Page 54 of Charming the Dragon
Now that he’d pointed it out, she could see it. “But Stonefire has too many letters for the combination lock.”
“Ah, but the old Mersae name for Stonefire isn’t—Sonfeyr.”
It sounded like sewn-fear to Hayley’s ears.
Nathan gestured toward the lock. “It’s seven letters long when written with English letters, but only six when using Mersae symbols.”
She followed and watched as he turned the dials. Every time he finished putting one of the six spots into place, her heart raced faster. While there might be nothing but an empty room on the other side, she didn’t care. If they unlocked the door, it was a small win. And given their circumstances, she’d take what she could get.
With the final symbol in place, Nathan tugged, and the lock opened. Hayley cheered, which put out her candle. But she barely noticed as Nathan’s arms went around her and he said, “Brilliant job, Hayley.”
“Same to you.”
For a few seconds, they embraced and didn’t move. She was tempted to close her eyes and revel in his scent again. However, Hayley’s curiosity won out. What if they’d found the treasure hoard? “I’m dying to see what’s in there.”
He laughed and slowly released her. However, this time, instead of moving ahead he took her free hand in his and squeezed.
She stood a little taller. “Let’s confirm that I was right.”
Nathan opened the door, and they walked inside. It took a few seconds before the lights flickered on. But once she could see, she gasped.
The room was far from empty—it was enormous, easily several football pitches combined, and items were displayed everywhere. Some were massive, like the metal armor that had to be used for a dragon-shifter in their dragon form, complete with a breastplate, helmet, and bracers for the legs.
But that was just one out of hundreds of items. She could spot some statues, some pottery, some crowns, and even more stuff in the distance she couldn’t quite make out.
For about a minute, she stood with her mouth open, trying to take it in. There was so much history and secrets and even stories inside this room. Ones not many humans, if any, had seen before.
As she tried to process that, Nathan’s voice snapped her back to the present as he said, “So, this is where they keep the clan’s artifacts.”
Grinning, she replied, “It’s a dragon’s hoard, then. I was right!”
His lips twitched. “You were. And judging by your initial reaction, you could get lost in here for days and not even notice, huh?”
“Maybe.” She pushed up her glasses. “But we should probably see if anything in here can help us get back to the surface. Not anything fragile, of course. However, if there’s something we can use to escape and not break, we should borrow it.”
“Yes. If I can find something to either clear the stalactites near that opening we spotted, or a kind of grappling hook so I can climb up with you on my back, then we’re going to use it.”
“To cover more ground faster, we should split up.”
His eyes searched hers. “Will you be okay?”
The light in the room wasn’t the brightest, but between her candle as backup and knowing Nathan would be nearby, she nodded. “This room is fairly big anyway, so I won’t feel as closed in. But if I shout, then come running.”
His pupils flashed. “Always, Hayley. Always.”
She believed him.
For a few beats, she wanted nothing more than to jump into his arms and kiss him. But reason returned to her brain. This was no place for a mate-claim frenzy.
Wait, was she thinking she could handle one?
Maybe.
Think about that later.“Right, then I want to explore as much as possible before we have to head back. So let’s get to it.”
He patted the satchel sitting on his hip. “We have some supplies. I won’t let us stay to the point we run out. And remember to shout if you need anything.”
She nodded, and they each took a different side of the room, looking for anything that might help them escape.
