“I’m done being manly. Think I’m going to take a nap.” Duck slumped backward onto the deck.
He had a concussion in addition to the bloody gash, so Trip didn’t blame him. Though his head throbbed, and he wanted to follow that dragon’s example of running and jumping off the platform with its tainted iron framework, he made sure Duck was stable before going to work on the flier.
26
Rysha treaded water with one hand, her cut thigh burning. She waited, turning in circles in case one of the dragons came up behind her. What if the one to come up was the male? Or what if neither of them came back up?
She blinked away tears at the thought of Shulina Arya dying. She was the most wonderful dragon Rysha had met, and Rysha had only been her rider for a few weeks. To lose her so soon wouldn’t be fair. And what would she tell Shulina Arya’s parents? Children were supposed to outlive their parents, not the other way around.
Spitting out some of the water that kept washing into her face, Rysha kicked harder, trying to lift herself to see over the waves and to the coastline. They hadn’t flown that far out, had they?
She groaned when she spotted the black rocks of the breakwater and the butte that held the flier hangars. They had to be a mile away. An easy run but a long swim, especially while carrying a sword, wearing boots and clothing, and dealing with an injury. But she would do it if she had to.
She decided to head toward shore now. It wasn’t as if Shulina Arya couldn’t find her and pick her up if she came up. And if the male was the one to survive the fight, Rysha didn’t want to stick around. She would be an easy target in the water.
Something brushed against her leg, and she gasped and whipped the sword in that direction the best she could underwater. To her surprise, she hit something.
A gray fin broke the surface nearby, and she sucked in a startled breath. With her water-spattered spectacles, she must have missed the shark’s approach.
The fin turned, heading toward her again.
Seven gods, was she going to survive a dragon battle only to die to an oversized fish?
A shadow fell over her, and she jerked the sword up, fearing an attack from the sky as well.
Gold scales flashed, and a dragon dove into the water right in front of her. The wave hurled Rysha ten feet, and fresh fire burned in her leg.
Rysha? Trip asked in her mind from wherever he was.
Busy right now.
She flailed her arms, almost dropping Dorfindral. Damn it, she was not losing that sword again.
The gold dragon came up—Rysha still couldn’t tell which one it was and whether that had been a missed attack or an interception. It shot out of the water like a dolphin while shaking its head like a dog putting a rat out of its misery. Something flew free of its maw, bloody and mangled. The shark.
It flopped limply into the water.
The dragon’s head lowered and violet eyes gazed into Rysha’s own.
“What took you so long?” Rysha croaked.
For a cowardly male with many injuries and missing scales, he proved magnificent when we finally engaged in battle! Shulina Arya turned so her back was to Rysha and she could climb on.
“Magnificent?” That was not the word Rysha would have used, not for any of these enemy dragons.
Yes, we engaged in a most valiant skirmish. We were still fighting when we went into the ocean.
Rysha was surprised a shark or anything else would have come close with that going on nearby. But maybe it had been an opportunist shark, hoping to munch on the loser.
She clambered onto Shulina Arya’s back, holding on tighter than necessary. She was tempted to bring up the notion of harnesses or saddles, but she wouldn’t have wanted to have been underwater for five minutes while dragons thrashed right on top of her.
Rysha, Trip spoke into her mind again. He sounded exhausted. We’re finishing off the last two dragons with the rockets. Stay well away from the harbor and the platform with Shulina Arya. The rockets automatically go for the closest dragon unless I’m there to steer them elsewhere, but the tainted ore and the battle have drained me, so I don’t have the strength for that. I may have to leave the platform and put the weapons in another’s hands.
All right. We’re a mile or more out at sea for now. We should be fine.
Good.
They had no sooner finished the conversation than a silver dragon came into view, flying straight out to sea at top speed. Straight at them.
Another contender for us to battle against, Shulina Arya cried and took off toward the silver.
“Wait, did you hear Trip’s warning?” Rysha could see the massive gray platform floating over the coastline and didn’t want to go anywhere near it now.
Yes, we will not go as far as the harbor. We will not need to. This dragon is coming to us.
“Convenient,” Rysha muttered.
Soaking and sore, she’d lost all interest in battle. But Shulina Arya sped eagerly toward the silver as the silver sped toward her.
Despite the blood running down her leg and the water running down her spectacles, Rysha gripped Dorfindral tightly and readied herself for another fight. But as she did so, she wondered why a silver would sprint toward a larger, stronger gold dragon.
It was less than a hundred yards away when Rysha saw something like a black bird arrowing out to sea after it.
“Not a bird,” she whispered. “Trip!”
That had to be one of his rockets.
I see it, Shulina Arya cried. I will knock it aside.
“You can’t. It has that special iron in it. It—”
Rysha broke off as Shulina Arya swerved abruptly. Because the silver swerved. It was trying to go under her. So the rocket would hit Shulina Arya instead of it?
“Careful,” Rysha blurted, realizing Shulina Arya meant to engage with the other dragon. “We could both get—”
The silver screeched and whirled, not trying to fly past Shulina Arya, but slashing with its talons. It moved so quickly Rysha couldn’t follow it.
Shulina Arya twisted to defend herself, but the smaller dragon’s maw came in and clamped onto her shoulder, silver eyes glaring at Rysha as its fangs sank in. At the same time, Shulina Arya bit into her foe’s neck and raked its underside with her talons.
The dragons contorted in the air. Rysha scooted up Shulina Arya’s back and slashed Dorfindral toward the silver’s face. But before her blade sliced in, something slammed into the dragons, hurtling Rysha off Shulina Arya and into the water again.
A boom sounded, hammering her ears, and white light flashed. Screeches of pain erupted from both dragons as a shockwave knocked Rysha back and under the surface.
Icy, dark water smothered her and almost knocked her spectacles off, despite the strap. She clutched at them with one hand as she kicked to the surface. Her head broke free, and through the water running down her lenses, she saw both dragons splash down.
The silver’s side was charred, scales torn free and revealing blood, but Shulina Arya must have been hit too. She moaned and lay limply in the water.
Fear swelled in Rysha’s throat as she swam over, lugging Dorfindral behind her.
Trip! she cried. Are you listening now? One of the rockets got us. Trip!
Rysha reached Shulina Arya’s side, touching her cold, wet scales. Blood leaked from between some of them and into the water. Others had scorch marks on them, and was that acid from the rocket?
“Damn it.” Rysha stroked the dragon. “Shulina Arya, you’re going to be all right, right? You can’t die out here, because… because…” Rysha struggled to get more words out through her constricted throat. Moisture blurred her vision, and she couldn’t wipe her eyes with her spectacles on. Of all the dragons, surely, she least deserved death. She was too young and exuberant about life. About everything. “I need a ride back to shore,” she finished, her words a croak.
A moan emanated from Shulina Arya, and her wings fluttered weakly, then went limp. The silver wasn’t moving at all.
Rysha glowered over at him, hoping he’d taken the brunt of the rocket’s explosion. It had been meant for him. It wasn’t fair that the dragon helping her people defend Iskandia had been hurt.
While she was looking toward the silver, the waves lifting and lowering her and the dragons, she spotted a gray fin again. Two others followed it. This time, she spat a string of curses, more enraged than terrified.
If they went after Shulina Arya while she was too injured to defend herself…
“Eat the silver one,” she shouted at them, as if they could understand.
She gripped Dorfindral’s hilt tightly. The sharks would understand being bashed in the head with a sword.
We’re coming, Trip spoke into her mind.
Hurry! Shulina Arya is hurt.
I saw, he said grimly.
Grimly because he felt bad that one of his rockets had wounded her? Or grimly because he didn’t think she would make it?
One of the gray fins veered toward the silver dragon, but the other two headed toward Rysha and Shulina Arya.
Growling, Rysha swam out to intercept them. Dorfindral felt like a dead weight in her hand, but she aimed the point toward the closest fin, hoping to get lucky. Unfortunately, the sword wouldn’t assist her against a non-magical enemy.
The fin veered, and she twisted as she treaded water, and stabbed. She clipped something, but the sword slipped off the slick flesh. She sensed more than saw the shark turning toward her, racks of razor teeth snapping at her.
Rysha kicked away and thrust again with the sword, lamenting that the water slowed her movements. But the shark had been headed straight toward her and almost impaled itself. She hit resistance, shoved harder, and the blade sank in. The shark thrashed and spun away, clubbing her with its tail. She slashed after it, determined to deter it from attacking Shulina Arya.
She missed, but the shark sped away. Now, where was the other one?
Rysha rotated in a slow circle, squinting through her spattered lenses for a gray fin. But the sharks seemed to have disappeared, all three of them. The water had grown calm. Rysha swam back to Shulina Arya’s side and touched her scales, but didn’t get a response this time, not even a moan.
Trip? Rysha thought, afraid to ask, afraid she wouldn’t like the answer.
Above you.
Rysha looked up as a gold dragon soared overhead, flying low above the water. Bhrava Saruth. Sardelle and Trip rode on his back.
Trip slid off the side and splashed into the water a few feet away.
The silver dragon has fallen to a deserved death, Bhrava Saruth announced, banking to fly circles over them as Trip paddled to Rysha’s side. Shulina Arya is barely alive. But she is not so far gone that a god can’t heal her. Yes, I will do this, and she will be most grateful to me. Perhaps she will wish to engage in the mating flight.
Seven gods, Trip, Jaxi spoke into their minds, heal that dragon before she’s indebted to horned and horny here.
I’ll do my best. Trip patted Rysha briefly, the water making his movements awkward, then swam close enough to Shulina Arya that he could place his hands on her side. He closed his eyes, treading water with his legs as he rested his forehead against her scales.
Rysha wanted to hug him and thank him for coming, but that would interrupt him. Instead, she put her back to them, watching the waves for shark fins.
They will not come back, Bhrava Saruth said. They sense that a mighty predator has arrived.
Trip? Rysha asked.
The god Bhrava Saruth!
He’s been like this the whole battle, Jaxi told her. He took down a puny bronze that was half his size, and now he’s extra full of himself.
I wouldn’t have guessed he could get… fuller.
No, it’s true.
Shulina Arya’s head rotated to the side. She’d been on her back with her wings and tail stretched out, floating in the water.
Captain Trip, Shulina Arya thought. She sounded pained, but Rysha took hope from hearing her telepathic communications. I was foolish.
It happens to all of us, Trip replied.
They both kept Rysha in the conversation, which she appreciated. She swam close to Shulina Arya and rested a hand on her scales again.
I did not fully understand your weapon and that the silver meant to hide behind me. That coward. I only wished to engage in another battle. My blood was cold with the desire to slay my enemies.
Have you already healed her? Bhrava Saruth asked. I meant to do that myself. I was merely trying to figure out how to do so without landing in that loathsome water. There is kelp all over the place. Disgusting.
Such a persnickety god, Jaxi observed.
It is good that you have healed this female and ensured she will not feel indebted to that dragon, Azarwrath added.
I’m glad I had the strength left to do so, Trip thought. I’m tired after the battle, though I feel better now that I’m away from the platform. Is it ironic that I built something that was as harmful and unappealing to me as it is to dragons?
Not since you’re half-dragon, no, Rysha thought.
Trip opened his eyes and paddled back, giving Shulina Arya room to stir her wings. He looked at Rysha as she did the same, then offered her a crooked smile and plucked a long strand of kelp off her shoulder.
He must have sensed her pain from her injured thigh, because he let his hand linger, coming to rest on her sleeve. Warmth flared in her leg, tingling intensely then itching, making her want to scratch the spot. But the sensation soon faded, along with the pain.
“You’re getting more efficient at that,” Rysha said. “Thank you.”
Trip bobbed his head in acknowledgment.
“Do you have the strength to fly back, Shulina Arya?” Rysha looked up at Bhrava Saruth, who still circled, probably glad nobody had told him to come down for a dip. She might have to ask him for a ride back, but wanted to make sure Shulina Arya was fit enough to escape the waves and fly back.
Yes, Storyteller, and you and your mate must fly with me. I would be most distraught to return home without my rider on my back.
We wouldn’t want that, Trip thought and floated out of the water as Shulina Arya rolled over onto her stomach.
Rysha couldn’t believe either of them had the strength for magic or flying, but at least it wasn’t far to shore. She sheathed Dorfindral and climbed up Shulina Arya’s wing to her back.
It appears that all of our enemies are vanquished, Bhrava Saruth announced.
No more little bronzes for you to pick on? Jaxi asked.
I was heroically defeating an enemy of Iskandoth, not picking on anyone.
I noticed you let Shulina Arya handle the gold dragons.
I have battled and defeated many gold dragons.
The words faded from Rysha’s awareness as Bhrava Saruth stopped circling and headed toward shore. Sardelle lifted a parting hand, though Rysha trusted she would see them both again soon.
Shulina Arya hadn’t responded to the comments. Maybe she was further healing herself or marshaling her strength for the flight.
Rysha found a spot in front of Trip, twisting to pat his leg. “Thank you for coming.”
He rested his hand on hers, gazing at her with his dark green eyes. His short hair was plastered to his head, and his uniform sodden, but he was still appealing. Perhaps because he’d just finished drawing upon his magic to heal Shulina Arya, he was radiating his scylori, and she had a hard time looking away.
“You’re a heroic and sexy rescuer,” she added, smiling.
“Am I?” With his free hand, he plucked seaweed off his shoulder and tossed it into the water. He left his other hand on hers, warmth and a tingle of magic coming from it.
“Definitely.”
“Good.” He leaned forward and kissed her, his touch caring and tender. Don’t let your dragon fly in front of any of my rockets again, please. I was terribly worried. Sardelle nearly fell off Bhrava Saruth when I screamed into their minds that I needed a ride.
Y
ou should learn how to turn into an eagle or seagull so you can fly on your own when a flier isn’t available.
What would a seagull have done against those sharks? Viciously pecked their fins?
The history books say that shape-shifted sorcerers retained their powers.
Hm? Did the history books say how the sorcerers shape-shifted in the first place? Because this hasn’t been covered in my lessons with Sardelle.
Probably because she doesn’t know how to do it. Few ever did. I think it took someone who was a fairly recent descendant of a dragon.
So, I’d need to ask an actual dragon?
Maybe. Or you could wait for one of your little siblings to grow up and figure it out. Maybe one will be smarter than you.
I feel I should be offended by that comment.
And yet, you’re still kissing me.
Trip wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Yes.
27
The castle gardens were impressively green, lush, fragrant, and flower-filled, especially given that less than a week had passed since the dragon attack. The last dragon attack, Trip hoped.
The finishing touches for the weapons platform were still in progress, but it hovered in the sky over the city around the clock, at least for the time being. There had been discussion as to whether a proper landing and storage area should be built for it, but Trip had assured his commanders and the king that it was like a sailing ship and built to withstand existing in its element year round. Also, that the power sources he had created wouldn’t burn out for a long time.
“You’re looking dapper and dashing today, Trip,” came Rysha’s voice from behind him.
Trip had sensed her coming, but she’d been walking and talking with Major Kaika as she strode into the garden, so he hadn’t wanted to interrupt. Now, he turned to smile warmly at her. Rysha and Kaika wore their dress uniforms, both appearing sharp and professional. Kaika continued on, but Rysha stopped in front of Trip.
“Thank you,” he said aloud, though he was tempted to use telepathy. He hadn’t expected the gardens to be so crowded, with dozens of conversations going on all around and a man playing a woodwind instrument in front of a hedgerow. “You look good too.”