Leith answered before William could, her eyes shining with amusement. “Because he can’t help it.”
“You know me that well already?” asked William.
Leith laughed. “I’ve met other men like you. Not many, but enough to recognize your type. You can’t help getting involved, and you can’t abide an injustice. Let me guess: you suffered a major loss as a child—a parent died, most likely—but your curiosity was fed by a decent education and a hatful of brains.”
Melissa stiffened beside William. “You seem to have a keen insight into my husband’s psyche,” she said in a cold voice. “A distant admirer, perhaps? Did you read the books and fall in love with him?”
Leith rolled her eyes. “I don’t have time to read, lady,” she said. “Besides, I’m not even remotely interested in the hero type, especially one who needs frequent rescuing. Those two traits I mentioned are a dangerous combination, and I’m sure it keeps life interesting. But I’d never have him on my crew, let alone in my bed.”
“We need to get moving,” said William before Melissa could respond. “I’ll send you a letter of immunity as soon as I get back to town.”
“You’ll write one now, before you leave,” said Leith. Two men stepped into the doorway, blocking their exit, hands on their knife hilts. “Your sword is useless in cramped quarters, Lord William, so you may as well move your hand away from it—slowly. You too, mister ‘I don’t like those odds’—your odds are worse here.”
William grumbled. “You don’t need to threaten. A promise is a promise. Bring me a pen and paper and I’ll write your letter—with extra copies if you want them.”
Leith sheathed her knife. “I figured you’d keep your word. But a girl likes to be sure.” A sheaf of papers and a pen were produced in short order and set before William. He quickly scrawled the first copy and presented it to Leith, who read it quickly before passing it to her second. After he nodded his assent, William scratched out five more copies, handing each one to Leith as he finished it. “I thought you were a Librarian,” she said as she inspected a copy. “Your handwriting is atrocious.”
“So I’ve been told,” he answered as he handed her the last copy. “But as I’ve said, I’m in a hurry, and neatness won’t get the duke back. Are you satisfied?”
“I am,” she said, and gestured the men away from the door. “The sooner you get going, the sooner I can start looking for another base to work from.”
William turned to her with a frown. “You don’t think we’re going to give away your location, do you?”
“I’d be a fool to assume you’ll never change your mind,” she said. She held up the letters. “Besides, with these notes I can afford to expand my operations. This will be just one of many ports of entry into Faywater. If the duke blames you for the loss of tax income, don’t come crying to me.”
“Your concern for his well-being overwhelms me,” said William with a grin as they left the cabin. “We have a riderless dragon with us—are you sure you don’t want to ride with us to find the rebels? You could give them your compliments in person when we find them.”
Leith stared at the dragons with a wistful look. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted. I’ve been climbing the rigging since I was tall enough to reach the ropes, and flying on a dragon is probably the only thing that would give me a bigger thrill.” She sighed and turned to William. “But I have work to do. I’m satisfied to ride the waves—you can ride the sky.”
William climbed onto Adonis’s back. “Any more advice you can give us?”
“Keep the sun just behind your left shoulder, and you’ll fly right through the middle of those islands. If you see the reef islands, you’ve gone too far.”
“Thanks. Anything else?”
She paused for a moment before answering. “Yes. Don’t come back here. Unless you want something smuggled, that is. But you’re too good for that, aren’t you?”
“If I don’t find what I’m looking for, you’d better believe I’ll be back,” he said, his face hardening. “And it won’t be to exchange pleasantries.”
“I’m no fool, William Whitehall. I never want to see you or your friends again, which is why I gave you what you needed. If you don’t find your rebels there, it’s because they decided to make a break for it.”
William signaled Adonis to take flight, and soon he was headed west, his eyes fixed on the horizon, and his heart pounding in anticipation.
The first island came into view less than an hour later, others beyond it shortly after. These weren’t the sandy barrier islands he’d heard so much about, the ones surrounding the bay and preventing the rebels’ escape. On these islands, trees covered nearly every square inch except for a few sandy beaches. William and the others focused on those open places, flying low to spot any sign of human activity, but they didn’t see so much as footprints, let alone people or ships.
They searched the islands together rather than splitting up, and had flown around fifteen or more when William began to worry they would run out of islands to search. The barrier islands were visible in the distance, and with trepidation he began the descent to circle around the last of Ransom’s islands.
As before, they flew barely above the water in order to see under the tree cover, hoping to spot a mast or bank of oars, perhaps a fire, or maybe even people, but they saw nothing but trees and rocky coastline.
William swore under his breath. Had Leith Ransom tricked them? Was she laughing right now along with her crew at sending them all the way across the bay? Should he go back and confront her, perhaps asking the drones to burn a boat or two to show how serious he was?
He was about to signal the others to land when a flash of red caught his eye—Rachel’s scarf. William’s pulse raced as he followed her lead, the others in tight formation behind him. Rachel led the way to an island they had already searched, but rather than flying low, she ascended well above the tree line. William grumbled to himself. She hadn’t really seen anything—she simply wanted another look at an island they had already rejected.
Once again, he began to signal the order to land, but stopped when Rachel waved her arms and pointed. William spotted it immediately—a mast, and then a second one, nearly invisible under the foliage of an inlet they had missed on their first pass.
He cast his gaze about, but the area was so densely covered in trees that it was impossible to find a place to land nearby. The closest spot was a beach nearly a hundred yards away, but it would have to do. He guided Adonis toward it, hoping to land before the rebels spotted them, but it was too late: a large crowd began pouring onto the sand before they could touch down.
An arrow flew past his shoulder. He yelled to Adonis. “Land at the far end, as far away from them as possible.” With additional hand signals, Adonis finally understood and wheeled away from the attackers, heading for the far end of the beach. William drew his sword before they landed.
They would have to make a stand.
Chapter 31
The others landed behind him as he dismounted. “What on Esper are you thinking, Will?” asked Jack as he nervously eyed the onrushing mob. “I thought we were just looking, and now we’re about to be attacked.”
“Form a line,” said William, ignoring Jack. “Dragons in front, humans behind. Adonis, will your scales protect you from arrows?”
“I am uncertain,” said Adonis. “Our scales are tough, but I have not been shot with arrows before.”
“Let’s try to stop it from happening now,” said William. “Start breathing fire now so they get the message not to get too close.”
“What then?” asked Jack, who quickly scrambled off his drone. “Invite them to tea?”
William peered between two drones as the rebels approached in a flawless attacking line. “One thing at a time,” he said. “We can leave if things get too dangerous, but I want to find out if Vincent is here—or Bird, for that matter.”
The drones spewed a wall of flame that stopped the attackers short.
A handful of attackers with bows began firing as their line slowly retreated before the advancing dragons. William and the others crouched behind the drones, arrows flying harmlessly over them. Maya winced every time an arrow bounced off the dragons’ scales with a metallic clink, while Melissa giggled with a mixture of fear and excitement. Rachel and Charlie maintained stoic expressions, while Jack shot furious glances at William every few feet. Clyde remained beside William, uncertain what to do.
They inched forward along the beach. The attackers took cover behind trees when they reached the end of the beach, retreating slowly, tree by tree, as the dragons followed them into the woods.
“Look!” yelled Rachel. “They’re loading the ships.”
William followed her gaze. Sure enough, men were running up gangplanks into the ships, carrying bundles as they went. “Kings boots!” he said. “They must have spotted us as we flew by; that one is already leaving.” One of the ships slipped away, sailing out of the inlet while they watched helplessly.
“They probably keep one ready to go,” said Charlie. “Everything important will be on that ship.”
“Nothing we can do about that, but we can’t let them all get away,” said William. “We have to capture one or two for questioning.”
Jack ducked as another arrow flew over them. “How? The dragons can’t get any closer because of the trees, and we can’t because of the arrows. All you’ve done is create a standoff, and we’re still standing here like ducks in a pond.”
“I heard all about you and those ducks,” said Rachel with a grin. “We aren’t getting hit any more than they did.”
Jack whirled toward William with an angry look. “I can’t believe you told her about the ducks! I thought we were friends.”
“I never said a thing to Rachel about the ducks,” said William, his gaze intent on the remaining ship. “The only person I told was Melissa. I can’t keep secrets from my wife, Jack.”
“And I told Rachel, of course,” said Melissa. “It was too funny not to.”
“Can we please stop talking about the ducks?” asked Maya. She was following Charlie, hiding behind his bulk in addition to that of the drone in front of them. “Will, you said I wouldn’t have to do any fighting. What’s your plan?”
“Well, they can’t stay here forever,” said William. “Charlie, any ideas?”
“Let them run out of arrows,” said Charlie. “Then charge.”
“I was afraid you’d say that,” said William with a sigh. “I wish I knew how many people they have. Ships too, for that matter.”
“Be right back,” said Rachel as she darted away into the woods to the right.
“What on Esper—where’s she going?” asked Melissa.
“Scouting mission,” said Jack. “You had to open your mouth, Will, didn’t you?”
“She’ll be fine,” said William. “Let’s do what we can for her and keep these guys distracted.” He picked up a rock and hurled it toward the archers, hitting a tree above one of their heads. The others followed William’s example, and soon a hail of stones fell around the attackers, momentarily reducing the arrow fire.
Rachel returned a few minutes later. “Three ships, two of which are already sailing. That one there is the only one left. I couldn’t count all the people, but there’s at least forty. Those archers are the only ones still on land.”
At some unseen signal, half of the archers broke rank and ran toward the waiting ship and up the gangplank. They positioned themselves behind the gunwales, providing cover for their comrades, who then retreated in the same manner. The ship began to move the instant the last archer boarded.
William hurled a final stone in anger as the ship sailed through the mouth of the inlet. “King’s boots,” he said in disgust. “What I would have given to have a ship of our own to trap them here.”
Melissa jumped up and down, giggling with excitement. “That was so much fun! When can we do something like that again?”
Jack gave her a wary look. “You’re worse than Will. Look, we need to do what we should have done to begin with: follow them and keep an eye on where they go. Report their position to the authorities. Landing here was a stupid idea.”
“Stupid or not, they know we’ve found them,” said Rachel. “Now they have no choice but to make a break for it. They’re headed for the nearest choke point now—I guarantee it.”
“Don’t worry,” said William. “We’re not done yet. I have an idea, one I’ve been saving in case it came to this.”
Jack rolled his eyes at him. “I was afraid you’d say that. Does it involve landing on the ships in the middle of a hail of arrows? If so, count me out.”
“Don’t be dumb,” said William. “That would be suicide. Look, they have a numbers advantage, and they can hide behind the ship’s hull. But we’re faster, which means we can follow them, and possibly delay them.”
“Delay them how?” asked Maya. “We can’t get close enough to them to do anything without getting shot at. And I can’t treat an arrow wound from the back of a dragon.”
William turned to her with a look of urgency. “You won’t be here anyway, Maya. I need you and Charlie to fly to the choke points and warn the people there. The chains should still be up, but they should prepare to be attacked. And if there’s a fight, I want the most reliable warrior I know and the world’s best doctor there to help them.”
Maya and Charlie ran to their drones without a word. William noted the look of pride on Charlie’s face as he shared a smile with Maya. William followed their flight for a moment before turning to Melissa and taking her hands.
“I’ve ignored your skills for far too long,” he said. “But I’m counting on them now.”
Melissa squeezed his hand. “Tell me what you need me to do, and I’ll do it.”
“Fly to the port and talk to the harbormaster again. Let her know what we’ve seen, and convince her to send more boats, more men. And if she happens to see Major Bentsen—”
“I’ll talk to him myself,” she said. “We’ll steal the boats if we have to.”
He leaned forward and kissed her. “Stay safe,” he said.
William turned to the others as soon as her drone lifted off.
“You’ve saved the most dangerous work for us, haven’t you?” asked Jack before William could speak. “I should warn you: whatever plan you have in mind for us, you aren’t kissing me.”
“There’s three of us,” said William, ignoring the barb. “One for each ship—plus Clyde and the extra drone. We don’t know if the ships will split up or stay together, so each of us needs to stick with one boat. If Bentsen arrives with his contingent, we’ll act as beacons for them, guiding them to the ships. My other hope is that the constant reminder of dragons might give them second thoughts about attacking the choke points. Maya was right—we can’t get close to them without being attacked, and we can’t risk having a dragon drop into the sea. But if we land the dragons at the choke point, we can stop the rebels from taking the chain down.”
Jack and Rachel shared a glance before they turned back to William. “I’ve got bad news,” said Jack. “There’s no room for a dragon at either choke point.”
William’s jaw dropped. “But that was my backup plan!”
“Sorry,” said Rachel. “I thought you knew. The two towers on either side are surrounded by water. They can only be entered by boat or by swimming. There’s not even enough room on top of the towers for a dragon to land.”
William’s heart sank as the last ship fell in behind its cohorts. “Anything else I should know?” he asked with a sigh.
Rachel shrugged and said, “The higher we are, the less effective their arrows will be.”
“Good thing I’m more afraid of getting shot than I am of heights,” said Jack with a grimace. “Let’s get going.”
William raised an eyebrow at him. “I thought you were against this whole thing?”
“I’m not,” denied Jack. “I just wanted to keep you out of trouble.
As long as you don’t attack them single-handed, I’m not worried.”
William scowled at him as he prepared to mount. “We’re running out of other options. Adonis, this may be your last rest for a while. Are you and your brothers ready for a long flight?”
“We are not yet too weary to fly,” said the dragon. “Though it would be wise to remain near land if possible. It is death for a dragon to fall into deep water.”
Despite the head start, they caught up to the ships in mere minutes. William took Rachel’s advice, leading them to a height well beyond arrow’s reach, which gave them an excellent view of both the ships and the surrounding area.
He squinted into the distance as they wheeled around, trying to catch sight of the choke point that Maya and Charlie were racing to, but he wasn’t even certain which direction to look. The long, thin sand barrier was clearly visible in the distance, but where the towers stood he couldn’t tell.
Three hours passed in helpless frustration. The ships slowed as the wind died, and dozens of oars began rowing the ships as the sails sagged. The dragons couldn’t fly that slowly, and had to soar in giant circles around the three ships in order to remain aloft. William began to worry about the drones tiring, but Adonis never complained once. It wasn’t until the first pangs of thirst hit that he began to worry about himself and his friends.
He signaled to the others to fly close. When they were near enough, he slowed Adonis to reduce the wind noise and yelled as loud as he could. “We need to rest soon. Rachel—scout ahead and look for islands big enough to land on.” It took additional gestures, but he eventually got his message across, and Rachel left to start her search.
William and Jack continued their mid-air vigil, gliding in giant arcs around the ships until Rachel returned. William signaled again to fly close, but Rachel’s single shake of her head told him all he needed to know—they would have nowhere to land. He began to imagine the worst. He tried to recall the maps he’d studied at Vincent’s manor and Ransom’s cabin, wishing he’d paid more attention to the whole bay instead of just the potential hiding spots.
Skyrider of Renegade Point Page 33
