Free Dragon Legacy by Jane Hunt Page B

raced. Lukas headed in her direction. She squared her shoulders determined not to back down. She wanted an apology for his shabby treatment.
    Impatient, she brushed wet strands of hair from her eyes. Her vision clearer, she saw Lukas’ face change. He took a step nearer, and the familiarity of his features disappeared, replaced by the cold unemotional mask of Xavier.
    Hide, her instincts screamed. Fleur closed her eyes, afraid. Her breathing quickened. The sudden surge of acid from her stomach burnt her esophagus as the nausea overcame her. Her hands gripped onto the solid tree trunk. Her intuition proved correct and the reality terrified her. The difference in his kiss, his carelessness of her feelings, and the uncommunicative attitude seemed odd because it wasn’t Lukas. Her mind questioned Xavier's clever deception. Zane’s words drifted back to her: Demons have no souls , pure evil , never survive . Xavier the demon closed in on her.
    Move! Her mind screamed. Desperate, Fleur looked for a safe haven. Random thoughts skittered across her mind. Why didn't he run towards and cut off her escape route? The reason for his inaction stared her in the face. His body contorted. The crack of bones, tearing of muscle, and the snap of tendons and ligaments surrounded her. Alienated in a vacuum, a separate world with two inhabitants—her and the disfigured creature.
    She ran. Her delicate skin scraped on sharp branches. Her ankle twisted on the uneven ground. Xavier, or the creature he'd become, remained in close pursuit. The wood echoed with the slither of the monster on the hard ground. Her hand burned. A slimy wet patch covered her skin. Horrified, she vomited. Her escape attempt seemed futile. Her legs felt so heavy, like she was running in concrete. She wouldn't give up and risked a glance behind her. A dark shadowy snake-like creature pursued her. Panic sapped her body's energy. Every step hurt as lactic acid burned her leg muscles. An inhuman screech amid the crash of fallen branches gave her impetus. The end of the wood. What would happen in the open? Maybe she should zigzag back into the wood. Another quick glance. Hampered by the tree branches, the distance between her and the snake creature increased.
    In the open now, which way should she go? The rocky walls of the hills drew her desperate gaze. She must climb to higher ground. She raced towards the hills, piles of rocks surrounding them. Maybe she could use them as stepping stones. The tallest hill hid a cave. She must investigate while she could. The slippery rocks would be difficult to climb; the cave would be safer. The narrow opening presented no problems for her slight form. She pushed her way in. The dark, damp cave forced a confrontation with her greatest fear.
    A few tentative steps inside the cave, the dark, coupled with the clammy atmosphere, triggered Fleur's claustrophobia. You shouldn't be in an enclosed dark cave, her mind screamed. Escape from a hideous death, her subconscious retorted. Her mind in panic mode bordered on delusional. Her imagination ran riot, convinced the cave’s rock walls moved towards her. She screamed. The sound echoed around her and emphasized her solitary state. Her loneliness. She should have stayed outside and faced the demon. Her rapid, shallow breaths edged her closer to a meltdown as she hyperventilated. Dizziness disorientated her and nausea forced acidic vomit into the back of her throat. Fleur leaned against the damp cave wall and took a few deep breaths. Her panicked mind needed a pep talk. She saved herself from the demon. Now she must overcome her deepest nightmare.
    Her mind drifted. Did Lukas realise about her abduction? Her traumatized stomach churned at her stupidity. He wouldn't care what happened to her. The search for the dragon egg would consume him. Confused and upset, her lack of self-esteem dominated as she doubted her value in his eyes. Lukas' mixed signals exacerbated her sense of inadequacy. She didn’t