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     The cave was dark, but Breaker lit up the stripes along his tail, wings, and snout so she could see, despite her night vision. "Hope you don't mind getting a little wet," Breaker said, striding deeper into the cavern. "After the water levels go down, sometimes it leaves tide pools." Blackice looked down at her claws, stepping carefully on the damp pebbles. Eventually, what seemed to be where the middle of the underground lake had been, was a dark hole that sloped down into the earth. I was right. Blackice tilted her head at the hole as Breaker spread his wings and dove down into the hole. There is a hidden tunnel under the lake. The hybrid peered down into the blackness. She could see the glimmer of light that came from Breaker's stripes, but it was otherwise pitch-black. Or this could be a trick, rang the other, more cautious voice in her ear. He could be luring you down there and there could be water or rocks, and you could drown or be smashed or he could just kill you himself. Blackice shook her head furiously, wishing she hadn't left her bags and weapons behind, or, better yet, killed him right then and there. She hadn't even brought the ankle dagger Wren had given her. Just the diamond earrings from her mother. The sensible side of her brain begged her to go back to the cliff and run far away from this stranger. But something else, in Blackice's heart, made her turn and leap into the darkness, and into trusting the dragon she had been sent to kill.

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