Memories rushed in on a wave and doused her spirits. It hadn’t been a dream after all.
She moved to sitting, swallowed down the panic. Something fell from her shoulder. Looking down, she realized it was her shirt. She was wearing nothing but her bra and underwear, but her pants and shirt—still slightly damp—had been draped over her like a blanket.
She reached for the garments and scanned the dark cavern illuminated only by the green glow coming from the bottom of the lake. Nothing moved around her. No sound echoed except that of rushing water. No sign anyone else had ever been here besides her.
She had no idea how much time had passed or how long she’d been asleep, but the fact that her clothes were still damp told her it hadn’t been that long.
Rising on unsteady legs, she tugged on her long-sleeved black shirt and noticed Gryphon’s clothes were missing.
A clicking sound echoed somewhere to her right before she could wonder where he’d gone. She swiveled in that direction on bare feet, hands stilling in the process of tugging her shirt down. Listening carefully, she waited, but the sound didn’t repeat.
Her imagination. It had to be. Logic told her Gryphon had likely ditched her when she was asleep. Now that they were away from the half-breed sentries and he was warm, he didn’t need her anymore. She should have been relieved by that fact—she wanted away from him too—so why wasn’t she? Irritation brewing, she reached for her pants and shoved her foot in the right leg. A click echoed somewhere close again.
Her head came up. Her hands froze on the garment. “Gryphon?”
More clicks echoed in the shadows. Maelea’s heart rate kicked up as she frantically scanned the eerily illuminated darkness, searching for the source of the noise.
“It’s scared,” a raspy voice whispered.
Maelea’s adrenaline surged. That definitely wasn’t Gryphon’s voice. They weren’t alone down here after all. She tugged her pants the rest of the way on, hastily buttoned them.
“Scared is fine so long as it’s tasty,” another voice said, this one just as raspy, but deeper.
Oh, shit. Maelea scrambled for her boots. Shoved one foot in, then the other, the whole time scanning the dim cavern for signs of whoever or whatever was out there.
A sniffing sound echoed. Then, “It’s female.”
“We haven’t had a female in ages!”
Pulse racing, Maelea looked all around her for something to use as a weapon. Only, shit, there was nothing. No loose rocks, no twigs, nothing to grab on to and swing or hurl to defend herself.
She eyed the river. Even though it was freakin’ freezing, if she had to, she’d jump back in and let it carry her downstream.
Shuffling echoed, followed by more clicks. Maelea moved for the river just as a three-foot-high gnomish creature peeked out from behind a boulder and blinked at her with wide, catlike eyes.
She hesitated, because what stared back at her was not the monster she expected. If anything, it was cute. Pointy ears, a long chin, and a nose that twitched from side to side. Yeah, it had scales and long claws, but the way it gripped the rock, the way those eyes seemed to grow bigger the longer it looked at her, it was as if it was more afraid of her than she was of it.
“Don’t antagonize it!” a voice hissed from behind the rock.
A little of her adrenaline waned. She tried to look around the creature to the voice behind. Still couldn’t see anything else. “Who…who are you?”
“It’s talking to me,” the one gripping the rock whispered, his knuckles turning white. “What do I do?”
“Don’t answer it!”
Oh yeah, they were definitely scared. Maelea let out a relieved breath. She was otherworldly herself. She knew there were creatures in the world not often seen by humans. That didn’t automatically mean they were evil. Look at her.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” she said. “Why don’t you come into the light so I can see you both better?”
The creature stared at her for long seconds. Then the clicking echoed again, and cautiously, the other one moved out to stand next to the first.
Oh, man. They really were cute. The second even had a tuft of white hair on the top of his head between his pointy ears.
A thought occurred. Maybe they knew the way out. “Where did you both come from?”
“It’s talking to us,” the first said, leaning toward the second. “What should we do?”
The one with the white fur tipped his head, regarded her with narrowed eyes. Then licked his lips, baring yellow-stained, razor-sharp teeth. “Let’s eat it. Boys!”
A flurry of movement sounded from the boulders at their backs. Then at least ten more of the scaly creatures popped out of the shadows. All showcasing the same sharp teeth, all staring at her as if she were lunch.
Maelea gasped and stumbled backward.