Blood

by Emily Thompson

  “You said he killed me, in the last dream?” Jonas said, his voice entirely too casual for Twist’s taste.

  Twist’s jaw tightened against the thought of speaking the truth. “He cut your throat.” Twist forced the words out, just to be sure he was capable. “I couldn’t do anything.”

  Jonas looked back at him with gray eyes. Twist could almost hear the words he knew Jonas would say next: It was just a dream. It wasn’t real. Somehow, that was the last thing in the world Twist wanted to hear. Being a dream didn’t make it feel any less real.

  “That’s not like you, at all,” Jonas said instead. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned about you in our travels, it’s that you would always do something to save someone you care about. No matter what.”

  Twist stared back at him, stunned. Jonas was right. Of course Twist would do something. In every situation he’d faced, Twist had always acted despite his fear or shock at the time. Even when he hadn’t known what to do, he had always acted. If he’d actually woken into the situation of his dream, he would never have simply watched. The dream began to feel much less solid to him, the more he followed Jonas’s logic. Looking back into his eyes, Jonas smiled at him knowingly.

  “So, breakfast?” Jonas asked lightly. “We’ve got to be close to Rio by now. And let me tell you, you’ve got to be prepared for a city like Rio. Thank heavens we’re not here at Mardi Gras.”

  Twist’s spirit lightened quickly as he got himself ready for the day, chatting about the extravagance of the Brazilian capital. By the time he and Jonas joined the others for breakfast, the horrors of his nightmare were the furthest things from his mind. When Twist sat down at the table Myra and Skye had saved for them in the quickly filling lounge, Myra got immediately to her feet in search of a pot of tea. Jonas decided to help her, leaving Twist and Skye alone at the table. The moment they were alone, Skye’s gaze settled on Twist. “You all right, sugar?” she asked.

  Twist shrugged, feeling conspicuous under her sudden attention. “It was just a bad dream. I’m fine. Thank you for asking,” he added, meaning quite the opposite.

  “Jonas said you’ve had nightmares about that big lizard for two nights in a row,” she said, leaning closer to lower her voice. Twist fought to keep the uncomfortable expression off of his face and struggled to think of a way out of this conversation. “Do you think this is what everyone meant about him having his revenge?”

  Twist followed her implications instantly, remembering the disturbing things that all of the dragons he’d met during his trial and in Hawaii had said. They all seemed in agreement that Kazan would have his revenge on Twist in some way. Even Vane had mentioned something about there being dragon’s blood on Twist’s skin. Twist rubbed absently at his hand, though there was still nothing like blood to be seen on it. The most aggravating thing to him about the whole business was that none of the creatures who seemed to know anything about it had ever explained themselves properly.

  “I’m sorry, Twist,” Skye said softly. “But you know we’re here to help you,” she added, catching his gaze with a warm smile. “Jonas, Myra, and I would turn the world upside down to help you, if you needed us to. We’ll figure something out.”

  Twist’s spirit eased in the face of such loyalty. He couldn’t deny the truth in what she’d said about Jonas and Myra as well. They had all been through so much already that there was no doubt in his mind that his friends would gladly offer help. They seemed unreasonably insistent on the matter, in fact. Skye smiled as the effects of her words appeared to calm him.

  “If there’s anything worth worrying about now, it’s what’s going on in Africa,” Skye said with a sigh.

  Twist felt his spirit ease at the prospect of a new subject, even one that was a worry on its own. “Have you heard any more news from Aazzi?”

  “Not a peep,” Skye said, shaking her head. “Right now, the only news anyone is talking about on the Rook airways is that stolen blood from Mexico. They’re looking everywhere. I tell ya, I wouldn’t want to be the guy who swiped it. There’s going to be hell to pay.”

  “They don’t have any Darjeeling,” Jonas said, returning to the table with Myra. “We’ll have to make do with Earl Grey.” Myra put the teapot on the table and sat down close beside Twist.

  Skye winced. “I don’t like that old lady tea. You bring the sugar?”

  “Oh, yes,” Jonas answered, putting a sugar bowl and a few cups on the table before taking a seat himself.

  “Do you like sugar in Earl Grey?” Myra asked Twist as she began to serve the tea.

  “No, I don’t need any sugar,” Twist said, taking a cup from her. “As long as it’s hot, I don’t care what kind of tea it is. But thank you for asking, dear.”

  As the others helped themselves to the tea, Twist settled into the flowery, fragrant scent wafting gently out of his own cup. His mind returned to the soft moment he’d awoken to this morning.

  “Is it all right?” Myra asked once Twist had taken a sip of his tea.

  “Lovely,” Twist answered.

  When Myra took his hand and gave him a warm smile, his Sight sparkled with her untarnished joy and lightened his mood back into bliss.

  The airship dropped from the faster winds of the upper atmosphere and restarted its engines as it slipped down to the mountains surrounding Rio de Janeiro. After all of the dark, wild jungles Twist had seen elsewhere in Brazil, the size and sophistication of the city before him was a surprise. He banished all thoughts of handmade huts and tiny villages as he gazed out over the densely populated city that sprawled out of the lush mountains, all of the way down to the bright blue sea in the distance. To his eye, it looked like it could rival San Francisco or Melbourne for all their New World mystique.

  A last solitary peak stood like a sentry overlooking the teaming populace, at the very border of city and jungle. Airships of all varieties swarmed the peak as they crowded into the clearly overwhelmed docks. While their airship nosed its way into the cloud of ships, Twist and his companions returned to their cabins to pack. Jonas and Twist were finished quickly, as neither one of them ever bothered to fully unpack for any stay that lasted under a week. The two of them found Skye and Myra only half-finished packing when they went to check on them in their own cabin.

  “Oh dear, I’m not very good at this…” Myra moaned, stuffing things into her bag.

  “Well, you’ve got it rough, Myra,” Skye said, checking the drawers in the wardrobe for missed items. “You’re a proper lady. I know it’s not easy to look charming all the time. I’ve been told so by every lady I’ve ever met.”

  “Do you notice that she’s not including herself in that category?” Jonas remarked to Twist.

  They both stood to watch from the hall while the women hurried about inside the cabin. Skye shot Jonas a warning glance that he deftly failed to see. Myra, not apparently hearing him, gave Skye a grateful smile.

  “You always look charming, Skye,” Myra said. “But you don’t pack nearly as many things as I do.”

  “Honey, if you keep saying things like that, we’re gonna be friends for life,” Skye said, smiling widely to Myra as she handed her a forgotten shawl.

  “What’s going on?” Luca asked, stepping up beside Jonas to peer into the cabin. “Are they putting on a play?”

  “If they are, it’s the dullest play I’ve ever seen,” Jonas remarked.

  “I’m finished!” Myra announced in triumph.

  “Bravo!” Jonas called, clapping. “I never saw that ending coming.”

  Twist rolled his eyes.

  “You’ll never see me coming, if you don’t knock it off,” Skye warned, advancing threateningly.

  Jonas smiled, keeping his eyes low. “After last night, you can come at me any time you like, love.”

  Skye faltered, looking at Jonas as if startled while her cheeks took on a pinker hue. “I don’t know if I like you flirting back,” she grumbled at Jonas darkly.

  “What happened last night?” Luca asked J
onas with a wicked smile.

  “If you don’t want my attention,” Jonas said calmly to Skye, clearly ignoring Luca, “then you’re doing everything completely wrong, poppet.”

  “Call me another pet name, and I’ll bust you in the nose,” Skye declared with a brandished fist.

  Myra gasped, watching with wide eyes. Twist felt Jonas’s joy warm the buzz in his neck and gave a sigh.

  Jonas grinned. “I wish I could look at you,” he said, shaking his head as he kept his eyes low. “I’ll bet you’re just adorable when you’re angry.”

  “Can you make him stop?” Skye asked Twist, her blue eyes ablaze. “’Cause I’m about to either kiss him or kill him, and I’m not sure one will actually happen.”

  Jonas snickered to himself.

  “I want no part of any of this,” Twist said quickly. “But shouldn’t we be getting off the ship? My watch says it’s nearly four,” he added, checking the time.

  “Give me that,” Jonas said, laughing under his breath.

  The battle apparently paused thanks to Twist’s hasty distraction, everyone began to head out to the deck. Skye turned her full attention to Myra, helping her to carry her things, and kept her back to Jonas. As they walked by a crewman, Jonas asked him the time and began to set Twist’s watch.

  Twist kept his eyes on the watch until Jonas offered it back. Trying not to snatch it off his fingers, Twist took it and hooked the chain back into his buttonhole. Felling more stable with his watch safely in his pocket, Twist followed the others off the airship and into the chaos of the plateau in the center of the airship docks. Masses of people shuffled by each other like too many fish in a bucket.

  Twist instantly drew back, away from the flowing crowds, his heart beating quickly. Jonas moved without hesitation, standing close behind him with both hand on his shoulders, while Myra slipped in, taking his hand to lead. With both of them blocking the people that hurried about from accidentally running into Twist, he felt his heartbeat begin to calm. Jonas pulled his goggles on over his eyes, letting Twist and Myra steer him through the fray.

  “Myra, darling! Over here!” a voice called from the edge of the docks, where a long, winding road led down toward the city.

  Turning to look, Twist saw the older couple they’d met on the airship. Carmine was standing up in an open cab to wave at them with a handkerchief. Her husband, Pablo, stood outside the cab, speaking to the driver. Twist and his companions hurried to join them and found Carmine smiling down at them when they arrived.

  “Do you need a ride into the city?” she asked brightly. “There’s plenty of room in our cab. Why don’t you and your friends join us at our estate for lunch?”

  “Oh, that sounds lovely!” Myra gasped happily.

  “Time…” Jonas muttered to her softly.

  Myra’s smile dimmed instantly.

  “Just a moment, please,” Twist said politely to Carmine before looking to Jonas. “Where are we going from here?”

  “Well, Africa,” Jonas answered with a shrug.

  “Yes, but by what transport?” Twist asked patiently.

  “Good point, city boy,” Luca said, turning to look over the airships around them. “I don’t see any African flags on these airships. And the only quick-looking one is the one we just got off.”

  “Got off of…” Twist muttered to himself, under his breath. No one seemed to hear him.

  “We might have better luck with a freight ship,” Harman mentioned. “Or even a sea vessel.”

  “Well, it sounds to me like you could use some time to think it over,” Pablo said with a smile. “Our home is on the other side of the city, near the Botafogo Cove. You may find it easier to arrange a way over to Africa from there.”

  “We might just,” Jonas said, nodding. “Thank you for the offer.”

  “Oh, it’s no trouble at all,” Carmine said with a bright smile. “And I’ll get to show you my gardens,” she added to Myra.

  Myra clapped her hands. “I would love that! They sound so lovely, from what you’ve told me.”

  “Then it’s settled,” Pablo said with finality.

  Everyone climbed into their large, open-topped carriage—Twist, Jonas, and Myra sitting together on one seat, while Carmine, Pablo, and Skye took the facing seat, and the gypsies joined the driver at the front—and quickly began to move toward the city. The winding road led first along a high, narrow cliff and then down the mountain through a touch more jungle, before leading into the city itself. Twist watched the busy city grow quickly thicker and more hectic around them.

  It wasn’t long at all before Twist began to wonder if this modern, lively city might rival London or New York with its surprisingly dense population. He was very thankful for the carriage ride that kept him well out of reach of the bustling city inhabitants. Many of the faces he saw appeared European, while others looked more like the darker-skinned locals he had seen in the mountains of Peru. Much like in Bombay, stately buildings that could have looked perfectly at home in Europe stood along the long, straight avenues. Only the warm tropical sun and the occasional palm tree planted at the edges of the lanes reminded Twist that he was half a world away from his home.

  As the carriage brought them toward the far side of the city, Twist began to see the wide, glistening blue bay that lay beyond. A giant, smooth, bare rock stood on an archipelago in the bay, like a proud sentry at the edge of the Atlantic. They turned then and took the road up another shallow incline, into a quieter part of the city. Dense streets of shops and apartments gave way to sprawling villas shaded by trees. The carriage slipped through one of the stately gates to approach a large house made of cherrywood.

  The sloping roof above the second floor was nearly hidden in the thick green canopy of the huge tropical trees that surrounded the house, while the unspoiled garden that filled the clearing in front thrived under the gentle shade of the surrounding jungle. The carriage drove along the pebbled path, around a large marble fountain that stood in an island of colorful flowers in the center of the garden, and came to a stop before the overlarge front door of the house.

  “Oh, your garden is just as lovely as you said,” Myra told Carmine happily.

  “This is only the front garden,” Carmine said, her face awash with pride. “I shall have to show you my collection of orchids in the back garden, as well,” she added with a doting pat on Myra’s arm.

  “I can hardly wait!” Myra declared with rapture. “I love a good garden.”

  Twist smiled quietly at her glee as they all climbed out of the carriage. He remembered the ruined garden that had surrounded her palace in Nepal. Surely, with Myra’s attentive care, that garden had been truly splendid when she was young. He decided then and there, as they were invited into the pristine villa—with its oceans of polished cherrywood flooring, handsome ancestral paintings in gilded frames, and only the most modern and stylish furniture—that if he and Myra ever decided to stay in one place for very long, he would make sure that there was plenty of room for a garden.

  Lunch was served in a cabana on the lawn behind the house, which lay at the edge of a tall cliff that overlooked the nearby bay. A small forest of orchids of varying colors, shapes, and sizes ringed a pool of lush grass and stood primly in pots that sat at the edges of the cabana. Twist and Myra sat with Pablo and Carmine at the table, while thin curtains of white silk fluttered gently around them, under the shade of the cherrywood cabana roof.

  Jonas, Skye, and the gypsies had all declined the offer of lunch in favor of leaving to arrange for their departure from Brazil. As Twist and Myra had little to offer in this endeavor, they were quite pleased to stay at the villa and wait for news. Twist enjoyed the delightful sandwiches, fresh and tangy local fruit, and exquisite coffee, while Myra enjoyed their host’s company to the fullest. It seemed like no time at all before Jonas returned. The gypsies and Skye had split off to improve their collective chances of finding a good option.

  “I’d like to wait and see what the others find,” Jo
nas said when Pablo asked him how his search had gone. “But I did find something myself,” he added.

  A maid handed him a cup of coffee the moment he sat down at the table. Jonas thanked her before he took a sip.

  “Oh, wow, that’s good,” he muttered, looking at his coffee in amazement.

  “I agree,” Twist said, sipping at his own cup. “It’s very different to what we had in the South Pacific.”

  “I must say,” Pablo mentioned thoughtfully to his wife, “that Hawaiian coffee we had was better than this.”

  Carmine nodded. “You were right. I’ll order some after all.”

  “I had some from Kona that was exquisite,” Twist mentioned. “Light, but very flavorful.”

  “Yes, I liked the Kona as well,” Pablo mentioned with a smile. “We’ll order that.”

  “Listen to the world-traveling coffee snob,” Jonas said, grinning at him with blue eyes.

  Twist smiled at the slight, taking no offense. He was secretly quite pleased with his own increasingly sophisticated palate. There were a few advantages to his bizarre lifestyle.

  When the others returned, they, Jonas, Twist, and Myra gathered together to one side of the wide cliffside lawn to discuss their next move. Carmine and Pablo remained at the table under the cabana and finished their coffee, giving their guests some room to talk.

  “Well, I’ve got a bite,” Jonas said. “I went to talk to the airship pirates that hide behind Pāo de Açucar.”

  “What?” Twist asked, startled to hear that there might be more pirates in his future.

  “Pāo de Açucar,” Jonas said, pointing toward the bay. “That’s the name of that big rock at the edge of the cove.”

  “You went looking for pirates?” Twist said quickly.

  “Well, yeah,” Jonas said with a shrug. “They usually have fast ships. Besides, there are loads of diamonds and other resources in Africa, so I thought it would be likely to find a pirate willing to head toward treasure.”