Free The DeCadia Code (The DeCadia Series Book 1) by Apryl Baker, Jonathan Yanez Page B

could lead her to what she was so desperately searching for. There was only one thing she’d go looking for – the road home. Maps. If the old man died and he had maps, she’d go after them. The problem was that the entire hold was engulfed in flames. They couldn’t get in. She’d have found a way out, though, that didn’t lead her straight back to the Royal Navy. She’d be in the area around the ship, not going to deep into the trees. She knew what was on this island as well as he did.
    Even now, he could feel them watching, waiting. They wouldn’t let them go unscathed. It just wasn’t in their nature. Dragons were vicious beasts, even in their human form. He and Valeria had hidden the ship on this island once when they were just starting out on their journey, not knowing what inhabited this island. They’d heard stories, of course, about the lost colony, but they’d ignored them. Stories were just stories after all.
    The Emerald Queen had taken some damage to her sails and they’d set about repairing it as fast as they could. He and the captain had gone into the trees looking for food. They’d come upon a woman a few hundred yards in. He remembered how beautiful she’d looked with all her blonde hair floating in the wind and the silver dress she had worn was burned into his memory. She looked just like a princess. They’d tried to speak with her in several languages, but she’d only stared at them. He still sometimes wondered if their inability to communicate with her was the reason for what happened when he’d approached her.
    They’d watched as her form contorted, her face becoming one of a monster. She’d grown to the size of a small mountain and he and Valeria had understood just how deadly this place was. She’d become a dragon: a vicious, fire-breathing dragon. They’d barely escaped the island with their lives and the ship had sustained more damage than when they’d first arrived. He had a feeling it was going to be a bigger fight to get out this time around. Previously, there had been only one dragon; now he felt so many eyes boring into him. There had to be at least a dozen people out there watching him and his crew.
    “We need to check the area around the ship: go into the tree line,” he finally said. “She’s in the jungle.”
    “Sir…maybe we should consider the possibility…”
    Lukas turned before the words were out of the sailor’s mouth. “That our Captain is dead? Emerald is not dead. She wouldn’t leave us and we’re not leaving her. Do you understand?” The last word was snarled and the crewmember backed away slowly. His anger burned and he took slow deep breaths. He needed to stay focused on the danger around them and the search for Valeria, or Emerald, as everyone except he called her. “Move out.”
    They tiptoed deeper into the tree line, wary of any movement out of place. Lukas heard things creeping around in the underbrush, yet every time he checked, he saw nothing except undisturbed black dirt. He knew something had been there, however there were no tracks. How was that possible? He and Valeria had often talked about what else might inhabit the island and they’d both agreed neither wanted to find out. The sentiment still held true. He just wanted to find his friend and get out.
    Unfortunately, he didn’t think it would be that easy.
    The trees were thicker the farther they went from the two downed-ships. The limbs bowed, clutching at the pirates’ moving forms. It unsettled Lukas more than he wanted to admit. Being back here was giving him a serious case of nerves. He knew what was going to attack. He just wanted to find Valeria and get out.
    The scout held up a hand and they all paused. Lukas crept forward and crouched. His eyes went to where the scout was pointing. He saw it then: a flash of color. The ground around the flash of light was splattered with blood. The creature hiding in there was injured. He motioned for his men to move forward quietly as he