but Zane put his hand at the small of her back.
“They’re harmless,” he whispered into her hair.
A shiver went down her back and she found she didn’t care so much about prairie mice anymore.
Slade set the lantern at the center of the cave and they began to lay out their things. Once the floor was covered in bed rolls, Zane lifted Bowen off of Sarah’s back. The little one prattled happily, smacking Zane’s cheeks with his little hands, the sounds of his happiness echoing off the cave walls.
Zane sat him on a bed roll, where he looked around with wide eyes.
Sarah began buttering a few of the slabs of bread she had packed with them.
“We’ll take turns keeping watch,” Slade said, pouring out a mug of cold water from his thermoflask. “But I think we’ll have a quiet night.”
Bowen squeaked, and Sarah looked over to see that bright blue cricket sitting on the bed roll beside him.
“Harmless,” Slade assured her. “Azure cave crickets are very common on Lachesis. They’re a good source of protein too, if you ever get desperate out here. With a little seasoning, they’re not half bad.”
Sarah wrinkled her nose and kept buttering bread.
Bowen cooed at the cricket and then clapped his little hands together as a second and third came to join the first.
“Cheerful little fella,” Slade said appreciatively. “I had a bunch of little brothers. Kids are fun to have around.”
Sarah smiled fondly at Bowen. He was fun to have around.
Another cave cricket hopped onto the blanket.
Faster than she could track it, something flew out of a hole in the wall and snapped up one of the bugs.
Bowen squealed with delight as he watched the thing stop to chew.
Sarah’s heart went cold as ice.
It was a snake-like creature, massive, with yellow-slitted eyes and striped markings. About a meter of it was protruding from the wall, but that huge, ribbony body could go on forever inside the rock for all she knew.
Zane began to move toward Bowen.
“Freeze,” Slade snapped, stopping Zane in his tracks. “They’re attracted to movement.”
“Wh-what is that?” Sarah murmured, her eyes fixed on her son, who was chattering away happily at the horrifying thing.
“That’s a cave eel,” Slade said. “They have a venomous bite, and even the slime on their skin is toxic. You don’t want to touch it.”
Sarah felt her knees go weak and the blood rush away from her head, but she forced herself to remain alert, eyes on Bowen.
“Everything will be fine, as long as we’re nice and slow, and no one makes any sudden movements,” Slade murmured as he stretched out slowly for the strap of his gun, which was leaned against the cave wall just out of his reach.
Sarah watched as his fingers grazed the leather strap.
But instead of dropping into his hand, the gun fell to the cave floor with a clatter.
After that, everything seemed to happen in slow motion.
The eel drew back to strike, its yellow eyes flashing with fury.
Quicker than she thought possible, Zane threw himself to the ground in front of Bowen, wrapping the baby in his arms and rolling to the side.
The eel struck, hitting Zane in the leg.
Zane’s roar of pain was echoed by the sound of a gunshot.
Sarah turned to see Slade, holding his gun, smoke issuing from the long barrel.
There was a thud as the eel hit the cave floor before it could strike again.
19
Sarah
“Zane,” Sarah screamed, crawling over to him.
“He’ll be fine,” Slade said. “He’s a dragon, remember? He’s venomous himself.”
She hadn’t considered that, and didn’t have any idea if it was true. But Slade sounded pretty certain. Of course, he’d also been pretty certain they’d find nothing but harmless prairie mice in those holes.
She moved to Zane, who was still curled protectively around Bowen. She rolled him onto his back and pulled the baby out of his arms.
“Mah,” Bowen cried imperiously, smacking her on top of her head.
“Hi, baby,” she murmured, kissing an impossibly soft golden cheek as she gazed down at his protector.
Zane was alive, but knocked out. He looked peaceful.
She reached out slowly and touched his jaw as Slade crawled up behind her.
“Hey,” Zane said, his blue eyes blinking open suddenly and then narrowing at Slade. “Don’t you look at my woman.”
His words were slurred, as if he’d been drinking.
“What’s wrong with him?” Sarah asked.
“It’s the venom,” Slade said in an embarrassed tone. “It’s making him act a little silly. It will wear off.”
“I said, don’t look at my woman,” Zane said. “You cocky country bumpkin.”
“I’m