Tested by the Night (7 page)

“Stop doing that, and I’m nobody’s master, especially not yours,” he hissed.

Mia looked at him with narrowed eyes. “She’s talking to you, isn’t she?”

He nodded.

She smiled. “That means she’s bonded with you.”

He shook his head. “I don’t want her bonded to me. I want her to go home. I don’t have time to be bothered with a—a dragon.”

Pearl glared at him, but Mia laughed. “Well, you’d better find the time, because when a dragon bonds, it’s for life.” Pearl nodded and stuck out her tongue. Talon simply sighed and packed up his meager belongings.

****

“So, why were you so quiet for most of the trip here and when we first arrived? What was wrong, princess? I need to know.”

Mia sat in the corner of the overstuffed sofa in the drawing room of her suite, with the snow-white dragling nestled in her arms, and stared at the man who was pacing back and forth across the length of the room. She didn’t want to answer Talon’s question. She wanted him to see her as strong and capable, not the meek little scaredy-cat her bother had always accused her of being.

Granted, she didn’t like snakes, and she abhorred spiders, but then, who in their right minds didn’t? That didn’t mean she was a coward, however. Especially since what scared her right this moment would frighten even the biggest, strongest, bravest barbarian in all the land.

“Well,” he demanded. “Was it because I said I’m going to be in your bed while you’re sleeping? Because I can assure you, princess, you’ll be safe, even from me. I swear.”

She shook her head. “I’m not afraid of you, Talon.”

He ran his hand through his hair. “Then what is it?”

She carefully set Pearl on the couch and started her own path of pacing. “I guess it finally caught up to me.” She stopped in the middle of the floor right in front of him. Tears burned the back of her eyes, but she refused to allow them to come forth. “I really am the heir to the throne of Alaria now. There’s no going back to the way things were. There are no more days of doing as I please, going where I please, and thinking as I please. Now, I have a duty, an obligation to my people.”

She took a deep breath. “I used to always fret about Zander when he was away from home. I was constantly afraid harm would befall him, or some crazy, radical idiot would take his life, and then I’d be forced to become the heir. And though I’m glad he’s safe, and I’m thrilled for both he and Kit, I’m not sure I’m ready for this. I’m not sure I’ll ever be a good enough leader. Especially not as good as he would’ve been.”

A single tear did escape then. “I’m afraid, no matter how hard I try, in the end, I’ll be a disappointment to my people.”

Talon pulled her into his embrace and held her close. His lips grazed her ear as he whispered, “You know you don’t have to do this, don’t you? Queen Adrina’s Challenge, that is. No one will think any less of you if you decide not to, princess. It’s not too late to choose a man to rule in your place. I’ll even help you find one.”

Mia relaxed against him and breathed in the essence that was Talon. “
I’d
think less of me,” she whispered back.

Suddenly, his head popped up. “How can you be hungry again? I thought you said you ate a bunch of rats?”

She backed away. “Rat’s, eww, what are you talking about?”

He pointed toward the little snow-white dragon. “Pearl says she needs to eat again. Something about growing pains.”

Mia laughed, and it felt good. “Well, then, I guess we’d better see her fed.”

“Feed her what?” He scratched his head. “Other than rats, and she said she’s devoured every single one in castle, what the VoT do draglings eat?”

Mia shook her head. “You truly don’t know anything about baby dragons, do you?”

It was his turn to shake his head.

She walked over and picked up the dragling. “They eat meat, Talon, at least mostly meat, and lots of it. She’ll almost double in size weekly until full grown. Tomorrow, you can take her out in the woods hunting, but for tonight, we’ll take her to dinner with us. I have no doubt Aunt Laycee and Uncle Leeky are expecting us. As a matter of fact, their feelings are probably hurt because we didn’t go straight to their apartment when we first arrived. We’ll take Pearl with us, and they can feed her, too. What’s one more mouth among that group?”

Talon groaned. “Do we have to? I mean, don’t get me wrong. I like gnomes just fine, and especially Leeky Shortz. He’s a VoT fine rogue and a fascinating teacher. I don’t even mind listening to his farfetched stories.”

Mia waited, knowing more was coming. She tapped her foot. “But?”

He cleared his throat. “It’s the rest of his family. I swear, his wife, Laycee, looks at me as if she’d like to do unspeakable things to my body, and her purple haired daughter, Lavender, isn’t much better. And then there’s Pierced. He makes me completely crazy. I mean, I don’t mind that he’s a gay-Goth gnome. To each their own.” He shuddered. “But the things I’ve seen him do in public with, Steve, that dark elf boyfriend of his, would make a grown man blush. Not to mention that whole, bizarre blow-up doll side of the family. It’s not a fit place for a barbarian princess, let alone a baby dragon.”

She laughed, and it felt good to be herself again, if only for a little while. “I can see where to an outsider the Shortz clan could seem a tad odd, but I’ve been raised around them all my life. To me, they’re family. And you don’t have to worry about Pearl. Dragons don’t like the taste of gnome, even naughty ones. Now dark elf, that’s another story. You may have to keep a close eye on poor Steve’s indigo-blue ass.”

****

Talon took a deep breath before knocking on the door. Giving himself and Mia the time it would take one last grain of sand to trickle through the hourglass to prepare themselves for what lay ahead.

The moment the door swung open, he knew it’d been a waste of time to hesitate at all. There were things in this world one simply couldn’t prepare for. Leeky Shortz stood before them in a pair of bright lime-green boxers with orange smiley faces all over them and not another stitch. His little pink pot-belly hung over the rim of his colorful under garment. He had a mug of something frothy in one hand and what looked suspiciously like meat sauce dribbled down his chin.

Pearl licked her dragon lips, and Talon held her tighter.

“What the burnt crust and bubbling juices of a halfling baker’s pubic hair pie with cheese melted on top and garnished with troll testicles do ya make of this, Laycee? The lass and Talon have finally deemed us fit ta visit and only after being here at The Academy for most of a full day. Get on in here and strip down ta ya panties. It’s comfy, cozy night at the Shortz residence this evening, and ya’re right on time for dinner. We’re having Laycee’s special, secret recipe chili.”

Mia hugged Leeky. “Good, I’m famished.”

She walked right through the door with a smile on her face, but Talon had no choice other than to hesitate as he forced two more breaths down deep into his lungs before he could convince his feet to move forward.

It was worse than he’d thought.

Laycee Shortz was in a pale pink see-through bra and panties. Even with the bra’s push up cups and under wires, her saggy boobs almost touched her bellybutton, and they swung from side to side with every move she made, like a pendulum. She had cork-screw looking gray hairs springing out both sides of her thong, and the blonde wig she normally wore was missing entirely, leaving the top of her head looking as pale and wrinkled as her pasty white bottom.

Talon shuddered.

She wiggled her ass cheeks right at him and grinned. He took in a few more deep gulps of air and tried his best to look anywhere except at Mrs. Laycee Shortz.

But looking anywhere else brought him eye to eye with Leeky and Laycee’s daughter Lavender. The young lass was standing in a doorway, and she was dressed much like her mother, but in the color matching her name and her hair.

She squealed, ran forward, threw her arms around Mia, and squeezed. “I heard ya was coming. It’s so good ta see ya.”

All the while the sixteen-year-old gnome was talking to Mia and squeezing her, it was Talon she was really looking at. He gulped and took a step back toward the door. She winked and blew him a kiss.

He shuddered again.

Not that Lavender Shortz wasn’t cute, for a gnome female anyway, because she was. The young girl, who was a tad under four feet, and had thick, light purple hair, that if not up in pigtails, would probably hang well past her ass, was absolutely adorable. She had huge violet eyes, thick dark lashes, a pert little nose, and full pink lips. There was no doubt she’d make some gnome guy a fine, frisky, little bride someday.

Where her mother’s breasts were saggy and baggy, Lavender’s certainly weren’t. They were high, round, and pert. Her waist was tiny, and her hips were lush. But the girl was more trouble tied up in a small bundle than one gnome ever had the right to be.

Even at sixteen, Lavender Shortz knew exactly how to move, how to talk, how to tempt, and how to torment a man. Since her recent deflowering, more than a few males of every race, creed, and color had fallen prey to her charms.

Talon had no intention of ever being counted amongst them.

He backed away another step.

Mia turned and glared as she stripped off her gown and stood in only her panties and bra. Her sheer lacy, bright red, low cut, thong and barely-there bra. “Well, go on, you heard Uncle Leeky. Take off your clothes. You don’t want to insult our host, do you?”

Talon gulped at the sight of Mia all but nude, and his cock leapt to attention. He shook his head as heat crept up his neck and flooded his cheeks. “I—I can’t. I don’t wear, umm, anything, let alone panties, under my breeks.”

Leeky cackled. “No panties, ya say? What the shaved bare ass of a backwards walking dwarf donut maker hoping ta get lucky with a big chested troll trombone player do ya mean ya don’t wear panties? Everyone who’s anyone wears panties.” He narrowed his eyes. “Are ya one of those free willy flying in the wind types, then? Letting it all hang out natural-like? Nut sacks slapping ya knees? Cock swinging back and worth? It’s all right if’n ya are, though. We don’t mind plain old-fashioned nakey as the day ya was born, either.”

Chapter Five

Sweat slowly trickled down Talon’s back. There was no way in VoT he was going to strip naked among this bunch, but he also didn’t want to insult Leeky or upset Mia.

From somewhere inside the apartment someone howled, as if they were dying. Pearl wiggled right out of his arms and took off in a flash.

He had almost caught up to her when the door leading to Pierced’s room flew open and out stumbled the saddest sight Talon had seen in a long time. The young male gnome was in tears, not just slowly-dripping-down-his-cheeks tears, but big, fat, washing-black-Goth-eye-makeup-into–two-long-trails-on-both-sides-of-his-face-all-the-way-to-his-chin tears.

The poor little guy wailed, as if he were dying, and his family didn’t even seem to notice. As a matter of fact, Leeky fiddled with his bright blue, chili-eating gloves, while Laycee and Lavender continued to chat with Mia, as if Pierced hadn’t entered the room at all.

Talon couldn’t help himself. Even though he knew it was probably a mistake and even though he knew he’d probably regret asking, he still did. “You all right, Pierced? What’s wrong little buddy? Can I help?”

Pierced wailed louder. “No one can help me. My life is over.”

“Now, see what ya’ve done,” Leeky yelled above the commotion. “What the red blistering boils next ta the puckered hiney hole of a high elf harmonica player soaking his sore arse in a vat of virgin olive oil do ya think is wrong with the lad? Can’t ya tell, he’s suffering something awful from a broken heart? Two days back Steve and Baabette up and ran off together. And all they left behind was a note saying they couldn’t help themselves, they were eloping, cause ya can’t fight true love or a deep seated plastic fetish.”

Leeky shook his head. “Laycee’s useless Tug McGroin blow-up doll and my sweet little Miss Bunny 2000 are both so upset they haven’t left their room since it happened. They can’t believe their beautiful, adopted, plastic sheep of a daughter, Baabette, would run off with that indigo-blue skinned, white-haired, gay dark elf, Steve. Especially after they took her in when no one else would. I guess they should’ve listened closer to the rumors that she was a plastic Jezebel in sheep’s clothing. As it is, our family has suffered a tragedy that’s for certain. One we may never completely recover from. Especially poor Pierced.”

The little gay-goth gnome wailed again.

Mia rushed to his side and wrapped her arms about him. “Oh, cousin, Lumpy, is there anything I can do?” His face was right at her bellybutton level, his chin just a hair above her pussy. He nuzzled the small patch of red lace that made up the front of her thong.

Talon could swear the little pecker head was suddenly smiling.

Pierced looked right up at Mia, tears still in his eyes. “How many times do I have ta remind ya? Don’t call me Lumpy. I’m Pierced now, and I can prove it.” Then he wiggled both of his eyebrows, one at a time. “You could always sit on my cock. I’ve been so very lonely since Steve left. Bet that’d make me feel a little better. I know you aren’t a man.” He wailed again. “But right now, almost any old hole, even yours, would give me some small measure of comfort.”

Mia laughed out loud and pushed him away. “Even if you were dying, and your very survival depended on me sitting on your tiny excuse for a pecker, I’m afraid you’d have to die. I’d go to your funeral, though, cousin, and I’d say kind things”

Pierced looked toward Talon, and his lip quivered. “What about you, big guy? Since our dear sweet Mia here is so cruel, would ya be willing to help out a heartbroken gnome? Just a little cuddling, perhaps some Ride-Em-Cowboy action?” He pumped his hips. “I’ve never had the pleasure of fucking a barbarian.” He grinned. “You’d be my first.”

Talon backed up four more steps, any thought of finding the missing baby dragon now completely forgotten. He shook his head. “Umm, no.” He shook his head again and put his arms out in front of his body. “Just no.”