Page 60 of The Mating Quest

The snakes kept replicating. Every time she disposed of a hissing viper, another took itsplace.

“Ilana, stand back,” Ethanroared.

She didn’t want to give up. Made a promise to help them retrieve the talismans but something in his voice urged her to pay heed. Panting, Ilanaretreated.

Stunned she watched Ethan, Chloe and Dakota shift into dragons, smaller than Lucas, but with tough scales and rows of sharp teeth. They advanced, walking past her, and roared at thesnakes.

Flames blasted out of their mouths, turning the wriggling pile of reptiles into charred ashes. Lucas joinedthem.

“Why did you let me chop them all if you could kill them?” She removed a silk cloth from a trouser pocket and cleaned the blood off hersword.

Ethan grinned. “Knew you wanted to get in on the fun and besides, I enjoyed watching you use your newtoy.”

“Starsong is not a toy, wolf.” She sheathed the sword, but had to grin at his words. “Shall we presson?”

Boots crunched over crispy snake bodies as they pushed forward. They navigated over a pit that seemed endless, using the rope Dakota carried and secured to two stalagmites. A close call came when Chloe nearly lost her grip, but Lucas shifted into dragon and flew downward, nudging her up with hisnose.

When they made it to the other side, Lucas shifted back, grinning. “Nicebottom.”

Chloe thanked him and said sternly, “If you say one more thing about mybutt…”

“Butt...” The dragon keptgrinning.

The light moment made her grin. Lucas was a scamp, but quite useful. No one laughed, however, as they advanceddeeper.

The third test was going to be a bitch. Thechimera.

“There are no such creatures,” she scoffed. “They’remyth.”

“And so are we,” Ethan chided her. “To Skins,anyway.”

Lucas continued as they picked their way over rocks and limestone formations. The passageway narrowed. “This one is a three-headed, fire-breathing monster. Except this one has the head and body of a dragon, the head of a snake on its back and a scorpion’s stinger. Dragon fire can disable it, but not kill it. The scorpion’s stinger is the worst. I heard the venom can kill inminutes.”

Ilana twirled Starsong. “Cutting off the headswork?”

Ethan frowned, his face shadowed in the torchlight. “Stop acting as if you’re alone in this, Ilana. We’re a team. I’ll go in front. I can shift, you guard the others,Ilana.”

“Wolves can’t take down a chimera,” sheargued.

Before she could press her point further, Ethan shifted into his dragon form, this time the size of a twin bed. He grinned, showing rows of teeth. “Dragon fire can disable it,” he rumbled. “If I need backup, I’ll let youknow.”

They advanced, coming to another section of the cave with a narrow opening. Lucas pointed his torch at the wall. “This is it. The home of thechimera.”

Ilana scented the sour stench of fear, and with alarm, she realized it came from her. Since when had she ever been afraid? She’d battled dragons, trolls, ogres and monsters and even though she’d died a few times, she felt more resigned and weary. Notfearful.

Then Ethan forged ahead into the darkness and she realized her fear was forhim.

Damn, she didn’t like this. She could handle herself, control her own actions, but feeling for someone else gettinghurt?

Lifting Starsong, she motioned to the others to stay back. Ilana handed her torch over to Chloe, and stepped into the darkness. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to adjust to the pitchblackness.

Other senses kicked in. She scented Ethan. Even in dragon form, he smelled like rainfall, freshly mowed grass with notes of leather and something purely masculine. He moved with stealth through the cave, inching forward. She tasted foulness in the air, something sinister and evil. Heard a low hissing, as if from a snake. A faint rattle ofchains.

The chains snapped. She opened her eyes. Flames shot out, lighting up the cave and pouring over Ethan. Ilana bit her lip so hard it bled, but Ethan did not move. His dragon formheld.

But for howlong?

Ryan and Lucas threw their torches into the room. The clattering of claws over rock alerted her to the creature’s movements. Ilana swung around, saw the chimera, its dragon head showing rows of sharp teeth, the fat snake writhing on its scaledback.