Page 9 of Stolen By Dragons

A cool breeze caught my attention, and I focused on the set of glass doors leading to the balcony, one of them open.

Time to get a good look around.

The view took my breath away.

I was high up, much higher than I'd realized. The balcony overlooked a vast courtyard, different from the one where Eirian had deposited me earlier. This one was lush with strange, colorful plants and dotted with fountains that sparkled in the sunlight.

But it was what lay beyond the courtyard that truly stunned me.

Stretching out as far as I could see was what looked like... a kingdom. Buildings of various sizes and architectural styles I couldn't begin to describe sprawled out from the base of the Dragon Keep. Some were tall and spindly, others squat and domed. All of them seemed to glow with a faint, inner light.

Between and around the buildings, I saw trees. Massive trees, their canopies creating a patchwork of green and gold that must have hidden this entire settlement from above. No wonder I hadn't seen any of this when Eirian was carrying me here.

I gripped the balcony railing, my knuckles turning white. The sheer scale of this place... it wasn't just a castle or a fortress. It was an entire world.

A world I was now trapped in.

The balcony was far too high to even consider jumping. Not that I would – where would I go? I was a stranger in a strange land, with no idea how to navigate this alien landscape or its inhabitants.

I reached out with one hand, gasping and jumping back as a strange magical forcefield stopped me from reaching too far out. It was warm to the touch, and sent tingles of pink ripples through the air before they dispersed. So, jumping would be impossible anyway. I was sure maybe some of my shifter companions or vampires would test out these barriers. What else had Elowen said? Fae?

I shook my head at the insaneness of it all.

As overwhelming as it all was, I couldn't deny the tiny spark of excitement burning in my chest. There was a whole new world to discover, secrets to uncover, and mysteries to solve. And damn it, I was going to figure it all out.

Starting with grilling Chris for every bit of information he had about this hidden supernatural world. I headed back into my room and glanced at the clock on the wall, watching the minutes tick by until our meeting. One thing was for sure – life was never going to be the same again. Not with all this information.

I had over twenty minutes until I was supposed to meet Chris, and a million questions swirling in my head.

As I sat down on the bed, the reality of my situation hit me all at once. I was in another world, surrounded by creatures I'd thought were myths, with no idea how or when I'd get home.

Whatever was going on here, whatever I was part of now, I was determined to understand it.

I didn’t really have a choice.

4

ARIA

Isat in one of the plush armchairs in the communal area, my legs tucked under me as Christopher explained the intricacies of the supernatural world. I absently twirled a strand of my hair around my finger as I tried to absorb the flood of information about vampires, werewolves, fae, and a dozen other creatures I'd thought existed only in fiction. Shifters of all kinds were real, mainly predator types, and I’d asked about centaurs and whatnot, but he was sure they were a real myth.

The soft glow of the ambient lighting cast shadows across Christopher's face, emphasizing the sharp angles of his jawline and the intensity in his hazel eyes as he spoke. Looking at him more now, it would be difficult to lie about how damn handsome he looked in a rugged way. His jaw was littered with stubble, and I vaguely wondered if they’d provide a razor for him. Hell, would they give me one for my legs and whatnot?

"So, wait," I said, holding up a hand. "You're telling me that not only do all these... supes exist, but they've been living among humans this whole time?"

Christopher nodded, a wry smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Pretty much. We've gotten pretty good at hiding in plain sight over the centuries." He ran a hand through his shaggy hair. The movement drew my attention to his biceps and pecs, his shirt pulling tight over the muscles beneath. With his broad, linebacker-like build, he cut an impressive figure. "It's not always easy, but it's necessary for our survival."

I was about to ask more when a movement caught my eye. I looked up to see a lithe, almost ethereal-looking man enter the communal area. His pointed ears and otherworldly grace immediately made me think 'fae.' He moved with a fluid grace that seemed almost unnatural, his feet barely seeming to touch the ground. His clean-shaven face accentuated his otherworldly features, making him look even more mystical. My old love for Legolas flared, and I watched him approach.

"Ah, I see a werewolf is giving the human a crash course in Supernatural 101," he said, his voice musical and light, with an accent I couldn't quite place. "Mind if I join? I'm Zephyr, by the way."

"Aria," I replied, still entranced by his looks. "And please, join us. I have a feeling I need all the help I can get to understand... well, everything." He hadn’t been the only one with that mystical beauty, hell, most of them were incredibly good-looking to the point I was feeling slightly self-conscious. The only reason I wasn’t feeling it more was because of how overwhelmed I was.

Zephyr perched on the arm of a nearby sofa, his movements as graceful as a cat's. "Well, you've come to the right place. Between a werewolf and a fae, we should be able to cover most of your questions." His eyes, I noticed, were an impossible shade of green, with flecks of gold that seemed to shift and dance in the light. The effect was mesmerizing, especially against his smooth, unblemished skin.

Just then, another figure entered the room. Tall, dark, and impossibly handsome, he moved with a predatory grace that sent a shiver down my spine. I noticed both Christopher and Zephyr tense up, their casual postures suddenly alert and wary. The newcomer passed by without so much as a glance in our direction, heading straight for the dining hall.

As soon as he was out of sight, I turned to my companions. "Okay, what was that about? What was he?”