“The engine room is this way.”
“How many of these things have you been in?”
“I took one down on the outskirts of Hadria and another just over the border. Once you clear the crew, it’s not hard.” He opens a door, and the humming grows louder. A brilliant emerald light shines into my eyes. “You just have to take out the energy source.”
I step into the engine room. A huge green crystal sits atop a dais. My face reflects in the fractals.
“How do we destroy it?” I ask.
“Smash it.” His voice is a low growl. He draws his blood-soaked blade and presents me the hilt. “Would you like to do the honors?”
“Better back up,” I mutter. Ezryn complies, and I hoist the blade up, gritting my teeth. With a roar, I swing the blade and crash it into the crystal.
“Good work.” Ezryn takes back his sword and slides it into the sheath. “Now that the engine is broken, we’ve got to get off this ship.”
I let him pull me back up through the hatch and onto the deck. With a cry, I see the ship is nosediving through the air, heading straight toward the water. We have maybe ten seconds before we’ll be thrashed among the waves.
“Jump!” a voice screams from below. Dayton’s standing on the railing ofThe Deathly Sky Dancer, gesturing to us. “I’ll catch you.”
Ezryn and I exchange incredulous looks. “I’m out of ideas,” he says.
“Then let’s trust him.” We leap up onto the railing. Ezryn grabs my hand in his. I squeeze.
“One,” I count.
“Two,” he says.
“THREE!” We jump together, careening through the air. A salty spray and the bracing gust of ocean wind billows toward us, and my heart surges into my throat.
Dayton roars from down below and a giant wave comes up to meet us. Ezryn and I are swept up in the water. Salt stings my eyes and my lungs fight for breath.
Then we crash onto the deck of Delphia’s ship. The water splashes away. I push up onto all fours, coughing. A giant crash sounds, and I look over the railing to see the airship hurtled into the waves, the mast splitting in two.
I look at Ezryn, also on all fours, dripping water. He meets my gaze and smiles.
“Welcome back,” I say. “Missed us?”
For the first time since we consummated our mate bond, there’s a lightness in his eyes. “You have no idea.”
CHAPTER 38
Rosalina
I’m still catching my breath, soaking wet on the deck of the ship, when a force nearly knocks me over to get to Ezryn.
“Ez!” Dayton cries, wrapping his arms around my mate, who hasn’t even stood up yet.
Ezryn allows himself a laugh and leans into Dayton’s embrace. “Good to see you, Daytonales.”
Dayton pulls back a little and cups Ezryn’s face. He stares at him intently. “I forgot how damned handsome you are. Who needs armor when you have such rugged charm?”
Ezryn rolls his eyes and pushes him off, but I can feel the familial love pulsing through our bond. My own heart blooms to see them together, these two men I love—
A gasp sounds. Wrenley runs over and grabs Dayton’s arm, pulling him up and away from Ez. “Don’t get close to him, Dayton! Get away!”
“What are you doing?” Dayton gets his footing and roughly removes Wrenley’s hand from his arm. “Stop.”
“That monster,” she snarls and points a condemning finger down at Ez, “is the Prince of Blood.”
