Catherine's eyes fluttered open, and she squinted against the beams of harsh sunlight that were streaming into the cave. The racket of songbirds assaulted her ears, and a weak stream of air, cool with the chill of dawn, played over her exposed legs. She sat up slowly, arching her back in a long, luxurious stretch. The warmth of Adeon's skin was gone from behind her, and as her gaze darted throughout the wide mouth of the cave, she realized that she couldn't see a hint of his presence anywhere. Clutching the edges of the cloak closer to her body to shield herself from the chill, she rose to her feet, toed on her slippers, and made her way to the entrance of the cave.
Gravel crunched under her feet as she crept outside, and she brought one hand to her eyes to shield them from the sunlight as she scanned the skies. She didn't see any large shapes hovering in the blue, nor glimpse the brilliant green of Adeon's scales further down the mountain. Her gaze traveled towards the castle below her, toy-sized in the distance, and she let out a weary sigh. Not for the first time, Catherine wondered how the rest of the kingdom was faring without her. It wasn't as if she was terribly paramount to the goings-on of the city, but in the back of her mind, she was dreadfully curious about whom, exactly, her disappearance had affected. Her father was almost certainly beside himself, she thought, and the very idea left a sizable lump in her throat. She moved a little closer, crossing her arms over her chest as a weak, cool breeze gusted over the rocks and shrubs around her, scattering dust into the wind. If only they could see me, she thought morosely. Just once, to see that I was alright...
Then again, she thought with a miserable smirk, what on earth would she say?
Father, I'm alive! The dragon didn't eat me after all---he only absconded with my virginity. Now we're quite smitten with one another and I do think I'm going to marry him and go live in the mountains forever. Don't worry about the other sacrifices, he's promised not to do it again. He's actually very nice.
Immediately, her brows furrowed in confusion. What
had
happened to the other girls...?
"Going somewhere?" a familiar voice inquired from several paces to her right, and Catherine's eyes widened as she spun to face the source of the noise. Adeon, still in his human form, emerged from behind a large rock, his eyes narrowed in fierce suspicion. To Catherine's immense surprise, he was clad in a loose, deep red shirt that contrasted fantastically with his acid-green eyes, a black hat adorned with a magnificent white plume, and a pair of black trousers. He was even wearing a pair of black leather boots, laced up the sides. She gawked at him for a moment, but then regained her composure.
"I don't really think I'm going anywhere dressed like this," she answered quickly, plucking at the fabric of the cape. "I'm sorry, I just...I didn't see you when I woke up. I wondered where you had gone..." His expression softened, and Catherine watched in fascination as he raised his hand to run his fingers through his long, white hair. Dressed like this, he looked like a young nobleman, albeit a very tall one. Absentmindedly, she wondered where he had found clothes that fit him so well.
"Forgive me," he murmured apologetically, casting his eyes downwards. "It was rude of me to assume..." He trailed off and gave her an odd look, following her gaze down the front of his shirt. "...What?" he asked, clearly puzzled. Catherine's lips split into a wide grin.
"You look rather dashing," she admitted, feeling a faint heat creep up her cheeks. He regarded her with amusement, although Catherine could have sworn she saw a hint of bashfulness taint his air of easy confidence, if only for a fraction of a second.
"I don't know what you expect to gain from your shameless flirting," he teased, flashing her that brilliant grin, the one that was just for her.
"Surely you can see the irony in accusing
me
of shamelessly flirting..."
"I don't flirt. I merely make very honest observations." He frowned. "Aren't you cold?"
"Frigid," Catherine agreed, rubbing the sides of her arms, and he shooed her away with his left hand.
"Inside," he demanded in a serious tone that was offset by an excited smile. "I have a surprise for you," he added. She regarded him strangely for a moment, but then turned on her heel and pranced back into the cavern.
The air was only a little warmer inside, and she stood in wait for him near the back wall. After a few moments Adeon strode inside, a large, blue fabric sack slung casually over one shoulder. Catherine's brow furrowed in confusion as he lowered the sack to the ground, and he watched her in amusement. "Curious little thing, aren't you?" he chuckled, and she smiled weakly. Although it could have contained anything, it worried her that the bag was decidedly person-sized. He loosened the ties at the mouth of it and rooted through it, and then held up a swath of sky-blue fabric with his long, tapered fingers. Catherine raised a hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp, hoping it was what she thought it was. "I thought it would be stunning with your eyes," he told her, his eyes dancing.
"Is that a dress?" she breathed, moving closer. He offered it to her and she took it, watching in awe as the fabric cascaded down to its full length. It seemed rather soft and slinky, and its folds caught the light beautifully. "Adeon, it's...it's gorgeous," she choked out, clutching it to her chest. "Let me put it---" She was cut off as he scooped her into his arms and began to carry her down the passage that led deeper into the cave. "What are you doing?" she cried indignantly, and he pressed a hard kiss to her forehead.
"You'll see," he confided in a conspiratorial whisper, and Catherine watched in confusion as they passed through the treasure room and entered yet another passage. He took a right turn into a wide-mouthed cavern, and Catherine's eyes widened in awe.
A small hole in the ceiling of the cave let in a thin stream of morning sunlight that was reflecting off of a huge pool of crystal-clear water. Crystals and stones the color of amethyst and quartz jutted out from the walls of the cave and sparkled from inside the pool, making light dance around the cavern. The temperature inside was a little warmer than the rest, and the ceiling was high and domed.
"Oh Gods," she breathed. "It's incredible."
"Wondrous, isn't it?" he agreed cheerfully, setting her gently down on the ground. He then ducked down to busy himself with the ties of her cloak, sliding it off her shoulders. The warm air flitted over her bare skin in the most delicious way. "Join me for a bath?"
"Yes, please," she sighed, folding the dress and setting it on top of the cloak, then sliding off her slippers. She had been dreaming of water and soap since yesterday, and as she dipped a toe into the water, the warmth of it sent goosebumps crawling up her legs. "Oh," she moaned in delight. "It's so warm!" She shivered contentedly and slowly slid herself into the water, sighing as she was swallowed up by its warmth and clinging to the edge of the pool to steady herself. It was shallow in this area, but near the center of it, it seemed darker and much deeper. At the other end of the cave, the ceiling stooped down and the water let out through a tiny, creek-like crevasse in the wall. She let out a cry of surprise that echoed loudly as he leapt in without warning, splashing her with hot drops of water and going under for a few seconds. He re-emerged suddenly, silvery tendrils of wet hair streaming down his face.
"It's a hot spring," he told her, floating back towards her and leaning against the wall next to her. She looked down and saw the string of pearls around her neck floating against the water, and quickly unclasped both the necklaces from her neck and set them on the rock floor behind her. "Perfectly clean and untouched...for the most part, anyway. It might not be a fancy bath with soaps and perfumes, but it's something." She took a deep breath and submerged herself under the water, scrubbing at her scalp with her fingernails to clean herself and letting out a sigh once she rose to the surface. The water smelled slightly of sulfur and minerals, but in a good way, and she leaned against the wall of and stared at the bottom of the pool, where crystals sparkled and shone. Her long, wet hair hung heavily past her shoulders. The sensation of bathing after two days was marvelous.
"It's perfect," she said blissfully, scrubbing her arms with her fingers. He kissed her cheek and closed his eyes, tilting his head back to lean against the wall with his forearms propped up on the floor behind them, and she watched him curiously. He seemed so at peace. His fierce, aloof demeanor had diminished and had become soft and teasing and loving, and he was far from the desperate creature, toeing on the brink of madness, that he had turned into the night before.
Mine.
A shiver ran up her spine as she recalled the frantic, proprietary way he had run his tongue in that slow lick over her lips, and the way his eyes had burned with wanting, as if she was the last thing he would ever see. He had been so intense, almost dangerous. He gazed at her from the corner of his eye, and their eyes met as he caught her staring.
"Something on your mind?" he murmured. She smiled, shrugging and turning her gaze back to the pool.
"You," she said honestly. When she glanced back up at him, he raised an eyebrow inquiringly.
"Oh?"
"Yes."
"Anything in particular?" he asked curiously, bringing his face closer to hers. She bit her lip.
"You seem...different," she said slowly, choosing her words carefully. He watched her solemnly, his hand reaching up to stroke her cheek.
"I fear that you've done something to me," he said softly. "Something great and terrible. And worse still, I'm starting to find that I like it." Her heart leapt into her throat at his words and the intensity of his gaze, and they stared at each other for several moments, her eyes wide with surprise, until she nervously leaned forward and gently kissed the tip of his nose. He seemed to unwind visibly in front of her, his shoulders sloping downwards drowsily, and, as if he were in a trance, he moved in front of her to wrap her in his arms. Leaning down, he nestled his head in the crook of her neck, and she hesitantly wound her arms around his torso to run her fingers down his back, stroking his spine and the length of his neck. A soft sigh of relief escaped his lips in a rush of breath, his eyes closing, and they stayed like that for several minutes. He then began to trail a line of kisses up her throat, pausing at her ear. "I can't wait," he whispered, the mischief returning to his tone, "to see you in that dress."
"Do you take some sick sort of pleasure in dressing me up?" she giggled, her nervousness subsiding, and he laughed, catching her earlobe gently in his teeth.
"And I'm sure the entire ordeal is simply
