Page 34 of Dragon Blood

They turned yet another corner, descending more stone steps. At the bottom, Kai lost his breath, stumbling as an inner force dragged at him to turn right.

The tugging extended to his tiger magic.

Like a harpist’s plucking fingers traveling up and down the scale.

A melody of magic and shadow, intertwined and overlapping.

An intersection. A liminal space.

“This way,” Kolina said, jerking her head to the left.

Kai stood immobile for a full moment, catching his breath. Everything in him directed him to the right.

Her keen gaze observed every twitch, curious, though she said nothing, waiting for him to step toward her.

Gauging her expression, he knew she wouldn’t tell him what was in that direction. His escape home lay in the opposite pathway. With a shake of his head, they continued on until they reached a heavy door. There was no handle or keyhole to open it.

Instead, Kolina created a triangle with three fingers pointed at the wood. Her magic rippled as her claws extended from those fingers, then she inserted them into corresponding darkened marks on the thick wood.

From somewhere within the wood or stone, Kai couldn’t tell which, a latch released the door.

Dragging it open, sea air rushed into the corridor, scrubbing the stale underground passages. Kai dragged in a welcome deep breath. The door closed behind them without Kolina’s touch, as they continued toward the coast and Kai’s freedom from the chaos about to erupt within Aeleftheria.

The stone corridor opened into a cavern containing a wide pool fed by an underground river. Fissures in the stone allowed air and vegetation into the space, though there was no visible exit.

A lone figure waited by the flowing water.

The Aeleftherian guardian, Marli Fleetwing.

“Marli will guide you the rest of the way, Kai.” Her fingers twitched, as though she stopped herself from reaching for him. “Thank you for coming to Kymri’s wedding. It meant a lot to her.”

As he looked into his mother’s face, he sensed how much it had meant to her too, despite her stoic stance and controlled expression. It was in her eyes, though there were no words.

She was still the hardened Aeleftherian guardian he’d known from his youth, but the faint lines denoting her age and the softness in her gaze took the edge away from the memories.

His short time among the Aeleftherians gave him a sense of understanding their world—her world. And why she’d made the choices she had. He’d been shielded from most of the political dealings surrounding the wedding, but Kai was a tiger. He watched and listened.

“We’ll see each other again?” His voice had taken on an unexpected gruffness.

Her mask faltered as she nodded. “I hope so.” Her gaze slid over his face, memorizing the sight of him. “I hope so,” she whispered, then turned away, striding back toward the door to the underground warren.

“This way,” the Aeleftherian guardian’s voice pulled him back to the task once the door was secured. “Most of Aeleftheria’s guards have been assigned so that this particular exit point will be unguarded. I’m just leading you to a contact who will guide you the rest of the way out of Aeleftherian territory. Understood?”

Kai nodded.

Marli quickly shed her clothing, scales covering her human body as she stepped into the water.

Averting his gaze, Kai did likewise, stuffing his belongings into the bag as she sank below the water’s surface and disappeared.

Kai summoned his scales, as Marli had done, to enable greater speed while moving through the water. He slipped his arms through the straps so that he could swim unhindered. The water was unexpectedly warm after the chill of the cavern. Drawing a deep breath, he dipped below the surface, following Marli along the narrow stone channel, just wide enough for a humanoid form.

Little light filtered in, throwing them into darkness and forcing him to rely on his other senses beneath the water, hands skimming the stone as his feet propelled him forward. The eddies from Marli’s movement ahead of him sent ripples over his body, creating a guiding path in the darkness.

Just as he thought his lungs would implode, the sea lightened into an underwater world of brilliant corals and flickering fish. He followed Marli to the surface, dragging oxygen into his lungs.

They floated some distance offshore of several smaller islands. The main island with its citadel and string of coastal villages lay in the distance.

Treading water, Marli nodded toward the thick shadows among the island’s greenery. “She’s in there. Good luck, Kai.” She disappeared below the surface before he could respond.

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