She wandered for at least an hour before boulders started littering the ground as a sign that she was getting closer to the mountain range. Exhaustion threatened to consume her but she forced her eyes to stay open and her muscles to keep moving. Focusing on one step at a time.
Left. Right. Left. Right.
Hours passed and so did any energy she had left. Finding a cave seemed less likely with each step as it took all her will to move. If she could just find a patch of grass big enough, she’d just lie there and sleep.
Maybe, if she hadn’t been so tired, she would’ve noticed the forest go quiet again.
Maybe, if she hadn’t been so tired, she would’ve noticed the scaled body unfold and rise up like one of the mountains in the distance.
But, she didn’t notice.
And now she stood face-to-face with a seriously pissed off dragon.
Chapter 26
Ambrose froze.
She desperately wanted to run but her legs betrayed her, keeping her locked in place. Countless times she had wondered how big a dragon could be, but she never imagined the size of the creature she faced. The winged beast was half the size of the palace. Black spikes portended from its head and moved all the way down its back. Its scales darker than the blackness of the night around them, shimmering like blackened stars against the moonlight.
No wonder she didn’t see it until she was almost directly on top of it.
At night it was practicallyinvisible.
The beast swung its head around to face her, ruby eyes burning in the pitch black. Its eyes narrowed as it pulled back its head—
“Whoa now!” Ambrose wasn’t sure why, but on instinct she threw her hands in the air.
She hadno ideawhat to do if she encountered a dragon. But her body told her not to move. Not to attack.
Mentally she kicked herself for falling out of danger just to clumsily step into it again. She dropped her sword and hoped the dragon wouldn’t hurt her. The leathers Akadian had given her seemed less of a precaution and more of a certainty as she held the creature’s gaze. They covered the majority of her body but her head was left completely exposed.
Shewas left completely exposed.
Hands still raised, she slowly and carefully took a step back when the creature opened its mouth and its chest burned with a red glow in thenight, like the sun during an eclipse.
Fighting every instinct in her to run, Ambrose stood her ground and kept eye contact.
“You shouldn’t be in my forest, human…” Something between a snarl and a growl left its throat.
It can speak?
“I’m sorry.” She dipped her head but held its eye, hands still raised as though they’d possibly be able to protect her. “I didn’t know this was your forest.”
The dragon huffed and steam rose from between its teeth. “Always where you don’t belong. Vile creatures, every one of you. I’ll teach you to respect the land of the dragons.” It pulled back its head as the glow in its chest grew and moved to the back of its throat, fire licking the back of its mouth as it blasted her with red-hot flames.
If her hands hadn’t already been in the air, she wouldn’t have had enough time to react. The charge around her was nothing compared to the heat of the fire as it blasted around the protective bubble she was able to create with not a moment to spare. She held strong as sweat beaded on her neck and forehead. When it was done, the scorched ground singed her nose with the smell of ash, as the place she stood was the only spot untouched.
Amazed at her own reaction time, she threw her hands up and met the beast again in the eye. Her heart raced as she struggled to find a way to get out of her situation.
“Oh, gods,” she whispered, as fear shook her limbs and she fought to keep them still.
The dragon circled her. Watching her as though it could see something in her that she couldn’t.
“Your gods are not welcome here either,” it growled as its steps shook the ground, sending shivers up her spine with each one.
“I didn’t mean to disturb you,” she pleaded. “I promise, I’ll leave without touching anything.”
She bent slightly at the waist, hoping that might save her. The creature snapped its jaws as she quickly twisted her body out of the way of its fangsbefore they could snap shut around her. A gust of wind brushed from its hot mouth and the lingering smell of death and decay from whatever had been its last meal hung in the air.
