Page 83 of To Ignite a Dragon's Desire

My ovaries decided to weep and beg.

Later,I promised them.

A cavern loomed up ahead lit up with more of these magic dragon fire torches.

“You’re here!” Ember’s shriek was followed by the roar of a dragon.

I almost pissed my pants as my grip tightened on Willow. “What was that?”

“Oh that’s just Dahlia,” Ember said as she pulled me from Willow and wrapped me in a hug.

Harper wiggled free from Lucan’s grasp and raced to an old… dragon-man.

His legs were thick and scaly, thighs as big as tree trunks, and his massive tail swept along the floor. But his eyes were kind as he lowered to Harper.

“That’s Bemouth,” Willow whispered.

“Can I feed her today?” Harper held up the basket to the old beast. “I’ve got poppy seed muffins and jerky.”

“I think she’d like that.” Humor rumbled in the old man’s tone. “Let’s go say hello.”

I watched in a fascinated sort of confusion as Harper walked forward and a silver dragon foot with a chain attached moved out of the darkened recesses of the cave.

“Don’t freak out.” Willow squeezed my hand. “It’s a whole thing.”

A silver snout lowered to the ground nuzzling Bemouth before very gently sniffing the basket Harper held up.

“The scary ancient dragon really loves kids. She goes soft for Harper every time,” Willow whispered in my ear.

I swallowed hard, nodding.

Not exactly what I’d been expecting to see today, but as long as everyone was happy, we were good.

I let go of Willow and went with Ember to the stone desk in the corner where Kieran and Lucan were talking in hushed tones.

I didn’t need to touch the bond to know he was worried about me.

“Can I see it?” Kieran turned his attention my way.

I stood next to Lucan and leaned against his side, hoping to ground him with my presence as I bared my neck. “Care to tell me what it means yet?”

Kieran motioned to the runes on the cave wall behind him. “First born of fire, strength forged of flame, when a dragon’s heart dies…” He took a deep breath, turning back to face us, “Life begins again.”

“Sounds like a riddle,” I said.

Lucan growled. “It is.”

“I still think we’re translating it wrong,” Ember’s excitement spilled over as she started showing us what she’d written. “What if this line compared to this other rune of dragon speak meant ‘life recycles itself.’ So, not something new, but old and reborn?”

“Then it wouldn’t rhyme,” Willow pointed out.

“Should it even rhyme at all?” I laughed, but my gaze was still focused on the runes above their heads.

Lucan caught me staring.“What?”he asked through our mental link.

“It’s just that…” If I looked at it from the other angle… “Aren’t these tattooed onto Malachy, too?”

Kieran snapped his gaze to me. “What did you say?”

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