Page 28 of Queen’s Griffon (Swords & Tiaras #2)

A naked Griff woke lying on a hard, rocky ledge. He groaned as he pushed himself to his feet and took stock of his situation. The word bleak came to mind.

Last he recalled, Basil had drugged him, but then what happened? How had he gotten here? Why did he have no clothes on, but for his boots? And even those were looking worse for wear. The leather was singed as if he’d stood in a fire with them. A layer of soot covered his nude flesh.

The shelf he stood on jutted from sheer stone. Above, open sky hinted of dawn. Below… He swallowed seeing the lake of lava. He was in the volcano and in a spot even he couldn’t climb from.

He searched, though. He ran his fingers over the surface to see if perhaps there was a hidden entrance. After all, he’d gotten here somehow. He found nothing. Saw nothing. Heard nothing. Although, he did try calling.

“Avera! Simhi! Monty!” No one replied. That bastard, Basil… if he’d hurt them… Well, Griff already planned to murder the man, but now he might make it more painful. Torture wasn’t his thing, but in Basil’s case, he would make an exception.

The ledge didn’t provide much space to pace or move. It also had nothing to eat or drink, a lack he noticed as his stomach grumbled. How long had he been here? They’d entered the tunnels at nightfall, and now morning crested, meaning he’d lost hours.

And those hours multiplied as the sun crossed the sky. As time passed, he became more despondent. He couldn’t escape and faced certain death either by starvation or boredom that would see him flinging himself into the lava.

Or would the dragon be the one to end him?

A scratching noise had him peering over his ledge to see the mighty beast climbing the stone, its claws easily finding purchase.

Griff retreated until his back pressed against the stone wall. He remained standing rather than cowering. He wouldn’t die huddled in a sniveling ball.

Bravery proved slippery to hold on to as a massive head peered over the ledge.

Two huge eyes stared, the dark orbs reflecting Griff’s naked body.

When the beast huffed through its nostrils, blowing steam, he closed his eyes.

But rather than die, he heard a voice.

Inside his head!

Hello, there.

It would seem Griffon might not be the dragon’s next snack, and Avera’s about to be married. However, you should know by now, this story has a few more twists before it’s done. Are you ready for the finale, Consort’s Dragon? .