Page 100 of Sworn to Revenge
Bay turns quickly, clearly distracted from her soul-searching chat with Myko, and wrinkles her nose at the sight of the limb but quickly diverts her gaze to the dragon.
“You’re a real piece of work,” I mutter toward Mariano and sigh.
“He says even he has standards when it comes to meat. He won’t eat anything this spoiled,” she calls back with a strained laugh, swallowing hard when taking another look at the leg.
The new clarity in my vision amazes me still; even from this distance, though it’s no miles away, I can see every slight movement of hers and every expression on her face as if she were right next to me.
“Mateo, burn it,” Mariano orders, tossing the second leg to the same spot.
Luca approaches me now, and this time, there’s a genuine smile on his face. “Now that you’re in control of your powers, you’re a serious asset in the field,” Luca says, clapping me on the back like we’re just sitting around a bar, having a beer, picking out women for the club. “And now that Flavio knows, there’s a good chance he’ll call you in on their jobs, too. Be ready.” He adds this with a pride I’ve never seen directed at me before.
I raise an eyebrow. “Why are you so eager for me to help him?”
“Even though we have good relations, we hold the upper hand now. If they need us, we set the rules and the terms,” he says with a smirk, alreadytalking strategy. I still can’t understand how he can flip to casual planning right after crushing a guy’s legs. Not that I care what happens to him, but his relaxed attitude to torture? That’ll never stop surprising me.
“I’m in,” I promise, nodding at Christian’s limp body. “But what about him? Why keep him alive?”
Luca grins. “Too many people know about us now. We can’t keep it all under wraps anymore. So, we show force—we send Christian back, along with the other bodies, to remind them what happens if they so much as think of crossing my wife again,” he says. “Christian’s so scarred by that dragon, I bet he’ll piss himself if anyone even mentions today.”
I chuckle. “Pretty sure there’s nothing left of him to hold pants up, anyway…”
Mariano joins us, laughing. “We’re making do with what we’ve got,” he says, tossing out one of his sarcastic quips, when suddenly, a deep roar rattles the ground. My heart pounds strong as I turn quickly, spotting Bay slumped unconscious against Myko’s massive arm as he tries to hold her steady.
Without thinking, I sprint over, ducking around the dragon’s long tail to reach Bay. Myko, as if he’s been waiting for my help, moves his long body aside to give me clear access.
I grip her shoulders, shaking her gently, calling her name, but she doesn’t respond. Her eyes suddenly flutter open, barely, and she whispers faintly, “Need…”
“Need what?” I ask, panic tinges my voice.
I hold my breath for each shallow inhale she takes, clinging to the assurance that she’s still breathing. “Bay?” I shout, my pulse rising with fear. Myko’s hot breath washes over us, and the heat slicks my skin with sweat, though I know he won’t hurt me. But for some reason, I am starting to feel weaker too.
“The Coral of Life… we need… to get to the Coral of Life…” she manages between weak breaths.
“What’s happening?” I shout at Myko, hoping for some kind of answer—and nearly stumble when his voice rings sharply in my head.
Someone’s tampering with the Coral of Life, weakening it, and it’s affecting us both. We need to reach it fast.Myko voice thrums through my mind for the first time like an urgent pulse. A rush of dizziness hits, but I don’t let go of Bay. I am connected to this Coral too,that’s why I’m weakening.
Take us there. Call Alin; she’ll know how to follow my guidance to the Coral.Myko’s voice roars again, and in seconds, a blinding light surges from Bay’s chest as the dragon is drawn back into her.
The silence chill wind he leaves behind takes me a moment to adjust to, and I gather myself before shouting back to my brothers, voice tense with urgency.
“Get Abert to take Alin to the shore—tell her to meet us there, NOW!”
Bay
Warmth spreads over me as I slowly open my eyes, feeling an unfamiliar yet comforting surface beneath me. Its texture is firm, almost like smooth stone, but alive somehow, with a faint pulsing rhythm that seeps into my skin. I sit up quickly, glancing down—and freeze when I realize where I am.
“Thank God, you scared the hell out of me,” Pedro’s voice breaks the silence as he swims close, but I instinctively block him with my tail before he can approach any further.
“Don’t touch the Coral of Life. It’ll kill you,” I warn him, watching concern cloud his eyes as he quickly backs away, horror-stricken.
“How did you bring me here?” I ask, swimming off the big Coral and into his arms. He catches me effortlessly, as if this is where I belong.
“I followed Myko’s lead. Apparently, because I’m related to you, he could connect to my mark and guide me here,” Alin says, appearing behind Pedro, surprising me. “Myko showed us what to do, and as soon as we placed youon the Coral of Life, all the souls you’d gathered flowed into it. Are you feeling better now?” Relief fills her eyes as she looks at me. I nod.
“Looks like I was right. You finally bonded with the Guardian,” says a familiar voice, sending a chill down my spine. Myko growls in my head as her gaze lands on the dragon mark on my chest.
“What’s that ugly octopus doing here?” Pedro asks, disgust coloring his voice. His lack of common sense for ocean survival couldn’t be more obvious. I quickly push him behind me—his comments are going to get us killed one day.
