Dragon Hunter Book Two: A Dragon Shifter Serial (Dragon Hunter Chronicles 2) Read Online Free Page A

you want to remain invisible—unthreatening—to the human population you’ll let me come with you. London’s citizens won’t be able to ignore you for long if you destroy their ancient buildings by clobbering them with your giant wings, leaving behind evidence of your destruction.”
    Minach had been watching them interact, an amused smile on his lips. “Bring her with you, then, Lumen,” he said, “unless you think she’ll try and do you in again, of course.” With that, he chuckled.
    Lumen’s eyes locked on Neko’s face, softening, a look of pure affection occupying his features. “I don’t think she’d hurt me for anything,” he said, his voice clothing her in a soft robe of syllables.
    “I wouldn’t,” said Neko, her voice gentle for once. It was a promise, but also a plea to help her out of their underground fortress. Surrounded as she was by the intoxicating scents that filled the room, she felt like a Vampire in a blood bank. It was torture to be so over-stimulated, and she was desperate to free herself of the weakening spell.
    “Fine. Then come with me, little one,” said Lumen, pressing his hands into the table in preparation for his departure. “Off to London we’ll go.”
    “All right,” she replied, rising to her feet. “But call me ‘little one’ again and my knife at your throat is the last thing you’ll have to worry about.”
    “A feisty Hunter,” said Tryst. “I suppose I have to offer my approval. Do us a favour, then, both of you. Find out what’s been going on, and why. Only then can we proceed. In the meantime, we’ll discuss our options here.”
    “I will tell you when I know anything for certain,” Lumen said. “And I believe we’re done here, for now at least. Neko and I will head to the city and sort through this mess, with the Hash’s reluctant help. And I intend to begin showing the Hunter around the passages. They may be useful to her in future.”
    “Passages?” Neko asked. “What do you mean?”
    “You’ll see. Come, let’s head out and we’ll talk on the way.”
    She was about to follow him when she stopped in her tracks. “My weapons,” she said, turning to Minach. It was almost an afterthought; she hadn’t considered them since he’d taken them from her. “I’ll need them.”
    Lumen nodded towards the dark-haired shifter, who handed the bandolier, jacket and harness back to Neko.
    “Try to harm this one, and your death will be unpleasant,” Minach growled, nodding his head towards Lumen.
    “Don’t worry,” she replied. “He hasn’t irritated the shit out of me in at least five minutes. He’s safe.”
    She and Lumen left the room, the stone door shutting behind them as though of its own free will. The underground was as magical, it seemed, as the Dragons who inhabited it.
----
    N eko had wondered if Lumen intended to fly to London with her on his back once again, and if she’d be going for another chilly ride over the English countryside. But when they left the chamber, the shifter turned right, leading her down a narrow hallway that they hadn’t yet been through. He opened a large wooden door at its end.
    “Another dark passage. Fantastic,” said Neko as she stepped through.
    “We’ll be out of the dark soon enough, Hunter.”
    “I don’t know if you’re speaking metaphorically or literally. But either way would be a nice change. I’m not accustomed to feeling…” She stopped herself, realizing that she’d been on the verge of uttering the word helpless. But the two syllables refused to come. She’d never confessed such a feeling to anyone.
    “I’ll do my best today to show you our world,” said Lumen, ignoring her quasi-confession. “I want you to experience it as an insider. And I wish very much to let you in on some of our secrets.”
    “What, not all of them?” She very nearly cracked a smile again.
    “When— if —you and I are together, we will have no secrets,” he said, his voice devoid of humour.