Page 51 of Lightningborn

“Bart.” Remy lunged to the cell, gripping the bars tightly as the prisoner blinked, staring at them with glassy eyes. “Bart, it’s me. Are you all right?”

“Remy?” The old man gave his head a shake, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. His vision seemed to clear, the haze of confusion vanishing in a blink. “What are you doing here, boy?” he rasped, sounding almost angry. “Have you lost your mind? You need to get out of here, now.”

“Not without you and Storm.”

“We’re here to rescue you, Sir Bartello,” Gem added as Remy reached into his shirt and pulled out a pick and what looked like a simple hairpin. Crouching at the door, he inserted both into the keyhole, eyes narrowed in concentration as he manipulated the lock. Another time, Gem would have found it fascinating.

“Rescue me. Why?” The old man snorted. “The dragon, I can understand. I’m not even shocked that this one”—he waved a thin hand at Remy, still crouched over the keyhole—“found a way aboard, looking for his beast. I get that bond. I hate it, but I understand.”

Gem was surprised at the bitterness in his voice. “Why?” she asked.

The old man gazed at her with tired eyes. “You have one, too, I see,” he said, sounding resigned. “And yes, at first, it’s the greatest thing, this shared understanding with the most magnificent of creatures. But what happens when you lose them? What if they’re stolen, or kidnapped?” He glanced at Remy, still working the door to the cell, and a sad, sympathetic look crossed his face. “That bond can consume you. It is so strong, it can drive you to attempt foolish, desperate things, all to save your dragon. And then, when you lose them for good”—a haunted expression crossed Bart’s face, the shadow of an old grief hovering in his eyes—“it can destroy you,” he whispered. “It’s the most painful thing in the world. That’s why I didn’t want the boy to get attached so quickly. I knew Jhaeros would find the dragon eventually; he’s not the type of man to give up. And when he did, I didn’t want Remy hurt or killed trying to protect him. I didn’t want him chasing Jhaeros to the ends of the earth, trying to get his dragon back.” He sighed, glancing once more at the front of the cell, and shook his head. “This is exactly what I was afraid of.”

There was a faint click from the lock, and Remy grinned. “Got it,” he whispered triumphantly, pulling the door open. It seemed that he hadn’t heard a word that Bart had said, for he gestured the old man forward while glancing over his shoulder. “Come on, Bart,” he said, sounding impatient. “Let’s go. We still have to get Storm.”

“Hold on, boy.” Bart’s voice was a warning. “The dragon isn’t here, and if you go rushing off, you’re just going to get yourself killed.”

“We don’t have a lot of time, Sir Bartello,” Gem said. “The captain and theQueen’s Bladeare providing us with a distraction, but they can’t keep it up much longer. Where is the dragon?”

Bart sighed. “Jhaeros’s quarters,” he said, making Gem’s heart sink. “He’s up top, in the captain’s personal chambers.”

CHAPTER

TWENTY-SEVEN

“In Jhaeros’s room,” Gem whispered. “Oh no. How are we going to get him out?”

Remy took a deep breath. “You’re not,” he told her. “I am.”

He had already guessed where Storm was being kept, even before they found Bart. He remembered the dream; the cage in the room with the bookshelves and the wooden desk near the wall. Of course, it had to be Jhaeros’s personal quarters; he wouldn’t keep such a valuable creature locked away in the brig. Remy hadn’t mentioned it before because Gem was there to rescue Bart, not Storm. If she knew the dragon was all the way in the captain’s quarters, she might’ve been reluctant to even attempt the mission. Besides, it wasn’t fair to ask her and Bart to put themselves in danger for Storm. Remy had made the promise; he had to rescue Storm by himself.

And Remy could feel his dragon, like a compass needle pointing unerringly north. Storm was close. He just had to get to him.

Gem immediately stiffened, opening her mouth to protest. Remy hurried on before she could speak. “I know how to sneak around without being seen,” he said. “I’ve done this all my life. With all the noise and chaos from the attack, no one will even notice me. I can hide and stay out of sight; I can’t say that if there’s three of us.”

Gem shook her head. “I don’t like the idea of us splitting up,” she argued. “What if you get into trouble?”

“If I do, you won’t be able to help me, anyway,” Remy said. “There are too many pirates. Look, just stay here with Bart. If I’m not back in ten minutes, go back to theQueen’s Bladewithout me. You didn’t come here for Storm, anyway.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m going to leave you behind with Jhaeros,” Gem cried.

“Boy,” Bart said firmly, “the girl is right. You can’t do this on your own.” He pointed a withered finger at the roof as Remy gave him a look of betrayal. “There are two more decks between us and the captain’s quarters, and they’re full of pirates moving back and forth. This is a cramped ship; you won’t be able to hide from everyone.”

“But—”

“However,” Bart went on, giving Remy a thoughtful frown, “you might be able to hide in plain sight. Come with me.”

They followed him through the brig and back into the hold, stumbling a bit as the ship pitched and shuddered. Cannon fire boomed, and shouting could be heard overhead as feet pounded back and forth, making dust rain down on them from above.

In the cargo hold, Bart paused, gazing around the piles of burlap sacks, crates, barrels, and boxes stacked everywhere. “This’ll work,” he muttered, snatching something from the corner and turning to Remy. “Do you know what a powder monkey is, boy?” he asked.

Remy nodded. Living at a pirate haven, he was aware of what went on aboard a ship. “Powder monkeys are the boys who fetch the gunpowder from the storage room and bring it to the cannons for reloading,” he told Bart, who nodded.

“Correct. And a ship like this likely has a half dozen of ’em, running back and forth.” Raising his hand, he plunked a threadbare old cap on Remy’s head. It was too big for him, and he had to push it back out of his eyes, but Bart seemed pleased by this. “So you see where I’m going with this, don’t you?” he asked. “You are going to play the part of a humble powder monkey. Hopefully in all the chaos and mayhem, no one will look twice at you, but if anyone asks, you’re on your way to get more gunpowder for the cannons, you hear?”

Remy nodded. “Yeah. I got it.”

“Good. Do you see that?” Bart pointed to a ladder on the other side of the hold. “That should take you straight up to the first gun deck. From there, you’ll have to find your way to the captain’s quarters on your own. It shouldn’t be hard, though. Just keep going up until you hit the main deck. The biggest problem will be getting back with a dragon in your arms. No one on a ship gives the powder monkeys the time of day, but they’re going to take notice if you’re carrying around a giant winged lizard.”

---