Allegra's Dream (Avador Book 4, a Books We Love Fantasy Romance) by Shirley Martin
Authors: Shirley Martin
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draft. A numbed terror consumed him, a greater fear than any he’d ever known. He gulped again and again, his heart beating wildly.
He won’t have her! He raced around the lake, then on to the distant hills. He touched his sword as he ran, determined to fight the dragon, kill it! He must save Allegra; he couldn’t live without her. Find the beast first! He followed a path that was studded with gemlike crystals, a trail that led upward to the hills. He climbed higher and higher, his booted feet continually slipping on the crystal. His breath caught in his throat as he ascended, a terrible fear inside him that he would be too late. But no, he wouldn’t even think that. His heart pounded so hard, he felt each beat in his eardrums.
At the crest of a hill, he heard her scream again and followed the sound. Rushing past trees and understory, he pushed bushes out of the way, near stumbling in his haste. Goddess, goddess, let me find her in time. Her screams became louder as he neared the source. Gasping, he stopped before a cave. Inside, a dragon held Allegra in its forefeet, her screams echoing throughout the hills.
“You let me go!” She stepped on the dragon’s foot, but Rowan saw her efforts were useless. She might as well be brushing a feather across its skin. “Damn it, let me go!” She pounded on its scales, her knuckles coming away torn and bloody.
“Let her go!” His skin iced, his heart pounding, harder, harder. He clutched his sword, too well aware the flimsy weapon would be no match for the dragon. He breathed deeply, every muscle tense. As if a dragon could understand what they said!
The dragon was the most monstrous creature he’d ever seen, its scales gleaming despite the cave’s darkness. Spikes traced a path down its back, its pointed tongue flicking in and out, its tail flapping on the cave floor.
Rowan stepped closer. “Allegra. . .”
“You can’t have her. She’s mine.”
“What?” A dragon that talks? Now he’d seen and heard everything.
“I found her first.” The dragon spoke in a deep, gravelly voice, its mouth wide and fierce. Knifelike teeth glittered in the dark, webbed wings grazing the cave’s ceiling. A flamelike gas erupted from its mouth with every word it spoke. Sharp claws topped its toes, and when it moved its foreleg, the cave shook, stones falling to the floor.
Pretending boldness, Rowan glared up at the beast, his head raised so high his neck ached. “You have no right to her. She doesn’t belong to you.” Had he lost his mind, talking to a dragon? “And no, you didn’t find her first.”
“I want her.” The beast hung its head. “I get so lonely here. Often, I don’t even see other dragons. I just wanted to make friends.”
“Well, you’ve picked a mighty peculiar way of making friends.”
As they talked, a hopeful expression came over Allegra’s face, and she tried to wiggle out of the beast’s clasp, but it merely tightened its hold.
Rowan stepped closer. “Let her go! Do you hear me?” He jerked his sword from the scabbard, hoping it might scare the dragon.
“Hah! Try using that sword against me. My thick scales would break it in two.”
“I can’t make it any plainer to you. You must release her. She is not yours.”
“There now, are you happy?” As the beast loosened its hold, Allegra eased away and ran to Rowan.
“Allegra, if something had happened to you. . .” Rowan held her tight, his heart beating with joy. He kissed her over and over, vowing never again to let her out of his sight.
She returned kiss for kiss, touching his body, tracing her fingers across his back. “Ah, dearest!” She turned around and glared up at the dragon. “Who--what do you think you are? You can’t just grab people and fly off with them!”
The beast laughed. “I did, didn’t I?”
“Well, don’t do it again.” Allegra reached for Rowan’s hand. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
“Yes!” He stepped outside with her, into the
He won’t have her! He raced around the lake, then on to the distant hills. He touched his sword as he ran, determined to fight the dragon, kill it! He must save Allegra; he couldn’t live without her. Find the beast first! He followed a path that was studded with gemlike crystals, a trail that led upward to the hills. He climbed higher and higher, his booted feet continually slipping on the crystal. His breath caught in his throat as he ascended, a terrible fear inside him that he would be too late. But no, he wouldn’t even think that. His heart pounded so hard, he felt each beat in his eardrums.
At the crest of a hill, he heard her scream again and followed the sound. Rushing past trees and understory, he pushed bushes out of the way, near stumbling in his haste. Goddess, goddess, let me find her in time. Her screams became louder as he neared the source. Gasping, he stopped before a cave. Inside, a dragon held Allegra in its forefeet, her screams echoing throughout the hills.
“You let me go!” She stepped on the dragon’s foot, but Rowan saw her efforts were useless. She might as well be brushing a feather across its skin. “Damn it, let me go!” She pounded on its scales, her knuckles coming away torn and bloody.
“Let her go!” His skin iced, his heart pounding, harder, harder. He clutched his sword, too well aware the flimsy weapon would be no match for the dragon. He breathed deeply, every muscle tense. As if a dragon could understand what they said!
The dragon was the most monstrous creature he’d ever seen, its scales gleaming despite the cave’s darkness. Spikes traced a path down its back, its pointed tongue flicking in and out, its tail flapping on the cave floor.
Rowan stepped closer. “Allegra. . .”
“You can’t have her. She’s mine.”
“What?” A dragon that talks? Now he’d seen and heard everything.
“I found her first.” The dragon spoke in a deep, gravelly voice, its mouth wide and fierce. Knifelike teeth glittered in the dark, webbed wings grazing the cave’s ceiling. A flamelike gas erupted from its mouth with every word it spoke. Sharp claws topped its toes, and when it moved its foreleg, the cave shook, stones falling to the floor.
Pretending boldness, Rowan glared up at the beast, his head raised so high his neck ached. “You have no right to her. She doesn’t belong to you.” Had he lost his mind, talking to a dragon? “And no, you didn’t find her first.”
“I want her.” The beast hung its head. “I get so lonely here. Often, I don’t even see other dragons. I just wanted to make friends.”
“Well, you’ve picked a mighty peculiar way of making friends.”
As they talked, a hopeful expression came over Allegra’s face, and she tried to wiggle out of the beast’s clasp, but it merely tightened its hold.
Rowan stepped closer. “Let her go! Do you hear me?” He jerked his sword from the scabbard, hoping it might scare the dragon.
“Hah! Try using that sword against me. My thick scales would break it in two.”
“I can’t make it any plainer to you. You must release her. She is not yours.”
“There now, are you happy?” As the beast loosened its hold, Allegra eased away and ran to Rowan.
“Allegra, if something had happened to you. . .” Rowan held her tight, his heart beating with joy. He kissed her over and over, vowing never again to let her out of his sight.
She returned kiss for kiss, touching his body, tracing her fingers across his back. “Ah, dearest!” She turned around and glared up at the dragon. “Who--what do you think you are? You can’t just grab people and fly off with them!”
The beast laughed. “I did, didn’t I?”
“Well, don’t do it again.” Allegra reached for Rowan’s hand. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
“Yes!” He stepped outside with her, into the
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