Dragon Blood Read online

  “Greetings, sister. I am Elora. Who are your friends?”

  “This is Aerdeca, and this is Declan. They’re on an important mission to save my town on land.” Syra turned to us. “Elora is speaking through the shell as a courtesy to me. I am half siren, so my voice cannot compel you. As a full siren, Elora could make you her slave. But she won’t.”

  Elora nodded. “She is correct.”

  “Thank you.” Declan inclined his head.

  Someone who didn’t know Declan might say that he was being more polite because he knew that Elora belonged to a race of women who’d killed off a crew of evil pirates, but I knew it wasn’t the case. He was cool and respectful by nature. This particular group of pirates could have learned from him. Don’t be a dick, don’t get killed.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  She met my gaze. “What are you looking for here?”

  I quickly explained about the Oraxia demon and our friends, finishing with the story of the potion that could compel the Oraxia demon to undo the evil spell he’d cast.

  “And the Devyver told you that this ingredient you need—the sea sapphire--would be in a cave here on our island?”

  “Yes. In the pirate’s cave.”

  She pursed her lips and nodded. “This makes sense. They have many things in that cave. They’re ghosts now, by the way.”

  “I heard the story.” Declan smiled.

  She nodded. “After the things they tried to do to us, they deserve their fate. They cannot leave their cave, and we cannot enter it. We don’t want to, anyway.”

  “Not even for the gold?” I asked. I wouldn’t hate to check out a cave full of gold.

  She wrinkled her nose. “No. Ugly stuff. We prefer jewels of the sea.” She petted the pearls at her throat, which really were beautiful.

  “Can you tell us how to get to the cave?” I asked.

  “And if the pirate ghosts have any weaknesses?” Declan added.

  “Yes, I’d be happy to.” A cunning glint entered her eyes. “I quite like the idea of you annoying the pirates.”

  “Oh, happy to do it.” I grinned. “And thanks.”

  Her face fell. “The only downside is they don’t have many weaknesses in their current forms. They cannot be hurt because they are entirely incorporeal. And their touch is deadly.”

  “How deadly?” Declan asked.

  “It will suck the life from you within seconds.”

  “Shit.” I wracked my brain. “So we can’t hurt them, but they can kill us with a touch.”

  Elora nodded. “If they get a grip on you for a few seconds, yes.”

  “So we’ll have to be clever,” Declan said.

  “Very clever.” Elora’s gaze traveled between us. “I can take you to the cave.”

  “Thanks.” I inclined my head. “I can’t even tell you what a big hurry we’re in.”

  “It’s my pleasure.”

  “Can we transport off the island using a transport charm?” Declan asked.

  I held my breath, saying a prayer to every god I’d never believed in.

  “Yes. You just can’t find it using one. Now come on.” She gestured to us to follow, then turned and cut through the water, swimming quickly.

  Relief relaxed my shoulders. We could get out of here in time, if we were lucky. I looked up at Syra. “You really were the best captain for the job. You’ve got all the connections.”

  She shrugged, a quick smile slicing across her face. “What can I say? I’m the best.”

  Syra returned to the wheel and cranked the engine. Elora swam ahead, and we followed at a safe distance.

  I joined Syra at the wheel. “What are you going to do? Can you make it back to the mainland with the gas you have?”

  “Possibly, but not probably.”

  “Come with us, then.”

  “To the deadly ghost pirate cave?”

  “Yeah. We’ll all transport out of here when it’s done.”

  She shrugged. “Sure, sounds fun. I like a good ghost battle.”

  “We’re going to need a plan,” Declan said. “It doesn’t sound like we can fight them outright.”

  My mind raced as we headed toward the island, searching for ideas. We needed a way to sneak in and get past the ghosts. But that would probably be pretty hard if they were all hiding out in the same place.

  Then an idea popped into my head. I turned to my friends. “I’ve got a plan.”

  Syra grinned. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. You got a phone with battery?”

  “Sure do.”

  “Fantastic.” I laid out my idea.

  At first, Declan looked skeptical, but Syra loved it from the get-go.

  “I think this has real potential.” She nodded, her gaze distant, as if she were imagining it. “Let’s do it.”

  “If we can arrange it,” Declan said.

  “Oh, we’ll make it work.” Syra nodded. “I have just the thing.”

  I moved toward the back of the boat and pressed my fingertips to my comms charm. “Mari?”

  “Yeah?” Her voice was quiet.

  “Any luck with the nullifier?” Hope made me hold my breath.

  “Not yet.” She was trying to make her tone hopeful—I could hear it in her voice.

  But it sounded fake.

  We were down to six hours now. Our odds were getting worse every second.

  “Thanks. Which district went down?”

  “He just got Darklane.”

  My heart stuttered.

  My neighborhood.

  The bastard had frozen my neighborhood.

  It’d already been personal, but this made it even worse. I was going to get that son of a bitch.

  “It’s all total shit,” Mari said. “He got a huge proportion of the population, since those stubborn bastards wouldn’t leave.”

  “That just leaves the Historic District, then. And we’re running out of time.” Not only would we lose our friends, we might never figure out who was behind this.

  “The last gap was seven hours, so he’s weakening a bit. Taking longer to recoup his magic.”

  Good. We might need the extra time. We weren’t even on Eleuthera yet, and we only had about six hours until the final battle.

  “Thanks, Mari. We’ll be back in time, I promise.”

  “You better. Safe hunting.”

  “Safe hunting.” I cut the connection.

  Declan joined me. “What’s the word?”

  I told him what Mari had said.

  He frowned. “I still haven’t heard back about a nullifier either.”

  Cold sweat dripped down my spine.

  As if he could read my fear, he reached out a comforting hand and squeezed my shoulder. “We’ll make it work. It’ll be okay.”

  I swallowed hard and nodded, then went to watch Elora swimming in front of the boat.

  The siren led us toward a wide cove where the sea glittered an impossible turquoise. The long beach glinted pink in the sun, the fine sand as beautiful as the interior of a conch shell. What a perfect vacation spot. I returned to the cockpit.

  “I say we beach this bad boy,” Syra said. “Let the sirens play with it.”

  “I like how you think.” The sun had only just dried me off, and I didn’t want to spend the rest of the day wet. Especially with squelchy boots that might alert the pirates to our presence.

  Ahead of us, Elora climbed out onto the shore. Though she was far away, it was obvious that she was buck naked and looked like a supermodel. She strode toward a rock and grabbed a short, sparkling purple dress that looked like it was made of stars, then tugged it over her head.

  Syra slowed the engine and headed toward shore, beaching the boat on the sand.

  “That boat is quite nice,” Elora said.

  “All yours.” Syra grinned. “But if you find some white powder in it, just throw it out.”

  I choked on a laugh.

  Elora looked at us, her head tilted and confusion on her face.

  “R
eally,” Declan said. “Just bury it on the island. It’s poison.”

  Elora’s eyes widened, and she nodded. “All right.”

  We climbed off the boat, and my feet sank into the firm pink sand.

  Oh, this is lovely.

  I thought it but didn’t say it—didn’t really fit my ice queen persona.

  “I’d rather be swimming than tricking pirates,” Syra said. “Though, actually, on second thought, given our plan…”

  I looked at her, catching sight of the sparkle in her eyes. I headed up the beach, following after Elora. Declan joined us.

  At the tree line—which consisted primarily of tall pine trees of a variety I didn’t recognize—Elora turned back to us. “It’s not far through the trees. The cave’s entrance is on land.”

  She led us on a winding path through the towering trees. They were slender and finely needled, allowing the sun to shine through. Eventually, the sandy path disappeared, and we were trekking through the wilderness.

  “You weren’t kidding when you said that you rarely came here,” I said.

  She grinned over her shoulder. “There’s another name for Pirate’s Cave.” She lowered her voice to a creepier octave. “Spider Cave.”

  “Ah, shit.” I scowled.

  “They’re spider crabs, but that really doesn’t make them any better,” she said.

  “From the superfamily Majoidea?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure what that is,” Elora said.

  No, a siren would have no need for the human classifications of species. They had their own. “They’re a type of long-legged crab.”

  “Ah, no. They are more like spiders. Half spider, half crab. Twice as creepy.”

  Yikes. “My favorite.” My tone was dry, and Declan chuckled.

  A few minutes later, Elora slowed. “We’re here. I can take you through the first part of the cave—with the spiders—but once we reach the pirate’s domain, I can go no farther.”

  I caught her eye. “Thank you. Truly.”

  She nodded, then turned and picked her way through the rocks, finding a hole that led into the ground. We followed her down the sloping rock into the earth.

  Immediately, the air was cooler and darker—but almost suffocating. Elora raised her hand, shining a bright glow from her palm.

  It illuminated the interior of the long cave, shining upon delicate rock formations and draping spiderwebs. I shivered, a chill racing over me.

  “Now, the thing about spider crabs is that they are huge, and their bite is venomous,” Elora said. “They are fast, too. Faster than lightning. So if one lands on you, don’t fight back. Just freeze. Don’t move a single muscle.”

  Oh fates.

  This sounded like hell.

  “I mean it,” she repeated. “If you move, they will bite you. And the poison will paralyze for hours. Maybe weeks, days, or years. It depends upon the age of the spider.”

  I drew in a shuddering breath, keeping my voice quiet. “Gotcha. No moving if a spider crab jumps on me.”

  “How big are they exactly?” Syra asked.

  “About the size of turtles.”

  “Freshwater or sea turtles?” I asked. Because there was a big difference between those two.

  “Sea turtles.”

  Oh fates. Those were big.

  Elora carefully picked her way around a rock formation that jutted out of the ground. “But they are light. So slender that they hardly weigh anything at all.”

  That really didn’t make it sound any better.

  I dragged my mind away from the thought of them and focused on following Declan’s footsteps, perfectly and silently. He followed Elora, and since he was stepping where she was stepping, I knew it was safe ground. I wasn’t going to give a spider a chance to figure out that I was here.

  Fortunately, Syra was an excellent cat burglar. I couldn’t hear a peep from her behind me. Not a sound of breath or the scuff of a shoe. I’d already known that Declan was a silent hunter. It was something I respected.

  The cave wound deeper into the ground, a work of art made of beautifully intricate stone formations. Moss and spiderwebs hung down from the ceiling, and in many places, the ground above was broken away. Sunlight streamed through, giving the whole place an enchanted feel.

  Enchanted, but creepy.

  Something flashed in front of my face, so fast that I couldn’t make a sound. The spider crab was on Declan’s back before I could stop.

  “Stop!” Elora whispered.

  Declan had already frozen. I stared in horror at the massive spider that clung to his back. It really did look like a spider/crab combo, but ghostly as well. The shell gleamed a faint blue with an iridescent sheen.

  I caught sight of beady eyes and gleaming fangs. My stomach lurched and my skin chilled.

  Ooh, boy. That was definitely different than the aquatic members of the Majoidea superfamily.

  Declan held perfectly still, and the spider inspected him.

  A weight hit my back, and I nearly shrieked. Years of training, of silently hunting demons, was the only thing that kept me quiet. I stiffened, straight as a board, and stared straight ahead, frozen in horror.

  I could feel all eight legs, each one clinging around my shoulders and waist. But I couldn't see it. Not as long as I kept my head completely still.

  My heart pounded so hard I was sure it was shaking my body. The spider would get pissed any minute and bite.

  Oh fates, I wished I didn’t have a perfect view of the monster on Declan’s back. My eyes were glued to its fangs.

  Don’t move, don’t move, don’t move.

  “Stay perfectly still,” Elora said.

  Like in Jurassic Park.

  The inane thought flashed in my head.

  Hell, I’d rather be facing off with a T. rex right now. At least then I could fight.

  Elora walked toward us, slow and calm. She opened her mouth and began to sing, this time, without the shell held in front of her face. It was the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard—clear and pure.

  On my back, the spider stiffened.

  I held perfectly still, my lungs burning from holding my breath. I hadn’t drawn in air since the thing had landed on me, and I was growing desperate.

  The spider began to move, its feet trailing down my body. Off my shoulders, to my waist, then my hips. Finally, my legs and feet. And it was off, crawling toward the wall.

  I sucked in a massive breath.

  Declan’s spider crawled off him also, and his shoulders sagged.

  “Holy fates, that was terrifying,” Syra said from behind me.

  I turned to her, my pulse still thundering in my ears and my limbs weak from adrenaline. “You had one on you, too?”

  She shook her head. “It was scary enough just watching yours.”

  “Yeah, sure.” I’d be having nightmares for months.

  “Come on,” Elora said. “The downside of singing that song is that the other spiders come to hear it.”

  Oh, shit.

  She picked up the pace, hurrying through the cave. We kept up with her, following right in her footsteps. Scuttling noises came from all around, and I caught sight of skinny figures in the shadows.

  I squinted toward them.

  Spider crabs, staring out at us from all sides. Eyes gleaming, fangs dripping with poison.

  Every muscle in my body couldn’t decide if it wanted to freeze up or loosen.

  Elora began to sing again, soothing the spiders as we hurried through. Honestly, I was looking forward to getting to the deadly ghost pirates, as long as there were no spiders.

  Finally, we reached the end of the spiders, and Elora slowed. She looked back over her shoulder. “We’re nearly there. Be very quiet.”

  We crept toward the end of the tunnel where a faint blue light illuminated the space within. The four of us stopped before it and gathered in a circle.

  Elora leaned in and whispered, so silently I almost couldn't hear her. “I will leave you here. This
is the line that I cannot cross. It’s the same line that the pirates cannot go past. If you want to escape with your transport charm, you must do so in this spot. Or farther out in the cave tunnels.”

  “Where the spiders are,” Declan murmured.

  Elora nodded.

  “Here is good,” Declan said.

  I nodded. Here was very good.

  “Now, remember. Don’t let them touch you.” Elora gave us a serious look. “Be careful.”

  “Thanks.”

  She nodded, then turned and left.

  I looked at my friends. “Ready to trick some pirates?”

  “Born ready,” Syra said.

  14

  Silently, we crept toward the pirate’s cave. The air chilled at the entrance, sending a shiver over my spine.

  We pressed ourselves against the rocks, moving silently and slowly. When we reached the entrance to the pirate’s lair, we peered around the edge.

  It was a large space, full of the strange rock formations that had decorated the tunnel. The ceiling arched high above, at least seventy feet, and holes in the ground allowed light to stream through. Moss dangled down from the holes, almost beautiful.

  Against one wall, there was a massive pile of gold and glittering gems.

  “Shiver me timbers,” Syra muttered.

  I nodded, nearly struck dumb. I’d never seen so much sparkle. I kinda wanted it.

  Several pirates lounged on it, their ghostly forms mostly transparent. Somehow, they still managed to look dirty. Grungy, even. One had a peg leg, and another had a parrot on his shoulder.

  How cliché.

  The rest—about twenty of them—were scattered around the space. Two played some kind of game, and at least ten were drinking out of weird bulbous bottles.

  Rum, no doubt.

  Fortunately, there were enough rock formations in the middle of the cavern to provide cover for Declan and Syra. Some were only a few feet high, others reaching ten or twelve feet. They were all amorphous, formed by changing rock over the years.

  I turned back to look at my friends, who nodded at me. I handed Declan my phone, since his didn’t have suitable material on it, then flipped up the hood on my suit so my form disappeared.

  Declan and Syra nodded at me, then disappeared into the cave.

  Go time.

  I waited where I was, making sure that I had my magical signature under control. The last thing I needed was for the ghosts to spot me.