Azh’s fierce refusal was still on his lips when the world dissolved around him. A heartbeat later he was standing at the edge of the thick mist that formed a barrier between the dragons and the rest of the world.
Dammit.
Clenching his hands, Azh stormed through the marble corridors of the dragons’ hidden lair, his footsteps echoing through the thick silence.Most of his people preferred to sleep through this time of hibernation, restoring their strength and repairing wounds from their last battle against the vampires. On occasion they would awaken and move around the lair, some of them spending time with mates or polishing their fighting skills in the vast arena beneath the lair. Azh preferred to devote his time in the massive library that held treasures far greater than any in his hoard.
But first, he had to reassure himself that the magic he’d felt hadn’t been a trap devised by Zanna, the former Queen of Dragons.
Turning into a side hallway that led to a forbidden area of the lair, he stepped through the layers of magic that blocked the crystal cell. No one could go in or out of the space. No one but him.
Once inside the prison, Azh blinked at the shimmering glow that filled the space. This area was devoid of power, but unlike many of his brethren he’d been unwilling to leave the traitor in complete darkness.
Not that Zanna deserved his sympathy.
She’d driven her dragons into a war with the leeches that had threatened their very survival, and refused to negotiate until her people had openly revolted. Even after she’d signed the treaty, she’d spent centuries plotting to break the agreement and destroy every living creature in the world.
That was when Azh had been forced to take a more dramatic action.
He’d allowed her to roam freely through the lair even if she had become a queen in name only since they’d entered hibernation, now she was locked in the crystal cell, cut off from her magic as well as any dragon foolish enough to try to help her escape.
His only concession to the arrogant female’s various demands was giving her the gem-encrusted throne that she’d sat on for thousands of years. Until the hibernation ended and a new leader was chosen, it was a meaningless chair. Why not let her have the thing?
He strolled around the cell. It was too sparse and brightly lit for anyone to be hidden in the space, but he wanted to make sure there were no objects of power that had been smuggled in, and more importantly, no changes to the crystal walls. Only when he was confident that the queen had no means to touch the outside world did he turn to face her.
She was currently perched on the throne in her human form since the cell was too small for her dragon. As usual she was wearing the heavy black shroud she’d requested as a symbol of her martyrdom, but Azh wasn’t fooled. She hadn’t given up her raw ambitions. Even now her flame-redhair was braided and coiled to resemble a crown on top of her head while the aura of her beast blasted around her like solar flares around the sun.
Meeting the dark female gaze that held a ruthless arrogance that could never be diminished, Azh offered a respectful bow of his head. No matter what had happened, Zanna had devoted an eternity to leading her people. She’d earned his respect if not his trust.
“Well?” she demanded in impatient tones, the reflective bronze tint to her skin hinting at scales. “Did you find what you were seeking?”
Azh shook his head. “No.”
“Then why did you return?”
Frustration smoldered through him. He should be with Wynn. Everything inside him screamed at the thought of leaving her alone and vulnerable. He told himself it was a natural reaction. How could he investigate the ancient dragon magic that pulsed around her from this prison? Or discover why she fascinated him in a way that felt dangerously like destiny.
“I didn’t. I was forced back.”
“Forced? How?” Zanna’s nostrils flared as if she’d caught a nasty whiff. “No, don’t tell me. There’s only one creature who could impose his will on a dragon. That bastard,” she hissed. “I knew he intended to destroy us. I warned you that the treaty had to be broken before he handed our world to the leeches on a silver platter. We’re sitting ducks here.”
Azh arched a brow. “Ducks?”
“You know what I mean,” Zanna snapped. Her sense of humor had never been great. Now it was nonexistent. “The Watcher has us trapped in this place. There’s every reason to assume he will leave us here to rot. Or worse, allow the vampires to enter and destroy us.”
“This has nothing to do with the Watcher.” He refused to take her bait. Zanna’s grievance with the creature who’d forced them into hibernation had driven her over the edge.
That was why she was sitting on an empty throne in a crystal cell.
“Then what is it?”
“I’m not sure.”
She made a sound of disgust. “I thought you were our most powerful hunter? The male who has been chosen to replace me?”
“No one has been chosen to replace you. Not until the treaty has come to an end. I only seek to protect my people.”
“Ourpeople.”
“Yes, our people.” He held her smoldering gaze without apology.
