Bound

excerpt


Kail looked at her reflection in the mirror and sighed. It just didn’t look right! “Ah, skrell,” she mumbled. Without her armor, her tunic was a little too loose, and her leggings just looked wrong. I don’t want to wear armor tonight! But… she sank to her knees in front of the mirror.
“Kail?” Avra looked into the room. Kail glanced up and sighed.
“What do you want?” she asked dully, toying with the hem of her shirt.
“I want to help you get ready,” the pale-haired woman said, walking into the room and closing the door.
“How?” Kail asked, smoothing her hair with one hand.
“Oh, a dress for starters,” Avra said with a sly smile. Kail’s eyes widened at the sight of the crimson gown Avra revealed.
“It’s…beautiful,” she breathed, reaching out to touch the folds of silk and satin. “But…”
“Put it on. I had it made for you. Call it a belated wedding present.” Avra grinned, and Kail smiled shyly back. She liked Avra. The older woman understood her.
Kail pulled off her tunic and leggings quickly, eager to see what a dress would make her look like. The strapless gown revealed a large expanse of her shoulders and upper chest, with only her charm to draw the attention away from her tanned skin. The fabric crossing the top of the bodice and wrapping around her upper arms felt odd at first. The close-fitting silk bodice contrasted nicely with the rustling satin skirts.
“I still don’t look right,” she sighed, frowning at her reflection.
“That’s because I still need to do your hair,” Avra said, smiling.



Churr stood alone in the ballroom, watching the guests enter. He ran his fingers along the silver marriage bracelet on his left wrist. Except for that single action, none of his emotions showed through. He could have been a statue of gold and sapphire.
“Daddy!” A small black-scaled form skidded to a halt at Churr’s feet. “Daddy, I don’t want to go!” she cried.
“Shai, sweeting,” Churr said, kneeling to bring his head closer to her, “you can’t stay here tonight. And you’ll have more fun with the twins in the other room.” He smiled at her fierce expression.
“But I want to play with you,” she said.
“Oh, Shai. No tears. I’ll play with you tomorrow, okay?”
“You promise, Daddy?” the little dragon asked, looking at him with bright green eyes.
“I promise. Now go play with the others,” he told her. She raced off, talons clacking against the marble floor. Straightening, Churr scanned the room again. Where is she? he wondered. He looked for the familiar chestnut hair and flashing green eyes of his wife. He was still searching as the music began to play.
“Don’t worry, Churr,” Tey said softly. The big, copper-haired man had come up behind Churr. “She’ll be here.”
“H-How do you know?” Churr asked, turning to face the older man.
“Firstly, because Kail wouldn’t be able to stay away from you, and secondly because Avra was going to—Sweet Lord and Lady!”
Churr followed Tey’s gaze and his eyes widened in amazement. Kail stood at the top of the stairs. Her chestnut hair fell gently around her face, the tips of it brushing her bare shoulders. Churr’s jaw dropped. His wife was clad in a dress the colors of her soul, and she looked like a goddess. Everyone else in the room faded as she walked towards him.
“You’re beautiful, liyari,” he breathed into her hair when she reached him.
She blushed and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Thank you,” she murmured, leaning her head against his chest. They remained that way for a few moments before they started dancing, completely oblivious to everyone around them.



Kyra glowered at her brother and his wife from across the room. That little trull! She folded her arms across her chest and fumed, wishing all the hexes she knew upon the scarlet-gowned warrior. How dare she show up in that dress! She is so obvious! And he’s letting her do it! That trollop! Wench! Strumpet!
Avra sauntered up, calm and elegant in her strapless gown of white and gold silk. “Is something the matter, Kyra?” she asked casually, glancing up at the silver-haired woman.
“That little tramp!” Kyra hissed. “She deliberately showed up here in that dress just to seduce him again, and to show off, and he’s letting her do it, and—”
“Kyra,” Avra said chastisingly, exasperation in her voice, “haven’t you held this grudge long enough?”
“No! She’s still doing this to deliberately annoy me, she’s showing off, flaunting herself, drawing Churr’s attention away from everything else important in life, including his daughter....” Kyra paused for a breath. “And she showed up in that low-cut dress! She is so obvious!”
Avra considered the couple a moment, then looked at Kyra again. “Kyra, I gave her that dress.”
Kyra’s mouth froze open on the next invective she was going to mutter. “Uh,” she choked on her voice, “you gave it to her?”
Avra nodded. “I had it made especially for her, as a belated wedding gift.”
“Uh...I...uh....” Kyra ducked her head, turning as red as Kail’s gown. “I’m sorry Avra,” she whispered, glancing sheepishly down at her toes.
Avra frowned. “Kyra, she is your sister by marriage, whether you like it or not. And you should be able to see that she loves Churr deeply. She doesn’t do this just to annoy you, though sometimes you two go at it like cats.” Avra chuckled as if at some private joke. “Treat her the way you would Ariyanae.”
Kyra looked back at Churr and Kail. Avra had spoken true. Churr’s eyes were on his wife’s face, not her figure, despite the low bodice of the strapless gown she wore. She, too, stared up at her husband, her expression enraptured. Kyra frowned, but could not bring herself to curse the woman again.
“Now,” Avra continued, “I think there’s someone here who wants to see you.”
“What?” Kyra turned, just as Davaon ran up, his hair tousled by the wind. He grinned at her, his boyish features brightening at the sight of her in her sapphire gown. He wore silver and grey, a perfect contrast to her clothing, and she wondered which dragon had given him the idea.
As greeting, without preamble, he caught her up into her arms and kissed her firmly, placing three years of denied passion into that one intimate gesture. When he had finished, leaving her breathless, he had to hang onto her to keep her from sagging weakly to the floor. “Wow,” was all she could manage, clinging to Davaon’s shirt.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” Avra said with a chuckle in her voice, and turned to find Tey.
“Come on, liyari,” Davaon whispered into Kyra’s silver hair. “We’ve got some catching up to do.”
She giggled girlishly, unable to summon words to her stunned lips.
He chuckled mischievously, sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her toward the stairs. “I don’t think they’ll miss us. Shall we?”
“’Kay,” she giggled into his ear, kissing his cheek.
No one noticed the two of them leave.