Pushing myself to my feet, I walked over to him. “Did you really think you would get rid of me that easily?” I asked, lacing my fingers through his as we stood near the white bridge.
He shook his head. “I knew you’d come.”
My lips twitched. “You were right.” I kissed him softly. “I’ll always follow you, Elyxander. There is nowhere on this planet you can go where I won’t find you.”
The words, an echo of the promise Xander had made me when he rescued me from the Red Shadow, reverberated through my core.
Daegal and Ryllae exchanged a look. Then he stood, offering a hand to his bonded mate. He pulled her against him. “You’re sure?” he whispered.
“Yes,” was her quiet reply.
He turned to us. “We’re coming.”
Ryllae smiled, and red ribbons wove through her fingers. For the first time, I saw those crimson threads and I did not feel a single drop of fear. Maybe it was because we had both fought the spider-skulls in the mountain, or perhaps it was her bond with Daegal, but all I felt was happiness they were coming along.
“If you’ll have us?” Ryllae asked.
“Of course.” Xander nodded.
Kysha and Maiela had risen to their feet and held each other tightly, their heads bent as they whispered. I wasn’t sure what they would do, so a flutter of surprise went through me when Maiela turned.
“We’re in,” she said.
My brows rose. “Really?”
Kysha smiled. “It’s an adventure,” she said. “We love those.”
“Then we have decided,” Xander decreed, drawing his sword. “Our journey continues.”
One by one, we each drew our weapons. Xander’s hand tightened around mine, and we took the first steps onto the bridge together. Followed by our companions, we walked across the river of fire. The air was hot and sticky, and it felt like I was breathing in steam as we crossed the lava. With each step, the smell of sulfur grew stronger. When the gray rocks on the other side were only a few feet away, the air shimmered.
My skin tingled, and my mating mark itched.
“Do you feel that?” I asked.
“Yes.” Xander squeezed my hand. “Don’t worry, Aileana. Whatever happens, I will protect you.”
“Silly dragon,” I said. “I might be the one protecting you.”
We took another step. The ground shook, swallowing up Xander’s reply. White light flashed. My mate’s grip on my hand tightened to the point of pain. Someone screamed.
Blackness swallowed us whole.
My Dragon Will Never Leave Me
SAENA
Six sniveling lords trembled in front of me as they prostrated themselves on the bloody floor of my throne room. None of them dared look at me for fear of becoming like the others.
As for me, I reclined on my golden throne, tapping the gilded armrest as I waited for one of them to grow a pair and tell me what I wanted to know. Red ribbons tinged with black wove around my fingers, a reminder of the power thrumming a dangerous song in my veins.
The beast writhed within me.This is taking far too long, it snarled.We should kill them all and be done with it.
Its assessment was on point. This entire day was becoming tiresome. Already, my dragon and I had dispatched two dozen such males who had failed us.
But they needed to answer my question.
Why couldn’t anyone tell me what I wanted to know? It wasn’t as though I was asking them to deliver me the world on a silver platter. Just a map. One piece of parchment, showing me the way to the treasure owed to me. That was all.