The Traitor by A. Lombardo (i can read with my eyes shut TXT) 📕

“Come on, enough searching,” another man shouted. “There’s nobody out here. I am going back to the tent. The men patrolling closer to Diu will find your ghost.” He stomped off.

The ground beneath Kai smelled of pine needles and mud. Every part of him ached as the rain trickled down his cheeks and into his eyes. The labored breathing offered little strength to his tired limbs. Poised to move, he waited for the soldier to leave. The downpour continued; the lightning flashed, and the path seemed clear. Once he was confident it was safe, Kai attempted to stand but fell hard on his knees.

His leg hurt, and he rubbed his hand over a bandaged gash. The pain in his ribs concerned him—both sides hurt, but the left side felt like two ribs had broken. There was no denying it; he was in trouble, but he also felt an urge to keep moving. On his hands and knees, he crawled through the muck into the woods, away from the road. Each movement agonizing, each breath precious.

Thunder cracked against the sky and a flash of light flittered through the trees. In the distance, there was the dark outline of a broken shack. Cleaved in half by a massive fallen pine and covered in vines, it was barely visible. But he needed refuge from the storm—and somewhere to hide.

With every ounce of energy, Kai pulled himself to his feet and stumbled toward the dilapidated hovel he hoped might give him respite. It had only looked like thirty feet, but each step was small, making the distance feel insurmountable. The next two consecutive lightning strikes lit up the destroyed cabin. Splinters of tree and cottage mingled in a mass of destruction. Moss and ivy consumed the decaying wood and worked to reclaim the forgotten home.

The crooked door hung on one hinge, which creaked when Kai pulled at the handle. The effort sent a sudden pain into his side, and he stumbled inside. The place was small even before the tree chopped it in half. Inside, the remains of a simple home sat waiting for company; a tiny table and two chairs, a smashed hutch filled with shattered dishes, and a small wooden chest that held unknown treasure under the window.

There would be no food in this long-lost home, but desperate to rest, Kai opened the chest, hoping for a blanket or used coat. Inside he found an old navy-blue dress, a brown cloak, and a pair of brown shoes. The pain pulled him to his knees; he could hardly breathe, and a sadness deeper than he had ever known panged his heart. “Don’t give up,” Kai heard a soft voice whisper as he pulled something from the pouch secured to his chest.

The next strike of lightning and the glint from a metal blade captured a reflection—Riome!

Kai woke from his dream with a shutter. Not only was she alive, but she was coming back to Diu. Somewhere in the woods surrounding the city, she lay severely wounded, maybe dying. He shot from his bed. There would be no time to explain; he needed to go. Riome needed him, and he might be her only chance for survival. It was still hours before dawn, and he knew he had to be quiet if he hoped to sneak out with no one the wiser.

Dressed in black, Kai pulled on his boots and ran down the spiral staircase of his grandfather’s Bodhima tree, the Cosmos vines illuminating in a pale blue glow as he woke them from their slumber. Smoke bounded after him. At the bottom, Kai stopped. “Sorry, Smoke, where I’m going, I cannot take you with me.”

From the darkness, a voice whispered. “I see no reason why Smoke can’t go. He has flown with us before,” Rayna called, stepping into the dim blue light.

There was no point in asking why she was awake or how she knew he was leaving. He spotted the pack strapped to her back, the black pants, thick cloak, and hiking boots. She was ready for travel, the same as him; except that she had managed to bring supplies.

They were three black figures darting through the night, traveling high into the hills away from Hiowind. It felt wrong to leave without letting anyone know, but he needed to get to find Riome, even if it meant going to Diu without permission. This might be his only chance to stop Nola. There was no time to waste arguing his cause or his method of travel. He would need to transform into a dragon and keep high enough—and circle wide enough—to avoid being spotted.

Although he was fast, it still took them hours to fly over the Katori Mountains, Albey, and Baden Lake to Thade Mountain. Dawn threatened to peek over the horizon as Kai landed on the massive overhanging rock known as Eagle Peak. The same place he’d met Sabastian, Ryker, and Simone with his uncle Haygan long ago.

Rayna and Smoke hopped from his back, and he transformed back into his natural form. No sooner did he arch to stretch his back than he felt a gust of wind and saw the hint of blue light. Sabastian dropped a few feet behind Kai.

“I saw you coming from miles away.” Sabastian patted Kai on the back and angled around him to greet Rayna. “Dear Rayna, it is a pleasure to see you again. Why are you two here?” He shot a displeased look at Kai.

Tension swelled in the pit of Kai’s stomach. Even though Sabastian was Kendra’s husband, he did not give his trust freely to Kai at first. And although he helped Kai battle the Guardians last spring, it did not mean he would agree with Kai returning to Diu. He could only hope that because Sabastian was a friend to Yulia, that her daughter Riome would be just as