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

trees. Her small two-pod home was perched high in a tidy little glade—a white marble spring set perfectly into the grass gurgled with charm. Even the air smelled sweet. What a way to live, Kai sighed at the idea of her freedom.

“The Weathervane says a group of four came through in the wee hours. Paid her a hefty sum to fly them over in the dark. My guess is Lucca did not make camp as we did. He is well ahead of us now.”

A new feeling pressed on Kai’s heart. He wanted to act—this seemed to be the time to move and move fast, but something nagged at him to wait. He needed to trust his gut. Wind rustled the palms. The flutter of fabric caught his attention. He studied the various purple shades stitched together among the foliage.

Interrupting his thoughts, Rayna motioned to the Weathervane. “Kai, we need to keep moving.”

Liam nodded in agreement. “We will only fall farther behind. Kai, are you listening?”

“We wait.” Kai approached the cloth billowing in the breeze. “We are meant to take a different path.” His hand brushed away the vegetation.

The others looked at him, confusion on their brows. Hidden in a cluster of tall grasses, Kai found a small skimmer with a billowy purple sail. “How much to borrow your boat?” Kai asked the woman.

“More than you’ve got,” she chuckled.

Liam looked at Kai and the boat. “We don’t know where to go. What is the point of a boat if we don’t know where we are sailing?”

Wind whipped through the trees. A thud spun Kai on his heels, and his hand fell to his dagger on his hip. Yulia walked into the clearing. “You made it.” Her expression was resolute. “Lucca already has a boat and is lowering to the surface. Hurry.”

Stunned, Kai’s mouth gaped open. Words lost between his mind and heart. Yulia betrayed him. “You and Ryker left me behind. Why should I trust…”

“The answers you seek are a waste of time. Trust us—act now. Ask questions later.” Yulia moved around the group and handed the woman a bundle of rolled leather, a hunting knife, and a chunk of flint stone. “We need your boat to sail to Dragon Spine.”

The woman agreed. “I’ll take his offering too. I don’t get much wine these days.”

Liam, Yulia, and Kai pulled the boat from its hiding place. “She is not as big as mine, but she will do.” Liam marveled over the lines of the vessel.

Kai peered over the edge of the island. “How exactly do we get down? There is no pillar to lower the boat.”

“Well, if you thought island hopping was fun, you should try freefalling.” Liam pointed to the edge. “Whenever you’re ready, Yulia.”

She gave him a nod and rolled her hands, then Liam fell backward off the edge. Rayna screamed. Kai dashed to the rim. A gust of wind blew upward against his face. Through the misty shadows, he saw Liam fall. Sunlight chased after him as Yulia worked her magic. Before he struck the surface, he twisted and dove into the water, with barely a splash. The blast of wind disappeared, and the fog began to collapse once more.

No sooner did Liam sink below the waves than he reemerged along with a sand-covered pillar of stone. Up through the silky fog he rose, higher and higher with a platform for their boat. Kai shook his head. “You are one crazy person, Liam,” he said as his friend reached their level.

“We Gemidi are thrill-seekers. The crazier the better.” Liam patted Kai on the shoulder, and then pulled the skimmer to the tower of wet earth.

◆◆◆

They sailed out of the mist. The sunshine and clear sky was a staggering contrast to the thick gray fog surrounding the Mystic Islands. Kai blinked while his eyes adjusted to the brightness. For the first time, they could see more than a few feet in front of the boat.

The pale blue sky and dark blue ocean formed a clean flat line across the horizon. With their unobstructed view, they continued their pursuit. Anticipation bubbled within Kai and he climbed to the front deck near the crossbeam. Water mist sprayed around the bouncing boat. Lucca’s boat was within view. They were close.

Three lone figures, Lucca, Basil, and Ryker, hopped out of their boat onto a curved patch of sand. A partly exposed ridge of beach surrounded by jewel tones of blue and green water. The wind-swept edges of the sandbar gave way to nearly a dozen protruding rocks, which shrank in size as it trailed the rim of the island. Kai could see why they called it Dragon Spine Island.

Angry with Ryker, Kai glared at Yulia. “Tell me why Ryker stands with Lucca?”

Yulia shook her head. “We were close, and Ryker could smell Basil and Lucca. He did not want to lose their trail. We both felt if we could get to Muley first we could get the answers you needed and get back. Only… Lucca did not stop last night. He found us on Muley this morning—they argued, and I ran. I had the information about Dragon Spine Island. As for anything else, you will have to ask Ryker.”

Rayna called back to Liam and Yulia. “We are almost there. I see the sandbar beyond the waves.”

Their vessel fought the waves to make the turn. Yulia shifted the wind and Liam angled the sails to force them across the water. All Kai could do was watch. Lucca perched himself on top of a stone slab. Basil stood looking out over the sea. Ryker blocked the sun from his eyes with his hand, scanning the water.

Kai knew full well they were searching for his mother. Anger stirred in the pit of his stomach. How dare they come and do this without me? Steal her away. She is my mother. Kai’s fury focused on Lucca and he leaned forward as the boat dipped down the next wave. Extended over the front of the vessel, a wave punched