White Stag (Permafrost #1)(50)

He made a sound in the back of his throat, almost like a purr. Shifting, his hips pressed hard against mine, and he brought his lips down to the column of my neck, the underside of my throat. My breath was heavy, and by the time his lips were back on mine, the tips of his sharp teeth gently brushing my bottom lip, I was breathless.

My hand roamed under his tunic, feeling his muscles and the sharp contours of his body. I let my fingers trail along his spine, feeling the ridges of his bones underneath his skin. My fingers splayed on his ribcage, tracing the hard muscle.

His kisses became rougher as part of the control he was desperately trying to hold on to slipped. I wasn’t the only one vulnerable anymore. As he brought his hand down to my hip, endorphins dulled the prick of his nails. A small bit of blood trickled down my side.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

And it was.

In that moment in the darkness, I was more alive than I had ever been before. With my breath pounding in my lungs, my heart racing in my chest, and the mix of fear and want and adrenaline that shot through my veins like a drug, I was not afraid. For this small moment, he wasn’t either.

Then the booming of raucous laughter broke us apart, and Soren spun, immediately stepping in front of me with his arms out on either side. His nails grew out into claws and with a vicious snarl, his teeth became fangs. When I caught sight of our threat, all the warmth drained from my body.

Lydian stood before us, and from what I could sense, he had more men down the pathway. He leered at us, his teeth sticking out in a sneer. “And what do we have here?” he asked, his tone playful and mocking. “Don’t you know it’s dangerous to lose your focus in the dark?” He eyed me. “Don’t you know it’s dangerous to be kissing monsters?”

Oh, I know all too well. But you have no power over me. Not anymore. Not ever again. In an instant, my bow was out and an arrow was notched. Soren’s stance changed ever so slightly, giving me the room to shoot and fight. We are a team. Let him see that now.

“Nothing to say?” Lydian’s voice became as soft as a smothering pillow. “If I knew you liked it, I might not have given you up. But no. Who can argue with destiny, right?”

Soren’s snarl came with a surge of power and shook the cavern walls.

I lifted my chin and stared at Lydian. “You have no power over me.”

He scoffed. “We’ll see about that. I have more power than all of you. I know.” The goblins in the shadows came forward, their eyes gleaming, weapons shining in the darkness.

The cavern trembled like it was preparing for the bloodbath about to come. Soren let his power loose in a surge that nearly knocked me off my feet. Like any physical being, it had a form. The light was so bright I had to shield my eyes, and the weight of it pressed hard against my chest.

Stones rained from above as the ceiling twisted and turned, the stones coming to life.

Soren glanced up. “Janneke.” His voice was low. “When I say run, go back the way we came as fast as you can.”

“I’m not leaving you,” I whispered back. “Not after that.”

“Trust me.” A hint of amusement colored his voice. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Lydian advanced with his men as Soren and I slowly repositioned ourselves so we faced the opening behind us. An echoing roar grew louder and louder until it turned into a sharp whine. I followed Soren’s gaze above us. Two dark red eyes peered down from where the coiled stone of the ceiling used to be and a creature yawned, its wicked red maw showing sharp, poison-coated fangs. It tensed its two front legs, red scales glistening as its claws stroked the stone.

I’d been told stories of this creature while sitting around campfires, all the hunters trying to frighten one another, but never in my darkest nightmares had I seen one. My feet stuck to the ground in fear, and Soren gave me a push.

“Janneke, run!”

I turned and sprinted, Soren fast on my heels, as the lindworm lunged and attacked.





12


DRAGON KILLERS


THE BLOOD RUSHED in my ears as the sound of my footsteps bounced off the black ice. Soren was one pace behind me, checking back over his shoulder to make sure the lindworm wasn’t preoccupied with its now-running prey.

The immense power from the lindworm, one of the most viscious types of dragons, squeezed the air from my lungs until every breath was a gasp. Soren’s power, the Erlking’s, they had nothing on this creature. This was the type of power, a crimson wave that lingered in the peripherals of my vision, that could level cities, kingdoms. This was the power of a predator unrestrained by any earthly or personal ties.

So why were we running?

“Wouldn’t killing this thing give us a significant boost?” I shouted, following Soren’s sharp left turn into a narrow tunnel through which the lindworm wouldn’t fit.

He paused, catching his breath. “Are you mad, Janneke?”

“Think of the power that thing has,” I said. “We’re just going to run?”

“Yes,” he said, grabbing my arm and pulling me down the pathway. “We’re going to run and hope that Lydian and his retinue are enough of a feast that we’re not followed.”

For the first time, there was a tremble in his voice.