Frost Fire

Chapter Seven

                                          Chapter Seven 

Her vision was black. Had she fainted again? Damn it, she couldn’t do that, not now and not in this situation. Not in front of Drake.

Then she felt something soft brush against her forehead, and she realized it wasn’t unconsciousness causing the darkness. It was Drake’s shirt. She blinked a couple times, trying to decipher what had happened. He must have yanked her up from the ground, and now he had her pressed against his chest. His arm was wrapped around her waist and holding her in a standing position. She shrieked, but he just clapped a hand over her mouth, leveraging her jaw up so she couldn’t bite at him.

Drake’s other hand went to her neck, pressing his claws against her fragile skin. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I don’t want to do this, and I swear I’m not going to hurt you. I just need to get out of here, okay? So, please, just be quiet and don’t move.”

She ignored him. Her feet dangled a couple inches off the ground, and she kicked at his legs to make him drop her. He lowered her a little so her feet could barely touch the ground.

The dungeon door opened. She couldn’t see it, but she heard its hinges squeak and footsteps enter the basement dungeon. Then, after a moment, a voice breathed, “Son of a bitch.”

She recognized the voice as Luke’s. Of course. She should have counted that he’d come looking for her, if he didn’t see her after breakfast.

“Faroh, go get help,” Luke said, just as quietly. It sounded like he’d turned from her, and Allai could only guess that Luke was talking to the guard. She heard rustling of wings as the young guard sprinted up the steps leading from the dungeon. 

“Drake,” Luke said, his voice calm and even. “Let her go.”

His voice sounded closer. Allai struggled to open her mouth and punched at Drake’s chest. She needed to tell Luke to stay back. It would be easy for him to know that Drake was holding her hostage, with their heartbeats and breathing so close together. But, even if Luke could figure out the situation, there was no way he could actually fight Drake. 

She thought back to yesterday, of the rain drizzling down on Silas’s corpse and his limp hands clutching his chest. She wouldn’t let that happen to Luke.

Drake snarled, and Allai felt the vibrations of the sound rumble in his chest. She closed her eyes. Her jaw was starting to ache from him clamping it closed. She wished she could bite him, or maybe punch his face. But all she could do was kick at his shins. So she did that, slamming her foot into the middle of his shin again and again. He didn’t even react.

“Allai,” Luke said, sounding a little more panicked. “Don’t upset him.”

How did Luke always knew when she was getting herself into trouble? Even in life-threatening situations? She tried to sigh, and then shrieked against Drake’s hand when he blocked it.

“Stay away from me, viper,” Drake snapped, stepping backward. Pressed against him, Allai could feel the raw power of his muscles as they moved. She shivered; Drake was built for destruction. “I’ll kill her if you come any closer,” he warned.

“Okay, okay,” Luke said. “Just… Bloody hell, take a deep breath. Calm down.” His accent became stronger as his panic grew.

Drake came to a halt. “I’ll let her live if you let me go. Just get me out of here, and she’ll be fine.”

“I can’t do that, Drake. I can’t let you go without getting myself killed,” Luke said. “I’d be an accomplice to your escape. So, let’s just try to work this out.”