Page 5 of Dragon Unbound (Dragon Kings 3)
Movement next to him caught his eye. He glanced over to see the woman fighting alongside him with a staff. He didn’t see the boy, and all he could hope was that the lad was safe.
Cullen had been fine fighting the group of soldiers on his own, but with the woman there, he knew it was only a matter of time before she got injured. She had skill, but she wielded a staff against blades. Which meant that he had to end this now. He could shift and douse them with dragon fire, which would mean instant death.
Or he could stop playing around and take them out.
He opted for the latter option because he wanted information from the woman, and he wasn’t sure he would get that if she knew he was a Dragon King. Cullen moved quickly, pivoting, turning, lunging, and jumping until only a handful of the men remained. They quickly ran back into the forest and disappeared.
“You shouldn’t have let them go. They’ll be back with reinforcements,” the woman said as she turned on her heel and started running to the canyon.
Cullen hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to her so he followed. To his surprise, she didn’t go through the barrier. Instead, she went down one of the sloped green walls to the canyon below. They reached the bottom, and she lengthened her stride. He couldn’t be sure if she was headed toward the barrier or to the large tree in front of them.
His gaze followed the spiderweb of exposed roots that protruded from the crack running down the canyon wall. That’s when he spotted the arched double doors. They were off their hinges, the roots slowly crumbling the doors into ruin. The woman didn’t slow as she turned sideways and slipped between the narrow opening of the giant doors. Cullen quickly followed.
Inside, he came to a halt as he gazed in wonder. This wasn’t a cave at all. It was an entrance of some kind.
His enhanced eyesight allowed him to see that the entry was large enough for four men to easily stand side by side. The smooth, perfectly rectangular stones seemed to almost glow. He thought it was magic, but a closer look told him that it was just the way the stone was. He spotted several staves leaning near the entrance, including the one she had used. She must have stopped here before coming to aid him in the fight. He looked ahead to find the woman descending some steps. He followed her down the well-worn stairs that had been expertly carved from the mountain stone and into another room.
A beam of light filtered down from above. He tilted back his head and realized that the light was coming from the top of the cliff several hundred feet above. Water dripped from tree roots that intersected in a strikingly complex system, only to drop into a large pool in the center of the room. His gaze slowly lowered as he looked about the chamber. He counted six—no, seven—different stairways, and numerous doors. But it was the four giant heads carved out of the canyon that captured his attention. It reminded him of the ancient statues in Cambodia.
They faced north, east, south, and west. North and south had their eyes open, while east and west had their eyes closed with small smiles on their lips. It was impossible to determine if the faces were male or female, but the artwork was so beautiful, he couldn’t look away.
The sound of running feet finally pulled his gaze away. Cullen looked over to see the lad come from the shadows and throw himself at the woman. For the first time, he got a good look at her. To say she was lovely didn’t do her justice. She was…exquisite.
Her dark skin had a golden-bronze glow to it. Her riot of black curls was tied at her nape with a leather string, the length hanging to her mid-back. She had an oval face with a stubborn chin and wide, full lips. Dark brows arched delicately over large, hazel eyes that held his. She was average height, her body toned. She wore brown pants that appeared supple and conformed to her legs. A dark green shirt of the same material laced up the front and covered her arms, hanging to her hips. A wide, brown leather belt accentuated her waist. He spotted the dagger against her leg, the top of the scabbard hooked to her belt, and the bottom strapped to her thigh.
The lad had a death grip around her hips as he stared at him with terror.
Cullen dropped to his haunches and smiled at the boy. “You needn’t fear me, lad. Those men willna harm you.”
“Don’t make that promise.”
At the sound of her voice, Cullen’s gaze jerked to her face. The sweet sound was both sexy and commanding. And it caused something inside him to shift. Her voice had a slight lilt. Had they been on Earth, he would’ve asked if she hailed from somewhere in Europe.
Cullen slowly straightened. “I doona make promises I can no’ keep. Who were those men?”
“Soldiers from Stonemore,” she answered, her gaze never wavering.
“And why were they chasing the two of you?”
Her hazel gaze slid away. “That’s none of your concern. You need to leave.”
“My name is Cullen. I can help.”
Her gaze returned to his. Just as her lips parted, another woman came out of a doorway to their left. She was statuesque and athletic. As she moved closer, Cullen realized that she was at least six feet tall. She wore an armored breastplate, a leather skirt cut into strips that fell past her knees, and greaves over her shins. He saw the hilt of a sword peeking over her right shoulder and strapped to her back. Her skin was pale, her blond hair plaited to fall down her back. But her dark eyes boring into him told Cullen that she didn’t want him there.
“Tamlyn, who is this?” the blonde asked. “And why the hell is he here?”
