The Hidden Crystal

Chapter 41

Iris felt out of place in a flight cavern full of dragons.

Kelnor had a dominating presence with his tall, brawny build and intense red eyes. He scanned his men as a chill wind whistled through the cave, leaving his close-cut red hair unruffled. Iris thought he looked old enough to be the other dragons' fathers, but he also looked just as strong and vital as they did.

They all looked strong and vital. Iris wasn't short, but she still felt small and insignificant, standing between Char and Rath as they chatted with three other men, all larger than her.

She recognized Thrak from the telepathic impression she got of him during her first battle. He was taller than Char and had eerie yellow eyes and a shock of forest green hair. The other two, Rork and Nost, were twins. They were the shortest men in the cavern and had stocky, muscular builds. Rork had orange eyes; Nost had lavender. Both kept their long black hair tied back in ponytails.

She heard the grating of stone and looked at the door. Srot had arrived.

"I'm here!" he called, shoving the door closed and jogging up to the group. A smile lit up his deep purple eyes when he saw her. "And I finally get to thank you."

She gave him a shy smile. "You're welcome."

"You're making a bad habit of being late, Srot," Kelnor reprimanded him.

"Ah, well, you know, had to say 'bye' to Kara." He shrugged and ran his hand through his dirty blonde hair. "What's all that for?" he asked, surveying the pile of blankets next to the two packs of supplies against the cavern wall.

"She gets really cold really quickly," Char explained.

"There will be time enough to talk while we're on the wing. Let's go," Kelnor barked.

Char pulled Iris back as the temperature plummeted. A freezing wind swept past her, and in the blink of an eye, Kelnor was gone, replaced by a massive red dragon who made the enormous cavern seem small. She gaped at him as he headed for the exit.

"He's huge," she whispered.

"Biggest dragon I've ever seen," Rath concurred. "Better get you wrapped up. Things go fast from here."

He and Char handed Iris the two packs and began draping blankets over her shoulders. Once they had her cocooned, she wouldn't need to use both hands to hold the bundles of supplies, thus allowing her to keep the amulet in her right hand. For now, she hugged the packs to her chest, watching as Thrak transformed into a green dragon similar in size to Char, but no less intimidating than Kelnor. The icy wind bit her nose and cheeks. Srot followed Thrak, Rork and Nost took their turns after Srot, and then it was Rath's turn.

"See you in the sky." He flashed her a grin. With a gust of wind, the grin was gone, and a black dragon was racing toward the exit.

"Are you ready?" Char asked, doing a final check of the blankets to ensure they were secure around her.

She nodded. "I guess so."

He leaned in to give her a soft, reassuring kiss. "Trust me."

And then he transformed, towering over her in his black-scaled, muscular dragon form. He reached a claw out for her, and she squeezed her eyes shut, heart pounding as cold talons enclosed her in a tight grip. Then her feet left the ground, and they were in motion.

She'd never get used to this.

They launched into the air with a sickening lurch of her stomach. The higher they climbed, the more light-headed she became. She knew it wouldn't be long before she passed out. The next time she awoke, they would be on the ground in human territory.