Warrior Rogue (The Drift Lords Series) (26 page)

“She’s right.” Paz stepped forward into the dragon’s line of vision. “How many ways out of here are there? I presume one tunnel leads to your keeper’s house, and the other path we followed leads to the gardens above. Are there any other routes?”

The dragon shook its head, nearly knocking Jen aside. She recovered quickly and moved a few paces closer.

“You poor thing,” she crooned. “May I pet you? We should be friends if we’re going to help each other.”

Before the creature could protest, she laid a hand on its scales. With her other hand, she scooped some blood into the vial where it had oozed down from the wound.

The dragon shook her off. “I let you live. That is my favor to you. Now keep your promise to set me free, or I’ll change my mind.”

“You’ve grown too big to take out through the tunnels,” Paz mused, scratching his bristly jaw. “And that gate must be fireproofed if you haven’t brought it down by now. Nor do we have any explosives. There must be another way.” He thought about the training exercises he’d performed and how his team had accessed enemy facilities. “What about the water?”

“What do you mean, human?” the dragon thundered.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed Jen stashing the stoppered vial in her bag. “Where do you get drinking water?”

Fafnir’s nostrils flared. “I will show you. Do you wish to keep the gold ring you have earned?”

“No, thanks, not when it comes with a curse.”

The dragon secured the rings inside a flap on its great body and then stomped off. The ground shook with its footsteps.

Paz grabbed Jen’s hand and scurried after him. The beast ducked into a tunnel, his drool dribbling in his wake.

“Shlom should bring his dipper in here,” Jen whispered at Paz’s elbow. “There’s plenty of dragon spit for his formula.”

“Too bad for him.” He grimaced. “This place stinks.”

The slope declined, and Paz winced as his legs compensated. The constant trauma wasn’t helping his wound.

Jen let go of his hand to zip along as though the cooler temperature enervated her.

She made a great partner. He glimpsed her profile, his heart quickening at the sight of her delicate features, feminine curves, and determined stride. How he’d like to lose himself in her sweet embrace.

Stop it
, he ordered himself.
You can’t afford distractions.

Down, down they went. The rush of water grew louder and became a splashing, tumbling roar.

When they broke out of the tunnel, Paz stopped and gasped. A river flowed in front of them beneath a short bank. The water dropped out of a hole at the right side of the underground chamber and disappeared into blackness at the opposite end.

The dragon snorted. “Here is where I drink.”

Fafnir led them by a small culvert where the water diverted into a pool. As they watched, Faffi lowered his head and slurped the liquid into his mouth.

With water dribbling down his scales, he raised his head and glared at them, his eyes narrow slits.

“So humans, where is your way out? If you tricked me, I shall eat you now.” To emphasize his threat, he blew a small flame into the air.

Paz pointed to the far side of the cavern. “That has to lead somewhere. I’d expect the water flows down the mountain toward the base. We only need to follow the current.”

Jen poked him. “How do you know that passage doesn’t narrow farther along? Or, the stream may continue underground with no outlet. We should look for another tunnel leading to the surface.”

“My PIP didn’t show any other routes. This is our best chance.” He addressed Fafnir. “We’ll build a raft. Didn’t I see some bamboo stalks leaning against a wall in that cavern earlier?”

“My caretaker gives me those sticks to chew on.”

“We can lash them together with rope from the netting.”

“Are you saying we should ride the water, human?” The dragon’s breath seared them with heat.

Paz gave a firm nod. “That’s right.”

A tongue of flame lashed at them. “You wish to kill me. I am not a fool.”

Grabbing Jen’s arm, Paz scuttled backward. “You’re wrong, we’re trying to help you escape.”

“Dragons cannot go in the water. It would quench my fire and melt my bones.”

Paz gaped at the beast. “Who told you that?”

“Ra Mat Shlom has warned me.” The dragon’s eyes glowed red. “You try to deceive me. I will eat you now.” It opened its mouth, showing a display of jagged teeth.

Jen jerked her hand out of his and raced to the water’s edge. Stooping, she scooped some liquid into her hands and then splashed it onto the beast’s scales.

“Look, nothing happened! We’re telling the truth. Shlom has lied to you to keep you imprisoned here. You could have escaped through the river at any time. Let us prove it. If we use a raft, you’ll barely get wet.”

“Faffi doesn’t go near the big water.”

Jen sashayed toward the creature, while Paz feared for her safety. “I understand that you’re afraid.” She petted him on his huge body. “So are we. And if we’re willing to take the risk, why wouldn’t a brave, handsome dragon like you?”

Fafnir shuffled his feet. “You think I am handsome?”

“I do, and when you reunite with your people, maybe you’ll find a mate who feels the same.”

The dragon lowered its head until its eyes met hers. “How will I find my kind? I was stolen as an infant. Dragons are things of legend now. Maybe I am the last one.”

He sounded so forlorn that Paz almost felt sorry for him. “When you’re out in the sunlight, you’ll be able to fly,” he said. “You can soar high and far to search. At least you’ll be free.”

The beast nodded, its head inadvertently knocking Jen back a few feet with a
whump
. She landed against a wall, her backpack taking the impact.

“Very well, humans. I have nothing to lose.”

The next few hours saw Paz fastening the bamboo poles into a raft using the ropes from the netting. Jen used her penknife to cut them into even lengths, aided by the dragon’s short bursts of flame. It was brutal work, especially in the noxious atmosphere. A musty odor combined with the beast’s stench made his stomach churn.

After finishing their rough craft, they tied it to Fafnir’s tail and let him drag it to the riverbank. Paz unfastened the leading rope from the dragon and knotted its end around a sturdy boulder. It took some heavy maneuvering to get the craft poised over the water’s edge.

He dropped it onto the current, watching the mooring line go taut. Good, it would hold for now.

While the dragon used its teeth to hold the raft in place, he and Jen lowered themselves over the edge. Once they had secured themselves, it was Fafnir’s turn.

“Easy now,” he cautioned. “Your weight could capsize us.”

The great beast hesitated, snorting steam.

“Come on.” Jen extended her hand. “We’re here for you. You can do this.”

Paz glanced at the rope. “I’d hurry if I were you. That won’t last much longer.”

The dragon crouched and rolled onto the raft. The whole contraption dipped into the water but then rose again to bob in the current. The rushing water strained their cable to its limit.

Already wet, Paz tied a safety line around himself and Jen and anchored it to a knot he’d created for that purpose.

“Ready?” He signaled the dragon to burn through the mooring fibers. His heart pumped rapidly as he remembered their last dunking in the sea. They’d been spewed from a serpent’s belly that time. Was this ride destined to be as wild as that one?

Time to find out.

The last few fibers split apart, and the current slammed them downstream.

Chapter Eighteen

Jen clutched the safety line as their raft dipped, swirled, and plunged through a series of dark passages.

Hey, it’s no worse than a water plume ride at a theme park.

Yeah, right. She clenched her teeth to keep from screaming.

Sitting beside her, Paz swayed as they skimmed down a slough. He bent with the motion like a piece of supple fabric, whereas she held herself rigid, her heart galloping, and her breaths shallow. Terror filled her at the thought of slipping into the cold depths.

If only she could wish them somewhere else, but squeezing her eyes shut and praying for deliverance had no effect.

How did the damn watch work, anyway? She needed to learn how to control the vector device as soon as possible. That would be one of her first priorities if they survived.

Paz’s presence loaned her an iota of confidence. His courage facing adversity never faltered. He’d expect nothing less from his partner.

When did it happen that she felt lost without him?

Water sloshed her face and soaked her clothes. They whooshed around a curve, danced on the current, and then slewed down a tunnel toward a roaring noise that made her pulse leap. She didn’t even have time to take a breath or warn Paz. In the next instant, they were sailing through the air over a waterfall.

Miraculously, their craft landed right side up, bounced, and crashed onto the current with a spray of foam. The water calmed, and they floated toward the opposite bank of an underground lake. Glowworms on the ceiling illuminated the cavern.

Jen pushed her sodden hair out of her face. “We have to be near the outlet, but I don’t see any daylight.”

Fafnir snorted. “If we are trapped here, I will fry you before I eat you. This had better end soon.”

Paz gave Jen a reassuring pat. “Just hold on. It can’t be much longer.”

Was that a note of doubt she heard in his voice? She glanced in the direction the current was pushing them. The river disappeared into another dark passage.

“Maybe we should get off at the opposite bank and try to find a way out of here on dry land.” Her voice sounded hoarse in the echoing chamber.

“That might not be a bad idea. Unfortunately, we have no oars, and we’re picking up speed.”

Something rammed into them from below and nudged them toward the opening at the far end. The ceiling narrowed overhead, and Fafnir had to duck as the water sluiced them onward.

They entered another tunnel, careened around a curve, and raced down a slope.

“Look, there’s light ahead,” Jen cried.

The current slowed, and the flowing river narrowed into a stream heading toward a growing brightness.

When they burst into the fresh air and late afternoon sunlight, she threw her arms around Paz.

“Oh, thank God. We made it.” She buried her face in his neck.

They came to a jarring halt against a rock barring their progress. The brook continued on, presumably toward an outlet by the sea.

Paz disengaged himself, and Fafnir burned through the rope they’d used as their safety line.

The dragon didn’t wait for their thanks. He leapt to the riverbank and turned his fiery eyes on them.

“You have kept your word, humans. I owe you a debt, but I repay it by not consuming you. Pray we do not meet again.”

He flapped his wings, and with a mighty bellow, lifted into the air. By the time they reached dry land, he was a distant speck in the sky.

Paz turned to Jen. With her hair plastered to her head and droplets of water running down her face, she looked like a pale waif caught out in the rain. She shivered in her wet clothes, her teeth chattering.

He drew her into his arms to share his warmth. “Are you all right?”

She nestled her head on his shoulder. “I’m not cold, just glad to be alive. You?”

He grimaced. “I’ll be fine, although I could use another application of Dragon Balm.”

She sprang back, her eyes wide. “Omigod, do you know what we just did? We took away the source of the secret ingredient. Ra Mat Shlom won’t be able to produce any more of the miracle drug.”

“Likely Shlom will keep manufacturing it anyway. Who’ll know the difference?” He took out his PIP but like their backpacks, it was soaking wet. Neither one of them had thought to pack their supplies in waterproof materials. “Great, this is useless. Where are we?”

Jen peered at their surroundings. “I think we’re on the other side of the mountain. What do we do now?” She checked the vial. Fortunately, it was still intact. “I’d better keep this in my pocket for safekeeping.”

“Dikibie said he’d meet us at the entrance to the gardens.”

“Ugh, I hope there’s a shortcut. I don’t relish walking around while sopping wet.”

He stepped closer, putting his hands on her shoulders. “You did good,
leera
. I can think of no one else I’d want by my side.” Bending his head, he kissed her.

****

Jen’s blood warmed as she stood in his strong embrace. She let him plunder her mouth, tasting salt on his tongue and sniffing the lingering scent of hemp on his body. Mist swirled around her, turning into the all too familiar white haze blocking reality from view.

When it cleared, another vision met her eyes.

Wind whistled at the wharf where she stood in the arms of her husband, a Viking warrior. He patted her hair and murmured soothing words into her ear. About to leave on a long journey, he’d provisioned their dwelling for the winter, but she’d left the safety of their hut to see him off.

Her belly prevented their bodies from fully touching. She looked down at her pregnant form with a sense of fear.

“What if you’re not back in time? I cannot raise a babe without its papa.”

“You’re strong, wife. You’ll be fine. If you doubt my word, consult the Book of Odin. The All-Father has recorded his wisdom there. You who share his blood need not be afraid. Our babe will have the gift and will pass it on.”

“But I am afraid for you…”

“Jen, what’s wrong?” Paz’s sharp tone snapped her back to reality.

She must have frozen, because he’d broken off their embrace. He stood a few paces away, staring at her with concern.

Jen gazed into his steadfast blue eyes. “I had another vision. I was on the wharf again, and I wasn’t alone. M-my husband was there, about to sail off on a Viking ship. He mentioned a Book of Odin.”

“What do you think it means?” Paz wrung out his shirt. Droplets of moisture spewed everywhere.

Hopefully, the warm air would dry out their clothes soon enough.