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“You just proposed because she was wearing that, didn’t you?”
Char rolled his eyes. He’d known he would be in for more of Rath’s teasing as soon as Iris left to change—a different brand of teasing than Rath delivered when she was present. And Rath could run his mouth while rummaging through the cabinets even better than he could with a mouthful of food.
“No.”
“But it was a factor.”
Char pressed his lips together and exhaled through his nose. “No, it wasn’t.”
Rath laughed and clapped Char on the back. “Lighten up. I know you’re deeper than that. If all it took was a sexy outfit, you would have dropped to one knee the minute you saw her in that party dress. So, how soon are you looking to get married?”
A reluctant smile came to Char’s lips. “As soon as possible.”
“Figured. Better wait until we get home, though. Mother will forgive you for a lousy proposal. She’ll never forgive you if you leave her out of the wedding.”
Char had been toying with the idea of sneaking into the city and getting Father Peter to marry them, but Rath was right. His mother would kill him if he did that. And it would be too much of a risk for all of them.
“Yeah, but if we end up having to walk, I can’t promise I’ll wait until we get back.”
Rath snorted. “You’re such an idiot. Go get all the blankets in the place. We’ll have to deal with heavier packs this time, but I’d rather carry an extra load than have to tell Mother she missed your wedding. Besides, I’m itching to get up in the air.”
“Me, too.”
Char hadn’t gone this many days without flying in a while, and he wanted to spread his wings and fly as much as Rath did. Catching an updraft, feeling the air rush across his scale—it was a euphoric experience.
But if faced with the choice between flying and risking Iris’ life, he didn't even have to think twice. And he wouldn’t mind a long walk with her. It would mean more alone time for them, too, because Rath wouldn’t have the patience to stick it out.
He envisioned nights spent cuddling in front of a fire with her.
No, a long walk wouldn’t be such a bad option.
“Oh—”
He snapped out of his thoughts and grabbed Iris’ upper arms to steady her. She had been leaving the hallway while he was entering it, and he’d run right into her.
“Sorry. What… are you wearing?”
His eyes slid down her, taking in her change of clothing. She blushed.
“What do you think?”
The plaid shirt and heavy work pants were both baggy on her frame, but they left much of her wrists and ankles exposed. Dwarven men were shorter and stockier than her, after all. She’d tucked the shirt into the pants, which she’d cinched around her waist with a thick leather belt and a brass buckle that looked enormous on her stomach, and overall, the entire outfit was ridiculous.
“Well, it looks better on you than it would on a dwarf.” Char leaned in to steal a quick kiss, and when she tried to step back, he pulled her into an embrace. “Ow. This belt is gonna get annoying, though.”
She giggled, peeking up at him through long brown eyelashes. “Then maybe you should let me go.”
“Now, why would I do that?”
“Because you’re supposed to be grabbing blankets, you idiot. Sheesh, do I have to do everything around here?”
Char released Iris with a sigh at Rath’s interruption. The pink in her cheeks had flared a deep red. “Yeah, yeah.”
“Iris, c’mon. I need to tell you more about what you’re getting into while lover boy makes himself useful.”
Char rolled his eyes.
There were four bedrooms in the dwarven home, each with one comforter and one quilt spread across the beds. Char stripped and folded all eight. The combined weight of the thick fabric was significant, especially when stacked together. He wondered if Iris would even be able to stand once he and Rath wrapped her up in the heavy cloth.
But that was a good thing. It meant more insulation for her.
“Done,” he announced, returning to the living room and dropping the bulky stack on the coffee table. “What did he tell you?”
“Nothing,” Iris said, shaking her head. She was sitting on the sofa, blushing and averting her gaze, and Char was about to try again when Rath spoke.
“I think the fairies are cleaning up after us or something, so you'll have to help me pack this stuff up, Char. Let’s do three packs. Two with food, one with the extra blankets.”
“What about a note?” Iris asked.
“A note?”
She nodded. “In case the dwarves come back. We’re taking all of their food and blankets, plus some clothes for me…”
Rath shrugged. “I guess.”
Two fairies appeared with a pencil and paper. They dropped the items in Iris’ hands and zipped away. Char didn't know where they had found the writing implements, but then he hadn’t been looking for such things, either.
Odd that the fairies weren’t helping them more.
He wondered, but he didn’t ask, instead devoting his energy to helping Rath wrap up the supplies.
They had enough to last maybe a week, if needed, although this was just supposed to be a scouting mission. The chances of them getting turned around in the caves were minimal. Dragons had as much of a sense for underground navigation as dwarves and gnomes, so they would only really need the supplies if they found an above ground outlet, which was possible. There had to be one nearby. How else could these dwarves have all this fresh food and newly cut wood in their home?
“Okay, I’m ready,” Iris said, setting the paper and pen down on the coffee table with finality.
“No, you’re not.” Rath looked at her socked feet. “Shoes.”
“There are shoes in the entryway that might fit her,” Char volunteered, bending over the coffee table to scan the note. It was an apology for using the dwarves’ home without permission and a thanks for providing a cozy sanctuary, with their names signed at the bottom.
He smiled and followed her and Rath to the entryway.
The heavy work boots fit her when she tried them on, but they made her outfit look even more ridiculous. Rath snickered as he led them out into the tunnel.
“Well, it’s better than walking around barefoot in a bathrobe, right?” Iris asked.
“Yeah, sure. Although that would have given Char an excuse to carry you everywhere.”
The fairies had joined them, finished with whatever they had been doing in the dwarven home. Their golden light cast a warm glow on Iris’ rosy cheeks.
Char shouldered his pack, took her hand, and led her past Rath, who had the other two packs. “I can still carry you if you get tired.”
“N-no thanks.”
It was pitch dark, but for the fairies. A few of them hovered around Iris while the rest took point, allowing her to see some of what the dragons saw. Char and Rath’s night vision extended past the fairies for a good stretch down the tunnel.
“Hey, question,” Rath said. “That crystal was supposed to limit and regulate magic, right? But it exploded. So… What now?”
Iris shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“Hm. And you don’t know how much magic you have left without the amulet, right?”
“No, I don’t.”
A sly grin crawled across Rath’s lips. “Better watch yourself, Char. You upset her, and she might wipe the floor with you.”
Char sent Iris a sidelong glance. “I think I’ll be okay.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. If she wouldn’t even hurt that psychopath, you’ll be fine.”
Char shot Rath a warning look, but his brother was focused on the tunnel ahead, far past the fairies. His furrowed brow contrasted with the lightness of his tone. Char scanned the dark tunnel ahead, searching for whatever had his brother on edge.
“I can’t believe he wasn’t even a mage,” Rath continued.
He was distracting Iris, Char realized. Distracting her and keeping her calm.
“He wasn’t a mage, but he was really smart,” she replied. “I think even if he had been born a mage, he would’ve been just as cruel and heartless. There was something… wrong about him.”
“You’re telling me. Hey, fairies, fly on ahead to that bend in the tunnel.”
They zipped ahead, twisting and turning in the air as they went. About one hundred feet away, they vanished from sight—before the bend.
Char saw Rath mouth a curse. He threw his arm up in front of Iris and Char to stop them.
“Let’s go back. There’s nothing this way.”
Char was still just as confused as Iris, but he made a quick about-face, pulling Iris along with him.
“What’s going on?” she asked, a nervous tremor creeping into her voice. “What happened to the fairies?”
She was blind without the little golden creatures. Char was glad she couldn’t see the worry on his face or the uncharacteristic seriousness of Rath's expression.
“Oh, they’re fine,” Rath said.
He shoved Char in the back. Char picked up his pace. Any faster and he’d be running.
“So why—”
“Let’s show her that big cavern, Char. She can see for herself how I saved your life.”
Char picked up on Rath’s cue and forced a snort of laughter. “Or we could have run further from the tunnel entrance. Did you ever think of that?”
“Like you weren’t about to fall over from exhaustion. You couldn’t even keep up with me.”
“I would’ve passed you if there had been room in the tunnel.” Char glanced at Iris. A fine line had formed between her brows. He squeezed her hand.
“You’re on!”
Rath sprinted past them. Char scooped up Iris, who shrieked in surprise and threw her arms around his neck as he took off at top speed. Now that he was rested and out of that cumbersome armor, he passed Rath with ease and kept going.
“Char—”
She hung onto him. The pack slung over his shoulder hit him in the back with each step. His heart was pounding in his chest, and though his ears strained for any abnormal sound, there was nothing except the thudding of their footsteps on stone. The opening to the main cavern was getting closer.
“Take a right,” Rath shouted. “Second tunnel.”
Char burst into the open and swung a hard right, following the cave wall past the first tunnel. Fifty feet ahead to the second one. Iris’ hands were sweaty around his neck. He ducked into the second tunnel, which took another sharp turn to the right, concealing the main cavern from view.
“Stop,” Rath gasped.
Char set Iris down, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. He kept an arm around her shoulders and touched a finger to her lips, mimicking the signal Rath gave him to keep quiet. She nodded, and Char nodded at Rath in turn.
Rath crept back to the tunnel opening. He froze at the bend, held his position for ten breaths, and then dropped to his hands and knees and peeked around the corner. Another ten breaths, and he rose to his feet and took a step backwards, toward Char and Iris. He paused again, listening, and then he turned toward them, putting his finger to his lips again and pointing down the new tunnel.
Char took Iris by the hand and headed in the new direction, still clueless about what had Rath spooked. But Rath didn't scare easily.
Whatever it was, he didn’t want to find out.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xB1j8EMI7
