I stared at the wooden slats on the floor. “It was just a dream.”
Right?
Still, I couldn’t stand around analyzing my dream all morning. I pulled out a clean shirt from my bag, but as I tugged my sleeve down, my eyes stopped short on my arm. “Again?” I muttered.
The translucent white design on my arm had grown. That must have been why my arm was tingling last night. This was definitely connected to this place—and my magic. I’d come a long way since we’d arrived yesterday. I could throw gusts of air, and I’d commanded the wind. I’d learned how to fly.
Well, to levitate.
What else could I do? Djinn supposedly had a vast array of powers, including the ability to control the weather and summon air spirits. But I was only half djinn. What were my limits?
At that moment, Damian came through the door bearing sustenance. My skin prickled as the haunting apprehension returned, but I forced a smile and shoved the dream toward the back of my mind. He was dangerous. A killer. A fallen angel. It was probably just my subconscious telling me to be careful around him.
It was just a dream.
Thirty minutes later, we stood on the deck and bid our farewell to the crew. A few passengers had ventured out, but most were still shaken from the events of yesterday.
“Take this, Nevaeh.” The captain handed me a rolled-up parchment. “It will aid you on your journey.”
“Thank you for your kindness, Captain.” I unrolled the document, revealing a detailed map. I recognized Madinat al-Nasim in the center. Around it was a network of smaller islands with distances marked between them. Among them, I spotted Tayir and Azura. Capri, too.
There were also notes in the margins warning of dangers. The island of Aeros had a red cross through it.
The captain gestured to the marks. “Whatever you do, avoid the red crosses. Those islands are overrun by monsters and miscreants. You’ll only find trouble there.”
“This is remarkable. Thank you again for your generosity,” I replied, and handed the map to Damian.
He scanned the page for a second. Then, tapping his finger on the document, he said, “This is it. This is where we’re headed.”
Did seeker magic really work like that? I’d have to ask my friend, Nix. She was also a seeker. I glanced down to where Damian was pointing.
Aileth Islet.
Of course, it had a red cross through it.
“Be careful. I haven’t been in those parts, but I’ve heard stories,” the captain said.
I peered at him. “What kind of stories?”
“Some say the island is inhabited by dragons. Others have said that a dark force resides there. Ships that venture too close never return.” The captain shuddered, then turned and headed for the steps. “May the winds bless your journey and keep you safe!”
My stomach sank as I thought of Rhiannon stuck on a dragon-infested island. I had to find her. Taking the map from Damian, I secured it in my backpack. “Ready?”
“The question is, are you ready?”
I balanced on the railing. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
I stepped off into the void, and gravity pulled me downward. I feigned a scream and darted underneath the hull to hide, levitating on the wind.
Damian flew down in a blur, going too fast to notice me hiding under the ship. I smiled.
A minute passed, and he returned, hovering in front of me. My breath caught. His wings were stunning—broad and strong, and covered in iridescent black feathers that glittered in the sun. I guess I’d expected white wings, but black suited him well.
He looked slightly peeved, and I laughed. “Gotcha good.”
He flapped his wings slowly, as if giving an annoyed slow clap. “Are you done?”
We took off into the blue sky.
I was far from graceful. While Damian flapped leisurely in the air, I had to push myself along with the wind. It was like playing volleyball with a balloon—I had to keep smacking myself with bursts of wind to stay aloft and correct my course. I definitely wasn’t Wonder Woman. Yet. Every so often, I lost focus and dropped a few feet, which sent my stomach into a lurch.
This wide-open expanse was probably the best place to learn. There was no ground to serve as a crutch, or more importantly, no ground to splat me if I tumbled out of the sky.
Damian provided a few pointers, and slowly, I started sailing upon the wind instead of tumbling along like a ball pushed with the tip of a stick.
I dove and twisted in the air, the wind surging and swirling at my beck and call. When had I ever felt this free? This alive?
A cumulus cloud billowed below us, fluffy and white. I drifted downward and skimmed across its surface, dipping my hands into the mist. Tiny rainbows glistened in the air, and I dove through them, down into the fog. I couldn’t wait to show Rhia my new powers. Idly, I wondered if I could use them back home.
Home. Crap. I’d texted Gretchen that I would be out for the day, but how much time had passed? Was time the same here? I bet she was having a fit. I’d have to—
Something huge careened in front of me. I pulled up fast, but the g-forces were too intense, and everything went black for a second.
I was falling, spinning like a skydiver caught in a parachute.
Blue sky. Clouds. Blue sky. Clouds.
My stomach lurched.
A dark shape drew close. I was whirling like a dervish and couldn’t focus, but two arms latched onto me and slowed my spin.
I knew that strong embrace—Damian.
Thank fates.
He slowed my fall, and we hovered. He frowned, concern in his eyes. “You’ve got to take it easy, Nevaeh.”
“There’s something up there in the clouds!”
A piercing screech echoed in the distance.
“What is that?”
“Sounds like a bird,” Damian said.
“Or a dragon? Didn’t the captain say something about dragons in the area?”
“We better take cover in the clouds.” Damian looked at me seriously. “Stay close. No more racing off.”
“Fine.” I was happy with that. I didn’t want to come face to face with a dragon all by my lonesome.
We made a beeline for the clouds. At least we had some cover, though the mist made it difficult to see. I flew unsteadily, shaken by my fall, and Damian had to reach out and stabilize me a few times. “Are we getting close to the island?” I asked.
“We’re almost there. Just a little bit farther.”
The beating of wings reverberated around us.
“What’s that?” I looked around wildly, trying to catch a glimpse of something moving in the clouds. My concentration faltered, and I dropped several feet before Damian steadied me.
We were just below the clouds now, and I scanned the sky.
“Dragon,” Damian whispered, and I followed his gaze.
A massive white beast broke through the cloud bank. Its wings were covered in brilliant silver feathers, while its body was shielded by white reptilian plates. The creature beat its wings and spiraled through the air, its tail following like the ribbons on the end of a kite.
I stared, awed. “It’s magnificent.”
The dragon craned its neck upward in our direction.
Uh-oh.
The beast wheeled around and shot toward us. Light glinted off its feathers, and its eyes gleamed a brilliant black. They narrowed on me.
I gaped in horror, floating paralyzed in the air.
“The clouds.” Damian yanked me into the whiteness.
I heard the dragon as it flew closer, and then a whoosh of wind crashed into us. It slammed through me, sending me cartwheeling out of the clouds, but I flailed and managed to stop my fall.
Where was Damian?
Another screech pierced the heavens, and the beast broke through the mist.
Panic flared, and I whirled away, flying as fast as I could. Ahead, a large mass floated in the distance—Aileth Islet. We were close. I just needed to make it to the i
sland.
I looked back. No sign of Damian.
Something rumbled, and a sudden burst of hot air hit me from above.
I looked up as the dragon swooped through the clouds.
Flying for my life, I darted to the side, but the dragon followed. With a frantic breath, I dove downward. The air rushed past me, pinning my arms to my side. Maybe I could lose him, I told myself.
Not a chance.
A white shape loomed in my periphery. The beast was far faster than I had imagined.
Still spiraling, I turned, despite the difficulty. A massive head appeared beside me. Ivory horns framed the creature’s magnificent face. Its gray scales were offset by a glassy black eye that stared back at me, then blinked in a double-lidded reptilian way.
I clenched my teeth and pulled my torso up. My insides reeled, but I shot higher. I was getting good at this!
The dragon followed suit and was at my side. Again.
I careened left, silently begging it not to follow.
It did.
Its massive wings pounded the air beside me. Panic welled in my chest as turbulence whipped me around. There wasn’t any way to outrun it. I was too slow. I would be dragon food any second—
Hold on a minute. I should be dead already.
I turned right, and the beast mirrored my movement.
Holy smokes. It’s mimicking me.
The dragon turned its head and peered at me. Its pupils dilated as they focused on me, and then the creature bowed its head.
“Did you just nod at me?” I asked.
It abruptly turned and disappeared.
I slowed to a hover and watched it leave. There it was, beating its wings with an unparalleled slowness and grace as it rose into the clouds.
Damian appeared at my side, shaking his head. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”
“I know. It was incredible.” I stared almost longingly after the dragon’s disappearing form. The moment had passed too quickly.
I hung there in the air, breathing heavily and feeling euphoric. I could fly. With dragons.
Finally, I caught my breath, and we continued onward to the island.
Every inch of my body ached. Flying drained me, consuming reserves of energy I hadn’t known I had. “I hope we don’t encounter any more visitors. I’m completely bushed.”
Damian glanced at me, his jaw tense. “The island is surrounded by a ring of floating rocks. We’ll take a breather on one and come up with a plan.”
By the time we landed, I was quaking with exhaustion. “I don’t know how much farther I could’ve flown.”
“You did well back there.”
I looked over at Damian. “You don’t even seem winded.”
He didn’t answer, just strode to the edge of rock.
I rolled my eyes, pretending not to notice how magnificently angelic he looked against the backdrop of the blue sky.
The rock, one of many surrounding Aileth Islet, was about a hundred feet across and covered with sparse vegetation. Most of the masses in the Realm of Air were inhabited, but these rocks were probably too small to support a population.
I sighed in relief as I took a seat. As Damian pulled out a pair of binoculars from his bag, I remarked, “You’re prepared for everything.” Then again, when one was a professional bounty hunter and thief, one had to be.
Aileth Islet loomed in the distance, about a half mile away. A white citadel was positioned in its center, but we could only see its front half because our rock floated at a lower altitude. The citadel was actually more like a palace constructed of white marble that shone blindingly in the sunlight. Its plan was reminiscent of the Taj Mahal, with four domes offset from a central larger dome that towered over the others.
Damian scanned the enclosure with his binoculars. “Looks like we’re going to have to find an open window. The gates are too heavily guarded.”
“Figures.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you are a criminal. I assume that sneaking through a back window is your specialty.”
“I prefer the terms ‘bounty hunter’ and…‘acquisitioner.’ I have principles.”
I raised my eyebrow. “Uh-huh. By whose standards?”
He ignored the gibe. “We need to reconnoiter the palace. Thankfully, there are a bunch of floating rocks to give us cover.”
We flew from rock to rock, making our way around the side of the palace, slowly drawing closer. Fortunately, we were small enough that the guards didn’t see us.
Billowing fog began to close in around the palace on all sides. I couldn’t tell where the islet began or ended, but I saw the tips of smaller structures protruding from the mist. “Binoculars?” I whispered, and Damian passed them over.
Winged, hawk-faced guards were patrolling the sky and parapets. They were similar in form to some of the creatures we’d seen in Tayir and brandished long, barbed javelins. Rather than walking a perimeter wall, which would have been useless in the Realm of Air, they flew from point to point around the domed roofs.
“There’s a pattern in their movements,” I said.
Damian nodded. “We’re going to have a tight window to slip in without getting noticed. They seem to be watching the sky, so we should come from below. Ready?”
Probably not.
I nodded.
“On my mark, follow me.”
We dove off the rock, flying down beneath the level of the floating islet and taking cover in banks of mist along the way. To my astonishment, the bottom of the islet was a hanging garden. Vine-like growths with purple flowers dangled from the crags, and insects with long, iridescent wings darted from flower to flower. I hadn’t expected such beauty to be hidden below, but I supposed it made sense, as the sun seemed to shine in all directions in this realm.
Damian motioned to me, and we began a slow ascent up the side of the floating crag. Concealing ourselves in the dense fog, we eventually found our way onto level ground, and I gingerly followed as Damian somehow led the way.
Suddenly, he reached out his arm and stopped me. “Hold on. We’re here.”
I appreciated the gesture, as I would have walked straight into the wall in front of us otherwise.
Damian was little more than a shadow in the fog beside me. “Stay here. I’m going to check things out,” he whispered, then put his hand on my shoulder. “I’m serious this time. Stay here.”
With that, he disappeared.
I reran the plan in my head. Get in. Find Rhia. Find something precious to the djinn so we could bind him. Get out.
It was simple enough. The problem was, nothing had been simple since we’d arrived. I got the feeling that this wasn’t going to be as easy as Damian hoped. What was his connection to all of this? Why did he want the djinn, and more importantly, what would he do with it? I had been so focused on finding Rhiannon that I hadn’t really thought about Damian’s motivations.
I jumped back as a massive shadow emerged from the fog, then realized it was Damian, with his wings out. As he came closer, the heat of his magic seared through my clothes. When was I going to get used to this?
“I found our way in. A window in the tower. We’ll have to be quick.”
His hand touched my shoulder again, and my stomach fluttered. “It wasn’t locked?”
“It was sealed with a charm, but I broke it.” His face appeared from the fog, just inches from mine. “Are you ready?”
I thought about Rhiannon trapped in this place. “Let’s do it.”
We launched up out of the fog. The bright sky was blinding, and it took my eyes a moment to adjust. I couldn’t help but gasp in awe. The entire palace was a radiant white, every surface decorated with intricately carved latticework.
As I alighted on the windowsill, Damian pulled it open and gestured for me to enter. “Ladies first.”
Coming from the guy who got kicked out of heaven.
The room was full of crates of food. Dates. Some type of dried meat and sacks of what look
ed like rice. Was that parmesan on the shelf? I loved a good parm.
Feeling peckish, I grabbed a wheel of cheese and shoved it my pack, then caught the smug smile pasted across Damian’s face.
Ok, so maybe I was a little bit of a hypocrite.
“Strange,” he said. “I can’t sense the djinn or Rhiannon. This place must be protected by a disorientation spell of some kind.”
“What are we gonna do?”
“We need to find an object that’s precious to the djinn. Something to help with the binding spell.”
My irritation flared. “Wait a sec. Our deal was to find Rhiannon first.”
“We will find Rhiannon, I promise. But we’ll need to depart as soon as we have her, so we need to get that object.”
“Fine.” I sighed. He was right—there was no way we’d be sneaking out of here. I pondered our predicament for a second. “The texts I’ve read claim that all djinn covet treasure and hide it in great hoards. I bet there’s a vault somewhere in the palace. That’s where we should look.”
Damian’s eyes momentarily grew dark. “We’ll start there.”
He turned to peer out the door, but I stopped him. “The texts also say that djinn protect their wealth fiercely and will hunt thieves to the ends of the world.”
“We’d better not get caught, then.” He shot me a wicked smile. “Good thing you’re with a professional.”
12
We slipped out of the room, and I followed Damian through the labyrinthine halls of the palace. From time to time, we heard footsteps or muffled voices reverberating along the corridors. We hid in the niched doorways, ready to strike, but encountered no one. Each hallway looked the same. I began to believe that the palace itself was playing tricks with my mind, and soon, I lost my sense of direction. “Do you have any specifics on what we’re looking for?” I asked.
“I’m a seeker. I’ll know it when I see it.”
I shrugged, unsatisfied, but followed on.
Eventually, we came to a spiral staircase illuminated by glowing spheres. It descended into an ornate room decorated with Persian rugs. I peeked inside to find two people arguing within.
Wicked Wish (Dragon's Gift: The Storm Book 1) Page 8
