Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 110079 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110079 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
At night, Haru still suffered from nightmares and his sleep was endlessly broken, but it was easier to calm down and drift off to sleep with Adrian cuddled at his side. The only thing that worried him was that the goddess’s powers were leaking out of him. Each time he woke, he found Adrian’s brow furrowed and his skin covered in sweat as if he were also caught in the clutches of a nightmare. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it. Adrian refused to sleep away from him, claiming that the nightmares were nothing more than a minor discomfort.
“Are you hungry?” Adrian twisted to rest his chin on Haru’s shoulder and smiled. “The captain said we wouldn’t reach the docks until early evening. We probably won’t reach the palace until late.”
Haru turned his face toward his mate and smirked. “Can we eat now and eat at the palace later?”
Adrian rolled his eyes. “I’m sure we could. Shey doesn’t strike me as the stingy sort.”
“Then I think we should—”
“I don’t give a damn what your orders are, Captain! We are to head directly to Sirelis with all haste.” Prince Shey’s voice rang out loud across the deck as he stepped out from the helm.
An older woman with graying short hair and steely cold eyes followed on his heels. Lines dug deep around her stern mouth. “Your Highness, we’re not equipped to face the kind of warships that are blockading the harbor. We’ll be sunk with one hit, and Her Majesty has instructed us that our priority is protecting your life.”
“What’s going on?” Haru pitched his question so that only Adrian could hear him as he pushed away from the railing.
“About an hour ago, we finally got within range of Caspagir’s radio signals. Shey has been communicating with military officials in Sirelis. It sounds like New Rosanthe, or rather the Order, has attacked Sirelis’s ports and formed a blockade.”
Haru turned his head toward Adrian, his brow furrowed. “This ship is small and fast. We can’t slip through?”
“It would be an enormous risk. We might be small and fast, but we also don’t have any big guns or a hull thick enough to withstand any kind of attack. The captain is right—one well-placed shot, and we’re sunk. The smarter option is to dock at a town a safe distance west of Sirelis and travel to the capital by land.”
“But that would be slower, yes?”
Adrian nodded. “Definitely. We probably wouldn’t arrive at the palace until after midnight, or possibly even the next morning. It depends on whether the Order has invaded the city as well.”
“Then we must go through the blockade.”
Adrian snorted. “It’s not that simple.”
Haru lifted his hand and tapped a finger on the tip of Adrian’s nose. “It is. Shey just needs a dragon to help turn the odds in his favor.”
“You want to fly out and attack the ships.”
“A dragon, a bit of Shey’s magic, and maybe even some good luck. That will allow Shey’s vessel to reach the port without a problem, correct?”
“Possibly, but you’re not flying off without me.”
Haru wanted to purr. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
They headed to the meeting room where Prince Shey was holding court, gathering information from Sirelis and issuing new orders where he could. The captain of the yacht was still arguing with him. Tyche sat curled in a chair, holding a mug of coffee, watching the back-and-forth as if it were a TV drama.
Haru’s suggestion to fly out and harry the invaders brought a new light to Shey’s expression. The captain liked this idea better than what had been discussed, but she remained far from enthusiastic. Tyche wasn’t thrilled either since he would remain on the ship, but he was willing to add his own brand of magic to help things along.
With a hard, stubborn look from Shey, the captain agreed and set off to make sure the engines were operating at full throttle.
It was late afternoon when the first of the Order’s ships came into view. They were massive, slow-moving beasts with black-and-gold flags flapping wildly in the wind. Adrian stood next to Haru, a silver dagger turning between his fingers as he pointed out the various guns on the sides of the ships and on the deck. Adrian’s astute descriptions gave Haru a good idea of what he needed to avoid while flying. Smaller bullets weren’t a problem. They bounced off his scales. Those bigger guns mounted on the deck would hurt, though. Plus, he was going to have Adrian riding with him. His human wasn’t nearly so bulletproof and had to be protected.
Shey stepped out onto the deck with them, trailed by Tyche. The God of Luck had tied his hair into a messy bun to keep it from whipping into his eyes. With Shey’s appearance came thick, gray clouds pouring across the sky, blocking out the sun. An icy wind swept down from the north, reminding Haru of home. The prince had changed clothes from his more casual garments into a formal deep blue uniform that held several shiny medals that called to Haru’s fingers. He needed to touch them, but a glance in Adrian’s direction told him that touching the medals was not a good idea.