Past the lung’s alveoli, I could see a smooth wall of muscle. A wooden shaft was imbedded in the wall of the heart. The fletchings must have torn from the shaft as it sank into the dragon. I reached for the shaft, finding that my leather jacket scraped against the bloody alveoli as I did. At least everything was frozen. I gripped the shaft and pulled it free. The broadhead slid out with little resistance. I transferred the bolt to my left hand and studied the wound. I could see the split shaft of another bolt. I pushed forward, my jacket rubbing against lung tissue on both sides. I got my fingers around the damaged shaft. When I made a fist, my gloved hand pushed into frozen tissue, which resisted moving, but I latched onto the shaft and dragged it free. Again, I transferred the bolt to my left hand and looked back into the wound.
The last shaft was barely visible in the heart muscle. I grimaced when I understood that I’d have to slide deeper into the cleft. I gritted my teeth and took a deep breath. Holding it, I pushed forward. The frozen lung tissue grated unpleasantly against my breasts and back. My fingers felt for the bolt, but I still couldn’t reach it. I turned my face back toward the opening and I saw Rafe watching me carefully.
Damn, there was no way I was coming this far only to fail to recover the last bolt. Especially not with my mentor watching.
I exhaled, which gave me a little more space. Damn it, if I got stuck in here I’d never hear the end of it from Rafe. I hyperventilated for a few seconds, oxygenating my blood. Then I exhaled and pushed forward. My leathers were spelled against physical damage, magics, and fire, but my face wasn’t. Sharp edges of frozen tissue cut my cheeks and nose, but I finally got my fingers on the broken shaft of my third bolt. At first, it resisted my tug, but then it came free. I pulled back and found that I was caught on something.
Damn it, I swore to myself.
I’ve never considered myself claustrophobic, but with a dragon’s lung pressing tightly against me front and rear, my face nearly buried in its frozen tissue, I could feel the desire to fight free rising within me. I stomped down on the panic that I knew swam just beneath the surface of my consciousness. I began to see stars floating in my vision and knew I had to breathe soon.
Getting a grip on my emotions, I triggered my shield tat, forming it around my head like a second skin. I pushed it outwards against the frozen flesh and created enough space to get a breath. But I was embedded so tightly in the dragon’s lung that I couldn’t expand either my diaphragm or my chest. I let my shield flow across me until it covered my entire body and then pushed it out again. It was more difficult than I expected, but the frozen tissue moved back nearly an inch and I had room to take a small breath.
As oxygen flooded back into my lungs, the panic faded away. I inched myself back away from the dragon’s heart, then stopped. I raised the broken bolt in my right hand and looked at the wall of heart muscle just at my fingertips. A wicked grin slid across my face.
Taking a good grip on the broad head, I sliced across the heart muscle in quick movements as far as I could. Then I jabbed the broad head into the edge of my cut and pulled a couple of pounds of meat free.
Once more, I moved back toward the opening. When I reached the point where the cleft widened enough for me to walk easily, I shifted the third bolt to my left hand with the first two and got a firm grip on the heart muscle.
I stepped out of the dragon’s chest and held up my trophy.
“What’s that for?” Rafe asked with a curious smile.
“Breakfast.”
That was when red lights began flashing at several points on the ceiling.
Chapter 3
Raphael
“Uh-oh,” Tess said as her wide grin faded like a snowflake on a hot summer day.
“Not to worry,” I said. It’s probably not even part of their security system. Maybe they have a test planned and that’s just a warning to let everyone know they’re starting.”
“You think?” Tess asked.
“Sure, I doubt if they–” I heard the squeal of tires on concrete. I glanced toward the front of the huge hangar and shook my head. “Hell, I should know better than to make predictions.”
“What’s our exit strategy?” Tess asked as she shoved the hunk of frozen dragon heart into a pocket.
“I’d like to keep from getting our pictures spread around again. I’ve made a career out of staying anonymous and there was far and away too much of my face, not to mention yours, spread across the news after our showdown with Rowle. I’ll glamour us and then we’ll try sneaking out before too many people show up,” I said while deciding on what glamour would be the least obvious in the hangar.
“And if they spot us?”
“My glamour has never failed me with mundanes. A talented witch could spot my glamour, sure, but mundanes…never.”
I had almost turned away when something caught my eye. I turned back to Tess. “Did you just roll your eyes at me?”
“Who? Me? Certainly not.”
I stared at her for a couple of seconds, wondering if I’d been mistaken or if my apprentice was shucking me…again.
I was considering trying to feel her thoughts. It’s easy when we’re meshed; the
