Blaise left Brogan’s side as he felt his way through the darkness. “I’m not sure how to use my father’s ring to awaken them. Do you know?”
Falcyn reached out to take it from him.
Just as their fingers brushed, the dragon nearest them opened its eyes and growled. Falcyn pulled back as the beast by his side rose to do battle. Blaise took his arm and fisted his hand in his sleeve to stop him. “Don’t!That’sMaddor.”
“Maddor …” The name came out in an anguished breath. Maddor was Falcyn’s son who’d been taken from him.
Finally in control of himself and able to focus on something, Urian splayed his hand against Falcyn’s chest to stop him from approaching his child. “They have him pinned.” He jerked his chin toward the chain that held Maddor in place. “I’m betting if you free the dragons, it’ll kill him.”
Becausethatwas the kind of nasty tactics the gods specialized in. They were nothing if not cruel.
The chain ran straight into Maddor’s chest and no doubt through his heart.
Damn Apollo for this!
And that wasn’t all. He was muzzled, too. That combination of cruelty would have made Maddor insane. No dragon did well in captivity. Not even a mandrake. They were meant to roam free, not be bound in such a manner.
Stepping past Urian, Falcyn reached to touch his son’s scales. “Maddor, calm yourself. We’re here to help.”
With a fiery hiss, Maddor lunged at him so that Falcyn couldn’t make contact.
Maddor lashed at Blaise with his tail.
Falcyn barely pulled Blaise back before Maddor pierced him with a spike. “Stop! You don’t want to harm us.”
Of course I do. It’s your fault I’m here! I intend to kill you both!
Falcyn winced at a truth he couldn’t change. “I know and I’m sorry for that.”
You’re about to be even sorrier those three seconds before I kill you!
Suddenly, the floor rumbled under their feet. Like a 6.0 magnitude earthquake …
“Blaise? What the hell is going on here?”
“No idea. Flying hell-monkeys, maybe?”
Urian glanced around the room, trying to find the source. They should be so lucky. Instead of dramonk demons being unleashed, the cracks in the stone widened and a greenish smoke spiraled out. It was as if the entire dungeon were alive and moving.
No, not moving.
Breathing.That was exactly what it felt like. Smelled like. The way the floor and walls moved was in time to someone’s intake of breath. In and out. Seismic. Rolling.
Jarring.
Urian sneered as he caught a whiff of some foul sulfuric stench. “Someone tell me these are vapors like the Delphian oracle used to get high on before she mumbled gibberish.”
Medea shook her head. “Sorry, little brother. I actually visited her once. This ain’t it.”
True to her prediction, the smoke coiled into fierce warriors, complete with armor.
And swords.
They had alotof swords.
“Damn it!” Urian summoned his sword and shield again. “We cannot catch a break.”
“Hey, I gave you an easy way out,” Falcyn reminded him. “You could be home right now, watchingSurvivor.But no, you chose to be here.”
