Page 34 of Lightningborn

“You know, I’ve been a patient man.” Even with the growling thunder, the low hum of theWindshark, and the wind howling up from the Maelstrom, Jhaeros’s voice carried over it all. The pirate mage circled Bart like a hungry dog trying to decide the best attack angle. “I haven’t asked for much, just something that is mine that I would like returned to me. And I have beenmorethan generous.”

He shot a chilling look at the few patrons who were not his crew, and they cringed. Heart pounding, Remy glanced around, then dove into the tall grass and weeds off the edge of the path. Keeping his head low, he began creeping forward.

In the center of the ring, Bart looked unconcerned, even as Jhaeros turned on him again. “All I want is my dragon,” the pirate mage told the older man. “I will ask politely, one last time, before I truly lose my patience. There is a hidden cave behind your house that clearly had something alive in it very recently. And my good friend Ferus tells me that you have been buying a lot of food lately. A lot of meat. We both know how voracious newborn hatchlings can be. So, as I am not a fool, this can only mean one thing.”

Jhaeros stepped closer, towering over Bart. His cold eyes bored into him even as his mouth curled in an ominous smile. “You know where my dragon is,” he said. “And you are going to tell me where to find it right now. From one gentleman to another.”

“Gentleman?” Bart gave the pirate mage a look of contempt. “If you’re a gentleman, then I’m a sky whale,” he scoffed, and Jhaeros’s face twisted in anger. “Look, pirate, let me make this as clear as I can,” he said loudly. “I don’t know where your dragon is. As Ferus so kindly pointed out, yes, I have a cave behind my home, because it’s the only place on this entire godforsaken island where I can keep things hidden and safe from thieves. And yes, I have been buying a lot more food, because, thanks to you, I suddenly have a lot more coin to spend. This doesn’t mean I’ve been keeping a dragon in my house; contrary to popular belief, I don’t like dragons. I know a fair bit about the winged lizards, but I tell stories about them because they make me money, that’s all. And I’m certainly not going to stick my neck out for some ravenous scaled vermin when I know how much trouble it is, especially if I could foist it off on you and make a fortune.” His lip twisted in a humorless smirk. “So I’m afraid Idon’tknow where your dragon is, but if you do end up finding it, do me a favor and take it as far from here as you can.” He waved a shriveled hand at the watching crowd. “I’m getting tired of the clamor it’s causing.”

Hidden in the grass, Remy held his breath. Bart’s argument was so convincing,healmost believed it himself. Maybe it was so convincing because Bartdidn’tlike dragons. For just a moment, Remy wondered why Bart was even helping him and Storm if he hated dragons so much.

But Jhaeros smiled. “You’re a very good liar,” he told Bart, making Remy’s stomach drop. “Unfortunately, there is one tiny piece of the puzzle that doesn’t fit. If there has been no dragon hatchling in your house, how do you explain this?”

He held up his hand, and Remy’s blood ran cold. Something glimmered between the mage’s two fingers, something tiny and bright, like a shard of metal. Even from this distance, Remy knew what it was.

A dragon scale.

“Hatchlings shed constantly, don’t they?” Jhaeros crooned as Bart went very still at the sight of the scale. “Little gluttons. Always eating, always getting bigger. Always losing their scales and growing new ones. I will say, you did a remarkable job of keeping that disgusting hovel clean of dragon clutter. Knowing how rapidly hatchlings lose their first set of scales, I am impressed you got rid of as many as you did. Unfortunately, you seem to have missed this one.”

Bart straightened quickly. Remy didn’t know what he was about to do, but one of the pirates behind him suddenly raised his sword and struck him in the back of the head with the hilt. He fell, crumpling into the grass, and Remy bit down a cry of horror.

“So…” Jhaeros continued, smiling as Bart pushed himself to his hands and knees. The pirate crouched down so he could look Bart in the face, his voice becoming hard and terrifying. “I will make it very simple for you, Bart. I am officially out of patience, and negotiations are over. We are now moving on to ultimatums. You have five seconds to either give me my dragon, tell me where my dragon is, or give me the name of the person hiding my dragon,oryou can die a very painful, excruciating death.” Jhaeros stood, raising a hand, and strands of lightning began sparking between his fingers. The pirates standing closest to Bart took a few nervous steps back, leaving him alone in front of Jhaeros. “So,Sir Bartello,” the pirate mage said as the strands grew brighter in his palm, snapping in the air, “is this hatchling worth dying over? Make your decision quickly. Five…”

No, Remy thought, his stomach twisting like snakes inside him.I can’t stand here and watch Bart die. What can I do?

“Four,” Jhaeros went on calmly. “Three. Your time is running out, Bart. I just want my dragon. Two…”

Bart coughed, the harsh sound breaking the tense stillness. “All right,” he rasped. “All right, fine. You want the wretched beast so badly? I’ll tell you where you can find it.”

Remy’s heart stood still. Jhaeros lowered his arm, and Bart struggled to his feet, glaring at the pirate mage. “You can find it in the Abyss,” he spat at Jhaeros, “along with your humanity, your honor, and your sense of decency as a human being. You’re nothing but a bloodthirsty predator.”

“I’ve never claimed otherwise.” Jhaeros smirked and raised his hand again, the lightning between his fingers almost blinding. “That was, however, the wrong answer. Good-bye, Bartello. Say hello to my humanity if you see it in the Abyss.”

“No!” Remy leaped to his feet, and several things happened all at once.

At his shout, both Bart and Jhaeros jerked their heads in his direction. For just a second, Remy saw their faces, Jhaeros looking surprised and Bart staring at him in alarm. Then there was a ripple of movement in the grass, a flash of silver and blue as, with an explosion of scales and bared teeth, Storm leaped into the air and clamped his jaws around Jhaeros’s wrist.

Jhaeros let out a shout, stumbling back with the dragon clinging to his arm. Storm growled, flapping his wings and clawing at the mage as the rest of the pirates stared in shock and confusion.

“Storm!” Without thinking, Remy rushed forward. He didn’t know what he could do to fight Jhaeros and a whole group of pirates. He just knew that he had to get to his dragon before it was too late.

Jhaeros raised his arm, eyes gleaming at the sight of Storm. He started to grab the dragon; then Bart threw himself forward, tackling the pirate around the waist, and all three of them tumbled into the mud.

“Storm, get out of here!” Bart shouted, and the dragon cringed. “Don’t worry about me! Go with the boy, and don’t come out again until it’s safe. Go!”

Storm turned and fled as Jhaeros gave a roar of outrage and sat up, shoving Bart off him and into the mud. “Get that dragon!” he bellowed at his men, who immediately sprang forward after him.

“Storm!” Remy cried as the dragon raced toward him, a horde of pirates on his tail. “This way! Hurry!”

Storm put on a burst of speed and leaped into Remy’s arms, talons sinking into his shirt. Remy dodged the pirate that lunged at him and dove through another’s legs, which caused the pirate to overbalance and fall into the mud. Springing to his feet, Storm clutched tightly in one arm, he started to run.

“I don’t think so!” Jhaeros’s shout made Remy glance back, which was a mistake. The mage stood, wind snapping at his hair and clothes, and threw out an arm.

A blast of wind shrieked down from nowhere. It picked Remy off his feet, flinging him backward and slamming him to the ground. He rolled several paces through the mud, the world spinning around him, before he came to a dizzying stop.

Beneath him, the ground still felt like a swaying ship, but he raised his head, clenching his jaw to keep from puking, and looked around for Storm. The hatchling lay on his side several feet away, unmoving at first, which sent a spear of ice through Remy’s stomach. But then his wings fluttered and he raised his head blearily, just as two pirates stomped up, grabbed the hatchling by the tail, and dropped him into a burlap sack.

No! Storm!Remy scrambled upright and lunged after the pirates. “Let him go!” he yelled, grabbing for the bag. But one of the pirates turned with a scowl, and Remy didn’t see the fist coming until it caught him across the face, knocking him back. Stars exploded behind his eyes as he collapsed back into the mud, and the world went blurry for a few seconds.

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