Page 104 of A Kingdom Restored

Heath’s limbs ached to obey, but he hesitated, looking from her to the merman. He was thickset, his blue tail thicker than Heath’s torso, and he clearly meant what he said. Whoever he was, he knew Merletta’s identity, and he was here to kill her. The merman’s eyes took in Heath as well, lingering on his underwater legs. It was clear from his gaze that he’d instantly dismissed Heath as any possible threat.

“And when you’re food for the sharks, I’ll be sure to deal with your pet human as well,” he added for good measure.

Merletta let out a growl. She’d taken up a defensive stance, but unarmed, she surely stood little chance. Heath’s body convulsed, his mind screaming at him to get air, and get it now. But he ruthlessly forced the instinct to submit to his will. He struck out through the water, moving upward. But as soon as he was satisfied that neither Merletta nor her attacker were focused on him, he changed direction, striking downward toward the merman’s unguarded back.

Pulling his knife from his belt, Heath slashed out. His aim wasn’t very good—already his vision was going black. But he felt the blade connect with something, and heard the merman cry out in pain and shock.

Unable to resist the compulsion any longer, Heath attempted blindly to take a breath. Instead, his mouth filled with water, of course, and his body began to truly spasm. He forced his eyes open, gratified to see that the merman had dropped his spear. That should help even the odds a bit.

Merletta’s cry of horror reached him only in a detached way, and he didn’t immediately realize what was happening as her arms closed around him.

No, he wanted to tell her,we’re too far from the surface anyway. You need to defend yourself!But of course he couldn’t speak the words, and it seemed they weren’t true after all. Because a moment later he felt a sharp pressure around his middle, and the water began to rush past him at an impossible speed, even for a mermaid.

Within an instant, he emerged into the sweet, life-giving air. He coughed violently, the motion entirely instinctive, and felt water gush out of his mouth.

“Heath! What were you thinking?” Merletta’s voice came from impossibly close, and Heath belatedly realized that she was still crushed against him, both of them held in the talons of one of Reka’s front feet.

“I leave you alone for a matter of minutes,” the dragon rumbled from above them. “It really seems absurd how prone you humans are to sudden death.”

“Thanks, Reka,” Heath said sincerely. “That was closer than I care to admit.”

Merletta said nothing, but Heath could feel her trembling against him as her mind caught up with their narrow escape.

The dragon just shook his head indulgently. “Who was that aggressive merman I just rescued you from?”

“He was one of the Record Master’s personal guards,” said Merletta grimly. “And he’s obviously found out what happened in Valoria.”

“Should I have speared him for you?” Reka asked. “He was attempting to stab you in the back with some kind of small blade, but I was more focused on getting Heath to the air.”

“That was the right focus,” Merletta assured him. She shook her head. “He must have had a paua knife in addition to his spear.” She wriggled against Heath. “Is there any way you can shift us, Reka? This is highly uncomfortable.”

Heath nodded his agreement, but the dragon was unconcerned.

“It’s not far to Vazula,” Reka told them. “You can manage until then—it will teach you not to be so careless with your fragile human lives.”

“We’re going to Vazula?” Merletta demanded. “And are the other dragons—”

“Look,” Heath cut her off, gesturing with his head.

She craned her neck as best she could in their cramped position, and her face visibly lightened at the sight of many dragons winging through the air around them.

“They listened to Elddreki,” Heath said, relieved. “They must be coming to the island to see the memories for themselves.”

“That’s right,” Rekavidur agreed placidly. “They will not be fully convinced until they have personally examined the evidence, but they are at the very least suspending the extermination.”

As he spoke, Vazula came into view, a glittering emerald in the middle of the sapphire sea. As beautiful as the day Heath first saw it, but now so much more than a site to be explored. It held his dearest memories, and—more to the point—other memories, which just might be the salvation of Merletta’s people.

Rekavidur alighted near the lagoon, and Heath and Merletta fell awkwardly to the ground.

“Why have we come here?” Merletta asked, as dragons touched down all around them.

“Because the memories left by the dragon colony are just over there,” Heath said, pointing through the trees. “Come on.”

“Why have you brought a human and an abomination?” rumbled one of the nearby dragons, disapproval clear in his tone.

“As you will soon see, she is not an abomination,” Elddreki said patiently, from where he’d landed next to his son. “And Lord Heath of the Dragonfriends has earned the right to his presence. It was his magic that discovered the whereabouts of the memories, and he was able to experience them as a dragon would.”

“What?” another dragon protested. “That ought not to be possible.”

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