Page 99 of Sanctuary with Kings

Rolant and Hywel hummed their agreement, and Asterion and Conall stepped closer on either side of me. As if hearing the conversation, a slow scratch and snarl called slowly up from the darkness, bouncing and rolling over the stone.

Rolant sighed and withdrew a sword from its sheath, stepping forward. "I can't grab the sword, but I'll do my best to keep all your limbs attached. Especially hers. Only to return the favor, you see."

"Thank you," I said, nodding at him.

Hywel scowled and marched after the other dragon, their footsteps blending with the scuttling sounds from the dark. Laszlo gestured for Asterion and Conall to lead me forward, but it wasn't long into the cavern before the path became too narrow for three, and then even forced Asterion to slide behind me, broad shoulders brushing either wall.

Conall's arm wrapped around me, holding me close to his side, and I shivered in the darkness. Rolant's torch bobbed at the front of our line, making the walls and shadows dance and bounce around us. It grew cool and humid the deeper we traveled, this slight path tipping us down, turning left and then right until I had no clear sense of what direction we were traveling in.

"She's enchanted the path," Laszlo spoke from the back.

"Canny old witch," Rolant agreed from ahead.

I wondered if it was similar to the magic of the castle and closed my eyes, imagining that the narrow hall would suddenly open once more. A moment later, the grunting, puffing growl of a monster grew louder, and I debated whether I really wanted to find the end of the passage after all.

"There's light ahead," Hywel murmured.

And the sound of water splashing.

Progress halted suddenly, and Asterion's hands reached for my waist, holding me still as Hywel and Rolant shifted, revealing a steep set of stairs leading down.

Rolant sniffed the air. "Fur, blood, magic."

"Water, stone, et cetera," Hywel muttered with a wave of his hand. "It's not as though we didn'tknowthere was something waiting down there for us."

"Oh, very well, Your Majesty. Yes, let's just stomp down the stairs into who knows what kind of danger," Rolant snapped back.

"That's the spirit," Conall said, releasing me and clapping them both on the back, sending them stumbling down a few steps.

The splashing and growling grew louder, anticipating our arrival, but neither Hywel nor Rolant wanted to balk in front of the other, so instead they forged ahead.

"There's nothing coming from behind," Laszlo murmured.

Asterion nodded and squeezed his large body past mine, leaving me with the gryphon as the rest hurried down the stairs.

"Are you all right?" Laszlo asked me, taking my hand as we made to follow them.

"I'm…" I licked my lips and paused before admitting the truth. "I'm enjoying myself, actually."

Laszlo just smiled at me and nodded. "You've been cooped up too long. A little adventure and treasure seeking is good for the mind and body."

A great booming roar and the shout of familiar voices broke the moment. I ran down the stairs with Laszlo just behind me, my boots slipping over dew-slicked stone. He caught me, and we came crashing into the tight cavern together.

Ahead of us was a beast unlike any I had ever seen, stomping and jolting in a pool of glowing water. It was enormous, and resembled a goat, if a goat resembled a boar which also resembled a cow and they were all the size of a house.

"Centicore!" Laszlo cried, almost in triumph, eyes huge and bright behind his spectacles. "I haven't seen a centicore in a millenia!"

In answer, the centicore's horns, which had been twisted back with their points turned down, spiraled on his head, now curling forward and prepared to gouge flesh as it lunged toward us. A sharp scratching sounded, and the centicore howled, slitted eyes rolling back as a gleaming silver chain pulled its throat taut and it skidded back in the water. Its fur was spotted brown and golden, with a streak of white down its throat, the gentle colors only interrupted in one place where brilliant scarlet spouted from its ribs.

I clapped my hands over my mouth at the sight of a ruby encrusted sword hilt sticking out from the beast's side.

"The Lady of the Lake put the swordinthe beast?!" Conall cried.

The chain around the centicore's thick neck only gave us a few safe feet along a slippery stone ledge, and we all remained pressed to the walls, watching the animal scream and stomp and thrash in the water.

"Very clever," Hywel said, frowning.

"It's awful!" I said, glaring at that glittering steel hilt, more red blood oozing from the beast's side. "How long has it been left like this?"

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