Dragon Sword (The Dragon Lord’s Bride #2)

Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

My scream echoed long and high as we plunged to our death. I tried to latch onto Will but a dark shape flew up behind us. Claws grabbed onto my shoulders and I was yanked from his grasp. He, too, was grabbed from behind by our escort and we glided through the air on the eagle airways. I clapped my hands around the eagle’s legs and didn’t let go until my feet were safely on the ground.

Will landed beside me and held me up until my shaky legs could hold me. In the meantime, I grasped the front of his shirt and stared at him in horror. “You could have warned me.”

He grinned. “And miss that wonderful scream?”

I glared at him a moment longer before I swatted his chest. “It’s a good thing you’re handsome.”

Will leaned down and pecked a kiss on my forehead. “And your mate.” He lifted his gaze to the area around us, in particular the gaping hole that was the vali that stood a mere twenty feet away from our position. “We’ll have to make another dive but this landing will be trickier.”

Confusion rang through my thoughts before I understood his meaning. “You mean because the bridge is gone?”

“Exactly,” he confirmed as he guided me across the empty space and to the new precipice. I didn’t like that drop any better than the other and held back. He smiled at me and squeezed my hand. “You’ll have to ride on my back for this. I won’t be able to hold you when we reach the door.”

“What are you going to do at the door without the bridge?” I asked him.

Will rummaged through his pocket and drew out the key which he dropped into my palm before closing my fingers over it. “You will open the door, and these-” He held up both hands and they transformed into claws, “-will pin us to the wall allowing you to use the key.”

I looked down at my closed hand and pursed my lips. “This sounds like a bad idea.”

“I know, but it’s the only idea we have at the moment.”

I sighed but grasped his clawed hand in one of mine. “Let’s go.”

Will’s wings burst out of his back and he turned to face away from me. He knelt and I climbed aboard and wrapped my arms tightly around his neck. He walked toward the edge of the vali and my heart dropped back into my stomach.

He smiled over his shoulder at me. “Hold tight.” I nodded and tightened my grip. He grimaced. “Perhaps not so tight.”

I snorted and loosened my grip. He opened his wings wide and dove into the canyon, taking me with him. I couldn’t help but let out a scream as air rushed past us. Will opened his wings wide and the wind from the wild rapids beneath us kept us aloft. He flapped hard and we sailed through the wide canyon. It felt surreal to be surrounded by high walls, like running an old video game jet fighter course. Will swooped from side to side in concert with the sway of the walls and we soon passed into the boundaries of the capital.

Being so low in the vali and not fearing for the life of a pair of wooden doors, I was finally able to study the walls. The stone was dotted with dozens of doors big and small, ornate and plain. Many were wooden and were weathered by time, their hinges a mess of orangish-red rust. Some were partially covered by the stone walls as nature reclaimed the walls. A few bits of stone bridge dotted the walls beneath the doors but none of them were big enough for even half a foothold.

I leaned down close to Will’s ear. “Which one does the key belong to?”

“The key will tell us,” he replied. “Pull it out and hold it in front of us.”

I did as he bid and held the key aloft. A faint glow emanated from the passkey and there was a corresponding light on the wall to our right and some three hundred feet ahead. Unfortunately, that placed us at the same location as the new bridge and only a hundred feet blow.

I held my breath as Will dove down another hundred feet where he latched onto the wall by slamming his hands into the rock above his head. A few bits of stone crumbled down atop me but I gripped the key tightly in one fisted hand.

Will looked up at the distance between us and the faintly glowing door. The underside of the large bride stared back at us and I could hear the faint voices of the guards.

“Did you hear something?” one of them asked.

“No. What was it?”

“I am not sure,” the first replied and I heard movement as footsteps roamed the bridge. “I swear the sound came from near here.”

“Perhaps the monsters are now invisible,” a third spoke up.

“Stop with your stories!” the second one snapped at his compatriot. “There is enough terror without your false words!”

The elf guard countered with a sullen tone. “But Knight Luja has returned. Will he not save us?”

The reply was a derisive scoff. “He? He abandoned us to play the scholar and I hear his swordsmanship has not improved. Whatever use he was before he left, he has gained nothing from leaving. Now return to your posts and we will have no more of this talk of phantoms and foolish elves.”

Silent mouths and footsteps followed, and then I dared to breathe out, albeit quietly. Will drew one clawed hand from the stone wall and stretched up his arm where he dug his nails into a point higher up. Through this way, we slowly climbed up the wall coming ever closer to the door and the bridge.

We were only ten feet away when Will dug his claws in again but this time the stones gave way. Rocks fell out of the wall and clamored down upon our heads. I ducked down and shut my eyes as I was pelted with the tiny pebbles. The rocks made a horrible crashing noise down the canyon before they splashed into the water far below us.

“Hold on,” I heard Will whisper.

I heard shouts above us just as he pushed off the wall and flapped hard. We flew up and passed the glowing door where we reached the bridge. Will used both clawed hands and grabbed one of the metal girders which spanned the distance. He drew his wings back into his body while I dangled on his back. The hurried footsteps stopped above us.

“What was that?” one of the elves wondered.

“I told you I heard something earlier!” the dismissed elf scolded them.

“Quiet!” the leader snapped at him. “Stop bragging and look for the source!”

Feet scurried to and fro as they searched both sides of the bridge. After a few minutes of suspended suspense, the elves reconnoitered in the center just above us.

“We can find nothing, sir,” one of them announced.

A growl came from their commander. “There must be an explanation. You there, report to the king about these strange occurrences.”

“Yes, sir!” Hurried footsteps soon followed.

“The rest of you keep your eyes and ears open!”

“Yes, sir!” the elves replied and they moved back to their position at the gate.

Will took a deep, quiet breath and swung forward to the far end of the bridge. We reached the wall beneath the gate and he looked uncertainly at the rocks. I craned my neck and glimpsed the glowing door not more than twenty feet below us. The light had been too faint for our curious elves to see, especially as I had the key tucked in my pocket. I drew out the latchkey and the door shone brighter.

Will wormed his claws into the wall and eased us down. Every little crumble of the stones made him freeze and made me hold my breath. The short distance felt like a thousand miles over an eternity but we finally reached our destination. Will scooted us atop one of the glowing doors and turned his head to catch my eye. He flickered his eyes between the keyhole and my hand.

That was the signal for my turn. I grasped the key tightly in my hand and scooted up his back. The keyhole shone more brightly than any other spot and I gently inserted the key into the mouth. The key slid smoothly into its position and I turned it. A soft clicking noise came from the other side and the doors shuddered after their long slumber.

The doors swung inward, taking us with them. I let out a tiny squeak as we flew into a darkened tunnel.