by Zoe Chant
There.
To his right, another opening loomed. It was dark and unguarded, and the air smelled somewhat stale, and like—like soap.
The servants' area, perhaps? In any case, he had no time to be picky.
The tunnels before him smelled abandoned, and that was all he needed to know.
As soon as he'd landed, he shifted back, catching Alyx in his arms and pressing his hand to her mouth before she could cry out.
“Hush. Steele just arrived. You know him?” he asked.
Alyx paled as soon as she heard the name.
“I have no idea where we are,” he whispered, “but we're not far from the exit. We'll hide here for a while until he's gone, and then make our escape.”
“Mmprgh!”
Alyx made a muffled sound against his hand. Embarrassed, he released her.
“Thank you,” she said pointedly. “And I still don't believe you.”
“It doesn't matter if you believe me or not. Neither of us wants to run into Steele right now. That makes us allies.”
She snorted, then frowned. “I guess. For now. Only as long as you're useful. And not a second longer.”
“That's a start.”
She gave him a fierce smile. Despite her dirty shirt and her disheveled hair, Braeden felt his heart beating rapidly.
She didn't look like the Lady of the Fire right now. She wasn't wearing silk or pearls or gold. She didn't even know that he was her mate yet.
But there, in the gleaming of her eyes and the way she'd stood straight and determined despite the way his own people had imprisoned her, he could feel the sparks of fire inside her.
She'd be glorious, his mate. She'd rule like a queen—except he owned nothing to rule over.
He had no gold, no rubies, no land.
But he had his heart, which would always belong to her. And he had the living flame in his soul, the element of fire itself.
Surely that would be enough to prove himself a worthy mate.
“Anyway. I know where we are.” She gave him another suspicious look. “Are you sure you don't?”
“I told you. I'm not from here. I'm a fire dragon shifter—but not one of them.”
She looked at him, her eyes narrowing. “I don't trust you. Remember that. But I guess you could have just handed me right over...”
Braeden nodded. He had no idea what to say to make her trust him.
I guess the only way is to show that I'm really on her side. By getting us both out of here.
“Okay,” Alyx then said, hands on her hips. “If we go down this tunnel, we'll get to Lady Zena's quarters.”
“Who's that? Another prisoner?”
Alyx hesitated a moment, then shook her head. “She's... not a friend. Not exactly. She works for them. I think because she has to. And we should avoid her, if we can. But in case anything happens...”
“Do you think she'd hide you?”
Alyx shrugged. “I'd be dead without her. She asked the fire dragons to give me to her. As a servant. I think she was lonely. But would she hide me... I don't know. Maybe. But she's the closest thing to an ally I had in here.”
There was the sudden sound of wings, and Braeden hastily pushed Alyx into an alcove.
A moment later, the sound grew softer. Whoever had flown past the tunnel hadn't landed, but moved on.
“We shouldn't stay here. Perhaps we can find an empty room,” he whispered.
Instinct made him reach out for her hand again—and this time, he could see the shock that went through her when they touched.
Her eyes slightly widened, her lips parting. Just for a heartbeat, he could see her gorgeous brown eyes reflect the flames in his own soul.
Then she pulled her hand from his, cradling it against her chest as she glared at him. “None of your fire dragon magic. Your friends already tried all of your poisons. It doesn't work on me, so save yourself the trouble.”
“Poison?” Braeden asked, then shook his head when he felt another dragon coming closer. It was a sensation like a tiny ball of heat approaching. With his new powers, he could sense it even without intentionally reaching out for it.
“Never mind. Quick!” He grabbed her hand again and pulled her deeper into the tunnel.
Alyx remained silent, although he could feel her tension in the way her fingers clenched around his own.
With his sharp dragon senses, he kept feeling for that sensation of flame that had approached—and his heart skipped a beat when the dragon didn’t change its course.
The shifter was headed right for the tunnel they were hiding in.
Braeden lengthened his stride. Alyx kept silent, although he could see the way she turned her head in shock when there was a sudden sound echoing down the corridor.
It was the sound of claws striking stone. The dragon had landed.
As they kept hurrying down the tunnel, Braeden tried the first door they came past.
It was locked.
Braeden grimaced. He could’ve easily forced it open with a tiny ball of flame used on the lock, but that would surely attract the attention of whoever was walking down this tunnel now.
Then Alyx’s fingers dug into his. She pulled him onward when he hesitated in front of another door.
She shook her head. A moment later, he realized why.
A sensation of flame, dim and not very strong—but flame regardless.
A fire dragon shifter was in that room. A weak one, who was probably asleep. A servant, he assumed, and not a guard. Still. Even a servant could raise an alarm...
Alyx began to run. Now it was she who was pulling him along.
A moment later she stopped in front of another door. The sounds of someone coming down the tunnel were louder now. Whoever it was must have shifted—Braeden could hear the sound of boots.
A guard, probably. Maybe someone sent to patrol this tunnel.
Alyx tried the door—and a moment later bit back a curse.
“Shit! It's locked. Can you—”
Before Braeden could try to force the lock, there was a sudden click. Then the door opened.
And before Braeden stood a woman in her forties, her hair red except for one streak of white. The living flame of his own heart was dancing in her eyes, her features aristocratic, with high cheekbones and jewelry that gleamed in her hair.
The flame in her eyes challenged him. Braeden felt his own fire rise. For a moment, he could see nothing but fire: fire trailing through a dark sky, like a shooting star...
No, like feathers falling...?
Then, unceremoniously, they were yanked inside and the door hastily locked after them.
“Don't just stand there like idiots,” the woman hissed. “Hurry. You'd think you want to be caught!”
Without allowing them to get a word in, she turned and hastened towards a door on the other side of the room. She held it open, then turned to look at them in annoyance.
“What are you waiting for?”
“Lady Zena,” Alyx began, “we are—”
“Yes, yes,” the woman said haughtily. “I know what you're up to. You need to hide. So go and hide in my wardrobe already, will you?”
Braeden nodded and gave her a curt bow. Now was not the time to figure out who—or what—she was. Right now, she seemed to want to help them. That was all that mattered.
“And be quiet,” Zena said with the natural arrogance of someone who was used to being obeyed.
Then the door closed behind them, and they were trapped in a small, dark room.
Chapter Five: Alyx
Everything was quiet.
Alyx could feel her heart beating in her throat. Everything had happened so quickly.
And nothing had gone according to plan. She'd hoped to find a way out—but instead she'd run into a weird fire dragon who claimed he wasn't like the others, and had ended up pressed against Mr. Nice Fire Dragon's unfairly hot body in Lady Zena's wardrobe.
I bet I could make the column of the year out of this.
&nbs
p; If she ever got back to a computer. If she still even had a job.
And even then, they wouldn't let her write about dragons, of course...
Everyone knew dragons didn't exist. And her job was to write about fashion and lifestyle. Her boss would expect a review of the hot new cocktail bar—not a description of her flight from a fire dragon cave.
I could turn this into a movie script. They'd cast someone way hotter than me to play the lead—but that's okay, I'm used to that.
Braeden was still standing so close that she could feel the hard muscles of his body. Alyx swallowed.
They wouldn't have to cast anyone else to play him... Even Hollywood doesn't get you that hot and ripped.
Then she took a deep breath. Right now, her priorities had to be survival and escape. And definitely not thinking about a certain fire dragon's muscles.
Once she made it out, maybe it was time to ditch her job. No more writing about cute new eyeshadow palettes or the organic hipster coffee shop that now served everything with turmeric.
Maybe it was time to become the real deal. A real journalist. Someone who wrote about important stuff.
She had to warn people about the fire dragons. She had to. But how was she going to do that? No one would ever believe her...
“You okay?” Mr. Nice Fire Dragon whispered.
Alyx turned to glare at him in the darkness, even though he couldn't see it.
Of course she wasn't okay! What a question.
“I'm trapped in an underground lair with hundreds of evil dragons,” she hissed. “What do you think?”
“Sorry,” he said—and for some reason, he sounded genuinely sorry.
Maybe it was just because he was hot, and no one had been nice to her in weeks, but she felt her anger and despair suddenly melt away.
Beneath the anger, there was nothing but weariness and a deep hopelessness. But she couldn't give in to that. She had to keep fighting.
“It's okay,” she said softly. “Just be quiet.”
He hesitated. She couldn't see him, but she could hear the way his breathing changed.
There was a very careful touch—his hand against her shoulder, tentatively offering comfort.
She almost shrugged it off, because how could a fire dragon comfort her?
But the truth was, it felt good. It felt more than good.
Somehow, her body seemed to trust him, even though her mind was still full of wariness.
After a moment, she relaxed.
And that was when she heard the terrifying sound of someone knocking on the door to Zena's rooms.
Immediately her heartbeat sped up again. Braeden's hand found hers. The touch of his fingers was reassuring, and Alyx clung to the comforting sensation of his warm skin against hers as she strained to hear.
There was the muffled sound of voices.
Could they really trust Zena? All she'd have to do was to point the guards towards the door they were hiding behind...
She'd always thought that Zena liked her—as much as the older woman seemed to like anyone.
Still. Zena was a shifter as well. And even if she liked Alyx, was that enough to go against Steele?
Zena wasn't stupid. Maybe she'd decide that hiding them from Steele was too much effort. If Steele found out, surely Zena would be punished as well...
“I'll let you know if I catch a trace of her,” Zena said haughtily, her voice a little easier to make out. She must have moved deeper into the room.
“Thank you. Apologies for disturbing you,” a male voice said. A second later, there was the sound of the door closing again.
Alyx barely dared to breathe. For a long moment she kept clinging to Braeden's hand.
And then the door opened, light spilling in.
“You can come out now,” Zena said, looking them up and down with narrowed eyes. “I sent them away. You're safe for now.”
“Thank you,” Alyx said, suddenly feeling weak.
They'd come terribly close to dying...
“Sit down. Have something to drink. And most importantly—talk. I want to know what's going on,” Zena demanded, already turning away towards the table.
She put out fragile porcelain cups, and then poured them tea—the strong, black tea Zena preferred, and which Alyx had learned to prepare for her just as she liked it.
This time, Zena was serving her and Braeden. Alyx gratefully reached for a cup with trembling fingers.
The tea was strong and sweet. It was just what she needed.
She'd never been a tea person before, but a few weeks without a latte had made her appreciate any chance for a much-needed caffeine fix.
“Thank you,” Alyx said softly when she put her cup down again. Idly, she traced her finger along the painted birds on the delicate china.
“Thank you,” Braeden said as well. His voice was tense.
When Alyx looked up, she saw him giving Zena a thoughtful look.
“You are—”
“The firebird,” Zena said and straightened with that strange, haughty elegance of hers. “Have you heard of me, fire dragon?”
Silently, Braeden shook his head. “I'm not from here. That is—I’ve heard of the legend, of course. But I didn't know—”
“Steele thought we would make natural allies.” A small smile played on Zena's lips. “He is not wrong, of course. I, too, am a creature of the fire.”
“But you're not like them,” Alyx hastily interrupted. “You saved my life. If you hadn't told them you needed a servant, who knows what would’ve happened to me.”
Zena looked uncomfortable. “I did need a servant,” she murmured. “It was selfishness. Still. Sometimes it is good to combine selfish desires with what is good for others.”
Then she straightened. “So. Out with it. What brings you here?”
She narrowed her eyes at Braeden, and Alyx found herself watching him as well.
It was the first time she'd gotten a really good look at him while not being terrified that she'd die any moment.
He looked hot. There was no other word for it. Even now, with the warm tea calming her nerves, he looked like he should be on the cover of GQ.
Alyx felt her fingers twitching as she dreamed about pulling those clothes off him and dressing him in something out of the new summer collection.
He'd look hot in anything, of course, but something inside her saw him in a suit, something simple and elegant.
Armani, she thought, imagining how she'd smooth her hands over his shoulders to check the fit.
She swallowed, pulling herself out of the tantalizing vision as her cheeks heated.
Cut it out! You're still in danger. And what will Zena think?
Braeden was still looking at Zena. There was something strange about him. Alyx couldn't put it into words, but it was as if she could feel the power rising off him.
“Steele brings me here,” he said quietly. “As I'm sure you've already guessed.”
Zena nodded slowly. “There's something about you. I felt it when you came in.”
Braeden tilted his head a little, his eyes gleaming.
Despite the horrible clothes he was dressed in, he suddenly didn't seem out of place at Zena's table at all. It was a little like watching a queen and a foreign prince converse.
Alyx blinked, taken aback. Where had that thought come from?
“I am who you think I am,” Braeden said. “I know you can feel it. You're strong—strong and old.”
Zena laughed. “Careful, boy. Not many say that to me and live.”
Braeden smiled briefly. “No disrespect intended. But it's true. You're the firebird. I've heard legends—and now that I see you, I can feel it's true. The fire burns inside you.”
“And it burns in you,” Zena murmured. “Stronger, brighter, hotter than it ever burned in Steele...”
“So,” Braeden said with another small smile. “Will you help the fire? Or will you stand on the side of the usurper? Whatever Steele is—it's not the fire that burns within
him.”
“Now wait a minute,” Alyx said, glaring at both people. “No more of this dragon talk. I have no idea what the hell's going on. Speak in words people like me can understand.”
Zena gave her a cool look, although she didn't seem offended.
Nothing could ruffle Zena's feathers.
It was a good thing she was on her side. Even though Alyx was human, she knew instinctively that Braeden was right. There was something about her that felt old and powerful.
And that same thing was burning from within Braeden.
“Your new friend here is the master of fire, if I'm not mistaken,” Zena said in a clipped voice, as if she was one of the boring board of director people Alyx sometimes encountered at the magazine's fancy functions.
“Uh huh,” Alyx said. “More dragon talk. What does that mean?”
“It means,” Braeden said, in that soft, deep voice that sent shivers of want down her spine, “that the element of fire itself has chosen me as its champion. I am the master of fire—quite literally. I command the element itself.”
“And how is that different from all the other fire breathers out there?” Alyx wasn't fooled so easily. She'd seen what those shifters could do with fire.
And she'd felt the fire burning through her own veins when she'd been forced to drink their awful magic potions...
“Oh, they can breathe fire. They can command flames. Some of them are even better at it than others. But I'm talking about the element itself. Fire. The eternal flame at the heart of the planet. The fire at the heart of the sun. The destructive force of a hundred volcanoes—the protective warmth of a fire in the hearth. I am all of those. I am fire. I am lava. I am sun. I am destruction and heat, warmth and survival.”
Braeden spoke the words in a clear, deep tone that carried. As he spoke, his eyes shone with the gleam of flames once more. For a moment, Alyx thought she was staring straight into the sun. She saw a heat so immense it melted stone. She saw flames arch and dance, devouring and leaving destruction in their wake.
And beneath it all, she saw the conscience of a man she didn't even know. A man it was impossible to trust.
Still, at that moment, she felt his immeasurable power and control. All that stood between the world and destruction was Braeden—and he held back the flames with utter confidence, turning scalding fire into comforting warmth.