Fire Island: Book 3 of The Chatterre Trilody (Chatterre Trilogy) (24 page)

Choice made, she began stroking Saphera's silky fur.

~o~

Cameron tried to focus his thoughts on the miracle on the shore, but his mind kept going back to the tears that had shimmered in Nimri's vivid green eyes when she told him that madrox fed on myst. While he had never heard of myst-energy, it sounded remarkably like a soul.

Was myst-energy their word for soul? And was his lack of understanding this concept due to some vocabulary omission in GEA-4's odd way of teaching language?

Saphera began purring. Glancing back, he blinked in surprise when he realized the skittish cat was, again, leaning against Tem-aki. He had often wondered if Draco Hern had jinxed her when he chose a name with 'fear' in the middle. Now, sitting between Tem-aki and the big golden cat, she appeared confident and happy.

Did her new calmness have to do with the baby dragon or was it due to Kazza's arrival?

Was it plan or coincidence that the new ones had arrived just in time for the hatching?

Either way, was Nimri correct about the dragons being a threat or could he continue to rely on what he had been taught since birth?

Would he be questioning his beliefs if Nimri's eyes were not the color only a priestess could wear and Kazza wasn't the color of a celestial dragon?

Rising to his feet, he went to kneel next to Tem-aki. Surely she would tell him what to do.

Chapter 29

Tem-aki stared at Cameron. "I can't tell you what to think or do," she cleared her throat, "but I will support whatever you choose," she said as softly as he was speaking.

His sincere brown gaze looked like he was trying to read her soul. "Do you think they are right about the dragons bringing death instead of life?"

While she would have liked to disagree with Nimri, everything Tem-aki had ever been taught told her that, at least on this topic, the woman was correct. "I have always avoided contact with them," she said truthfully.

Cameron's mouth flattened. "In that case, it probably isn't wise for Nolan's group to be so close."

"I would have run the other direction," she admitted.

With a decisive nod, Cameron sat back on his heels, put two fingers between his lips and emitted a sharp, distinctive whistle. The three novices on the deck and the three on the shore all jerked upright. Cameron motioned the ones on shore to return.

Was her opinion so important to him that he would disrupt everyone because of her advice? Warmth suffused her and she couldn't help but smile.

The three on shore headed toward the dory.

Saphera purred louder, but Varlet scowled at her. Tearing her gaze from his hate-filled eyes, she realized Malin and Dirk were looking at her as if she was the worst person alive. Tem-aki lifted her chin as she turned her attention back to Saphera and stroking her amazingly soft fur.

As Nolan climbed aboard, he asked Cameron, "Why did you tell us to return?"

Cameron looked at her, then turned to Nolan and said, "I have it on good authority that being close to dragons can be harmful." He smiled as he patted Nolan's shoulder. "Better to be safe than sorry."

Cameron nodded. "Besides, we can eat sandwiches while we all watch the hatchling dry, together."

Emmet clapped, but Dirk growled, "Did I understand you correctly? Did they have to come back from worshipping the first dragon seen in a hundred lifetimes because she said it wasn't safe?" In his fury, Dirk spit globs with each S.

"You could say that," Cameron said, "but-"

"Forget your buts," Varlet roared, "I, for one refuse to act like a baby listening to what some woman says. And if you're doing as she says, I will no longer listen to you." With that, he swung over the railing and climbed down to the dory. Malin and Dirk looked from Varlet to Cameron for a moment, then quickly turned and followed Varlet.

Nolan and Cameron looked at each other and shrugged.

Tristan looked at Emmet and said, "More for us." Then, they headed toward to galley.

When they were out of earshot, Tem-aki said, "Cameron, while I'm honored that you are willing to pay attention when I tell you what I know about madrox, I don't want to make problems for you."

"The problem existed long before you walked into my life... They are just using you as an excuse."

While she knew that what he said was probably true, it still made her feel uncomfortable. "If -" she realized she didn't know what to say, so she shut her mouth.

Cameron seemed to understand. He ran his knuckles down her cheek and smiled.

Nolan leaned against the railing and watched Dirk and Malin row the dinghy toward the shore. And Cameron tried to watch everyone. Once on shore, Varlet hiked with determination toward the drying hatchling. Instead of dropping into a reverent pose, as Nolan, Emmet and Tristan had done, at a respectful distance, the three continued directly to the baby dragon and only stopped when they were near enough to reach out and touch it.

Emmet and Tristan brought a heaping tray of sandwiches, a bowl of fresh fruit and a ceramic pitcher of herbal tea outside. After setting everything down, Emmet returned to the galley and Tristan went to the other rail, where he invited Larwin and his friends to join them.

By the time everyone was seated legs crossed on the deck, Emmet returned with dishes and cups.

Thunder couldn't seem to take his eyes off the ones on the shore. Face pale, he asked, "Do they realize how dangerous madrox are?"

Cameron and Nolan nodded.

Tem-aki said, "They chose to ignore the advice to keep a safe distance."

"In fact," Nolan added, "I suspect they made sure to get as close as possible as a sort of rebellion."

"Whatever their reason, it's dangerous." Thunder said.

Tem-aki said, "Those three don't have any respect for my opinion."

Emmet snickered.

"They scorn all females," Tristan said.

Tem-aki felt her eyebrows raise, yet realized that she should have figured that out.

"Sad thing is that consistency is the nicest thing I can say about them," Tristan concluded.

"Ignore the malcontents," Nolan said, "and enjoy your lunch."

A companionable conversation moved and shifted from the topic of fruits that Larwin and his friends had never seen to the experience they'd had with madrox. As Tristan told them how he had made the green-tinged spread he'd used on the vegetable, cheese and meat sandwiches, there was a loud cracking sound. Everyone stopped eating and stared toward the shore, but the only difference was that Varlet appeared to be touching the baby's head. "That probably isn't smart," Emmet said.

"Sacrilegious," Tristan agreed, then he returned to his explanation about how to make guacamole. A moment later, he hopped up and returned to the galley. He was back in a flash, four big fat brown ovals in his hands. Handing them to Nimri, he advised her how to plant the avocado seeds.

What was it with that woman and how did she manage to beguile males? And why did Larwin look pleased about the fact that Tristan was obviously trying to make an impression on the mother of his child?

Tem-aki glanced from Larwin to Nimri and, for the first time, wondered if they were as tightly bonded as they had led her to believe.

Another crack, loud as if thunder were splitting the clouds directly overhead, reverberated over the harbor. This time, when she looked toward shore, Tem-aki saw that the smooth black lava had fractured and she could see hot orange magma bubbling beneath the thin crust.

"The mother madrox is breaking free," GEA-4 said. "They should move away from the young one."

Cameron put his fingers to his mouth and emitted the same whistle, which had told Nolan and the others to return to safety. But instead of returning, Varlet raised his hand in a rude gesture, then turned back to the hatchling.

A moment later, as the third boom blasted their ears, she saw something coming out of the lava. A heartbeat later, she identified the nose of a madrox. Suddenly several things happened at once. Cameron whistled, again, Nolan, Emmet and Tristan shouted, Nimri screamed and clutched Mica to her chest and Kazza howled.

By the time the madrox's immense body was free of the lava, Varlet and the other two began running back to the dory. Malin was slightly faster, than the other two. The mother madrox's wings beat the air. Blue lightning shot from her mouth with a shrill shriek so piercing it felt as if the sound had torn off Tem-aki's ears, even though her hands covered them. The shriek came again and again. So did the whipping blue lightning and the writhing madrox seemed to get larger and larger.

Malin made a bee-line for the harbor, instead of running to the more distant boat, which Dirk and Varlet were sprinting for. Reaching the water's edge, Malin ran straight in, until the water suddenly closed over his head. Nimri gasped. Mica howled. Tem-aki didn't realize that she'd been holding her breath until she saw Malin's head pop back up.

She gasped for breath.

Several heartbeats later, she realized that the madrox's bright blue tongue was no longer lashing out and it seemed to be heading toward the hatchling, which had raised its head.

Motherly love. Who would have thought that an energy-devouring beast like a madrox was capable of that?

Malin swam as fast as he could toward the Sirocco.

"Where are Dirk and Varlet?" Emmet asked.

With a start, Tem-aki realized that she couldn't see them anywhere and the dory was still lying untouched on the beach.

"They were consumed," Nolan said.

"No!" Emmet said. Cameron, Larwin and Raine nodded. "Dragons don't eat people!" he protested.

"Apparently, they do," Cameron said. He looked her in the eye. "And they were warned."

White faced, Emmet gulped, while Tristan began to sob. "I've never seen anyone die before."

"Now do you understand why we said they were dangerous?" Nimri asked Cameron.

~o~

Cameron stared into Nimri's vivid green eyes and saw sympathy. When he didn't immediately answer, she added, "I'm sorry that you lost your friends." And he saw sincerity. "I wish there had been another way for you to learn that dragons aren't all good. Everything seems to have some sort of bad aspect, to someone, somewhere. I guess that you need to ask yourself if fertile fields are important enough to pay with the lives of your friends."

Cameron held up his hand for her to stop speaking. "Before you continue, the two that were lost were part of my order, but I would never refer to them as friends."

Tristan snickered. "That's the truth. The only friends they were was to each other."

Nimri frowned in confusion. "They were bullies," Emmet told her. "If the dragon was going to eat someone, they were the best choice possible."

"But they won't be the last," Thunder said, "and you might not like who they consume next time."

"Cameron told you to leave them alone," Tem-aki said. "Yes, they might be a threat, but this isn't your island and it certainly isn't your place to come here and tell him what to do."

Cameron took Tem-aki's hand in his and patted it. "I appreciate your support, but I wouldn't be much of a leader if I only listened to people who told me what they thought I wanted to hear."

"But-"

He put a finger to her lips effectively silencing her. "Its fine. Really." When she nodded, he removed his finger, but kept her hand clasped in his. Turning his attention back to the newcomers, he asked, "Is there any way to protect the people and still allow the dragons to fly free to make the land fruitful?"

The four of them looked at each other, then Larwin said, "None that I have ever heard of."

"Or I," said Raine.

Discussion on the topic stopped when there was a clattering at Sirocco's side. Malin, wearing nothing but a soaking, saggy breechcloth was climbing up the ladder as if the dragon was still in pursuit, but a glance at the shore verified that it was coiling itself protectively around its hatchling. As soon as Malin's bare feet hit the deck, he launched himself forward. Cameron dropped Tem-aki's hand and prepared for an assault, but instead, sobbing Malin threw himself on the deck and began to kiss his sandals.

Reaching down, he pulled the boy to his feet. "It's fine. You're safe now."

Malin blubbered unintelligible things, but Cameron was able to pick out 'should have listened to you' and 'wrong'. While it would have been nice to believe Malin was admitting guilt, it seemed like he was still blaming others, instead of shouldering responsibility for his own choices. Looking over his shoulder, he motioned for Tristan and Emmet to come close. "Take him below."

"To dry?" Tristan asked.

"First wash away his fear," Cameron said.

When the young ones had gone, Cameron returned to the idea of finding a way to save the land and still protect the people. There must be some way to do so. Surely Draco Shakura knew the dangers as well as the benefits when he followed Shaka-uma here. For the first time, he noticed that Larwin was holding Draco Shakura's Staff of Power. Heat quickly followed by ice flowed through him, as he wondered how the man had gotten his hands on the priceless artifact. Cameron took a deep breath, then excused himself and escaped into the galley, where he plopped down on the first available chair, closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing by telling himself that Larwin had a right to hold the sacred artifact, after all his sister was the one who had brought it to him. In fact, the man probably had more of a right to touch it than he did. And perhaps Tem-aki knew that, and it was why she had brought it with her.

Did Larwin know how to use it to control dragons, as Draco Shakura had?

Could the staff of power be the way to save both fields and dragons?

Cameron's eyes shot open and hope soared in his soul. A movement by the window caught his attention. He turned to see that both of the cats were sitting side by side, still as statues, their noses pressed against the back of the ancient skull, which Tem-aki had taken from him.

How strange. Until Tem-aki had arrived, he'd never seen Saphera give the skull a passing glance.

Cameron massaged the bridge of his nose and tried to imagine how Draco Shakura might have used the staff. Prior to seeing the actual size of an adult dragon, he'd assumed the staff of power was used for dragons in much the same way that goatherds used their staffs.

Now, he knew that was impossible.

Before going back outside, Cameron filled a pitcher with herbal tea, so he could use it as an excuse for his abrupt departure. Turning to go, he saw the staff of power leaning next to the doorway.