Page 12 of Exquisite Monster (Dragons of Viria #2)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

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ENDRE

I winced away from the ear-splitting sound of my cell door opening. The aftermath of the potion they gave us seemed to make every sense more potent. At least it did for me. Possibly because my power was still bound.

Every time I spewed out fire, it pressed against the limits of myself, aching. Now it felt like I was being ripped apart at the seams each time.

All I could do was bear it and think of Lena. She was still safe. Still alive. Though we had no idea how.

Had Idroal followed her and gone down into the falls of Evrítha to save her? Had she gotten lucky and managed to catch a rock on the way down?

Whatever it was, we were grateful.

A sharp point pressed against my throat, and I opened my eyes. I hadn’t bothered to do so. Andaros stood in front of me, watching closely. “One wrong move, dragon, and I will cut your head from your body. Don’t think about trying anything.”

It wasn’t until I felt hands undoing the chains at my wrists that I understood. They were freeing me for some reason.

Andaros is releasing me from the chains . I told my brothers. I don’t know why .

Z’s voice came back immediately, and stronger than it had been lately. Be careful .

They didn’t free me entirely, moving my hands behind my back and securing them there before they removed the mechanism they used to keep my mouth open, sealing something over it instead. They were taking no chances.

My legs barely worked as they walked me forward.

“If I had my way, I would keep all of you locked down here until we’re finished with the dragons entirely. Unfortunately, we know that doesn’t work with your kind. Have to keep you seeing the sky every once in a while or you go mad.”

That… wasn’t true.

Not that I was going to complain. It was generally uncomfortable for us to spend time in places that were so enclosed, but it wouldn’t drive us to madness. Whoever had told Andaros and his court that, I needed to thank them, if they were not already dead.

Blinking, I forced myself into more alertness. This was an opportunity I couldn’t waste. I was out of the cell. Andaros had implied a larger plan when he mentioned being finished with us entirely.

The man might not want to tell us his plans outright, but we could put together the clues.

They walked me down a blank-looking hallway of the same sandy, carved stone. The doors I saw were the same as the ones barricading my cell. Heavy, enchanted metal, ensuring—with what magics humans could produce—that whoever was inside couldn’t get out.

I hadn’t had a chance to touch mine, but I didn’t doubt it would be painful.

Stairs rose in front of us next to a set that plunged lower into the stone, echoing with the sounds of forges and smithing.

The faintest scent of fresh air reached me and my beast roared in my head.

Being without the sky might not drive us mad, but that didn’t mean we didn’t crave it with everything we had.

I blinked against the brightness as they hauled me up into the open air, taking in what felt like my first breath in forever.

Like when I first touched Lena and everything changed. Like when we thought she would burn and the relief when she didn’t. Like everything .

But when I managed to open my eyes, the last thing I thought about was the air in my lungs.

Everything was green . As green as the valley we’d rested in on the way to Doro Eche, and as green as any of the dragon lands. Green as Lena’s eyes.

Every report said the human lands were dying, and Craisos should be one of the kingdoms most affected being so close to a broken sheyten . Instead, it looked like a lush, verdant paradise.

Or partially.

Now I spotted the walls.

We were in some kind of enclosed space, though I didn’t see any kind of palace attached.

Can you still hear me?

Yes .

It’s green up here, I said. Like the world isn’t dying .

There were fruit trees and crops. Rich patches of ground with vegetables being harvested. Not only was everything growing, it seemed ripe and ready to be eaten. Crops that didn’t grow in the same season stood side by side.

I was no expert in the ways of growing food, but this was not entirely natural. It couldn’t be.

That doesn’t make sense , Sirrus said.

No , I agreed. It doesn’t .

Because Andaros was watching me without disguising it, I tried to keep my interest mild. He was the kind of man who looked for anything to exploit. As far as I was concerned, we would give him nothing more than was absolutely necessary.

“Enjoy this, dragon,” Andaros lowered his voice so those in the fields could not hear him. So it wasn’t common knowledge what we were. Interesting. “You won’t get it again. Not for a while.”

He stripped the covering away from my mouth, pretending like he wanted my answer. “I didn’t imagine you would be kind to us, King.”

“After you stole what was mine in every way possible? No. I will not be kind. But you are useful. And will be even more so when I fully break you.”

Slowly, I inhaled the scent of growing things and open air. Andaros was an ass, and the worst kind of man, but he also wasn’t wrong. I tried to savor these few moments while I could and add them to the things sustaining me until we could break free.

It wasn’t long enough.

“All right, let’s go.”

They hauled me back down beneath the earth, and when my eyes readjusted to the darkness, I realized they weren’t taking me back to the same cell. No, we were descending further, closer to the smiths.

“Where are we going?”

“Like I said, you’re more useful broken. Your dragonfire is helpful, but the best is yet to come. Don’t worry.” Andaros’s tone was mild. “I’m not going to kill you, but I won’t pretend this is going to be comfortable.”

They struck me from behind and sent me to my knees, using the distraction to separate my hands and move me. Hands on every limb. They forced me onto a table, and I didn’t fight them. Couldn’t fight them. Not when they hit me again for sport or when they bound my limbs down with more metal.

Protect yourself from my thoughts , I told the others. You don’t want to feel this .

Their anger came through, and worry. What are you talking about?

I slammed walls down around my mind. There would be no getting through this if I could hear them too. My power couldn’t protect me enough, and this would hurt.

Something crossed my forehead, keeping my head in place, and something else in my mouth, to keep me from screaming.

Something glowed in the corner of my vision. It couldn’t be fire. They knew better than that. Whatever it was, it would be worse.

“My alchemists say this is particularly painful for your kind. And after what you’ve done, I think it fitting. Let’s find out, shall we? And maybe the dragons will think twice before stealing what belongs to me.”

The pain stole my breath, and I threw my mind away. Back into a warm place where Lena rested on my chest and slept. Where I could breathe in her scent. Where I could feel her.

Every time new pain came I tried to return to her, until there was nothing left, and I was fading down into nothing but darkness.