Free Asher: Dragon's Savior by Kathi S. Barton Page A

she said that I was to take you there and that you’d understand.” Asher asked her what they would understand. “I have no idea. Just that you would. She warned that I shouldn’t touch anything.”
    “But it’s too late for that, isn’t it, Essie?” She nodded and realized that they might not see her in the darkened tunnel they were currently in, and told Asher yes. “What did you touch? Whatever it is, my dad said that you got something from it. Magical, he said.”
    “It knocked me on my ass. Then when I woke up, I could see things. Not with my eyes, but by touching them. I could do that before, somewhat, but not like now. It’s like I have a connection to everything I can feel.”
    Asher said nothing, and neither did Kiaran.
    The air down here was dank, not nasty like she’d expected, but the smell of old and maybe a little wet. She’d noticed too that the closer that she’d gotten to the large chamber, the more it smelled of a female. A very expensive female that liked very nice perfume.
    As they made their way down, Asher stepped in front of her. He never took over leading them, but he did go first through the rest of the tunnels, as well as helped her over the larger stones that she’d been unable to move. Twice Kiaran helped her when she started to slide back on the somewhat slick path, but he never got in front of her like he, too, would take over. It was like they were protecting her or something, which was strange to her since she was pretty sure neither of them cared all that much for her.
    As soon as they were at the opening of the chamber, she stopped them. Essie was sort of afraid to take them in. Not that they’d bother anything within, but she didn’t want them to discard her just yet. She knew that once they found the chamber, they’d no longer have any use for her.
    “I’ll just go on up now.” Asher took her hand when she turned. “You no longer need me to show you where it’s at. Just go beyond this small opening and to the left. Not like you can go right, but it’s right there.”
    “I want you to be with me. We both do.” Kiaran nodded and took her other hand. “Come with us. Show us what you found for us. I’m sure that we’re going to…Essie, I want you with me when I go there. I need you with me.”
    “As do I.” She started to shake her head no to Kiaran, to tell him—well, them—that they were big bad assed men and she wasn’t, but they pulled her along with them until they were in the room. “Holy shit,” Kiaran said, and she had to agree with him.
    The room was the largest place she’d ever been in inside of the caves. Actually, it was larger than most houses she’d been in as well. The walls were solid stone that reached to the top at about two hundred feet. The floor, even covered in broken stones and sand, was wider and longer than a football field twice over. There was light here, however, shining seemingly from every corner of the place.
    Essie had found the source of the light the second time she’d come down here. At least a little of the light that was needed to brighten the room. Diamonds and other gems lined the walls, the light reflecting off them until it made a beautiful pattern on the floor that changed with each passing hour. Even at night—because she’d stayed once to see—it was as bright as the fire that she cooked with.
    Both men stood in the opening, not moving beyond the door. She did, however, and moved to the six broken eggs that were there. The first time she’d been here, it had taken her a bit to figure out what they were. But it was the skeletal remains of the woman that had taken her breath away.
    “I didn’t know what had happened at first. I found her just like she is, laying outstretched as if she were pointing to them, her other hand holding onto the first one like she wanted to pull it to her. Then after talking to Mr. Jacob, I realized what she was. The dragon queen. And she’s not pointing, but protecting.” Kiaran