The shadow kept moving, swallowing more and more of the floor.
I couldn't move. Leo was still nursing in my arms, and I couldn't reach for anything to defend myself.
Then the owner of that shadow stepped into the nursery.
My blood turned to ice.
It was a dragon.
A real dragon. Scales like polished obsidian, eyes like burning coals, wings filling the entire doorway even folded against its back.
One of those mythical creatures rumored to dwell in the wilds and almost never reveal themselves to humans.
I thought I was hallucinating. I blinked hard, but the dragon didn't vanish.
It was real.
The dragon unfurled its wings and dove straight at me.
"Ah!"
I screamed, but everything went black the next instant, and I slipped into unconsciousness.
******
I didn't know how long I was out
