Something in the air changed, and I felt the hairs on my arm stand on end as I opened my eyes and looked around.
The Diablos’s brow furrowed, and I could see his muscles contracting as if he were gearing up for whatever was about to happen.
He felt it too… whatever it was.
He stalked toward the cave entrance, and that’s when I glanced around quickly, noticing a pile of bones in the corner. One of them looked long, the end sharp.
A femur bone possibly, if creatures here even had that type of anatomy. With his back turned toward me, I quietly kept to the side of the rocky interior until I got to the pile of bones, snatching up one and moving back to my place.
Just as I had the bone behind me, wedged between my spine and the rock, he turned and stalked back, muttering in that strange language of his.
My heart was thundering so fast, and I knew he heard it by the way he slowly turned his head in my direction, a scowl covering his face.
“You’re afraid,” he rumbled.
“No shit,” I snapped. Being snarky was a nice defense mechanism. “Being kidnapped by the likes of you will do that to a person.”
He turned, facing me fully, then took a step forward. I gripped the bone harder, ready to stab the asshole with it.
But just as I was about to defend myself, there was this sudden heavy feeling that settled all around me. It was getting hard to breathe, and I gasped, trying to suck in air. I could tell he was feeling the same effects as his big body tensed, his muscles contracting.
His big hands were curled tightly at his sides, and I could see blood dripping from his fingers and splattering along the dirt-strewn floor.
The bone fell from my hand, the weight of the air around me too intense to even have control of my body.
I started feeling tears move down my cheeks, unable to stop the intense fear that I felt because… I had no idea what was going on.
And then as quickly as I felt it come about, there was a massive wave that pulsated through the cavern.
I cried out as I fell fully to the ground from the force of it, the side of my face smacking into the rocks, my cheeks digging into the stones and tearing up the flesh enough to pull a hiss out of me.
Torvic was storming toward the entrance. I righted myself and grabbed the bone, knowing I didn’t have any more time to waste.
I also didn’t have time to wonder what the hell was going on.
I didn’t know what that was, but it had garnered his attention enough to where I hoped his concentration would be elsewhere.
I’d briefly looked around the outside of the cave when we first landed, but I’d been so scared and pissed that I hadn’t taken note of much.
I had noticed a narrow passage that seemed to lead off to the left. I had no idea what was around the bend, but it was better than nothing.
For all I knew it was a dead end, a steep drop-off, or… a way off this damned mountain.
I wasn’t thinking anymore. Just acting.
Chapter
Eighteen
Ada
I got up, stumbling forward in my haste, the bone still wrapped tightly in my hand as I kept to the wall and made my way toward the entrance. My heart was pounding so hard I was sure that he’d be able to hear it.
I peeked around the corner and could see Torvic about ten feet ahead of me, his feet braced at the edge of the cliff drop-off, his claws dug into the stone. Gods, I wanted to push him over, but his damn wings would prevent the ending I so desperately dreamed about.
His body was ramrod straight, his muscles defined under his skin as if he were tensed and ready to fight. His wings were folded and pressed to his back, the tops tipped with black talons.
With his back to me, I quickly glanced to the left, seeing the bend that went around the side.
I moved slowly, my focus trained on Torvic. My heart was beating so fast it was painful, but whatever was keeping his attention was allowing me to attempt my escape.
Because I wasn’t stupid. I knew that he’d probably catch me. I knew that he was a hunter and I was the prey.
But I’d be damned if I didn’t try.
I held my breath as I crept along the edge, that bone still in my hand, my focus never leaving the beast in front of me.
As much as I tried to go slow, the ground was littered with pebbles and boulders, and I tripped over one, kicking it in front of me and sending it flying across the ground and toppling over the edge.