Chapter 122

Ethan found he could smile then. In spite of the urgent, painful demands of his body and the fear she had put him through, even his anger that she had tried to leave him, she could make him smile. Pearl could melt his heart. Here he was, the leader of his people, an ancient one with enormous strength and tremendous knowledge, his word law, his commands obeyed without question. She was a small, fragile, female, and he was putty in her hands.

The tunnel led deep within the bowels of the earth itself. It was warm and moist, the sound of water ever present. It seeped from the sides of the tunnel and trickled from the curved ceiling above their heads. Pearl inspected her surroundings warily, not liking the fact that they were in a volcanic range of mountains and it was decidedly warm.

Ethan murmured, “We need to seek refuge, Pearl.”

“Have you ever been here before?”

He heard the note of nervousness in her voice. “Of course I have, many times. We spend a great deal of our