Page 89 of Dragon Blood

Kai returned, tucking his phone into his pocket, handing Astred and Bayn their devices. “We’re set. He’s calling in his aircrew.”

“That must be some favor he owed you,” Astred gaped.

Kai nodded without elaborating. “Yes, and we’re still not square yet.” The corner of his lips curled as his eyes twinkled.

“Take my car.” The king had removed his ceremonial robes, unbuttoning the top of the collar of his shirt as he led the way back through the compound to his office. From there, a door tucked into a far corner proved to be a private passage to a large garage.

Astred gaped at the beautifully preserved antiquated airship displayed at one end. The rest of the space held two lines of highly polished cars, old and new. From a nearby cupboard, he selected a set of keys, tossing them to Bayn. “Don’t scratch her.”

Bayn glanced at the fob in his hand, pressing the button. Headlights flashed a third of the way down the left side, drawing their attention to a sleek dark teal sports car. “A Gemera.” He grinned at his brother.

“Not even a nick. She just came in last week.”

“You should have told me you ordered one. I’d have come to visit sooner.” Bayn opened the driver’s door and settled in. The engine roared to life. “Nice,” he purred.

“Shotgun,” Astred rushed forward. “Kai, you can navigate from the back seat.”

Kai rolled his eyes as he slid into the car, shutting the door.

Bayn immediately hit the gas, and they were on their way to a private airstrip less than an hour’s drive away.

They might be able to knock an hour or two off their journey, but they were still out of reach of immediate action.

Astred closed her eyes, losing herself in the sensation of the growling engine and smooth sweeps along the winding roads.

Warm fingers caressed her shoulder. She grasped Kai’s hand.

Whatever was coming, she wouldn’t face it alone.

She just prayed they weren’t too late.

Chapter 28

CrimsonClawFirstMateTundi Okonedo squinted into the horizon from the quarterdeck, gaze flicking to the sun as she assessed the drift of the wind, her keen senses reading the atmosphere.

They’d been just outside of Aeleftherian territory when Joey Kane had contacted the ship via satellite phone to warn them of the Consortium threat headed their way.

Almost there.

Eyes closed, she waited as the vessel drifted, bearings true.

She sighed as her skin tingled from scalp to toenails from the magnetic field in the vast Bermuda Triangle, an invisible field that Aeleftheria drew on to protect her territory. Here, no radars, sonars, satellites or other such technology could spy and track them.

She turned, and with a flick of her chin, signaled several of the crew to drop over the Crimson Claw’s starboard side.

Moments later, the ship rocked as the women shifted into their dragon forms, displacing the surrounding ocean. Tundi’s sharp feline gaze followed their dark forms under the surface until they were far enough out to emerge with the significant force required to propel them into the air, wings snapping out to catch available currents.

Soon enough, they were dark spots in the sky as they raced home to alert the archipelago to prepare.

The remaining crew members scrambled to adjust the rigging to capture the too light drifts, drawing them at a leisurely pace.

All they could do was adjust and hope the airborne dragons brought the alert in time.

Sakunthala joined Tundi at the helm. “Hopefully our arrival will be timely enough to get the non-aerial away before…” She swallowed the last words, unwilling to say them aloud.

Tundi nodded. “It’s up to the sea to decide.”

They all knew it. It was the sailor’s life.

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