* * *
The basket rocked so hard it threatened to throw people out. Ridge tried to grab everyone and cover and protect Sardelle all at the same time. Scalding water sloshed in, and Kaika cried out in pain that soon turned to rage, as if she was tired of this entire mission and longed for an enemy to throttle.
“Sardelle?” Ridge whispered as the basket settled—it was floating, for the moment. He prayed to the ancient dragons that it was waterproof.
She didn’t respond. He touched her cheek and found it clammy and sweaty. She was breathing. That would have to be enough for now. He had to figure out how to get them to safety and what was happening to the rest of the team.
A plop sounded a few feet away, and he squinted, wondering what had fallen down beside them. He almost laughed, realizing it was the rocket. Whatever Sardelle had done in the end, she must have deactivated it somehow. His humor was short-lived, for he knew there would be more. Possibly aiming at them right now.
He spun, nearly knocking over Apex, who was standing and gaping toward the mountain. What was left of it. The geyser had finished erupting, and the rubble was visible now, the pile only a third of the height it had been before, if that. Unfortunately, the airships remained in the air above it. Most of them. One was flying in their direction.
“Any chance we can paddle this thing to safety?” Ridge asked, turned in the other direction again.
He spotted two things that gave him hope: the trees marking the foothills of the mountains—they weren’t that far off—and the silhouette of the other hot air balloon. Since Ridge’s basket was now missing its balloon, he hoped the others could get to them, and they could manage to all pile in and fly to safety. The only problem was that the Cofah only had one target now, and Sardelle couldn’t defend them if she was unconscious.
Ridge hefted his rifle. They would have to do their best to defend themselves. Too bad nobody had thought to mount cannons or rocket launchers on the hot air balloons.
Waves rocked the basket. His first thought was that Tolemek’s balloon had crashed, too, but it was still aloft, still a good twenty meters overhead. They looked like they were having trouble steering.
Three geysers erupted at the same time. The mud pots belched, and the most potent stench yet emanated into the air. Ripples flowed through the pool the basket was sitting in.
“Uh,” Kaika said. “The mountain is steaming. What’s left of it.”
So much smoke was wafting from the giant rubble pile, that Ridge had no trouble seeing it, even by night. It blotted out the stars and obscured the airships, almost as if they had flown into clouds. “That’s not your work?”
“Zirkander,” Tolemek called down, his voice almost drowned out by the increased noise of popping bubbles and gurgling pools. “We’ll be in trouble if we land. Can you catch this rope?”
“Yes,” Ridge called back. He didn’t see the rope, but he would find a way to catch it anyway. Then he would have to figure out how to climb it with Sardelle slung over his shoulder. Whatever had made her think he still had the energy to march twenty miles?
“There it is.” Apex leaned out of the back of the basket, a hand outstretched. “Got it.”
“You and Kaika go first.” Ridge picked up Sardelle, careful to make sure her sword was still in its scabbard. Jaxi had certainly earned more than to be dumped into a pond and left there.
I should hope so.
Well, at least someone’s conscious.
Barely. You people are taxing.
Apex grabbed one of the bags of dragon blood and shimmied up the rope. Kaika did the same and followed before he was more than halfway up. Ridge wasn’t certain what was happening exactly, but the water was growing more agitated rather than less. He didn’t know if Kaika’s explosion could have triggered some twitchy fault down under all these pools and geysers, but if there was about to be an earthquake—or a volcanic eruption—he didn’t want to have his nose pressed against the window for it.
“Hurry, Zirkander,” Tolemek called down, the urgency in his voice clear even over the noise.
He must know something Ridge only suspected at this point.
“Good luck to us,” he whispered to Sardelle, gave her a kiss, then wrapped the rope around his forearm and hand a few times, hoping that would be enough. There was no way he could climb without risking dropping her. “Go,” he called up. “I’ve got a grip.”
He thought he might have to explain further, but Tolemek understood. Their balloon had already been trying to drift away. Ridge curled up his legs, letting it pull him from the basket.
But with all the weight, their balloon didn’t gain any more lift. It was drifting off in the right direction, toward the trees, but the angry, bubbling water spit and sputtered right beneath Ridge’s butt. He was so busy jerking his legs up and sideways—anything to keep from being burned—that he almost missed the first spews of angry orange magma bursting forth from the mound of rubble. Or maybe it was shooting up from behind it, from some new volcano thrusting out of the mire. It was too dark to tell, but whatever was happening was alarming the airships. None of them was shooting or sailing toward the hot air balloon now.
“Ouch,” Ridge yelped. His trousers provided some protection from the hot water, but not enough. He envisioned one of those geysers blowing right under him.
“A little more altitude would not be unappreciated,” Ridge called up.
He smacked into something. Hard.
“What the—” He had wrapped the rope around his arm so many times that he wasn’t immediately knocked free, but the blow did send him spinning, and then a second one followed it. Something big and brushy slammed into his face. This time, he was knocked free, and he shouted an angry, “No!” as he fell.
He didn’t land in scalding water but in cold snow, his limbs tangled with Sardelle’s. She moaned but remained unconscious. He grinned, realizing they had made it to the forest. Safety. Well, maybe not. If that new volcano grew serious about erupting, who knew how far it would hurl lava and ash? Maybe the magma would be swallowed by the pools all around the area, but maybe not.
“Sir,” Duck called down.
“Here.” Ridge gathered up Sardelle again and floundered through the snow, trying to catch up with the balloon. He might have cursed the hapless craft earlier, but they would escape lava flows a lot more easily from the air.
“There he is,” Duck called. “We’re coming down, sir. Can you meet us in that clearing?”
Ridge had no idea where “that clearing” was, but he followed the balloon, weaving through the trees and fighting snow that went up past his knees. He was stumbling by the end, and only his desire not to drop or hurt Sardelle kept him upright.
“I love you people,” he called when he spotted the basket waiting for him, the craft tied down with a rope around a tree. “If I don’t get court-martialed, I’ll put you all in for awards.” His enthusiasm grew even more heartfelt when Duck and Apex grabbed him and Sardelle, hoisting them into the basket. It was a tight fit, but he didn’t care, not even when his legs collapsed and he ended up propped up against Tolemek.
“What award can I, as an expatriate civilian, expect?” Tolemek asked.
“I’ll fly south to Terra Falls and pick you up the best mango turnover you’ve ever had.”
“A fair reward. Cut that rope, Duck,” Tolemek said. “As much as I’d like to observe the eruption of the long theorized but never seen Boiling Pools Volcano, I don’t believe this is a safe observation station.”
“Definitely not,” Ridge mumbled and sank down beside Sardelle, wrapping an arm around her.
Jaxi? Can you hear me? Will she be all right?
I believe so. Humans are much frailer than swords, you know. But they’re resilient too.
“I hope so,” he murmured and rested his head against hers. If the rest of the team thought it was strange that he was muttering to himself, they didn’t said anything.
Epilogue
When she woke up,
a headache pulsing behind her eyes, Sardelle’s first thought was to worry about Ridge, her second to worry about herself, and her last to wonder how going to pick up her first student had turned into such an… event.
Daylight had come, but it was far darker than it should have been, the sky a hazy dusty gray. It was ash, she realized, not dust. Sardelle could taste it in the cold, thick air. She should have been cold, too, but someone had wrapped her up in parkas before laying her on the frosty ground. The fur lining of Ridge’s coat was snugged up protectively over her face—she could smell his masculine scent on it, though it was faint compared to the sulfur and ash in the air. She pulled the warm fur down so she could see her surroundings.
“Where are we?” she croaked, turning her head to look for people.
She was in the shadow of a cliff, surrounded by snow-clad evergreens. The crumpled black-and-gray balloon lay stretched across the snow nearby, but the basket stood empty. There should have been two hot air balloons, except she had destroyed theirs in a vain attempt to avoid that rocket. That rocket that had been arrowing straight toward them. Had she succeeded in disabling it? Had they lost anyone? Her stomach clenched when she didn’t see anyone else around. Who had survived? Who hadn’t? Why had they left her alone here?
Relax, genius. They’re up in the cave, getting the fliers ready. I’m moderately certain Ridge is planning to come back for you. That’s a nice coat, after all.
Jaxi. A wave of relief washed over Sardelle. We made it? Everyone?
Yes, everyone made it. The Cofah were distracted by the volcano that erupted underneath their airships. That was even better than the storm you were hoping for. We escaped in the other hot air balloon. Jaxi shared an image of Ridge, holding Sardelle while he had one hand latched onto a rope dangling from a basket. Your soul snozzle gets an award from me for making sure I came along on that ride.
I think he’d settle for you staying out of his head outside of emergencies.
You want him to miss out on my insightful commentary? That sounds more like a punishment than a reward.
Sardelle pushed herself into a sitting position. Does anyone have any injuries? I should help instead of sleeping.
You were unconscious, not sleeping. You pushed yourself too hard.
You did too.
Yes. We should probably recruit and train more sorcerers to send along on your boyfriend’s crazy missions.
That was one of the goals here. One they had failed at, at least for now. Sardelle hoped they could find Tolemek’s sister, wherever she was. At least they hadn’t failed at acquiring the dragon blood. She could still feel its power buzzing against her skin. The bags had been moved from the basket up into the cave. Everything had—except for her. Ridge must want to leave as soon as possible.
A good idea. We’re not that far from Cofahre’s newest volcano. Breathing that ash doesn’t affect me, but I’d hate to be buried by a lava flow.
Me too. Sardelle climbed to her feet. The new position did nothing to improve her headache. She felt like a raw student again, foolishly pushing herself too hard to study for exams, then excel at exams, only to wake the morning after with a hangover greater than one would ever receive from alcoholic indulgence.
A rock clattered down from the cliff. Ridge was climbing down. He was filthy—smothered in ash and engine grease—but Sardelle welcomed him with a fierce hug when he reached the ground.
Ridge seemed surprised but quickly wrapped his arms around her. “Does this mean I’m forgiven?”
“Forgiven? For what?”
His expression grew sheepish beneath the grime. “I was up in the cave, realizing how often I snapped orders at you. Magic this. Magic that. Oh, and magic up all of the balloons, will you. I’m used to everyone who’s along on my missions being under my command. I didn’t mean to, ah… make you pass out.”
Sardelle leaned against his chest, touched that he felt guilty, but chagrined too. There was no call for guilt from him. “I made myself pass out. And believe it or not, I’ve taken orders from military commanders before. Granted they were usually grumpy old generals, not cute and charming, if dirty, pilots…” She wiped at a smudge on his face, only to realize her thumb was just as ashy as his cheek. They all needed to find a warm pool somewhere to bathe in, preferably a tepidly warm one, not a scalding and bubbling one that stank of sulfur. “And you take me for granted a lot less than they did. You’re quite tactful when you order me to magic this or magic that. You even said please once.”
“Oh. Good.” He was truly relieved when he hugged her again, adding a kiss this time.
Sardelle decided to find it sweet and romantic even though their lips were coated in a layer of ash. Ridge drew back, the wryness in his eyes suggesting he had noticed the same thing, or maybe she had inadvertently shared the emotion with him. He didn’t release the hug, though, and she wondered if he had been worried whether she would wake up or not.
“Is it time to go home?” she asked.
“Home, as in my house in Iskandia?”
“Yes… I dread dealing with those women who were stalking me back in the capital, but I do long for a soak in your bathtub.”
“That means you’ve decided you’ll return with me? That you want to?”
“I always wanted to, Ridge. It was just…” Sardelle gazed toward the dusty sky. “I didn’t—don’t—want to wreck your career.”
“I know, but I’ve told you that that doesn’t matter.”
“And I, being more empathic than a rock, knew that was a half truth.”
He opened his mouth, a protest on his lips, but she raised a single eyebrow, and he stopped. The sheepish expression returned. “Maybe so, but I want you and my career. I don’t want to give up on either of you. That’s why we all just nearly died to get those vials, and why we’re not going home until—”
“Sir,” came Apex’s call from above, “Captain Kaika and I are ready to go. Do you want us to wait for you to finish canoodling or have you told us everything that you need to?”
“I’m not canoodling,” Ridge called up. “I’m… negotiating a consolidation.”
“If you’re opting for the military definition of that word, to strengthen by rearranging the position of ground combat troops after a successful attack, I don’t think your girlfriend counts as a troop unit.”
“It’s tedious when your young officers have a better vocabulary than you do,” Ridge murmured and released Sardelle. He faced the cliff. “We’re coming up, but you can take off whenever you’re ready. You’ve got my report for the king, right?”
“The scroll filled with chicken scratches? Yes, I have it.”
“You read it?”
“No, but I’ve seen your reports before. Your maintenance requests and shopping lists too. I trust my assessment is accurate.” Apex disappeared back into the cave.
“So glad to see he’s feeling better,” Ridge muttered, not entirely sarcastically. He picked up the coats and started up the cliff.
Sardelle smiled and headed up the cliff, too, glad it wasn’t quite vertical. Her body ached almost as much as her head, but knowing she could rest in the flier made one more climb doable. Ridge waited for her and made sure she wasn’t having trouble.
“We’re not all going back to the king?” she asked when the ramifications of the men’s conversation sank in. Apex and Kaika were leaving first. Meaning everyone else was going somewhere different?
“Not yet.”
“Afraid to face him until he has a chance to cool his blood?”
“Not exactly. I’m sending most of the dragon blood back with Apex and Kaika. I think that and the fact that we turned the Cofah secret lab into a volcano should appease him.” The way Ridge’s mouth twisted suggested he wasn’t certain about that, at least not insofar as his indiscretions went. “But in the event that I’m to be punished or relieved of my command again, there’s one more thing I want to do before returning home, something that should further appease the king. Eliminate the sou
rce of the dragon blood—or otherwise ensure the Cofah can’t get any more of it.” At some point, Tolemek and Ahn must have explained the painting and the foliage in the crate to him.
“So we’re going to the tropics to look for purple flowers?” Sardelle knew from experience that soldiers, even higher-ranking officers, weren’t supposed to run off, assigning themselves their own missions, without permission from commanding officers, but she didn’t point that out.
“Actually we’re going to Mavar Island to look for my dad,” Ridge said. “He’s supposed to be there this winter. If anyone can identify some tropical location by its flora, it’ll be him. He’s spent decades exploring all around the equator. Even if he doesn’t know, I’m sure he can still point us in the right direction.”
“Really, Ridge,” she said as she climbed onto the cave ledge. “If you wanted to take me home to meet your parents, all you had to do was say so.”
“Does that mean you agree to come? If not—” his expression grew bleak, “—we can drop you off somewhere.”
“Of course I’m coming. My potential student is apparently in the same place as the source of that dragon blood.”
His face lightened. “Ah.”
“And I agree to your offer of consolidation, military or otherwise.” Knowing they would be separated in the flier, Sardelle took his hands and kissed him once more.
“Come now, sir,” Apex said from the cockpit of the closest flier. “That’s definitely canoodling.”
“Jealous, Lieutenant?” Kaika asked from the rear seat. She appeared to be ready to go, several bags of the dragon blood strapped in around her. Sardelle hoped they wouldn’t have to dodge any of those unmanned attack fliers on the way out. It would be a shame to lose their samples at this point. With luck, the volcano would be distracting everyone within a couple hundred miles.
“Of course not,” Apex said.
“Because if you were, I was going to offer to hold your hand on the way back.”
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