Feeling as if her knees would cave, Ash gaped, clutching his arm.
No. Bloody. Way!
A dragon?
The creature soared past their sky-high cave, too far away to notice them, but close enough to make her heart feel like a trapped bird. The air itself seemed to bend around its massive form, and the cave’s walls thrummed, as if recognizing something that belonged there.
Then the beast vanished into the clouds.
Ash yanked free, panting as if her lungs would shut down.
“What the hell was that?” she choked out, her gaze fixed on the city.
He didn’t respond.
Typical.
From the towering spires, more dark shapes took flight into the violet sky—not just a few, but dozens. The creatures wheeled through the clouds, wings shimmering with colors her mind couldn’t grasp. They flew overhead, each wingbeat sending waves of heat washing over her.
“Dragons,” she breathed.
They trumpeted as they flew across the darkening purple skies, becoming dots and disappearing into the distance.
“Welcome to Caelvyrn,” he said. “The ancient seat of the dragon court. I’m Skaldr. And you are in Lemuria.”
Ash didn’t respond—couldn’t—his words clocking her like a punch in the head.
Christ!First, Race carted her off to another country, and now his enemies had hauled her into this-this terrifying world!
Her gaze darted back to the building dwarfing all the others—the massive palace of towers and spires, locked behind an unbroken wall of dark stone.
“That,” Skaldr said, nodding toward where she was staring, “is the Palace of Drakemære. Though you’ll never see it up close.”
Something dark lurked beneath his words, a warning she felt in her bones.
“Well, I don’t want to,” she muttered, false bravado steadying her voice. “If you don’t take me back right now, Race will come for me.” The words tumbled out. Hell, she barely knew the man, but he was all she had. “He’ll be furious, and you’ll be sorry.”
“We’re counting on it.”
Ash finally tore her gaze away from the distant spires. “What do you mean?”
His features remained stony.
More trumpeting boomed, and Ash’s gaze rushed toward the sounds.
“Come on. We don’t want you to become a target.”
“From what?” she snapped. “Besides, you abducting me?”
He didn’t answer. Just grabbed her arm and hauled her back into the cavern, then through twisting passages and down excavated steps into the mountain’s heart. The cave system opened into a vast chamber with two massive pillars at its entrance and yet another platform overlooking Caelvyrn.
“You’ll be safe here,” he said, gesturing to the faded cushions piled on a dusty, tatty carpet. Frayed, bleached silk drapes sagged against the rough stone walls.
If this was meant to reassure her, it failed.
“I’ll be back shortly.” His flat amber eyes met hers. “Don’t go out onto the platform, or the dragons will find you.”
The warning sent chills down her spine despite the oppressive heat. She’d seen how enormous those creatures were. Being torn apart by one wasn’t how she planned to die.
