Before I could tell him to shut up, he shifted. His dragon form filled the space, wings carefully tucked against his body as he turned in a slow circle, inspecting every corner of the room. His scales glimmered a deep sapphire blue in the light.
Liz pressed against me, startled. “What’s he doing?”
“Checking that everything is exactly as we left it. He always does this.”
Satisfied, Zarek shifted back to human form and pulled his shorts on again. “All clear.”
Liz’s eyes filled with wonder. “How did you get all this stuff in here?”
I pointed to a section of the cave wall about ten feet up that was darker and smoother than the rest of the walls. “We melted a hole. Dragon fire burns hot enough to liquefy rock.”
Her eyes widened. “You melted through a mountain?”
“We sure did. Then we carried things in large slings or swallowed and regurgitated smaller items.” I laughed when she scrunched her face in disgust. “It’s a highly effective way to transport and hide treasure when needed.”
I led her toward the center of the hoard, where our most valued items were kept. “You can put the knife wherever feels right to you.”
Liz looked at me uncertainly. “Really?”
Zarek was right behind us and made a growling noise.
I turned to face him. “The knife is yours to contribute, Liz.” I gave Zarek a look that would make even his dragon back down.
He gave a curt nod of acknowledgment and stepped back.
Liz looked around thoughtfully before stepping forward and placing the knife between the same two clay pots I’d taken it from.
“Perfect.” I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple.
“Can I...” She hesitated, glancing at Zarek, who stood with arms crossed, watching her like she might pocket something when he blinked. “Would it be okay if I explored a little? Just look around?”
“Of course.”
Zarek made a sound that wasn’t quite a growl but definitely wasn’t approval.
“She’s not going to steal anything, Zarek.” My dragon was irritated, but nothing good would come from getting into it with Zarek when he was like this.
“I didn’t say she would.”
“You didn’t have to. Your face is doing all the talking.” I turned back to Liz. “Go ahead, but be careful. Some piles aren’t as stable as they look.”
She stepped away from me, moving cautiously through the cavern. Her fingers hovered close but never touched a collection of jeweled daggers.
Zarek shadowed her at a distance, his posture tense.
“She’s my mate, Zarek. She has every right to be here.”
“The mate bond isn’t complete,” he muttered. “Not until you mark her and we do the ceremony.”
I clenched my jaw. “That’s between me and Liz.”
Liz stopped abruptly, her attention caught by something near the back wall. She tilted her head, taking a step closer to examine it.
“What is it?”
“This boulder...” She pointed to a rounded stone about waist-high against the cave wall. “Is it just me, or does it look like it was deliberately placed?”
I frowned, joining her. Looking more closely, I could see what had caught her eye. Behind the boulder, there was the faintest crack in the wall, barely visible in the flickering light. A wisp of darkness seemed to seep through.
