Stella laughed. “Rok, you'd be dangerous if you weren't so nice.”
“We'll have to train that out of him, then,” a gruff voice chuckled from behind them. “Dangerous times ahead.” It was Quinn, and Stella smiled at him.
“Hi, Quinn,” she said. “Kai and Quincy around?”
“Nope,” he shook his head, scanning the area with a grimace. “They're back on the ship. We have to head out soon. Lots to do if we want to stay ahead of Harris.”
“I notice no one calls him King Harris anymore,” Rok said.
“True,” Quinn nodded. “Harris stopped being a king the moment he turned traitor to the High Crown. And speaking of the High Crown...look sharp” Quinn said, straightening his black Knights jacket.
“Knight-Commander Deston,” John Phoenix smiled, extending his hand and drawing the old warrior into a rough hug. They pulled apart with a laugh, and John asked, “How've you been, Quinn?”
“Been well,” Quinn tilted his head, “but I need to tell you what I discovered about the dragons.”
John Phoenix's face went serious, and he glanced at the children before turning back to Quinn. “That seems to be the topic of the day,” he nodded. “Qortus had something to say on that subject, as well.”
“It’s absolutely fascinating!” the now-beardless and well-groomed Minister chimed in, his eyes alive with excitement. “The dragons seem to be focused in on the warps and wormholes not, as we suspected, to attack us, but rather because those actions can create a fissure-nexus in the space-time continuum that could unravel life as we know it. I tried to tell the Regent, but he had me thrown into the reeducation facility before I could finish. At least now I know why,” Qortus chuckled as he ran a hand through his thinning silver hair, and winked at Quinn. “Luckily, I got a faraday implant about a year ago.”
“A what?” Mtumba asked.
“Helps protect important information from being accessed,” Rok whispered.
“You,” Minister Qortus pointed with a mirthful smile. “Did you hack my earbud?”
“Me?” Rok coughed nervously, and everyone laughed, even Old John.
“We'll have to watch you, Rok.”
Phoenix Rising (Dragon Legacy) Page 21
