Patterns in the Dark (Dragon Blood Book 4) (6 page)

“Dark down there,” Duck said.

“I don’t see any breaks in the canopy,” Cas said. “No lights or structures, either, not visible from up here, anyway. There’s—Sir, don’t crash.”

Her tone never changed, but the words startled Tolemek until he spotted Zirkander’s flier dropping below the level of the others. It swooped toward the mountain, dipping so low that its running lights illuminated the lush green leaves of the treetops below. Monkeys—or some nocturnal relative of monkeys—shrieked in protest. Cas stayed aloft, though she followed along, frowning over the side as Zirkander dipped into valleys and canyons, as if he was looking for something much more important than a landing spot. They circled the entire mountain like that.

“Sorry, Sardelle,” Zirkander said over the crystals. “I don’t see anything. And there’s not a clearing in sight. I don’t think this place has ever seen a forest fire.”

“Sorry, Sardelle?” Tolemek wondered. She hadn’t said anything.

Not aloud, no
, came Jaxi’s mental intrusion, along with a surprising burst of emotion he had never received from the soulblade. Yes, her thoughts had been urgent that night in the capital, with that bomb threatening to destroy much of the city, but this was different. She almost seemed… giddy.

Good guess, genius. There’s a dragon down there.

What?
Tolemek shifted his attention from the mountain to Duck’s flier. Sardelle was definitely awake now, her eyes wide as she leaned over the side of the craft, gazing into the darkness below.
You can tell?

Obviously
.

Can you talk to it?
Tylie might be his priority, but Tolemek couldn’t help but be intrigued by the idea that a living, breathing dragon might remain in the world. Besides, if it was here, then it was likely his sister was here too. Providing the Cofah hadn’t moved her again.

I’m trying. I should be able to reach him. He’s down there. It’s possible he’s ignoring me. If so, that’s quite rude.

He?
Tolemek had never imagined a dragon having a gender. In the books, they all tended to be referred to as it or she, perhaps because of their beauty.

This one might be pretty, but he’s definitely a boy. Damn, we’re leaving.

Zirkander’s flier had come back up to a safer height above the canopy—something the white-faced Moe doubtlessly appreciated. The three aircraft sped back to the east, returning to the coast and the lights near the water. As they descended toward a field, Tolemek touched his vest pocket, feeling the crinkle of his drawing and wishing he had more to guide him to Tylie.

In the darkness, the landing was rough, but he kept his mouth shut about it. The look Cas had given him when he had defended his drawing by complaining about the turbulence could have shriveled the balls off a dragon.

I don’t know about that. Dragons have big, sturdy balls.

You know this from the historical documents?
Tolemek asked.
Or because you checked?

I suppose it’s more of an assumption, given that everything else about dragons is big and sturdy.

So you didn’t check.
The image of the soulblade magically lifting a dragon’s leg to look flashed into his mind.

That sounds like a way to get one’s hilt snapped off one’s blade. Or to be melted. From what I’ve read, dragon fire is potent.

Tolemek frowned over at the other flier, wondering why Sardelle’s sword was in his head so much. The other craft hadn’t come to a stop yet; it was still wobbling, the wings tilting, as Duck struggled with the uneven ground. This field
hadn’t
been harvested, and the air smelled of crushed pineapples. Sardelle wasn’t looking in Tolemek’s direction. Maybe she didn’t know how mouthy her sword was being. Actually, it wasn’t so much the mouthiness that made him twitchy, but the fact that Jaxi seemed to be monitoring his thoughts. Surely, he had proven that he wasn’t a further threat to the Iskandians at this point. Were the others still suspicious of him?

Nah, I’m just listening for thoughts of dragons. It’s too bad we sent back the historian. I’ve been wondering what could cause a dragon to ignore my telepathic questions. I thought you might have some knowledge in that head of yours, between the chemical formulas for substances that kill people and the gooey feelings for your woman.

Maybe it just doesn’t want to talk to you,
Tolemek suggested.

That’s hard to imagine.

Is it? Huh.

“You ready?” Cas was looking back at him, frowning slightly. Maybe she had asked more than once. She had already turned off the propeller, tugged off her cap and goggles, and grabbed her gear.

“Yes.” Tolemek unfastened his harness and decided not to mention mouthy swords.

He climbed down, joining the rest of the group on the ground. Something poked the side of his calf. Rows of lumpy protrusions stretched out ahead of them. His guess had been right. They were the tops of pineapples, the fruit almost ripe enough to harvest. He wouldn’t have guessed that a town run by criminals would bother with agriculture, but maybe sea pirates liked pineapple in their rum.

Cas stood next to him, her arm touching his. Though Tolemek was eager to begin his search, he also looked forward to perhaps somewhere private tonight with Cas. They had scarcely had any time alone together since this crazy mission started.

“We’ll see if we can get lodgings here tonight,” Zirkander said when everyone had gathered around. He patted Moe on the shoulder. “My father says we’ll need a guide to make it through the jungle and to the mountain. He hasn’t been here himself and isn’t familiar with the area. He also says that, even if he had been here, he wouldn’t guide me anywhere except into a communal pit toilet, because I kidnapped him. Apparently, he didn’t appreciate my method of forcing him to spend time with me.”

“It was fine until you started swooping all over that mountain,” Moe grumbled, gripping his stomach with one hand. “We nearly crashed three times. My bladder isn’t as steel-plated as it once was, you know.”

“We weren’t anywhere close to crashing, Dad.”

“Tell that to the stain in your back seat.”

“A piece of information that further ensures I’ll never join your commander in his flier,” Tolemek murmured to Cas, taking her hand.

She stiffened, and he worried he had been too presumptuous. She was in soldier-mode, keeping an eye on their surroundings, and not likely thinking of togetherness. But after a moment, she relaxed and said, “I prefer to keep you in
my
flier.”

He appreciated the response, though he sometimes wondered if they would ever feel as comfortable around each other as Zirkander and Sardelle always appeared to be. Cas so rarely showed affection if anyone was around—and sometimes even when people
weren’t
around—that Tolemek sometimes struggled to know when she wanted to be touched. He cared for her, more than he probably should, given the short time they had known each other, and it stung a little that he wasn’t certain if she felt as strongly. But maybe the fault was his own. Had he been too distant, too obsessed with finding Tylie? Maybe he should make it clear to Cas how he felt.

“Sardelle,” Zirkander said, “do you think you can protect the fliers again?”

“For tonight, yes. If we leave the area, you may need to hire a guard. Or find another way of protecting them.” Sardelle sounded tired, despite her nap. Or maybe distracted. With the jungle rising on three sides of the field, the mountain was not visible, but she gazed in that direction, regardless. Maybe she could feel the dragon too. Or maybe Jaxi was yammering in her head about it.

Soulblades do not yammer. We provide useful and insightful commentary.

Tolemek declined to comment. Maybe if he ignored Jaxi, she would stop poking into his thoughts. He had the impression of a haughty sniff, but no more words drifted into his mind.

The group headed down one of the paths through the field. The beach and the ocean stretched away on the side that wasn’t dominated by the jungle. Up ahead, the one- and two-story buildings of town spread inland. Along the waterfront, numerous docks stretched into the bay, several with ships tied along them. Lamps burned on a few of those ships, mostly sailing vessels rather than ironclads, but a few had smokestacks, as well as masts.

“Those are pirate ships,” Sardelle said as they approached the outskirts of the town. “Most of them, anyway. There are a few fishing boats and a Berthnian freighter, as well. I don’t see any Cofah ships.”

“I told you this was a pirate outpost,” Moe said.

“Your head might be in danger, Zirkander,” Tolemek said. “Pirates don’t like you.”

“Not any of them? I thought you had decided I have endearing qualities.”

“I’ve decided not to kill you.”

“Because of my endearing qualities?”

“Because Cas likes you,” Tolemek said. “
She
has endearing qualities.”

Zirkander stopped at the end of the field and gazed out at the ships. In the darkness, one couldn’t see the cannons, guns, and harpoon launchers bristling from the decks, but Tolemek knew they were there. Given the number of ships out there, the town would be crowded too.

“I wonder if there is a library or any type of repository of knowledge here,” Moe said. “As long as I’m here, it would be shameful not to do some research. Do you want me to help your people find a guide before I go my own way? I suspect I’m more experienced in that area.”

“You’re leaving us already, Dad?” Zirkander took his arm and led him away from the group, though his low voice was still audible to Tolemek. “We’ve barely spent any time together.”

“We just spent hours together.”

“Hours in which you were railing at me for kidnapping you and telling me about how many men throughout history have met horrible ends because they dallied with witches. That hardly counts as spending time together. Besides, I’d like you to get to know Sardelle.”

“Ridgewalker, you have a mission for the king, and I have a quest I would like to complete before I die, a quest I’m hoping won’t be overly waylaid by being stuck in this lawless den of iniquity until I can find passage on a boat.”

Lawless den of iniquity? Who said such things?

Moe clapped Zirkander on the arm. “It’s been good seeing you, but we must not let our personal feelings keep us from achieving the greatness that lies within.”

“Have a beer with us, at least. While you’re helping us find a guide.”

“A beer? So long as the lighting is sufficient so I can go over my notes while we drink. I believe there’s a reference to Owanu Owanus in some of my early entries from last year.”

Zirkander moved back to the group. “Sardelle, will you come with us to look for a guide and to help ensure that my head stays attached in this—what was it?—den of iniquity?”

“
Lawless
den of iniquity,” Sardelle said.

“Yes, right,” Zirkander said. “Cas, Duck, and Tolemek, we need provisions and lodgings for the night.”

“And to ensure that the Cofah have actually been here,” Tolemek said.

“You don’t think they have? Ah, I forgot to mention it. Our sentient sword can sense that there is indeed a dragon here. It seems inevitable that the dragon blood originated from this port.”

Tolemek sought a way to explain that the blood was only of moderate interest to him. What he wanted to know was whether
Tylie
was here. Just because she might have been once didn’t mean she still was. He didn’t want to waste days—or weeks—marching through the jungle to some mountain of death if she had already been moved. “I intend to ask if anyone has seen my sister.” He braced himself, expecting Zirkander to argue.

“That’s fine, but you keep an eye out for your head too,” Zirkander said. “I imagine there are a few pirates out there who would also be happy to kill you.”

“
I’ll
keep an eye out for his head.” Cas patted her rifle.

“Good. Duck?” Zirkander dipped into a pouch and pulled out a few coins. “For the provisions and lodgings. Try to get a good deal. The general didn’t send a huge pile of money along for us to use.”

Doubtlessly, because the general hadn’t expected his team to fly halfway around the world on some secondary quest. Tolemek kept the thought to himself, since this secondary quest worked in his favor.

“Where do you want to meet up, sir?” Duck asked.

“Just stay with Tolemek and make sure he knows the name of the place you find. We’ll get the information from him.” Zirkander smirked wryly at Tolemek.

Tolemek supposed that meant he wasn’t done having Jaxi pop into his thoughts that night.

Duck scratched his head. “If you say so, sir.”

When the group reached the first of the docks, they split apart, with Zirkander and the others heading into the city. Tolemek kept walking along the waterfront, waving for Cas and Duck to follow him. He doubted he would find any old allies on the docked pirate ships, but if there was a port master who took fees, he might know about any Cofah ships that had come through in the last few months.

“Might be trouble up ahead,” Cas murmured, tilting her chin toward a pack of dark figures laughing and joking as they made their way up one of the longer docks and toward the city.

“Maybe not,” Duck said. “They already look drunker than hogs that busted into the cider house.”

The men turned off the docks and down the beach, pointing toward one of several well-lit taverns lining the waterfront. Their route would take them past Tolemek’s group.

He stopped and leaned against a post near the water. “Let’s let them pass.”

He turned his shoulder, not wanting to be recognized. Too bad he didn’t have a cloak with a hood on it, though the garment would have looked silly in this tropical climate, with a muggy breeze drifting in off the sea. Cas had teased him often about his hair, and he wondered now if he should have cut it back in Iskandia. Even if he wasn’t wearing his pirate clothing any more, he
did
have a distinctive look. He thought about asking Cas if she would like to engage in a round of kissing, to
ensure
he wouldn’t be recognized, but she was the image of the professional soldier as she watched the men amble past, her rifle cradled in her arms, her finger resting near the trigger.