Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 69119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 346(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 346(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
He still wasn’t getting it.
I edged closer, eyes narrowed. “If you scream, you’ll give away our location. My camouflage only works if we’re silent.”
He looked at me, unflinching. “If you’re done explaining things I already understand, we should go.”
I tsked. “So confident now.” That would change the moment we hit the skies.
I stepped out beside him, close enough to feel the heat that radiated off his skin. It wrapped around me, a temptation and a trap twined together, attempting to coax me closer.
Resisting? Nearly impossible. But resist I did.
Taron lifted my bag without a word, securing it to his back alongside the other. “Where is the camouflage you mentioned?”
“You’re about to find out,” I said, surprised by the simple courtesy.
Facing the night beyond the balcony, I drew a deep breath, held it…still holding…and exhaled. A thick stream of pearlescent smoke billowed into the air, shimmering faintly as it collected around us, becoming a veil no dragon could penetrate. A skill only few of us possessed.
“The dragon version of a cloaking device,” he said. And did I hear a touch of admiration in his voice?
“Your vision will be limited,” I warned. “Jump after me. Do not hesitate.”
“Fine. By the way. I’m not gingerbread-trailing you,” he grumbled.
Maybe. Maybe not. I launched into the void.
Wind tore at my hair. My heart surged. I didn’t need to look back. I felt him follow, a shift in the current behind me. He’d jumped. He’d trusted me. I didn’t know how to feel about that.
With a powerful snap, I unfurled my smokewings. Wind and white mist erupted as my wings hardened. I caught the updraft and rose. A beat later, his weight joined mine in the airstream, his body flat against what looked to be a glittering cloud.
He didn’t scream. Didn’t even grunt. Was he paralyzed with fear?
I twisted into a glide, banking into the silver wash of moonlight, and angled so I could see him better. Taron rested comfortably. He kept a tight hold on the pack straps, his hair wild and wind-whipped. His pupils were blown, stunned, but not masking fear. A hint of a smile curled at his lips.
He enjoys this?
Despite the smoke, our gazes met but didn’t clash. Something sharp caught in my throat. He shouldn’t be able to make out my features, and yet, our eyes locked. A spark flared between us.
I tore my focus away and righted.
We flew in silence the rest of the distance, the only sound the whisper of my wings as the jagged silhouette of the Drachenhorn Mountain Range rose to meet us. The temperature dropped, becoming frigid, turning my breaths to mist. I descended in a slow spiral, guiding Taron downward, letting him find his footing as we touched snow-packed ground.
I scanned the terrain. Black rock slick with clear ice. Gnarled trees heavy with razorleaves. The mineral scent of wet stone and ancient spruce lingered in the air. Shadows shifted in ways they shouldn’t. A chill threaded down my spine.
Something watched, and I had a pretty good idea what. I only hoped I was wrong.
In unison, Taron and I palmed weapons. We waited, pressed back-to-back, ready for battle, but nothing attacked.
“Dragons?” he asked softly.
“My people don’t live in this area. But frostwargs do.” Wolflike beasts whose saliva had the power to douse a dragon’s fire from the inside. What they’d do to a human, I didn’t know.
“I’ve battled frostwargs only once,” he admitted, “and I barely escaped with my life.”
When another couple of minutes passed without incident, we relaxed, but only slightly. “Just how often have you ventured into my land?” I demanded.
“Many,” he replied, a little smug.
I needed to learn his tricks so I could finally put a stop to them. Rather than admit that, I challenged him. “Prove you’ve got the skill to do this. Lead the expedition.”
“You mean teach you how I’ve done what I’ve done,” he said, almost smiling. “Fine. Let’s go.” He headed off in the correct direction.
Grumbling under my breath, I followed. So, yeah, he knew the layout of my land as well as my warehouse.
“Rather than invading my homeland,” I muttered, “you should have spent your time living your life. Falling in love. Enjoying your years.”
“Why would I risk falling in love, getting married, and having a son you will one day burn alive?” Bitterness dripped from his tone.
I both flinched and bowed up. “Let me remind you, I have attempted to disable, destroy and hide the Chains of O. Once, I even dropped them inside a volcano after eruption. Always the shackles return to your family, perfectly formed, and always your family dons them. You included.” I huffed at him. “Seems I’m not the only one too weak to resist their allure.”
He worked his jaw. Well, well. Olyssa, finally on the scoreboard.
We reached the opening of the cavern, warmth pulsing from the enclosure, the air thick with sulfur and otherworldly power. Though we both bubbled over with anger, we peered inside as a team, ready to spring into action. Cloying darkness cloaked everything.