The beast’s golden eyes glowed like molten fire in the dark.
It exhaled, and the wave of heat hit me like a burning wall. My heart slammed so hard against my ribs that I thought it might burst.
The smell was worse now scales, ash, and old blood thick enough to taste on my tongue.
“I can’t do this,” I whispered to myself. “I actually can’t do this.”
The Dragon’s growl shook the chamber, low and thunderous. I could see the shape of it now a massive form rippling in the dark, wings dragging like torn shadows, claws the size of swords scraping the stone.
I inched backward, praying it didn’t see me.
And then it did.
With a roar so loud the air itself trembled, the Dragon lunged. I threw myself sideways, barely missing the jaws that snapped where I had just been. The force of the impact s
