“The dragons don’t like you,” Lexi reminded him.
“I don’t care.”
Of course he didn’t, and it was probably best if he stayed out here, but he wouldn’t relent. They would only waste time arguing over it, and she’d prefer to get this over with.
“Keep her safe,” her dad said to Cole.
“Always.”
When Cole turned toward her, she swore the silver of his eyes burned hotter, but at least the shadows weren’t swarming him. They stirred on the ground but didn’t creep any closer.
She didn’t make the mistake of thinking Cole wouldn’t turn them loose on the dragon if it attacked. She wouldn’t let that happen. It was a murderous beast, butnoone would hurt it.
When they stepped into the cave, Orin followed.
“Go back,” Lexi said sharply to him.
“I put my ass on the line for this; I’m going to see what happens,” Orin replied.
When Cole rounded on his brother, Lexi’s hand shot out and caught his arm. “Don’t,” she whispered. “Leave him be. It’s not worth it.”
She hated Orin’s arrogant grin, but Lexi wouldn’t stand there and fight with him when she had a dragon to meet.
CHAPTERTWO
Lexi claspedher hands and squeezed as she put one foot in front of the other through the dark. After the heat outside, the cave’s cool air was a balm on her skin.
Somewhere in the distance, water dripped from the rocks into a pool she couldn’t see. Like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, the flicker of a distant torch drew her onward. Except, at the end of this rainbow was a dragon who would smash her to bits with the pot.
Stop it!
Freaking herself out wasn’t going to do her any good. She had no idea what lay ahead or what would happen, but her turbulent thoughts weren’t helping. When they got to the dragon, she might have her answers, and until then, she had to stop picturing this ending with her in pieces.
She didn’t ask Orin how he’d managed to catch and restrain a dragon in this cave. She couldn’t listen to his arrogant reply right now.
Another snort and scrape came from ahead as the dragon shifted. Did it know they were coming? Had it smelled or heard them?
She suspected, like most animals, it had amazing senses to help keep it alive, so it had to know they were on their way. Somehow, that made this worse.
Though, it was probably worse tosurprisea dragon. She doubted that ever went over well.
When the dragon shifted again and the torchlight illuminated more of the gray stone rocks of the cave, the shadows on the walls twisted as Cole drew them closer.
“Don’t,” Lexi said to him. “There’s no reason to call on them.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe,” Cole replied.
“We don’t need them.”
He grunted in response. Orin wisely remained silent as a stone crunched beneath her foot. If the dragon hadn’t known they were coming, it did now.
Her foot caught the corner of a stone, and her ankle rolled. Staggering to the side, she nearly went down, but Cole grasped her elbow and held her up. She rested her hand against the wall to steady herself as the throbbing in her ankle eased.
“Are you okay?” he inquired.
“Yeah,” she muttered. “Stupid rock.”
When she pushed away from the wall, Cole kept her arm. Desperate to connect with him and the calmness his presence brought her, she wrapped the fingers of her free hand around his on her arm while they continued.
