Free 03] ES) Firestorm by Shannon Mayer Page B

me again.
    “No swimming,” she said.
    I shook my head, but Cactus still grabbed my hand, his fingers lacing tightly with mine.
    “Just in case.” He winked at me, a grin tugging at his lips.
    Leaning over the edge, I gripped his hand. Something was pulling me, urging me to get closer. The soft whisper of words barely spoken, teased my ears. Someone was close below us and something about the voices made me think it would be worth listening in on.
    I looked at Cactus and pointed at my feet. I barely breathed the words, “Hold my ankles.”
    “Lark don’t—”
    But I didn’t give him a choice. I wriggled over the edge, forcing him to grab me.
    He shimmied back and grabbed my ankles even as he grumbled, helping me slide over the edge. Peta said nothing, but clung to my back, digging her claws into my leather vest like a burr tangled in my hair.
    Even those few inches closer to the lava, the increased heat made sweat pop out over my body in a vain attempt to cool my temperature. The heat dried the sweat as fast as it slid down my sides.
    Gripping the granite cliff, I dug my fingers into the rock, imagining it softening enough to get a better hold. The rock gave under my hands and I stared at the granite, swallowing my surprise. I quickly shaped the rock into perfect handholds. Peta grunted, her voice in my ear, a bare whisper. “We need to discuss this later. You shouldn’t be able to mold rock like that.”
    As interesting as that little tidbit was, I had more pressing things on my mind.
    Using my handholds and trusting Cactus, I slid a few more inches until I could see underneath the platform toward the whispering I was sure I heard.
    The shadowed overhang made it hard to make out what was going on.
    A tiny flash of movement, the soft muttering of words I felt I should understand; a language I’d heard maybe when I was a child. Narrowing my eyes, I shifted another inch and then went still. My hair swept out around my head, dangling a good foot lower. Whoever was down there was bound to see it. I should have tied it up but it was too late now.
    Pale white scales flickered up at me, and two pairs of eyes the color of amethyst blinked several times. The firewyrms were small, maybe the length of my legs at most and curled around each other. They looked like wingless, sinewy dragons. Their mouths had row upon row of needle sharp teeth I had no doubt would rip through armor, rock, and maybe even hardened steel.
    The one in front had a scar down its left side, the scales missing in a long, jagged line. Scar stepped closer to me and let out a long, low hiss that ended in a gurgle.
    “Cactus,” I said, keeping my voice as even and smooth as possible. “Tell me about firewyrms.”
    “Oh shit, those bastards are causing problems. Nesting where they shouldn’t and then attacking when people—wait, why would you ask me that now?” His hands tightened on my ankles and he started to pull me up but I grabbed onto the rock. Scar’s eyes, they held a world of hurt and fear. A child lost.
    I couldn’t help myself.
    Jerking my feet out of Cactus’s hands, I swung my legs over and into the shallow notched space. Peta let out a squawk and her tiny body tightened as we landed in a crouch. The firewyrms scuttled backward, mouths open as they threatened, but no fire erupted, no flames came our way.
    Peta bit my ear, her sharp teeth piercing the cartilage. “You idiot, I said I didn’t want you to die, and you drop into a wyrm nest? What’s wrong with you?”
    Heart pounding, I didn’t move, didn’t even stand. “Hey, you two, I heard you talking.” On my shoulder, Peta went still. “You shouldn’t be able to understand them, Dirt Girl.”
    I held a hand out to them. “Who hurt you?”
    Scar looked over his shoulder, quickly to his sibling then stretched his neck forward. He squinted one eye as a long forked tongue flicked toward me. His scales were more than white, they were opalescent with rainbow colors dancing on them,