Anymore. I’d learned that lesson the hard way.
He grinned. “Deal.”
I stripped down to my simple black bra and underpants. Roarke kept his gaze on the water, but I couldn’t help but blush. Today really wasn’t going the way I’d expected.
Scratch that. The details might be a bit off, but the reality was—standing here in my underwear in a weird cave, clueless and cold, wasn’t that much of a surprise.
I adjusted the straps on my sword sheath and strapped it over my back.
“You’re taking that underwater?”
“Never know when I’m going to need it.” Though I now had the ice magic to help out, I was running on magical fumes.
I poked a toe in the water, grateful to find that it was at least temperate, then plunged in. With a deep breath, I dove deep. The water sizzled and bubbled around me, hot at my back. When something molten dripped onto my skin, I shrieked and thrashed, tearing my sword sheath off.
When I opened my eyes, I saw the metal of my sword melting out of the sheath, dripping to the pebbled lakebed.
Shit!
I kicked for the surface, breaking through and gulping air.
“What the hell was that?” Roarke demanded.
“My sword melted!” Damn it. I’d loved that sword.
“Get out of the water.”
“No.” I had to get those shining blue spheres. I was certain of it. “I have to do this, Roarke.”
His gaze hardened. “I will come in and get you.”
“You better not.” I peered into the water, taking stock of my location in relation to the orbs. I was close to one. Right over it. “I’m going back down.”
Before he could say anything, I dove deep and opened my eyes. Everything was sparkly and blue. I kicked downward, heading toward the closest blue orb.
It sparkled as I neared, a perfect sphere of glass. I poked it with a finger. When it didn’t burn or shock me, I picked it up. The thing had to weigh thirty pounds if it weighed an ounce. My lungs burned as I kicked for the surface. When my head broke through, I gasped, then swam for the closest shore.
It was the one opposite where Roarke stood, with the pedestal-like things.
I heaved the orb onto the shore, then returned to the water twice more, retrieving the other two orbs. I was panting by the time I crawled out of the water, ready for a drink and a nap.
As I staggered to my feet, I studied the four pedestals. If only there had been four glass orbs. It’d have been obvious to put them on the four pedestals. I approached the pedestals anyway, catching sight of indentions on each one.
Might as well try. I made quick work of stacking an orb on each pedestal. When the last was finally in place, the air in the cavern vibrated.
“Whoa.” I stumbled back from the pedestals, up to my ankles in the water.
The air vibrated so strongly that the glass orbs shattered. Blue mist exploded from them, coalescing to form three massive figures.
Phantom dragons. As big as a house and right in front of me.
Chapter Eleven
Standing here in my underwear in front of three Phantom dragons had to be the anti-highlight of my day.
Especially when they roared. The deafening sound echoed through the chamber, blasting my eardrums.
I stumbled back, falling on my butt in the water.
My heart leapt into my throat, and I scrambled deeper, away from them. I could tell immediately that none of them were Draka. One stalked forward, its transparent shimmery scales gleaming as it loomed over me with its great jaw hanging open.
“I’m supposed to be here!” I cried. “I mean no harm!”
The water splashed behind me. Roarke jumping in to come save me, if I had to bet. But I didn’t dare take my eyes off the Phantom dragons.
“No! Go back!” I shouted to him. They wouldn’t want outsiders nearby.
The dragon above me roared louder. Yep. They didn’t like him coming closer.
The splashing from behind stopped. The dragon leaned over me until its great blue eyes were level with my own. Distrust gleamed in their depths.
I swallowed hard, sweat breaking out on my skin.
Why was this happening? I had the map. I was supposed to be here!
I had to show them I was one of them. But I was utterly drained. Managing even an ounce of magic sounded impossible.
Not that I had a choice.
I had to turn Phantom-ghosty or get chomped.
I called on the last of my power, letting the icy magic of my Phantom gift flow through me. It took a long, stressful moment to catch on, but my skin turned blue and transparent.
The dragon backed off, its gaze considering.
I stood on shaky legs. “I’m Delphine Bellator. I had a map that led me here.”
A tense moment passed. I held my breath.
Finally, blue light swirled around the three dragons, and they transformed into human-shaped Phantoms wearing long, simple robes. Just like Draka. Each possessed timeless features. Mostly human, a little bit not. I thought one might’ve been a man, but I wasn’t sure.
The one who felt the oldest approached. I had no idea how she felt old, but she just did.
“You may stand.” Her voice was smooth and deep.
“Uh, okay.” I stood on shaky legs, glancing behind me to check on Roarke.
He stood in the water up to his waist, frozen in place, his gaze riveted to us. Smart man. It definitely wouldn’t please the dragons if a non-Phantom got involved.
I turned back to the Phantoms. “So, um, I’m here for some answers. About controlling my magic. But…but who are you?”
Wow, I was handling this smoothly.
The woman smiled. She was so transparent that I could make out the details of the slate wall behind her. “We are the last of the Phantom dragons, and we have been waiting for you for a long time, Guardian.”
“Me?”
Oh fates. There was that Guardian thing again. Just like what Draka had called me. “Is Draka one of you? Where is she?”
“She is our fourth. But we don’t know where she has gone or what has happened to her. Something knocked our vessels off the pedestals. Draka’s vessel disappeared then. We don’t know where she is.”
That sucked. Worry gnawed at my chest. “Is she in danger?”
“Perhaps.”
Damn. “But that’s why you were in the lake, then?”
“Yes. The Coblynau protect us, normally. It should be impossible to reach us here. Except for you, because you had the map.”
Double damn. “So if I’m supposed to be able to reach you, that means you can help me get control of my power? Because I’m having a hell of a time controlling my new Ubilaz demon power.”
She nodded. “Yes. That is a particularly difficult one to control. Worse, the curse upon your mind makes it impossible.”
“Who cursed me? How do I get rid of it?”
“The Shadows cursed you. Your goals are directly opposed to theirs. But the curse has been breaking down with time—you’ve been overcoming it. First by perfecting your ability to transport when you were a child, and then by practicing with your Phantom magic and ice magic. Some types of magic come more naturally to you than others, of course.”