Page 17 of The Dragon Sacrifice

Langdon shook his head. “Our domain extends further than these few rooms. Part of the pact between the human king and our father stipulated that we would need room. If we did shift into our dragon forms, we would need space or risk injury. It is quite beautiful, if you’re up for it.”

“Here’s something I don’t understand,” she said. “If the humans wanted to kill you, why give you luxuries, food?”

Langdon had an answer ready like he had been anticipating these questions. “When the human king was unable to kill us or our father, they formed a pact. We would go into exile here, and my father would leave the kingdom. But he would be free to roam and check on the pact, ensuring we were not harmed, were well-fed, and the like.”

“But they are trying to kill you now.”

“They sense our weakness,” Stenton added with a sardonic smile. “And I suspect Father hasn’t been around lately to keep the human king in check.”

“No. As far as I know, a dragon has not been spotted in many decades.”

“As I thought,” Stenton said, kicking his boots up on the table. “Dear old Dad is neglecting his duties.”

“Enough about that,” Langdon said. “Seela, are you up for doing some sightseeing? Want to stretch your legs? These two can be a bore.” He thumbed to his brothers, who rolled their eyes.

Seela nodded, not wanting to stay cooped up in this claustrophobic little room all day. She was used to wide open spaces, trees stretching up to scrape the sky. Being in this small room with these very large men made her chest feel tight.

“It’s settled then.” Langdon stood up, his chair scraping against the stone floor. “We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready.”

“I’m ready now,” Seela said, standing. “Lead the way.”

Langdon allowed a smile on his normally serious face. “As you wish, my lady.”

They left Stenton and Jerrard at the table, then headed to the door she had spied at the back of the room. Langdon held it open for her. As she slipped through the opening, a nervous excitement twisted below her bodice. Where were they going, and was it really safe?

Langdon moved around her, his body coming close in the cramped hallway. She smelled his scent—something earthy and masculine that drew her toward him before she thought better of it.

Alone with Langdon. What did that mean? Would he think of her in the bath? Would he try something? Tingles broke out along her arms.

They walked through a dimly lit cavern, glowing with small stones that seemed to be magicked like those in Langdon’s room. Seela wanted to stop and ponder them, ask where the source of their light came from, but Langdon was striding forward on such long legs she could barely keep up. She wondered why they were in such a hurry. Weren’t they trapped down here for who knew how long? What was the rush?

A change in air pressure let her know they were nearing an opening. Langdon slipped under a rocky arch and then disappeared. Seela felt a twist of unease as she peered into the dark ahead, so vast that anything could be ahead of them.

“This way,” Langdon’s voice said as she stepped into the space.

The darkness was palpable and thick. She couldn’t even see her own hand in front of her face. How could he show her something when there was literally nothing to see?

Langdon began speaking in a language Seela didn’t recognize. The syllables were hard and clipped, almost like growling, and very similar to the words she’d heard Jerrard speak. At his command, gems began to glow all around them, illuminating the cavernous space.

The cave took her breath away.

Seela gazed up, amazed at what she saw. The area around her was huge, stretching up to the height of ten men. The walls, floor, and surface below the pool of water was a swirling blue. Seela had never seen so many variations on a color—sapphire, aquamarine, azure, indigo, navy, and many more flowing together the way a painter might mix colors. They blended in and out of every surface as if the very walls were a frozen liquid, though the cave wasn’t at all cold. The pool shimmered as drips from overhangs trickled onto the water’s surface. The sound of running water farther down the cave soothed her as she spun around to take in all its majesty.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Seela said, turning to smile at Langdon.

He appeared to be enjoying her as she reveled in the cavern. “It is magnificent. Sometimes I forget since I’ve seen it so many times.”

“How was it formed?” Seela stepped over to place her hand on a wall’s smooth surface.

“Thousands of years of wave erosion and sediment, though you’d have to ask Jerrard. He’s the historical scholar. I just like how lovely it is.” Langdon touched the wall with his broad hand, his eyes traveling to the soaring ceiling above. “We used to fly around in here. One of the places we would fit.”

“As dragons, you can fly?” Seela had known that, and yet, she hadn’t thought of the princes flying.

“Now, even when we shift into our true selves, we don’t really have enough power to fly. It’s been decades.”

Seela’s heart broke for him. How wonderful a gift. How terrible a thing to have it taken away.

If Langdon was sad about it, he hid it well. “We make do. Our curse will be broken someday.” His eyes lingered on her, an expression on his face that was expectant and all too hopeful.

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