Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 110079 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110079 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
Much to Haru’s chagrin, he’d been left behind. He was accustomed to being at Nori’s side for all meetings, serving as both an advisor and protector. However, he didn’t put up much of a fight considering the trouble he was still having with the Goddess of Nightmares’ powers.
Rayne was far more vocal in his displeasure about being left behind. However, approaching a warship with more than three dragons was not a good idea. As it was, they were struggling not to present themselves as an immediate threat. Besides, unless things had changed greatly since Rayne and Eno left Stormbreak, the Federation of Order had declared war only on Caspagir and the dragons. Erya had not officially been dragged into this mess…yet.
But considering Caspagir and Erya’s long-standing alliance, it wouldn’t be long before Erya joined the fray.
For now, Caelan and Shey were hoping to keep the situation from escalating.
Two destroyers followed a short distance behind the battleship as support, but that didn’t mean there weren’t more approaching that they couldn’t see. Sadly, Shey couldn’t say that he felt much concern for the dragon. He’d witnessed firsthand what they could do in battle, and he was sure they could handle whatever New Rosanthe or the Federation wanted to throw at them. The problem foremost on his mind was that the quickest route to the Isle of Stone from the east was past Caspagir and the capital of Sirelis. Had these ships paused to bomb his home on their way to harass the dragons?
As they descended with the plan of landing on the deck of the battleship, one of the large cannons fired off a pair of shots that went wide of the mark. The dragons didn’t even need to divert from their current flight path. They were just warnings. And yet, Drayce still roared as if they’d shot at Caelan. Flames curled around his open mouth to lick the sides of his face.
“It’s a warning shot!” Shey shouted at the dragon.
Caelan shook his head and smacked Drayce on the back. At least he hadn’t shot fire at the ship, but it was a good warning to the New Rosanthe sailors to watch themselves with Caelan. Drayce had a hair trigger.
They dropped lower, and Caelan lifted a white flag, letting it flap wildly in the air as they approached, showing that they were only drawing near intending to talk. This wasn’t an attack.
Shey held his breath and squinted against the bright sun. For several seconds, there was no movement on the deck. They could see sailors watching them, guns lifted and ready to fire. Finally, they lowered their weapons. The noses of the cannons dropped, so they weren’t aimed at the dragons.
As soon as the men on the deck retreated toward the bridge, the dragons finished their descent. Caelan hopped off Drayce when they were still several feet in the air and landed with ease. Shey waited until Megumi got him a touch lower and jumped off. He was athletic, but he still wasn’t a god.
Megumi, Drayce, and Nori appeared a moment later, shifting from dragon to human before a single claw could touch the deck. The massive ship was still racing to the Isle of Stone, cutting through choppy waves and rocking heavily under their feet. Shey stumbled, trying to regain his balance. Nori and Megumi rocked with him, while Drayce dropped to sit on his ass in the middle of the deck with a low moan.
Caelan smiled at his fiancé, his expression softening. “Babe, you don’t have to stay.”
“Of course I have to stay. How else am I going to protect you? Oh gods, I hate boats,” he finished in a pained groan as he clutched his stomach. Shey had forgotten that Drayce got terribly seasick anytime he was on a boat. Apparently, the reaction to the bobbing and rocking was immediate.
“How are you going to protect me as you are now?” Caelan reached out and ran his fingers through Drayce’s messy blond hair. “Fly around. Check out those other two destroyers we saw. We’ll keep our discussions on the deck.”
“I’ll protect your boyfriend,” Shey offered.
Drayce threw Shey a dark look, but it was hard to tell if he was disgruntled or just seasick. “Fiancé.” After that grumbled word, Drayce pushed to his feet and jumped over the side of the ship. A second later, he soared up into the air, his fiery wings spread wide as they carried him up into the open sky.
Caelan sighed, and his shoulders slumped. “Thanks. When he offered to accompany me, I didn’t even consider the fact that he can’t be on a boat without getting sick.”
Shey glanced at Nori and Megumi, who were pale. Clearly, it wasn’t just a Drayce thing—it was a dragon thing.
“Let’s try to keep this brief,” Nori suggested, his voice tight.