A Valley of Darkness (A Shade of Vampire #52)(45)

The sounds of deep breathing and low grunts stretched out for several moments, and once the grunts grew deeper and became closer to growls, I turned around, to find myself standing before a stunning fire dragon. He was massive, a gorgeous specimen with dark orange and black scales, a long neck, and a spike the length of a street lamp extending from the tip of his tail. His wings were huge as they extended, the skin membrane shimmering in a warm shade of amber and his arms ending in large, sharp claws that could easily tear a wall down. His back legs were strong and muscular, ending in another pair of claws that were perfect for climbing.

I had difficulty breathing as I tried to take in the vision of him. He was one of the most beautiful dragons in The Shade, in my eyes, and this was the first time I was seeing him up close. He growled and looked at me, and I recognized his eyes, huge pools of midnight blue in which I could see my reflection.

He brought his head closer to me, and made a sound akin to deep, rumbling purring, his gaze gentle despite his ferocious design. No wonder the Exiled Maras feared him. This entire city was a tinderbox with Blaze around. I put my hand out, not surprised to see it trembling before him—not so much out of natural fear, but genuine awe. I touched the hard, warm scales on his face, his jaw slowly opening as I ran my fingers down his thick neck.

“Let’s go,” he murmured.

I withdrew my hand as he lowered himself farther down the ridge. He held out one large clawed hand, and my heart skipped a beat before I climbed onto it. He lifted me off the rocks I’d been standing on and positioned me on the base of his neck. I held onto the hard scales and mounted him, settling in behind his neck as if riding a giant, fire-spitting horse.

I felt his body move beneath me, his muscles jerking as he took off. His wings stretched out, and I had to grab at his shoulders, my fingers hurting, just so I wouldn’t fall off. We soared out over the beach, the cool air hitting me hard, making it difficult to breathe.

He flapped his wings, then did a gentle turn and drop, headed straight for the base of the mountain beneath the open-ended alley. He landed with a thud on the rocky ridge, right before it spread into the pebbled beach and the bumpy border of the plains. He used his front claws to hold onto the rough mountain wall. It was too steep for us to just walk around, but with Blaze clinging to the base, I was able to get off and reach a clean strip of limestone.

I took the satchel out of his backpack, along with a metal pick, which we’d gotten along the way from an Iman blacksmith. I carved a hole into the wall and stuffed the satchel inside. The ground beneath shook, as if already responding to the spell.

I yelped and lost my footing on the narrow ledge. I slipped and fell backward, but didn’t have time to scream, as Blaze’s clawed hand caught me. He helped me climb onto his back, then flew back out. He brought me down to the very bottom of the mountain, landing on the rough stones of the ocean shore. I got off, my knees weak and my legs shaking from the experience. He shook his back and brought his face closer to me. I touched the tip of his nose while his giant blue eyes scanned me. I couldn’t help but smile.

“That was ridiculously cool,” I said.

He huffed, then shook his body, and I turned to face the other way as he morphed back into his gloriously naked self, that entire mass of scales and claws withdrawn beneath ropes of muscle and tanned, smooth skin… I could hear him breathing heavily from the effort of the transformation.

“Does it hurt?” I asked, handing over his backpack while determinedly keeping my face turned away.

He took it, and I heard the zipper being pulled and the shuffling of fabric as he got dressed. I distracted myself with the stunning ocean view—an endless layer of restless, dark blue waters, and black cliffs poking out from the horizon beneath a perfect, clear sky.

“Nah,” he replied. “I’m not sure I can describe it properly, but it feels like everything inside you moves around. It’s uncomfortable and always weird to experience, but no, not painful… I’m done.”

I breathed out, then looked at him. He wore a playful smile, his hands resting on his hips, back in his two-piece GASP uniform.

“So you enjoyed the ride?” He winked.

“Yes, sir.” I grinned.

He chuckled, then walked over to the limestone base of the mountain, sprinkled with grass, weeds, and a colorful variety of wild flowers. He took a linen bag out of his backpack and gave it to me, his gaze fixed on the pink, red, and purple blossoms poking out from green patches all over the stone wall.

“I’ll pick. You can hold them,” he said, and plucked several flowers.

He handed them over, and I carefully placed them in the bag, our fingers touching in the process and causing my arm to tingle.

We walked through the plains, close to the mountain, looking for more species of flowers before taking another route back up. I spotted a small staircase carved into the wall up ahead.

“I think that’ll take us back up on the south side,” I said, pointing at it.

Blaze followed my gaze, then nodded.

“I thought you did well last night, by the way,” I murmured, picking a small yellow blossom from the ground. I brought it up to my nose and inhaled its sweet fragrance. It reminded me of Hawaiian summers by the beach. “With Rewa, I mean. The whole dance and questioning thing. I didn’t get to mention that. I’m sure you’ll handle rejecting her just as well.”

“Thanks,” he muttered, focused on the tall grass and whatever flowers he could find as we got closer to the carved stairs. “My celibacy oath does come in handy at times…”