by A D Lombardo
Rayna’s caution was understandable, but Albert’s friendship meant the world to Kai. “I believe you want to make this right,” Kai said, the choice becoming clear as he spoke. “We both seek redemption, but our paths do not converge. Rayna and I must go alone. I cannot afford another mistake—and taking you with us would be a mistake.”
Albert’s shoulders slumped in disappointment, but he continued to listen. “Albert, you could be of service. Speak with your father—inform him that you saw Rayna and I escape across Baden Lake. Mention our confrontation and my profession of innocence. Tell him if he wants the truth, he must come to Diu. By ship, you and he could be there tomorrow by noon. I want the world to know the I did not kill my father. Can you do this, Albert?”
Albert took a breath and nodded. “I want to come with you, but I understand. I would only slow you down or get you caught. Trust me, I will get my father to Diu.”
They shook hands and parted.
With one short prayer to Alenga, Kai gleaned the area one final time to ensure there were no witnesses who might see him transform. In one direction, he saw Albert pushing the limits of his horse toward Chenowith, and in the opposite direction, the closest travelers were miles away, camping near a small fishing pier. On the lake, the Dragaron was sailing toward Diu.
Standing in the darkness, Kai thought about his chances of finding his father’s body and about every choice he made in the previous days. A thin white ray of sunlight peeked over the mountains. They were out of time.
“As Sabastian told us,” Kai reminded her, “there is a moment, just after dawn, when the sun’s rays paint the sky white, then yellow. We missed the break of dawn, but the yellow rays coming over the mountain and down into the valley can still hide our departure. I must fly above the clouds. We will have to fly very high.”
She nodded with acceptance.
Kai stepped back to provide space for him to maneuver, and then he transformed. Rayna climbed up between the two protruding horns along his back.
“I have missed you,” she whispered as she kicked her heels as one would on a horse. “Take me flying. If this is our last day of freedom, make it beautiful.”
Kai took flight. The white and gold rays bathed them with light as they escaped the treetops. With a few strong beats, they were engulfed in the plump white clouds.
Chapter 17
One More Dead Man
Sleep had become a luxury Kai could not afford, but the lack of rest affected his ability to focus. Every flap of his wings took more effort than the last. If they were going to make it to Port Anahita, he needed to rest, even if only for a few hours. They were flying high in the clouds, searching for a safe spot to land. It had to be a place with no people—a place off the beaten path.
The first spot he recognized was the hunting lodge he had used every summer in his childhood. This area was very familiar to him. Although they could not stay in the lodge, he knew that the overlook provided ample landing space for a dragon’s girth. The beating of his wings disrupted the low-hanging clouds, causing them to swirl.
Kai’s landing was far from graceful, and the transformation back into his natural form brought pinpricks of pain raining down his body. Tears welled in his eyes as he fell to his knees, and Rayna rushed to his side, providing a soothing touch to the back of his head. Her keen sense of his suffering gave him the reassurance in their connection. Without asking, she placed another hand on his spine. The warm wave of magic bathed his vertebra, easing the pulse of agony he felt as his bones reset.
He raised his face to look at her. Her shocked expression was a cross between horror and sorrow.
“I rushed the change. I am sorry if I frightened you,” Kai muttered in a gravelly voice, not entirely his own, with a mouth full of more teeth than usual. The golden hue of her face told him his eyes were still amber, and the weight of his head gave him the inkling he still had horns protruding from his skull.
Rayna continued to help him shift by touching his cheeks and covering his eyes. “You take too many risks with all these back-to-back transformations,” she whispered, rocking back on her heels. “There, there, all seems restored. I didn’t know a Beastmaster could get stuck between the change. When did you last sleep?”
The pain faded, and Kai rolled onto his back. “Thank you, Rayna. I did not know that could happen, either. I changed just my hand once to practice, but never have I been stuck like today.” He shifted his head to look at her. “The lack of sleep is catching up with me, and I have no balance. The few hours at Robert Henley’s estate was not enough. Creating the leviathan took more magic than you can imagine. I know all these new creatures put me at risk, but I must . . .” he let out a sigh too tired to finish.
The renewed confidence in Rayna’s face eased Kai’s mind. “I wondered why you chose this route.” She plucked a blade of grass from his shoulder. “Around the lake instead of straight across.”
Trust was a delicate thing, so Kai chose his words carefully. “I am sorry.” He sat up straight, feeling his strength improve. “I owe you an apology.” He searched her eyes for acceptance, but she remained indifferent. “What can I say?” He felt his words crumbled between them.
Several minutes passed before she spoke. “There is nothing to say.” Kai noticed her withdraw. “You made a choice, and I will admit to being mad the first day, but then I made a choice, which turned out to be wrong. Both of us made mistakes, but it does not change how we feel.”
“Not about leaving.” He turned to catch her eyes with his own. “About kissing Nola. I know you saw us, and for that I am sorry. She cast a spell on me, and I should have tried harder to stop her. I love you, and only you.”
Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, but her lips formed the hint of acceptance. “I know. It means a lot you told me.” She cleaned her face and stood dusting the dirt from her knees. “Enough about the past. You need rest. We both do. I can create a natural enclosure to conceal our location. Perhaps over there.” She pointed to a cluster of saplings.
The years visiting this location gave Kai an advantage. He gleaned the area for the Alpha, and he soon discovered that the pack was close. Come to me, he called with his mind. Other animals sensed him and moved in his direction. A mountain lion entered the clearing and sat near the overlook while a hawk landed in the trees above them.
“We can rest here,” Kai said, “but not for long. The Alpha and his pack are coming to secure the area. I wish Smoke were here, but the animals around us will guard us while we sleep.”
The saplings were pencil-thin, sprigs only three feet tall. Under Rayna’s fingers, moss bubbled up through the pine needles and spread in every direction. The trunk of each tree expanded with a bit of her magic. Their thickening trunks shot up eight feet, and their lower branches interlaced, creating an arched shelter. From the ground, she urged evergreen holly to cover the arch and conceal the structure.
“What do you think?” she beamed.
Watching her create structures filled Kai with immense pride. “Wonderful, Rayna.” He turned to see the Alpha. The wolf’s heart pounded in Kai’s ears; his friend was tired. The pack followed a moment later. They had come a great distance in a short time to answer Kai’s call.
For most, it was not every day you called a wild animal to your side, and they came. Kai was honored, given all the pack had suffered in fighting for him last spring.
Thank you. I need your help, protect us while we rest.
The pack fanned out and started to patrol.
Rayna entered first, and Kai followed. Once inside, she sealed the entrance with more vines and foliage. Inside, the moss and pine needles provided a soft place to rest. The concealed space was nearly as dark as a cave, and Kai was asleep before his head hit the ground.
♦ ♦ ♦
Wind-blown embers jumped from rooftop to rooftop, and Diu became a sea of fire. Three-story buildings collapsed into piles of burning rubble. Ash fell like snow from the sky and the smell of death caught in Kai
’s dragon nostrils. Everywhere he looked, flames spread to engulf another structure. His city was ablaze, and his people were lost in the chaos.
Kai flew over the Central City Gardens—they were gone. Nothing but ash and cinders. On the east end of the park, the five large oaks had been reduced to smoldering trunks. Memories of Rayna burned alive in her tree flooded his mind. It stuck deep into his heart, so he turned away. He did not want to see any more.
Far across the city, he saw them—Milnos soldiers closing the city gates and locking the Diu people inside. Fury burned in Kai’s throat. An explosion along the warehouse district caught his attention. Screams echoed on the wind, and yellow-orange flames licked at the heels of citizens running through the firestorm. Everyone was dying, and he could do nothing.
Kai woke from his nightmare with screams echoing in his mind. Drenched in sweat, he sat up and ran his hands through his hair. It had been years since a horrific dream had woken him like this.
“Did you have another bad dream?” she asked. “I felt your anguish.”
Kai was thankful for their bond. They were true soulmates. Ever since Keegan tried to burn her alive in her tree, their connection was stronger. He leaned back on his elbows and sighed.
“About your father again?” she turned to look at him.
“No, this was something new.” Sadness overwhelmed him again, and he swallowed hard before continuing. “I saw Diu burn. Milnos men torched the city and locked the people inside the walls. Men, women, and children screamed as the blaze engulfed them. There was nothing I could do.”
“Are you sure it was real? Not sure if this will ease your mind, but I’ve done a lot of reading about dream interpretation. They say fire symbolizes destruction, purification, transformation, or anger. Forgive me for analyzing your nightmare, but you have struggled with your loyalty to Diu and your desire to live in Katori.”
He wrestled with the idea this nightmare was only his inner battle to choose between the two, and not a vision of the future given to him by Alenga.
“It felt so real,” he insisted.
“And it may have been. We both know you have undeniably accurate visions. But this is only one possible future for Diu.”
Her truthful words soothed his spirit. He knew Rayna was right; at some point, he would need to decide. “I am not sure if it is a vision of what is to come or me trying to reconcile my heart to live in Katori or Diu. What should I do?”
Rayna tilted her head to the side, revealing her confusion. “You asked me to follow you to Katori, and now you are questioning your choice. Why?”
Kai sighed again. “I cannot lie. The peace I feel in Katori is undeniable, but I am torn. Am I, like in my dream, to burn the bridge behind me to Diu? Am I to forget what they meant to me?”
“I love my parents, but they live in Diu. It is a beautiful city, but not my home.” Rayna patted her heart with her hand. “Port Anahita was not my home either, though I spent half of my life there. During the many months we’ve lived in Katori, I have never been more at peace. That is my home—I know it in my heart.”
The usual kindness in Rayna’s eyes melted into uncertainty. He knew she did not judge him, but his indecisiveness created doubt about their future. At a loss of words, he tugged the chain of his crystal.
Rayna stayed his hand. “Follow your heart. You are not saying goodbye to these people forever; you are simply moving to a new place. I cannot impose my choice on you, but you do have to make one. Now, you only slept about an hour. Rest.”
She let her head fall as she closed her eyes. Kai was pleasantly surprised at how quickly he drifted off.
♦ ♦ ♦
The sounds of metal clashing on stone woke Kai. Disoriented, he sat up and looked around the cramped space. Rayna was asleep. Another sound hastened him outside, the sounds of low grunts and groans.
Rain mixed with snow put a new chill in the air and wet his head and shoulders. Down the slope, he searched for the sounds that woke him. He moved down the hill—the area was familiar to him, and he knew the sounds were coming from the direction of the hunting lodge that he had visited many times. Dread welled in his throat. Halfway down the hill, he spotted a man trying to climb over the large boulders.
“Come on, Marcus, slow down,” the man shouted.
Kai's heart stopped. There was another man somewhere nearby. Was he so tired that he had walked right by someone and not noticed? Hidden in the trees, Kai searched the foliage for the other man. The glint of armor revealed a second man standing on the last boulder, panting.
“Don’t be such an old man, Joshua, get up here. We are halfway now. The view from the top must be glorious.”
Fear crept around the edges of Kai’s heart. Soft-footed, he darted down the slope into a patch of broken branches. There were only two ways off this cliff: descending the hill to the lodge or propelling off the sheer cliff on the backside—the very place he had fallen all those years ago. Considering Rayna was asleep, and these men were closing in on the top, he needed to act without getting caught.
Unsure what else to do, he thought of scaring the men into leaving. Through his connection, he called out to the Alpha. Within moments, Kai felt the wolf approach. His low growl and barks brought the pack to his side, and they appeared on the rocks above the two men.
The unsheathing of a sword caught Kai’s ears. “Get back, beast, or I will put you down,” Marcus snarled.
A firm hand touched Kai’s shoulder. Rayna knelt at his side. “You should have woken me. What is happening?”
“Soldiers climbing to the lookout,” he said, motioning ahead. “We need to hide or get them to turn back. I will not allow anyone to hurt the Alpha or his pack, even if I must attack them myself.”
She nodded in agreement, “Call the wolves back.” She pressed both hands against a sturdy oak. “I hate to ask this of such a strong tree, but it is the only way.” Her skin started to turn gray and craggy like the bark.
Kai did not understand her plan, but he instructed the Alpha and his pack to retreat. Then he watched her fade into the trunk of the tree, a curvy lump on the side of the oak. Her magic always mesmerized him.
Kai waited and listened. The men laughed and joked, shocked by their close and counter with the wild wolves.
“We should turn back,” Joshua called.
“You’re not afraid, are you?” Marcus challenged.
There was a sharp cracking sound followed by a dull thud, and Joshua was pinned by a large branch.
“Help, Marcus!”
Marcus came into view as he climbed down to reach his friend. “Easy does it, old man, I am here.” He lifted the limb to help Joshua. “Maybe you are right. We should turn back.”
Relieved they were undiscovered, Kai gleaned the area. The men were alone halfway up the ridge, but there were over thirty soldiers down at the lodge. As Rayna eased from the tree trunk, he held her hand to steady her. “We need to leave.” He narrowed his eyes. “Where do you think they are going?”
As if certain, she pulled him up the hill. “By now, the Dragaron should have delivered me to Diu. These men could be searching for me.”
Kai nodded, sure that she was right. “We should leave before the guards change their minds.”
Now that his strength was returning, Kai slowly began to pull energy from his surroundings—a slow, easy drain to ensure he did not alert any possible Katori in the area. Not enough to make his crystal glow, but enough so that he felt the magic build. The Alpha and his pack ventured close, and Kai thanked them—then they disappeared into the forest, as did the other animals.
“What is the point of searching, we should be running away?” Rayna asked. “If we cannot find Iver’s body, we are finished. How do we find a dead man?”
The question fell on Kai like a ton of bricks. His life, and now possibly Rayna’s, depended on him proving his innocence. “There is only one place to find the dead—a cemetery. If you want to hide a body, do it in plain sight. Stash it where eve
rybody goes, but blinded in their own grief they +-do not see. Iver would just be one more dead man. There are two graveyards in Port Anahita and three in Diu. Sabastian and Kendra are searching Diu and Thade Mountain. We will check Port Anahita and the forest below Diu, but I must go back to Diu alone if we cannot find my father. I will not risk your life for my choices. You must travel to Katori to tell them what happened and to prepare for whatever comes next.”
His words were final, and he made sure his tone implied there was no room for discussion. Rayna stayed silent, and he regretted his tone. A small part of him wished she had challenged him; however, they both knew the likelihood of finding the person who was there the night Iver died and took his body was slim to none. And running was no life either.
Chapter 18
Graveyards
Above the dreary weather, Kai flew. The clear blue skies above the clouds felt serine, but he could not fly forever. Feeling rejuvenated, he was surprised when they reached Port Anahita within less than an hour.
Below him, the thick clouds dumped a mix of snow and rain on Port Anahita. Small breaks revealed a dark, sad city hiding from the weather, much like hiding from his troubles. Lost in the melancholy moment, Kai almost did not notice Rayna shivering; she was cold. The fire built within his body and filled the well in his throat. Resisting the urge to belch, he let the heat wash back down his throat. He felt Rayna squeeze his warm neck.
The view of Port Anahita from the sky must have been exhilarating, but Kai could not find pleasure in his descent. Outside of town, he drifted through the clouds toward a large cluster of snow-covered pine trees. Not wanting to leave giant dragon prints in the snow, he transformed mid-fall before he landed. Rayna clutched his neck tighter than he expected.
Rayna secured her thick coat around her neck. “Well, at least it stopped raining.”
The lining in his coat, borrowed from Robert, left him wishing he’d taken something different. “We need to make this quick. We have little time left.”
