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

important to him. He hoped his friend would understand him landing near Sabastian’s treetop home. There was no time to mince words.

“Riome is in trouble,” Kai said bluntly, “and I am here to search for her. My vision puts her in the woods outside of Diu. She is avoiding the Diu patrols, hiding in a small cabin cleaved in half by a tree, and she is severely wounded.”

“What I asked was, why are you here?”

Sabastian’s tone felt harsh, and Kai stepped back.

Had he done something wrong? Surely Riome’s friends would want to know. Yulia, her mother, needed to know. “I came for Riome,” Kai insisted.

“Did you?” The intense expression coming off Sabastian came in waves, and Kai felt stunned. “As a Beastmaster and the grandson of an Elder you know better than to show your dragon form.”

He did know better, but he was careful. “Why can dragons no longer fly over Diu and Baden Lake?” Kai asked. “My grandfather Benmar did it for years. My first flight was over the lake. As a boy, I saw dragons many nights. Now they are disappearing from our skies. Why?”

Sabastian chuckled. “I see the Elders still provide no explanations. First, you and I both know nobody tells Benmar what to do, but even your grandfather now heeds their warnings. When your mother was presumably killed by a dragon, they were all ordered to remain on the Katori side of the mountains to avoid war. The black dragons are less of a concern; Simone is practically invisible at night, but you, my boy, look like a roaming star in the sky. Granted, my eagle eyes give me an advantage, but it is prudent to listen. The Elders want the world to believe the dragons are disappearing.”

Kai opened his mouth, but Sabastian held up his hand, halting the question forming on his lips. “The Elders have their reasons. Keeping the dragon numbers a secret is better for Katori and better for the dragons. It is not our place to question the Elders.”

“Since when do you follow the rules?” Kai chided. “Riome needs me, so here I am.”

“You did not need to come yourself,” Sabastian scolded, turning his back on Rayna to square off with Kai. “And I follow the important rules. But this is not about me; it is about you. Your own cousin, Cazier, warned you to stay away from Diu. Yet here you are. Do not give me an excuse about some vision—you could have sent word and we would’ve found Riome ourselves. So, tell me the truth. You wanted to come to Diu. You know Simone could have come; she would do anything for Yulia. No, you took a foolish risk, driven by your desire to come back here.”

Every excuse Kai could think of fell flat in his mouth. Sabastian’s words hurt, but it did not make them less accurate. He had been looking for a legitimate excuse to come to Diu, to save his father and face Nola. He set his path wide knowing the risks of flying over Baden Lake at night, but in those final hours, he cut close to Diu in order to reach Thade Mountain.

“Do I need to justify wanting to help find Riome?” he thundered as boldness formed in his bones. “So, what, you are sending me home?”

There was no denying the heat building inside Kai. If he were a dragon right now, he would spray fire. A blue glow emanated from Sabastian’s crystal, and Kai felt the flow of magic pour into the seasoned warrior. “My Guardian days may be behind me”—Sabastian opened his arms wide—“but my loyalty to Katori remains steadfast. This is something you need to learn.”

“I won’t go!” Kai barked. “I came to help Riome, and you cannot stop me.”

Smack! Sabastian’s hands slammed together.

A burst of golden light poured from Sabastian’s fingertips directly into Kai’s eyes. The heat was intense, and the light pierced deep. In great pain, Kai dropped to his knees, covering his eyes. He screamed in agony. Hot tears streamed down his face, and he tried to blink his vision clear.

Everything was dark. Kai could not see. “What have you done?” he cried.

Rayna darted to Kai and touched his face. “I am here, Kai,” she soothed. “You burned his skin and his eyes!” she gasped in fury at Sebastian. “His eyes are blood red. Why would you do this?”

Sabastian knelt and touched Kai’s head. “Go home, Kai, back to Katori. Tell Lucca, Haygan, and Simone you are going to visit your father in Diu. No need to ask for permission, but they deserve to know where you went. Second, travel with your men. Kempery-man Dresnor and Captain Drew have discovered Davi’s community. They often visit, inquiring about you. Only then can you return to Diu the proper way. Not like some thief in the night.”

Kai blinked his eyes; still, he saw nothing. “How?” he begged, “I am blind. How did you do it? How can a Beastmaster create light?”

“Consider this a lesson.” Kai heard Sabastian’s tone harden. “Think before you act. Never go against an opponent you don’t fully understand. One of my ancestors was a Lumen; my mother called me her ‘golden boy’ because I could make light with my fingers. Many thought I would be a Lumen, and over the years, I learned how to control the light, use it. You have seen me fight only once, but it doesn’t mean I used every trick I know. You must remember that the best warriors keep a few secrets for that once-in-a-lifetime moment. You should have paid attention to the flow of magic. I purposefully pulled in excess—I wanted you to notice. Not that you would know how I would use it, but you should have known something was coming. In a full-on battle, the best of us can sense the shift, find the source, and be