Page 32 of Dragon Unbound (Dragon Kings 3)
Jenefer’s nostrils flared. “Fine. Yes, I’ll work with you.”
Cullen headed toward the main entrance when Sian called his name. When he turned, he saw Jenefer walking the other way. He held back his retort and ran to catch up with her. He was the outsider here, and while he had some advantages that could aid them, that didn’t mean they couldn’t do without him.
“Keep up,” Jenefer snapped.
He didn’t bother to tell her that she would be the one trying to keep up with him. “Where are you going?”
“Tamlyn found another exit about six months ago. It’s faster than climbing up the canyon.”
What she didn’t tell him was that it meant running through a maze of corridors before climbing stairs that never seemed to end. Cullen thought that Jenefer was leading him in the wrong direction at first, but they soon arrived back where they should, with the ground sloping upward. Then, finally, a doorway nearly covered with tree roots appeared. Jenefer wiggled through the roots first. Cullen followed to find her waiting for him.
“There’s a main path in the forest. It’s the easiest and quickest way to go,” she said and glanced at the woods ahead of them. “The soldiers will be waiting for her there. That means we have to go through the forest.”
Something in her voice alerted him. “Is there something I should know about the woods?”
“Be quiet. Don’t let anything hear you.”
“We doona have time for that if we’re to catch up with Tamlyn.”
Jenefer’s lips pressed together. “If we want to survive, we don’t have a choice.”
Cullen wasn’t going to sit around and talk about it. He started running. Jenefer caught up with him as they ran side by side.
“If she doesn’t get to save the child, things will be bad,” the Amazon said.
He met her gaze and nodded. There wasn’t time to discover exactly what she meant. If Jenefer didn’t get to Tamlyn, he would. He was certain of that. His gaze locked on the dark woods ahead. They looked no different than the forests on Earth, but he wasn’t stupid, either. He would take Jenefer’s caution to heart.
Cullen fought not to pull ahead of her. He wanted to shift and take to the sky to find Tamlyn, but he had to curb that need quickly, or the promises he’d made would be broken on the first night.
The instant Jenefer was inside the woods, she came to a halt. Cullen fisted his hands in frustration as he stopped with her. The forest was dense with trees and the sea of deep green plant life on the ground. His enhanced hearing picked up various animal sounds through the many layers of the woods.
She pointed to the right to show him where the road lay. He moved his gaze deeper into the forest and spotted the hidden men—three on either side of the road. He motioned to her, and Jenefer nodded that she saw them.
She began moving through the woods. Cullen gnashed his teeth at their slow pace. As they drew even with the soldiers, he noted how nervous they looked. Their attention wasn’t strictly on the road. He and Jenefer were about a hundred yards from them, but they kept looking around as if searching for something. Cullen squatted and yanked Jenefer down beside him just as a soldier looked their way.
A roar that sounded like a big cat filled the silence.
“Shite,” Jenefer mumbled.
Cullen looked at her and shrugged in question.
Her lips flattened before she whispered, “It’s a wildcat. Not something you want to encounter.”
Cullen looked at the warriors once more. When he turned back to Jenefer, she was gone. He caught sight of her ahead of him. He straightened and stealthily followed her. They didn’t so much as move a leaf as they passed.
The deeper into the forest they went, the harder it became. They passed two more sets of soldiers waiting for Tamlyn. The wildcat roared again, this time closer. Cullen hoped they were following Tamlyn. If she was on the other side of the road, then that could make things difficult.
He looked ahead as Jenefer tried to navigate a tight spot. Cullen spotted the army waiting for them. He touched Jenefer’s arm and pointed. She sucked in a breath and stilled. Both frantically searched for some sign of Tamlyn, but there was nothing. If the army already had her, they wouldn’t still be waiting. Cullen didn’t know the forest or the people. He felt helpless, and it wasn’t something he was familiar with. Nor did he like it.
Another roar, even closer, had him looking to his right. He heard some soldiers shout as they caught sight of the animal. Cullen saw the black fur through the foliage as it chased something. He looked ahead and locked his gaze on Tamlyn.
The cat gained on her quickly. She had no place to go. The animal was behind her, warriors to her right, and an army ahead. Cullen had to make a quick decision. There wasn’t time to tell Jenefer anything.
He called up his power. Opaque fog poured from his mouth and quickly filled the area, spreading through the forest. Then, he headed for Tamlyn.
