Page 42 of Sapphire Seas

“I love seashells,” Kes murmured, “I carried a wooden box of them in my backpack wherever we traveled. I lined it with cotton balls so they wouldn’t get broken. Those are the only treasures I have. I-I think I’d like to go get them now and find a place for them in here.”

It took one stride to close the distance between us and wrap him in my arms, lifting him as I held him close. The moment I set him back on his feet, Caspian latched on to him and clung. We both knew what this moment meant.

Trust.

Just like when he’d removed his eyepatch.

He scurried away when Caspian let him go but returned a short time later with a small box shaped like a treasure chest. There was a look of pride on his face when he opened it to reveal a Cone Snail shell sitting beside a Nautilus one, a sea star, a sand dollar, and even a Junonia. Each was rare and came from a different part of the world, mementos from his travels.

“This one I found on the beach the night I saw you fly out of the moon’s reflection,” Kes said, carefully moving a clump of cotton to reveal a Harp shell. “I couldn’t believe it when I spotted it and realized it was in one piece. I had to double check with someone else later, just to make sure it was what I thought it was. Afterwards, I’d take it out and think about that night and you. Finding a Harp shell was already special because of how rare they are, but I saw a Seadragon that night when I didn’t even know you existed. Until Mattias took us on our magical dragon ride through the city, it was the best night of my life. Now it’s the second best.”

“I think I know the perfect spot for these,” I said, and led him to one of the low pillars I’d carved where the rock wall curved.

On it I’d previously kept a chonk shell that was used as a horn on many occasions, but shortly before their arrival, I’d moved it deeper into the horde, to rest beside a tome of maritime tales Caro had given me. The pillar had remained empty ever since.

“It’s perfect, thank you,” Kes said, placing the box there before carefully removing each of the shells to arrange around it, leaving the box partially open when he was finished, all of the cotton balls neatly pressed into a soft bed on the bottom. “I’ll add more, now that there’s room to keep them. I had others over the years that I left on the beach when I found something new. It was hard sometimes to pick and choose so in the end I kept the hardest ones to find in the hope that I could replace the others one day. Now I don’t have to. You have every shell in existence in here.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t add more,” I replied.

“Happy too,” Kes replied. “I always wanted to start a sea glass collection too but would have had to sacrifice clothes and supplies to make room for another box in my bag.”

“No more living out of a backpack for you,” Caspian declared. “We have mountains and an ocean in easy reach, there’s no reason for either of us to ever have to go anywhere again.”

Brother’s, lockdown now!

Ionus’ harsh order shattered the tender moment between me and my mates, but there was no better place for it to happen.

“I have to go,” I said, already striding towards the door. “Do not leave the horde.”

I trusted them to follow my instructions and felt a sudden flash of worry from them that quickly faded.

More trust.

I’ll be home as soon as I can.

We know. We love you. Stay safe.

Their thoughts blended together as I hurried to meet my brothers on the pitch. When I arrived, Baird and his warriors were assembled, ready to fly, tails lashing back and forth, nearly tangling, they were so agitated.

Baird reported shadows moving over the mountains. His warriors lost them in the northern forest where the trees were thick. That’s where we need to go to pick up the trail. Let’s fly.

He didn’t wait for comments or Odem’s smartass snark. He took to the skies and we followed him. The northern forest was on the edge of our lands, and far too close to the compound for anyone’s comfort.

Spread out into the forest but be careful not to harm the trees if you can help it, let’s see if we can flush them out. Stay within sight of each other. Don’t allow anything to slip through.

We flew, gliding between the trees, being mindful not to damage them as we waited for the shadows to move. Sector by sector we found nothing, until we reached an area where the trees were so thick that it took some precision flying to avoid doing catastrophic damage to the forest. That’s when the shadows flowed along the ground in front of us, dragon shaped and fleeing as we neared their hiding place. We chased them through the forest, driving them towards a clearing, eight in total, once we’d surrounded them there.

Never did they try to turn around and combat us.

All were smaller than our warriors and huddled together, wings outstretched and wrapped around one another, forming a much larger shadow that darkened most of the clearing.

Fuck off you Gorynych bastards! One of the shadow dragons roared. My Papa says you’re all gonna die when the protectors find you if he doesn’t find you first!

Papa? Ionus…

Warriors, stand down! Ionus thundered, the sound of his roar shaking the nearby trees.

Every warrior froze as the realization that these were dragonets quickly sunk in.