Chapter Twenty-Six

As I mentioned before, I had to excuse the Dragon knights who'd been on my ship, watching for the Neraky to surface. The lookout now consisted of Dragons from my new army and the ship's crew. They didn't stand much of a chance of finding him, but thankfully, I didn't have to rely on them anymore. Also, it served as the perfect explanation for how I knew where the Lu-Ken was.

I told my mate that I had received word of the Neraky surfacing and that he'd been tracked to the Lu-Ken. I gave the same lie to the Dragons I chose to accompany me—those I had seen enough promise in to knight and put on my King's Guard. We shifted into our beasts and soared off over the Morilren, heading north toward the Bordae Sea.

I didn't like leaving my mate behind, nor did Aras like being left. He kept whining that I'd tasked him with fetching the Eye so he should be going. It was true, and it made all my suffering seem worthless. Which made me hesitant. The Eye hadn't seen why I had to keep Aras's status a secret from him, but she was certain I must. She said it was integral to finding her. So, if I fetched the Eye now, why had that secrecy been so important? She couldn't answer those questions. Just kept urging me to go. Now.

As much as her prophecies worried me, I knew what I'd seen. I flew away from Renris secure in the knowledge that the Eye was on that ship. All would be well when I returned to Aras with the relic. I would finally be able to tell him who he was and how I felt. Everything would change for the better between us. I just had to get that stone.

I put on speed.

It felt as if we were flying for hours, but the sun was still high overhead when the ship came into view. It wasn't marked as a pirate vessel. It looked like an ordinary merchant ship. Definitely Neraky, with the uniquely shaped sails that they were partial to, but with no hint of piracy. And even the sailors aboard looked normal, not like the vicious criminals I expected.

Then they saw us. And then I saw that they were not alone.

What terrible timing we had! King Vaxarion was there with several sea dragons in their beast forms. He launched into the sky on a ribbon of water and shot to meet us before we reached the ship. I pulled up into a hover just as he stopped his progress and poked his head out of the tunnel of water he employed. Behind the Sea King were his knights. Knights who were probably better trained than the dragons I had at my back. But I hadn't expected this kind of resistance. I thought I'd have to deal with a few Neraky, that was all. It was just my luck that the fucking Neraky had actually surfaced and brought his sea dragon mate with him.

“King Vaxarion,” I said crisply.

“King Lyrandir,” he said. Then he drew his head back, the black scales shining green and blue in the sun. “You are reprehensible!”

That was unexpected. I flapped my great wings forward and cocked my head at him. “The last I saw you, you had just torn down one of my towers, King Vaxarion. If anyone should be upset, it is I.”

“You had my mate!” the Sea King roared. “Your people tortured him!”

Ah, so that was it. He believed I knowingly permitted the torture of another Dragon's mate.

“They are not my people,” I said. “And how were they to know he was your mate?”

“Regardless, he is, and I will avenge his suffering.”

“Fine. I will forgive the damage to my castle. But your mate stole something that belongs to me. I will have it now.”

“Yes, Ensarena's Eye,” he growled. “That does not belong to you. It is not for any Dragon. I have taken it into my keeping and will secure it somewhere beneath the sea, back where it was before it was stolen from us. ”

“That is a Land Dragon's gem!” I roared, instantly furious. “You cannot hope to use it. Your people took it from mine!”

My fear had been warranted after all. If I didn't claim the Eye now, Aras might indeed be needed to fetch it. But how could he succeed against a Sea Dragon king if I did not? No, I had to get the Eye. I needed my mate to know who he was, and I needed him to be safe. I didn't want to send after the Eye.

“No. One of your kind nearly destroyed the world with the Eye. The power consumed him, fooled him into believing he was a god, and he burned for it. After his death, my people took the Eye into their keeping, urged into doing so by Karadas himself.”

Ah, so the myth was either true or was perpetrated by the Sea Dragons. Maybe both. It sounded as if King Vaxarion knew more about the Eye than my mother.

“That was thousands of years ago,” I said. “We have grown stronger since then. I can handle the Eye.”

“I don't know if that's true, but I'm unwilling to take the risk.”

Enough of this banter! the Eye shouted. I'm right there. In that Neraky's hands. Take me!

I narrowed my eyes to peer at the ship's deck. With my dragon sight, I could see that it was the same Neraky who King Vaxarion had taken from my tower. His mate held the Eye. Well, wasn't that foolish? The Sea King had put his mate in danger.

I looked back at King Vaxarion and growled, “Hand it over or I shall burn that ship with your mate aboard.”

“You dare to threaten my mate?!” King Vaxarion roared. “You are the lowest of scum! And now I am certain you are unfit to wield the Eye.”

The Sea King's knights added their roars to his. The dragons behind me roared back.

On the ship below, Neraky pirates scurried about, one of them shouting to the others. They knew what we did—that a battle was about to erupt. And being anywhere near a battle between dragons was never a good idea.

The sea dragons gathered their Water Magic. My dragons and I sucked in our breaths. Fire would soon meet Water. They would cancel each other out, probably creating steam, but it was just the beginning—a sort of battle cry. The fighting would have to be done claw to tooth. It would be good practice for my new warriors. And maybe I'd try out my Water Magic against those who were experts in it, just to see how I ranked.

Then that Neraky shouted, “I have the Eye!”

Every dragon in the sky looked at him. I already knew he held the Eye, but why would he announce it? There could only be one reason—he intended to barter it for their safety. I began to grin.

But then the Neraky held the Eye aloft and said, “And you will never have it!” The motherfucker dove into the water.

Many things happened at once. The sea churned and gushed around the ship, sending it shooting off, away from us. I couldn't have cared less about that. The Eye wasn't on that ship anymore. My target was underwater, and the sea dragons dove in after him. My dragons roared and blew fire after the fleeing sea dragons.

Little did the sea dragons know that I had honed my Water Magic and taught my new warriors how to use theirs as well. I went after the Eye, using Water Magic in an opposing way. Instead of summoning water, I moved it aside, forming a tunnel of air in the ocean. My dragons didn't hesitate. They dove in after me, some soaring behind me through my tunnel while others made their own.

I saw the Sea King swimming ahead, his mate cradled against his chest in one giant talon.

I'm so close! the Eye screeched. Right there!

I know! I roared back. I won't let them take you from me again!

But then, as if my words were a curse, a powerful current slammed into me, sending me reeling back into the sky. I roared as I hit other dragons, getting bashed about as the sea churned beneath us. The Sea Dragons may only have Water Magic, but they had just proved that theirs was more powerful than mine, and this was their territory.

Lyrandir! the Eye called.

You must stay aware! I shouted back at her. Focus on the trail!

I cannot. The water. There's too much . . . and then she was gone—gone completely, our connection broken.

“Fuck!” I roared.