by S. E. Smith
Carly leaned forward to watch as the great ship left the water and slowly gained altitude. A sense of peace settled over her, and she watched the pirate kingdom slowly fade into the distance. Reaching up, she tucked her hair behind her ears and turned to climb up to the bow.
Her mind played through all the different things that had happened since she had left for her hike. The days had blurred to weeks and in all honesty, she couldn’t remember exactly how long she had been here – just that it felt natural.
“What has you so deep in thought?” Drago asked, coming to sit beside her.
Carly turned and smiled at him. She reached up and pulled her hair back again, tucking it once more behind her ear then turned to face the wind. A smile of appreciation curved her lips when Drago scooted closer to her and wrapped his arm around her waist.
“Nothing really, just a lot of different thoughts. It seems like another lifetime ago that I was just Carly Tate from Yachats, Oregon, going for a hike to try to lose some weight and get fit. All of this….” Her hands rose and she waved at the flying ship. “All of this seems so normal now and that other life – well, it feels more like a dream,” she tried to explain.
“Do you miss your life there?” Drago asked.
Carly immediately shook her head. “No. Well, except for Jenny,” she quietly amended.
She looked down at her hands where they lay on her lap. By now, Jenny would know that something had happened to her. She couldn’t help but think that Jenny must feel the same way she did. As each day went by and the knowledge that Carly wasn’t coming back became more of a reality, Jenny would only have her memories to comfort her.
“If I could bring your friend here, I would,” Drago replied.
Carly heard Drago’s heavy sigh and a sense of remorse swept through her. She felt too good to let regret rule her life. She had learned a lot about that when she was growing up, so had Jenny.
“I know you would. I didn’t mean to make you feel guilty. Jenny will always have a special place in my heart. Still, I wouldn’t change anything else about what has happened. I belong here – with you, Drago. I’ll never regret that. I hope one day that she knows I’m safe and happy. Who knows, maybe whatever magic brought me here will send her a message. Either way, life is too short to have regrets about things you can’t change,” Carly said.
They sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts and watched the sun set. There would be no moons until late tonight. They were both waning and wouldn’t come up until after midnight. Twilight soon turned to darkness and the stars shone like brilliant diamonds in the sky. Below them, bioluminescent organisms illuminated the water as sea creatures small and large followed the ocean currents in search of food and migration.
The paper birds retreated through the open doorway to the Captain’s cabin below deck. Drago rose to check their course and Carly prepared a light meal for them, which they ate above deck. After several hours, lack of sleep and exhaustion from their long day caught up with her and she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer.
“Go down to our cabin, Carly. You are exhausted,” Drago ordered in a tender voice.
“What about you?” she asked.
Carly grimaced when she ended her question with a wide yawn. That wasn’t a very sympathetic gesture. She blinked, but even raising her eyelids felt like a major chore. With a sigh of resignation, she reluctantly nodded.
“I can go weeks without sleep,” Drago chuckled. “Make sure Little Knight and your flock are safe. I feel a storm gathering.”
The thought of a storm perked Carly up for a brief moment. She glanced around with a frown. Sure enough, in the distance, she could see flashes of lightning and the sky was so dark that all the stars had disappeared.
“Will everything be okay?” she asked with a worried frown.
Drago brushed a reassuring kiss across her lips and nudged her to go below deck. Carly wanted to protest, but she felt like the wilted stem of a flower. She could barely stand up.
“The Dragonriders can handle the weather. Go curl up in bed. I will come later once we have passed through it,” he promised.
“Okay,” Carly replied. With a shiver, she glanced once more at the dark sky in front of them. “What about you? Will you get wet?”
“Only when I am thinking of you,” he chuckled. “There is a control center below deck. Once you are safely tucked in our cabin, I will secure the ship and move down to the bridge there. I will not be able to leave as long as the weather is foul. It is best if you stay in our cabin as it may get rough. This way I know you will be safe and comfortable. I will come find you as soon as we are through the storm.”
“Oh, good,” she said, remembering briefly seeing a room in the very front of the ship. “Okay, if you are sure. I’ll see you after the storm.”
“I’m sure. Good night, little thief,” Drago replied.
“Good night, Drago,” Carly murmured.
“Carly,” Drago called when she started down.
She glanced back over her shoulder at him. “Yes.”
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you, too, Drago,” she responded with a tired but happy smile.
She turned back and slowly walked down the stairs to the lower decks. Passing through the door, she descended the next short set of steps and made her way to the end of the corridor. A soft, sympathetic smile curved her lips when she heard the frightened chirps of the paper birds.
“Come on. You can sleep with me,” Carly instructed as she walked through the door and closed it behind her. “It is getting cold and going to be very wet out there. You need to stay inside where it is dry and hopefully warmer.”
Walking over to the built-in vanity, she pulled open the drawer and picked up the brush. She pulled off her red scarf and brushed her hair out before rising to wash her face and brush her teeth in the small adjoining bathroom. Returning to the bedroom, she sat down and removed her boots and socks. She placed them next to the chair that was in the corner near the vanity table before rising to remove her trousers.
The soft sound of something hitting the wooden floor drew her attention. A dark blue velvet bag lay on the floor. Carly bent to pick up her trousers and the bag. She tossed the trousers over the back of a nearby chair before turning the bag over in her hand.
A shiver escaped her when the chill from the dropping air pressure swirled around her bare legs. Walking over to the bed, Carly pulled the covers back and slid under them before pulling them firmly around her and laying back. She fingered the bag, remembering the beauty of the delicate brooch inside.
Opening the bag, she pulled the wrapped brooch out. She carefully unfolded the cloth covering the brooch and touched the midnight black gems, tiny white shell birds, and the etched gold surrounding the design. What caught her attention was the tiny red jewel where the dragon’s heart should be.
Carly’s fingers brushed over the red gem before she turned it over. A slight cry escaped her when the sharp pin on the back pricked her finger. She raised her finger to her lips to stop the blood. Her hand trembled and she tried to shake away the sudden dizziness.
“I… I must be… more tired… than I realized,” she whispered in a slurred voice.
Carly was unaware that her hand had fallen to the side and the brooch slipped between the folds of the covers. Her wounded finger slipped from her lips and fell to the side as well. Carly’s eyelashes fluttered for a moment before settling like twin crescents against her pale skin.
Little Knight sensed the unnatural magic and frantically tried to wake Carly. When the paper bird was unable to wake her, he flew to the door. The other birds, realizing what was happening, joined Little Knight. They flung themselves against the door in a frantic attempt to get to Drago. Unable to open the door, Little Knight landed on the floor. With a shake, the paper bird unfolded itself and slipped under the door. One by one, the flock followed, driven by the urgent need to get help for Carly.
Little Knight quickly refo
lded his small body and lifted off the floor. The tiny paper bird soared down the passage, once again unfolding, slipping under the doorway at the end, and refolding his body with the flock following closely behind. The fierce wind tossed the birds around, scattering them. No matter how hard or fast they tried to fly, they were no match for the swirling storm. One by one, they were swept over the side, caught in a turbulent force beyond their power until only Little Knight remained – and then, the sky opened up and the rain began to fall.
The sound of the thunder drowned out the desperate, pitiful chirps of the paper bird. Large raindrops began to soak the paper it was made from, dissolving the pictures Carly had drawn and weighing it down. Little Knight fought against the elements, focused only on reaching Drago. The Dragon King did not see the tiny speck of white against the flash of the lightning nor hear its cries over the rolling of the thunder. He was busy securing the sails.
Little Knight bowed his head, pushing at his heavy wings to continue the fight, but a gust of wind swept him over the side. Unable to use his wings, he spiraled downward into the raging ocean, his desperate chirps swept away on the winds. The last of his magic melted away with the rain until he became lost in the dark, angry ocean that had claimed the rest of the flock – and so many of Drago’s people.
The storm swirled around them for almost a day and a half. Unable to leave the bridge, Drago was surprised when he realized how much time had passed. It wasn’t until the Dragonrider emerged on the other side of the sprawling cyclone that he relaxed his grip on the controls.
He rolled his shoulders to relieve the stiffness and rubbed his neck. Normally, there would have been a full crew on duty to handle the needs of the ship through such a storm. He hoped that Carly had been able to get some rest. There were a few times when the trip had been a little rough.
Engaging the auto-navigation, he turned and strode toward the door. His first thought was to check on Carly, then he would assess if there was any damage to the ship. He should probably reverse that, but he needed to make sure she wasn’t too shaken by the storm.
Striding down the passage, he pushed open the door leading to the deck. Brilliant sunshine and crisp, clear skies greeted him. It was so bright that he had to blink several times to adjust his vision. He walked across the deck, noting any obvious problems. One of the sails looked as if it was ripped and several of the coils of rope now lay twisted like a confused snake across the deck, but otherwise it looked to be minor damage.
He was almost halfway across the deck when he glanced down as he stepped over a bundle of rope. A speck of white was caught underneath. Drago bent to retrieve it as a nagging feeling began to build. He lifted the rope and gently peeled the torn, white clump away from the coarse fibers of the rope.
Gently prying it free, he straightened and turned the fibrous mass in his hand. His fingers trembled ever so slightly when he saw the faint smear of black. The trace of his magic was still barely visible.
“Carly!” he hissed, his gaze shooting to the closed door leading down to their cabin. “Carly!”
Drago urgently called out her name a second time. His fist closed around the wet paper. Striding across to the door, he flung it open and took the stairs two at a time. He was running by the time he reached the bottom step – his long strides eating up the passage to the door of the Captain’s cabin.
“Carly!” Drago called again, even as his hand turned the door knob and he pushed the door open.
His gaze flew around the room. He noted her boots and pants next to the chair and the red scarf that she had worn laying on the floor next to the vanity table. His gaze moved to the bed. She lay against the dark silk sheets. Her pale face relaxed in a peaceful slumber. There was a stillness to her features that seemed unnatural.
“Carly…. Little thief…,” Drago softly called, unwilling to alarm her with his fear.
The sense that something was dreadfully wrong grew the closer he got to the bed. He sank down on the edge and raised a trembling hand to run his fingers down her cheek. He raised his other hand and realized he was still holding the remains of one of her birds. He dropped it on the bedspread.
“Carly, little thief, sweetheart, wake up,” Drago pleaded in a quiet, tender voice. “Please, wake up.”
He cupped her outstretched hand with a trembling one of his own. He lifted her icy fingers to his lips and gently blew on them before pressing a kiss to the tips. His throat tightened as he tried to speak.
“Carly, I need you to wake up. Please, my love, I need you… I….” His throat thickened to the point he couldn’t continue. Closing his eyes, he drew in a deep breath and tried again. Opening his eyes, he gazed down at Carly’s unresponsive face. “I love you, Carly Tate.”
She still did not respond. Leaning down, Drago pressed a kiss to her lips and knew then that she wouldn’t wake up. He could taste the faint, tainted magic on her lips – magic that he had smelled once before. The denial and rage that slammed into him was quickly overwhelmed by pure grief. This was a different type of pain. This was a mortal wound. He could feel his heart stutter, as if it was slowly breaking.
His head bowed at the pain and his hand fell to the covers beside her. He felt something hard under his palm. Curling his fingers around the object, he picked it up and turned his hand over. In the center of his palm lay a delicate brooch in the shape of a dragon that glittered in the light shining through the windows.
Tears blinded him. Ashure had warned him. The Pirate King said he had felt the taint of the Sea Witch’s magic pass through the entrance. He told Drago that he had members of his elite forces searching every building, every rock and crevice, for Magna.
Drago could have sworn that Carly would not be let had never been out of his sight the entire time – and she hadn't been except for the few minutes when she had excused herself to freshen up.
Turning the brooch over, he rapidly blinked his eyes to clear them. A trace of blood coated the tip of the pin. Magna had managed to accomplish what she had set out to do – she had struck at the Dragon’s Heart – his heart. She had not silenced his connection with Carly as she had done with the others. Instead, she had snared Carly in an immortal sleep – one where Carly was trapped between life and death. He could not leave Carly’s side for fear that she would cross over.
Another shaft of grief struck him with such a blow that he rose up off the bed with a loud howl. Turning, he threw the brooch at the window. The brooch spun through the air, striking the glass and shattering it before disappearing.
The shards of glass that rained down felt like they were slicing through the remainder of his control. Sinking down next to the bed, Drago blindly groped for Carly’s hand. Wrapping both of his hands around her cold fingers, large tears slid hopelessly down his cheeks and he realized something in that instant – that losing Carly had done something he didn’t think was possible… he learned that grown dragons could cry.
Chapter 24
More than a day later, Drago docked the Dragonrider in the cave. He methodically went through the movements of pulling the wings in to store them against the ship, lowering the useable sails, and securing the vessel. He closed the doors to the entrance and locked it. He ignored the supplies. Where Carly and he were going, they would not be needed.
Once everything was done, he returned to their cabin. He tenderly ran his hand along her cheek. His eyes burned, but he ignored it.
Drago pulled the bedspread and sheet free from the bed and carefully wrapped Carly in them. Picking her up in his arms, he cradled her against his body. Unable to resist, he rubbed his cheek against her silky hair.
“I will never leave you, Carly. As long as your heart beats, so will mine. When you draw your last breath, I will give you mine so that we may always be together,” Drago murmured.
He turned without another word and left the cabin. His footsteps were silent as he walked down the long passage and made his way up to the deck. Once there, his body shimmered and he transformed into his d
ragon with Carly still tenderly held against his body.
The magic in his words opened the ground. He knew this would be for the last time. There would be no need for him to ever return. The time of the dragons had ended. With his death, it would be the beginning of the end for the Seven Kingdoms.
Drago swept down, spiraling in a free fall. He barely opened his wings in time to keep from crashing into the mountains of jewels. Even so, he was going too fast to land safely and was forced to turn his body to shield Carly when he hit a huge pile.
He slid down the pile, throwing coins, jewels, and other treasures far and wide. He curled around Carly, tightly wrapping his wings around her and rolled before coming to a stop when he hit the platform at the bottom. He lay on his side, his head against the platform and his wings still cradling Carly against his chest.
Drago’s eyes burned again when he realized where he had landed. In his mind’s eye, he could still see that first day when Carly had come into his life. Her wide, expressive eyes had been staring at him with awe and excitement and her softly spoken words... “Can I keep you? Whispered in his mind.
“Always,” he whispered back. “You can keep me forever, little thief.”
Opening his wings, he shifted back into his two-legged form. He would make her a bed, then he would shift into his dragon and he would watch over her. He gently laid her on the platform and set to work.
Drago found a gold and jeweled lounge with the finest royal red velvet cover and a silk pillow for her head. He cleared the platform of all treasure except the bed and Carly. Picking her up, he tenderly laid her on the lounge and made sure that she was covered. Once he felt she would be comfortable, he turned his gaze about the treasure room. He would give all of it away if it would bring Carly back to him.
