Shadowborn Queen - G. Bailey Page 0,22

freaking bomb.

So that's how they protect their treasure. Alrighty then. I guess I'm fucked.

I fly several feet back just before the bomb goes off. When it does, an explosion of scentless green gas is released and the chest shoots onto the ground, causing all the treasure underneath it to collapse. One by one, the Draguars wake up, and I know I haven't got long. The key is one of these chests and I need to open each of them. That's three more bombs while an entire cave filled with the undead try to kill me.

"Piece of cake," I tell myself, more to steady my nerves than anything. The first chest had been empty, now I need to check all the others.

Snarls and grunts carry to my ears as the creatures wake up. Metal clangs together as they reach for their weapons and crawl toward me.

"I don't want to fight," I say, raising my hands in supplication. "I just want your treasure. A Titan key, to be exact. I don't suppose you'd consider giving it to me?"

Well, that doesn't go down well. The creatures move even faster, their snarls turning into hisses as saliva oozes from their mouths. They're not exactly the quickest creatures I've ever encountered, but when they start climbing the piles of treasure as if they’re trees, boy do they move fast.

Looks like verbal communication isn't going to go down well here.

Time for plan B.

I fly over to the next pile and touch the chest. The ticking noise sounds again, and this time I pick the chest up and hold it high above my head.

"Bombs away," I shout, dropping the chest.

It explodes, spewing another cloud of smoke. The draugars hiss and shriek back as the gas burns their discolored skin. Weirdly, it doesn't affect me, and I wonder if they keep the chests to protect themselves from other draugars instead of fae. Part of me feels bad about throwing the bombs, but the other part knows I need to find that damn Titan key. So I continue picking up all the chests and dropping them like a bunch of whipper snappers.

"Izora? Izora!"

Gold's voice echoes around the cave. Still holding one of the chests, I glance at the entrance where my guys are standing, their weapons at the ready.

"Uhh... looks like she's got everything under control," Axel says, sweeping his gaze around the Land-Draugars writhing on the ground.

"Help me find the key," I shout over the creatures’ hissing. "It's in one of these chests and so far I haven't been able to find it. It might be on the floor. Help me look for it!"

My guys jump into action and charge into the room. Axel and Gold battle the draugars while Scott and Luke search the ground for the key. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack, except the key should be glowing like the others.

I grab another chest and throw it, shouting, "Fire in the hole!"

"Whose hole?" Axel yells back, and I can't help but laugh.

Even when faced with mortal danger, we can still crack jokes with each other, and that's what I love about my guys. Together we're a light in the darkness that cannot be extinguished.

"I've got it!" Luke bellows, just as he kicks an approaching draguar in the gut. "Now let's get the fuck out of here, jaybird!"

He doesn't need to tell me twice. As soon as I see the key glowing in his hand, I fly down with Ozy and charge to the entrance with the guys. Gold shapeshifts into his dragon outside and we each climb onto him before he lifts to the sky and soars over the marshlands.

"That was a close one," I hear Scott muttering to Axel.

"Nah," he replies, shaking his head. "Izora had everything under control."

For once, no one argues with him, and I can't resist the pride that surges through me. Yeah, I might've almost been killed by The Undead Lord's creepy little minions, but at least I had my guys with me while we kicked ass.

Chapter 10

The sun flickers through the trees as it rises over the horizon, like a warm wave bringing the dark forest to life. I swallow a yawn, leaning against Luke's shoulder.

"I miss sleeping in a bed and lying in," I admit. Gold looks back, mid-conversation with Scott and Axel as they lead the way through the forest.

Luke nods his head. "I imagine sleeping in the morning with you in my bed would be close to going to heaven."

I chuckle. "You