To Wake a Dragon - Naomi Lucas Page 0,43
His face as well. The young parented by dragon men are part-dragon, part-human. Perhaps somewhere in his ancestry, there is a human in him too.” I turn to the boy. “We’re going to let you go.”
Drazak snarls. “I don’t like this.”
I continue, “When we do, I need you not to move. Can you do that? Not move?” I ask the naga.
He hisses.
“We don’t want to hurt you,” I say, caressing his cheek once before pulling my hand away to face Drazak. He’s glaring intensely at his prisoner. “Let him go,” I tell him.
Slowly, carefully, Drazak does just that. He didn’t fight me.
Warmth floods my chest.
I hold my breath, my attention returning to the boy. He goes rigid at first, and I brace, waiting for him to try and escape, but his strain eases and he curls his tail against him instead. Drazak rises to his feet, finding solid footing amongst the stones. When he straightens with a growl, the naga slithers to the side and huddles. I swallow the urge to comfort him and go to Drazak instead.
I wrap my arms tightly around him. He holds me in return. Rubbing my cheek against the scales on his chest, we both calm.
Though I know his eyes are still pinned on the naga…
Wind blasts our ears. We release each other to look up, and I see a thin streak of light pierce through the gloom. Little dust motes fly through the air. I blink several times to make sure it’s actually sunlight that I’m seeing.
“Drazak,” I whisper.
“I know.” He releases me.
I leave him behind to climb, hands and knees, the rest of the way up. When I reach the hole, I find it’s thin, the gap between the wall of the cave and a boulder. I push my hand through, testing the opening with my hand and arm. Nothing budges. It’s too small for any of us to fit through.
I bite down on my tongue, putting a little more pressure on the boulder. It’s stuck. Pulling my hand out, I notice something on the rock. Long, thin scratches from where something tried to claw its way out. Dozens of marks. Glancing back at the boy, my belly churns. He tried to escape. And from the haggard appearance of him, he’s been trying for days.
When he wasn’t in the cavern with us… is this where he’s been?
My eyes find Drazak and I shift to the side. “I can’t move the rock. The opening is behind it.”
“Watch him.” Drazak cocks his head toward the boy. I nod and climb my way down. Drazak catches me at the bottom with a quick hug. He lifts my dagger from its sheath and hands it to me. “I will move it. Use this if he tries to move.” He levels his eyes on me. “I mean it, Milaye.”
“I’ll use it. I’ll protect myself and you.”
Drazak glares at the boy once more and then turns to climb the slope. When he gets to the boulder, I see him test the hole as I had. He notices the scratches too.
I turn back to the boy and make my way over to him. He glares at me warily. I keep my dagger in hand, but show the boy my palm. I kneel beside him.
“Are you alone?” I ask although I know the answer.
No response.
“Did you like the ration—err, food?” I rub my belly for meaning.
His eyes shift down for a second. He hisses.
“I’m glad,” I say. “I would like it too if all I had to eat were bugs.” A beetle scuttles over a small rock by my feet. I change the subject. “Can I see your hands?”
Silence.
I point to his hand. “Hands,” I repeat.
His hands twitch. His nails are cracked—gone. I rub my fingertips, imagining his pain. Nagas have claws… They use them to defend themselves. This boy has all but trusted his little life to us. Unless he manages to bite me, he has no other means of defense. He slides his hands under his tail.
I frown but don’t push it.
Drazak grunts. I rise and take a few steps away. Drazak’s back is to the wall where the hole is, one arm through the crack. He’s trying to dislodge the rock. His face is scrunched from the effort. He stops and tries again.
A stream of rocks tumbles down.
“Milaye,” he calls down. “I need…” Another grunt.
“My help?”
“Your help,” Drazak says.
“Stay back and near the wall,” I tell the boy as I start for the top. “If it comes down,