Page 10 of Ava's Love of the Dragons
Why was he so much bigger and stronger than her? Why did he have years of combat experience while she had instead sorted receipts in her aunt's shop?
Desperately, she fought against him. She had to buy time. Somehow, she had to manage to stay in the entrance area of the cave for as long as possible. Kilian would be here any moment, and he would help her. Surely.
But the dragon fighter was vastly superior. As if she were a small child, he effortlessly transported her to a remote room, tied her to a pillar, and made sure the cloth around her mouth was tight. Once he had checked all the bindings, he turned his back on her without another word and strolled back to the cave entrance.
Tears burned in her eyes. Once again, she was helpless. Once again, she had no choice but to wait and see if luck was on her side and someone would rush to her rescue or not. Once again, her life was in danger because she hadn't been able to defend herself. To fight. For her life and her free will.
Anger shot through her veins. Unbridled anger that worked its way through her body and mind like fire.
She swore one thing to herself: If she survived this, she would learn to fight. With swords, daggers, bow and arrow, bare fists, whatever. Any weapon would do, any means, any technique. She never wanted to be helpless again when she was so close to being rescued. She would never again have to rely on others who came to save her—or who didn't. No one would be able to stop her if she only managed to escape Rob's clutches alive.
She tried incessantly to free herself and push the gag from her mouth by contorting her jaw in the wildest ways, but Rob knew his craft. The sounds she made were muffled. They probably barely reached the next room.
When the men's voices traveled through the cave, she screamed as loudly as possible. Kilian was there. Not a hundred meters away from her! But the gag dampened every scream to a minimum. Eventually, she had to accept that he couldn't hear her. That she couldn't draw his attention to her.
Exhausted, she paused and remained still, trying to understand what they were talking about. Maybe she could at least get some information.
"... still here?"
That was Kilian. His voice immediately set her in turmoil, her body vibrated, her heart called out to his. She couldn't help it, tried again to call out and free herself, but the ropes were tight.
"I wanted to make sure we hadn't left anything behind. The girl and the woodsman set off after us, after all."
That was Rob. How she hated his voice!
"Why did you come here, Kilian? I thought you had to attend a ball tonight."
Kilian hesitated, causing Rob to groan. "Don't tell me you wanted to fly to the border. Believe me, she's not coming back. She told me clearly on the flight back. She's totally suffering because you can't be together. It was all too much for her. Which is good. You're supposed to marry the princess in a month!"
"Don't remind me."
Rob's voice became more sympathetic. "Have you at least proposed to her yet?"
Kilian's hesitation was answer enough. And somehow it pleased Ava, for some reason her heart clung to this admission, clung to hope, although there was absolutely no reason for it.
Rob groaned, but once again infused his voice with a friendly undertone. Was this all just for show, or did he truly feel sorry for him? "The king is growing restless. You have to do it, Kilian. Don't forget, the fate of our world and the survival of all dragons rest solely on your shoulders."
That sounded damn well like emotional blackmail. Ava would have snorted if she had been able to. Kilian needed to find out what had truly happened and what Rob was capable of! How he might even be manipulating him. Maybe he was secretly working for the king!
"I know what's expected of me." Kilian's voice sounded different. Deeper, rough, yet there was a determination in it that forbade any pity. He took a few steps—if she wasn't mistaken, he was coming in her direction. "What's that smell? Bacon?"
Ava's eyes flew open. Was fate on her side? Doggedly, she wrestled with her bonds, even though it seemed hopeless. She let out the loudest muffled screams possible and didn't stop and kept fighting. She scraped the ropes against the stone of the pillar, but the subdued noise didn't leave the room.
Rob's self-satisfied voice effortlessly drowned out the sounds. "Must be from the girl. The little one's got some tricks up her sleeve. I gave her our provisions so she could put some meat on her bones. She probably ate most of it before they set off." Rob laughed. It sounded so carefree that it was impossible to reconcile it with the man who was threatening her life. Who was doing everything to prevent her and Kilian from meeting again.
"Good decision. And don't worry, I won't let the dragons and our kingdom down. You know that better than anyone."
Judging by the sound, the men exchanged a brief embrace.
"Thanks, man. I know what's weighing on your shoulders. But at least the princess is the most beautiful woman in the land."
Kilian didn't answer.
"Fly ahead to Belmonde and relax before the ball. I know you hate these events, so treat yourself to a bath in the hot springs beforehand. I'll take care of the cave."
"NO!" Ava wanted to scream, but Rob knew his craft. Whatever she tried, she couldn't manage to get Kilian's attention or loosen her bonds. Even the muffled sounds were so quiet that she wouldn't have startled even a mouse with them.
"Thanks. See you later." His footsteps receded, and each step echoed in Ava like the drums of death. Her death...
