Read Online The Seventh Magic (Book 3) by Brian Rathbone - Free Book Online

far, no one had seen fit to argue the point. Kenward deeply hoped the dragons hadn't plotted to drop him there. This troubled him most. For the bulk of his life, he'd worried about what other people plotted. Now he worried what the dragons were up to, so much of what they did made no sense at all.
    "The Inland Sea," Farsy whispered. He did not say Adderhold, but Kenward knew he was thinking it.
    Arrows and ballista bolts flew as Jehregard approached, making no effort to hide. From the snakelike structure came thunder and fire, but the dragon was ready. Using his agility and uncanny judgment, he dodged the projectiles. Dark ships leaked from beneath the serpent fortress, filling the waters around the keep. The place was well defended, by Kenward's estimation; all the more reason to avoid the Inland Sea.
    Winds buffeted them over the most unpredictable waters known, the air no more stable. Turbulence shook the compromised tierre terribly at times, their makeshift repairs insufficient for such punishment. Whenever the damage and shoddy fixes caused problems, Onin grumbled about where idiots landed their insane creations. Kenward made sure the older man never saw him grin. He had no desire to swim the Inland Sea.
    "Where are you taking us?" Kenward shouted when land was lost from view on all sides. Few ships dared these waters, and he doubted anyone heard. He hadn't expected an answer, but the mighty verdant dragon issued a reverberating roar. Kenward decided it might be best if he kept his mouth shut.
    Reds and purples shaded the skies by the time the Inland Sea's western shores came into view. Here existed wild lands, uncivilized since the Zjhon wars. Beyond that, the Westland, a place fouled by ancient weapons. Few ventured there after the detonation if the Statue of Terhilian; tales of a devastated and corrupted land kept most fools away. Beyond the Westland waited unfriendly seas. Besides a few patches of uninhabited islands, little was to be found there. Still, the thought of being dropped off along the western coastline, especially the southwestern coast, was not all that unappealing. This would have reassured had not Jehregard begun to slow, a thin column of smoke from a narrow clearing the only sign of habitation for miles. Towering ridgelines blocked the view beyond as they moved lower.
    When Jehregard landed in the clearing, a bad feeling churned in Kenward's gut. No water visible for miles, this kind of place terrified him. What had this dragon done? Walking toward the lone cabin as if in a dream, his thoughts whirled. The door opened before he reached the threshold, and there stood his mother, Nora Trell, captain of the Trader's Wind ; the most profitable trade ship ever to sail.
    "Mother!" he shouted, running forward.
    "Get inside, fool boy."
    Kenward found the inside far better appointed than the exterior. Then his eyes landed on his sister, Fasha. "What the--?" he began involuntarily.
    Hard, stoic faces surrounded the table. Grubb cooked over a black metal stove. Emmon, the one Kenward called "the new kid," stood in a corner looking uncomfortable.
    "Sit," his mother said.
    Kenward immediately slid a roughhewn wooden chair from the table and sat, staring.
    "Your sister keeps me informed of your antics." This conversation was not going to go well. So much for reunions. "Your actions reflect on the rest of the family, my son. We make our living from our name. This is not to be taken lightly."
    Though he'd heard the words before, Kenward had to contain his frustration. If circumstances had been different, his flying ships could have been a huge success. Instead, he was being lectured about the family name. The looks Fasha gave him didn't help. After staring her down for an appropriate interval, he stuck his tongue out. His mother saw it.
    "Pay attention to me for once, fool boy!"
    "Sorry, Mom. I know what a disappointment I must be."
    His mother had healed well and was a good bit quicker than when he'd seen her last.