Page 5 of Exquisite Monster
Above us, the cavern disappeared into darkness, no ceiling in view. In front of us, this luminescent forest continued into inky darkness.
“What is this place?”
“A place no one was meant to see. Especially not a human.”
Gritting my teeth, I closed my eyes and took a breath. At this point, I was no stranger to the prejudice against humans that dragons seemed to hold. But this one could be the difference between my life and my death, and I wouldn’t simply take it in silence.
“I understand you do not want me here. In case my falling from the top of the world was any indication, I don’t want to be here either. I also know your kind holds little love for mine. I don’t blame you for it, nor do I care. All I need to know is whether you’re going to help me get out of here so I can save my mates or if I’ll have to do it myself.”
The old dragon turned, eyes glowing as she surveyed me.
“I know that means I might die,” I continued. “I’m not a stranger to that possibility either. But I will not simply fade away into the core of Viria while my mates have been taken and are suffering Fallen knows what because the Elders and human aggressors won’t see reason.”
The last of my words echoed off the stone. I hadn’t realized my voice had risen so loud. My chest heaved with the anger that had started to burn inside me. It was true. I wouldn’t sit here and do nothing. I wouldn’t merely rot.
I was human, and because I was, there were many things I couldn’t do. But I was also a woman who’d vowed to do what she could, when she could, and promised herself to three men she hadn’t had nearly enough time with yet. My entire life had been led under a cloud of danger, pressure, and hardship. This would be no different.
The corner of her mouth tipped up before her gaze moved to my neck and arm, where the marks of my mates visibly drifted across my skin. “Perhaps you aren’t as useless as most humans after all. If you’re the mate of the Heirs. You may call me Gleym. Follow me.”
Gleym. Like the word flame but darker and more guttural. There seemed to be impossible power in the single word.
I followed her across the mossy stones and around trees that weren’t like the trees above ground. These were sharper and more angular, limbs branching as if they were more stone than wood. Swiping my hand across one of the trunks, I realized itwasstone. And still, the violet glow followed my fingers, leaving a furrowed path of light behind.
Varípushed his head against my chin with a tiny purr. I reachedup and stroked my hand down his tail. “We might make it out of this,” I whispered.
No matter what, I would make sureVarídid.
Gleym led us to where a wall of rock rose out of the black, coming up so suddenly that it surprised me. Another arch of stone, and as soon as I passed the threshold I blinked against the brightness. Like stepping into the sun from pure shadow.
I recognized the light of the crystals around the space. Similar to the workshop where Mesene worked. These were warmer than the cool, bright space in Skalisméra, but my breath hitched in my chest all the same.
It was clear this was a living space. More jagged arches disappeared into the stone, revealing rooms beyond the one we stood in. Not nearly as much light shone from the deeper rooms, but I could see enough. Whoever Gleym was, she had been here a long time.
She disappeared through one of the arches, but I didn’t follow her yet, unsure of her intent. A moment later her head poked back around the archway. “Do you plan on standing there until you die of old age?”
I schooled my face away from laughter. “I wasn’t sure how long you wanted me to follow.”
She jerked her head, and I met her in the next room. A fire rose from a pit in the center of the space, though no smoke came from it. A pot hung over the flames and the scent of…
Fallen stars. I didn’t know what scent it was, but my stomach sprang to life like I’d been starved. In a way, I had been. I didn’t know how long I’d been falling, and even before then, the last thing I ate was breakfast with my mates and Idroal.
“Thought so. Shouldn’t be anything in there that will kill a human. Serve yourself.” Gleym thrust a hand, pointing toward a shelf of dishes before walking over to a table and benches which seemed carved—ormelted—from the rock. “And while you eat, you can tell me why a human girl bears the marks of a dragon mating, and why that same human ended up at the bottom of the world where things are thrown to be forgotten.”
“Is that what happened to you?”
The words slipped out before I could stop them, and she glared. “Tell me your story and I’ll decide whether you’re the next thing in the pot.Thenwe shall see if I tell you why I’m down here.” Under her breath, she muttered, “Never break your own rules, Gleym. You know better. Too late now.”
I grabbed a bowl for myself and a smaller one forVaríand gave him some before serving myself.
Never in my life had I tasted something like this. Savory with a depth of flavor I couldn’t quite describe. The potion master in mewanted to ask exactly what was in it, and the other part of me was afraid to know. While I was hungry and it tasted good, I decided not to worry about it. I could be potentially horrified later.
Varítucked his tail around his feet as he began to drink the soup. Little sounds of happiness came from him and his scales turned a familiar, happy shade of green. I couldn’t help but smile.
My body wanted more food than I could eat, stomach rebelling before I’d even finished the bowl. Exhaustion crawled up my spine now that my body was content, but I had a story to tell.
“How much do you want to know?”
Leaning her staff against the edge of the table, Gleym settled back against the seat and stared at me. I tried not to stare back. “We have time, and I assume it won’t come as a surprise that I don’t get a lot of living visitors. Tell me the whole thing.”
