The silver scale-like marks were nearly gone as they stopped before the dragon, and the last of them faded when her glow went out. Still, in the dragon’s eyes, Cole saw it had seen them, and itknew.
What it did with that information would grant it freedom… or death.
CHAPTERELEVEN
Lexi removedthe key from her pocket and held it before the dragon. “I’m Lexi, and Alina tells me that you’re Tymin.”
Nothing about the dragon’s face changed; Lexi didn’t know if it understood her or not. She should have asked Alina if the others could understand what she said. The dragons must understand; they obeyed the Lord’s commands after all.
“I’ll open the locks and set you free,” Lexi explained.
She glanced at Cole, who remained rigid beside her. His face was an unreadable, cold mask. He looked so handsome yet harsh and unforgiving as the shadows swirled around him and the torchlight reflected in his silver eyes.
His joints popped as they shifted toward paws before he reined in his lycan side. She wasn’t sure if she was more unnerved by the dragon orhim.He would unleash hell in here if this went wrong.
Cautiously, she approached the chains around Tymin’s front legs and snout. She wasn’t sure which ones to unlock first; his talons were as lethal as his teeth.
Finally, she settled on his snout. Those chains had to be what was pissing him off the most as his mouth was pinched shut. He would probably be a lot happier without them on.
“Don’t eat me,” she said as she approached the mouth lock. “Please, don’t eat me.”
The inhuman sound Cole emitted caused the hair on her nape to rise as the dragon’s gaze swung to him. The tension in the cave was so palpable it vibrated the stones. She glanced nervously at the jagged rocks above, but they appeared sturdy.
She hoped they remained that way.
Just keep going. Keep going.
She kept telling herself this, but she was in this cave with two extremely powerful, extremely tense immortal beings who would gladly destroy each other.
“Easy,” Lexi encouraged when two puffs of smoke coiled from Tymin’s nostrils.
She rested her hand on the dragon’s scaly front paw, or was it a foot? She had no idea about correct dragon anatomy, but whatever it was, it was big enough to splat her like a fly, and she didn’t feel like being splatted.
“I have to climb up you to get to the lock. I won’t hurt you. Please don’t eat me.”
Maybe if she kept saying it, the dragon would refrain from turning her into a snack. With tender care, she pulled herself onto the dragon’s leg and crept toward the lock. Its scales were hard beneath her hands, but not slippery, and smoother than expected.
The shadows shifted around her and gathered close but didn’t touch her as she moved. When she glanced back at Cole, he stood near the dragon’s mouth, but his attention remained riveted on her.
Gulping, Lexi focused her attention on the dragon as the shadows drifted only inches away from her. If she tried, she could touch them, but she’d prefer not to.
When she reached the lock, she settled in behind the thick spikes surrounding the dragon’s head. This close, the spikes surrounding its head were far more lethal than she’d realized.
If she wasn’t careful, she could spear herself on one of those spikes. She shuddered at the image and twisted to get better access to the lock. Turning it toward her, she steadied her hand and slid the key in.
“Please don’t eat me,” she whispered as she turned the key and the lock clicked.
The dragon didn’t move. She leaned forward to pull the lock free, but when one of Tymin’s spikes poked her arm, she jerked back. No blood trickled free, but a red mark marred her skin.
“Are you okay?” Cole demanded, and the shadows rose around her like they were preparing to strike.
“I’m fine,” she said in a voice that sounded like someone was choking her.
Leaning around the dragon’s spikes, she carefully grasped the lock and tugged it free. Off-balance, she couldn’t keep hold of the lock, and it tumbled from her grasp.
She winced and braced herself as the lock bounced off the dragon’s front legs before clattering to the ground. Unable to breathe, Lexi waited for it to toss her like a rodeo clown standing in front of the rampaging bull.
When nothing happened, she cracked one eye open. The dragon stared back at her as its tail swished across the ground. She could almost hear him telling her to get on with it.
