Page 36 of Escaping my Dragon

“Morning,” Noah said, his gaze flicking to me then the smirking idiots I called friends.

“Morning to you, too, Captain. I trust you slept well,” Joslyn purred.

“Busy night. Barely slept a wink,” he said with a straight face, which sent Joslyn and Vernon into fits of laughter.

I glared at Noah, who looked utterly unrepentant. He’d pay for it later, likely with his tongue.

“I’ll need you both ready to go after breakfast, full equipment and winter gear,” I announced as Noah wandered off to grab his own plate of food.

“Where are we going?” Joslyn asked before tearing into her toast.

“Blood Falls.”

“Ooh. Really? I’m surprised.”

“Why?”

“People have begun packing their things. Word is we might be evacuating later today.” Joslyn leaned close and whispered, “A bunch of the station folk woke today convinced the volcano is about to blow.”

“Because of that big quake?”

Joslyn shook her head. “A bunch of them had a dream, including Vernon.”

I glanced at my sound guy. “I didn’t know you’d been having the contagious dreams.”

His shoulders rolled. “Kind of hard not to, given that’s all most folks keep talking about.”

“Have the volcanologists come out with an actual warning?”

“Nope. But they’re also nowhere to be seen.”

Likely they monitored the situation.

Noah headed over with his tray, and I had to ask, “Did you hear the rumor?”

“That people think Erebus is about to blow its top? Yup.” He sat down and began shoveling food.

“And?”

“And what?”

“You still think we should go see the Falls?”

“I don’t see why not, since nothing official has been decided. Besides, the C17 isn’t slated to arrive until this afternoon. We’ll be back well before then, assuming we leave shortly.”

Joslyn popped to her feet. “In that case, I should go to grab my stuff. Behave while I’m gone.”

“Behave?” I queried with an arched brow.

“Or not. I know I wouldn’t if I knew time was running out for one last hurrah,” Joslyn quipped before she quick marched from the galley. Vernon almost tripped racing to catch her.

“Maybe we should leave them behind,” I grumbled.

“They’re just teasing.”

“You’d think I was a spinster virgin the way they carried on.”

“Definitely, not. More like an insatiable vixen,” he said in a low tone only meant for me.