Page 10 of The Dragon Queen
The patrol finally spotted us and sounded the horn. Pirates ran to their battle stations, where the cannons were hidden in the greenery along the edge of the island and the mountainside.
“Land.”
I’ll be a sitting target.
“Once they recognize my face, the assault will be called off. Just land.” I spotted Captain Blackstorm step out of the bar, his dark purple pirate hat unmistakable even at this height.
Khazmuda gave an audible snarl before he dropped down to the beach, landing with a thud that nearly knocked us all over.
I hopped off and was barely on the beach when Khazmuda released a mighty roar then took off, jumping into the sky far quicker than when he had to lift himself from the surface of the water.
I didn’t draw my sword as I approached The Mermaid’s Tale, the only bar on the island, which residents frequented on a nightly basis. Sunlight blanketed Captain Blackstorm’s face and made him squint because of the strain on his eyes. The other pirates who accompanied him raised their swords and rushed me.
“This is how you greet an old friend?”
The sound of my voice made the pirates stop in their tracks, like they recognized my voice rather than my face.
Captain Blackstorm continued his stare for several long seconds, trying to place me when that shouldn’t be hard to do. Then he moved forward, stepping off the wooden path and onto the sand where I stood. He moved past his men and came closer to me, the strain in his eyes softening once he understood who he faced.
His weathered face cracked into a smile, and his eyes crinkled in amusement. “The finest commander this crew has ever seen. Never thought I’d see that face again.”
“Neither did I.”
“Have you returned to join the crew once more? There’s always a place for you, Talon.”
I gave a slight shake of my head. “I appreciate the offer, but my pirate days are behind me.”
He smirked. “Once a pirate, always a pirate.” He nodded to the bar behind him. “Let’s get a drink. I suspect we have much to discuss.”
We sat at our usual table against the window, the place where we’d had our previous conversation under the cover of darkness, candles aglow around us. The first few minutes were spent in heavy silence and long stares, both of us accepting that this moment was reality rather than fiction.
After he finished half his tankard, he leaned against the back of the chair and crossed his arms over his chest. His shirt had more sword marks than it had before, the black leather faded so much that it changed from gray to almost white. His beard was thick and white, but his skin was as tanned as it always was.
“Did you find Bahamut?”
I didn’t want to answer the question, not when it was the gravest mistake I’d ever made. “Yes.”
“I’ve heard tales of the Death King far across the sea. A king upon a black dragon who raises an army of the dead. Everyone assumed it was just a tall tale, but I knew otherwise.” He staredat me with those piercing blue eyes that looked the same as the sea. “You’re ready to take back what’s rightfully yours.”
This moment had been twenty years in the making, and it didn’t give me the satisfaction I wanted. It felt empty. “I am.”
He gave a nod. “My money is on you.”
“That doesn’t mean much when you lose every hand,” I teased, remembering our drunken nights losing the treasure we’d just claimed by gambling it away. Then the rest of our money went to the drinks and the women.
He smirked. “This one would be different—and I’d put all my coins down.”
My eyes flicked away, my smile slowly softening.
He stared at me for a while, his eyes glued to my face like he could see words on a page. He could read my story, my adventures during our time apart. “You came here for a reason, Talon.”
“To have a drink with an old friend…and to ask a favor.”
“I’m not sure how much help I can be to you. After all, you’re the one who wields the power of a god.”
“I may wield the power of a god, but I’m also enslaved by one.”
His eyes narrowed slightly on my face as he absorbed the depth of my words. “What does that mean, exactly?”