Her Dragon Professor Page 22

  She looked up at him. “So you’re saying I have this ‘genetic trait’ that you mentioned?”

  “Yes,” he said. “It has been passed down to you through your lineage. You are descended from ancient Aztec women who had once been companions to our people – including one whom the natives came to call ‘Quetzalcoatl.’”

  “The feathered serpent,” Melinda murmured.

  As a child, her abuela had gifted her with a book of Mexican fairy tales. Melinda’s favorite story had been one about Quetzalcoatl, a god who sometimes appeared as a winged serpent – a dragon? – and sometimes as a white man. Quetzalcoatl had been attributed with teaching the Aztecs how to farm.

  She gave a bemused snort. “Looks like all those stories about ‘ancient astronauts’ are true. We really were being visited by aliens.”

  “We established a symbiotic relationship with the human women of Earth in our time there,” Athan said.

  His brow became pinched. “But over time, something changed. We became hated. The people rose up against us. Those who did not flee were met with death. They also killed anyone who aligned with us, starting with the Oracles of Life. In our search for the genetic match we require, we found ourselves drawn back to Earth. We were surprised to find the trait still existed there. Apparently, someone had survived to pass along the gene.”

  Athan stopped walking. “Ah! Here we are.”

  He inclined his head toward a wall and a portal opened.

  Melinda peered inside before taking a cautious step over the threshold. She looked around. The room looked like it had been decorated by someone stuck on the whole ‘pink is for girls’ mentality. The tiled floor had a coral cast to it, the walls a dusty rose; even the lighting had a faint pink tint to it. Plush reclining couches, low tables, and thick rugs dotted the large chamber.

  On some of the tables, she saw bowls of recognizable fruit – apples, grapes, oranges – next to trays containing bricks of cheese and loaves of bread. A tall, slender pitcher stood beside an ornate goblet.

  “Looks like you were expecting me,” Melinda remarked. “Although if you were really doing your homework, you’d know that I can be won over more easily by a pepperoni pizza, extra cheese.” She glanced at Athan, who looked at her quizzically. “Just kidding.”

  In the center of the room, was a large, beautiful bed. It was a canopy bed with huge pillars on all four corners that stretched upwards probably ten feet towards the huge ceiling, white and opaque bright. It was almost hypnotic to watch the post moving up towards that blank light.

  And farther on the other side of the huge room, she saw an image of the circle, but it was in a different room. It was like she was staring at a miniaturized version of another world right there. It was lined with candles that sparkled brightly in the already bright room, but the flame was a beautiful emerald green color that shimmered hypnotically mingling with the other light in the room. It was breathtaking and it called out to her somehow, as if reaching some primitive place inside of her. Like it was meant for her to be a part of it.

  “So, you expect me to ‘bless’ all of your males? The idea sounds a bit like a group activity I may not be fond of...”

  Athan laughed. “No, you misunderstand. We do not merge quite the way you do. The entire event is spiritual; not physical.”

  “So, I would just have to sit in this circle and it just all happens naturally?”

  “Yes,” Athan said. “You would become our new Oracle of Life.”

  Melinda turned to face him. “Is this going to kill me?” she asked, point blank.

  He shook his head solemnly. “No. You may feel tired afterward, but you would be given ample time to rest and recover.”

  “How often would I have to do it?”

  “At this time, there are over two thousand Volosians left in existence. You would be required to bless each one every two cycles – the equivalent of four of your Earth months – for a period of three years.”

  She nodded. “And then what?” she asked. “Will you take me back home?”

  “If it is what you desire, yes,” Athan said. “But if you find you enjoy life on Volos, where you will be treated as royalty for the rest of your days, widely respected and adored, then you will be welcomed to stay.”

  “What’s the catch?”

  “’Catch?’”

  “Yeah,” Melinda said. “There’s an old Earth saying: ‘if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.’ Nothing is ever free. There’s always some hidden detail, something they never tell you, and down the line they’ll reveal it was written in the fine print if you’d bothered to read it.”

  She brushed her messy braid off her shoulder and folded her arms across her ample breasts. “What if I decide I want out of this contract? Or am I locked in with no escape clause?”

  Athan smiled at her again. “I will tell you this,” he said. “You are free to choose, at any time, to return home. We can take you back right now. If you decide to help us but change your mind once we reach Volos, we ask that you stay for at least one cycle while we seek a replacement. In that time, you could still save many lives. Remember that you are not only preserving an entire species, you are also allowing us to continue our work, amassing knowledge from every corner of the universe.”

  “Nothing like a little extra pressure…” Melinda sighed. She sucked on her lower lip for a moment, considering. “Is there any chance I could see this library you’ve been putting together? You’ve really got me curious about it, now.”

  “If that is what you wish,” he said and bowed his head.

  Melinda continued to hesitate. “Can I have a little time to consider it?” she asked.

  “Of course.” Athan turned and started for the door. “I will leave you to your privacy, now. If there is anything you desire, there is a control panel on the table next to the bowl of fruit. The panel has been coded to recognize Human genetic patterns. Touch it, and anything you request will manifest before you.” He paused to give her a final parting nod. “I will return periodically to ascertain your well-being.”

  “Thank you.” Melinda watched him pass through the wall, the door opening, and closing again, leaving no trace of its existence. Sighing, she pivoted to take in her surroundings again. “It's official: this has been the weirdest, most fucked-up day of my life.”

  She looked at the table with the fruit on it. Curious, she wandered over to it and yet did not see any ‘panel’ on the surface.

  “Maybe it’s like the doors,” she said aloud, passing her hand around the table. “You just can’t see it, but it’s there.”

  A section of the tabletop lit up as her fingers brushed over it. She sat down on the sofa. Hmm…what to ask for, first? With a grin, she said, “Large pepperoni pizza with extra cheese.”

  A flash of light off to her left made her jump. Twisting around, she saw something on the neighboring table: a pepperoni pizza. Her eyes widened. “Holy shit,” she breathed.

  She started to get up, only to glance down at her soiled clothing. She looked over at the tub. A bath sounds good, she thought, but I need something clean to wear, afterward. “Clothes,” she said, then added quickly, “something comfortable.”

  A golden light enveloped her hand as it rested on the control panel; it traveled up her arm. Melinda’s eyes widened as it began to move over her body, all the way down to her toes before retreating.

  Another flash of light, this time to her right; to her surprise, it turned out to be her favorite pair of pajamas – or at least a really good replica – along with underpants and a pair of fuzzy ankle socks, folded and stacked in a neat pile.

  Every night when she got home from work, she would have dinner, take a shower and then climb into a pair of soft cotton pajamas and fuzzy socks.

  Melinda laughed, amazed. “Are you serious?” She reached over, cautious, and ran her fingers over the material. It felt real. “Wow.” She looked at the panel again. “I could really have some fun with this thing. But first…” />
  Pushing up from the sofa, she walked over to the table with the pizza. Hot, like it had just come out of the oven, cheese stretching for miles, thin crust… She pulled up a slice and took a bite. “Oh.” She groaned around her mouthful. “Oh my God, that’s incredible. Mm. This Oracle gig is starting to look pretty damn good.”

  She finished off the slice and began undressing. Her uniform shirt came off first, her skin sticky underneath where the soda had soaked through.

  Kicking off her shoes, she slid her dark blue slacks down, along with her purple cotton panties and socks. She reached back to unhook her bra, letting out a loud sigh of relief as she pulled it away from her body. “Oh God, I’ve been waiting all day to do that!” she groaned. Rubbing her now liberated breasts, she headed over to the tub in the far corner of the room. It appeared to be a large Jacuzzi. It had been so long since she’d enjoyed a soak in one of those.

  The water bubbled gently. Gingerly, Melinda proceeded down the steps. Tiny but powerful jets beckoned to her. She put her back up against them and sighed again. “Oh, that feels so good.”

  The Volosians saw her as beautiful and wanted to treat her like a queen. She would have access to a library that rivaled the one at Alexandria.

  Shit, she thought, for all you know, these people built the Library at Alexandria! All she had to do in exchange was save an entire race from extinction.

  “And they said I’d never amount to anything,” she said smugly.

  Chapter Five

  Luxuriating in the sunken tub, Melinda had time to reflect on everything that had happened to her over the past few hours.

  I wonder if Brandi’s worried about me? She brushed off the thought. Brandi had a new life ahead of her, soon to be married – even if he is a jerk – and a baby on the way. Melinda did not figure in that plan.

  She thought about her family and how much she would miss them over the next few years if she decided to stay on and do this. For them, they would never know she was gone because she would be returned to the moment in time that she had been taken, or at least that was her understanding. Her family had its problems, but so did everybody’s and they didn’t always agree with her decisions but she loved them all the same. Three years would be a long time to stay away from them, even if she was doing more important work than anyone could ever dream of and that she would never be able to tell anyone about unless she wanted to spend her days in the mental hospital. But that’s not true, she thought. According to Athan, I am special. I possess something no one else on Earth has, and with it I can grant people new life. She chuckled to herself. Careful, you don’t want to develop a God Complex. She lifted her foot out of the water and wriggled her toes. Although it might be nice to be able to smite someone once in a while…

  Reaching up, Melinda began unbraiding her hair. She combed her fingers through the tangles until it hung around her face and draped her shoulders in long, thick waves.

  Taking a deep breath, she held her nose and immersed herself completely in the water.

  When she surfaced again, she opened her eyes – and saw Roth standing beside the tub. “Fuck!” Melinda said, shrinking back in alarm. Instinctively, she crossed an arm over her chest and pulled her knees up to conceal her nakedness.

  “What are you doing in here?” she demanded angrily. “Get out!”

  Roth made no move to leave. He stood there, head tilted, staring down at her like a hawk watching a rabbit.

  “I mean it!” Melinda began to feel nervous. She chalked it up to being so exposed, even submerged up to her neck. And maybe because he’s intimidating and seems to think you’re worthless… “Get out of here, before I call Athan.”

  That got a reaction. Roth responded with a dry snort. “Athan,” he echoed. He smirked. “He has not told you everything.”

  Despite being shaken by the intrusion on her privacy, that got her attention. “What are you talking about?” Melinda asked, wary.

  “The ‘choice’ you have been given,” Roth said. “It is a lie. There is more to the ritual that is expected of you, more duties that you must perform as an Oracle of Life.”

  As he spoke, he took a step down into the tub, fully clothed. Melinda’s eyes widened. “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “In the ancient times, Volosian women were the Oracles of Life,” Roth continued.

  Another step down. “The Volosian males bred with them, to produce offspring and to maintain longevity.”

  His long coat began to float around him; he reached up to remove it, shrugging free and tossing it aside with a wet slap of leather on marble.

  The whole time, he stared into Melinda’s eyes. “That was before the Great Plague, a terrible sickness that affected only the females of our species. It killed some, but the ones who lived were left barren—without the ability to reproduce. We searched the galaxy for a cure to this as our numbers dwindled, but there is no cure. Until we stumbled onto the fact that certain human females possess the necessary qualities and special abilities to mate with members of our own species and reproduce offspring.”

  “Okay, Athan didn’t tell me that,” Melinda admitted. “What’s your point?”

  “As I said, we could find no other women in our planetary system compatible with us, and so we began to widen our search. When we reached your Earth, we found a select number of human females who possessed a particular genetic trait which made them partially compatible with our race. They became our new Oracles of Life, our companions, and our courtesans. However, not all Oracles gave of their power willingly. They had to be restrained. When the Time of Blessing neared, they would enter a trance, one which left them subdued for the duration of the ritual.”

  ‘Restrained?’ ‘Subdued?’ Melinda blinked. “Why are you telling me this?” she asked. “You were the one who abducted me – why would you suddenly warn me that I’m going to be tied down and forced to do this? Because I was told I do have a say in the matter.”

  “I am a Hunter-Warrior,” Roth said. “I was sent out to find you, and bring you back. That was my assignment.”

  Melinda snorted, keeping her arms folded over her breasts. “‘Hunter Warrior?’ Sounds more like a hunting dog. You’re a glorified retriever. A warrior keeps what he hunts, while a dog just serves his master.” She smirked, looking Roth over. “It’s pretty clear to me that Athan is the one in charge – so what does that make you?”

  She watched as Roth’s nostrils flared and his iridescent eyes sparked with blue fire.

  “I am no one’s dog,” he said, proud and indignant. “If I want something, I take it.”

  Without warning, he reached out with one hand and hooked Melinda around the back of her neck, strong fingers knotting in her thick, wet hair. She let out another startled gasp before he hauled her in and crushed his lips to hers in a hard kiss.

  At first, Melinda tensed, afraid – but the instant their mouths locked together, that fear melted away. Her arms, braced against his broad chest to hold him off, began to relax. She could feel something deep inside her stirring, a heavy beating like a drum but it was not her heart. Her eyes drifted shut…

  She saw herself standing at the base of a huge, stone temple painted bright blue and adorned with white seashells and serpent heads wreathed in red feathers.

  The temple sat within the walls of a large courtyard and served as home to thousands of people in the heart of a lush, green jungle. The sound of ocarinas and drums filled the air.

  She looked up. The sun hung high overhead, its bright light gleaming off the gold jewelry adorning her neck, wrists, and ankles.

  Two handmaidens approached and draped a cloak of colorful feathers over her shoulders, while a third placed a crown of jade upon her head. They took her hands and began to guide her on the long climb up the steep staircase.

  As she reached the top, a man ducked out of the doorway to the ritual chamber that stood at the top of the pyramid. Like her, he wore a feathered cloak and headdress of red and gold plumage. At his throat hu
ng a necklace, the spiral cross-section of a white shell. He smiled at her, and when she looked into his iridescent blue eyes, she knew him.

  Roth?

  With great reverence, he offered his hand to her. She took it, and he led her inside. At the chamber’s center, beneath a shaft of bright sunlight streaming down through a hole in the ceiling, stood a raised platform covered in flowers and jaguar pelts.

  He shrugged off his cape and removed his crown of feathers, shaking his head briskly to let his white-blond hair fall about his muscular shoulders. He reached for her and gently lifted her cloak, letting it slide off down her arms.

  He leaned in to kiss her lips. She tilted her head back and sighed. As he kissed her, his hands drifted down to tug away the breechcloths covering their lower bodies, leaving them in only their gold adornments. He stroked her voluptuous curves, captivated by the softness of her flesh. Her breasts filled his hands with more to spare. He bent his head to nuzzle their dark brown peaks. She gasped. When he went to his knees before her, she shook her head.

  “No,” she said. “You are a god.”

  “And today you become my goddess,” he replied, smiling up at her before burying his face between her soft thighs and breathing in her scent.

  A moment later, he used his superior strength to lift her up off her feet and deposit her onto the table.

  He climbed up over her and positioned himself. She gazed up into his eyes, the sunlight behind him creating an aura around his head, his fair hair and skin glowing bright white.

  She smiled and wrapped her arms and legs around him. Her body welcomed him that first thrust driving a cry of delight from her lips. She felt connected to him in every way – body and mind, heart and soul.

  He leaned down and whispered something to her in his language, and she responded, eyes fluttering in ecstasy with every deep stroke driving into her…