Page 65 of The First Trial
‘Can you come to us?’
‘No. I can’t move without drawing its attention. I’m hiding behind a boulder, but it’s sniffing me out.’
‘We’re on our way.’
‘Oz, be careful. I didn’t get a good look at it, but it breathes fire.’
I groaned, not bothering to hide it from the others. Qarinah sensed that whatever was wrong must have been connected to Junie, because she took my hand in hers and squeezed. I squeezed back, but didn’t let go, needing the touch to ground me.
‘Please tell me you didn’t just run into a dragon.’
There was a very telling pause on her end, and I sighed, bracing myself for the fight to come.‘Sorry, Ozzie. I don’t think I can.’
Well, fuck.
I opened my mouth to relay the information to the group, but slammed my lips shut again when I felt the first stirrings of the curse. Damn, this was going to be a hard one to explain.
‘In the woods?’ Qarinah asked.
‘East. Just beyond the trees.’
I felt the malicious presence watching, listening, waiting for me to slip up, but I was careful to avoid any mention of Junie.
‘Let’s go, then.’
Everyone followed without question, even the Shifters, hopefully because I seemed to have information that they didn’t have. I was grateful for the silence as I led us all through the trees. It didn’t need to be said that we need to proceed with quiet caution.
‘What did she say?’ Qarinah asked in a whisper from my side, still holding my hand.
‘She found the portal,’ I whispered back. ‘But it’s being guarded by a creature. One that breathes fire.’
Her eyebrows shot up to the top of her head. It seemed all Daemons possessed that ability, and I was slightly put out that I would never reach that level. Moving my own brows was basically like a twitch compared to theirs, and it was simultaneously awesome and annoying.
‘A dragon?’ she asked, her voice louder than was safe, given the topic of the conversation. Thankfully, only Tinky-Winky and Barney caught it, since everyone else was far enough back.
Tinky-Winky waved off his brother with a stern look, who then stormed away to give us some privacy as the younger Daemon joined us. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Oz contacted Juniper. She said she found the portal, but it’s being guarded by a dragon.’
‘No, she said it’s being guarded by a beast that breathes fire,’ I correct, but she waved it away.
‘That’s what I said.’
I didn’t bother arguing further.
‘Shit. Is she okay?’
I levelled him with a grim look. ‘She’s hiding.’
Determination and protective energy straightened his spine, and he ran a hand over his horns. ‘We have to get to her.’
‘We will,’ I said.
‘We won’t let anything happen to your mate, Phen. And she’s strong enough to hold her own until we find her,’ Qarinah reassured us both. I knew she was right, but that didn’t stop the worry from pinching my chest and leaving me breathless. From the looks of him, Tinky-Winky was feeling the same.
I clapped him on the shoulder, suddenly very grateful that my sister had found him. His love for her was obvious, and he was willing to die for her without hesitation. I wouldn’t let that happen, because I knew it would crush Junie to lose the man she believed held the other half of her soul, but it pleased me all the same.
‘Come on, then,’ I said, steeling my voice. And my frayed nerves. ‘Let’s go slay a dragon.’
