scent of singed clothing, hair, and moss choked the cave. A rage-filled bellow echoed through the chamber right behind her, shaking the walls of the cave.
The lip of the cave appeared suddenly. There was nowhere to go. Pivoting to face the oncoming beast, she drew her sword. Inky blue light spilled down the length of the blade as the dragon rounded the final corner.
Its huge head slowly came into view, bobbing up and down as its predatory gaze followed her magick, dark wisps of smoke trickling from its parted mouth.
“I don’t want to kill you,” she whispered. “I just . . . need something in this cave.”
A low guttural rumbling drifted from the beast as it watched her. It was no longer approaching, the upper portion of its long serpentine body curled and stacked to block the entrance, its primordial eyes glowing softly.
The way the dragon blinked at her, watching, waiting—there was a vast intelligence there.
Perhaps it was sated from a recent meal, or didn’t find her particularly appealing, but the creature was letting her leave. It only seemed to care about preventing her from entering the tunnels behind it.
Was it protecting the lost treasure? Some dragons became obsessed with collecting and guarding jewelry and other baubles. At least, according to myth.
A huff of hot, smoky air burst from its jaw and rolled over her. As if the beast couldn’t understand why she was hesitating.
You and me both, buddy.
Killing the thing had seemed easy ten minutes ago. All Haven knew of dragon-kind was Damius’s wyvern, Shadow, a cruel beast fully under its master’s thrall. But now, face-to-face with the sea orc, its magnificence on full display and eyes brimming with human-like sentience, the thought of destroying it made her sick.
There were two options she could see, and neither were promising. She could kill the beautiful creature—or she could try to soulbind it.
Killing it would be mournfully easy. Her endless supply of magick saw to that. Soulbinding the thing would be near impossible. Unlike the primitive vorgraths, dragons were ancient, intelligent beings that took years to fully soulbind.
But only one path would let her sleep at night. With a dramatic sigh, she slid her sword back into its holster. The dragon flinched a little at the sound. Holding its stare, she rolled out her shoulders and slowly began to reach out with her mind. Searching. Prodding. Looking for a way inside its being. For anything she could grasp onto.
At the same time, she gently glided her thoughts toward it, little waves of comfort meant to lull.
I’m not here to hurt you.
Her mind crashed against a protective shell.
You are beautiful, magnificent.
The shell softened like leather beneath her words.
I am your friend.
The dragon’s pupil constricted to a mere crescent of black as she felt the tiniest of holes breach that protective wall.
I am the daughter of the Goddess Above, the Goddess of all creatures big and small.
A soft huff sent charred dust and debris swirling around her feet.
I will not hurt you.
Quick as lightning, she speared past the breach and into its mind.
Instead of thoughts, smoke and sulfur and fire formed images that raced past. Hunting black whales deep in the gulf. Skirting the city where the men lived. Men that hunted it. Wanted to kill it.
And then Haven saw what the sea orc was hiding. Protecting.
Not jewels or treasure.
Something infinitely more beautiful and precious.
Dragonets. Her dragonets. They were somewhere safe in the recesses of the cavern. Somewhere—
A rage-filled screech split the air. Before Haven could react, she was ejected from the dragon’s mind, so violently that for a heartbeat inside her own body, she couldn’t see.
And when her vision returned a split second later, it was too late.
A churning wall of fire was racing toward her, the heat blistering in its absolute fury.
She had no choice but one—jump.
It was only as she tumbled through the air toward the cove that she remembered Bell’s advice to stay away from the water.
25
Haven had barely gulped a breath of air before the water slapped it from her lungs. She sank sank sank, legs kicking in hopes of finding sand to push off from and finding nothing. Clawing her way to the surface, she scoured the sky until she found the mouth of the cliff above.
If the Goddess was smiling down on her, the sea orc would decide she was no longer a threat and—
A curse fled her lips as she spotted the creature winding down the side of the cliff. The moonlight danced off its