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)
Taron dropped his pack and dug out two sets of earplugs, then handed a set to me. “If I recall correctly, the slightest noise can mesmerize anyone who dares enter. Better to hear nothing.”
And he knew this too. What didn’t he know about my world? “According to our legends, any sound heard here does more than mesmerize. It warps minds.” As a child, my mother told me stories of those who entered and never exited. “More than that, allegedly the warping traps a victim inside themselves, reliving an illusion of their greatest desire, so that they wish only to stay in the cave, uncaring as some dark force sucks the life from their bodies.”
He looked inside the cave, then at me. The cave. Me. “Shall I spearhead this mission too?”
“Why don’t we work together?” I grumbled. As much as I hated to admit it, he’d more than proven himself capable.
Stillness came over him, his gaze locked on me. He hadn’t expected my concession? Or was it the word “together” that made him hesitate?
Warmth spread over my cheeks as his stare heated. My breathing quickened, and I fought the urge to saunter into his personal space. “Quick. Tell me something terrible about yourself.”
He thought for a moment, never pulling his gaze from me. “I’ve been working to destroy the traveling stones in Ashmorra. Every door, really. That way, you can never enter my world again.”
I rolled my eyes. “As if I hadn’t already guessed that.” I mean, had the thought specifically occurred to me? Nein. But of course he worked to destroy the stones. “To get them all, you’ll have to grow wings.”
“Not if I can shoot a rocket into the sky.”
Oh. Ooooh. That was bad. Very bad. And smart. Diabolical. Yet my awareness of him only intensified. “Give me something worse.”
A muscle jumped in his jaw. “I acquired an ancient rift cutter and with it, I can create a small opening into your realm, no matter where I am. It only lasts for an hour before I’m pulled out, but I’ve used it to take…” His words trailed.
“Take what?” I swallowed. “Who?”
“Three berserkers. Names Lorik supplied. Their deliveries were payment for certain weapons, but also…” He dragged in a deep breath, then met my gaze. Steady. Unafraid. Unrepentant. “But also practice. Preparation to face off with you.”
Ding, ding, ding. We had a winner. I knew the three men he referenced. Those who had vanished without a trace. I’d deal with the rift-cutter bombshell in a moment. “They were good men,” I grated.
“They were berserkers and dragons. Enemies to all humankind,” he grated back.
At one time, ja. “We haven’t invaded your land since the death of my father. Haven’t been a danger to humankind for centuries.”
“That’s not true. You were a danger to the men in my family every day of their lives,” he stated flatly.
I deflated. He wasn’t wrong. But he wasn’t right either. Maybe we should just address the other shocker, then end the conversation. “Where did Lorik get the cutters?” Something I hadn’t known about. And did the shifter king have another pair? I whipped out my phone to text Adelaide a command.
More security throughout all of Ashmorra! A team sent to raid Lorik’s armories.
“Those, I made using parts from different artifacts. They are one of a kind.”
Okay. I relaxed, but not much, and stored my phone in my pocket as soon as her agreement came in. If Taron had made the cutters, someone else could, too. If not now, later. They’d have to be dealt with. But one battle at a time.
“Your turn,” Taron muttered, his attention now fixed on my mouth. “Tell me something terrible.”
Easy. “Every minute since we’ve met, I’ve wanted to douse you in my fire.” The words slipped out without thought. At least I didn’t utter the rest: and make you my firebrand.
His eyelids dropped to slits, menace spilling over him. He shoved in the earplugs, snapping, “Let’s get this done.”
Good. That was good. Exactly what I’d hoped. An end to our little…whatever this had been.
Trembling, I stuffed the spongy plugs in my ears as well and peered into the darkness once again. I might be a mighty berserkatrix, and a queen to boot, but I would not be walking in there without some visibility. After a quick scan of the ground, I found a fallen branch. With a huff and puff, I doused the tip with pink fire. A blaze of illumination chased away shadows. Like most dragons, I could produce a wide range of fires, each burning at different temperatures and hues, generating distinctive results.
Taron stiffened, tension settling over him like a second skin, but he made no comment. Just entered the cavern with me. The scent of sulfur grew heavier in the thick, humid air. Firelight pushed back more gloom, revealing walls curving in and upward. Broken rocks littered the uneven stone floor, with stubborn patches of moss tucked here and there. Veins of gold lit up in the onyx rock, glowing with a fire of its own and illuminating an ancient mural spanning over two yards across one wall of the cavern. The ancient pigments stubbornly clung to the rockface where the damp stone hadn’t leached the colors away.