Read Lord Dragon's Conquest for Free Online Page A

still not making sense.”
    He pointed one long finger at her campsite far below. “Your friends left you a vehicle. Get in it and go.”
    “I’m only supposed to leave if there’s an emergency.”
    He grabbed her wrist—it didn’t hurt, but a flutter of panic still made her jerk away. It was pointless. Larkan’s grip didn’t budge. He pulled her close again so they stood almost touching. “This is an emergency.”
    “Is that a threat?” Keltie found her fury again and hugged it close. It was far better than being afraid. “Are you going to march me down to the truck and force me into it?”
    He glanced in the direction of the sun. “The time for talk is past. Please go.” He released her wrist and took both her hands in his, lifting them to his lips. “Please.”
    Astonishment curdled her anger into a confused mess of emotion. Keltie opened her mouth, but too many questions crowded her. Nothing was making sense, but her instincts were screaming to obey Larkan and go, just go. In spite of all that, her need to understand rooted her to the spot. Their eyes met, and she saw a plea that matched his words. Whatever was going on, Larkan was being sincere.
    “I wish you trusted me,” she said softly.
    Regret suffused his face. “Perhaps that would have been easier, but it is not our way.”
    And then Larkan looked up, responding to something she neither saw nor heard. His profile was stark against the blue of the sky. “Rand. It’s too late,” he said, and there was a hint of fear in his voice.
    “What?” It was the only word she got out before he tightened his grip on her hand and began to run in long, loping strides for the path. Too surprised to protest, Keltie lurched after him, stumbling a few steps before she found her stride and risked a glance behind them.
    At first she only saw the sweep of pine, rocks and the campsite below, but then she saw something streaming across the clear sky. The object was far, far away, but even at a distance she could tell it was huge. It swooped like a kite, its long tail curling behind in a sinuous motion. She stumbled, too mesmerized to watch where she was putting her feet.
    “Come on!” Larkan ordered.
    “Look!” She pointed. “That’s not an eagle.”
    “You are correct.” Larkan hauled her forward.
    Keltie tripped on a root, going down on one knee. Larkan stopped to help her, but she was up again at once. It was then that she caught a second look at the flying beast, and her blood turned to ice. It had moved much closer, and now it was sailing right over the campsite. That meant it had flown at breathtaking speed. “It’s a...reptile?”
    She wanted to say dinosaur, but shoved that idea away as proof she’d been working too long digging up old relics. And yet, what else was it? The barrel-shaped body was the size of her truck, and yet the creature’s overall form was graceful. The neck and tail were long and snakelike, the tail ending in a cluster of wicked spikes. Huge batlike wings beat the air with a leathery whoosh. She watched as it banked, the sun catching its hide. The creature was an iridescent, coppery brown with a belly that faded from orange to cream. It was beautiful, really—until it opened its toothy jaws and belched flame all over the campsite. Her pickup exploded in a boom of gasoline and fire, metal and plastic showering through the air.
    This time it was Keltie who turned and bolted. Larkan pounded behind her, his long legs soon outpacing her speed. “This way!” he yelled, leading the way up the path that led to the caves. There were no stands of tall trees nearby, just low brush and boulders. The only shelter was inside the mountain itself.
    “Wait!” Keltie shouted back. She’d seen that same outline of wings before. “We saw one of those things in the cave!”
    “That was a baby.”
    Oh , crap . Her stomach in one giant knot, Keltie followed, forcing herself to keep up with Larkan as the path grew steeper. She could hear the