When a bit of light shone through the front window, she blinked. What was happening? No one could have dug her out this quickly. Her pulse quickened as some semblance of heat filled the cab.
She pounded on the window, needing to let the road crew know she was alive. “Hello? Who’s out there?”
A second later sunlight streamed in through the front window, and then the side window. She pressed the button to roll down the window but then rolled it up again when water trickled in.
A flap of a wing swept across her window. A dragon? Was he or she responsible for melting the snow? Ella didn’t have to wait long before water was pouring down all of her windows, clearing the view—for at least two feet around her. She pushed her door open partway, and the cold poured in.
“Hello?” she called.
No answer, not that she expected a dragon to talk. What sounded like a thud landed on her roof, and then a human hand reached down.
“Are you injured? I can help you.”
Ella had never been happier to hear those words. She unsnapped her seatbelt, slid her feet to the snow-laden ground and took hold of the proffered hand. A second later, she was eye-to-eye with the sexiest man she’d ever seen. While she wanted to hug him to thank him, she wasn’t capable of speaking or moving.
“Are you okay?” he asked. Concern filled his tone as he set her on top of her car.
Too many questions bombarded her. “I think so. How did you find me?”
“I happened to be flying by and spotted the avalanche overtaking your car.”
“Thank you.” Those words were so inadequate, but her mouth was having a hard time working.
He smiled, and Ella thought she’d melt. Even though it was cold, she didn’t feel a thing.
“Do you have a coat?” he asked.
“Yes.” She’d taken it off as soon as she’d started her journey. “I also have a suitcase in the trunk.”
The man surveyed the car. “Give me a sec. I can probably get the trunk open.”
He transformed his arm into a claw and then shot fire out of it. While it was a bit slow at first, he managed to clear a path behind her vehicle.
“Stay here,” he said.
Unless she shifted and managed to claw her way out, she wasn’t sure where he thought she’d go. The man hopped down behind the car, did another minute of fire throwing before tugging on her trunk. Crap. It was locked.
“I’ll open it from the inside.”
As much as she didn’t relish climbing back down, considering she wasn’t about to die, Ella wasn’t going to let anything stop her from her journey to freedom. She sat on the hood, rolled onto her stomach, and stepped on the seat. She then crouched down, slipped on her jacket and then grabbed the keys, her phone, and her purse.
She then pressed the button to unlock the trunk. It popped open.
Her hero grabbed her suitcase and tossed it on top of the roof. She hoped he had a plan for getting them out of there. Ella stood on the seat and propped her elbow on top of the door for balance.
“What’s next?” she asked.
He looked around. “Shifting is going to be tricky since I’m so large, but I’ll manage somehow. How about ducking down so I don’t hit you? I’ll grab hold of you and fly us out of here.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
While she’d never taken a dragon flight before, she could do this. She’d gone over ski jumps and flown through the air. How different could it be?
When he climbed on top of her car, Ella ducked. As much as she wanted to watch the transformation, if he accidentally scraped a claw against her skin, she’d bleed. Wind rushed by her and wings flapped. When she looked up, her heart nearly stopped. He was magnificent. And huge. His scales were a deep forest green, the exact color of the frenlen trees high in the mountains and were interspersed with gold.
The man—or rather the dragon—extended his claw. Ella grabbed hold and up she went. Whoa! It was just like soaring through the air on skis. What she wouldn’t give for a pair right now.
His other claw cupped her butt, allowing her to relax against him. She expected him to take to the skies, but instead, he flew them about two hundred feet to the side of the road where the avalanche hadn’t reached. He set her down, stepped back, and shifted.
“Are you okay?” he asked, now with her suitcase in hand.
That was the third time he’d asked. Maybe she’d never answered. Ella didn’t think she was bleeding or anything. “Yes. I’m fine.”
She hoped he didn’t plan to leave her there. There seemed to be miles upon miles of road without any evidence of civilization.
He held out his hand. “I’m Tanner, by the way.”
“Ella S—” She’d been about to say Snowden, but she stopped because she feared he might know about her family, assuming he lived in Thedia. “Snow. I’m so happy you came along when you did.”
“Me too. Where are you headed?”
That was the big question. Telling him she was running away might result in too many questions. Besides, he might run to her parents in the hope of a reward. Her father would pay in a heartbeat. Her mother? Maybe not. “To be honest, I’m not sure.”
“You’re not sure?”
“I wanted to see more of the realm.”
His brows rose. “I live in Plux, which is Grindale Province. You could stay there until the road crew unearths your car. What do you say? It’s where I’m headed.”
That sounded wonderful. Ella didn’t know anything about Plux, but if Tanner lived there, it had to be awesome. “That’s great.”
He smiled, and she thought her heart would burst. Tanner picked up her suitcase and then shifted. Ella stuffed her keys and phone into her purse, and then slung it over her shoulder. This time she approached him. With grace and care, he
