Ilona was still as she watched the entrance to the tunnel. Her heart was racing, and her mind was spinning. Something wasn't right. Why would Pierce Vane lie about a tunnel being a dead end and then bring the men back to the cave through it? And how could they have defeated the dragon so quickly? It was farther away and in a spot that was harder to reach. Surely they hadn't been able to defeat it so fast.
No, something was definitely wrong.
As they watched the tunnel entrance, a moment later, men began to stream out of it. The third man to come out was Charlie, a huge smile on his face and wickedness in his eyes.
"Good evening, Captain," his voice boomed through the cave. He made a show of bowing low to her, "I hope we're not interrupting anything."
His gaze moved over Ilona and the others, all standing facing the group, their hands on their swords.
