My throat tightened as I glanced back at the dragon. I was beginning to believe that we would have no choice but to attempt to pluck a scale directly from his body, when I caught sight of something on the bed of furs, just beneath his right hind leg.
I thought my eyes might be tricking me as I took a step closer. No. There it was. A small pile of dry scales, discolored compared to the rest of his skin. I couldn’t see them before because his tail had been covering them. It was as if he was hoarding them for some reason. From where I stood, each of the scales looked bigger than my hand, but we only needed one of them. And now that Breccan had shifted…
I moved forward, gesturing for Julie to stay where she was. I descended the steps toward the dragon’s bed, all the while keeping a close eye on the beast’s lethal tail, which, at least for now, seemed to be remaining dormant. I paused when I reached the beginning of the fur spread. I’d miscalculated the distance from the pile of scales to the ground. The many layers of the thick fur propped the dragon up so high that, as tall as I was, I wouldn’t be able to reach the scales without actually stepping onto his bed. I didn’t dare to do that in case he sensed the movement.
I should leave this task to Bahir. He could float noiselessly and pick up one of the scales. I turned my back on the dragon so I could scan the borders of the cave. Bahir and Arron were just finishing their second circuit around the chamber. I caught the jinni’s eye and beckoned him over.
“Watch out!” Julie hissed to my left.
I spun around, expecting the dragon’s tail to have shifted again. Instead, as I twisted it was to face a snake. A monstrous cobra, its scales green as ivy. Its head reared and long fangs bared, it towered above me. The creature must have been twenty feet long.
Everything that happened next was a blur. I lunged for the snake, attempting to slice off its head before it caused a commotion and woke the dragon, but it was too late. Julie’s warning had already done that.
The dragon let out a deep grumble. Throwing caution to the wind, I leapt for the pile of scales and grabbed one, tucking it into my belt before turning round to fight off the snake. As it sprang toward me, I latched onto its head with my claws. Now I became so preoccupied trying to stop the cobra from biting off my face as it engulfed me in its coils that I wasn’t able to raise my head to see what the dragon did next or why Bahir hadn’t immediately come to assist me. But as the temperature in the room spiked, I soon realized.
Bright flames engulfed the atmosphere. Breccan bellowed. Desperately, I fought with the snake as it continued to wrap itself even more tightly around me. I didn’t know exactly where the dragon was—only feet away by the sound of it—and now flames impaired my vision. All I knew was that I had to get out of his path. This snake’s skin was tougher to claw through than I’d expected and I couldn’t afford to stay where I was.
I forced the snake and me to roll across the floor toward the pit of gems. The ground disappeared as I tipped us over the edge. We fell sideways onto the lumpy bed. More flames erupted overhead as the snake’s jaws extended wide. Grunting, I managed to position my claws beneath the snake’s soft throat and dug into it. The reptile’s hold on me loosened and it began writhing as blood spilled from its throat, spraying my face and clothes.
I heaved its thick body off me, leaving it to die as I sat up. All I saw surrounding the outside of the pit was a solid wall of flames. I had no idea what had happened to the others. But wherever they were, the whole room appeared to be ablaze. I coughed and choked. The lack of oxygen was beginning to suffocate me in this low pit.
I couldn’t see where the dragon was through the flames, but I could hear him continuing to roar and release more fire. I reached for my gold band and brushed my thumb against the snake’s head.
“Come on, Bahir. Come on,” I breathed.
Where was he? He should have rushed to me the moment he saw the snake attack me. Could he have gotten caught up in the flames?
The dancing wall of fire encroached further around the pit. Soon flames had reached the edge and began to lick the sides of the walls, scorching my face and stealing my breath. My skin felt like it was starting to melt.
Aisha couldn’t help me even though she was inside me. She was too preoccupied with the Elder to be aware of what was going on outside. That much I already knew.
I was going to have to jump into the wall of flames and hope the fire didn’t reach my heart before I arrived at the exit. I couldn’t afford to wait any longer for Bahir.
It felt like suicide, but if I stayed here any longer, the flames would take my life anyway. It was better to go out while trying to escape.
Steadying my feet, I was about to plunge into the fire when a figure clad in armor leapt through the burning wall and clattered down on the gems a few feet away. When the helmet was removed, I realized that it was Julie. Her hair was soaked with sweat, her face singed as she thrust a wide, heavy shield into my hands.
“Come,” she said breathlessly. “We must hurry!”
I held up the shield in front of me as Julie grabbed my hand and we leapt headfirst into the inferno.
CHAPTER 24: BEN
Even with the armor and our supernatural speed, I thought we would be consumed. The entire room was flooded with flames, and the dragon was still rampaging what sounded like only feet away from us, filling the chamber with yet more heat—apparently the temperature hadn’t quite climbed high enough for him.
I kept the shield firmly in front of me. Since I didn’t have a helmet as Julie did, she was my eyes. She led me forward, darting between the pockets in the room that hadn’t yet been completely scorched. I still had no way of knowing what had happened to Bahir or Arron as Julie and I reached the iron door. I breathed out in relief, only to realize that it was locked.