“I don’t trust anyone,” she said, but she laid her hand against his open palm.
He squeezed her fingers. “Challenge accepted.”
“That’s not a challenge...” Her words dried on her lips, her eyes widening as the cheap hotel room began to fade and they were standing in the center of a marble corridor lined with fluted columns that soared toward the distant ceiling. She turned in a slow circle, her eyes wide. Everything was built on a grand scale fit for dragons. From the arched, stained-glass windows that soared ten feet off the ground to the alcoves carved into the thick marble walls large enough for a full-grown dragon to curl up for a nap. “Is this where your people are hibernating?”
He nodded. “Traveling through here is the fastest route to London.”
She shivered, instinctively stepping closer to him as the chandelier overhead rattled and a blast of heat sizzled through the air.
“It might be the fastest, but I don’t think I’m supposed to be here.”
“You’re with me. That’s all the invitation you need.”
“I hope so.” Her eyes darted from side to side, as if expecting a beast to suddenly appear. “I don’t want to end up a crispy critter because you enjoy breaking the rules.” The chandelier rattled again as an ear-piercing screech echoed down the corridor. “What’s that?”
“Do you want to see?”
She hesitated, then squared her shoulders. “Yes.”
Still gripping her fingers, he headed down the long corridor, reaching the very end before turning into a side tunnel that led to a heavy iron door marked with layers of hexes. It was hard to imagine any creature stupid enough to sneak into a lair filledwith dragons, but better safe than sorry. Every door was protected by a spell that would alert him if anyone tried to open it.
With a whisper of magic, the heavy door slid open, revealing a steep staircase heading into the darkness. He could hear Wynn’s rapid heartbeat and the uneven breaths she was trying to disguise, but her steps never faltered as he led her into the depths of the vast cavern.
Surrounded by a thick darkness, Azh followed a narrow path that eventually opened to reveal an immense crater so deep the bottom couldn’t be seen and wide enough that the dragon perched on the far side was little more than a smudge of shimmering scales.
In the center of the crater two dragons released precise bursts of fire as they veered and circled each other in elegant patterns. The larger white dragon with blue eyes was more powerful as he swooped down and sliced his claws along the scales of the emerald dragon. Not hard enough to penetrate, but enough to leave marks. The green dragon, however, had the advantage of speed as she performed a swift turn that allowed her to swoop over the top of her opponent and spray her liquid fire over his head.
The male bellowed in pain, slapping the younger dragon with a wing that was ten feet long. The female twirled away, something that sounded like laughter floating toward them.
Turning his head, Azh studied Wynn’s tense profile. She appeared impervious to the fact she was standing on the edge of a sheer cliff. Her attention was locked on the dragons who continued their sparring with a dazzling display of power.
“Terrified?” he asked softly.
“Yes,” she breathed, a fine layer of perspiration coating her skin. The searing heat from their blasts of fire could be felt even at a distance. “But only in the most beautiful way possible,” she continued. “It’s like a dance, only with fire and teeth and claws.”
His clenched muscles relaxed at her captivated expression. She’d been right when she said that the idea of a dragon was different from seeing one in person. Their size alone was intimidating, but add in the thunderous power and their pleasure in testing their strength against each other...they weren’t a species for the faint of heart.
There’d been a real possibility that she would see them in flight and run screaming in the opposite direction. The fact that she’d instead watched their skirmish with a blatant fascination not only assured him but the beast inside him.
“We’ve tried to minimize the damage we inflict on one another over the years. In the old days this sort of friendly sparring would often end in death,” he admitted. She needed to know the full truth of his people.
The good, the bad, and the ugly.
She arched a brow. “Are you saying that the dragons are evolving?”
“It’s that or become obsolete. A fact that has been difficult for some of my people to comprehend.”
She abruptly turned to face him, her expression somber. “I hope they do survive.”
He impulsively wrapped his arms around her waist, tugging her tight against him.
“I’m going to do whatever necessary to make sure they do.”
He heard her breath catch, her eyes widening as his beast surged toward the surface. Having Wynn in this place, surrounding her in his scent, stirred his most primitive passions.
“Azh...” she breathed.
“What is it?”
