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“Order up!”
Kara picked up the burger and fries off the bench in front of her and lazily brought it to the customer. Three years she had worked at this dead-end waitressing job, and it was torture. By the end of her shift she collected what little tips she had earned throughout the 10 hours and started home, in the dark, towards her tiny Chicago flat.
It was mid-October already, so the weather had turned cold and a brisk wind bit at her exposed flesh. She pulled her thin, black cardigan tighter over her waitressing uniform and continued on the long walk ahead. As she strolled through the city she lost herself in her thoughts. She imagined living in the beautiful penthouse apartments she passed every day. She wished for an adventure to take hold of her and bring back some of the enjoyment of life her meaningless job had taken from her.
Half an hour passed and she finally turned down the alley only two streets from her destination. Caught up in her own world she didn’t notice the shadowy figures approaching her, and all of a sudden she was surrounded by three frightening strangers.
She stopped dead in her tracks. She had been lucky enough to avoid the drug-riddled men who lived throughout this end of town, until this point. All three wore tattered, dirty clothes, their hair was unkempt and they smelled horrific. Kara found herself completely unprepared for the situation that was about to unfold.
“Where are you heading, sweetheart?” asked the man directly to her right. She opened her mouth to respond but her fear had gotten the better of her and she found herself speechless. The men began to come closer grabbing at her. She tried to dodge their advances but suddenly the glint of silver caught her eye as one of the men pulled out a small knife. All hope she had of escaping vanished. Before she knew it they had both her arms restrained and she felt overwhelmed and helpless.
The man facing her laughed menacingly, but her gaze was drawn to a bright light behind. As the blinding light neared the men softened their grip enough for her to break free, but in the confusion she ran straight into the arms of one of the strangers. This time he grabbed her around the neck, choking her. As she struggled for breath she couldn’t believe what she saw. It appeared to be a... dragon.
A dragon towered above the men. Surely this was her imagination. But an inferno that engulfed two of her attackers quickly confirmed her vision. They screamed and ran, completely alight, down the alleyway in the direction from which they came. The orange-red flames trailed behind them as they sped away. Kara could not believe her eyes.
The last man, who still had Kara by the throat, threw her forcefully to the ground and sped off in the other direction. Kara hit her head on the pavement. She lifted herself up put a hand to her head, where it had hit the ground. Forgetting about the mythical creature standing right before her, she brought her hand back down. It was covered in blood. She was hurt badly. She looked up and remembered. The scaly, purple beast made its way towards her as she blacked out, falling back down onto the cool concrete below.
*****
WHEN SHE AWOKE SHE immediately realized this was not her bed, nor her room or anywhere that she had ever been before. It took her a moment, but feeling the bandages atop her head she remembered the events that had unfolded. Had she really seen a dragon?
Regardless, she was relieved she had not been mugged, or worse. But who, or what, had saved her? This still remained a mystery. It could not have been a dragon. She pulled down the soft, woolen sheets of the bed and lowered her feet to the dirt floor; the room she found herself in was quite old and very simple. The walls were covered in peeling, floral wallpaper while the cracked wooden door was situated only feet from the end of the single bed. She saw that her clothes from the day before folded over the bed head. Whoever had brought her here had also given her a change of clothes; an old fashioned cotton night gown, one befitting her grandmother.
One of her many questions was answered seconds later when she heard a knock at the bedroom door.
“Come in,” she called cautiously, and a tall, handsome man peeked his head around through the door frame,
“How are you feeling?” he questioned.
Confused, Kara replied to whom could only be her rescuer, “I feel a little faint, but other than that I’m fine.”
“May I ask who you are? And what happened?” she blurted, eager to find out more about this handsome stranger before her.
“My name is Blaine, I was heading home and saw those men attacking you. I couldn’t just walk by, I had to do something...” he trailed off.
“I really can’t thank you enough, I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been there,” she gushed. He took a few steps toward her and sat down on the bed,
“I couldn’t let those horrible guys hurt such a beautiful young woman,” he said, smiling. She put her hands to her face, attempting to hide her blushing cheeks, embarrassed by his unexpected compliment.
“Thank you again,” she muttered. “But where am I?”
He looked a little uneasy and thought for a minute before wording his reply.
“Since you passed out before I got to you I couldn’t take you home, so I thought the safest thing to do was bring you back here. This is where I live with my... family.”
“Your family?” she inquired,
“Yes,” he replied. His abruptness alerted her that she should not push the subject any further, at least not yet. She didn’t know what it was but something about him drew her to him. She couldn’t explain it but it was as if their meeting did not occur by chance at all; as if it was destiny.
“You can’t stay here long, but I can take you back into the city with me tonight,” he said. His voice shook Kara from entering the impending daydream state she found her slipping into, while staring into his mesmerizing hazel eyes. She was a little disappointed that their encounter would be cut so short, but she suddenly realized she would need to be back for work the following day. If she showed up even a minute late again she would surely be fired. Begrudgingly she accepted the offer and just hours later they left the room and began their journey back to Chicago.
It seemed strange to her that they had to hurry off in the dead of night,
“Please, try to be quiet as we leave. I really don’t want to wake anyone,” Blaine said. Why was he so afraid of someone seeing them? She had not seen a single person other than him all day, was she even allowed to be here?
She was suddenly ushered through a door into what appeared to be a garage. Inside was one lonely, rusted Corvette, it looked to be about 40 years old and the years had not been kind to it. Like a true gentleman, Blaine strode ahead, clearing a path to the car before opening the door for her to climb in.
Kara stepped gingerly into the passenger seat and once positioned the door clicked shut to her left. As they both strapped in, the car struggled to start, but after several turns of the key they were motoring down the dirt road that led away from Blaine’s home. She peered back over her shoulder to take her first look at the place from the outside.
It was derelict, with vines covering almost every entrance to the building. The house was not huge, but appeared to have at least two stories, made up of crumbling red brick walls and half-tiled roof. It had not been the most luxurious of accommodation, though Kara could not have anticipated the dilapidated state of the exterior. Quickly she turned back and focused on the road ahead.
She slept for the majority of the journey, but she was awoken by the car coming to an abrupt halt outside her apartment block. Still slightly drowsy, Kara began her goodbyes.
“Thank you for everything,” she started. But would they see each other again? She longed to ask. Blaine came around to her side of the door and, taking her hand in his, helped her from the car to the asphalt below. They made their way over to the sidewalk, outside the door to the lobby of her building. Blaine still had hold of her hand as they stood for a moment, each waiting for the other to break the lengthening silence. Finally he spoke,
“I guess this is goodbye,” he said. She couldn’t help but sense the sadness in his voice. Quickly his tone changed to one that was a little more upbeat and cheerful as he continued,
“It was lovely to meet you Kara, I really enjoyed your company today. It’s been so long since I’ve been able to talk to anyone outside the family, and I couldn’t have asked for someone more beautiful than you,” he gushed.
She was touched again by his kind words, it had been so long since any man had given her this kind of attention, and she was flattered. She had to find out if they would again meet.
“Will I see you again?” she asked, unable to hold it in any longer. She had to find out if their paths would cross once more.
“Perhaps,” he smiled.
And with that he hastily jumped back into the car and was gone.
*****
EACH NIGHT FOR THE next few months Kara experienced the same recurring dream, and it began in the alley where she had been rescued from attack that fateful night. In the dream, every time she found herself walking alone, but instead of the men emerging from the shadows ahead she found herself face to face with the dragon she thought she had seen. Close up she could see the individual purple scales that shone crimson as they moved into the moonlight. Its eyes were earthy and danced between shades of green and brown. She couldn’t help feeling that, looking at the creature close up, it seemed familiar somehow. The nostrils of the beast flared as it breathed deeply, taking in her scent, analyzing her almost. She stared back, unmoving, with the dragon’s face just inches from her own. Without any fear, she reached forward and caressed the creature before her. Its scales were surprisingly warm to the touch, and as smooth as silk. It moved further forward until their faces were touching. She closed her eyes for a moment as she lost herself in the claws of a dragon.
But just as quickly as their meeting had begun, the dragon pushed her back and began to run in the opposite direction.
“Wait!” she called. Its tail lashed around, trailing behind like a snake, slithering through the alley. The dragon beckoned for her to join it as its gigantic wings spread wide, catching the wind beneath them. Looking back towards her, the dragon lifted from the pavement and took off across the Chicago skyline.
Kara continued to run along behind, arms reaching for him, wanting so badly for this majestic being to whisk her away; wherever it was going she wanted to go too. Slowly the dragon grew smaller and smaller until it was lost in the night sky. She was left alone again in the dank alley, wondering what could have been. Just as she felt that all was lost, a weight suddenly pushed down from around her neck. Upon looking down she saw one of the most exquisite pieces of jewelry she could have imagined. Attached to a delicate golden chain a pendant shimmered, with a purple gem the size of a golf ball. As she lost herself in the gem’s haunting beauty, she saw that it too shone with a crimson glow in the moonlight, mimicking the scales of the dragon.
At this point in the dream she always awoke; startled she peered down at her chest to find it bare, the necklace she had dreamt was just that, a dream. She shook herself awake and began getting ready for the day, pulling one of her waitressing uniforms out of her wardrobe. She pulled the blue, knee length dress over her head and tied her mustard yellow apron around her waist.
For the entire walk to work her head seemed to be filled with thoughts of dragons and her mysterious dream. It was on this particular morning, caught up in her own world, she walked straight into a familiar young man. She was pushed to the ground by the force of his shoulder and as she looked up she recognized him as Blaine.
“I’m so sorry, Kara,” he apologized, extending a friendly hand to help her from the ground where she sat, stunned at his sudden appearance. She had been sure after that fateful day that they would not meet again, yet here he was, holding her hand firmly to pull her up from the pavement.
“How have you been?” she asked. Generic pleasantries were all she could muster in her current state of minor shock.
“Fine,” he replied. He looked down toward her unflattering outfit beneath the huge winter coat she wore. “Are you heading to work?”
“Yes actually. It has been so long since I saw you. What brings you back to Chicago?” Hopefully he would be in town long enough to for them to get together one night.
“Just...business. What are you up to after your shift? Could I possibly buy you a drink?”
Kara quickly thought over the offer in her head before answering.
“I’d love to,” she said.
“Here.” He pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and ball point pen, scribbling hastily an address across it. “This is the bar I’ll be at tonight; I can’t wait to see you there. It will nice to be able to catch up, especially after I rescued you and all.” He laughed at his apparent sarcasm.
“I will definitely be there,” she said as she grabbed the paper from his hand.
“I’ll see you tonight then.” He winked at her and with that he continued down the street.
Now at least during her 10 hour shift ahead she had something to look forward to. But what had been the chances of running into to Blaine again? Pretty slim, surely, in a city the size Chicago. She continued on her way to work, happily counting down the minutes until she could see him again.
*****
FOR THE LAST FIVE MINUTES of her shift her eyes barely left the old analog clock that was hung slightly tilted on the wall of the diner. She finished cleaning her section quickly and collected her tips before rushing out the door, into the street, on her way to meet him.
It was a cold night and the thick winter coat she wore barely kept the harsh wind from nipping at her face. She looked at the address on the scrap of paper Blaine had handed her earlier that day. ‘Rad Bar’ was the place that she was heading. Although Kara had lived in this city for many years, she had never heard of this place. Trudging down the street she looked to each street sign, making her way slowly to where Blaine was waiting for her. Surprisingly, she showed up outside the large wooden doors that read ‘Rad Bar’ in only a matter of minutes.
She followed a large group of young men and women who had just arrived and scanned the area for the one familiar face she wanted to see. Finally, their eyes met as she located him sitting alone in a booth, situated in a shadowy corner of the bustling social hub.
Kara made her way over. She realized now that she was slightly nervous to be around him again, as if they hadn’t already met before.
“Kara!” he said. He stood for her to sit down before he took his seat again at the opposite side of the booth.
“I was really hoping that I would run into you again,” he said. “I’m so glad you made it tonight.”
She smiled. “I wouldn’t miss it,” she said.
They proceeded to order a couple of drinks and soon the conversation was flowing. Any hint of nerves that remained were masked by the alcohol they had consumed.
“So, what’s your favorite color?” she asked, continuing with the cascade of random questions they had started when they had first begun to feel tipsy. She wanted to know as much about him as possible, and he had been so vague about his job and home life, so she decided to ask about trivial things instead.
“Purple and maybe red,” he replied. “What about yours?”
She had to think about it for a moment before coming to a decision. “I like green,” she said.
She was having so much fun just chatting to him that she didn’t realize the time fly past. Their banter continued for hours until they were forced to leave as the bar was about to close. They were the only ones left in the tiny space, that had just hours before been so crowded that it was difficult to move. The bartender wandered up to them at quarter to four in the early morning,
“Sorry kids but we’re closing now. You’re going to have to take this elsewhere,” he said. He strode back to the counter, proceeding to wipe it down of the night’s spills.
Kara and Blaine looked at each other stunned for a second. Had they really been there for three hours? She was a little disheartened when she realized that this would surely bring an end to their night. But then Blaine spoke again.
“I think I should walk you home,” he said. She was overjoyed; she still had at least another twenty minutes to spend with him.
He picked up her coat from the seat beside them and gestured to her to turn around while he pulled it over her arms and shoulders. They waved to the bartender. As they made their way back onto the street, the sun was beginning to rise over the skyline. This night had been perfect, and unbeknown to Kara it wasn’t over yet and it was going to get even better.
He held her hand as he walked her back to her apartment building.
“I couldn’t let you walk back by yourself, not after what happened last time I saw you,” he said. She definitely didn’t mind spending more time with him, in fact she wanted nothing more. They arrived at the door to the building all too soon.
“I guess this is goodbye again,” he said. His tone was distant. She wished he didn’t have to leave. This time she would take it upon herself to make a move. She moved toward him, taking his hand. She stood on her tip toes, leaning into him and kissed him lightly on the lips. As she lowered her body back to the ground she opened her eyes to see his expression. Had she overstepped the boundaries? Quickly she found out that he wanted exactly what she did, as he held her firmly around the waist and pressed his lips back to hers passionately. They were locked in a romantic embrace on the side of the street on this cold winters night. For several minutes they kissed, comfortably wrapped in each other’s arms. Her passion increased. She felt his tongue and lips travel down her chin toward her neck.
“Would you like to come inside?” she breathed heavily into his ear as he bit gently at her neck, sending shivers down her spine. It had been so long since she had been intimate with a man. She was long overdue for a night of passion. There was no one she would rather share it with than Blaine, and she hoped that he felt the same.
*****
BLAINE SCOOPED KARA up in his strong arms and carried her up the couple of flights of stairs to her tiny, one-bedroom apartment. As they made their way into her living room, he gently placed her on the couch and positioned himself on top of her. He leaned forward and kissed her, continuing where they left off on the sidewalk downstairs.
As their lips pushed together, she brought her hand to his chest and held it there for a moment, feeling his tight, firm muscles below the thick sweater. She didn’t even notice his own hand slip sneakily beneath the hem of her uniform. By the time she noticed he had reached her upper thigh, but she didn’t mind, in fact she found it extremely hot.
They continued to kiss passionately as she reached below his sweater to feel his bare chest. He was smooth and his abs were glorious from what she felt. His hand continued up her body, past her stomach and to her breasts, cupping them gently. It felt so good to have him caressing every inch of her body. She let out a stifled moan while he tugged tenderly at her nipple.
All of a sudden he got up and removed his sweater and t-shirt underneath, leaving him half naked before her. Taking in his sexy, tanned body, she rose and did the same, taking off her jacket and then her uniform, leaving her in just a bra and panties on the couch. He bit his lip, staring her up and down, almost fully unclothed just inches from him. Again he grabbed her and brought her toward him, touching his lips to her body, exploring her with his hands. She was in absolute ecstasy.
He carefully unclasped her bra, throwing it onto the floor. She fumbled for the fly of his jeans, undoing them hastily while he slipped his hand down her panties, sliding them down to the ground as well. With one swift movement she was again scooped up in his arms as he walked them over to her bedroom.
Once on the bed, he removed his pants as well and they climbed under the covers. They kissed each other tenderly. He grasped at her breasts, stroking them gently. When she could take his teasing no more, he mounted her. When she felt the tip of his erect member entering her, she moaned at the sensation of him inside her. She ran her hands down his back, feeling his soft skin beneath her fingers. He thrust deeper and she screamed with pleasure, digging her fingernails into his back. As he moved in and out of her, it felt as if his skin was pulsing, becoming almost scaly, but Kara was enjoying having him inside her so much she didn’t even notice. He held her closer to his chest, biting at her earlobe, sucking on her neck. It was too much for her. No man had ever made love to her like he did.
“I’m coming!” she gasped, as her juices flowed down her thighs, combining with his as he too released himself within her. He collapsed beside her on the warm, cotton sheets, dazed by the amazing sex they had just shared. He wrapped an arm around her, keeping her tight against his chest.
“Do you mind if I stay the night?” he whispered into her ear. He tenderly kissed her forehead.
“Not at all,” she replied, and moments later they were both sound asleep, feeling completely at peace in the safety of their embrace.
The next morning she rolled over, expecting to find a warm body next to her, but as she reached out she felt no one. Upon opening her eyes she realized Blaine was gone again. This time without even saying goodbye. Her eyes welled up, wishing he was still here with her, then she turned to find a small, untidy note placed on her bedside table, with a beautiful red rose laid on top. She picked up the rose and inhaled its intoxicating fragrance before reading the note Blaine had left for her.
‘Sorry I left so suddenly,’ it read. ‘I hope to hear from you soon, breakfast is waiting on the table. Have a wonderful day, you deserve it, Blaine’.
She turned the note over to find a cellphone number scribbled across the back. Finally she had a way to reach him; she no longer had to rely on chance.
Making her way to the kitchen, she found a blueberry muffin and iced coffee waiting for her. He was the most perfect man she had ever met. He was handsome, good in bed and he had breakfast ready for her. She did however long for a late morning, snuggling with him, but this was almost as good. She hoped it wouldn’t be long before she saw him again, but she wasn’t the kind of girl to call too soon. She would have to wait awhile first.
*****
OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, Kara and Blaine dated, and grew closer together.
After a month, Kara was just starting to wonder where the relationship might be going when she realized she had missed her period. Of course, the first time in ages she had given in to her desires and it possibly had landed her pregnant.
‘Calm down, Kara,’ she thought to herself. ‘Don’t worry yourself until you get a test’.
She had to wait until she finished work that day. With the unexpected possibility of a baby growing inside her, the shift seemed to stretch even longer than usual.
Once free from work, she hurried to the nearest chemist and threw a handful of her tip money onto the counter in exchange for the three pack of pregnancy tests. She rushed home, eager to put her mind at ease. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to have a child at her age, but it scared her how Blaine would react to it all. After reading the instructions, she followed them and waited at the kitchen bench for the impending result. Slowly, a light pink cross began to appear, and her heart sank. She was indeed pregnant, to a handsome man she barely knew. She took the other two tests in the pack,
‘Maybe it was wrong,’ she hoped. She did the test twice more, but received the same result. It was positive, she was pregnant.
She had to call Blaine. She needed someone to tell her what to do, she couldn’t make this decision on her own and there was no one else to turn to. With tears welling up in her eyes, she rifled through her dresser draw for the note he had left her, with his cellphone number written on the back. Almost unable to read the numbers as she typed them into her phone she brought it to her ear, waiting for his voice to answer at the other end.
“Hello?” a deep, masculine voice spoke, she collected herself quickly and responded as best she could.
“Hi, Blaine? It’s Kara,” she said.
“What’s wrong? Are you OK?” he said. His worried response alerted her that she obviously still sounded quite upset.
“I just need to talk to you,” she said, and with that she burst into tears, sobbing into her end of the phone.
“I’ll be right over, don’t go anywhere,” and he hung up. He was coming here? Now? She wasn’t ready for this, she was hoping that she would at least have a few days between today and their future meeting to wrap her head around the situation.
Quickly she rose from her bed and tried to pull herself together. She washed her face of the tears and smudged make-up and changed into some more comfortable attire.
She heard a knock at the door just ten minutes after she put the phone down. He must have been in town, there was no way he could get from his house to hers so soon.
Kara got up and slowly approached the door. She just stood there, frozen, until another aggressive knock occurred. She undid the latch and opened the door to see a distraught Blaine standing before her, covered in dirt, with sticks and leaves poking out of his messy hair. It looked as if he had run here through a forest, which was strange, but she had no time to question him about it, there were more important things to discuss.
“What’s wrong?” he blurted, looking past her and around her apartment for a clue as to why he had been called.
“Come in,” she beckoned, walking him in past the living room to the bed. There she sat and, without knowing where to begin, she burst into tears again, crying uncontrollably into her hands. He sat beside her, extending a comforting arm around her shoulders, holding her tightly against his chest.
“Whatever it is, you will be OK,” he whispered, oblivious to what it may be that she was trying to tell him.
“I’m pregnant,” she sobbed. She looked up at his face to see his expression only to find that all its color had drained and he almost looked faint. For what seemed like forever she awaited his response, when the shock had subsided he spoke again,
“It will be fine,” it was as if he was not only assuring her but himself as well.
“I don’t know what to do, surely I shouldn’t keep it, I can’t...” She trailed off. She had never had to make this decision before and it was too much.
“You can’t get rid of it, they won’t be able to,” he said.
What did he mean by that? They won’t be able to?
“We are having a baby?” said Kara. Suddenly she struck down by the enormity of it and she collapsed on the bedroom floor, unconscious.
She opened her eyes an hour later to find Blaine still in her apartment, sitting by her, holding her hand. He had placed a cool cloth on her head. She felt a little better, forgetting for a moment the circumstances surrounding her blackout. He handed her a glass of cold water and she gulped it down.
“Better?” he asked. All she could do was nod. He refilled the glass in the kitchen and she sipped on it as he continued to speak to her.
“There’s something important we need to talk about Kara, I don’t really know how to start but I’ll try.”
Kara took a huge mouthful of water. She wondered where this was headed. Blaine continued.
“When I said I lived on the outskirts of town with my family, that wasn’t entirely true.”
He looked pained as he struggled to find the words to express what he wanted so desperately to tell her.
“I live with several trusted followers from our tribe,” he said. “I’m kind of like the leader. The King they call me.”
This was already too much for Kara, but still he continued.
“We are from Venus. Our people moved there when we became endangered on Earth due to humans hunting us down.”
Surely she was hearing things. Did he say he was from Venus?
“We are not quite human either, this is the earthly form we assume to protect ourselves from discovery. My original form is a little... different.”
Kara couldn’t believe the words he was saying.
“We are dragons,” he said.
“Dragons?” said Kara. All of a sudden all those strange things began to make sense – the dragon she thought she had imagined when she was being attacked, her dreams of the dragon. Was it all linked to Blaine? But what did this mean for her, and the baby she was carrying within her? Was it even a baby at all? She grasped her stomach, feeling for any sign of abnormality, although she knew it was probably too early to tell.
“Then what is this thing?” she asked, pointing to the unborn child inside her.
“To be honest, Kara, I really don’t know,” he confessed. “A baby of our clan born to a human doesn’t exactly happen every day. It is forbidden, taboo, especially for a leader like me. If anyone was to find out I would be excommunicated and cut off from my tribe. I don’t even know what would happen to you; no dragon man has gotten a human woman pregnant in centuries, much before my time or even my father’s.”
Kara sensed the worry in his voice.
“So what do I do?” she asked. She wanted more answers, but his visit had only raised more questions in her mind.
“Stay here, I’ll come and see you every day, I promise you. Take some time off work if you can, get plenty of rest. I’ll help you with money. We will figure something out, once we find out what we are dealing with. I’ll do as much research as I can, so we know what to expect.”
He leaned in and kissed her passionately before continuing.
“I really love you Kara, I won’t let anything hurt you I swear.” He rose from the bed and began pulling on his jacket that had been hung carelessly over the door handle.
“I have to go now, but I will be back tomorrow. Please try and get some sleep, we will figure this out and it will all be fine.” He smiled reassuringly, kissing her tenderly once more before leaving.
This had been one of the most emotionally draining days of her life. She didn’t know how to feel about the information Blaine had just revealed to her, or what to do about this baby. She lay her head down and took his advice, drifting into a deep sleep, not to wake until the next day.
*****
IN THE COMING MONTHS she began to notice the changes in her body, and some of the differences in her baby became apparent. It grew at twice the rate of the average child. Due to its paranormal heritage, she avoided doctors and clinics for fear that they would notice it was somewhat different. Blaine, true to his word, was at her doorstep every morning, before she went to work; bringing her food, magazines and really anything she wanted. He kept telling her to quit, that he would look after her financially, but she wanted to keep busy, keep her mind occupied. Despite his strange existence, she was glad that he was the man who would father her baby.
From his research, he discovered a few discerning features that their half-dragon spawn would possess. He scoured countless books in their extensive library, finding out everything that he could to report back to Kara. He had to be secretive about his search, fearing his clan would discover what he was up to. Already he had found that she would be able to feel the baby dragon’s claws from the inside of her womb, because he would develop as a dragon within her. Until he was born he could not assume his human form. It was a feature that dragon women were built to withstand – their tough skin created a barrier between the womb and the outside world. But Kara was a normal woman, so she regularly suffered sharp pains from within her. Sometimes the pain was so great she could do little other than lie still on her bed and wait for it to pass.
“I’m so sorry,” Blaine would always say when she looked even the slightest bit uncomfortable. His companionship and undying love made up for all the aches she withstood throughout the pregnancy.
One day that Blaine came to her, bursting through the front door his furrowed brow exposed his fear and worry.
“What’s wrong, babe?” she asked, putting a hand to his shoulder, attempting to comfort him.
“I found something, Kara. This baby, it could hurt you, it might even kill you. We have to do something now!” As he looked into her eyes, tears began to form at the corners of his.
“Why? What’s happening to me?” all of a sudden her worst fears became a reality. Not only was this pregnancy even more excruciatingly painful than most, it could result in her death. If Blaine had any idea of how to save her they had to try.
“We have to take you to the elders, at the sanctuary where I live. After this I probably won’t be welcome back, but I don’t care. I love you, Kara. I can’t live without you and they might be able to do something. We need to save you and we need to try and save our son,” he grabbed her arm, pulling her around with him. They picked what few things she needed to take with her and moments later they were out the door, on the way to the outskirts of the city.
They arrived a few hours later, transported by his old Corvette. By this point it was dark and the moon shone through the trees above. She clasped her bag in her hand as they made their way through the back door of the garage, through the thicket and toward the house she had not been to in months, where she had first ever seen him. Once inside, they ventured through hallway after hallway, until she had completely lost her sense of where they were, or how to escape.
It suddenly dawned on her that the dragons who lived in this old house and might not like her or the child she was carrying. If this baby didn’t kill her, perhaps they would instead.
*****
AT THE END OF THE FINAL tunnel they got to a large iron door with intricate designs carved into the metal and precious gemstones scattered throughout.
“Are you ready?” he questioned. Her fear was apparent from the expression plastered across her face. She grasped at her stomach, as if to protect the child from whatever was in the room in front of them.
“I think so,” she replied, her voice thick with worry. With that, Blaine brought his hand to the knob of the door and knocked three times.
A light to the left of them set alight. She could only assume this was the signal for them to enter as seconds later she found herself standing before a panel of older men and women, each dressed in a different colored long, silk gown complete with hood.
“Who may we ask is this human you have brought before us, Sire?” said the woman at the end of the long, varnished table. Blaine looked back at Kara then addressed the board.
“Elders of the clan, I have brought to you the mother of my first son. She carries him with her. I have disobeyed our laws, having fraternized with a human, with no sacred dragon blood coursing through her veins. But I am willing to accept whatever punishment you bestow on me, if you can just at least try to save her. I could not live with myself if I didn’t try to help this woman, whose predicament is solely caused by my actions.”
The woman stared sternly at Blaine. The rest of the members seemed to be stunned at his confession. No word was spoken for what seemed like a long time, but another man seated at the table soon broke the silence.
“How could you let this happen? Do you know the consequences of what you have done? Not to mention that our laws clearly state that interactions with those not of dragon blood is punishable by excommunication. We will be losing our King no less!” his words sliced through the air angrily.
“This is indeed the punishment for the crime you have committed, King Blaine,” the first woman said.
“But we cannot afford to lose our King, not with his duties on Earth left unfulfilled!” another member chimed in. The elders looked at each other, confused as to what to do next. Kara stood, just as baffled, reaching for Blaine’s hand to comfort her. He grasped her hand as he again addressed the elders.
“Do to me what you will, but is there any chance we can save Kara from what this child may do to her? I have fallen in love with her and I would sooner die than let anything hurt her.”
The despair that crossed each of their faces when his question was asked let her know that there was nothing that they could do. That was except for one; a frail older lady, seated toward the middle of the group. Her soft voice echoed through the room.
“There is something we could try,” she began. Kara clenched her teeth in anticipation.
“Young woman, do you know anything about your ancestry?” she addressed Kara.
“Unfortunately, I don’t,” Kara replied. Her whisper was barely heard by the woman.
“Please speak up next time, young woman. My hearing really isn’t what it used to be. Well, in that case, we can still find out if you are related to anyone from the original Dragonborne tribe. If indeed you have their blood within you there is something I can do.”
“The Dragonborne tribe? Who were they?” Blaine had obviously not known of this before.
“The Dragonbornes were a tribe of humans who protected our ancestors when they still lived here on Earth,” the woman said. “As repayment for their endless sacrifices while trying to save us, the elders of those times bestowed upon the Dragonbornes the ability to be transformed into one of our clan by another dragon. This meant that they had the choice to join us on Venus, when we travelled originally from Earth. Some chose to come with us and were transformed forever, while others stayed on Earth, to continue their human lives. If this woman you have brought before us does have Dragonborne blood coursing through her veins then there will be some hope.”
She stopped speaking. Everyone besides her was in shock.
“Does this mean that King Blaine will not have disobeyed the law? He may continue his quest here on Earth for the good of the clan?” asked one of the men.
“Indeed,” she replied. Kara could not believe what she had just heard, for the last few hours she had been sure her death was upon her, and now it seemed that possibly she could be saved, and Blaine could continue his rule as their King.
“How can we find out, Esmerelda? We must do this right away. If there is any hope to save Kara we need to change her immediately, she is already five months along.” Blaine wanted to know as soon as possible. The future of him, his beloved and unborn child all rested on Kara’s heritage.
“We must take the ancient relic and place it around her neck. If the amulet glows crimson then she is Dragonborne, if it shines with a green light then she is simply another human. If this is the case she may not live through childbirth,” Esmerelda warned.
“And King Blaine must step down as ruler of our clan and be destined to walk forever among the humans of Earth, stripped of his powers for eternity.”
The stakes were high. Kara felt tense.
“Artemis, please retrieve the amulet so we can find out now. There isn’t time to waste!”
An older gentleman rose from his seat, his royal blue robe flowing majestically behind him as he strode out of the room, only to return several minutes later carrying a piece of exquisite jewelry, which Kara found familiar somehow.
As he brought it closer, she realized this was the exact necklace she had dreamed in the recurring dram after first meeting Blaine.
“Are you ready?” Blaine asked, taking the amulet from Artemis’ hands gently.
“As ready as I will ever be,” Kara replied, and with that he came towards her. He kissed her first, then their unborn child through her stomach.
“Whatever happens Kara, know that I love you and I will always love you, and our son.”
With that he placed the golden chain around her neck. She felt the weight of the stone pushing down on her, just as it had in the dream. Blaine closed his eyes, not being able to look at the result of the test unfolding before him. Kara on the other hand could not look away; staring down at the beautiful piece, she saw it began to flash with a bright white light.
“It is searching for an answer,” one of the elders called from the table.
Kara held her breath as it searched her body and soul for even an ounce of Dragonborne blood, the blood that would give her baby a chance at life, not to mention herself. The elders looked on in awe as the relic finally came to a decision about her. The pendant shone with a blinding crimson light, so bright that the surrounding walls reflected its pleasant glow. She saw Blaine’s face out of the corner of her eye; he was ecstatic. No one would die, their child would be safe and, as well as all that, Blaine could remain as King. It was the outcome that they hoped for; now all that was left to do was transform her. She couldn’t believe it, nothing good seemed to ever happen to her, but since meeting Blaine, finally everything was going right.
“She is Dragonborne,” the stern-faced woman exclaimed.
“She may even be the last in existence,” another man in red chimed in. This may well be true as Kara had no family that she knew of. Both of her parents had died when she was younger, and with no next of kin she was forced into an orphanage. She may finally have a chance to have a real family all her own again.
“But how do we complete the ritual to transform her? It must be done before she reaches her due date, otherwise it may be too late for her”.
“I must do more research on the subject before we conduct the ritual, but I believe that, on the night of a full moon, she must be taken out to a clearing in the woods, where the moonlight can shine down on her. There is an ancient text that she must recite while one of our dragons circles three times overhead, casting its shadow down upon her. Once this has been completed, she must repeat the text as the chosen dragon engulfs her in its flame. At this point she should rise from the ashes in her new dragon form. It is said to be one of the most beautiful sights, when a Dragonborne emerges for the first time as a dragon. I never thought I would live to see it.”
“Who will be the one to volunteer their services? Keep in mind, if performed incorrectly, Kara will surely perish in a cascade of fire. It is crucial they do not fail her.” Esmerelda looked around, waiting for someone to come forward. Blaine walked slowly over to her.
“I will do the duty, and I will not fail. If Kara will accept our help,” all eyes were on Kara once again. She didn’t see any other option, though honestly even if there was she wouldn’t have taken it. She would have her perfect family, with the man of her dreams, literally.
“I will do it, when is the next full moon?” she asked eagerly.
“In five nights,” Artemis spoke again.
‘The sooner the better,” she said. The date was set for her transformation.
After leaving the venue, Kara and Blaine were finally alone again. He held her hand as they strode back through the winding hallways. They walked in silence, side by side, until they reached his own sleeping quarters.
“There’s no reason we can’t share a room now. Would you like to join me in my bedroom tonight?” He gestured toward the door in front of them.
“I’d love to,” she beamed. They could finally be a real couple, no longer hiding their love from the world. Almost an afterthought, she remembered her job. “But what about—”
“Quit,” he said, anticipating what she would say. “You should rest, and be with me. Let me look after you now.”
She smiled. She didn’t want to argue with that.
He bundled her up in his arms and carried her across the threshold, laying her on his beautiful, antique four-poster bed. She looked around; she had never seen his bedroom before. It contained several pieces of varnished wooden furniture, matching the mahogany of the bed frame. The red, silken covers felt magnificent against her skin. It had been an extremely long day and all that she wanted to do was sleep. Without another word, they both crawled under the sheets and fell asleep straight away.
There was nowhere she would rather be than curled up, safe, in his arms.
*****
AFTER THE MEETING WITH the elders, Kara stayed at the house with the other dragons, where she would wait till the full moon. But the other dragons avoided her.
“Until you undergo the change, they won’t trust you. You will be one of us soon enough, and they will realize why I love you so much,” said Blaine.
Nevertheless, the night of the full moon came all too quickly. That night, the other dragons all wore cloaks of their individual colors. Blaine told her that the color of their robe corresponds to the color of their scales in dragon form. From looking at the assortment of shades, Kara could only imagine how beautiful they would look flying through the sky together. They surrounded her in the clearing that had been selected for the ritual to take place.
Once everyone was in position, Blaine knelt down. His skin surged, revealing scale after scale, purple in color. His limbs extended, and fingers morphed into long talons. In seconds Kara saw herself face to face with the creature she had so often dreamt of. Her glorious dragon king stood forth, letting a stream of flame escape his jaws, flickering through the night sky.
“Are you both ready?” Esmerelda asked. Blaine and Kara had been preparing for days, they were as ready as they ever could be at that moment.
“Yes,” they replied in unison and the ceremony began.
Kara started reciting the ancient texts, just as she had memorized them. They had spent so long ensuring she knew them back to front, because one wrong word and she would die in a shower of flame. Blaine bowed toward her, assuring her that she wouldn’t fail, and she trusted him wholeheartedly. His gigantic reptilian legs pushed his body from the ground; she continued to recite as she watched his wings catch the evening breeze, lifting him into the air. With her head directed toward the sky, he did not distract her from the task at hand.
Her life depended on reciting the texts flawlessly.
Everyone present looked on with baited breath as he circled overhead. His body blocked out the moon as he flew around her. Once the three loops were accomplished, he dove down, flying straight at her. She finished her words just in time as he blasted her with a fireball, surrounding her with flame. Kara was surprised as she thought that this part would be extremely painful for her, but instead the fire stroked her bare flesh, disintegrating the white, silk robe she wore for the ritual, which matched those of the elders attending. She sunk to the ground and her vision went black.
They all watched on in shock, as the smoke cleared it revealed a pile of ashes with Kara’s charred remains perched on top. Blaine, filled with dismay, morphed back to human form, running toward the spot in the woods where she lay. Tears rolled down his cheek, thinking that she was gone forever.
“Stand back, please. She is changing,” Esmerelda said.
Suddenly, Kara’s body rose. Breaking through the burnt flesh a bright green wing emerged, spreading for the first time. The rest of her earthly body melted away, exposing the new dragon that had joined them. She roared, pointing her head up to the night sky, marveling at the immense power she felt as a beast. Her green scales glistened in the light of the full moon, fresh and clean. With one swift motion, she took to the air for the first time. Gliding over the tree tops, she was free.
Two days had passed. Kara was still at the dragon house, but the others no longer avoided her. Her body had fully recovered from the change to dragon form, which had drained her energy. Her job as a waitress was a memory now.
It was morning. Blaine entered their bedroom, following a long and boring meeting with the elders in the sanctuary. Kara, and all of the other dragon people not of royal blood, could not sit in on the meetings, not that she had any desire to.
“How was your morning?” she asked him innocently. He rolled his eyes.
“It was fine, I am so glad to be back here with you though.”
He approached her on the bed and caressed her six-month pregnant stomach, feeling for his unborn dragon child. She kissed his forehead tenderly.
She treasured every second that she had with him. In the time they had known each other, she grew to love him more and more with each passing day.
Soon their innocent embrace became more passionate and intense. All too quickly they both stripped down and were wrapped in each other’s arms on the floor of the room. Blaine still had a hand pressed against the baby within her, and her hand held his. She felt safe in his embrace, and now that she had undertaken the change she was no longer worried about the birth. For the first time since they had conceived, Kara and Blaine made love, exploring each other’s naked bodies once more, touching and caressing every inch of skin that was laid out before them. The child pushed on her stomach, reaching for its father through her flesh.
Finally he mounted her and thrust inside, her back rubbing against the wooden boards beneath. She moaned as his erection moved within her, toward their unborn son. She felt herself shifting between dragon and human form, scales appearing over small sections of her skin before dissolving back into her. The baby moved with them, for the first time she was sure she felt his tiny, scaled tail rubbing against her inside. Blaine sucked at her neck, with one hand feeling her growing breasts. Kara felt total bliss.
He continued to move faster within her. His hand moved up her body to grasp her face and bring it in towards his own. He pressed his mouth firmly to hers, parting his lips slightly to caress her tongue with his own. She responded by pulling her body closer to his, her arms around his muscular back, arching her back with pleasure as they came together, both moaning as their orgasm took hold of them.
*****
THREE MONTHS ON, SHE had gotten used to both her pregnancy and her new shifter powers. She enjoyed transforming, and dashing through the forest around their home with Blaine, their scales grazing the tree bark as they ran at fifty miles an hour, wings withdrawn as to not damage them on overhanging branches. In her dragon form she could take a break from the aching feet and other pains that came with carrying a child. She felt free. She was free, freer than she had ever been.
Not only had she adapted to all the extreme physical changes she had undergone in the last few months, but to her delight the elders had finally begun to accept her as one of their own. She was no longer the outsider, pregnant with the bastard child of their King. She was one of them: a dragon shifter, a creature she once thought had only existed in fairytales. But all too quickly her due date arrived. The dragon within her decided he was ready to enter the world.
One morning Blaine found her, hunched over the bed in pain, grasping her stomach as her muscles clenched together, forcing the child from the comfort of her womb. Her contractions began to get closer and closer together. Kara screamed at the excruciating pain she felt. As she moaned in agony her scales pulsed, appearing for seconds at a time in random sections on her body. She looked down to see the unborn child within her scratching at her stomach from the inside, claws visible through the thin layer of skin and muscle that separated him from the real world.
“Please, get Blaine, I need him here,” she screamed, her claws morphed and dug into the side of the bed on which she lay.
“We have to get you to the birthing chamber now, Kara!” one of the elders called from the distance. Kara was in no state to respond and soon she was being carried by several people through the long hallways to the underground section of the sanctuary. She had never been allowed down there before.
They burst through a rickety wooden door and laid her gently on what felt like a stone slab covered by a sheet.
“It won’t be long now, sweetie,” said Abigail, one of the elders.
Abigail held Kara’s hand as she pushed and pushed, praying this monster child within her would get out and stop this crippling pain.
“I can see him now,” said Abigail, her voice echoing around the room. At that moment Blaine burst through the door and hurried to her side.
“I came as soon as I could, honey. You are doing so well,” he said.
He tightly grasped her hand, giving her courage and strength to muster one final push. She felt the baby slide out of her and into the arms of someone else.
“He is perfect,” Blaine cooed.
Kara looked up to see Abigail holding a tiny bundle of reptilian flesh and blood, wrapped in a soft blue baby blanket. Kara held out her arms, tired and sweating. Blaine brought the newborn over to her and they sat on the bed in silence, staring down at their perfect little dragon prince.
This was not the adventure that she had dreamed of; it wasn’t a path she could have ever imagined she would take. But she sat there in the midst of her new family and was happy at last. Caressing the forehead of her new son, Kara finally felt at peace. She had finally been accepted by his people as one of their own. She found herself part of an ancient dragon clan, in love with their King, and having given birth to a dragon prince.
It was a new, wonderful adventure.
THE END
