Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Huntley stared straight ahead.
“I thought I was an outdoors kind of girl…nope.”
Nothing.
“I need a bedroom and a fireplace—”
“Ivory.” The tone of his voice silenced me like a slap in the face. His stare remained forward, peering into the darkness, as if he could see something. Or hear something.
It was hard to hear anything over my loudly beating heart. I strained to hear the sounds around us, to search for the snap of a twig under a heavy boot. It became even harder to hear when my breaths grew deep and labored, when the fear started to take off.
Huntley got to his feet and withdrew his ax.
Shit.
I got up too and immediately returned my sword to my hip and threw my bow over my shoulder.
Then I saw it, the glint of torches.
They were so close.
And there were so many. At least twelve.
Huntley continued to face the enemy. “Run.”
“What?”
“You heard me.” He gripped his ax with both hands.
“I’m not leaving you—”
“Do as I fucking say.”
“No—”
He grabbed me by the shoulder and shoved me hard. “These men aren’t Teeth. They aren’t Plunderers. You know exactly what they’ll do to you—and they’ll make me watch. I’d rather fucking die.”
“Huntley—”
He shoved me hard again. “If I mean anything to you, you will do this.” With that, he turned back around and approached the tree line, and the fire got brighter, the torches only a few feet away.
I took one look at his back before I sprinted away.
Sprinted for my fucking life.
I could hear a man’s voice, fading the farther I ran. “That’s a nice ax there. Fancy sword. Why do I get the feeling you aren’t from around here?”
Fuck.
“Tie him up. We’ll have a nice conversation back at camp…where we can really get to know one another.”
I sprinted in the dark, getting scratches on my face from sharp leaves, and stumbled over invisible rocks and made my knees crack. When I was far enough away, the voices disappeared, but I knew exactly what was happening.
Huntley was right. I would be useless to him.
But he couldn’t take on twelve psychopaths by himself.
But I knew someone who could.
I broke the tree line and entered the open clearing before the large cavern. A blanket of stars was overhead, glistening like diamonds in the vast emptiness. I reached the cave and let out a scream. “Pyre!”
Silence.
I didn’t have a torch to light my way, and since it was even darker inside that cavern than out here, I stayed put. “Pyre!”
Thud. Thud. Thud.
I backed up, knowing he was coming.
A minute later, he emerged, his wings folded to his body. He looked down at me and seemed to read my unease, because he dropped his head and brought it close to my face. His snout even gave me a gentle rub.
“I need your help.”
He raised his head so our eyes could meet.
“The bad men on the island took Huntley…and I can’t save him.”
Pyre stared at me with his big eyes.
“Please.”
He looked up past me, as if he could see the action in the forest. No.
I heard the word in my head, heard it echo like it was spoken in a vast chamber. “Did you just…talk in my head?”
His eyes dropped back to mine. Yes.
“What…how…wait…” I had so many fucking questions, but now wasn’t the time. “Why haven’t you spoken to me before?”
I needed to trust you first.
“Okay…if you trust me, then you need to help me.”
No.
“Pyre…” The tears fell from my eyes, because if I didn’t have his help, I would never get Huntley back.
I’m finally whole again. I can’t risk my wings.
“You wouldn’t have those wings if it weren’t for me, and now I’m begging you to help me.”
He shifted his gaze away.
“Pyre, I know you’re scared, but don’t forget who you are.”
He looked at me once again.
“You’re a fucking dragon. You can burn this whole island to the ground. You can snap a man cleanly in two with your ferocious bite. You’ve got scales thicker than any armor. I know you’re traumatized by what happened, and that’s understandable…but don’t forget who you are. What you are.”
No more words were forthcoming. He remained in front of me, wasting precious time.
My tears came on thicker. “Please…I love him.”
His head gave a slight drop in defeat before he lowered himself to his belly. I will try.
“Thank you, Pyre.” I ran to his flank and climbed up the mountain of scales until I was at the top. I’d never ridden a dragon before, but I immediately clamped down on the last spike protruding from the back of his neck. It was similar to a pommel on a saddle, and I leaned far forward just like I did on a galloping horse.
Pyre opened his wings wide apart and looked up to the sky.
“You can do it, Pyre.”
He squatted down on his powerful legs then jumped, his wings flapping instantly.