by E. L. Todd
His eyes instantly dropped, losing interest. “For what purpose?”
“To use the slaves as an army against King Lux.”
“Sounds like you and Daddy aren’t getting along.”
“Yeah, something like that.” The scar he’d left on his father’s hand would always be there, always remind him what his son had done whenever he wrote on parchment or scratched his nose. “All those minerals and ores that King Lux uses for his treasury will be ours for the taking. We split it fifty-fifty.”
“It’s a big job for fifty-fifty.”
“Fine. Sixty-forty.”
“Seventy-thirty.”
Rush had no interest in the treasure, but he had to at least pretend to be. “Greedy, much?”
He shrugged. “Always.”
Zane and Liam were put on a different ship, while Rush, Bridge, and Lilac were on Captain Hurricane’s. They left the island and broke through the mist, heading in the opposite direction of the dragons’ home.
I think it worked.
Yes. All he cares about is Rock Island now. Rush watched the island disappear, being obscured by mist.
I told Ashe our plan was successful.
He’s probably still mad.
He’ll always be mad. But I think Captain Hurricane believes there’s nothing here.
It doesn’t look like much if you don’t know what’s there. Mountains everywhere. Jagged terrain. Humanity wouldn’t be able to settle there. Someone could bury treasure there, but without a map, that would be pointless. I think he has no interest in it at all.
Me too.
If he did…we would have to kill him.
Be happy to.
They passed through the mist and emerged onto the open sea, which was rocky and choppy, the boat shifting left and right, gliding down a large wave and splashing at the bottom.
Bridge grabbed on to the rail. “Not the smooth ride we had, huh?”
Captain Hurricane stood at the wheel, turning into the waves and commanding the sea. “Never sailed through a storm, have you?”
“There’s not a cloud in the sky,” Bridge said.
“The ocean feels the storm before the sky. The storm is directly in our path to Rock Island. We’ll sail through it—like we always do.”
Bridge gulped.
Rush patted him on the shoulder. “It’ll be fine.”
“Easy for you to say…because you can fly.”
Flare was quiet for days, not saying a word, even when the opportunity to taunt Rush popped up. The storm came closer, the clouds blocking out the sun, bolts of lightning flashing across the sky.
The rain hit—soaking them to the bone.
While the crew and Lilac managed the ship, Rush and Bridge went below deck, sitting in two chairs while the table shifted back and forth with the waves. Bridge was white in the face, seasick.
“No wonder you’re a scholar,” Rush said as he drank his beer. “You can’t swim. You can’t fly. You can’t sail.”
Bridge was too ill to fire off a remark, so he just glared at him. “So, what are we going to do when we get to Rock Island?”
“Exactly what I said.”
“But we aren’t prepared for that.”
“I’m familiar with the area. I’ll come up with something.”
“Rush.” He lifted his hands and made air quotes. “Coming up with something is not going to work this time.”
“It worked with the pirates, didn’t it?”
“You’re talking about overthrowing a territory here.”
“Look, you got a better idea?” Rush rested his hand on his mug. “I needed to get the pirates away from the island, and we planned to hit Rock Island if the dragon thing didn’t work out…which it didn’t.”
“What about Cora and the elves? Any movement on that front?”
Rush stared at him, his mouth shut because he didn’t know what to say.
Bridge could read his expression like words on a page. “What’s going with you guys? Seriously.”
“She…she won’t talk to me.” He’d tried several times—all unsuccessful. She was purposely pushing both of them out.
“Why?”
He shook his head. “I have no idea.”
“People don’t just ghost someone without reason—”
“I said I don’t know, alright?”
Bridge studied him, his eyes shifting back and forth, and then backed off. “If she never talks to you again, what are we going to do?”
“She will talk to me again. I just…don’t know when.”
“She’s been with the elves for months now. They really hate you, so…maybe she’s assimilated and shares their viewpoints.”
He stared at his mug and lifted his hand from the top. It slid back and forth with the rocking over the waves, scratching against the wooden surface. “Yeah, that’s crossed my mind too.”
The storm raged on—and got worse.
Bridge just sat there and puked into the bucket over and over.
Rush offered to help, but Captain Hurricane refused. The only person who was allowed above deck other than his crew was Lilac—because she knew what she was doing. The furniture slid back and forth from one wall to the next, over and over, and it was so choppy that the beer couldn’t be drunk. Sometimes Bridge would vomit and it splashed back up and hit him in the face.
You’ve been quiet.
Because I have nothing to say.
The world was chaos around him, the sound of Bridge hurling, the shouts of the first mate above the deck, the constant crash of the ship against the hard waves. But when Rush’s mind was focused on his dragon, all that other stuff faded away. That’s not like you. You give me at least five insults every day. Honestly, I’m a bit lost without them.
Silence.
Flare, what is it? You’re worrying me, man.
I’m sad.
Why? Because of Cora? I’m sad too.
Mist Isle. I miss it.
Oh.
To be around other dragons, to be in that magical place, it felt like home. And I haven’t felt that way in a really long time.
Rush was quiet, absorbing that confession with delicacy.
My time in captivity has changed the way I see dragons. They’re either fused or prisoners. But with Ashe…he’s free. I’ve forgotten what life was like before the humans entered Anastille. I was young at the time, so my memory isn’t as strong as it is now. It was nice to remember who we really are.
Rush stared ahead and ignored the furniture that careened across the floor. His heart gushed blood as if a dagger had sneakily slid inside and punctured his arteries. There was no greater suffering than to feel Flare’s pain. It was worse than his own. I’m so sorry, Flare.
I know you are, Rush.
When this is over, you can live on that island with the dragons that choose to stay. You can have that peace every day. Or…you can go now. I wouldn’t judge you if you agreed with Ashe’s decision. All you’ve known is suffering, and if you want to live a life of peace at Mist Isle, I would understand.
It’s not all I’ve known.
He lowered his gaze.
I won’t abandon my kin, even without Ashe’s help, because they deserve the peace that was taken from them. I’m with you in this—always. I miss the island, but it’s also reminded me what we’re fighting for. I hope all dragons will experience that peace again—and that I live to see it.
Twenty
Rock Island
The storm passed.
The ships survived, just creaking a little more than they did before.
Clear skies. Sunshine. Just enough wind to power the sails.
Captain Hurricane and Lilac spoke at the bow of the ship, his body leaning against the rail, his arms crossed over his chest. His hand suddenly went to her hip, and he drew her in to kiss her.
She gave him the cheek.
Bridge sighed. “I just want this to be over.”
Good thing he has no idea you’ve been there, done that.
The captain’s hand went to her ass cheek and squeezed it.
Lilac smacked his hand and marched off.
He chuckled like it was all fun and games.
Bridge stormed to the stairs. “That mother—”
“Let it go.” Rush grabbed him by the arm and yanked him back. “Your sister can handle herself.”
“He just groped my sister—”
“And now it’s over. We are on a ship in the middle of nowhere and you can’t swim, remember?”
“If your sister were being groped, would you stand aside and do nothing?”
“Not the same thing. My sister doesn’t have nearly as much sass as yours does.” He dropped his hand. “Trust me, Lilac can handle herself.”
“How would you know?”
Watch what you say…
“I can just tell, alright? Let it go.”
Captain Hurricane must have spotted them on the stairs because he said, “General Rush, a word.”
Bridge lowered his voice. “Turn into Flare and burn him alive.”
“I don’t burn people alive for grabbing someone’s ass.”
“Well, I would.” Bridge stormed off.
Then it’s a really good thing he’s not a dragon…for your sake.
Rush moved up the stairs and approached the captain at the stern, where the wheel had been left unattended. “It’s just Rush now.”
He adjusted his cap as he watched Rush beside him. “Potato…potahto…”
“Not really.”
He nodded up to the crow’s nest. “We’ve spotted Rock Island.”
“How? The same journey took us a month. You did it in half the time and through a storm.”
He grinned. “Because we’re pirates. You’re idiots.”
Can’t deny that.
Yeah, that’s fair.
“You’ve got a plan?” he asked.
“I’ve been to Rock Island before. They have one harbor, so we’ll avoid that.”
“And they aren’t going to notice a fleet of ships docked in their bay?”
“I know an area that’s not visible from land.”
“Good to know. How will we proceed?”
“We’ll go in and take out the guards one by one—”
“We?” the captain asked. “I hope my crew is not included in that we.”
“You expect me to do this by myself?”
“That was your plan before, right? Our deal was to give you passage to Rock Island in exchange for a cut of the goods. Nothing was said about killing the king’s men and provoking war.”
“If we make it eighty-twenty, will that change your tune?”
“Nope.”
“Ninety-ten?”
He shook his head. “This mission is suicide. I’ll take risks for treasure, but not risks that involve the wrath of King Lux. He’s got dragons, so he can come after us if he wishes. He’s left us alone because we’re inconsequential to him. I want it to stay that way.”
“And how is taking all his rocks making you inconsequential?”
“We’ll dump them on the black market, take our gold, and they’ll never know it was us who took them.”
Rush had hoped for more than a ride. He’d hoped for skilled allies. He was the only fighter strong enough to make a dent in the place. Lilac seemed good with a dagger, but she couldn’t take on men twice her size. Neither could the others. He could abandon this mission and head back to Anastille, but Captain Hurricane’s suspicions would grow because it would be clear this endeavor had been entirely made up. Rush had no other plan up his sleeve anyway. He needed allies, and the slaves of Rock Island were the best he was going to find at the moment.
“So, what’s your plan?”
We don’t have a choice—not if we want to protect Ashe.
Yeah, I realize that.
We’re going to have to do this alone.
Yeah…I realize that too.
He inhaled a deep breath before he answered. “I’m going to go in alone and take out the big players. There’re not that many guards because it’s an island, and they don’t leave ships at the dock. If I can take them out quietly, I can regain control. You’ll bring in your men to collect the ores. Then we’ll need passage back to Anastille.”
The captain shook his head. “That wasn’t part of the deal either.”
“How do you expect us to get the slaves back to Anastille?”
He shrugged. “No idea. This is your plan, Rush. Not my fault you lost your ship.”
We’ll have to kill him and the crew.
We can fly to Anastille, and I can bring back a ship.
If we’re successful, we can’t leave Rock Island unattended. King Lux will bring dragons, and the slaves can’t fight dragons.
He’s right. This is a suicide mission.
Yep.
Wait, I have an idea.
I hope it’s a good one because that’s what we need.
This is an island. If I kill all the guards, there’s no way King Lux would know it’s overtaken. He doesn’t have dragons stationed here because it’s not worth the resources. So, we kill the guards, take it over, and when the next shipment comes in, we kill the crew and ferry the slaves back to Anastille.
Yes, that could work. But how certain are you that one of the stewards isn’t here?
I mean…it’s possible. I haven’t spent a lot of time here. Just know how it’s run because of my father.
And if one is there, what do we do?
Kill him before he knows what’s happening.
“I thought Lilac’s return to my ship would rekindle the fire.”
Rush pulled away from Flare and met his look, brought back to reality.
He gave a shrug. “She said she’s into some other guy and wants to see where it goes…”
I. Don’t. Like. Her.
Doesn’t mean it’s me.
Come on, we both know it’s you.
But I’ve shown no interest.
She probably likes that.
I’m telling you, it’s not me.
“It’s you, isn’t it?” Captain Hurricane asked. “I see the way she looks at you.”
Uh-huh. Not you, alright…
Rush held his gaze, unsure what to say. “With spewing hatred? She and I butt heads a lot.”
“Really? I see chemistry.”
“You’re mistaken.”
Why do you have to make enemies with literally everyone?
Captain Hurricane pushed himself off the rail and dropped his arms. “I hope so. Because nothing is going to get in the way of me and my fair maiden.”
When the captain slept in his quarters, Rush approached Lilac. “Can we talk?”
“Sure.” She secured the rope in place then tied it in a sailor’s hitch. “What’s up?”
Rush glanced around to make sure Bridge was nowhere nearby because that was the last thing he needed. “We’re friends, right?”
Her arms crossed over her chest, her jacket fitting snugly around her hourglass shape. Her eyebrows furrowed, her eyes narrowed, and her brown hair flapped in the breeze. “Obviously. What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I mean, we’re just friends. You understand that, right?”
You’re really bad at this.
“Excuse me?” she said. “What the hell are you talking about?”
I’ve never had to dump a woman twice, alright?
She stared at him with the same flames Flare produced.
“I just want it to be clear that nothing is going to happen between us again, alright? Because Captain Hurricane thinks there’s something here, and the last thing I need is for him to hate me more than he already does.”
“I didn’t say anything like that to him.”
“He said he sees the way you look at me…”
Her hostility fell.
Awkward.
“I’m sure he’s just mistaken—”
“He’s not.”
Bitch.
What did you just
say?
You know what I said.
A bit uncalled-for, don’t you think?
She’s not Cora.
What does that have to do with anything?
It has everything to do with it.
Lilac continued when Rush remained quiet, having no idea an entire conversation was passing between him and his dragon. “I know it’s weird with my brother around, but I don’t care what he thinks. He’ll have to get over it.”
Utterly confused, he just stared. Where is this coming from?
She’s had her eyes set on you since she saw you.
I left her at the inn without saying goodbye. Why would she even be interested?
No idea. I see nothing worth sticking around for.
Okay, asshole. “Look, I’m not looking for anything—”
“Neither am I. But we’re in this together and you’re hot, so…” She stepped closer to him, palm flattening against his stomach.
Growl.
Instinctively, he stepped away. “Lilac, all I want from you is friendship and camaraderie. I thought that was clear, but I guess it wasn’t.”
“Why? Because of my brother?”
“No. I’m just not interested.”
She stepped forward again.
Let me burn her.
She’s not evil, Flare.
She’s trying to take what’s not hers. That’s stealing. She’s trying to steal from Pretty.
Dramatic, much?
“What’s gotten into you, then?” Her hand returned to his stomach. “This isn’t the Rush I remember—”
This time, he flicked her hand away, his annoyance overpowering his logic. “I’m seeing somebody, Lilac. If you want to pursue something with Victor, you should because I’m not an option for you.”
Attaboy.
Shut the hell up. I just said it to get her off my ass.
Sure.
“You’re seeing somebody?” She dropped her hand. “You?”
“Yes.”
“You?” she repeated.
“Why is that so hard to believe?”
“Maybe because you said you don’t do relationships, marriage, kids, all that kind of stuff.”
“All I said was I was seeing somebody. Didn’t mention any of the rest of that.”
“But you’re monogamous.”