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Land.
Land was in sight.
It was far, probably another day’s worth of sailing, but at least it was near.
And it wasn’t as cold as it’d been either. The air had been frostbite on the lungs. Now, it was cool and pleasant, like the nighttime air on a summer evening. I moved to the front of the ship to get a better look, even though it wouldn’t make a difference.
Almost there.
Now that the end was near, I remembered why we’d come here.
To heal a dragon.
Actually, dragons.
Something I’d never done before. How could I have done it before when I didn’t even believe dragons were real? Dragons were mythical creatures, monsters in bedtime stories to get children to behave. They served kings in legends, torched kingdoms before they were conquered, ate humans in a single bite.
But they were real.
Footsteps sounded behind me, heavy boots on the wooden deck. Big hands moved to my arms, and a hard stomach pressed into my back. “There it is.”
“What is it?”
“An island.”
“But what’s it called?”
“The true name? I don’t know. But I call it Quartz.”
“Why?”
“There’s a lot of it there. In the rocks. In the sand.”
“Isn’t that valuable?”
“I’m sure it is. But what’s it going to buy you? Money doesn’t mean much at the bottom of the cliffs. It can buy you a whore for the night or an extra chicken for dinner, but that’s it.”
Thinking about all the sex he used to pay for had never bothered me, but now it got under my skin a little bit. I didn’t voice that because the last thing I wanted him to think was that I cared. Or worse…that I was jealous.
“What is it?”
“What?”
“You got quiet.”
He could read me that well? We’d become that close? “I’ve believed that dragons aren’t real my entire life…”
“Another lie to throw on the pile.”
“I don’t know anything about their anatomy. I’m not sure how I can heal them.”
“You’ll figure it out.”
“Healing a horse or a cow is different from a dragon. They’re docile, can be tied to a post. Dragons can’t be controlled. How am I even supposed to get close enough without getting bitten in half?”
“We’ll figure it out.”
“And even if I do heal them…what then?”
“They’ll fly.”
“So?”
“We’ll have a very quick and effective way to get to the top of the cliffs. We’ll burn anyone who opposes us, and they’re not equipped to deal with an assault from the air.”
Now my heart plummeted into my stomach because I was handing Huntley the keys to the Kingdoms, to my father’s coffin. It felt like a betrayal, even if I fully believed that my father was the barbarian he was accused of being. “Just because they’re healed and can fly doesn’t mean they’re going to do your bidding. They aren’t dogs. They don’t need someone to take care of them like other animals do.”
“We’ll figure it out.”
“Is that your answer for everything?”
“Yes.” He released me and headed back to the hatch. “Come on.”
“Come on what?” I turned around, seeing him in just his boots and breeches.
He gave a nod to the cabin and took the steps below. “Back to bed. We have a lot of time to kill.”
The closer we came to the island, the warmer it became.
It was humid, just like it was in the Capital in summer, with the heat pressing right against your skin and then dissolving into your bloodstream. It was a welcome change compared to the cold, the first time I’d actually felt warm since I’d left Delacroix. Layers of clothing came off until I was down to my breeches and a thin shirt.
Huntley changed too, but he was in his full black armor, with vambraces on his arms and a plate over his chest. His ax was hooked over his back, along with his sword and bow. He was back to his intimidating old self.
The gray color of the water changed to blue, glowing brighter and brighter the closer we came to shore. It was clear too, giving glimpses of the bottom. When I leaned over the side and stuck my hand in the water, it was refreshing to the touch.
Huntley raised the sail and brought the sloop to a gentle glide, slowing the momentum so we could approach the island at an easy pace. He dropped anchor, and then the boat came to a stop just feet from shore.
The land was lush, full of trees, vegetation, the sound of birds in the canopy. It was wild and vast, like the outskirts of the kingdom that hadn’t fallen to deforestation. I couldn’t see past the tree line or farther inland, so I had no idea what lay beyond.
Huntley turned to me. “I need you to do exactly as I tell you. Your smart mouth and stubbornness are normally a turn-on for me, but right now, I don’t have time for that shit. Alright?”
