Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series
Her Elemental Dragons: Stroke the Flame: Chapter 33

While Slade slept in the front of the house, I checked on Reven and Auric, who were still passed out but seemed stable. Once I was sure they were fine, I joined Jasin in his old bedroom.

Like Berin’s, this room was sparse, although it had more paintings done in the style of the one in the front room, plus a blank canvas in the corner. The first painting was of a man who looked a lot like Jasin swinging a sword while wearing the black scaled armor of the Onyx Army. The other painting was of the Crimson Dragon in flight, his wings spread while he blasted fire down at something below him.

“Did you do these?” I asked.

“I did, yeah,” Jasin said, with some hesitation in his voice. Like he was worried what I would think about them.

“They’re beautiful.” I studied them closer, noticing the skill of the design and the blend of colors. I didn’t know much about art, but I could tell Jasin was good, even if the subject matter was rather disturbing for me. “You’re very talented.”

He sat on the edge of the bed and began removing his boots. “Thanks. I once wanted to be an artist, but of course my parents didn’t think that was a suitable career. My future was in the army and nothing else or they’d disown me.”

“I got that feeling. It’s a shame, because these are gorgeous.” I tore my gaze from the dragon painting and examined the other one. “Is this your brother?”

“Yes. Berin was about my age there.”

I took in the warrior’s handsome, determined face. “You look like him.”

“Do I? He was five years older than me and I always looked up to him. I thought he was perfect. My parents did too. When he died…it was a mess.”

I turned back to Jasin. “Your mother said he died fighting the Resistance.”

“He did, yeah.” He looked away, his face pained. “And when I heard that, I volunteered to fight them too.”

“That’s how you knew about the tunnels.”

“Actually, Berin and I found them when we were kids and used to play in them. But once I began hunting the Resistance, I realized their people were using the tunnels to hide and escape too. That’s how I tracked them down. And I was damn good at it.”

I swallowed, remembering the woman tonight who’d recognized Jasin. “The past is the past. Isn’t that what you said?”

“Maybe, or maybe the past never leaves us,” he said, his voice turning ragged. “You have no idea how many terrible things I’ve done. How many people I killed. Like that woman’s brother. I don’t remember her, but I probably did end his life.”

I moved close to where he sat on the bed and placed my hands on his shoulders. “You’re not that person anymore. Even before the Fire God came to you, you wanted to leave the Onyx Army.”

His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “I couldn’t stay. There was something I did that I couldn’t forget. Something I’ll never be able to forgive myself for.”

“What happened?” I asked.

He didn’t speak for some time, and when he did, he wouldn’t meet my eyes. “General Voor found a town near the Air Realm border that he claimed was made up entirely of Resistance members. He sent my squad to kill them all. Men. Women. Children. Even their pets. Every living thing went up in flames. We didn’t even need Sark for it.” A shudder ran through his entire body. “I swore I would leave the army after that, but I was too much of a coward. I could only work up the nerve after the Fire God visited me.”

I tilted his head up, forcing him to meet my eyes. “Maybe that’s why he chose you. To give you this second chance.”

He let out a bitter laugh. “Or maybe he chose me because I’m just like Sark.”

“You’re nothing like Sark.” I pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Tonight you helped save those people from execution. Sark would never do that.”

“I’m not sure that saving a few people tonight will ever make up for my past sins.” He rested his head against my stomach and I gently stroked his hair.

“This was only the start of something bigger. And once we bond together, you’ll be a much better Crimson Dragon than Sark ever was.”

Jasin pulled back and gave me a smile with a hint of his usual flirtiness in it. “I’m looking forward to that.”

“Being a dragon or bonding with me?”

“Both.” His hands rested on my waist, his thumbs brushing against the fabric of my dress, and I felt a flicker of desire at his touch.

“Me too,” I said, before bending down and replaceing his lips with mine. I kissed him softly, trying to show him I forgave his past and wanted a future with him, but it soon turned into more. Passion took over, making our kiss deeper, as if we couldn’t get enough of each other.

We kissed with an almost desperate need as heat flared between our bodies. He dragged me onto his lap, making my dress bunch up around my waist as I straddled him. I gasped as his hard length pressed against my core, while his hands found my bare legs. His fingers smoothed along my skin ever so slowly, inching higher and higher, until they rested on my thighs, so close to where I ached for him.

Together we removed my dress and tossed it aside, leaving me in only my nearly see-through chemise. His large hands rested on my waist and our mouths found each other again, but then I tugged on his shirt, wanting it off. He lifted it over his head in one smooth motion, revealing that tanned, muscular chest I’d glimpsed before, not to mention his equally well-developed arms. I splayed my hands across his stomach, feeling the strength rippling beneath my fingertips, then began exploring up to his shoulders and down his arms. With each touch I wanted more of him.

I reached for his trousers but he caught my hand and stopped me.

“I’m ready,” I told him.

“I’m not,” he said.

I blinked at him. “You…don’t want me?”

“Oh no, I do.” He rolled his hips slightly, rubbing his hard length between my legs. “Trust me, I really do. But not tonight.”

“I don’t understand.”

He stroked my face as he gazed into my eyes. “We should wait until we reach the Fire Temple.”

“Why? I thought you wanted to get some practice in first.”

“Not anymore.” He pulled me down to the bed and drew the covers over us, then wrapped me in his arms. “When we bond together, I want you to know it’s not just sex for me. With you, it’s going to be a lot more.”

I snuggled up against him. “I know, Jasin. I’m sorry I doubted you before, or worried about your past.”

He touched my lips with his fingers. “You were right to doubt me. Before I met you, I was lost. I’d been told my life should be one thing, even though it never felt right. I let others mold me into what they wanted instead of standing up for what I believed in. I did things I wasn’t proud of. I never let myself get attached to anything or anyone. But all of that changed once I was sent to replace you. The Fire God might have given me these powers, but you gave me purpose. You gave me something to fight for. And I care about you more than you know.”

My heart warmed from his words. “I care about you too, Jasin.”

“Now sleep,” Jasin said, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Because once we reach the Fire Temple, I promise you won’t be getting much sleep at all with all the naughty things I’ll be doing to you.”

“I like the sound of that.” I shifted my leg so it draped over him, wanting our bodies pressed as close together as possible. Though I still burned with desire for him, it was just as good being held in his arms and knowing he cared for me the way I cared for him. Whatever doubts I’d once had about him were gone. I was ready for whatever we would face at the Fire Temple.