Page 407 of Kingdoms of Night

It was an amazing night of revelry, and Isa was indeed incredibly grateful for her and Nico’s change in fate. Even if she did incessantly think of Viridi, her heart pinching painfully as she imagined him struggling against whatever dark magic had hold of his soul…

She woke in her hammock, Nico snoring lightly in another to her left, and John snoring very loudly to her right.

A shout pierced the chorus of snores. “Dragon!”

Isa went cold all over.

Nico sat up. “What did they say?”

“Dragon.”

And then they were all scrambling out of their hammocks and running up the stairs to the deck.

A shadow blocked out the morning sun. A strange, piercing whistle cut the hush of the waves on the ship.

Guided by Werian, John dashed across the deck behind them and began barking orders.

Nico gasped loudly.

Azure wings and a glittering body passed overhead.

A shiver of dread and a thrill of excitement shot through Isa as she ducked and grabbed a knife that was sitting beside a coil of rope.A dragon!

Then a ship drew up beside them, three people on the deck painfully familiar.

Isa’s stomach turned forcefully and she stumbled, falling against the main mast.

She had to act quickly.

She snatched John’s black cap from his head and shoved it into Nico’s hands. “Nico, put this on.”

John merely gave her a quick glance, and must have seen what she was about because he didn’t argue. The cap swallowed Nico’s mop of hair. Heart pounding, Isa looked for anything with which to disguise herself.

“Take this.” Eamon handed her a kerchief and an eyepatch—the type they used to cover one eye so that when they went belowdecks they could uncover the other eye and see better in the dim.

She donned the kerchief and tried to tie it, but her hands were shaking too much.

“Allow me,” Rhianne said, appearing from belowdecks with her wand in her belt. She finished the knot and helped Isa slide on the patch. “I don’t know what's happening, but we have your back, Isa.”

Isa wanted to hug her.

“Ahoy!” the horrible voice of Seigneur Brune carried over the water. “What is your business on this route? I don’t recall seeing a paid passage for such a vessel when I docked in Khem.”

Werian snorted a laugh. “You paid to sail this strait?”

Rhianne stood beside him, wand out. “He knows nothing, poor thing.”

“That’s no poor thing,” Nico said, his voice a snarl. “Those are the Brunes.”

“The ones who enslaved you?” Werian asked, his voice threaded with danger.

Leaning against the ship’s side, Isa nodded and gripped the knife tightly. Her fingers ached to throw the blade and pray for miraculous justice. “I should have wished them dead while I had the chance.”

Werian raised his eyebrows. “What does Seigneur Brune plan to do with that small dragon of his? Despite its youth, I’m properly frightened. They have fire from an early age, or so my friend, Prince Dorin, has told me.” He faced Rhianne. “My little fox, I don’t think we should disguise ourselves with glamour. It’s possible we may need to use our titles to see this situation through.”

“Agreed,” Rhianne said.

“I don’t think Seigneur Brune will outright attempt to take the ship or steal from you,” Isa answered, “but he may encourage you to make a less-than-profitable trade with him ending up on the more pleasant side of things.”

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