“Wow, and here I thought the villains only went on a long, rambling reveal of their plans in movies,” I grumbled, rotating my wrists, trying to free my hands. “That was seriously lame.”
“How dare you insult me when you are a coward who ran away from his own people!”
“Sucks that I didn’t have the chance to run you over in the process,” I snarked back.
The longer the conversation went on, the closer I could feel Odem getting, though it was impossible to tell how long it would take him to actually find me.
“I can’t wait until those eggs are out of you and I can make you bleed!”
“Stop threatening my eggs!” The words burst out of me in a voice that sounded nothing like my own.
Deep, growly, and intimidating, Oh shit, Odem was here and never had I been more grateful. Heat rolled through me, out of me, and screams filled the air.
“Yeah well I’ve got a dragon, and I know how to use him!” I shot back as my hands were suddenly freed. The ropes crumbled away in clumps of charred ash as the blindfold did too, clinging to my cheeks and nose as I blinked at the burning, melting, and writhing form in front of me.
He should have been screaming, only half his face was melted and charred. A bright, glowing chunk of molten rock was fused into his chest and neck, burning into his body, but when I turned to look for my protector, it was a shock to learn that I was still alone.
The bigger shock was that I was completely naked and covered in the ashy remains of what I’d been wearing.
Come on wardrobe gods. Two outfits in two days? I know I said I was good with the whole rotating wardrobe thing, but I’d loved the way those jeans had hugged my ass.
Above the roar of the flames and the crackling of the fire consuming my captor came the sound of bones breaking as his body collapsed and lay in a smoldering, melting heap on the cave floor.
Oh, so not a basement, but just as filthy and likely filled with equally as many spiders and other creepy crawly things I had no desire to meet down here. A puddle of lava slowly spread out around the body, flowing into the pits and cervices of the cave floor as I scrambled backward.
Thank you for silencing that annoying little twit, now get me the hell out of here!I demanded of my protector mate.I am in desperate need of a shower, clothes, and all the oysters I can eat.
Working on it! You’re closer, but the twists in this tunnel system make it difficult to locate you. I have taken two wrong turns already.
Then start taking right ones and call off the lava, please, it’s getting kind of oozy and a little too close for comfort. And did I mention that I’m naked! Next time please aim a little better! I might not be able to burn, but my poor clothes aren’t so lucky.
I do not produce lava.
Well, someone did!
“Hello?” I called out, nearly tripping over a rock as I whipped my head back and forth, expecting to see one of his brothers step out from behind a pillar of stone. “This isn’t funny. I’m already having a shit day. I’d like to go home now if you don’t mind. I’m not in the mood to find out what lives in a place like this.”
No one answered. No one revealed themselves. The only change was that the lava had slowed. Little remained of my captor or the lava rock that had been embedded in him. Like hisbody, it had completely melted, becoming part of the lava that slowly cooled and began to form a hard, blackened crust.
Oh, well, good, at least it wouldn’t get any closer. Getting burned wasn’t on my bingo card any more than getting kidnapped had been. Now all I had to do was lean against the stone wall, after scanning it to be certain nothing was busy crawling there, waiting for the chance to creep into my hair.
I shuddered just thinking about some multilegged thing clinging to the strands, its legs touching my neck as it explored.
Nope. No. Didn’t even want to think about that possibility. Now what the hell was taking….
“Don’t even think about going anywhere!” A female voice hissed, the cave shaking as she emerged from a side passage. Shit. There was more than one way in here.
Before I could relay that to Odem and tell him about the arrival of the next flunky from Villains r’ Us, flames shot past me out of the corridor I’d been inching toward, passing right over my shoulder to slam into her. Dragon shaped and furious, it sent her hurtling into the cave wall, flaming tail smashing a pillar of rock that partially collapsed on her. Trapped, she could only shove at the rocks, hollering curses and threats as Odem twisted around and headed straight for me. Lowering his flaming head, he snorted smoke in my face as he sniffed me.
“Can we go home now?” I asked as I reached to touch his face.
His eyes darkened to crimson flames as he nuzzled my hand, then turned to look at the crusty remains of the lava on the floor, now cracked in places from the rocks he’d displaced.
You are full of surprises, mate.He replied, eyeing me up and down, as if he approved of my state of undress.
Nude I didn’t mind, but not in a place like this. I did not need rocks, grit and bugs in tender cervices more suited for his tongue. When he flicked it out, it was like he knew exactly what I was thinking about as he ran it over my body.
“Not the time or the place,” I grumbled, not that it stopped him from wrapping that flaming forked tongue around my body and nearly spinning me like a top when he turned me around.
