Viv appeared and shoved glasses into Eduard and Draco’s hands. Neither complained, but gulped them down without a word. They were particularly potent, the smell drawing a grimace from him.
Henry ended the call with Augustus.
“Henry, please tell us what is going on.” Andvari clenched Draco’s hand tighter as he spoke, and Henry looked up with a small smile.
“The air told me he’s okay. Well, not okay, but alive. He said he needs us. He asked the air to find me and tell me where he is. He’s so fucking smart. I can’t believe he remembered. I don’t know how far, but north and sea-ward is what it said so that’s what we’re doing.”
“I’ll pack some food. He may not have eaten since he was taken,” Viv said. She ran back toward the kitchen and began gathering supplies quickly.
Cecil returned as well, his arms loaded with clothes and medical supplies. Then their housekeeper, Justine, came running in with two empty backpacks. “I swiped them from my children,” she explained. “Cecil said you needed something easy to carry.”
While Cecil loaded one bag with his stack of items, Viv and Justine packed the other with food. She also added more of the restorative drinks for Eduard and Draco in aluminum bottles as well as a thermos. “This one’s for Sawyer,” Viv said softly. Her voice cracked and she looked up at them with teary eyes.
“Okay. We’re going. I’ll check in every few hours,” Henry said as he grabbed the nearest pack. Then he looked at Viv and smiled. “We’re bringing him home.”
Andvari grabbed the second pack of food and drinks and slipped it over his shoulders. He hadn’t removed any of his weapons as he’d wanted to be prepared at a moment’s notice. He’d have to maneuver carefully but if Henry felt like they needed the supplies then they’d bring them. He’d never seen Henry take charge before, but he was very sure of himself. And Andvari was sure of Henry. If he said they’d find Sawyer, he didn’t doubt it.
Once they were outside, Draco shifted and Andvari climbed onto his back. Henry did the same for Eduard. They were airborne seconds later. The wind rushed by them at incredible speeds. One day, he’d measure exactly how fast his mates could actually fly. But today, he kept his focus on their surroundings as Henry kept his eyes closed and his magic open, listening to the wind. Their magic shimmered around them, keeping them all shielded from prying eyes. They’d be easy targets in the bright afternoon sun otherwise.
They’d been in the air for a couple hours when Andvari could sense their energy lagging again. “Find a spot to land,” Andvari said. Draco huffed in annoyance, but Eduard sent him an eagle-eyed stare that showed he understood. Even Henry seemed annoyed with him. But Eduard spotted a deserted stretch of rock-strewn beach ahead and began flying toward it.
When they landed, Andvari jumped off of Draco’s back and pulled off his pack. He’d taken the heavier one with the food inside. After grabbing out the aluminum bottles filled with Cecil’s mystery potions, he handed one each to Eduard and Draco. “Drink,” he ordered.
Next, he handed Henry a bottle of water and a protein bar before snagging another set for himself.
“I could have gone further,” Draco grumped. He took another long drink, his face still pressed into a scowl.
“But I couldn’t have,” Eduard confessed. “Henry and I needed a short break. We’ll continue soon.”
Draco looked suitably embarrassed and he leaned into Eduard in silent apology. He’d never admit it, but he was drooping as well. Even though they’d been training nightly with Andvari on his back, the additional weight messed with his aerodynamics and made flight more difficult. And they’d never flown the kind of distances they just had. Draco had to be exhausted, even if he didn’t want to admit it.
“Are you hearing anything else?” Andvari asked.
Henry shook his head, quickly chewing a mouthful of protein bar. “No. Just to go sea-ward. We’re getting closer, I think. I don’t understand why I can’t get a better sense of what it’s saying. It’s okay, though. I think the closer we get the more clear it will be.”
“I can scout ahead,” Draco said. “You know I can fly much faster without the added weight.”
“Draco, I know you’re freaking out. We are, too,” Henry said. “But you have to let my magic guide us. Please.”
Draco lowered his head again. Their dragon was a wreck, more so than the rest of them even, and Andvari wasn’t entirely sure how that was possible. He could barely breathe with the fear of losing Sawyer, not even his most effective exercises easing the knot of fear that had lived inside him since the moment they realized Sawyer was gone. Draco had practically gone feral and hadn’t come back yet. His emotions were a roller coaster of angry and sad, heartbroken and desperate.
Andvari packed up the provisions again and put the backpack on again. “Let’s go. Signal me if you need a break and don’t keep trying to be tough about it. We don’t know what we’re going to find when we get there and I need all of you functioning. Remember that this is a rescue mission and we’re probably going to have to hit the ground fighting. Exhausted isn’t going to help us get Sawyer back. Keep some energy available to help him once we get there, okay?”
“Understood,” Draco said.
In truth, Andvari knew that the bursts of adrenalin they would all get when they found Sawyer would get them through the initial fight, but he’d rather have backup instead of three exhausted mates. And they had no idea what shape Sawyer was going to be in so they may need to get in the air again to get him help. None of the possibilities were good, especially if they couldn’t move fast. Henry had done well asking Augustus to have the boats head north. Even though the yachts were powerful, they would need hours to make the journey that they’d already managed to fly.
Draco and Eduard shifted again, and they once again took to the air. Andvari couldn’t have said how far they flew this time, but it was long enough for his hyper vigilant state to begin to wear him down. He was ready to call for another rest when Henry suddenly sat up straighter.
“Slow down,” Henry said. “Take me lower.”
Draco and Eduard complied, circling them down lower until the coastline was more clear.
“Come on,” Henry murmured quietly. “Tell me.”
After another moment of listening, he pointed. “There’s a small… cove, I think. Do you see it?”
Eduard adjusted his path, his enhanced sight making it easier for him to notice the transitioning landmarks.
