Page 50 of Scaled Hearts

22

Kelly

Before we leave N’Kezza Dorana, I take Angurus through the streets to find another open shop.

Despite his protesting about not needing clothing, I didn’t want him to have to walk around in the cold and dark caves without some kind of protection from it. My knowledge on dragon biology isn’t the best, but when I’d pulled him out of the magma, he’d been shaking.

Though, now that I think about it, maybe that had something to do with him having a pickaxe practically skewing him and not because he’d been cold.

He lets me dress him in another set of clothing, however—this time a pair of drawstring pants and a shirt that he leaves the collar of unbuttoned. I spot the scar on his chest that has now dulled to a very faint pink.

I still can’t believe he survived that axe through his body like that. Or the lava burying him like it had.

I feel guilty that I almost completely lost him when I was taking out all of those naga, but thankfully I’d been able to control the magic at that last moment before I’d let it all come rumbling up from the ground.

When the lava had begun to explode from the crust of the city, I was shocked. I’ve never been able to conjure up magic before, let alone in a dangerous situation like we were in.

But I could feel that pulse of otherness running through my body, ordering me to take out as many of the enemies as I could in order to save my mate. He had needed me and I was the only one that had the power to save us.

Even if at the time, it felt like a fruitless effort.

But I’m so glad that it hadn’t been in the end.

Angurus and I take to the streets once more when we are properly clothed. I keep to his side like glue and hold his hand while we walk down deserted streets.

“Do you think the naga were here long? And that they were the only ones?”

Angurus lifts his head, his eyes scanning the buildings that we pass by carefully.

“It’s hard to say, really. Typically naga only like to inhabit one pocket of space that they’ll defend to the death. So I’m not surprised that they took over this city.”

I wish I could feel bad for completely wiping them out, but I don’t. They were perfectly capable of telling us to leave and never return and instead they chose to fight us with no warning.

I’ve never been around naga before, so their temperament had been a mystery, but judging from what we’d encountered, they seemed heavily aggressive.

“I’m glad that we took them out.”

Angurus turns to me and squeezes my hand. “Youtook them out. I merely slowed them down.”

I smile up at him. “Not you letting me take all the credit.”

He raises both of his eyebrows. “I didn’t go that far.”

It makes me laugh.

We travel until we reach the other side of the city where the chamber narrows into a long tunnel.

Angurus thrusts his ball of illumination forward to let it lead us through to the other side. I’m surprised by how long it stretches, and notice that as we pass by, there are markings carved into the walls from hands that have long since abandoned these caverns.

I point at some of them.

“What do you think they mean?”

Angurus glances over at them, mostly keeping his eyes ahead to make sure that nothing could jump out and surprise us.

“The inhabitants of N’Kezza Dorana had a brilliant barter system that I’m sure they continued down here after their city was sunk.”

“Hm,” I look back to the walls.

---