Page 7 of Ava’s Love of the Dragons (Of Dragons, Love, and Destiny #2)

After Kilian had flown away, Rob didn't return to her immediately, but left her floundering for a while.

He probably was waiting until evening before freeing her from the column to collect her.

In the darkness, no one would see him, no matter where he took her, no matter what he planned to do with her.

With the gag in her mouth, she was unable to ask what he was planning, but he had said he wouldn't desecrate this cave. Apparently, he would take her to another place and kill her there.

The thought made her feel sick.

She hadn't heard him for a while, but she didn't fool herself. He wouldn't leave his cargo unattended.

At some point, she felt warm fingers on her hands behind the column and startled. Had he come without her seeing or hearing him? He and the dragon fighters had probably received ninja training.

What she wouldn't have given to be trained in fighting like that! To learn all the tricks that would give her the ability to not just wait helplessly in such situations, but to take action. To defend herself, to free herself, and to fight injustice!

That wouldn't happen now.

Was it naive to still hope for rescue?

She dragged her attention back to reality and inevitably held her breath. The bonds were loosening. But it wasn't just the ropes that had tied her to the column that were slipping down. The cords that had bound her body were also falling silently to the ground.

Was she free?!

Stunned, she turned around and had to look down. Behind the column stood not the brutal dragon fighter. It was Lilly, a finger on her lips and a mischievous grin on her face.

She opened her mouth, pulled the girl close, and felt tears burning in her eyes. For a moment, Lilly returned the embrace before pulling away, pointing towards the main cave, and again putting her finger to her lips.

Speechless, Ava looked at her. How had the little one managed to sneak up to her? How could she put herself in such danger?

But of course, Lilly didn't worry about that. Silently, she waved Ava to follow her and crept as quietly as a cat behind the column towards a niche.

Although Ava's limbs ached and she had lost feeling in her legs and arms, she followed right behind. The girl led her to a narrow gap, squeezed through, and motioned for Ava to follow.

Ava sucked in her stomach and squeezed after her, yet even with her upper body turned sideways, she still scraped along the rock wall.

Fine rock projections scratched the skin on her cheeks, but she barely felt it and determinedly kept going.

Further and further, until they reached another room that was also in the back of the cave.

Ava knew it. In the adjacent room, they had sat together at the long table and eaten yesterday afternoon.

Together with Rob.

Had he already been planning to get rid of her while laughing in her face during dinner?

Lilly crept forward, and Ava followed her. There was no sound of Rob. The little one targeted a narrow passage covered by a curtain. She quietly pushed it aside, and once again a rock crevice appeared. But this one looked so narrow that Ava couldn't fit through.

The girl had already slipped in and waited while Ava stretched, turned her shoulders, hips, and head, and tried everything to get into the opening. But it didn't work. She was a grown woman—how was she supposed to fit through this narrow gap?

She stepped back, shaking her head, but Lilly waved her over persistently to try again.

Ava didn't believe it would work, but she didn't want to give up so quickly—especially since the alternative might have meant death.

She bent down, twisted her upper body, and contorted herself to change the angle.

Eventually, she made it into the rock crevice, but she couldn't move forward.

She was too big and wide. If she pushed herself even one more centimeter forward, she would get stuck.

She stepped back into the room, rubbed the dust off her arms, and silently shook her head as loud footsteps sounded.

Horrified, she and Lilly widened their eyes.

Rob.

Was he coming into the kitchen?

Lilly hurried to her and pulled her towards the rock crevice. Ava did her the favor of trying again, but she didn't fit through, no matter how desperately Lilly tugged at her wrist.

"I'm too big," she mouthed silently, but the girl wouldn't accept it and kept pulling and pulling.

"AVAAAA!"

The scream thundered through the cave and made the ground tremble.

Rob had noticed her disappearance.

"Come here immediately, or I'll forget myself and dishonor the dragon cave on the spot!

" He screamed her name incessantly as he ran through the vaults.

And he was running straight to her, as if he knew where she had disappeared to.

But she hadn't even disappeared yet! She was standing in the pantry, practically stuck in a rock crevice, and couldn't move forward.

Lilly pulled relentlessly at her hand, but it was no use. Ava signaled her to run away. She shouldn't risk her life. But the girl stubbornly shook her head.

What would Rob do to Lilly if he found out she had tried to help Ava escape? Would he show no mercy even to a child?

At the thought, she turned pale, wanting to release her hand from Lilly's and go back into the dining room before the dragon fighter discovered the girl.

But Lilly held her tight, so she didn't get far.

Quickly, the little one slipped past her, pushed her into the crevice as far as possible, and stood in front of her.

Ava couldn't believe it. Did she seriously want to count on Rob's sympathy? That would never work!

Immediately, she pushed forward to protect the girl, but the little one shook her head, put her finger to her lips, raised her hands, and squeezed her eyes shut.

A delicate lilac-colored glow appeared, rising like a wall in front of them and concealing the rock crevice as if there were no passage in the wall.

Rob's footsteps drew closer, and the next moment he came running around the corner. He looked directly at the spot where Ava and Lilly were hiding, but didn't see their faces. His gaze swept over them as if he couldn't see them at all.

Angrily, he clenched his hands into fists before his voice took on a coaxing tone. "I understand, Ava, I was too hard on you. Come here, and we'll find a solution together."

When she didn't answer, he immediately dropped the fake friendliness act and switched to a hostile tone. "If you're seriously trying to run away, I swear to you that these breaths are your last!"

As if she hadn't already, if it were up to him... Did he really think she was that gullible?

She stood stock-still behind Lilly, barely daring to breathe or move so as not to break her concentration. Lilly kept her hands raised continuously and her eyes tightly shut, while the purple glow hovered steadily in front of them.

Ava knew exactly what the girl was doing, even though she had never seen anything like it before. And she knew what Lilly was risking.

Everything.

Slowly, she placed her hands on Lilly's shoulders to give her strength, to show her how grateful she was. To show her that she didn't judge her.

Rob ran out and searched the next room. He combed through every corner, passed by them more than five times without seeing them, until he cursed loudly and left the cave with determined steps.

Yet they still waited, wordless, motionless, almost frozen. As the dragon fighter didn't return, eventually Lilly let out an endlessly deep breath, lowered her hands, and collapsed in on herself. Ava caught her.

"Incredible. Thank you, Lilly, but you shouldn't have done that. You must never put yourself in danger for me!"

The little one turned around. She was deathly pale and exhausted. "I'd do anything for you." She smiled tiredly, causing Ava to hug her tightly to her chest.

"Thank you."

"We need to go."

She was right.

"Is there an escape route I can fit through?"

Lilly nodded. "On the other side of the cave. That's the way I was originally going to come through, but Rob was in the way. I'll show you." Quick as lightning, as if she hadn't just used up all her energy, she took off running.

How she had missed this girl.

Ava followed her, and they reached a narrow passage through the rocks. It was wide enough for her to pass through. Still, she hesitated.

"Are you sure Rob isn't waiting for us somewhere in there?" Uncertainly, she looked into the passage and then back at the main cave, which was still deserted. They hadn't seen him go out. He could have been hiding anywhere. Or frantically searching the area.

"He'd never fit through here. Besides..." she bit her lip and glanced briefly over her shoulder at Ava, a heavy admission of guilt in her eyes, "...he can't see it."

So the girl had already used her magic before to save Ava, and had followed a damned sophisticated plan.

Her admiration for the little one grew.

Lilly hurried ahead, and Ava pushed her thoughts aside to run with her into the darkness. Twice she had narrowly escaped death. The next time, she vowed, she wouldn't rely on someone else to help her escape. Next time, she would be prepared!