Page 40 of Ava's Legacy of the Dragons
The warmth in her heart immediately intensified as she reached for the egg, which was still wrapped in the blanket. Lovingly, she slid her hand underneath and stroked the hard scales.
"I'm here with you, little one. We're still in the cave."
"Can you show me the stars?"
"But you can't see anything."
"Can't you feel it? We're inseparably connected. I can see everything through your eyes and I feel everything you feel."
Incredible. But in all honesty it didn't surprise her—she could, after all, even feel the unborn dragon child's heartbeat.
"If that's the case, I'd be happy to show you thestars." She took the egg in her arms, making sure its light didn't shine through the blanket, and tiptoed to the cave entrance. The moon was just emerging from behind a cloud, and thousands of stars twinkled in the firmament.
"I can hardly wait to fly."
"For that, you just need to come out of your egg, little one."
"I will soon."
There was a sense of anticipation in its voice that was contagious to Ava. She looked forward to seeing its face, looking into its eyes, and stroking its scales. A baby dragon was surely cute and less intimidating than its adult counterparts, though she did have to admit that the large dragons radiated a natural majesty and beauty. As she'd watched them fly through the sky for hours that day from a safe distance, they'd given her a sense of strength and freedom. Of unbridled power.
"I'm really looking forward to meeting you." Again, she stroked the egg and felt the steady heartbeat of the little one, until it suddenly started to beat more fiercely.
"What's wrong?"
"Danger!"the little one screamed, as a harsh laugh already worked its way through the cave. It echoed off the walls, immediately alerting Ava to the fact that they were no longer alone.
Alarmed, she turned around. Lilly was still in the hiding place! As she was about to run to her, she froze mid-movement.
From the depths of the cave, there were three men staring back at her. They were dressed in dark clothes and had black cloths wrapped around their heads, making them barely distinguishable from the walls. Butthe moon illuminated their eyes, revealing a ruthless austerity. One of them had grabbed Lilly, holding her close to his body and pressing a hand over her mouth. The girl was kicking like crazy and trying to free herself, pulling the hand away and gasping for air.
"Ava, run!"
Immediately, the stranger's hand landed back on her mouth.
She certainly wouldn't do that. She would never leave Lilly behind! Instinctively, she clutched the dragon egg, which was still wrapped in the blanket, to herself, without taking her eyes off the masked men. "Who are you?"
"You don't need to worry about that. Give us the dragon egg, or the brat dies!"
How did they know about the egg? Maybe it was just a rumor that had led them here. Maybe pure speculation, based on the fact that they were in this cave where fire dragons used to bring their eggs.
Ava gave a laugh, trying to make it sound as incredulous as possible. "Dragon egg? Those haven't existed for hundreds of years."
One of the men stepped forward and narrowed his eyes to slits, while drawing a short sword that was stuck in his belt. "Don't play dumb! We know who you are, Guardian. Now give it to us, or else..." He pointed the tip of the blade menacingly at Lilly's throat, and the girl widened her eyes and froze.
The dragon child made no sound, as if it were afraid that even the words it thought could be heard. But its pulse was racing, dangerously fast.
Desperately, Ava searched for a way they could escape the strangers, scanning the cave and checking ifanyone was standing behind her. The exit was clear. She could run away with the egg, but not without Lilly!
What could she do?
Kilian was long gone and his men wouldn't return for three days. She couldn't hope for help. No, she had to find a way out on her own, so she would try to stall the masked men.
"How do I know you'll let us go once you have what you want?"
The leader laughed. "You don't, but hope dies last, as they say. We'll get you anyway. You can't escape us. If you give us the egg, we might be merciful and let you go."
"She wants the guardian too," spoke up the one holding Lilly.
