by Zoe Chant
And he and Alyx were still trapped inside the mountain.
“Hurry,” he gasped, keeping his hold on her wrist. “We have to get away before the lava finds the entrance.”
He could probably force his way out, after all. The lava wouldn’t hurt him, and he could shield Alyx.
Still, Steele had wounded him, and his leg was aching fiercely. Worse, his chest felt sore and tight, as if the smoke he'd breathed in had settled in his lungs.
He had to keep up his strength so that he could fly Alyx out. And right now, he wasn't sure if he could manage that. Not if he'd also need to protect them from a torrent of lava trapping them from both sides.
This time, fortunately, he didn't meet any other dragons on his flight through the corridor. The minutes seemed endless as they rushed through the dark tunnels, the only sound the groaning of rock and their panting breath.
And then, at last, the tunnel ended. Before them was the familiar wall of stone that hid the entrance.
“We're trapped,” Alyx gasped. She hit the rock with her bare hands, tears in her eyes. “Damn you, let me out!”
“Wait.”
Braeden pressed his own hand against the stone. He sent a flicker of flame into it.
He could sense heat beyond—but not the deadly blaze of an ocean of lava.
Good.
A rectangle in the stone began to gleam, a tiny flame running all around it.
Then the flame vanished, and the rock opened.
Beyond, the green valley was much transformed. A tree was on fire, burning like a torch. Here and there, large rocks had landed that were still glowing orange with heat.
But the lava was rolling down the mountain further to the west. The way was free.
“Trust me. One last time,” Braeden said as he pulled Alyx out into the open.
She barely had eyes for him. Instead, she was looking around with disbelieving joy, ignoring the erupting volcano.
“I'm free. I'm really free...”
“We have to get out of here.” Braeden gave the mountain a worried look.
As if on command, another rumble made the ground beneath them tremble.
“Now!”
Braeden shifted, going to his knees before Alyx and lowering his wing.
She hesitated only for a heartbeat. Then she pressed her lips together and began pulling herself up onto his back.
A second later, he was in the air, quickly gaining in height as a new flood of lava began to flow down from the smoking volcano—headed straight towards where they'd only just escaped the mountain.
Braeden was high up in the air before the lava made it to where they'd stood. He didn't stop even for a second. Despite his aching leg and the deep pain in his lungs, he kept flying as fast and as far as he could.
He could only think of one thing now. And that was to get Alyx to safety.
Chapter Seven: Alyx
They'd made it. They'd escaped the fire dragons and the volcano.
Alyx's heart was still pounding as though she'd just run a marathon. And in a way, she had.
Her body seemed to be functioning on pure adrenaline. She'd never run so fast, or for so long, in her entire life.
But then, being pursued by a torrent of scalding magma was a lot more effective than the ripped personal trainer she'd booked last year, and whom she'd promptly deserted after three sessions.
It wasn't even that he'd said anything unkind about her obvious lack of stamina or her not-ripped body. The guy had been fun—and he'd been fun to look at. But it was hard to find the energy after another twelve-hour day at work, because her boss had sent her yet another last-minute assignment that absolutely had to be done before morning.
She’d tried to make up for it by virtuously munching on carrot sticks while at work. But when she got home late and exhausted, sometimes she just had to treat herself to half a pint of ice cream.
In any case, it wasn't as if her hot fitness guru would have been able to outrun an erupting volcano either.
It should have been impossible to escape. Outrunning a wave of magma was something that happened only in movies, and she was no Indiana Jones.
On the other hand, as strange as it seemed, she apparently had a fire dragon protector now.
Awed, Alyx smoothed her hand over the scales that covered Braeden's body. They were of an orange-red hue, like flames, and they were comfortably warm. They felt smooth, like well-polished metal, and not slimy or spiky at all.
Riding on his back wasn't as terrifying as it had been at first, now that she had time to relax. For some weird reason, she felt utterly safe and secure, even though there were no seat belts and no airline safety instructions.
When she looked up, she saw that half the sky had darkened. A giant cloud of smoke had risen into the sky, while the volcano kept spitting torrents of lava.
I wonder what the news will say about that. Maybe this is it. Maybe everyone will realize that dragons are real—and that they're dangerous.
At least the fire dragons who'd kidnapped her.
Now that she finally saw the sun and the sky again, she was ready to admit that she'd been wrong about Braeden. He'd done exactly what he'd promised her. He'd rescued her.
And he'd fought Steele himself to keep her safe...
Her hand was still resting against Braeden's neck. Now she began to feel a wave of weariness—not her own, although she was tired from her long flight.
No, the exhaustion she felt vibrated against her hand. It was like something was pulling at her—or as if she heard a distant echo.
Braeden's tired. Braeden's hurt...
“Are you okay?” she called out, even though he was still a dragon.
The wind was cool against her face, but even so the air she breathed tasted like smoke and ashes on her tongue.
For some reason, she felt a surge of warmth against her hand. It was faint, but it prickled gently against her skin, soothing her nerves a little.
Braeden was reassuring her. There was strength in him. And although she still didn't understand how she could just feel these things, she realized that he'd fly her to safety, no matter what the cost to him would be.
“Okay,” she said out loud, still gently rubbing his neck. “You're the dragon here. Just take care of yourself, okay? I don't want to drop out of the sky.”
Another flicker of warmth against her skin. She could almost hear him laugh in her mind.
Which was weird. Had she ever heard him laughing before? How did she know what his laugh would sound like?
He'd have a nice laugh, she decided tiredly, finally allowing herself to rest against his neck. It would be warm and deep. Just how she liked it. He'd be the sort of guy who'd make a shiver run down her spine with his soft laugh.
Maybe he'd also be the sort of guy who wouldn't expect her to spend every evening in the gym and eat nothing but carrot sticks.
Because she liked carrots and veggies. But she also liked a nice, rare steak, or the comforting sensation of a bowl full of extra-cheesy mac and cheese. And there was nothing quite like the tiramisu that the little Italian place around the corner served...
As if on command, she heard her stomach growl.
How long had it been since she'd last eaten? She felt like she'd run for hours before she'd even met Braeden. And with everything that had happened since their meeting, it was no wonder she was utterly exhausted and ravenous.
Soon, she told herself, her fingers still pressed to his neck.
He really was very warm. Which was no wonder, because he was a fire dragon.
Still, it was nice. Like crawling into her bed in winter with the electric blanket already turned on...
She must have dozed off. When she startled awake, they were still in the air.
For a moment, shock made her tighten her arms around Braeden's neck. Then she realized that she was completely safe. They were still in the air, but she hadn't fallen off while asleep.
He wouldn't have let me fall.
&nbs
p; It was weird that she'd begun to trust him so. But then, why shouldn’t she? He'd proved himself a hundred times since they'd met.
Perhaps she really was lucky enough to have met the only honest fire dragon in the entire world.
Aren't I lucky.
There was a small smile on her face. She was lucky. And she'd tell Braeden so, as soon as he'd shifted back.
She'd never have escaped without him, she could see that now. There was no way she'd have made it out through the old volcano vent without wings.
A moment later, she realized that they were flying much lower now. She could make out trees below them.
When she craned her head, she couldn't see the volcano anymore—but a part of the sky was still noticeably darker.
We escaped. They won't find us here—if they even got out in time.
Elation filled her. For the first time in weeks, she was really, truly free.
It was incredible. There was blue sky over her, and a lush, green landscape stretching below.
She stretched out her arms, laughing as the wind tugged on the strands of her hair. Everything she wore still smelled like smoke, but she didn’t care.
And then she realized that Braeden was no longer a source of steady, comforting warmth.
She narrowed her eyes, pressing her hand to his neck again. “Is everything all right? Are you hurt?”
Braeden didn’t answer, but through the touch, she now felt a deep, aching pull.
It was a feeling like sore muscles stretched beyond what they were capable of. Of bone-deep exhaustion—and a darkness looming like an abyss before them.
“Oh, shit. We're going to crash!”
As soon as she spoke the words, she knew it was true.
The trees below were close not because Braeden had prepared to land, but because he was barely able to keep them in the air anymore.
She could feel it now, the burning pain every time he raised his wings.
“Shit, shit, shit. Okay, listen to me. Stay awake. I'm here, all right? Just stay awake and listen.”
It was sort of like a plane that had lost its engines—only she didn't have a helpful control tower voice talking her through landing a burning plane, the way it happened in movies.
She was all alone on top of a wounded dragon, and she had no idea how the hell she was supposed to help him. She didn't even know how to fly a plane, least of all how to fly a dragon.
“Okay. Can you, like, brake? We're, uh, flying pretty fast.”
She swallowed when Braeden's left wing almost touched the top of a tree.
She narrowed her eyes. There was nothing but forest before them—but over there, to their right, wasn't that a highway?
Dusk was approaching. The sun was already very low in the sky. And she was pretty sure that there, in the distance, she'd seen lights.
Exactly what we need. Shelter. A phone. Civilization.
Only who the hell would believe her that dragons had made a mountain turn into a volcano?
Shit.
Braeden's wing had definitely touched a tree this time. Leaves were whirling through the air as a branch was ripped from the trunk.
Beneath her, the powerful body of the dragon shook, a groan escaping his throat.
“Okay. Stay calm. I know you hurt—but we need to go to the right. Can you do that for me? Go right? It's not far, I promise. And then you can rest.”
Tentatively, she pressed her hand against his neck, as if he was a horse.
She knew horses. She'd spent a few summers on the farm of her best friend's grandparents as a child. Twenty years had passed since that time, but she hadn't quite forgotten the sensation.
Of course a dragon wasn't a horse—but right now, it was all she had to work with.
For good measure, she nudged him with her calf as well, and a moment later, she felt Braeden tense.
He groaned again, a deep sound of pain escaping him—but he turned.
One of his wings rose, the other lowered, and a moment later, they were swerving to the right.
“That's it,” Alyx praised, relaxing when she could see the distant lights right in front of them. “Just go for as far as you can. We're close now. And then you can rest.”
She could hear Braeden's labored breathing. Every time his large wings rose and fell, she could feel the way he tensed.
Steele had wounded him. It must have happened when they'd escaped him—which meant that Braeden had carried her to safety, all this way, without saying even a single word.
Admittedly, there wasn't much she could have done while they were trying to outrun the magma. But he could have stopped once they were at a safe distance.
There was no need to drive himself to such utter exhaustion—was there?
Instinctively, she hunched her shoulders, fearfully searching the sky.
Maybe Braeden knew more than she did. Maybe it was possible that fire dragons could survive an erupting volcano.
Or maybe there were more of them out here... Braeden must have come from somewhere, after all.
Braeden's wings were beating more and more slowly. They were gliding on the air now, coming closer and closer to the ground.
There was the highway; she could see the lights of cars. And there, not far, was a building, dark against the sky.
She saw the neon sign advertising a motel just a heartbeat before a shudder ran through Braeden.
And then they hit the ground, the fire dragon managing two, three steps before he groaned and collapsed. Surprised, Alyx cried out as well, clinging to the dragon's neck.
A second later, the large body shimmered, and instead of the powerful body, she found herself clinging to an unconscious man.
“Well, shit.”
She clenched her teeth as she forced herself to stand. Her body ached from the earlier exertion, but she paid it no mind. Instead, she looked around.
Braeden had managed to make it past the forest. They'd crashed into a field of wheat.
And there, past the field, stood the motel.
Alyx felt tears rise up in her eyes as she stared at the neon sign.
She'd really made it. She was back in the human world. Back with cars and TVs and phones.
Now she just had to get them both to that motel. Surely there was no way the fire dragons would find them there. There were hundreds of motels around, and they'd been flying for so long. She didn't even know herself where she was, so how would Steele know?
She knelt down by Braeden's side and pressed her hand to his cheek.
“Hey,” she said softly.
His skin was warm against her fingers, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
“You have to wake up now. I can help you walk, but there's no way I can carry you. You're the muscle in this operation.”
Braeden groaned. There were smudges of ash on his face.
Carefully, she brushed at a dark smudge with the pad of her thumb.
He really didn't look evil at all. Weird how at first she'd thought he was one of them. Now that she got a good look at him, she could see that he looked different.
She couldn't say why or how, but there was something almost innocent about him. He had the body of an ancient god, and powers that could make a volcano erupt—but he didn't look like his hobby was terrorizing human prisoners.
Then she sighed, looking down at the unconscious man at her feet again. The motel wasn't far. But she couldn't carry him. And she really didn't want to leave him behind.
Fire dragon or not, he'd saved her and risked his life for her. He'd gotten wounded because he'd helped her escape.
And no matter how badly she wanted a shower and some food, there was no way she'd go without him.
Now I wish I'd paid attention during that boring first aid refresher last year...
Cautiously, she touched his shoulder. “Hey. Braeden. Can you hear me?”
He didn't react. Biting her lip, she cupped his cheek with her hand. His skin was dirty from all the ash and smoke they'd flown through, b
ut it was warm.
A moment later, she saw his forehead crease as he frowned.
“Braeden,” she tried again. “Hey. You've got to help me now. You've got to wake up. I can't carry you. And I'm not leaving you out here for Steele to find.”
At the mention of Steele, a shiver went through Braeden. Slowly, his eyes opened. They were glassy and dark with pain—but there was recognition in them when he saw her.
“Oh, good,” she joked, even though the sight sent an unexpected jolt of pain right through her heart. “You're alive. You've got to get up. There's a motel there by the highway. I don't have any money or ID, but maybe I can get us a room. We'll be out of sight, and then I can check your wounds.”
Grimacing with pain, Braeden reached for his pocket. The exertion made him grit his teeth, but a moment later, he pulled out a slim wallet. Without a word, he pressed it into her hand.
“Perfect,” Alyx said as she flipped it open. It held his credit cards and driver’s license. “I see at least one of us came prepared for adventure.”
She shoved it into her own pocket, then wrapped her arm around his waist. “But you've still got to get up. The motel's right across the field. Only a few minutes, and then you can rest. Okay?”
He didn't answer her, but she saw his jaw clench as he forced himself up. Despite her support, his face was gleaming with sweat.
It was impressive to see Braeden struggle towards the motel by her side. He was limping; Steele must have wounded one of his legs. Nevertheless, not a single sound of pain escaped him, although every time she turned her head in worry, she saw him wince, his face pale with pain.
It didn't take more than a few minutes to reach the motel. At any other time, Alyx would have scoffed and turned up her nose at it. The neon sign was flickering, another sign advertising free rooms only half lit up. The parking lot in front of it was dirty. All in all, in the gloomy light of the rising moon, it looked like the set of a horror movie.
Alyx had never been happier to see a run-down motel in her life.
After weeks trapped underground, even the grubbiest mattress and stained carpet would make her feel like she was in a luxury spa. There'd be food, and soap to wash the grime off her body, and a door she could lock.