Page 70 of Red Dragon
Syla jumped, almost dropping the newspaper.
“Look out!” someone barked.
Before Syla could lookanywhere, Wreylith wrapped her maw around her, fangs tightening with terrifying power. As she’d done in the past, the red dragon hefted Syla from her feet. Her fangs didn’t puncture clothing or skin as the jaws lifted her into the air, but the alarming pressure made Syla gasp and clasp her hand over her spectacles. Being flung almost made her scream, especially when her trajectory took her in an arcpastthe wheelhouse. She would land in the sea. Or on the railing. Keeping one hand to her spectacles, she flailed the other arm, twisting in the air to try to get her feet under her.
Wreylith sprang from the wheelhouse, angling so that Syla would land on her. Even with the dragon’s precise timing, Syla almost bounced off. Shedidlose the newspaper, pages fluttering in the breeze. Only by desperate scrambling did she manage to spread her arms to land with a painful thump on the dragon’s back. Her spectacles slid down her nose, and when she reached up to catch them,shestarted sliding. Alarmed, she flattened her hand to Wreylith’s scales and willed healing power into the dragon, trying to use it as a way to anchor herself, as she’d done before. This time, Wreylith didn’t have any injuries in need of repair, but Syla’s tendrils of magic spread into the muscled back and did as she wished, creating a connection with the power to keep Syla in place.
She peered over the dragon’s side, distressed to see the newspaper pages flying away. “I need those. Please.”
Wreylith turned her head, breathed fire, and incinerated them.Lesson Number One of riding a dragon: When instructed to do so, promptly climb onto her back. Lesson Two: Do not irritate the dragon by dallying.
Wreylith flapped her wings and flew away from the whaling ship, her powerful form radiating magical energy, and Syla decided not to argue. Later, she would ask Fel for the details of the article. He’d likely read it while she’d been healing Celena.
“All right. Noted.” Syla wouldn’t be meek, having always heard dragons respected bravery, but Wreylith was doing her a huge favor. Syla would do her best to abide by those lessons.
Worried that Fel and Teyla might have suffered similar fates—and not managed to stay on their dragon’s back—she peered in their direction. Igliana had also taken off, following after Wreylith. Unlike the determined and straightforward red dragon, the orange had a distinct sashay to her flight, swaying and tilting left and right, emanating enjoyment at being in the air. Or simply being alive? Maybe she was excited to have been asked to join Wreylith.
Fel, his face green as he hung on, didn’t appear to appreciate Igliana’s joy. If anything, he looked like he might throw up. Teyla was flattened to the dragon’s back, much as Syla and Aunt Tibby had been for their first ride, but she wore a grin as she gazed down at the sea.
“At least someone’s having a good time,” Syla murmured.
What is the first destination?Wreylith asked.
“We need to find a rainforest, ideally on Droha since the other components should be there too.”
Wreylith banked to adjust her flightpath.This route will take us in the same direction that the domesticated dragons are going. I sense them some miles ahead of us.
“The domesticated dragons? Agrevlari and… the one with him?” Syla hadn’t caught the name of the other stormer or his dragon.
Correct. Do they fly to the same destination?
Syla shook her head and started to saynobut paused, remembering her last conversation with Tibby. Vorik hadn’t told her his mission, but if her aunt was right and the stormers wanted to find the components to keep the Kingdom from having them, General Jhiton could have assigned him that task.
Syla closed her eyes as distress crept into her. “I can’tbelieveI gave him cookies.”
They will be rivals in this quest?
“Unless you can catch up and kick their asses.”
Wreylith considered that for a moment, one of her eyelids flickering as she glanced toward the sashaying orange dragon.As you may have deduced, I recruited Igliana from those dragons allied with stormers. She is not in any of their combat squadrons, but I would be uncertain of her allegiance were we to engage with them. Further, while I could certainly best either of those pet dragons in a one-on-one battle, I might be challenged to fight both of them, especially when they would be assisted by experienced warriors, one enhanced by dragon magic, and I…
“Just have me. I get it.” A powerful warrior, Syla was not.
How did you kill the assassin?
Syla kept herself from saying it had been by accident. “With my healing power except… not in the typical manner.” She winced. “I think I have to be touching someone to use my magic on them, and I couldn’t…” She groped for a way to say that she couldn’t use deadly power on Vorik. Even if he was to be pitted against her—again—she couldn’t change that she cared for him.
Should you need to slay that one, you could attract another mate who would satisfy you,Wreylith said. You have proven this ability.
“Maybe,” Syla said, “but I like the wayhesatisfies me.” She rolled her eyes at herself, hardly believing she was discussing this with a dragon. Wreylith would be anything but sympathetic.
It is useful to find a mate good at satisfying one’s needs,Wreylith surprised her by saying.
“Very useful, yes.”
But if he impedes your quest…
“I’ll think of a way to stop him. One way or another.”
