Captured by a Dragon

by Christina Wilder

Should I moo?

  My nervous laugh burst out of me, and I gaped down at PJ—who wore her usual expression whenever I tried something adventurous: humor she made no effort to hide.

  Okay, so this was funny. And a bit scary. But archaeology was her thing, not mine.

  The scent of damp earth and rotting vegetation filled my senses, and pings, like water droplets falling some distance away, rang out in the air.

  I kept one glove tight on the rope as Tanya lowered me, but touched the wall with the other, wishing I could see better. While I imagined there were bugs down here, there might also be crystals or unusual rocks, and I’d hate to miss seeing them. PJ was also into mineral collecting and she’d taken me rockhounding a few times. We’d only dug in long-abandoned, open mines, but I’d had a wonderful time.

  I should do things like this with my friends more often.

  “Woooo!” I shrieked. I loved how my voice echoed around me. Kinda creepy. Kinda exciting.

  The rope slipped.

  And I plunged downward.

  Chapter Two

  Drek

  Our royalty had been gifted with three sons.

  The first son became king.

  The second son ran the royal household.

  And the third son sought riches to enhance the kingdom.

  I was the eldest son, which meant that, now that my father had retired to his ancestral home, I was now king.

  And it was time for me to capture a mate.

  Soaring through the final cave channel, I cut the air with my wings, approaching our sacred place, the pool where the Lifegiver resided.

  Before I could chase down my mate and claim her, I needed to purify myself in the Lifegiver falls and gain the holy one’s blessing for my hunt. With her approval, I’d capture my woman.

  According to tradition, she’d be the first unwed woman to cross my path after the Lifegiver gave her blessing. Assuming she did.

  While I was one of the largest of my kind, and my wing-span and speed exceeded all others, I’d pushed hard for days to reach this destination.

  The luminescent water sparkled ahead of me. Calling to me.

  There were so few women left in our world that it was rare for the Lifegiver to grant a man a mate-wish. My brothers would follow me here over the next few days, and perhaps, one of us would finally be mated. That brother would produce children to carry on our family name and traditions.

  Leaving the dark channel, I flew into the wide, cathedral-like room. Stalactites speared down from the ceiling, their chalky surfaces dripping milky liquid. Boulders lined the outside of the room, and the ground sloped gradually down toward the water. The far wall ahead, overlaid with glistening mica panels, reflected my orange and gold scaled image back at me.

  The waterfall plunged down the wall, before reaching the huge pool at the bottom, and the water rippled, licking on the mossy shore. From the mesh of vegetation covering the other chamber walls, the sickly sweet, cloying smell of ender blossoms filled the air.

  Our holy ones said the Lifegiver’s spirit could be found in this chamber.

  If I spoke the words I’d been taught since boyhood, and showed the lady my true heart, she could bless my pursuit of a mate. My heart thudded with anticipation.

  Wind rushed past my face, and my eyes burned as I increased my speed. My wings carried me farther into the room, where I spiraled down, down. Savoring the pull of my muscles and the tug on my scales as I sliced through the air.

  As the sacred place grew closer, I winged faster and levered my lower body forward. Lifting up, I dropped my legs and touched down on the wide, flat granite surface surrounding the pool. My claws scraped deep grooves into the rocks, my marks joining those of every other dragon shifter who’d come here before me.

  After maturity, some came to beg. Others came to bargain. All with one wish that was rarely granted.

  Females were rare, outnumbered by our males by more than ten to one. I may never be mated, which meant I’d remain celibate for the rest of my life.

  The Lifegiver could send me away from here in defeat.

  I was eager to have a woman standing by my side. And, even more, at having her eager in my bed.

  Feet solid on the stone, I bent forward and rippled my body. I groaned at the bite of my scales shrinking down into my flesh. Molecules deep inside my body went through a sequence older than time, a forgotten memory that allowed my kind to shift. My wings contracted and tucked into place on my back, making my breath shudder to a halt. Like I’d been hit with a boulder from behind. As my neck retracted, and my face bones popped back into position, I tipped my head back and roared away the sharp agony brought on by the changing.

  Standing naked before the Lifegiver’s pool, my heart thundered in my chest.

  I stared around, pleased to see I was alone, because I wanted the opportunity to purify myself without an audience.

  But first, the rituals must be followed, starting with a bow.

  After, I lifted my arms and deepened my voice, reciting the words I’d practiced, “Oh, Lifegiver, I come here in peace.”

  Water continued to fall. Tiny waves splashed across the glowing pool, its interior lined with jewels reflecting the light emitted by the lunar bugs coating the granite ceiling high above. Crystal clear, I could see all the way to the bottom.

  I padded closer to the pool, the moss crushing beneath my calloused feet, but stopped when the water touched my toes. Grumbling, I stared at the water.

  This damn well better work.

  With primal eagerness surging through my veins, heating my blood with mating lust, I strode down into the large oasis. Submerged to my waist, I cupped water. And, as I’d been taught by our holy ones, I splashed my chest. My face. My back. Purified my skin. Spiritual water sank inside to cleanse my soul, so that I would be granted the right to hunt for my woman today. Rivulets cleaved down my chest and back, coating me with the gleaming essence.

  My eyes closed as I faced the falls. Lifting my arms again, I shouted out the words, “Lifegiver, grant me the right to seek a mate. I will guard her and care for her forever, living only to give her endless pleasure.”

  Just as every dragon shifter treated the woman who would someday share his bed and bear his fledglings.

  I submerged myself up to my neck.

  The words rushed from me again, bouncing off the chamber walls. Echoing back at me. I continued to recite them until my voice grew hoarse.

  Eyes closed, I sent out my last, silent request, demanding that the Lifegiver hear me.

  It was done. This would work, or it would not. Sadly, this was my sole opportunity. We could only plead with the Lifegiver once in a lifetime.

  Leaving the water, I dropped to my knees on the shore and waited for her response.

  Stillness descended. The falls continued to plunge down the wall, but it was if a vacuum existed, sucking out all sound. Even the birds who’d cheeped and swooped through the chamber above went quiet and huddled in their straw and mud nests, as if they listened for the Lifegiver’s voice, too.

  Around me, the world ground to a halt.

  Only the thud of my rapid pulse filled the silence.

  Until a voice rang out, louder than a bell. “You may hunt and claim her.”

  Chapter Three

  Jenny

  I stuffed a final bite of cupcake into my mouth and licked the frosting off my lips. I’d eaten two cupcakes, then decided I needed a third to help me recover from nearly peeing my pants when the rope slipped.

  They’d been joking around, of course. If I didn’t love my friends so much, I’d smack them.

  Resting against a large rock, I groaned out my satisfaction. All things considered—plunge aside—today had been nearly perfect.

  As soon as we all reached the bottom, we lit enough lights to drive the spooky shadows into the far corners of the cavern. We settled together on a wide slab of granite and spread out our lunch.

  While munching through chips and cheese sticks and gran
ola, I’d studied the stalagmites and -tites. Cool air rushed through the cave from the connecting channels, bringing with it a crisp, clean scent. I’d expected moldy, musty crud, but, strangely enough, I could swear I smelled flowers.

  A pop rang out, followed by PJ’s laughter. Turning to her, I grinned.

  She held up a champagne bottle with white foam oozing from the top and down the sides. Leaning forward, she extended it toward Tanya. “Since it’s your birthday, you get to drink first. We’ll take the backwash.”

  “What?” She chuckled as she fisted the bottle and lifted it in a toast. “No champagne flutes?”

  Grinning, PJ settled back on her rock and crossed her legs. “Didn’t even bring paper cups. But sometimes, the best way to savor champagne is the way nature made it.”

  Tanya took a long swallow, then burped. Her giggle slipped out, and ours joined in. She held up the bottle and sang out a quick, haunting melody in her gorgeous opera voice. It totally awed me and PJ, who stared at her with our mouths open. That girl had the vocal cords of an angel.

  “Whoa. Awesome acoustics!” PJ said.

  Tanya nodded and handed the bottle to me. “We need to celebrate more than just my birthday today. To bravery, because, girl, you owned it.”

  “Well, witchet,” I said. Which was my kindergarten-acceptable replacement for the swear word, shit. I swigged from the bottle and passed it to PJ. “You guys’ve given me more thrills today than when I rode the Summerville Fair rollercoaster.”

  “With your eyes closed,” PJ pointed out. She took her turn on the bottle and then passed it to Tanya, who drained the last drop. PJ dug into her pack again. “This day deserves another, because I’m nowhere near enough toasted,” she said as she popped off the cap of the second bottle.

  A champagne buzz tingled through my arms and legs, relaxing me.

  “If I opened my eyes during the roller coaster ride,” I said to Tanya. “I would’ve died.”

  “Or hurled,” PJ said with a snicker.

  I elbowed her side, and took a chug from the new bottle. “Hey, I did ride the coaster, didn’t I? That counts for something.”

  She put her arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. “You did, honey bunny, and I was so unbelievably proud of you.” After swigging from the bottle, she passed it to Tanya. “And, on that note, I’ve got to pee.”

  I did, too. That was the problem with drinking. It ran right through me.

  I stood along with PJ but glanced around with growing horror. “Houston, we’ve got one major problem.”

  Turning, PJ lifted her eyebrows.

  “I’m okay—I think—with doing my tinkies au naturel. But we’ve got no TP.”

  “Oh.” She waved to the backpack I’d dropped onto the ground beside me. “I put a couple tissue packets inside your bag.”

  “Yay.” I hugged her, because she was better than a mom. Sometimes, you just needed a parental-feeling hug, and PJ’s came guaranteed. “I’m eternally grateful for your foresight.” Alcohol made me wax eloquent. Like, I needed to star in a BBC production. “First drink tonight’s on moi.”

  “Deal,” Tanya said. She hiccupped and then giggled.

  PJ and I grabbed tissue packets from our bags and looked around.

  “So, you didn’t happen to bring a port-a-potty with you in your backpack, did you?” I asked her. I mean, the girl could sideline as a wedding planner. She could keep bridezilla and the bridesmaid-zillas in line with one hand tied behind her back.

  “Fresh out of potties,” PJ said. She waved to the edge of the cave. “Just like when I’m on a dig, we’ll do it caveman style.”

  Lovely.

  We trudged up the sharp slope to an area that leveled off, our boots crunching on loose stone.

  “No privacy here, folks,” I announced as I looked around for a good spot to do the deed.

  “Heard and seen it all before.” She sang out the words, then launched into an Italian aria. I think it was Italian, anyway. Her rising voice echoed through the chamber, giving us a private performance. I imagined the bats hanging from the ceiling must be enjoying her music, too.

  Wait. Bats.

  Shivering, I glanced up, and was happy not to see any dangling black bodies above me. What if they pooped on me? Flew around? Darted into my hair?

  Do not go there.

  Shoving aside my fear of bats, let alone big spiders, I jutted out my hip and acted coy. “Promise you won’t look at my bum-bum?” I said to Tanya in a high-pitch, kiddie voice.

  Tanya held up two fingers, Girl Scout style. “Promise!” She rocked and hooted out laughter.

  Today was the best day ever.

  PJ and I approached the wall and stopped, and I looked around for the best tinkie spot. At least there was dirt and moss up here, so I wouldn’t splatter. Not too badly, anyway. Just to be sure, I tugged my shorts and undies off one leg, and slipped out of my boots and socks. I’d hold my clothing to the side while I did my duty.

  “Woo-hoo!” Tanya yelled as I bent over.

  I scowled. “You said you wouldn’t look.”

  “Hurry up before I drink all the champagne,” Tanya said. “I’m popping the third bottle!”

  I glanced around. It was darker here, near the wall, and an overhang created mysterious shadows. Curious, I bent forward and scooted underneath to check it out, my undies and shorts still wrapped around my thigh, dangling from my hand.

  “Hey,” I said in awe, staring down. “There’s a hole here. Wonder where this one leads?”

  The opening was about three feet across. I squinted, but I couldn’t see a damn thing inside. A steady stream of water edged down the wall alongside the hole, flowing into the gaping blackness.

  “Maybe it’s nature’s port-a-potty?” PJ said from beside me, peering along with me. “The world’s a mysterious place.”

  Since she was into exploring long-lost civilizations, she should know.

  But it looked like the perfect spot for my tinkie shot.

  “You must be right,” I said, shifting around to face her. “Hold my hand while I squat. Then I’ll do the same for you.”

  “Deal.”

  With our fingers linked, I leaned backward, letting my ass dangle over the pit leading to the great beyond. Of course, it felt so silly doing it like this, I giggled. PJ joined in, and we were soon shaking with laughter.

  I hadn’t even started dribbling when my feet slipped.

  Gaping up at PJ, I scrambled for foot control. But the hole sucked me down.

  “Jenny!” PJ wailed.

  I fell and my hip jarred the edge, but my legs kept on going, sucking me inside. The rest of my body followed.

  PJ shrieked as she fell in behind me.

  My butt smacked against rocks, but it didn’t slow my downward momentum. I screamed as I slipped and slid, plunging away from the upper cave. Like I rode a never-ending slide at a water park, I kept moving, plummeting.

  Forever.

  Blackness crowded out the light, until I couldn’t see anything except the inside of my eyeballs.

  It was crazy. How could there be such a long, winding tunnel like this beneath the cave?

  The Earth’s core sucked me down, as if I was ripe for the plucking.

  Around a corner. Over a steep hill. Up another rise, before I dropped down some more. I swore, I was being dragged down to the center of the world. There was lava there, right? If I wasn’t immediately burned to a crisp, how the hell would I ever get out?

  I tried to grab onto the walls, to somehow slow my fall, but couldn’t get a grip on the smooth, wet stones around me. My fingernails snagged, but gravity was not my friend. She hauled me farther away from my friends.

  “Jenny!” PJ wailed from behind me. “Where are you?”

  “I’m coming for you,” Tanya yelled from somewhere far, far above us. “I’ll rescue you both!”

  A bang and a shriek followed.

  Oh, no. Had she fallen in, too?

  “Help!” PJ hollered.
>
  If I could help her, I could help myself, but it appeared I was beyond helpless.

  “Ahh!” I yelled.

  “Jenny,” PJ called out from far behind me. “Hold on, honey,”

  I didn’t hear Tanya, which chilled me to the bone. I’d feel like dying if my friends got hurt.

  Dim light filtered in from somewhere ahead. Good. Maybe I’d finally slow and could reorient myself. Then, I could find my way back up to Tanya and PJ, and we’d return to the cave. Crawling for days, if we had to.

  My shorts snagged on something. How the hell had they remained looped around my leg?

  They didn’t remain with me for long. My forward movement wrenched me past them, and I left my shorts and panties behind.

  Great, now I was not only plunging to my doom, I was doing it naked from the waist down.

  More light ahead. And…stone channels? No, it was three holes, as if nature had created one for each of us.

  With a sharp tug, my body veered to the left, rapidly approaching the first hole. I dragged my hands along the walls and scrambled for a grip, but I couldn’t slow my progress.

  Feet first, I slid into the narrow opening.

  The world dropped away, and I followed, suddenly airborne. Wind whipped my long, dark hair behind me and brought tears to my eyes.

  My ass smacked on rock again, somehow cushioned by what felt vaguely like moss. But it didn’t slow my plunge much, because it was slippery moss, and momentum was not helping me out today.

  I continued coasting along, my bare legs leading my ass, thrusting out in front of me.

  Ahead, a circle of light waited.

  I shot through it, like a cannonball from a cannon. My head hit the wall as I rushed through, and stars filled my vision.

  Which was wrong, since this had to be the middle of our planet, not outer space.

  Air-bound again. And I was dropping.

  I burst through a wall of water, sputtering and gulping. Below me, a large, turquoise pool glistened.

  And I was approaching it fast.

  I plunged downward until I smacked butt-first onto the surface. My speed pushed me along the top of the water, feet first, legs splaying wider by the second.