A Turn of Tides (A Shade of Vampire #13)(39)

“Please lower us further,” I said.

Charis did as I’d requested and lowered us.

I asked him to stoop lower and lower until we were close enough for me to be able to make out the faces.

Bella wasn’t there.

In fact, I couldn’t see a single female ogre down there.

Perhaps she’d been killed already.

I’d hardly known her long, but I couldn’t help but feel morose.

I’d wanted to see her live a life better than the one she’d been dealt, even though I wasn’t sure how I’d ever give it to her.

I’d wanted a better fate for her than in the belly of some dragon.

“Where to now?” Charis asked, breaking through my thoughts.

How about… back to the human realm? I was so tempted to just blurt it out, but I wasn’t sure if I was to be obeyed to such an extent.

Still, I had to try.

I was at least in a better position now than I had been back in the ogres’ kingdom.

I wasn’t cooped up in some room.

“Or would you like to rest?” Charis was still hovering in the air, waiting for my answer.

“Yes,” I said.

“I’d like that.” At least it would give me some time to think out how to broach the subject.

As soon as I said the words, he swooped down into the valley below and glided along until we reached the entrance to a cave in the side of a particularly wide mountain.

He landed inside it, folded his wings, and raised his hand for me to step onto so he could lower me back to the ground.

I stared into the cave.

“Through here.” The voice that spoke now was less deep and rasping than just a couple of minutes ago.

I turned around to see that Charis had resumed his human form.

He moved in front of me, leading the way deeper into the cave.

I couldn’t help but admire the beauty of his body.

He positively glided even when he walked, all his limbs working in perfect rhythm, his smooth muscles rippling beneath his tan skin.

The sunshine became fainter and fainter the deeper we walked into the cave until he stopped and pointed to the back of the cavern.

I was surprised to see a bed there, covered with some kind of dark animal skin for blankets, the frame made of what looked like carved silver.

Other than the bed, there wasn’t much other furniture to be seen in this cave.

It was quite plain.

“The dragon who lived here before died recently in battle.

This can be your new home.

Erisard will issue orders that no other dragons disturb you.

So you can sleep peacefully.” Erisard.

I guessed that was the dragon who’d appeared to be the leader among them.

“Erisard is your leader?” I asked, as he motioned to leave me alone in the cave.

Charis nodded.

“Our king.” “Oh… And you are?” He looked at me curiously.

I grew nervous suddenly, wondering whether, as a “good omen,” he’d expect me to know more about them.

“I am part of his council.

There are seven of us altogether, including the king himself.

You met us all during a rite we were holding.” “I see… And, since you have accepted me as a gift, what do you intend to do with me?” “You are to remain with us and be treated with respect.” I swallowed hard, bracing myself for my next words.

“Since Erisard also stated that I am not to be displeased, may I ask a favor of you?” “What?” It was time to just spit it out.

I hoped that the worst thing that could happen was him refusing.

“I need to return to the human realm.” He paused, then to my astonishment, he nodded.

But my relief lasted for but a second when he said: “I can escort you there, but you must understand that I must also escort you back.

Because a gift is to be kept, not given away.

You belong here with us.”

Chapter 23: Rose

Although his words chilled me, I wasn’t about to back down on my request.

I had no choice.

I had to return to the human realm, even if it meant returning with a fire-breathing dragon.

Charis questioned me further about the purpose of my visit there.

I told him that I needed to find an old friend and help him out of a sticky situation.

Charis disappeared for a while, leaving me alone in the cave as he went to discuss my request with Erisard.

I was relieved when he returned and said that his king had agreed.

Next, I had to explain how exactly we were to return.

We needed to travel through the gate in the realm of the ogres, because that led directly to the island where I’d left Caleb and Annora.

Whether they were still on that island remained to be seen.

I couldn’t imagine Caleb leaving without discovering what had happened to me, but Annora was devious and she could have played some tricks in order to convince him.

Whatever the case, our first stop had to be the island.

It was large, but with Charis roaring and myself shouting, Caleb’s ears shouldn’t have a problem picking up our noises.

The other possibility was that Caleb had left the island on the boat he’d been building.

Even then I hoped he wouldn’t have travelled too far on that primitive thing.