Page 8 of Cage Me

The path back down to the cavern floor sloped at a steep enough angle that Azy had to scooch down some of it on her butt. Thank goodness for her scales.

Around the same time as that succubus had given her the golden shard her scales had developed an extra layer of toughness. She also had a lot more control over her shift than she’d ever had before.

Usually she needed to be around water to bring on any part of the mermaid side of her, but now all she had to do was think about needing more protection and poof, they were there, and not just on her legs either. Pearlescent scales, more white than yellow like her tail, would surface on her arms, neck, and belly too.

The best thing about this new ability was that it shielded her from the unbearable heat. Fallyn had something similar, only her scales were red.

When Azy reached the cavern floor, she glanced around one more time to make sure they were alone and would remain that way. Fallyn hadn’t moved and there were no other sounds around. Safe. For now.

“Fallyn, we need to leave. Now.” No use plying her with hellos and how are yous. They were both shitty.

Fallyn turned and looked genuinely surprised to see Azy. She blinked a few times and tipped her head, hearing a voice that wasn’t there. “Shush, Izzy. I can’t think with you in my head all the time.”

Uh. “It’s Azy, not Izzy, remember?”

Fallyn rolled her eyes and swatted at something near her head. But, there wasn’t anything there. Nothing else lived in this forsaken environment, not even creepy crawlies or creepy fly-ies.

“She says I should trust you,” Fallyn said, looking at Azy this time.

Okay good. Whoever she was. “She’s right. I’m only here to help you.”

“Nope. You’re not.”

This was how pretty much every conversation they’d had went. Azy needed to try something different. She took Fallyn’s hand and gave it a tug, leading her across the cavern to one of the tunnels. Surprisingly, Fallyn followed. “Leave with me and I’ll show you. There’s a better life away from here. We’ll get you help.”

Fallyn stopped them, dead in their tracks, but didn’t release Azy’s hand. “From the dragon warriors? I don’t think so.”

“It doesn’t have to be with them. There are humans that can help you too.” Like psychiatrists and pharmacists, and reconstructive surgeons.

“Humans are worse than the dragons. They’re weak and kill each other for no reason.”

She couldn’t argue with that. “You’re right on both counts. Humans can suck. Some of them aren’t so bad, though.”

Like her father. He’d been one of the good guys. She kept the memories of her father’s fight for all that was right and just in the world close to her heart. Sometimes it hurt too much to bring them out, but maybe if she told Fallyn about him and the way love should be, it would break through that wall Kur-Jara and Ereshkigal had built around her mind and heart.

“Fallyn—”

Fallyn gasped and let go of Azy’s hand. “Oh no. Azynsa. Run. Hide. He’s coming for you.”

Azy wasn’t sure if the buzzing that started in her chest was her heart skipping several beats or the shard flipping its shit. She grabbed it and vibrated in her hand. The protective scales rippled across her hand.

Fallyn pushed her into the tunnel and she stumbled to the floor. “Don’t let him…oh no…them find you. It will mean the end of you. Go. Azynsa,” Fallyn’s voice broke, “please.”

Azy turned to see how close the Black Dragon or his demon dragons were. None were there.

Fallyn ran across the cavern and ducked into one of the side caves. Azy knew from experience that there would be no following her. She knew this maze better than anyone else.

Her heart still beat hard in her chest and the shard in her hand glowed brighter than normal. That burst of adrenaline hadn’t helped. It would crash soon enough.

She used the extra light from the shard to make her way through this lesser used part of the caldera. It was cooler here and she retreated to the tunnel the dragons had made when they escaped.

Most of it had collapsed back in on itself, but a few feet up, a crack in the rock was just wide enough for her to squish through, even though she scraped the hell out of her skin the first time she’d tried. She’d called on the scales to shield her after that.

It opened into a cave just wide enough for her to lay down in. Azy pushed rocks and dirt over the crack in the rock so that no one could follow her in or find her hiding spot.

When she was satisfied that she was safe, she collapsed onto the floor. More than exhausted.

One tiny, feathery root, with one pale green leaf, grew into the space from the ceiling above. Life. Azy clung to it.

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