“I have the Eye!” I shouted.
Every dragon in the sky looked at me. My mate was the only one who didn't seem surprised.
I held the Eye aloft, letting King Lyrandir get a good look at it, then said, “And you will never have it!” Clutching it in my fist, I dove overboard.
As I entered the water, the land dragons roared. Sea dragons roared back. I swam deeper and deeper at an angle. A current hit me. I looked back. The Lu-Ken was moving at an impossible speed away from the dragons. It had to be Vaxarion's magic. He was protecting my family.
Love shot through me. Vax knew I'd worry about them, so he saw to their safety first. Only when they were on their way, moving faster than a Land Dragon could fly, did he dive in after me.
Claws closed around me and drew me in against a scaled chest. Glorious fins of turquoise and green wafted around me for a second before shooting back, driven straight by our speed. Going still in my mate's grasp, I looked up at the surface. Flares of orange shone through the rippled water. Fire. The land dragons were not happy. Then my eyes widened as one of them dove after us, the water parting around him to form a bubble.
“He's chasing us! I forgot that they have Water Magic now.”I shrieked into Vax's mind.
“Yes, but this is my kingdom, and their Water Magic is only half of what mine is.”
With those words, a powerful current shot behind us, sending King Lyrandir shooting back into the sky. His enraged roar followed us, but he couldn't. Because a geyser guarded our backs and with magic giving us speed, we were out of his sight within seconds. And land dragons can't track through water.
“Are you still propelling the Lu-Ken?”I asked.
“No, not consciously,”Vax said. “But I sent the magic with them, directing it on a course for Racul. They will not stop until they reach that shore.”
“Thank you.”
“I am relieved that we reached them in time.”
“Just in time.”I paused.“How did he even find them? Land Dragons can't track across the water.”
“That may be different now that they have Water Magic.”
“Shit.”
“Yes. But I don't believe King Lyrandir will pursue the Lu-Ken. They don't have what he's after. It's a waste of time for him.”
“Unless he thinks he can exchange them for the Eye.”
Vax didn't respond immediately. Then he said,“Let us hope that they seek sanctuary with their royal ally. King Lyrandir will be less inclined to go after them if he must fight another Dragon king for them.”
“Yeah. Let's hope."
Chapter Thirty-Four
We didn't go to Shasenai. Instead, we went north of it and into a deep crevasse. I clutched the Eye, hoping, as instructed, that King Lyrandir would give up on the Lu-Ken. But I knew he wouldn't stop chasing us. What would he do? I hadn't considered that Land Dragons could come to the sea kingdoms. King Lyrandir wouldn't be able to bring his army, but he could bring his dread. The idea of Shasenai under siege made me shudder. But, as Vax had said, this was his kingdom. His world. Attacking him here wasn't wise.
At last, Vax dove and spun, coming to a rest on a ledge before a dark cave. It looked familiar. He set me down, shifted into his man body, and strode into the darkness. I followed without question, and he took my hand. As an undersea man, I had great eyesight, even in such conditions, so I didn't need Vax to lead me. But I wouldn't have been able to go much further without his magic parting the ward that met us.
Beyond the ward, the tunnel opened up and branched out. Vax continued through the winding passage, lights in coral cages coming on as he approached. The walls were rough stone, and the ground was sandy, nothing unusual in the tunnels beyond the lights. But I recognized this place.
“This is where you brought me to heal,”I said.
“Yes. I knew you'd be safe here,”Vax said.
I processed that as we passed the cave we had stayed in, then I asked,“Is this where you hibernated?”
“Yes. And where I stored my treasures. The Eye will be safe here.”
I didn't respond, but he must have sensed my concern because he said,“Don't worry, Mate. Everything will be all right.”
“We just made an enemy of a Dragon king whose kingdom borders yours. This is not good, Vax. Not good at all.”
