Page 17 of Cage Me

The dragons had dug their way out, but she knew at least one of them controlled the earth element. If she could get Fallyn to open up about the Christmas ornaments, maybe she could get her to reveal how to get to the surface.

“How –” Azy stopped midsentence because Fallyn’s face had gone white, or actually yellow. The shard hanging from Azy's neck decided to turn on like an old-fashioned lightbulb. Its glow filled the room. She grabbed it to try to dampen its light, but the rays shined through her fingers like she was trying to block the sun.

“No, no, no, no, no.” Fallyn shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself. “Mate, mate, mate, mate.”

“What's happening, Fallyn?”

Fallyn grabbed up a sword and pointed it directly at Azy's chest. “He's coming. It's the end of you. Choose now. Are you with him or with me?”

“Him who? The Black Dragon? Then, I'm with you.” This might finally be it. Something about the light of the shard had put the fear of God into Fallyn. This was the opportunity Azy had been waiting for. “Let's run, run far away, where he can never hurt you again.”

“Not red. Gold.” Fallyn turned and shoved her way through the ornaments, looking for something. She snatched a particularly shiny one from a blade tip and shoved it at Azy. “Gold.”

The ornament was a polished piece of glass etched with the words - Baby's First Christmas 1976. It wasn't the words that she saw, it was the face.

The face of her mate.

He was somewhere here in hell. And not only surrounded by demon dragons, but that son of the black dragon was attacking too.

He had a golden sword raised and black dragon next to him bared its fangs. It lunged at her mate and Azy screamed out. “No, only God, no.

She’d never met this man, and certainly didn't want to have any feelings for him, but the fates had decided otherwise for her. She knew deep in her heart that if he were killed now, right before her eyes, she would not recover from the grief. It would be worse even than when her father had died.

The Black Dragon snapped at her mate's neck but did not draw blood. It snagged a white scarf from around his neck. The dragon must have communicated telepathically because her mate, who looked just as shocked as Azy felt, took the scarf and held it out, moving through the crowd of dragons.

They didn't attack. Why didn't they attack? “Why aren't they moving, is a trap?”

Azy didn't know how she push those words out, because there was no air in her lungs. It had all been sucked out and she couldn't seem to get herself to inhale.

“Annanuki. They mustn’t let them pass.” Fallyn watched just as rapt as Azy.

In another moment they saw two Annunaki standing like sphinxes guarding the path through the desert. Her mate handed the scarf to one of them. It’s face remained emotionless, but it stepped to the side and outstretched its arm to indicate that they could continue.

“Holy fuck, Jett. What the hell was that all about?” His words floated through the mirror, muffled like they were watching bad TV.

With the sound of her mate’s voice, Azy found the ability to breathe again.

The black dragon shifted back into its human form and patted her mate on the back. “The first gate of hell, Cage. Hope you brought some more trinkets to give to them, because we have six more to go.”

“The seven gates of hell? You couldn’t have warned me?”

“Nope.”

They watched the two men go through five more of the passageways guarded by the Annunaki. At each, Cage, such a strange name, removed another piece of clothing and handed it over, until he was bare footed and bare chested. All he had left for the last gate was his sword and his pants.

She wouldn’t mind seeing his butt, however, she’d been naked in hell. It wasn’t fun. When they reached the Annunaki, Jett indicated that Cage should hand over the sword.

“Can’t do it. Someone told me not to give it up. So, pants it is.”

The Annunaki went from its usual stoic face and stance to a monster in a moment.

“I don’t think it wants your undies.” That was the last thing Azy heard before Jett shifted back into his dragon again and Cage raised his sword. Why didn’t he shift too?

A river of demon dragons ascended on them. Cage slashed and chopped as fast as he could, turning the enemy to instant black stains. He wouldn’t be able to hold out long in his human form.

“Oh no. Why are they attacking now?”

Azy turned, but Fallyn was no longer watching along with her. She was at her bucket o’death, shoving daggers into pockets, up her sleeve, and one down her shirt.

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