Page 12 of The Dragon Queen

“And we both know I would never move against you. You can turn us away, and there will be no consequences.”

He stared at me across the table, his look steady and true. “I still have no choice. Because if I turn you away, you’ll perish.”

After two weeks on the open sea, we were running low on provisions. The fresh food had been eaten, and any that remained had rotted a week ago. The bread was harder than the wood that constructed the ships. I knew my ship was low on water, so the others felt the same strain. Without fresh food to extract water, we were all dehydrated. My men couldn’t go into battle when their health was so poor. The dragons were weak too. “Thank you, Captain Blackstorm.”

“I’m not your captain anymore, Talon. Now, I’m only your friend.”

I remembered the last time I’d seen him and the heart-to-heart we’d had. He’d let me leave the crew in the middle of the nightto spare me the pain of saying goodbye to men I’d known a long time. It was just easier that way. “Thank you, Ethan.”

Ethan sent half of his crew and their ships to retrieve more provisions for the sudden influx of people that had come to the island. It left the port open for several galleons. The rest would have to remain anchored in the cove and used for accommodations since there wasn’t enough space on the island to house everyone.

We stood together as we watched the fleet of galleons approach the light-blue waters of the cove, their white sails slowly rising to slow their speed into the shallow water. Up above were the dragons, their scales becoming brighter and shinier the closer they came.

With his arms crossed over his chest, Ethan turned to look at me. “You failed to mention the fifty dragons you had in tow.”

I smirked. “Guess it slipped my mind.”

“I assumed your dragon was the last of his kind. Where did you find these?”

“It’s a long story,” I said. “It’ll take several pints to tell it.”

“Fair enough.” He looked ahead again, the first ship sailing into the harbor to dock.

I could see Calista on the bow of a ship. She gripped the banister and looked down at me below, her long hair gently flapping in the breeze that passed over the cove. A slight smile was on herlips as she looked at me, as if a couple hours apart had been enough separation to miss me.

Ethan released a low whistle under his breath. “That’s a pretty little thing.”

“She is.”

The ship docked and was secured to the posts of the harbor. Other ships came behind it, including the one that carried Queen Eldinar. The rest dropped their anchors out to sea so they could row to shore.

Everyone started to vacate the ships, while the dragons landed on the island, finding room on the beach and the open spaces around the mountain. Khazmuda dropped down beside me, a behemoth compared to the two of us and the palm trees.

Ethan didn’t take a step back like most people would, but he couldn’t contain his mixture of admiration and abject terror.

“Ethan, this is Khazmuda.” I looked at Khazmuda. “This is my friend Ethan.”

Yes, the man who made you a pirate.

Khazmuda.

Who steered you off course for twenty years.

That was my choice.

I still don’t like him. His men raised their swords at me.

Because you scared the shit out of them.

That seemed to please him because he released a quiet hum.I am terrifying, aren’t I?

I turned back to Ethan. “He’s pleased to meet you.”

“You can talk to him?”

“With our minds, yes.”

Ethan shifted his gaze back and forth between us. “Now I know why you haven’t aged a day.”