13. A Noble Sacrifice

Evening is upon us long before we reach the dragons' isle, forcing us to make camp for the night on a tiny island that's too rocky for plant life. There's no way to support or tether the tents, so we sleep under the stars and wake up to rain.

"It could be worse," I say as we haul our damp things back to the dinghy to start day number two. "We could have been swept out to sea in high tide."

No one's impressed with my humor. Even Flink scowls at me.

Soleil is especially pensive this morning, a dark mood circling her.

"Tell me what's worrying you," I say as Tiago, Jorgin, and Brantley stow our wet packs in the boat, shoving aside several large coils of rope I brought from the Serpent. Flink crawls on top of them, using them as a perch.

"Another two nights have passed since we left the cavern. I hope everyone is all right." She adjusts her hood to better block the drizzling rain. "Maybe we should have left as soon as we reached the Serpent—packed supplies and taken off that night."

"We couldn't have navigated the archipelago without your magelights, and we both know what sort of sea beasts those draw."

She knows I'm right, but logic doesn't often ease worry.

"If all goes as planned, we'll be back to the cavern before nightfall," I assure her.

We pile into the dinghy and continue our winding journey through the shallow water around the islands.

Soleil shields her eyes often, looking into the sky. I search the clouds as well, feeling for the dragon, hoping we'll notice him before he notices us.

"I think that's the dragons' isle ahead," Tiago says. He and I are rowing now, allowing Jorgin and Brantley to rest their arms.

The island is larger than the ones we've been passing, surrounded by a cobble beach and a forest of thick greenery, with a rocky spire rising from its center. There's a cave near the top of the dark gray monolith, the opening dark and large.

"That's a dragon's lair if I've ever seen one," I say.

I pick up a note of excitement from Jorgin, but it's faint. The rest of my companions' moods are somber.

Mine is solemn as well, but I'm unsure if the reservations are my own or if I'm feeding off the others.

Almost as soon as I have the thought, I sense Soleil looking at me. When I glance her way, I'm hit with warm emotions. Assurance. Affection.

"I don't know how you do that," I whisper to her. "How do you separate your emotions?"

"I focus on you—only you," she answers quietly so the others won't overhear. "I wish I could do it for longer."

A moment later, the warmer sensations fade, tempered with sharper anxiety as she turns her eyes back to the sky. But the warmth is still there. I'm still in her thoughts.

And the brief respite was enough.

We bring the dinghy ashore, hopping out and then dragging it onto the rocks so the tide won't wash it away. Flink reluctantly leaves his rope bed, stretching one back leg and then the other.

"Stay here," I instruct the others. "Watch the boat."

I expect Tiago to argue, but he glances at the spire and then nods. "How long do we wait before we assume you were eaten?"

I give him a grim smile, sensing the dry humor in the question. "At least a day."

"What do we do if the dragon attacks while you're gone?" Brantley asks.

"How are you at manipulating matter?" Soleil asks Tiago.

The mage's brow knits. "I'm decent."

"Good." Soleil gives him an encouraging nod. "Throw rocks at him."

The trios' startled silence amuses me more than it should. I laugh to myself as Soleil and I start up the rocky beach, heading into the forest. Flink reluctantly plods after us, not enthusiastic about our outing.

"I feel certain he's seen us," Soleil says after a while. "Dragons are keenly aware of their territory."

"Perhaps he's sleeping?"

"If so, I'm not sure I want to be the one to wake him."

"Are you feeling vulnerable without Garret?" I ask.

"Garret's crossbow, maybe."

I laugh, taking her arm. "Come on, brave slayer. We can do this."

She eyes my sword. "You can't use a blade on a voltaic beast. You know that, right?"

I pause. "Why not?"

"Their energy travels through the steel. At best, it will knock you flat on your back. At worst, it will stop your heart."

"That's…good to know."

"You have all those dry, technical books in your cabin, and you never stumbled on that fact?"

"Those aren't mine."

"What?"

"They're Davyn's. He just hasn't gotten around to moving them to his cabin yet."

She thinks about that, laughing a little. "So he's not completely void of personality or belongings?"

"No." I grin. "His personality and belongings just happen to be boring."

"Why hasn't he moved them?"

We leave the beach, entering the forest. "He claims he hasn't had time."

"But?"

"It's been over a year since he inherited the ship."

"I don't understand. Why would he want to keep the books in your cabin?"

"It's a strange thing, being a twin. From the time you're born, you're always together. You share everything. You fight, you laugh, you play, you plan. And then one day, you're adults, and you have to start your own lives. Davyn has always leaned on me. He was the oldest, but I was the leader. I think becoming captain has been difficult for him."

"And you," she says gently.

"It's hard not to be jealous at times," I admit. "I wanted the Serpent, but for all the wrong reasons. Davyn loves the sea. I loved the title. I think?—"

An angry, sparking presence suddenly fills my head, alerting me we're not alone anymore.

"We've found your mate!" I yell even though I don't see the dragon yet, cutting right to the chase and hoping he won't attack.

His thoughts are like a thunderstorm, loud and disorienting. In his mind, I see the female dragon flying next to him above the islands. Then she's gone, and the sky is empty.

He's searching, searching…and he spots humans, sailing away on their ships.

"Behind you!" Soleil yells, grabbing my arm and pulling me into the thick brush. Flink dives in with us, letting out a horrified gurgle, not so brave when dinner isn't on the line.

The voltaic dragon passes by, barely missing us.

"Flink!" Soleil growls. "Why didn't you nullify him?"

Flink barrages me with excuses, the most jarring of which is an image of him being taken away by the large dragon like a squirming mouse caught in a falcon's talons.

I don't have time to translate for him.

"She was dragged into a cavern!" I yell to the voltaic dragon, knowing he'll hear me if he'll just listen. "We need your help to rescue her!"

Thunder crashes, shaking the ground as several bolts of lightning make contact with nearby trees.

His anger is too loud. How am I going to get through to him?

"I have to go out there," I say.

Soleil grabs my arm. "Lukas, no. He'll kill you!"

"It's the only way. I must make him listen."

"Lukas!" she yells, but I'm already leaving the protective cover of the trees and walking into the clearing. I hold up my hands to show I'm unarmed, attempting to transfer my memories to the dragon.

He circles back in the sky, his element arcing around him in the low light of the stormy afternoon. Head down, he cuts through the air, heading right for me.

I picture the female in my mind—the conversations we shared before we left the pit, her cries for help, and the way we searched for her in the cavern.

I'm not as skilled at this as Davyn, my gift hazy instead of sharp, especially when I have no relationship with this angry elemental beast. But I try.

The dragon's so close now; his raw power causes the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end. I see my death in his eyes—feel the depths of his wrath.

Just when I realize I made a grave error, Flink runs from the brush, leaping in front of me. I'm hit with a lifetime of his memories—me when I was a young child, holding onto his harness to stay steady as I toddled around the ship. Sitting with him on the large flat rock near our estate in the summer, watching the clouds while he soaked up the sun. Mother telling him to watch over Davyn and me when we took off on our own.

Dozens of memories of us flash through my brain like I'm flipping through the pages of a picture book.

It all happens in a heartbeat.

Then thunder crashes, shaking the ground, and a blinding, white-hot light burns into my eyes. In front of me, the lesser dragon falls.

And our connection goes black.