OMARI HARU
ELEVEN
Haru tipped his head back, letting the cool wind run through his long hair as he sucked in a deep breath.
He closed his eyes against the bright sparkles dancing on the water.
The sky was clear blue, beckoning him for a leisurely flight, but then a hand slid across his shoulders and down as an arm wrapped around his waist. A hint of something spicy and warm touched his nose, and his smile grew.
Why would he want to fly when he had Adrian there to hold him?
Megumi had argued for Haru to remain with the clan for a few extra days, allowing him to eat his fill and rest before flying out to meet Adrian and the others on Prince Shey’s ship, but she couldn’t convince him.
He loved his sister’s attempts to get him to put on some healthy weight.
Beloved Nori didn’t even try to persuade him.
Haru prided himself on being an easygoing dragon.
Not much ruffled his scales, and he was happy to go with the flow.
Except with Adrian.
Haru could become the most stubborn creature in existence. The moment Adrian left the Isle of Stone, Haru would go with him. There was no room for argument or discussion. He could eat and sleep better with his Adrian at his side.
The others were quick to inform him that the return trip to Caspagir was going more smoothly than their trip to the island. There had been no storms, and the seas were calm, allowing them to make excellent time.
Haru was not a fan of traveling by boat, but it didn’t take him long to discover that traveling on a prince’s yacht came with certain benefits.
During the day, Haru ate to his heart’s content, enjoying a mix of food Prince Shey had brought with him on the ship and a massive amount of prepared food that Nori had sent with them.
Adrian remained at his side, allowing him to bask in his lover’s company and chat with him about silly, nonsensical things.
At night, Haru still suffered from nightmares and his sleep was endlessly broken, but it was easier to calm down and drift off to sleep with Adrian cuddled at his side.
The only thing that worried him was that the goddess’s powers were leaking out of him.
Each time he woke, he found Adrian’s brow furrowed and his skin covered in sweat as if he were also caught in the clutches of a nightmare.
Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it.
Adrian refused to sleep away from him, claiming that the nightmares were nothing more than a minor discomfort.
“Are you hungry?” Adrian twisted to rest his chin on Haru’s shoulder and smiled. “The captain said we wouldn’t reach the docks until early evening. We probably won’t reach the palace until late.”
Haru turned his face toward his mate and smirked. “Can we eat now and eat at the palace later?”
Adrian rolled his eyes. “I’m sure we could. Shey doesn’t strike me as the stingy sort.”
“Then I think we should—”
“I don’t give a damn what your orders are, Captain! We are to head directly to Sirelis with all haste.” Prince Shey’s voice rang out loud across the deck as he stepped out from the helm.
An older woman with graying short hair and steely cold eyes followed on his heels.
Lines dug deep around her stern mouth. “Your Highness, we’re not equipped to face the kind of warships that are blockading the harbor.
We’ll be sunk with one hit, and Her Majesty has instructed us that our priority is protecting your life. ”
“What’s going on?” Haru pitched his question so that only Adrian could hear him as he pushed away from the railing.
“About an hour ago, we finally got within range of Caspagir’s radio signals. Shey has been communicating with military officials in Sirelis. It sounds like New Rosanthe, or rather the Order, has attacked Sirelis’s ports and formed a blockade.”
Haru turned his head toward Adrian, his brow furrowed. “This ship is small and fast. We can’t slip through?”
“It would be an enormous risk. We might be small and fast, but we also don’t have any big guns or a hull thick enough to withstand any kind of attack.
The captain is right—one well-placed shot, and we’re sunk.
The smarter option is to dock at a town a safe distance west of Sirelis and travel to the capital by land. ”
“But that would be slower, yes?”
Adrian nodded. “Definitely. We probably wouldn’t arrive at the palace until after midnight, or possibly even the next morning. It depends on whether the Order has invaded the city as well.”
“Then we must go through the blockade.”
Adrian snorted. “It’s not that simple.”
Haru lifted his hand and tapped a finger on the tip of Adrian’s nose. “It is. Shey just needs a dragon to help turn the odds in his favor.”
“You want to fly out and attack the ships.”
“A dragon, a bit of Shey’s magic, and maybe even some good luck. That will allow Shey’s vessel to reach the port without a problem, correct?”
“Possibly, but you’re not flying off without me.”
Haru wanted to purr. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
They headed to the meeting room where Prince Shey was holding court, gathering information from Sirelis and issuing new orders where he could.
The captain of the yacht was still arguing with him.
Tyche sat curled in a chair, holding a mug of coffee, watching the back-and-forth as if it were a TV drama.
Haru’s suggestion to fly out and harry the invaders brought a new light to Shey’s expression.
The captain liked this idea better than what had been discussed, but she remained far from enthusiastic.
Tyche wasn’t thrilled either since he would remain on the ship, but he was willing to add his own brand of magic to help things along.
With a hard, stubborn look from Shey, the captain agreed and set off to make sure the engines were operating at full throttle.
It was late afternoon when the first of the Order’s ships came into view.
They were massive, slow-moving beasts with black-and-gold flags flapping wildly in the wind.
Adrian stood next to Haru, a silver dagger turning between his fingers as he pointed out the various guns on the sides of the ships and on the deck.
Adrian’s astute descriptions gave Haru a good idea of what he needed to avoid while flying.
Smaller bullets weren’t a problem. They bounced off his scales.
Those bigger guns mounted on the deck would hurt, though.
Plus, he was going to have Adrian riding with him.
His human wasn’t nearly so bulletproof and had to be protected.
Shey stepped out onto the deck with them, trailed by Tyche.
The God of Luck had tied his hair into a messy bun to keep it from whipping into his eyes.
With Shey’s appearance came thick, gray clouds pouring across the sky, blocking out the sun.
An icy wind swept down from the north, reminding Haru of home.
The prince had changed clothes from his more casual garments into a formal deep blue uniform that held several shiny medals that called to Haru’s fingers.
He needed to touch them, but a glance in Adrian’s direction told him that touching the medals was not a good idea.
“Are you ready?” Shey inquired.
Haru nodded. “Yes. High winds and darkness are helpful. Rain is less helpful.”
The corner of Shey’s mouth twitched. “I’ll keep that in mind. The goal is to stop the ships from cutting off our route to the port. Those warships are faster than they look. They can catch us and sink us simply by ramming. They don’t even need their guns.”
Tyche sighed heavily. “This sounds less like a good idea now,”
Haru grinned and winked at the little god. “Stop the ships from moving, and stop their guns. Easy enough.”
Adrian reached up and tugged a lock of Haru’s hair. “And no showing off. You’re going to have a passenger.”
As if Haru would do anything to risk Adrian’s life. That comment didn’t even merit a response.
Instead, he crossed to the center of the deck where there was the most open space and shifted into his true form.
Relief washed over him as if a muscle he’d been holding tight was suddenly unclenched.
He stretched out his wings as far as he could, reveling in the first touches of the wind as it skimmed along his body.
Next, he extended his neck as far as he could, tilting his head this way and that.
Okay, so maybe he also realized he had an audience of Caspagir sailors who were gawking at him, and just maybe he was showing off, but these poor people had traveled all the way to the Isle of Stone and had seen very few dragons for their trouble.
Shouldn’t they at least get to marvel at the very best dragon?
Adrian strolled close and rubbed a hand under his chin, causing a low rumble to move up Haru’s throat. “You’re showing off.”
Of course, his mate knew him so well.
Haru bumped his nose against Adrian’s chest, nuzzling him to get more rubs. He soaked in any and all affection that he could get from this man.
Without another word, Adrian climbed onto his back and got settled.
Adrian was a natural. He was born to be his rider.
Haru moved to the bow of the ship, and with a gust of wind coaxed by Prince Shey’s magic, Haru lifted into the air.
He flapped his wings, pulling higher to give him a better view of the battlefield.
Yet, with every pull of his wings higher into the air, the voices that had whispered since he’d gained Yesuntei’s powers crowded his mind.
He could never make out what the voices were saying.
They were fear-filled whispers that created shadows in his mind.
However, each time they started, his worries and doubts spiked.
What if something happened to Adrian? What if he failed his clan?
Or disappointed Nori? His uncle loved him and devoted so much time to him. Haru couldn’t disappoint him.