She looked shocked. “My head is nowhere near there. That’s not even possible.”
I blinked a few times. Right, she would take that comment literally.
“Let us leave now. We need to go to the tribes before everyone disperses back to their territories.” Dune interrupted us.
I stood and handed him my half-full bowl. “Thanks for the food, it was really good. I just couldn’t fit it all in.” I placed my hands on hips. “So how are we getting back to the tribes?”
“I can lead us through the caverns, which would take half a sun cycle. Or we could ride Cleo.”
I was just opening my mouth to inform them that I could trace us there in seconds, but Fury spoke first.
“Who is Cleo?” she asked.
“My dragoona,” was his reply.
My jaw clamped shut as mixed emotions flowed through me. I really wanted to ride one of those dragon creatures. Come on, that was up there with going to the city under the sea, but the last dragoona had tried to rip me limb from limb.
“I cannot go into the sun,” Fury said quietly, shame crossing her features.
Dune smiled at me. “Abby can shield you two. Her abilities are amazing.”
Fury took a deep breath. “Oh, yeah. I forgot about super Abby.” She faced me. “Tell me, Abby, with all your amazingness, is there anything you cannot do?”
I paused for a moment. “No, I don’t think so.”
She closed her eyes briefly before re-opening them and smiling tightly.
“Let’s go then. I’d hate to miss out on the Abby experience.”
I laughed. “That’s what they all say.”
Dune led us back through the tunnels into a large hall. I had the shield around myself again. We were close to the surface, and the bright suns were shining in through a far opening. Dune was almost at the sunlit entrance when a shadow flooded the door. Fury and I came to a halt as the bulky body of a shimmery green dragon moved into view.
“Come.” Dune stood next to the barbaric beauty of the creature. “She will not harm you.”
“Nervous,” Fury said. “Keep in mind dragoonas often eat people as a snack.”
I smirked. I wasn’t scared of a big lizard.
Then, as if Cleo had heard my thoughts, she snorted a large hot breath. It hit me in the face hard, followed by a small flame.
I swallowed. Okay, maybe she was a little scary. Fury and I stopped next to Dune and I took a moment to really study the majesty of Cleo. She looked pretty darn close to the descriptions of dragons from many stories on Earth. Knowing Walkers, they had probably used the doorways to bring a dragoona to Earth at some point in history. Starting the myth of dragons.
Resting on four powerful and scaled legs, her razor-sharp talons, which were the size of my forearm, dug into the rock. Her body was massive, round and heavily armored, with wings protruding from either side. And they were not wispy; they looked strong enough to be able to carry a hefty weight, not to mention the sharp protrusions along each of the outer wing spans. Cleo had a long armored tail, which she was whisking back and forth across the ground. It thumped loudly every few sweeps. Finally I focused on her head. Her large eyes were yellow and they shone with intelligence. And she finished with a long snout full of sharp teeth. She was the scariest, most incredible creature I’d ever imagined seeing.
“Is a unicorn going to stroll in next?” I said, amazement bleeding into my tone.
Cleo snorted.
“Yeah,” I said to her, “that was a pretty stupid thing to say. I mean, you’re a dragon. How crazy to think a unicorn would exist.”
“She’s a dragoona,” Fury corrected me snidely.
Dune stared straight at her. “I don’t like this side of you, Fury. You were always a happy child. Why are you so filled with anger now?”
Her eyes widened as she took a small step back. His disapproval upset her, although she covered her awkward motion quickly.
“I guess I grew up, Dune. Sometimes there isn’t much to be happy about.”
I locked eyes with her then, and for once she didn’t scowl at me. Instead I gave her a nod to acknowledge the pain in her dark eyes. Then as Cleo snorted again our moment was over.
“Let us leave before Cleo decides we are annoying enough to eat.” Dune held out a hand to Fury.
She hesitated just briefly before moving forward and allowing Dune to boost her up. She stepped onto the bend of Cleo’s hind leg before leaping onto the broad back space, avoiding the sharp spikes running down the tail. I was next and found the task simple enough. My foot had plenty of space and traction on the leg bend to launch higher.
I settled in behind Fury, having to squint my eyes to lessen the glare of her white hair. It was blinding this close and I’d lost my glasses at some point.