The Traitor A. Lombardo (best thriller novels to read TXT) 📖

helm, barking orders. Weathervanes manipulated the waves to tilt the ship and lift the damaged section out of the water. Kai gripped the railing as soon as he emerged on deck. The crew was frantically scrambling to tie themselves to the masts or railings. Many of them clung to ropes, trying to reach the damaged wood with tools and metal bracings.

Without hesitation, Kai let go of the railing and dove into the water. The cold ocean water cradled him in her bosom. The memory of his mother’s manta ray called to him. He needed to stay hidden, so he searched for the thread of creation. As if it had been only yesterday, he remembered the design of the majestic rays. Taking hold of the gold braid that would transform him, he lit the spark within his soul. The sequence merged with his own and shifted the pieces to fit the manta ray form.

Arms outstretched; he pointed his feet. Light burst from his crystal and enveloped him with a blue radiance. His body morphed. His skin turned dark, and wing-like fins formed from his shoulders to his feet. A tail grew.

His broad outstretched wings flapped up and down, propelling him through the ocean. Water slipped around his sleek body and washed over his gills. The possibility of reaching shore before Keegan and the exhilaration of his transformation hastened his speed. He left behind the chaos of the ship and swam for shore, ever hopeful he would find someone willing to listen to his warnings given he was not a murder.

Along the farthest reaches of his gleaning ability, he searched for the shore. He wanted to shift to his dragon, but he could not risk coming to the surface, not yet. He needed to put as much distance between him and Keegan's ship, but terrible pain began to overtake him. The cold water wracked his leathery skin. His new form was acclimated to the warm waters around the Mystic Islands, but this far south, and in the middle of winter, he could feel his manta-body going into shock. Feeling the desire to sleep, Kai forced himself to swim.

He needed his dragon. Unsure if it was possible, he searched for the golden thread of this dragon. Faint in the back of his mind, he saw the dancing coil of light.

Reach for the white light, he heard an echo in his mind.

Faith pushed on his heart. He continued to swim for the surface, faster and faster. Embracing the white light, Kai felt his soul release the manta ray, and his dragon’s spark gleamed. Understanding the order of things, Kai let his mind wrap around the dragon. As his body morphed from manta ray to dragon, he burst from the ocean and soared into the sky.

Clear skies welcomed Kai’s silver dragon. The deep purple glittered with millions of tiny stars. He was happy to be one of them. Just another star in the sky, according to Sabastian.

Kai’s amber eyes scanned the horizon. There was no shore in sight, but he could not afford to stop. First, he spotted a ship, so he flew higher to avoid detection. Then he noticed another in the distance to his left. Scanning to the right, he saw another.

Miles apart, each ship sailed along the shipping lane between Port Anahita and Fort Pohaku . Thoughts of the trader ship sunk near this very spot pushed him faster; he could not let everyone believe that Katori had been behind the slaughter. People needed to know Keegan’s desire for war. He had to warn Roark.

As darkness fell across the sky, he realized how tired he felt from hours of flying. Letting his wings rest, he floated on the wind as long as he could. Each time he pushed himself higher he could glide for miles before he sank back down to the ocean’s waves.

Drifting lower in the sky, he spotted lights on the horizon—Fort Pohaku. The three points of the fort beamed against the darkness.

His wings weary, and his body heavy, he pushed harder. Each beat was exhausting, each breath brutal; he did not give up. The pounding in his head pressed into his massive skull. To keep his mind sharp, he focused on Rayna. The curve of her face, the smell of her hair. He thought of the day they met at the bakery in Port Anahita, her arrival in Diu, and their countless walks through the apple orchard.

Flying lower and lower, Kai did his best to keep the above the splashing waves. Kai glided above the water, keeping to the west of the fort. Remembering Sabastian’s warning about how visible his shiny silver scales were in the night sky, he decided twenty feet from shore to let go of his dragon braid and grabbed the natural white light of his soul. His body transformed back to his human form in a flash, and he dropped into the sea.

Wave after wave rushed him toward the shore. The closer he came, the larger the swell. He was utterly exhausted as he tried to swim to the beach, and the crashing surf pushed him under. Angry ocean waves pulled and pushed and sucked him under before the ocean spat him out to the shore.

In a haze, Kai rolled along the edge of the wet beach before passing out.

♦ ♦ ♦

When he awoke, he saw the side of a man—a man he knew all too well.

“Dresnor, how did you find me?”

Kai sat up to look up and down the beach. They were alone.

His friend did not turn to look at him; instead, he asked, “Answer my question first. Are you running because you are innocent, or because you cannot face the punishment for your crime?”

Everything Kai knew twisted in his confused mind, but he had to have faith in his heart. “I swear on the name of Alenga, I am innocent.