The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 34

CH34 Morgan

My heart raced as I fell. Then, the blue glow from my sword, now almost blindingly bright, revealed the source of coolness that I'd noticed before. There was a vast lake of dark water below me. I braced to dive in, listening to the footsteps coming from behind. I plunged into the water. The icy water stole my breath as it slammed into me, but I fought against the urge to surface, kicking my legs and paddling frantically away from where I'd fallen beneath the surface of the water. I couldn't see anything, but there was the faintest current in the water, carrying me forward.

I couldn't hold my breath any longer and kicked to the surface, gasping for breath.

I looked up to where I had come form, but I couldn't see the ledge I'd fallen from or even a bit of light from a torch.

Suddenly, a colossal coil of smooth, cold flesh encircled my body. Panic seized me like a vice. A serpent? An eel? Whatever it was, it squeezed tighter, its immense strength constricting the air from my lungs. I thrashed, desperate to break free, but its hold was relentless. The blade slipped from my numb fingers, clattering against the unseen bottom of the lake. My vision began to blur around the edges, the throbbing in my head a dull counterpoint to the roaring in my ears. Just as I felt the sweet, insidious embrace of unconsciousness, the water dragon lurched violently, throwing me with a sickening are through the air.

I landed with a bone-jarring thud on the cold, wet rock of the shore, the air whooshing back into my lungs in a painful gasp. Coughing and spluttering, I scrambled back, my body screaming in protest. The water dragon, a colossal serpentine form outlined against the luminous water, reared back to strike.

A deafening roar echoed through the cavern, shaking the very ground. The dragon glared down at me. A tremor ran through the water, distorting the lake's shimmering surface. I watched, heart pounding in my chest. Hope, fragile and flickering, bloomed in my chest. Perhaps, just perhaps, the creature could be on my side. Relief, as fleeting as it was potent, evaporated as a pair of rough hands clamped onto my shoulders. The pair of elders I didn't recognize, their faces contorted with a mix of fear and anger, wrestled me back from the water's edge. Disoriented and gasping for breath, I struggled against their hold, but my strength was waning.

Then, a figure rose from the lake, its serpentine form morphing and shifting before solidifying into the unmistakable form of Keiji. He emerged dripping wet, a feral glint in his eyes that sent shivers down my spine. 10:06 Wed, Oct 16

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out of his way. He towered over me, his wet clothes clinging to his frame. Before I could react, he slammed

wrist, a glint of metal flashed in the dim light. A claw extended from his hand. He lunged forward,

that surprised even myself, I slammed my head into his face. The impact sent a jolt of pain through my skull, but it

ground, his face a mask of murderous rage. A backhand blow

He struck me again.

a sound that echoed off the damp cave walls, and his fist connected with my jaw. My head snapped back, the rock clattering from my grasp. Blood filled my mouth, a metallic tang

you see? This power, the throne, it should be mine! Tsuneo, that weak, sickly fool,

one," I

screamed and rolled trying to get hi away from me. Ignoring my struggles, he grabbed my face, his fingers digging into

he hissed, his voice tight with barely controlled fury. "Become my queen, and all will be forgiven. Refuse, and this will be your last breath. I don't give a damn about

into my mouth, prying my jaw open. The metallic tang of the vial filled my nostrils as he tipped it over my lips, the glowing liquid threatening to spill down my throat. But I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. I spat it out into his face. He screamed. A yelp of surprise and pain erupted

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