“Not if we’re in different towns or islands, but if we’re in the same place, we can communicate telepathically. We can converse over short distances.”
“So we’re official,” Liza said.
“Yes. Yes. Yes!”His dragon spoke for him.
“All right, dragon-man,” Liza whispered. “You need to close your eyes and rest.”
“I don’t think I can. My mind is too busy. What do you say to starting our journey to Perfume Isle now? I’d prefer to avoid my parents.”
“Put that way, I agree. There’s no telling what their next step might be. What did we do with our clothes?”
“You left them by the stream,”informed his dragon.
“Huh,” Liza said. “That wasn’t smart.”
“I’ll get them.” Leo pushed to his feet and retraced their steps to find their clothes. On his return, Liza scrambled into her underwear and pulled on the pair of trews she’d been wearing.
“You’d better wear my tunic,” Leo said. “We will fly high, so pull on the cloak too. It’ll be colder than you’ve experienced so far.”
Liza followed his instructions, then they walked until they came to a larger clearing within the trees. There, he shifted. Liza approached Leo and waited for him to pick her up in his talons.
Seconds later, they were off, Leo’s wings flapping as he lifted them into the air.
It was still dark, but the moon peeked from behind its scant cover of cloud and sent enough light for him to see their surroundings.
“How long before we reach the coast?”Liza asked him through their mind link.
Leo thrilled at the communication.“About ten minutes, I think. The crossing to Perfume Isles will take between two to three hours. My friend’s home is near the coast. Are you cold?”
“I’ll manage. Tell me about your friends. Who are they, and how did you meet them?”
“I went to schooland first learned to fight there. My friends are Durgess and Rafael. They’re the same age as me, and we trained together. Like me, Durgess and Rafael are younger sons. Their brothers are much nicer than mine. I look upon their brothers as my brothers. It’s always fun when we get together.”
“They’ll help us?”
“Yes.”
“My friend Cherry is like that. She and my sister Rena have my back against Tony and his shenanigans.”
Leo flew over the forest, and soon a briny scent filled the air. His ears caught the rattle of pebbles as the waves rushed forth and receded.
“I wish I could see more,”Liza said.“The trees and mountains are so pretty. I love the scenery around your home.”
“Me too,”Leo replied. He hoped his friends might have info since they often traveled to Smoking Isle for business. Once he and Liza reached Perfume Isle and rested, he’d fly toward the mainland. Liza wanted to get back to her daughter, which was understandable. The child was young, and with Liza’s ex-husband causing trouble, of course, she wanted to return.
The troubling part was he wasn’t sure where that left him.
Was there some way he could stay with Liza and travel with her?
His people had retreated to the Dragon Isles hundreds of years ago to escape persecution. Returning to the mainland would mean hiding his otherness and not flying whenever the urge took him. Leo wasn’t confident he could handle that, but he couldn’t lose Liza either.
“What are we going to do?”he asked.“I don’t want to lose you, but you want to find your daughter and ensure her safety.”
Liza sighed.“I haven’t thought that far ahead. I feel as if I’m getting tugged in dozens of directions and fighting to stay upright.”
Leo understood what she meant.“If we can’t find a tear in the protective barrier, we’ll journey to visit the druids on Smoking Isle. They’re responsible for keeping the shield in position, and each of the islands pays a tithe to them to ensure this happens. Each of the island rulers taxes their residents.”
“Has someone stopped paying their tithe?”Liza asked.
