Page 66 of The Storm of the Empire

“How do you propose we make an excuse to be down there.”

“I don’t know. Something will come to you—and that’sifwe are caught.”

TWENTY-ONE

HAZEL

We’d combed every inch of the ship with a fine tooth comb. Well, at least all the parts of it we could con our way into. I learned from Luka and watched him like a master. Then we trained at night, left alone in our cabin when we weren’t assigned to the night watch.

We’d fashioned some wooden swords, and it passed the time. Luka was good. I wouldn’t give him full credit for it since I had a tough reputation to uphold, but he was well qualified for my class. In fact, it was a waste of huge proportions that he did not hold a rank in the King’s forces. What he could do on a dragon in battle would be something special.

We were days into the voyage and had got nowhere. The sun set over the horizon from the main deck, and I wondered what was next on this strange journey.

Luka was helping with the rigging on the main sail and the dragon, Faolan, was overseeing. He stopped beside me and stared out to sea like me.

“What’s our next port?” I asked like I was just making small talk.

“We sail for Damona Island to deposit half our cargo and take on some more, then across the Middle Sea to the Fifth.” Faolan dragged his gaze down over me, but not like he was checking me out. More like he was sizing me up. He knew what I was as much as I knew what he was. Why hadn’t he said anything? I kept waiting for it to come, but it never did. “Did Luka not tell you?”

“I didn’t ask,” I answered honestly.

He leaned closer and breathed in my scent. “Is he your guard, or are you his?”

I smiled, showing off my teeth. “I’m sure you can guess.”

He nodded, meeting my eyes, his glowing amber even in the twilight. “He’s important, that one.”

“Yes.” I kept my voice even despite his closeness. Was he trying to get more information out of me? Did he doubt Luka? Everything in me told me to leave the conversation, but I steeled my nerves, needing to know if our cover was about to be blown.

“I knew it from the first day I met him, but you, I didn’t expect.”

I cocked my head in a silent question.

“For him to warrant a dra—guard.” He lifted his shoulders and pulled back, camouflaging his dragon like we all learned to do around the other fae of the kingdoms. If we let the beast show all the time, they’d be terrified of us.

“The Goddess protects him.”

“That was evident before you even showed up. He carries it in himself.”

I couldn’t argue with him. I’d seen it myself. “He does. He’s a great aid to Her service.” I shouldn’t ask, but I did anyway: “And what makes this ship deserve the same treatment?”

His gaze swept across the water. “It’s less that they deserve it and more that I want to be here and am good at it.”

I didn’t understand it. Any of it. How could he avoid the King’s service? It had been driving me crazy. Did I just ask? But I couldn’t. If I drew attention to him, he might do the same to me in return. We’d have to keep with our mutual understanding.

“Does sailing run in your blood?” Maybe he came from a remote place like Luka and Zaria did. If there were people like theirs on the fringes, maybe there were more dragons who avoided the King’s laws as well. Hadn’t they found Jaxus that way? It made me wonder if there were dragon communities out there not living by Kingdom rule.

“That’s not what you want to ask, is it?” He rolled his shoulders before turning towards me, leaning his elbow on the rail.

“No, it’s not.”

“Say what you will,” he said at length.

“What made you not go?”

“Not go where?”

“To the King’s service,” I said, breathless.

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