It was the last place she wanted to go. But then again, did she have any choice? Right now she was caught between a dragon who intended to shove her full of magic before ripping it out of her, or being turned to ash by the inferno of flames.
Sucking in a deep breath, Wynn gave into her rash impulse, darting toward the open pit and diving in.
If she was lucky, she would find a tunnel beneath the ground to escape. If not...well, it wasn’t the first time she’d faced death.
She just hoped that her sacrifice kept Gabriela trapped in this place for another thousand years.
The bitch.
Chapter 20
Azh was prepared as the ground crumbled beneath his feet. He’d assumed that there would be snares and traps waiting for them. The corruption—or whatever malignant force was currently tormenting Wynn—had been luring them to this particular spot for days. Maybe even months.
He’d be a fool not to suspect it had planned for their eventual arrival.
But falling through the darkness to land in the deep pit, Azh was still struggling to regain his balance when a shimmering portal opened directly in front of him.
“Come through,” a harsh voice commanded. “I can’t hold it forever.”
Azh hissed, releasing his powerful magic at the same time shimmering strands whipped out of the portal to wrap around him. The next thing he knew, he was being jerked through the opening and tossed onto a stone floor that was hot beneath his body.
“What took you so long?” that same male voice demanded.
Azh surged to his feet, the beast inside him roaring with outrage. Never in his very long life had he been tossed around like he was a sack of potatoes. Not even when he was a newly hatched dragon.
Prepared to strike, he ran a furious gaze over the male wearing a long robe who was currently regarding him with a grim expression. The stranger was obviously a dragon although he was in human form with a slender body and bald head. The aura around him flared with a golden hue that was beginning to fade around the edges, as if he were ancient. Or maybe sick. But it was the thin face disfigured by four claw marks angling from his left temple to his ear that captured and held Azh’s attention.
There was something about those scars that stirred a distant memory. He hadn’t seen this male before, but he sensed he should recognize him.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“Zion, Royal Councilor.”
Azh hissed. He recognized the name. Zion had been a renowned general during the dragon civil war and later the most trusted councilor to Gabriela. His name had been spoken in reverent whispers by the ancient dragons who’d told stories of the homeland. But Zion was supposed to be a legend. Not a living creature who was glaring at him with blatant impatience.
“Are you here to protect Gabriela...wait. It doesn’t matter.” Azh’s confusion was quickly replaced by a sharp-edged urgency. He glanced toward the spot where he’d been hauled through the portal. His connection to Wynn was muffled, as if his trip through the opening had placed a barrier between them, but he could sense she was in danger. He had to get to her. “Take me back to where I came from.”
The older male shook his head. “Impossible.”
Azh instinctively lashed out, his flames sweeping over Zion. Not hot enough to kill, but an unspoken warning.
“Take me back.”
The man lifted one slender finger, easily smothering the fire. He might have looked emaciated, as if he’d been worn to the bone, but he maintained a shocking amount of strength.
“The door is one-way,” Zion said.
Azh released a low growl. “I don’t believe you.”
“Try for yourself.” Zion stepped to the side, nodding toward the closed portal.
Azh didn’t hesitate. Calling on his magic, he smashed it against the spot he’d entered the...well, actually he didn’t know where he was. All he could see was smooth stone. As if he were in a pit. Or a dungeon. The magic hit the wall and exploded, sending him flying backward.
He cursed as he skidded across the smooth floor, his back at last slamming into a hard shelf that brought him to a painful halt. Glancing over his shoulder he realized it wasn’t a shelf he’d hit. It was the edge of a marble dais with a gem-encrusted throne perched in the center.
“What is this place?” he asked, forcing himself to his feet.
“Kazak.” Zion snapped his fingers and light cascaded from an unseen source to reveal a pyramid-shaped room with shimmering hieroglyphs carved into the soaring ceiling. Oddly, there was a deep crack in the floor, as if something had caused damage that couldn’t be repaired.
