Talon shrank back in clear alarm.
“I’ll shine the light to keep the worms at a distance.They won’t come near as long as we have illumination,” Ransom said.
“What happens if your lamp conks out?”
“It won’t,” Ransom promised.
Ransom gave Talon a tiny shunt toward the hole and turned on the lamp.Scarlett grinned as Talon peered in cautiously before he edged inside.
Scarlett crawled after Ransom, their progress slow and cautious.It gave her plenty of time to appreciate the dragon-man’s butt and strong legs.She liked him.She liked him a lot, and her feline approved.The problem—she craved independence.She wished to follow her dream.Yes, her brothers’ mates all seemed deliriously happy, but each of them had moved to the resort.Each of them had changed their lives to be with their mates.
Scarlett refused to do that, to take a backward step and give up her freedom.Things she’d taken for granted on Earth.
Ahead of her, Ransom rose to his full height.Scarlett used her arms to propel forward and stood beside him.
The area inside the chamber was more substantial than she’d anticipated.Rows of casket-like boxes lined the walls and created aisles.Each was a bright purple color that reminded Scarlett of blueberries.
“Which way?”she asked.“How do we find the prince?”
“It would make sense for him to be toward the rear of the chamber in case someone entered,” Ransom said.“Any ideas, Talon?”
Talon shrugged and scampered to the right.He took three or four steps and sank from sight.
Ransom darted closer and thrust his hand into the purple dust pile.He dragged out Talon, who now resembled a purple teddy bear with a big nose.Ransom set him on solid ground, and Talon shook himself.
Scarlett chortled at Talon’s ruffled manner, and he turned a glare on her and bared his teeth with a hiss.
Now he reminded her of a pissed toy bear.Her grin widened.“Haw-haw-haw.”
Talon marched closer, his glare evil.
Scarlett’s smile faded.Talon’s big nose twitched, and he sneezed, sending up a cloud of purple dust.He sneezed, again and again, each time raising a cloud of dust.
Finally, he gave a tiny sniff and bared his teeth at Scarlett.He lifted one of his clawed hands and pointed at her trews, which were now black and purple.“Haw-haw-haw.”
“Look here, you wee growling ball of fluff.”She took two steps, and Talon darted behind Ransom.
“Why me?”Ransom muttered.“Attention.Since I’m the only adult present, we’re going this way.”
“Watch out for traps,” Scarlett warned, her head back in the game.
Talon, too, ceased his teasing and took on a serious air.
The three of them crept forward, taking a gap between two rows of purple boxes.Ransom shone the lamp in all directions, and a loud hiss began.Talon scuttled behind Ransom, and Scarlett didn’t tease him.The hissing set her nerves jangling.She spotted hundreds of the creatures Ransom had called worms.These were various shades of purple, unlike the one that had attached itself to Talon.
“Why is everything purple in here?”she asked.“Purple used to be my favorite color, but those boxes are giving me the creeps.”
Talon squeaked several times, his head bobbing, so she figured he agreed.Agh!Her arm.The itching was driving her crazy.
Talon growled at her.Frying fungus!
“You’ll make an excellent parent,” Scarlett commented.“You have eyes in the back of your head.”
“Stop bickering,” Ransom snapped.“Quiet!Can you hear that?”
Scarlett scratched her arm and didn’t care if Talon snarled.She shouldn’t have trusted those insect-men.The man who’d bitten her had left something behind, and Talon was in on the secret.It was frustration to thenthdegree because she couldn’t even interrogate the wee beastie.
She angled her head and discerned a faint bubbling.
