Page 113

Perfect,she didn’t want to be noticed. Keeping a close eye on them, she silently walked past. Both were too distracted to notice she was there. Perhaps they didn’t care.

Clear of the main room, she ventured further into his lair until she came to the cavern with the stream. She slipped her hand through the cascading waterfall when she walked next to it and crawled into the hiding place behind it.

As much as she wanted to sit by the entrance of the cave to look at the night sky, she didn’t want to be alone and exposed like that. The rushing water was exhilarating to her. The sounds rang in her ears pleasantly, and she found the smell refreshing.

She sometimes came here to be with the only nature she really could.It is still one of my favourite places.

Dipping one of her feet forward, she let the coldness of the water hit the top arch of her foot as she raised a hand to it.

Her head snapped to the side when she heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming from the tunnel. Amalia crawled deeper into the shallow and small hole in the wall.

Covering both her hands to hide the sounds of her breath, she could barely see through the cascading water. Still, she could tell the Dragon approaching was green rather than dark.

She watched Glov make his way inside the cavern alone.

Her heart leapt to her throat when he went to the stream to smell it. He was close, only a few feet away. Then, to her horror, he slipped inside the water. It was barely wide enough to fit his body, but deep enough that it came to the top of his legs.

She curled up when he came towards her.

I just wanted to be alone!

Unfortunately, she was now alone with this Dragon who didn’t seem to know she was there.

She almost laughed with horror-filled embarrassment when he ducked his head into the waterfall to let it fall over his body and came face-to-face with her.

“Whoa.” He jumped back, startled. Then he slowly slipped his head forward through the water to face her again. “Having a private moment here. You should not be watching someone while they bathe.”

Her cheeks flushed bright. “I believe I was here first.”

He paused, seeming to think for long moments.

As if he couldn’t come up with a good enough rebuff, he said, “Fair point.” He tilted his head to the side. “It seems you have found yourself a hiding place. I did not scent you were there.”

“You could not?” She only thought she was out of sight and that the water would muffle any sounds she made.

He shook his head. “No, the water washes your scent away from the air.”

Her eyes narrowed. So, she’d truly found a place to hide.

“Where is...?” She hoped Rurik would notice she was no longer in the tunnels and come save her.

“He has left to obtain me some dinner.” He gave her a grin of a fangs, one that made her heart race. “It is just me and you here.”

Amalia quickly scrambled to her feet to leave, but he put his paw out to cut through the waterfall and block the tiny path behind it.

“Do not fret. I have been explicitly, and violently, told not to harm you. Speak with me, I am curious as to why he thinks you are harmless.”

Slowly, she backed inside the shallow hole to sit with her knees to her chest.

“Will you tell him of my hiding spot?”

“Perhaps, but I do not see the harm in him not knowing. You are still inside his lair, and if you go missing, he will follow your most recent scent to this room. He would eventually find you if he wanted to.”

That wasn’t comforting, but she also didn’t think she would ever have a reason to hide from him. Others yes, she had come here to hide from this very Dragon.

“He says you are pure-hearted. Does that mean you have never used dark magic?”

“No, I have used it twice. I used my own blood to break the hex on his body when I healed him in my cottage. The second time was an accident. I had injured my hand, and he startled me.”