Chapter Seven: Dara

They did not stop for the cider, the eggnog, or any of Mrs. Henderson’s butternut stew. As soon as they’d made it into the entrance hall of the small, empty hotel, Henrik’s arms came around her and Dara melted into his embrace.

It was as if they’d never been parted. Whatever had happened before, whatever Henrik’s uncle believed—in that moment Dara knew that this was meant to be.

Henrik’s lips on hers were hot, his hands demanding as they held her tightly. When they drew apart at last, Dara was out of breath, and Henrik looked at her with his eyes full of a desire that made her tremble with need.

Even now she was wet for him, her panties soaked with her arousal as she remembered what it had felt like to have that large, powerful body against her—inside her.

Without speaking a word, she slid her hand into his and then gave it a gentle tug. The heat in his eyes grew, and a moment later, they stumbled up the stairs to her large room on the second floor. It had a beautiful view of the valley, but neither of them paid any attention to it.

Instead, Dara watched with bated breath as Henrik drew off his shirt and then his jeans. He was hard already; the sight made her mouth go dry. Even now, she could see the incredible power of the dragon in his eyes. They were the pale blue of a glacier, but they weren’t cold at all. Instead, a heat filled them that made Dara moan and hold out her arms for him.

“I’ve missed you,” she whispered into his hair when his hands went confidently beneath her own shirt, unhooking her bra before pulling it off, together with the shirt.

Her nipples were aching for his touch, and she arched her back in invitation when Henrik’s large hands curved around her breasts.

“I’ve missed you too,” Henrik whispered against her skin.

The chain of gold he’d fastened around her neck felt hot against her skin, the diamond pendant heavy between her breasts. He pressed a kiss to it, one of his thumbs flicking gently against her nipple until she gasped and squirmed, another trickle of wetness dripping from her folds.

With another moan, she caught his hand, pressing a kiss to his fingers before she tugged it downward, resting it against her pants.

Softly, he laughed against her skin, but his hand followed the invitation and explored beneath the fabric of her jeans.

“How much did you miss me?” he asked, a fingertip tracing her clit through the soaked fabric of her panties. Then they were pushed to the side, and the tip of his finger slid inside her.

She sighed at the sensation, tightening around him while a sizzle of what felt like raw electricity rushed up her spine.

“A lot,” she breathed, and then wrapped her arms around his neck to draw him into a hungry kiss.

His finger continued to play with her, sliding in and out with teasing motions until she was whimpering. The sensation was too good, the need so keen that it ached. Her nails dug into his skin as she trembled in his arms, kept there on the edge of orgasm, waiting for that one touch that would push her over—and then he drew back.

“Wait,” he said, his voice rough and hungry. His eyes were dark with desire, a deep blue that shone as brilliantly as the sapphires she’d hung from their tree.

He pushed her gently back onto the bed and crawled over her, muscles flexing as he pulled off her pants. She raised her hips to help him, gasping as her panties were peeled off too.

Then his hand was back on her, two fingers gently teasing at her slick, sensitive folds while he bent over her for another hungry kiss.

How had she ever been able to think that this was about money, that they didn’t fit together, that she’d always look like a gold-digger?

In here, with their clothes stripped from their bodies and their souls bared to each other, there were no more secrets. And the truth was that none of her fears mattered.

It didn’t matter that he was a dragon and she an ordinary human. It didn’t matter that he owned gold and jewels and a castle, and all she had was her mother’s old car.

All she wanted was Henrik, with or without his money or powers. And she could feel that the same desperate need had taken hold of him.

His strong body moved over her, and then slid inside her, and it was perfect. The sensation made her tremble and cry out. Finally, it felt as if she was complete, all the loneliness of her old life falling away to be replaced by searing heat and a fierce sense of belonging.

With every powerful thrust, the heat inside her grew, her inner walls tightening around the large shaft that filled her again and again. Helplessly, she arched against him, the pleasure building until it was nearly painful, her entire body trembling with the need of release—and then he pushed her over, his teeth finding her skin, muffling his own groan of pleasure as he bit down.

A line of fire ran straight through her. She bucked against him, her thighs clenching around his hips as she could feel him orgasm. Pleasure rolled in waves through her as she throbbed around him, again and again, arching in ecstasy into his arms while her entire body seemed to turn to liquid fire.

A short while later, she found herself still panting for breath in his arms, comfortably curled against that strong chest while his hand slid up and down her thigh with possessive admiration.

“I spent most of my life thinking that I can’t listen to my dragon,” Henrik murmured against her hair. “That only tragedy comes from listening to his wildness. But my dragon couldn’t bear to let you go, and he was right. This is right. I’m terrified I’ll end up hurting you, but when you were gone—the pain was worse than the loneliness of those twenty years.”

Tiredly, Dara chuckled. She turned in his arms, then pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of his mouth, her fingertips trailing the hard planes of his pecs.

“I’m a grown woman, you know,” she said softly. “You can’t make that decision for me. If I end up hurt—well, that’s a danger in every relationship, isn’t it? But it’s sweet that you worry about me. And that’s probably a good sign. You’re the only boyfriend who ever worried about hurting me.”

She kissed him again, sighing against his mouth as his arms tightened around her.

“That’s just wrong,” he said earnestly. “If you love someone—”

“Most of them probably didn’t,” she said thoughtfully. “Or at least not really. No one ever rescued me from a storm before. Or voluntarily spent an evening setting up a Christmas tree with me. Or—”

“They don’t know what they missed out on,” Henrik said, his hand coming up to cup her cheek.

She sighed contentedly at the way his thumb traced a tender path down from the corner of her eye to her throat.

“Though I’m glad.” His voice was even throatier now. There was a small, possessive growl beneath his words.

A shiver ran through Dara. It was damn sexy and made her want to press even closer against him.

“Dragons don’t like rivals,” he continued. “Especially not when it comes to their most precious treasure.”

Dara gave him a small, amused laugh. “Henrik Drakeson, there has never been a rival for you. Who could compare to you? You’re…” She tried to think of a word to sum up the experience of cuddling in bed with a man who was also a fearsome dragon that glistened like crystal, owned a castle, wanted to decorate her with gold and jewels, and treated her like none of that made him in any way special.

“You’re incomparable,” she whispered. “One of a kind. My very own Christmas dragon.”

 

***

Henrik woke her up very early in the morning, when the sun had barely started to rise.

“I should get back home,” he whispered and kissed her. “Will you come back as well? Or I can return later and we can go out for lunch—”

“Mmm.” She stretched, still pleasantly tired and content to curl up beneath the covers for another hour or two. “I need a shower and check out of the hotel, and probably say thanks to Mrs. Henderson as well… how about I drive up to the castle before lunch, and we cook together again?”

“That sounds perfect.” Henrik nuzzled at her hair. “I don’t want to worry my uncle, and he was planning to leave this morning. He’s going back to Beijing, or maybe his Paris offices…”

Dara made a non-committal sound. Last night had reassured her that Henrik wanted her, and that he didn’t care about the money at all—but it was hard to forget the terrible things his uncle had said.

At the same time, she didn’t want to upset Henrik, who clearly cared about his uncle, and who had only that one family member left.

Alistair loves Henrik. He just wants to protect him. That’s normal when you love someone, right?

Still, a vast relief filled her at the thought that she wouldn’t have to see Alistair again. Before he arrived, everything had been perfect. And without him here to make her doubt herself, surely she and Henrik would find a way to make this all work out.

“I love you,” she said, then had to hide a little yawn.

“I love you too. Go back to sleep.” Henrik dropped another kiss into her hair, and then began to gather his things from the floor where they’d ended up last night.

Smiling to herself, feeling completely safe and loved, Dara drifted back to sleep, the warmth of Henrik still surrounding her.

When she woke again, it was light outside, the sun shining down onto the snow-covered village. She was feeling perfectly rested, and she couldn’t stop smiling as she showered and dressed.

She was still wearing the necklace Henrik had given her, and she kept reaching out to run her fingers along the chain of gold. It was warm to her touch, and strangely soothing. It was almost as though she could feel Henrik’s arms wrapping around her, enveloping her in his warmth.

After a short chat with the delighted Mrs. Henderson, who tried very hard to resist payment for the room Dara had rented, she began the drive up towards the top of the mountain once more, following the small road that advertised the snow castle. It hadn’t snowed during the night, and the street was in good condition. Dara drove slowly and carefully regardless, still a little intimidated by the force of the storm she’d witnessed the first time.

It was that carefulness that saved her when she turned a corner and found the street blocked by the body of a large, black dragon.

She managed to brake just in time.

Her heart was racing in her chest, adrenaline pumping through her veins. She was terrified. Where Henrik’s arrival had made her feel overwhelmed by the power and grace of the ice dragon, this dragon seemed to exude waves of menace.

For one long moment, she stared at it, feeling trapped by its cruel gaze like a mouse facing a snake.

Then, one powerful leg reached out. The dragon’s claws dug into the body of her car, and with the ear-splitting sound of tearing metal, the dragon ripped out the door.

Dara screamed.

A moment later, she found herself lifted by those same claws, and then they were in the air.

The dragon’s giant wings were beating as she dangled from its legs. She was frozen with terror. Below her, she could see the road and her car, growing smaller and smaller.

If the dragon dropped her now, she’d be dead.

Dara had never been afraid of heights, but at that moment, the fear was so overwhelming she couldn’t think. There was no space for anything but panic. Everything else had faded away while her heart was pounding and her pulse was echoing in her ears, loud as a drum.

Beneath her, everything was white.

Was the dragon carrying her away to his realm to eat her?

Then something else came into view. At first it was too small to make out, then it grew in size until Dara could see path lined by walls of ice and snow, an intricate system of white against white.

A maze. This had to be the snow maze Henrik had talked of.

The snow maze that was closed because it was too dangerous to visitors…

The dragon kept descending with Dara still helplessly dangling from its claws. The ground came closer and closer. They rushed past a wall of ice, so close that Dara could feel its coldness against her face.

Then, suddenly, the claws loosened their grasp on her, and Dara screamed again as she dropped.

But the fall only lasted for a second before she fell into soft snow. Gasping, her heart still racing with fear, she forced her trembling body to jump up—only to be faced with the black dragon shimmering and shifting before her.

One moment, the giant beast was staring at her from cruel, dark eyes. The next moment, Henrik’s uncle Alistair was standing calmly in front of her, wearing a smart black pinstripe suit that screamed Armani or Gucci, or some other overpriced brand that Dara had never even seen up close before.

Her mind was reeling. Had the dragon been Alistair all along? But why would Henrik’s uncle abduct her?

Then she realized that he held a gun in his hand.

Alistair chuckled when he saw that she had noticed the weapon. “Just a precaution. I don’t really need it, do I? Still, you can never be too careful.”

“I don’t understand,” Dara said, her mouth dry as she looked at the gun.

Alistair laughed. The sound was cold and devoid of humor. “Of course you don’t. Why would you? Stupid girl. You come here, and you almost manage to undo plans I’ve so carefully built for twenty years.”

He nodded towards an opening in the wall of ice to her right. “Try that entrance. If you make it to the heart of the maze, who knows… you might even survive the cold.”

Dara was trembling, panic slowly giving way to fury. “Why are you doing this? If Henrik finds out—”

“Oh, I hope he will,” Alistair said, looking as though he was enjoying himself immensely. “In fact, given that the fool finally managed to put his gold on you, I’m sure he’ll appear here soon enough. He’s the sort of dragon who can’t resist a damsel in distress. So predictable. So boring. And very soon—dead.”

Alistair’s smile widened when Dara gasped. “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of the family fortune. If you hadn’t shown up, why, I might even have allowed him to live a long and lonely life. Once I got his parents out of the way—”

“That was you?” Dara straightened. She was filled by a blinding, cold hate as she thought of Henrik’s pain. He had spent twenty years believing that his parents’ deaths were his fault—and Alistair had let him believe it. Henrik had run away from the world, concealing himself up here alone… but perhaps that had been Alistair’s plan all along. To kill his parents. To make Henrik believe it was his fault. But how? And why?

“A drop or two of one of your nasty little human drugs in their champagne at the charity party.” Alistair showed her his teeth. “How could I know that they’d soon be called away, because their precious little son got himself trapped in the mountain updrafts while out flying where he wasn’t allowed to go? Oh, that’s right,” he said with a mocking tilt of his head. “I might have spent the evening before filling his head with stories of how his father and I had sneaked out when we were his age to play in those same updrafts for hours. Like I said—the boy has always been predictable.”

Dara gave Alistair a hate-filled look. “You disgusting piece of—”

“Now, now.” Alistair raised his gun a little. “As fun as this little chat was, I’ve got to be on my way now. I’m sure Henrik will arrive soon enough. Of course, if you die in here before then, he’ll blame himself until the end of his life. I can work with that. And should you both die in here—why, what a tragedy that will be! I’ll make sure you both get a nice grave. A mausoleum, tasteful of course. Italian marble, maybe. No need to thank me.”

Dara was still reeling from the revelations when Alistair took a step back. A second later, his outline shimmered, and then the giant black dragon took off into the air once more, the powerful beating of his wings forcing her to cower in the snow.

Any second she anticipated the giant jaw closing around her, or those cruel claws ending the game right here and now—but nothing happened. When she finally dared to look up, the black dragon was high in the air, and then vanished into the clouds.

Dara took a deep breath. She was trembling.

She couldn’t believe the things she’d just heard. To think that a day ago, she’d sat next to Alistair as they’d eaten their dessert while chatting about the plans Henrik’s father had made for the castle’s modernization!

Even then, Alistair had been secretly planning to get rid of her all along. That was why he’d called her a gold-digger, to see if he could make her run. Stupid as she was, she’d even believed the terrible things he’d said about her!

Well, no more. As soon as she got to talk to Henrik—

She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering as she remembered where she was. Lost inside the maze, which hadn’t seen any visitors for years and years.

Henrik will come for me. He knew when I was in danger before; he’ll come again.

Of course, Alistair was planning on that too. But right now there was nothing she could do about it. Her best set of options was to find an exit and stay alive, or at least wait for Henrik and then come up with a plan together—one that preferably didn’t end with Italian marble mausoleums.

She gave the opening Alistair had pointed to a suspicious look, then walked pointedly past it. There were two other paths that led away from where Alistair had dropped her. And she might have believed him yesterday, but she was not so stupid as to walk right into his trap.

She took the path to her left. It led her around two corners before she came to face a dead end. Snow had piled up high in here, and she shivered as she remembered Henrik saying that the place hadn’t been cleared for visitors and could be dangerous for people getting lost in it.

“And now I know why,” she muttered as she stumbled out of the snowdrift. The snow went up to her knees; even the sensible snow boots she was wearing didn’t help much with that.

She went back to where she had started, still ignoring the other opening. This time, the path seemed to wind in twists and turns around itself, until she wasn’t certain in which direction she was walking anymore. The walls of ice to either side of her were too high to climb. For a moment, she was afraid that the path was leading her deeper into the maze instead of back to the exit. What if she froze to death before Henrik found her?

But just then the golden necklace seemed to shift against her skin. The metal was warm. It reminded her of the gentle touch of Henrik’s fingers, and she took a deep breath to calm herself.

There had been no other openings or paths. She wasn’t lost. She could always turn around and make her way back if she wanted.

Determinedly, she pushed onward. It was still very cold. There was no wind in the maze, but even so the cold air was biting at the exposed skin of her face. The sky was cloudy; there was no sun to warm her.

At last, the path opened up to a small space. Gratefully, she stumbled into it—only to gasp in horror when she found herself face to face with a familiar opening.

She was back where she had started. How had that happened? She hadn’t left the path she was on, and she knew that she hadn’t gotten turned around.

Or had she?

For a moment, she hesitated. But she’d walked onward without pause, terrified of what Alistair might do if she didn’t find a way to stop his plans.

No, she hadn’t been turned around. This place was playing tricks on her.

She shuddered as she remembered how the gate of icicles had beckoned her and seemed to let her in. No, it wasn’t her fault. This was a dragon’s home. Strange things happened here.

But this was Henrik’s home, and he wouldn’t let anything harm her.

Clenching her hands in helpless fury, she strode straight through the opening Alistair had pointed out earlier. If this was a trap of Alistair’s, she’d meet him or whatever he had waiting for her face to face…

As soon as she stepped through, a wall of white hit her.

She was blind. Snow was blown into her eyes, the wind roaring as it tore at her clothes and hair.

For one moment she thought she’d been sent back to the beginning of it all—that she was lost out there by the gate once more. Then reason took over once more.

I’m still in the maze. This is one of Alistair’s tricks. Or perhaps the same protective system Henrik used to keep visitors away…

At the thought of Henrik, the golden necklace seemed to grow heavier, pulsing with a subtle warmth. With one hand, she tried to shield her eyes from the storm, with the other, she clutched at her chest where the diamond was resting against her skin.

Little by little, the storm died down, as suddenly as it had sprung up.

Had something recognized her? Had this ice maze sensed that she was Henrik’s mate? Dara couldn’t say, but whatever it was, she was grateful for it. Her cheeks were still stinging from the painful bite of the icy wind, but now that the storm had died away and the snow had settled on the ground, the place where she had ended up felt almost peaceful.

She looked around, studying the corridor that opened before her. She was still inside the maze, but something had changed. This part seemed… older, somehow. Where the paths she had stumbled along before had seemed like an ordinary maze built from snow and ice to amuse the castle’s visitors, this part of the maze was quite unmistakably made for a different purpose.

Perhaps the storm she had walked into had indeed been designed long ago to keep curious tourists away from the heart of the maze—for that was where Dara was now, even though she couldn’t say how she knew.

The walls surrounding her were much higher. They were built from thick slabs of ice that seemed to glow a subtle blue—or had they even been built by human hands at all?

Dara shivered as she turned and looked at the walls that rose up high all around her. For some reason, she couldn’t shake the conviction that these that risen straight from the ground…

Was this a part of the maze that was reserved for dragons? Was Alistair still around, waiting around a corner to kill her?

But he could have killed her long ago. He’d meant to trap her in the maze. He’d meant to trap her and force Henrik to come to her, so that he could finish them both at once.

I’m not going to wait, she thought, shivering as she stared at the endless, silent corridors before her. If I can’t make my way out, I’ll just have to go forward. And hope that Alistair still believes that I’m lost in that storm, calling for Henrik to come to me.

She reached for the necklace again. Gently, she closed her fingers around the golden chain, drawing in a deep breath as she concentrated on the warmth of the metal.

Could Henrik really feel what she thought? She felt a little embarrassed—but all the same, she’d seen how the strange storm had reacted to his gold. There was some dragon power at work here, and even if she didn’t understand it, maybe she could work with it. She’d always been proud of her ability to turn chaos to order—surely a magical dragon maze wasn’t so different from the daily chaos of her boss’s office and her inbox?

The thought brought a small smile to her lips. Then she focused.

Danger, she thought, trying to think as clearly as possible as she tightened her fingers around the gold. Danger! Be careful. A trap!

She had no idea if, or how much, of the message would reach Henrik. But perhaps it was enough to cause him to be careful instead of coming running to her in a rage, as Alistair had to be expecting.

After all, Alistair’s evil plans all seemed to hinge on the fact that he thought that Henrik was predictable. But Henrik had thwarted his plans before—by falling in love with her. No, Henrik wasn’t as predictable as Alistair thought. And together—together they’d find a way to pay Alistair back for all the terrible things he’d done.

Dara swallowed and released the gold, feeling strangely reassured, as though there really was a connection between Henrik and her. Then she began to eye the space in front of her.

The path led forward, and she followed it carefully, her boots making no sound in the freshly fallen snow. When she reached the end of the corridor, she saw that it turned a corner, leading into a small opening. There was no snow here, as though the storm she’d experienced had really been contained to the small entrance area.

That proves it; it was meant to turn me away, she thought, trying to gather her courage. The maze doesn’t want to kill me, it probably just wants to make lost tourists leave. It’s Alistair who wants me dead.

That thought wasn’t quite as encouraging, since for all she knew Alistair could show up again any minute. Still, if this was the heart of the maze, and if it was built for dragons, perhaps Henrik would know if Alistair was in here.

And if he does, we’ll be able to avoid him. If Henrik finds me first. If Alistair isn’t already watching.

So many ifs. But Henrik’s life was at stake, there was no time to worry. She had no choice but continue forward, in the hope that Alistair hadn’t expected that she’d make it to whatever was hidden at the heart of the maze.

With careful steps, she walked into the center of what almost looked like a room made of ice. Big walls of translucent blue and white surrounded her. It was cold, but with adrenaline flooding her blood, she no longer felt it.

The path she’d come in on was behind her. To her left and right, there were the walls too high to climb.

And in front of her, there were three openings in the ice wall.

They were unmarked. There was a darkness beyond, as if they were leading into a tunnel. Even when Dara slowly moved closer, she couldn’t make out anything inside them.

She’d have to blindly choose one of them.

Dara swallowed. She didn’t like the thought of that. What if Alistair was waiting in the darkness beyond?

And if dragon shifters were real, what about werewolves? Alistair could have planted all sorts of terrible traps…

Again she reached out for the necklace as if to calm herself. The gold was still warm; more, this time the metal was pulsing gently against her skin, releasing soft waves of heat that calmed her a little.

This is Henrik’s maze. Even if he doesn’t yet know that I’m here, something he built wouldn’t harm me, she told herself.

The chain’s warmth seemed to increase against her skin.

With a frown, Dara walked along the openings in the wall. She was close enough that all it would take was a step or two to enter them, but she still couldn’t make out what was beyond. All she could see was darkness.

She stopped in front of the final door, the one furthest to the left. She shivered a little. Apparently the adrenaline was wearing off enough that the cold air was beginning to bite at her exposed hands again.

Dara pursed her lips. No. It wasn’t that. Something else had changed…

With a start, she realized that the necklace she was still clutching no longer gave off any warmth.

What did this mean? Had something happened to Henrik?

Suddenly terrified, she took a step back—and the necklace pulsed with gentle heat once more.

Dara stared at the entrance she was now standing in front of. This was the opening in the middle. Through the doorway of ice, all she could see was the same darkness.

Experimentally, she moved on to her right, until she was standing in front of the first door.

Again the gold seemed to have lost all warmth.

“Interesting,” she murmured, her heart beating faster as she moved back to the middle door. As if on command, the golden chain released a gentle touch of warmth against her skin.

It’s pretty obvious where you want me to go, she thought, taking a deep breath.

Once more she reminded herself that no matter what Alistair might think, this land belonged to Henrik.

A dragon takes good care of his land, and in return, the land takes good care of its dragon. And hopefully also of the dragon’s mate!

Determined, she took a step forward, entering the darkness of the second door before she could change her mind.

Everything was dark. She couldn’t see or feel anything. She swallowed against her fear. The necklace was still pulsing comfortingly against her skin.

Blindly, she took another step forward, praying that she wouldn’t end up running straight against a wall or into the jaws of a waiting dragon—and suddenly she was in a room filled with light.

The change was so abrupt and the view so stunning that she gasped out loud.

She was in what looked like a cave made out of crystal—only she was pretty sure that the walls glistening and gleaming all around her were actually made of ice. The walls sparkled like diamonds, breaking and reflecting the light in a hundred ways. When she looked up, she saw that the walls rose high above her. It felt like standing in a cathedral.

She could not see the sky above—she supposed that somewhere above, there had to be a roof of ice as well. But through that ice, sunlight fell in, and it illuminated everything around her until she had to close her eyes for a moment, overwhelmed by the impossible beauty of it all.

Dragons, she thought, biting back tears of wonder. Can’t do anything halfway.

Through her tears, she had to laugh, and the sound echoed through the large, empty space.

When she opened her eyes again, wondering if she’d already reached whatever was at the heart of the maze, she saw that she was standing on a path of blueish ice, gleaming in the sunlight. And this path led straight towards—

“Oh no!” Dara gasped when she became aware of just what was barring her path.

It wasn’t a hungry dragon or an angry werewolf. This was worse.

There was a deep chasm in front of her, far too wide to jump. When she carefully made her way closer, her heart started pounding in her chest again.

The gorge was deep. So deep she couldn’t see the bottom. If she fell into this abyss, she’d be dead, and there’d be nothing Henrik or his necklace could do about it.

She swallowed, her mouth dry as she carefully tested the ice she was standing on. It wasn’t slippery, but if a wind sprung up again, she’d slide right into it…

Suddenly, Dara felt faint. Before her knees could give out, she carefully settled down onto the ground. The ice was cold even through her jeans—but catching a cold was the least of her worries now.

Maybe Alistair hoped that I’d fall into this. It’s probably made to weed out non-dragon visitors. A dragon could fly over it. But there’s no way that I could jump this!

Slowly, Dara moved as close as she dared, staying on her hands and knees. This close, she could feel a faint wind: cold air playing inside the chasm. Once she was close enough to be able to look down, she shuddered, her stomach turning.

No, there was no way she could make it past this. She didn’t have wings. She couldn’t turn into a dragon, or even into a simple bird.

This was the end. She’d tried as best she could, but she couldn’t make it any further. She’d have to wait for Henrik, and hope that Alistair hadn’t planned on cornering them in here—

Her necklace pulsed against her skin once more, the golden chain as warm as Henrik’s fingers had been when they’d last been together.

Desperate, Dara shook her head. What did the gold want from her? She might be a dragon’s mate, but she was no dragon. What it was asking from her was impossible!

“I can’t cross!” she said, shuddering as she looked at the chasm and tried to calculate the distance.

Impossible. Even an Olympic athlete can’t jump that far!

“Look, I’m an ordinary human! I can’t do it!”

She felt remarkably silly, sitting here talking to her necklace—but all the same, it wasn’t as if there was anything else to do, trapped as she was between walls of ice and a bottomless abyss.

To prove to the necklace that she wasn’t just being a coward, she grabbed hold of a small piece of ice next to her and threw it into the chasm, to show that the fall was so deep she couldn’t survive—

Only the little piece of ice didn’t fall. It seemed to hover in the air, right in front of her.

“What the…?” Dara slowly pushed herself another inch forward. The ice was still hovering.

More dragon magic? Or maybe…

Daringly, she reached out into thin air. And met with an obstacle.

There, right in front of her, a bridge of ice was stretching across the chasm. The ice was perfectly translucent so that it had looked like there was nothing between her and the abyss at all. But in truth, the path she was standing on didn’t just cut off.

A bridge. A bridge of ice.

She could make it across. If the ice would carry her weight. If she dared to step onto it…

The necklace was still a comforting warmth against her skin. With a sigh, Dara closed her fingers around the small diamond that hung from it.

“You really want me to go on, huh?”

Arguing with a dragon’s treasure wasn’t very productive, as she’d already found out. All the necklace did was release gentle waves of warmth against her skin, until Dara closed her eyes and shook her head.

“I’ve got to be insane. This is crazy.”

But Henrik’s life was at stake. Henrik’s and her own. Alistair was banking on them acting in exactly the ways he’d predicted in order for his plan to come off. And what was the most unpredictable thing she could do?

Crossing a bridge of ice while trusting the pull of the dragon’s gold. Alistair probably hadn’t even expected her to get this far.

With a deep breath, Dara straightened, and then stepped forward.

The bridge was wide enough for several people to cross side-by-side, and sturdy enough for an entire herd of elephants. Nevertheless, it was the scariest thing Dara had ever done. Her stomach was churning the entire time. She kept one hand twisted around the golden chain, and her eyes firmly trained on the other end of the bridge, where firm ground was waiting for her once more.

Don’t look down. Whatever you do, don’t look down.

When she’d finally made it across, she sank to her knees. Her legs were trembling. She felt so sick she thought she’d have to throw up.

But she’d made it. She’d really made it.

Slowly, her breath calmed. At last she managed to stand, although her legs still felt shaky. She had to go on. There was really no time to lose.

Be careful, she thought again, clenching her fingers so tightly around the golden chain that it hurt. Please be careful. And find me!

There was only one path before her now. Here, at the other end, it opened into a tunnel. This one wasn’t filled with darkness, at least. Dara could see ice beyond it.

“What else would it be but more ice,” she muttered to herself, rubbing her hands together. She really wished she’d brought gloves.

Or a flashlight…

When she entered the tunnel, it quickly became gloomy. She could still make out the reflecting walls of ice to either side of her, but the further she moved into the tunnel, the more the light died away until all she could make out were dim shapes. As she moved forward, she kept one hand on the wall to her left, praying that there wouldn’t be yet another maze. It had been bad enough to get stuck in one before, but to get lost in an underground maze, and without a light…!

Suddenly the ground gave way beneath her. Dara cried out in terror, but already she was falling, sliding down a steep incline of ice, faster and faster with nothing to cling to to stop her fall.

Everything was dark.

I’m going to die here, she thought in terror—and then even the ice beneath her was gone, and she was falling freely.

Suddenly, there was light.

She was no longer falling, but instead seemed to be—soaring?

When she looked down, there was a giant claw wrapped around her. Her heart was nearly giving out in terror.

Alistair, she thought dizzily, but then she looked up.

It was no black dragon that had come to her rescue. The dragon that was currently carrying her to safety was sparkling in the light just like the walls of ice, reflecting the light back at her in a thousand hues of silver, gold and the lightest blue.

Henrik!

I’ve got you, his voice whispered in her head.

It was unmistakably Henrik’s voice, but the dragon’s power was behind it, so that she shivered at the sensation.

I’ve got you, he said again. Don’t let go.