed his eyes, clearly savoring the way her hair trailed across his lips. “I always pick champions.”

Thorolf grinned, prompting that dimple to make an appearance. Chandra felt her heart thump, even before his hands locked around her waist in a possessive way. “And what do you do with your champions after they’ve proven themselves?”

Chandra felt herself blush, because she knew exactly what he wanted to do. “Historically, I’ve given them some token and moved on.” She bent and kissed him again, unable to resist the allure of that dimple. She heard him catch his breath and ran her hands over his shoulders, then kissed his earlobe. He practically purred.

“Then you’ve taken another quest,” he guessed and she nodded.

“Always.” She kissed him again. “But not anymore.”

Thorolf pulled back to look her in the eye. “You’re not just messing with me?” he asked, his teasing tone telling her that he knew she wasn’t.

Chandra smiled. “Is it so hard to believe that you changed my mind? You can be pretty persuasive.”

“You’re no slouch there, either.” His eyes narrowed as he thought. “Your quest was done when you killed Tisiphone, but you’re still here.”

“I couldn’t leave the firestorm unsatisfied, could I? I have it on very good authority that that’s a bad idea.”

His eyes twinkled and she loved that he teased her. “How many
Pyr
give you advice?”

“Just one.” Chandra took a breath and looked into his eyes. “My destined mate. If I can’t trust him, who should I trust?”

He smiled, then sobered, looking at her with wonder. “Did I dream that you said that?” he whispered, his intensity telling her just what he meant.

Chandra felt herself blush. “I think I chose you because I loved you, even then.”

Thorolf grinned, the sight of that dimple making her heart skip all over again. “Good thing it’s mutual, then,” he whispered, running a finger down her cheek. “I love you, Chandra.”

She nestled against him, savoring the heat of the firestorm. “Want to do something about it?” she invited, running her toe down his leg. By the speed of his response, she had to be learning a bit more about the art of seduction.

Thorolf gave a hoot of delight and rolled her to her back, his eyes shining as his hand swept down the length of her. “The firestorm,” he murmured, his voice low and hot. “It’s always right.”

Then his mouth locked over hers, his kiss sending fire through her veins. Chandra arched to meet him, knowing that even when the firestorm was satisfied, her need to have this dragon in her life would continue to burn bright.

* * *

Thorolf couldn’t believe his luck.

Chandra was his mate, chosen for him by the firestorm and the Great Wyvern. She’d decided to remain in his realm just to heal him, even surrendering immortality to be his destined mate. They’d fought together as a team. They’d triumphed over Chen and fulfilled the quest she’d entrusted to him at his birth. He could return to the
Pyr
proudly and serve with them, Chandra’s hand held tightly in his own.

The firestorm had delivered on its promise.

He wanted to be tender with her and take it slow, because he knew that this intimacy was new to her and because he wanted to make it last. She was in her Valkyrie form, her long fair braid hanging over her shoulder, and it was a keen reminder of her identity.

Despite his yearning to go slowly, the firestorm was burning furiously hot, making him want as he never had before. Chandra seemed to feel the same fire, because she returned his kisses with an exciting hunger. He was amazed that she gave him this gift, using the firestorm to make him whole. With every stroke, he felt stronger and healthier, more invincible. The venom seemed to be incinerated within him, destroyed by the healing power of the firestorm.

He unfastened her braid, running his fingers through the golden splendor of her hair. He wanted to remember this moment forever. He teased her nipples again, loving the fullness of her breasts and how perfectly each nestled into his palm. The scent of her arousal was as intoxicating as the most potent drink he’d ever had. He remembered the sweetness of mead and its heady influence, then remembered that honey was sacred to Freya. He fitted his hands around her waist and would have pleasured her with his mouth again, but she stopped him with a touch.

“There has to be more,” she whispered, need in her tone. Her hair was strewn beneath her in a blond tangle and her eyes were steely blue. He smiled that she looked both disheveled and ready for battle. He slid up the lean length of her, settling himself between her thighs as he did so. He pushed his fingers into her hair, awed that she had chosen to do this.

Then he wondered.

“Will we even make a son?” he asked.

She smiled. “Isn’t that the point of the firestorm?”

“But you’re a goddess…”

Chandra shook her head. “Not any more. I’m mortal now.”

Her choice still blew Thorolf away. It was epic. “You shouldn’t have done that. You shouldn’t have given up your powers.”

Chandra smiled. “The alternative wasn’t acceptable.”

He stared at her, amazed and honored. “No one ever gave up anything that big for me before.”

“Maybe they made the mistake of underestimating you,” she said with a smile.

“You didn’t have to save me.”

“Maybe you saved me.” Chandra rolled so that she was facing him, and punctuated her words with taps of her fingertip on his chest. Each touch launched a spark, and each spark made his desire heat even more. “You said that you were tired of people saying they loved you because they wanted something from you, that love shouldn’t be an exchange. You said you wanted someone to love you for your own self, and that the firestorm was supposed to bring that person to you.”

“I did. So?”

She met his gaze. “I understood exactly what you meant. No one ever loves a goddess for her own self. It’s all about what that goddess can do for you. It had never occurred to me that things could be different.”

“I do love you for your own self,” Thorolf admitted.

Chandra flushed a little again, his innocent seductress. “I know.”

He ran one hand over her hip, savoring the insistent burn of the firestorm and trying to think straight. “Does that mean you can’t shift shape anymore?”

She pursed her lips, considering. “Maybe one last time.” She smiled at him. “Do you have a preference?”

Thorolf claimed her lips in a thorough kiss, one that left them both breathing quickly. “I love you,” he said, his mouth the merest increment from hers. “And that doesn’t change, no matter what you look like. Whatever you choose is good with me.”

Her smile was blinding in its brilliance, and her hands locked around his neck to pull him closer. This kiss was hungry and passionate, a kiss that fed the core heat of the firestorm and took it to a fever pitch. When Thorolf opened his eyes, Chandra was the ebony-haired huntress, her blue eyes filled with sparkles. “Your fave?” he asked against her throat.

“It was how we met,” she answered, her breath teasing his ear. She parted her thighs and wrapped her legs around his waist. Thorolf sank into the sweet heat of her, dizzy at the feel of her softness closing around him. The firestorm burned like an inferno in his veins, and his body matched its rhythms to hers in that amazing way. He stared into her eyes as they moved together, then she kissed him, drawing him deeper into her embrace, making their union complete. The pleasure consumed him, even as the firestorm burned hotter and hotter, driving him on to heights he’d never reached before. Chandra was right with him, her wonder and pleasure encouraging him to make it last.