Page 8 of Dragon Heir

“Easy there,” I consoled her as I moved closer.

The child whipped her head up and stared into my eyes. A strange emotion flickered through them before a smile spread across her face. “Mine!” She flung herself into my arms with such strength that we both toppled backward. The girl popped her head up and grinned at me. “Mine!

I couldn’t help but smile back even as I was filled with confusion. “Well, I’ll definitely be your-”

At that moment, our two other dragon lord visitors took the chance to shamble through the brush. The girl’s head shot up and she shrank back from their bumbling entrance.

“Blast these thorns!” Ware snapped as he sliced through them with his claws. “This whole place needs to be burned!”

“And the ground sown with salt!” Vargas added as she, too, cut the brush out of her way.

My new acquaintance scuttled back away from the newcomers. I tried to grab her hand but she was just out of reach. “It’s alright. They won’t hurt you.”

She froze and studied them with big, dark eyes. Vargas paused just behind Raines and Allard, and her eyebrows crashed down when she beheld the child. “Who in the world is this?”

The little girl crawled back a little farther. I glared at the old dragon lady. “That’s not the best way to introduce yourself to someone.”

Vargas lifted her nose. “She is nothing more than a trespasser, is she not? A-”

The little girl shot up and her eyes were as wide as saucers. She whipped around to face the dark shadows of the forest. The color drained from her face before she climbed to her feet and darted across the small clearing to a low rabbit tunnel. She dropped to her hands and knees and crawled into the hole.

“Wait!” I shouted as I scrambled after her. I reached the tunnel and peeked inside. Her small butt was disappearing into the shadows. “It’s alright!”

“No, it isn’t.” The cool words came from Will and sent a chill down my spine.

I pulled my head out and twisted around to face him. His glowing red eyes were focused on where the little girl had stared and they didn’t look happy. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and I climbed to my feet.

Or tried to.

A dark thread shot out from the brush to my left and wrapped around my ankle. I yelped and threw myself backward but all I did was end up losing my balance. I fell back onto the ground and flipped around to sit on my butt and face my attacker.

It was the same as the worm from my dream, but much, much bigger.

In fact, the thing was so big that I couldn’t even see its end. That was hidden in the brush and only the last two feet of its fat tip was shown. The creature was not only longer but much thicker than the tiny worm that had slunk into my room. This thing was now as fat as hemp rope and one pull from me told me it wasn’t some flimsy thing ready to burst into flames at a mere glare from my power.

Will’s power, on the other hand, had a much brighter glare from his flame as his hands exploded with flames. The heat was so intense even I shrank back a little. He leaped forward and slammed his hands down on the two feet of the creature between the brush and me. The monster writhed beneath the extreme heat and putrid air escaped out of the pores of its black leathery flesh shriveled before it combusted. I flung my arms up in front of me as its body exploded in all directions, covering the grove in a sickly odor of rot.

Chapter Six

All was quiet for a moment before I lowered my arms. I was coated in a sticky film of filth and my companions were equally covered in the muck. Will didn’t heed the disgusting layer but knelt by my side and lifted me so my side leaned against his chest.

“Are you alright?” he asked me as he looked me over.

I smiled and nodded. “Just fine, thanks to you.”

He looked me over. “Can you stand?”

My expression turned a little sheepish. “With a little help.”

Will grasped my arms and helped me to my feet. Our companions were just waking from their surprised stupor and some of them weren’t too happy.

Vargas stretched out her arms and the filth dripped from her limbs. The woman’s face slowly turned a bright shade of red and steam almost flowed from her ears. Her body trembled and she clenched her teeth.

She rolled her eyes around all of us before they landed on Will. “Lord Thorn,” she growled as she lowered her arms. “If this is some sort of joke then I am not amused.”

“Would that it were,” Will replied as he grimly looked around.

“Then what is the meaning of this?” Ware snapped as he stomped over to him. He puffed out his chest and his stomach bounced against Will’s front. “What was that creature? Who was that girl?”

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