Rayna's Sacrifice (The Katori Chronicles Book 3) by A. Lombardo (intellectual books to read .TXT) 📗

dark towers. Looming spires of rock. The closer they got, the more significant the rock formations became. Above and below the waterline, they threatened to slice any boat that dared to enter.

Liam aptly steered clear of danger. “Here is where my boat really comes in handy. Her shallow bottom allows me to navigate more directly. Lucca’s boat will have to make more turns to avoid scraping the jagged rocks below the surface. Glean the way, and you will see what I mean.”

Slow and steady, they steered through the fog. Kai continued to gauge their surroundings. Twice the height of the palace, island towers loomed overhead. Rayna gazed up at the towering island beside them and pointed. “The islands are staggering; it appears as though each island is supported by inverted cones. The base must be miles wide.”

“You are correct, Rayna.” Liam pulled on the sail to angle them around a rock formation, “They are designed to be difficult to climb. The few daring souls who enter the fog find it impossible to navigate, and we must later remove their wrecked ships to keep our paths clear.”

They sailed deeper within the shadowy mist, passing the first set of islands. The occasional beam of sunlight cut through the darkness. Jagged rock formations along the surface sank and reemerged with the rolling waters. “There,” Ryker pointed. “The light must be Lucca.”

A yellow glow bobbed up and down with the rhythm of the waves, then disappeared. Kai gasped, until they weaved around a rocky tower, bringing the light back into view. Cautiously Liam guided their boat around each obstacle. “Can we not go faster?” Kai squinted into the darkness. “They are putting distance between us now.”

“We should be careful, even with our shallow bottom skimmer, there are still dangerous spots.”

The sounds of splashing echoed off the walls around Liam’s boat. Yulia leaned over the side and muttered under her breath. “What are you doing, old man?”

Kai noticed her concern as Yulia climbed to the front rope netting, her hands instantly in motion. Before he had time to ask her what was wrong, he felt the boat raise and lower, raise and lower. “Tidal wave!” she called out.

The rushing water pushed at Liam’s ship. Yulia did her best to squelch each growing wave, but then each wave bounced off the protruding rock formations and back again. Waves smacked at them from all directions. They were like a toy boat in a tub. Every move Yulia made caused another set of waves.

In the distance, everyone watched as the light floated skyward. Kai could not believe his own eyes. Ship and all, Lucca disappeared into the air. The dark shadows made it impossible to see how his boat ascended. “Is his ship flying? How is that even possible? Now, what?” Kai glared upward.

“Liam, we need to move out of this spot, get ready.” Yulia stirred the wind, and the skimmer lurched forward, scraping the side of the island.

Another wave sloshed them back in the opposite direction. Riding across the waves, Liam turned the ship around the next island base. More waves sloshed and knocked the skimmer into a rock. Liam cringed as his ship groaned. Yulia pressed them faster. Liam twisted and pulled at the sails and rudder, angling them through the treacherous darkness.

The farther they went, the less the waves rolled. When the water settled, Liam angled them through a narrow gap and into a larger channel leading to the center of the Mystics.

Yulia altered her hand gestures. The wind billowed and the mist diminished. The sunshine reached through the towering islands. Liam adjusted the rudder, and they cruised between two islands. Yulia maintained their speed and kept the fog at bay. “Do you know where we are, Liam?” she asked.

“I do, but we are way off course for the island Lucca took. Mine is this way, we should keep going. I can ask my father where the manta rays gather. We will catch Lucca, don’t worry, Kai.”

Kai craned his neck to survey the distance above them. “Fascinating structures, your islands, but due to the outward angle, there was no way to climb up. How did Lucca get up?”

“Well, unless you can fly, you don’t. Like I said before, to come here, you need a Weathervane and a Stoneking.”

“Not necessarily,” Yulia interrupted. “The wave that washed back on us…I think Lucca’s Weathervane created a geyser—a shaft of water to carry them up. When they were up, he let the water collapse, probably in hopes it would wash us away and give them more time.”

“There, that one. That is my home island.”

“How can you tell?” Rayna asked. “No offense, but even with the fog lifted, they all look the same.”

“Do you see those protruding peaks? They are sea stacks—part of the original island before we pushed it into the sky. I simply know by the curves and peaks, and how deep into the Mystics we’ve traveled.”

Yulia slowed their speed. Rayna pointed to the waves. “Don’t you have to worry about erosion? The waves are constantly hammering the base.”

“That is true. The stone we pushed is extremely durable. Not to say the Stonekings don’t inspect the base from time to time, but each section is several miles wide. It would take centuries to erode. The top is not that much wider than the base.”

Yulia reversed her movements, and the wind swirled around the sails, forcing them to billow backward. The vessel lurched and slowed to a crawl. Changing her motions again, she calmed the winds, and the waves shrank to a waveless pool.

Kai searched the area. “Where do we put ashore? Or are we riding a geyser like Lucca?”

“Technically, we don’t land per se. And we cannot use a geyser because it would damage my suspended cabin.” Liam pointed. “We take the ship with us, but I must lift it off the ocean floor. Again, another benefit of the design of our boats—twin hulls supporting a shallow lofted center.”

Liam dropped the sails and leaned off the back of