Caveman Alien's Riddle - Calista Skye Page 0,7

sure to load that infernal device with poison. Now my powers are less!”

“There was no poison!” I squeal because of his intense presence that forbids me from focusing on anything else. “It’s only rocks and iron!”

“Iron wouldn’t do this!” He strokes his hand across his little puncture wound and shows me the palm, smeared with dark gold. “It wouldn’t penetrate my scales!”

Shit. Was there more than rusty iron in the handful of scrap I poured down the barrel of that primitive blunderbuss when Dolly helped me load it? The metal and gravel came from many places, and of course there would be traces of other elements.

“I don’t know what it could have been,” I say, trying to regain control of my voice. “I didn’t mean for it to be poisonous.”

“A likely tale,” the dragon sneers. “You will pay dearly for what you did.”

I look away. It’s not like I’m going to apologize for defending myself.

Okay, let’s see. I’m alone with a kidnapper. Many of the other girls have been, too. And what they do is try to get the guy to think of them as individuals, not as objects.

“My name is Jennifer,” I state as loudly as I can. “What is yours?” I glance up.

He’s got his back to me again, holding his hair out of his face looking at the treetops. “You must know my name, little female.”

I shrug. “Maybe I should. But I really don’t.”

He slowly turns, dropping his cascading locks. “You don’t know my name? How is that possible?”

“Well, I’ve never seen you before.”

“But there are two dragons in your pitiful little village! Renowned enough in their own ways, I suppose. Surely, they must have talked about me in hushed tones? Surely, they must have told the tales of the mightiest dragon of all, the magnificent Caronerax?”

“Is that your name? Kronerax?”

“CARONERAX!” he yells so loudly I’m sure it makes the treetops sway.

“Okay, sorry,” I offer, my ears ringing. “Caronerax. Maybe they mentioned you. I wouldn’t know, I don’t talk much to the dragons.”

“Much to your detriment,” he says and turns away again.

I suddenly realize that we’ve been speaking English all along. The girls have talked about how fast the dragons are to pick up languages. It happens just about instantly and is one of the semi-supernatural things about them that we can’t explain yet.

I have to come up with a plan. This guy has already murdered one girl. I will do whatever I can to not be the second.

Oh my God. Heidi is dead!

My mind blanks out. It’s too much to deal with right now.

But I have to force myself to think of a way to get out of this. Being abducted by a dragon is different from being alone with a caveman. They are basically human, and most of them have a great sense of honor and warm hearts. Dragons are totally different, and both Eleanor and Mia went through all kinds of life-threatening trouble before their dragon realized what he was feeling for them.

Caronerax is injured. That can be a good thing for me. His powers are less, he said. What does that mean?

“Caronerax,” I call as sweetly as I can right now, “how are your powers lessened by the injury?”

He doesn’t respond or react.

Fine.

I take stock of myself. The headache is not as bad as right after I woke up. I’m not as dizzy, either. I’d kill for a cup of coffee, but that’s quite simply not available here on this planet and I should stop thinking about it.

I’m still wearing my worn and ugly dinosaur skin dress from last night. Around my neck I’m carrying the pouch with primitive matches and a light little knife.

My pockets are empty.

And that’s it. No weapons, nothing I can use.

I’m scared out of my mind. That dragon is bad. And I’m helpless.

Caronerax turns his head. “Are you growling at me?”

“It was my stomach,” I explain, trying my best to keep my voice steady. “It means I need food.”

He raises one perfect eyebrow. “Yes? What happens then?”

“When I get food? It means I can go on being alive. Are you going to stay here? Because I have to get back to the village.”

3

- Caronerax -

I bend down to impress this on her, keeping my annoying hair out of my face with one hand so she can see my eyes clearly. “There is nothing you ‘have to’, little female. Not unless I tell you. You are in the presence of a superior. What you think you wish is of