Small Talk

"You couldn't fully wake me up first?" Kendra said finally looking at him, he was a bit surprised at the humor in her voice. He thought he'd be met with a bit more anger even if she'd said yes. He'd been rather impatient and took more than not.

"No, I liked this a lot more." He said his gaze moving over her body. He didn't really care if she was still working with the enemy. He knew that if he wanted her again he'd have her. So many red flags that they were both ignoring. It was nice to just do and not think.

"Somehow it doesn't surprise me." She said feeling his gaze like a hot brand. His body was still in hers and he still held her there below him. She felt rather exposed but enjoyed the look he had on his face. He seemed to enjoy looking at her.

"Figured me out?" He said with a kind of smile on his face. He lowered his head and took her breast into his mouth. Her body instantly reacted gripping him. Xerxes bit harder than he meant to at the feel of her body growing tighter around him. She moaned and squirmed a bit.

"Sort of." His eyes met hers for a moment. He moved then, pulling from her and moving to sit. Kendra felt the loss instantly and leaned up as well. She moved then and grabbed some of the covers to wrap around herself.

"Why are you covering yourself?" He asked and seemed to be curious. "Not like you have anything to be ashamed of."

"How about simple modesty?" She said moving a hand through her hair, it was a large mess at the moment. Xerxes looked her over and she met his gaze.

"Where did my clothes go anyways? I would have felt you take them off." He just gave her a slight smile and with a slight motion of his hand he had pants on but nothing else.

"That is not fair," Kendra said her eyes narrowing. What the hell? He just used magic? He shrugged and didn't seem to really care if it was or not. Her reaction was refreshing and didn't take away from the high he felt, she just went with it. Very nice and better than he expected.

"Where have your humans gone?" He asked looking toward the door. No one was awake to hear them or close enough. He couldn't remember if they had been overly loud or not.

"To look out for you." She cleared her throat. "To look at your mountain." He turned his head back to her and Xerxes felt Zani stir. He'd been very content and calm at the moment feeling the same euphoria that Xerxes had but a twinge of fear hit him.

'What if they…' Zani's first thought for his unhatched mate.

'They can't, it's a two days hike for humans to even get to the base of our mountain. And nearly ten thousand feet to our entrance assuming no storms or overly icy conditions. The climb would take them weeks.' This calmed Zani. Xerxes' logic was sound.

"They what?" Xerxes said to her out loud. Kendra moved a bit reaching out.

"Please don't run off to kill them, they aren't planning on climbing." She said her hand gripping his arm. He took her wrist and moved it from him.

"If there was a threat to your home would you allow it?"

"No, but if you rush out now they will know that it is extremely important to you. When they have nothing on you right now. They'll go after the one thing that doesn't let you think clearly." He knew that she was right, he looked toward the window. He'd have to go and make sure that the mountainside there was treacherous even for experienced climbers to trek.

"These humans grow too ambitious."

'Where is their home?' Zani asked Kendra mentally. She looked around the room like she might see him. She glanced back at Xerxes and then at the tattoo on his skin eyeing him slightly.

"A very long way from here. That place is very protected, and they have many mythical beings held there." She sighed and it was clear that it bothered her.

"Then why help them?" Xerxes still did not get why.

"If I don't, I'd be in a cage right next to the others." She said looking down at her hands. "I might not be powerful like you are, but I'm not human. In the end, I'm a threat." She knew her place even if humans saw her as less.

'They are wrong you know. Your species is very powerful, you control others. If they only knew the potential you possess…' Zani said and she looked at them. She shrugged, not really concerned with it. Not really believing her species is powerful.

"It won't be long before they come after you, however. It might not be so smart to stay up in that cave." She warned and again touched him. Kendra touched Xerxes side where the tattoo was feeling the need there more than not.

"Perhaps we should leave it for a time," Xerxes said out loud looking down at her. She had a concerned look on her face as she touched his side. He puzzled at it but felt her bleeding a kind of peace to Zani, he was grateful to her for it.

'No', Zani said in a sad tone and then without warning pulled from Xerxes' body. Kendra was in complete shock and jerked back.

'I can't, you know we can't.' He said only to Xerxes. Zani was highly agitated and started pacing. 'If I leave she will wane, she's barely there.' It was one of the reasons they had come back. He'd felt her weakening. Not wanting to stay so they came back. Kendra was silent seeming to know they were having a private mental conversation for a moment. Xerxes felt his throat tightening, Zani's pain his own.

"At least don't use the one entrance they watch." She said.

"If they don't see us using it, they will gather the courage to go and investigate it." He said and wiped a hand over his face.

'We will set guards. We could move her to someplace else.'

'She's fragile, what if she can't take the cold of the outside world? The temperature of the cave is about as cool as she can take it. Xerxes, I'm dying inside over this.' Zani stated and that meant he wanted Xerxes to stop pushing him at the moment.

Kendra could feel the pain radiating from the dragon. It hit her like nothing else could. The pain in him told her that they were not heartless. That they cared for things and there was something very important to them in that cave. She moved having to, and touched Zani. He calmed for a moment and then snapped at her, a blue spark showing.

"I'm sorry, I just feel your pain. It's so sharp," she said and he paced some more and then plopped down on the floor. She glanced toward the door but no one was awake still. However, Kendra thought she heard movement.

'We will figure it out.' Xerxes assured him. 'I swear it on my life.' Zani looked at him and then they all heard someone moving down the hall. Kendra stood and Zani moved over becoming part of Xerxes again.

"That's just too… weird." She said moving to grab clothes. Judging by the weight of the person walking, it was Derrick. Xerxes moved toward the window.

"If you do not wish to help the humans anymore. Find ways to hinder them without exposing yourself." Xerxes said. "We will be moving to take care of such groups. You aren't on their side Kendra." He said and went out just as the sound of a knock came on her door. Kendra let out a rush of breath, no she wasn't. Not with what just happened, not with the fact she wanted it to happen again. However, she moved toward her bedroom door to answer the knock.