Page 38 of Vampire Sins
I coughed up blood, but promptly wiped it on my arm. “Yeah, fine.” He frowned at me.
His younger brother, Bo, shifted next. At only sixteen years of age, he had that stupid-bravado thing going on. He marched up to me and crossed his muscular arms, not quite shedding all of the golden scales that matched his family line. “You should have let me go first. I could have taken it.”
Yan opened his mouth to tell him off, but I answered first. “Drink the potion, then you can take the lead, how about that?”
Bo straightened. The vial that would protect us hung low on his chest, the cord having been long enough for a dragon’s neck. He popped it open and downed the contents without even a moment’s hesitation. I smirked when he choked on it and buckled over as the magic took hold.
I waited for him to recover before taking my vial and downing it, and Yan followed suit.
Magic burned low in my stomach before spreading out to my extremities. It’d protect us from the curse put on the ruins, although we weren’t sure for how long. The vial was water blessed by my mother from a stream not far from here. She hadn’t told me that knowledge, more than implanted it in my genetic memory. I just somehow…knewwhat I needed to do in order to get back home. It’s how I knew about the Dragon’s Eye, and that it was waiting for me to claim my birthright.
“Come on,” Yan said with a smile. “Let’s get your heritage and get the hell out of here.”
I couldn’t have agreed more.
Movinginto the ruins gave me unnatural chills up my spine, which was saying something. As a dragon shifter, there wasn’t much that shook me, but the low howls of an unseen wind that swept through the underground tunnels made me quicken my pace. I didn’t want to stay here any longer than I had to.
“Why do you think the Hugh Modali lived underground?” asked Bo.
His brother cuffed him on the back of the head. “Because they’d hear idiots like you from a mile away, now wouldn’t they?”
I cracked a smile as we made our way deeper into the tunnels. My eyes naturally shifted, using the dragonfire in my veins to allow me to see in the dark. My vision bled red, going into another spectrum, one of echoing sound waves, heat signatures, and something else. I realized the third layer coming into view was the ancient magic that had kept these ruins safe from my brother, my father, and all the dragons like him. It throttled at our necks, trying to strangle us, but the protection of the holy river kept us safe.
Bo and Yan didn’t seem to be able to see it and kept going without stopping to grab at their necks to rid themselves of the strangling strands, so I resisted the urge to reach for my neck and swallowed hard. I didn’t want to concern them.
The memories of my ancestors bubbled up inside my head, coming to life being so close to the land from which they were born. “The Hugh Modali were the original dragons,” I said, keeping my voice low as I moved ahead of the brothers and allowed my instincts to show us the way. The tunnels parted into three directions and a natural pull took me left. I followed it without hesitation. “At the end of these tunnels are an array of traps, but if you know the correct path, you’ll find the den.”
Bo brightened at that. “A den of gold?” His scales gleamed in agreement with his excitement of the prospects.
I chuckled. “Yes, gold, but not just that.” I paused, flaring dragonfire into my eyes for effect. “Magic. Ancient, forbidden magic that was used to create powerful artifacts like the Dragon’s Eye.”
Yan grinned and slapped his brother on the back. “Sounds like we’re in for an adventure.” He grinned at me. “Show us the way, fearless leader.”
Satisfied that I’d eased their nerves, I carried on. We moved as quietly as a trio of naked dragon shifters could. Our bare feet slapped against dusty stones and ancient debris poked at my heels. I wanted to break into a run, but I was too pampered by my brother’s old way of life. My feet ached and pinched at the few stones that had managed to get in my way. Luckily, the tunnels were primarily undisturbed, the magic applying to all animals as a means of defense against intrusion. Dragons weren’t the only creatures that could shift.
After the better part of the evening I knew we were getting close. I smacked my lips against the dryness threatening to overtake my mouth and ignored the soreness building up my thighs, and even my back as we hunched our way through the smaller tunnels to our destination.
“How much further?” Bo prodded.
Yan hushed him immediately, but the ground rumbled in response to the disturbance.
We were there.
The end of the tunnel gleamed with light and I allowed my dragonfire to dim my vision into the human’s spectrum. I squeezed through the opening and sucked in a breath when I found what was on the other side.
Gold. Magic in the form of dancing fire, and, unexpectedly, a sleeping dragon.
Yan and Bo bumped into me as they entered into the cavern, immediately crouching when they spotted the massive dragon and their smiles died on their faces.
“Holy shit!” Bo whisper-yelled.
Holy shit was right. The dragon stirred and my heart stopped as it rolled open its enormous eyes.
I saw now why the treasure I sought was called a “Dragon’s Eye,” because that’s literally what it was.
The dragon had one normal reptilian eye that lazily stared at us, but the other, it was an inanimate object that rolled in its head, swirling with frightful blue power. Blue, the color of a flame at its hottest, and the birthplace of all dragonfire.
Who dares disturb my slumber?A voice asked, thundering in my skull.
