Page 46 of Taloned Heart

Abraxas lifted a brow. “You are not what I expected.”

“You didn’t expect a dwarf who has spent his entire life studying the lives of dragons?”

“I did not expect a young man. I certainly did not expect a man who has spent most of his days sitting on a golden throne waiting for people to come to him.” The last bit was perhaps more of an insult than he intended.

But Algor took it on the chin and merely shook his head. “When waiting for a goddess, one does not rush.” He turned toward Lore and held out his hands for her to take. “My life’s purpose was to see you here. To know that a goddess walked these halls and that the dwarves did everything possible to assist. You, Fallen Star, Lady of Starlight, Savior of Umbra, have finally returned to the dwarves.”

“Returned?” she asked, her voice echoing in the chamber. “I have never been here before.”

“Not in this form,” he said with a nod. “But in another? Yes, you have.”

Abraxas met Beauty’s confused expression, and he shrugged in return. He assumed it had something to do with Lore’s powers. She’d been given this magic through generations of women in her family, all gathering their power together through a single person. But he didn’t know what else that would mean.

Perhaps one of her ancestors had been here before. Maybe that was how the dwarves had known her, and how they knew she would return.

It made sense. Lore had always drifted toward the dwarves and assisted them with what they needed. She’d taken Goliath as almost family when he gave her but a little attention. Few elves would do that. Even half elves.

Lore hummed and nodded. “So it is that way, then. I did not know that my coming here was foretold, or that your people were familiar with me.”

“Few know that history of the dwarves. But it is ancient, and I have spent many years studying all the old texts. Some would say it was a waste of time.” Algor shrugged. “I say it was the perfect amount of attention and exactly what we all needed.”

A loud clanking filled the room, and a small portion of the gold shifted away. A door, it appeared, although Abraxas had no idea how it had been summoned to open. The dwarves were always working on the next great project.

“Ah, perfect.” Algor cast a bright smile upon all of them and then gestured to the door. “Would you be so kind as to follow me? I have a surprise for you all. I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting so many of you. But I intended on following through with my ancestors’ plans. Part of the surprise is quite ancient.”

Ancient? Abraxas felt like he’d been transported into another timeline. This dwarf wasn’t worried at all about what was happening above ground.

So much so that Abraxas had to ask, “Are you aware of the current state of the surface?”

“Oh, yes. Margaret has been sniffing around here for ages. Obviously, a partnership with the dwarves would give her a certain advantage over anyone who wanted to oppose her. But the dwarves aren’t all that interested in working with elves, you see. Or anyone else after that horrible deal with the Shadow King.” He shuddered. “That was a terrible idea. Anyway, this one is much better, I think you’ll find. Why don’t you follow me?”

And then the dwarf started off as if they had no choice but to follow him.

Abraxas met Lore’s surprised gaze, but then she shrugged and started after the dwarf. Did the woman have no self preservation at all? Everything Algor had just said were rather blaring concerns that they needed to clarify before waltzing off into a dark room where they might never get out of.

Dwarves were the only creatures that made dragons nervous. The two species had centuries of fighting between them, and certainly enough bad blood that they would know how to trap him.

It would take a long time for Abraxas to free himself.

“Lore, shouldn’t we talk about this?” he asked as she meandered away from him.

“I’m done talking about dangerous things, Abraxas. I think what I want most is to see what the dwarves have made for me.” She flashed a devious grin over her shoulder. “Are you coming? The door might close behind us.”

The damned woman was going to be the death of him. He needed her to take better care of herself, and she needed to annoy him beyond reckoning.

At least Beauty patted his back. “It’ll get easier the more you do it.”

“Do what?”

“Watch her risk her life. She won’t stop, you know.”

Of course, she wouldn’t stop. If he had thought she would, then he could have finally relaxed for the first time since meeting her. Grumbling under his breath, he followed behind all of them and stood in the doorway with his feet just over... nothing.

The giant room was dark beyond the doorway, but he could see the cliff that disappeared below his feet. It kept going and going until he could see nothing other than the darkness beyond it. Perhaps it fell all the way through the earth. He knew the dwarves had mines, but he hadn’t realized just how dangerous they were.

The others stood on a small ledge that overhung to his right. Just enough for their feet to rest on while they pressed their backs against the stone wall. Algor looked all too happy, and suddenly Abraxas wondered if the dwarves had been feeding something in that pit.

What monstrous being waited for them in the depths?

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