Wicked Path (The Daath Chronicles Book 2) (40 page)

Hadda squawked.

Tears slipped from my eyes and I held onto Lucino tighter.

“We’re going to make it,” he said softly, kissing the top of my head.

One slow push after another and the strange water wall moved us to safety.

When the whirlpools were far behind us, the wall of water retreated into the sea, leaving us in calmer waters. Hadda flew awkwardly, then fell.

“Hadda!” Before I could move, Lucino jumped out of the boat and grabbed her.

He lifted her limp body up to me. “She’s exhausted.”

I took her from him and held her close, gently stroking the side of her face. “How did she do that?”

Lucino pulled himself into the boat. “I’m not familiar with her species. I’ve never heard of a bird with the ability to control water.”

The bird that attacked us was the largest bird I had ever seen. There were old stories of dragons, but those stories were far imagined from little Hadda.
Should I have left her on the island?

“I know what you’re thinking,” Lucino said as he grabbed the oar and began rowing. “We had no choice. Without her guidance we never would have made it past the whirlpools.”

Once we found Grandfather we would take Hadda back home. I prayed she’d stay this size until then.

Lucino explained further about Mirth, and the more I learned, the more I understood his desire to get his people here safely. Would I be any different in his position?

No. If my family and people were in danger, I would do everything to protect them, but I believed there could be a peaceful way. There had to be.

“Another day and we should see land.” He dipped the oar into the water, steering us forward.

“We have no lead on my grandfather. What if they’ve killed him?”

“They won’t,” Lucino said. “We’ll find him.”

He spoke with determination, and when I looked into his deep blue eyes, I believed him.

Hadda hopped up and down, a sign something bad headed our way. I’d learned to trust her instincts more than my own.

Lucino pulled up the oar and we searched the water.

“I don’t see anything,” I said.

“Neither do I.”

Hadda squawked again, this time louder.

“Hold on!” Lucino shouted.

A giant purple creature rose above the water. Its tentacles flapped around and the suction cups latched onto the boat. Lucino whacked the squid with the oar as it slid its bulbous body over the ledge.

“Get out!” I kicked it with both feet, holding onto the edge of the boat for support.

The squid slid over Lucino and opened its mouth, a mouth full of rows upon rows of jagged teeth.

No.

I lunged at the squid while Hadda flew above us, squawking. The squid latched onto Lucino’s chest and a curdling scream left him.

I flung away the tentacles near me and punched the squid’s eye as hard as I could—something Grandfather told me. It retreated, and I punched again, harder.

“Get away from him!”

Hadda clawed at the squid, and it slowly retreaded back into the water.

“No!” I ran my hands over Lucino’s wound, trying to stop the blood.

“I’ll be fine.” His face twisted with pain.

Three of the squid’s teeth remained lodged in his left side. “I need to remove these teeth.”

Lucino grimaced. “Do it.”

I took a breath, readying myself, then gently grabbed the first tooth.

Lucino nodded and I yanked.

A fountain of blood rushed from the wound, and Lucino’s eyes rolled back into his head.

I grabbed his face. “Lucino, talk to me. Lucino!”

Light exploded in the sky, surrounding us. I squinted as the boat spun around and around, fast, flashes of color blinking in and out. I held onto Lucino and Hadda, hugging them both to my body, reluctant to lose either of them.

Creator, save us.

Different colored lights zipped past me. No sea, no sky, just endless lights. My stomach dropped as if we were falling, and dizziness filled my head. Anymore of this and I would vomit. I shut my eyes, unable to look at the brilliant scenery, and prayed and prayed, hoping whatever was happening to us would end

We landed with a
thud
.

I opened my eyes and a man with an enormous nose and dark green skin hovered over us. He wasn’t human.

“Hmm,” he said. “This is unexpected.”

I held Lucino and Hadda tighter. We were in a dark room that smelled of rotten meat and held tables with strange contraptions and bottles steaming with different colored liquids.

“Where are we?” I asked.

The man frowned and scrunched his face. “Mirth.”

Mirth?
Lucino’s homeworld?

Lucino grunted beside me.

“Move aside,” the strange man said, but I couldn’t release Lucino from my arms. “You prefer he die, hmm?”

I shook my head and let him take Lucino. Hadda chirped and I pet her head, staring at the room. There were no windows, only cold metallic walls and a plethora of devices that belonged in an alchemist’s shop. How could this happen? I wanted to ask, but was too terrified to move or speak.

Lucino had only allowed me to see his Reptilian form once, and it resembled nothing like the green creature before me. Where Lucino had smooth jade skin and angled features, this man was fat and haggard with a yellowish green coloring, and a bald, bumpy head.

He examined Lucino, pressing around his chest, checking his breath and mumbling to himself. With a metal prong, he plucked the squid teeth out and dropped them on a silver plate. Then he reached over to the nearest table and took a glass tube filled with an orange liquid and dumped it over Lucino’s wound. The mixture bubbled on the skin.

Lucino lay still.

Creator, blessed and true, let the light of your healing powers reach us.
Even though I was a world away, I prayed The Creator would hear my plea.

I sat, silent, stroking Hadda and watching Lucino’s face. His head tossed and turned, and I wondered if he would ever wake.

Lucino’s caretaker said very little to me. He stitched Lucino’s wounds. Instead of using needle and thread, he had a small black instrument that mended the skin together with fire. The pain must’ve been intense, but Lucino didn’t react.

“Will he be all right?” I left Hadda to stand beside Lucino.

“He will live.”

“Thank you.”

He put his instrument down and shook his head. “You being here will cause many problems. What to do? What to do?” He stood and walked away.

I followed. “I won’t cause any trouble, and as soon as Lucino wakes, we can be on our way.”

“Hmm, trouble. This is not good.” He paced back and forth.

“What’s your name? I’m Jeslyn.”

“Romulus.” He scratched his head. “Think. Think.”

“Romulus,” I said, walking very slowly. “How did we travel here?”

“No time to talk. I must hide you, you and… what matter of creature is that?” He tilted his head at Hadda and pointed. “I don’t know this animal.”

I stepped into his view, blocking Hadda from his sight. “She’s my bird.”

“No,” he grumbled and moved me aside. “Not a bird. I know every bird in your world. All creatures were catalogued within the first century.”

First century? I didn’t have time to think on what that meant because he was moving closer to Hadda. “She’s just a large bird.”

Hadda squawked and flapped her wings.

“I must inspect it,” he said.

I didn’t like the strange excitement in his voice.

“No.” I dashed to Hadda and blocked her.

“Move away!”

“You won’t touch her.” I balled my fists, ready to defend Hadda if he came any closer.

“Leave the bird alone, Romulus. I’ll find you something else to dissect.”

Lucino.

Romulus turned around, not surprised at hearing Lucino’s voice. “This is a new discovery. All creatures must be catalogued and dissected. This is—”

“I know the rules,” Lucino said, sitting up. “But you will not touch that bird. Hadda belongs to me.”

Belongs to him? What is he talking about?

Romulus grumbled. “You take too many risks.”

Now that Hadda was out of danger, I went to Lucino. I wanted to throw my arms around his neck and shower him with kisses, but the cautious look in his eye held me back.

“How are you feeling?” I lightly touched his hand.

“Not at my best.”

He stood, grunting. Lucino’s posture straightened and he marched to Romulus, one hand on his wound. Romulus’s shoulders slumped and he backed away from Lucino.

“What did you do?” The anger in Lucino’s question sent a shiver through my body.

“You insisted on going alone. I had to take precautions.”

Lucino’s hand snapped out at Romulus and he lifted him off his feet. “Answer me.”

I was in shock at Lucino’s strength, but I noticed the same red haze surrounding him like it did when he fought the large bird.

“I placed a home spell on us. If you were gravely injured the spell would send us both here.”

“Fool.” He lowered Romulus to the ground. “Why not the lab on Dune Island?”

“Without knowing your injury, I wouldn’t know if I had all the right supplies to treat you. This was the only way to keep you safe.”

“How did Jeslyn return with me?”

Romulus scratched his chin. “It’s possible if you were touching, the spell would have returned you both.”

It was my fault. I had held onto Lucino and Hadda during the explosion.

“We must hide her,” Romulus urged. “Before she’s seen.”

Lucino nodded and walked to me. He reached out his hand and touched my cheek.

“Give us a moment,” he said to Romulus.

Romulus left the room and my heart started an erratic thumping.

Lucino’s other hand grasped the other side of my face. His eyes were blue and bright. He brought my face to his, kissing me feverishly. My body relaxed and I wrapped my arms around his waist.

He broke away and touched his forehead to mine. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “If I had known Romulus’ plan, I would’ve been more careful. You should not be here.”

I let my fingers explore his back while his breath blew against my face. “Am I in danger?”

He nodded.

I bit my lip so I wouldn’t let the tears fall, but they slipped anyway.

He lifted my chin, kissing each drop of sadness. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t let anything happen to you. I swear it.”

I met his gaze, and for the first time, I saw the boy I’d always known was there. I knew with all my heart that whatever was going to come next, we would survive it.

Together.