Page 11 of Ava's Love of the Dragons
Chapter 6
After Kilian had flown away, Rob didn't return to her immediately, but left her floundering for a while. He probably was waiting until evening before freeing her from the column to collect her. In the darkness, no one would see him, no matter where he took her, no matter what he planned to do with her.
With the gag in her mouth, she was unable to ask what he was planning, but he had said he wouldn't desecrate this cave. Apparently, he would take her to another place and kill her there.
The thought made her feel sick.
She hadn't heard him for a while, but she didn't fool herself. He wouldn't leave his cargo unattended.
At some point, she felt warm fingers on her hands behind the column and startled. Had he come without her seeing or hearing him? He and the dragon fighters had probably received ninja training.
What she wouldn't have given to be trained in fighting like that! To learn all the tricks that would give her the ability to not just wait helplessly in such situations, but to take action. To defend herself, to free herself, and to fight injustice!
That wouldn't happen now.
Was it naive to still hope for rescue?
She dragged her attention back to reality and inevitably held her breath. The bonds were loosening. But it wasn't just the ropes that had tied her to the column that were slipping down. The cords that had bound her body were also falling silently to the ground.
Was she free?!
Stunned, she turned around and had to look down. Behind the column stood not the brutal dragon fighter. It was Lilly, a finger on her lips and a mischievous grin on her face.
She opened her mouth, pulled the girl close, and felt tears burning in her eyes. For a moment, Lilly returned the embrace before pulling away, pointing towards the main cave, and again putting her finger to her lips.
Speechless, Ava looked at her. How had the little one managed to sneak up to her? How could she put herself in such danger?
But of course, Lilly didn't worry about that. Silently, she waved Ava to follow her and crept as quietly as a cat behind the column towards a niche.
Although Ava's limbs ached and she had lost feeling in her legs and arms, she followed right behind. The girl led her to a narrow gap, squeezed through, and motioned for Ava to follow.
Ava sucked in her stomach and squeezed after her, yet even with her upper body turned sideways, she still scraped along the rock wall. Fine rock projections scratched the skin on her cheeks, but she barely felt it and determinedly kept going. Further and further, until they reached another room that was also in the back of the cave. Ava knew it. In the adjacent room, they had sat together at the long table and eaten yesterday afternoon.
Together with Rob.
Had he already been planning to get rid of her while laughing in her face during dinner?
Lilly crept forward, and Ava followed her. There was no sound of Rob. The little one targeted a narrow passage covered by a curtain. She quietly pushed it aside, and once again a rock crevice appeared. But this one looked so narrow that Ava couldn't fit through.
The girl had already slipped in and waited while Ava stretched, turned her shoulders, hips, and head, and tried everything to get into the opening. But it didn't work. She was a grown woman—how was she supposed to fit through this narrow gap?
She stepped back, shaking her head, but Lilly waved her over persistently to try again. Ava didn't believe it would work, but she didn't want to give up so quickly—especially since the alternative might have meant death. She bent down, twisted her upper body, and contorted herself to change the angle. Eventually, she made it into the rock crevice, but she couldn't move forward. She was too big and wide. If she pushed herself even one more centimeter forward, she would get stuck.
She stepped back into the room, rubbed the dust off her arms, and silently shook her head as loud footsteps sounded.
Horrified, she and Lilly widened their eyes.
Rob.
Was he coming into the kitchen?
Lilly hurried to her and pulled her towards the rock crevice. Ava did her the favor of trying again, but she didn't fit through, no matter how desperately Lilly tugged at her wrist.
"I'm too big," she mouthed silently, but the girl wouldn't accept it and kept pulling and pulling.
"AVAAAA!"
The scream thundered through the cave and made the ground tremble.
