House of Darken (Secret Keepers #1)(95)

“I’m a mess,” I whispered, biting my lip to stop from saying anything else.

Lexen lifted his head, his lips tilted enticingly in a half-smile. “You’re about as far from a mess as is possible. Even if you were, where we are going it won’t matter.

Okay, then. I was two parts relieved and one part seriously disappointed when Lexen finally set me on my feet. A girl could get used to being carried, but mostly this girl liked to stand on her own two feet. Let’s say ninety percent of the time.

I expected to be led to the basement with the transporter, so I was astonished when we ended up in Lexen’s room. He opened the glass doors. Qenita’s giant white head popped in almost immediately and I managed not to scream or pee myself.

“Do you trust me?” Lexen asked, holding his hand out for me.

I didn’t even hesitate. “With my life.”

He helped me up onto the back of the massive dragon, her hard, cold scales scraping across my bare skin. The dress was pretty much done, and I was really looking forward to getting out of it.

Lexen settled in behind me, his warmth chasing away the chill of Qenita’s hide. I was extra grateful for his support when Qenita’s huge wings started flapping on either side of us, and then far more gracefully than I had expected, we were up and soaring across the sky.

Nerves had me tense at first, but her gliding was so smooth that I soon settled back against Lexen. He wrapped his arms around me and I could have died right then a happy human.

Qenita rose higher and higher, flying in a zigzag pattern through the underground. The heat and brightness increased as we got closer to the dragon fire that filled the top of the cavern. I was just about to ask if Lexen was taking me to a fiery death when Qenita veered off to the left, toward a huge opening in the side of the mountain, five times the size of the one we’d used in the lower sections to enter.

Like her own special dragon entrance.

Once we were out in the open, soaring in the cloudless sky, I lifted myself up so I could see absolutely everything. “It’s so beautiful,” I said with a sigh. “Mountains and snow and the brisk air. I’ve always loved this. I literally begged my parents every year to take me to Big Bear during the winter.”

I twisted so I could see him. “If this was where I was born, why do you think we lived so far from the mountains?”

“Probably because they were trying to stay hidden. Be in the last place that would be expected.”

Made sense, like someone from Royale hiding in the desert. The less water, the less obvious their location. Or was it more obvious … because somehow Laous had still found us. The council had said he used the energy of the four overlord minors, as I’d suspected. Still, it kind of felt like he would have needed more than that. Did someone betray the secret keepers? Tell Laous where to start looking?

Qenita banked to the right, distracting me from those heavy thoughts. I let out a low gasp as she glided down toward a range of mountains, three or four all closely linked. Unlike a lot of the ranges here, these had flat tops. I leaned over to see the sparkling aquamarine-filled craters atop them.

“These are not the sacred springs,” Lexen started to explain. “It’s forbidden to use them recreationally, but this is a sister spring to them, fed from the same underground reserve. Blessed by the dragons.”

As Qenita came to land, I pretty much sprang off her, and would have fallen flat on my face if she didn’t catch me with her wing. Damn my lack of athleticism.

“I’m so sorry,” I said, rubbing my hand across the rigid spines which lined those majestic wings.

She blew a ring of cold into my chest and I knew it was all good.

Lexen joined me, far more gracefully, and we crossed to the first of the pools. Steam rose up across the lot of them, the twinkling water even more enticing from close range. “Can we just jump right in?” I asked, already preparing myself for Lexen to see my body. Weirdly enough, I wasn’t that worried about it. He’d seen me in various states of undress anyway, and I had underwear on.

“Yep, jump in, the pools all feed into each other, so you can explore as far as you want.”

Amazing. The water literally ran for miles … on top of a mountain. Each pool broke into sections through natural rock formations, and there were even a few waterfalls in the distance. I didn’t wait a moment longer, stripping off the rag that used to be a designer gown.

“This legrato has healing properties,” Lexen said, his eyes filled with fire as he watched me. “It will help with the last of your injuries.”

I still had the bandage on my shoulder. There’d been no time to remove it, so I lifted my arm and tried to reach the end of the white gauze. But, of course, Daniel was an overachiever in bandaging, and it was too tight for me to budge.

“Let me help you.” Lexen appeared at my side, shirtless now, wearing a pair of shorts that fitted his body far too well. I was probably going to touch him because I couldn’t help myself.

His hands were gentle as he worked the end free, fingers brushing against bare skin as he unwrapped it over and over. He then dropped down lower and removed the bandages still on my legs. One at a time. Torturously teasing me as he dragged his finger across my body.

“There you go.” His voice sounded a little rougher than usual, his eyes telling me that he was definitely feeling the burn between us.