Relief was evident in the dip of his shoulders as he realized I had no plans to drive us directly into battle.Yes, m’lord. Bainbridge Island is across the Sound.
I could point to the islands on a map, but having never navigated, I was at a disadvantage. The gargoyles had roamed the globe for centuries before tying their lives to my safety. No matter how loudly my instincts ordered me to take the lead, I was neither rash nor impetuous.
Can you lead us there?I asked.
Yes, m’lord.
Before turning away, I swept my gaze across the ruins one final time. Movement seized my attention. Two guards loped with purpose across the rubble. I tracked them until they stopped before a massive metal pipe that went into the ground. Theyglanced in both directions and disappeared into the pipe. I waited for them to reemerge from another point, but they did not.
It was all the confirmation I needed, so I nodded for Tyrin to lead the way.
The clouds thinned as we flew over the Sound, allowing precious glimpses of the vast, dark depths. We flew so long I began to wonder if the gargoyle had taken us off course when he said,There. Just ahead.
Tyrin dove, and I followed. Concrete crumbled beneath my claws when we perched atop the remains of a crumbling old hotel, but the structure held.
The rain eased to a drizzle as I surveyed the island below. Trees choked the streets, their roots buckling pavement and splitting foundations. Vines strangled abandoned vehicles as nature claimed its spoils of war. The corner mart’s shattered windows gaped like missing teeth, and its parking lot was now a pond, reflecting the gray sky.
Nearby, a deer picked through overgrown gardens, utterly unconcerned by our presence. No smoke rose from chimneys. No lights flickered in windows. The entire island appeared deserted, swallowed by decades of wild growth.
Did you see the wolves?Tyrin asked, shaking out his wings.
Two. Did you see the pipe going into the ground?
The one large enough to drive a tank through, but not a dragon?
Having seen memories of military tanks, I confirmed.The wolves disappeared into that pipe.
Many cities have underground dwellings,Tyrin said. However, that is deeply problematic for us.
An understatement. Subterranean tunnels eliminated any hope of reconnaissance. I could not gauge their numbers, map their defenses, or identify escape routes from the air. Worse, confined quarters meant I would be forced to fight in my human form, surrendering the protection of my scales, teeth, and claws for the indignity of crawling through tunnels like a rat.
It was, without question, the worst possible battlefield for my first true engagement.
We lingered only long enough for our wings to recover before crossing the Sound a second time. As we neared the city, I focused on the artifact, fully expecting the pull to draw me back toward the den.
Instead, the bloodstone was in motion, and the distance between us was not diminishing nearly as quickly as it should have.
The artifact is no longer in the den. It is moving northeast.
Perhaps this will be beneficial,Tyrin replied.
Agreeing, I adjusted my flight path and followed the tug, dipping beneath the cloud cover to catch the scent of exhaust and wolves. We followed the trail north, out of the district, closing in on the artifact.
Then, the tug of my treasure vanished like a snapped fishing line.
My flight faltered in surprise as panic squeezed my chest.
What is it?Tyrin asked.
I lost it.
Then the thread snapped taut.
Not the steady pull I had grown accustomed to, but a savage wrench that relocated my treasure to the far side of the world in the space of a heartbeat. The distance was staggering.
I could feel it in my marrow. A fracture spread through the foundation of my sanity, creating hairline cracks that would widen with every hour the artifact remained beyond my reach. The distance stretched between us like a wire pulled to its breaking point, and I felt every agonizing mile of it vibrating through my bones.
M’lord?Concern sharpened Tyrin’s voice.
