Page 230 of The Chosen One Universe: Volume One

“I could have gone further,” Draco grumped. He took another long drink, his face still pressed into a scowl.

“But I couldn’t have,” Eduard confessed. “Henry and I needed a short break. We’ll continue soon.”

Draco looked suitably embarrassed and he leaned into Eduard in silent apology. He’d never admit it, but he was drooping as well. Even though they’d been training nightly with Andvari on his back, the additional weight messed with his aerodynamics and made flight more difficult. And they’d never flown the kind of distances they just had. Draco had to be exhausted, even if he didn’t want to admit it.

“Are you hearing anything else?” Andvari asked.

Henry shook his head, quickly chewing a mouthful of protein bar. “No. Just to go sea-ward. We’re getting closer, I think. I don’t understand why I can’t get a better sense of what it’s saying. It’s okay, though. I think the closer we get the clearer it will be.”

“I can scout ahead,” Draco said. “You know I can fly much faster without the added weight.”

“Draco, I know you’re freaking out. We are, too,” Henry said. “But you have to let my magic guide us. Please.”

Draco lowered his head again. Their dragon was a wreck, more so than the rest of them even, and Andvari wasn’t entirely sure how that was possible.

He could barely breathe with the fear of losing Sawyer, not even his most effective exercises easing the knot of fear that had lived inside him since the moment they realized Sawyer was gone. Draco had practically gone feral and hadn’t come back yet. His emotions were a roller coaster of angry and sad, heartbroken and desperate.

Andvari packed up the provisions again and put the backpack on again. “Let’s go. Signal me if you need a break and don’t keep trying to be tough about it. We don’t know what we’re going to find when we get there and I need all of you functioning. Remember that this is a rescue mission and we’re probably going to have to hit the ground fighting. Exhausted isn’t going to help us get Sawyer back. Keep some energy available to help him once we get there, okay?”

“Understood,” Draco said.

In truth, Andvari knew that the bursts of adrenalin they would all get when they found Sawyer would get them through the initial fight, but he’d rather have backup instead of three exhausted mates. And they had no idea what shape Sawyer was going to be in so they may need to get in the air again to get him help.

None of the possibilities were good, especially if they couldn’t move fast. Henry had done well asking Augustus to have the boats head north. Even though the yachts were powerful, they would need hours to make the journey that they’d already managed to fly.

Draco and Eduard shifted again, and they once again took to the air. Andvari couldn’t have said how far they flew this time, but it was long enough for his hyper vigilant state to begin to wear him down. He was ready to call for another rest when Henry suddenly sat up straighter.

“Slow down,” Henry said. “Take me lower.”

Draco and Eduard complied, circling them down lower until the coastline was clearer.

“Come on,” Henry murmured quietly. “Tell me.”

After another moment of listening, he pointed. “There’s a small… cove, I think. Do you see it?”

Eduard adjusted his path, his enhanced sight making it easier for him to notice the transitioning landmarks.

“We’re close,” Henry said. “He’s nearby.”

Draco huffed and quickened his pace. The cove was empty except for a cabin and a boat washed up on the beach. Two bloody bodies were in front of it. Draco landed, and in a well practiced move, Andvari leapt from his back with his sword drawn. A huge fucking horse appeared around the side of the cabin and Andvari snarled.

“Eduard, take Henry around back. Keep close. We’ll distract this one.”

The horse made a sound, not a neigh like a normal one, but more of a hissing roar. It made the hair on Andvari’s neck stand up and he moved forward with Draco in his dragon form at his side. Draco was looking for a fight and the only thing holding him back was the hand Andvari placed on his neck.

And then Andvari lost what little was left of his control when Sawyer came stumbling out of the cabin. “Ward, what’s—”

The sound Sawyer made when he caught sight of them was one Andvari never wanted to hear again. Draco took off, leaving Andvari in a swirl of sand that stung his eyes. He kept his eyes on the horse, but it didn’t make a move toward Sawyer.

Andvari ran to follow Draco, who’d shifted back to his human form as he ran. Sawyer hit his chest with an audible thump, throwing his arms around Draco’s neck.

Andvari reached him a minute later, and then Eduard and Henry came back around the house. They had him surrounded and in their arms. He was safe.

“You found me,” Sawyer said. His voice was barely more than a choked whisper, catching in his throat.

“Of course we did,” Draco said. He rumbled and adjusted his hold on Sawyer which earned him a yelp of pain.

“You’re hurt,” Eduard said. “How bad?”