coins…,” Drago groaned.
“Well, you got an extra free kiss out of it,” Orion pointed out.
Drago looked up and grinned. “I did, didn’t I?” he reflected.
Ashure and Orion both laughed out loud. The twinkle of pride in Drago’s eyes at Roo’s determined negotiations was easy to see, and so was his love for the dainty little girl. Ashure sighed, thankful for this carefree moment.
“Do you know how to use these?” he asked, nodding at the stones.
Drago snorted. “These are child’s play,” he retorted.
“Child’s play—as long as you say the spell correctly so we don’t end up in the middle of the ocean,” Ashure pointed out.
Drago waved away Ashure’s concern. “Between Orion and myself, we’ll get the spell right,” he said confidently.
Ashure stared at Drago. “Between you and Orion… You don’t remember the spell, do you?” he demanded.
Drago shrugged. “Not all of it, but we’ll figure it out,” he replied.
“You could always ask Roo,” Orion suggested with an amused grin.
“Are you crazy? She’ll probably demand twice as much gold for the spell as she did for the stones. Besides, you don’t think that carpetbagger of a crook at the market would give a child the actual spell to a magic portal, do you?” Drago argued.
“I don’t know. I wouldn’t have thought a vendor would sell the stones in the first place, so who knows,” Orion countered.
Ashure opened his mouth to make his own caustic remark when the sound of running footsteps drew their attention. A pink-cheeked Roo stared at them for a moment before she ran over to Drago and held out a message. Drago took the paper she was holding.
“I forgot you’ll need the spell that goes with the pretty rocks. DJ heard Aunty Marina telling the words and how they work to Mommy after I showed her my rocks, and he wrote them down, but I can’t read all of them yet so I haven’t tried the stones, but I know they work because DJ and Stone use them sometimes at night to visit with Dolph and Juno. I’m not supposed to tell you about that because it is a secret—but I’m telling you because they refused to pay me the gold coin they promised they would if I was quiet! So I really don’t need to keep their secret ‘cause they didn’t pay me,” she breathlessly added before giving Drago a huge smile. “Love you, Daddy. Have fun on your trip!”
Drago stared after his daughter with his mouth hanging open. For once, Ashure felt sorry for Drago. It was obvious the man was going to have his hands full with Roo when she got older.
Older? Hell, she’s running circles around him now! he wryly thought.
“Perhaps we’d better get going before she returns,” he suggested in a light tone.
Drago absently nodded, handing Ashure the piece of paper with the spell. “Maybe you should do this, since you know where we are supposed to go,” he offered.
“That might be wise,” he chuckled.
Orion took half the stones from Drago. “If the boys can do this, so can we,” he stated.
Chapter 23
Isle of the Monsters
Asahi stood on a flat edge at the top of the mountain and took in the panorama of the long lake. He didn’t understand how the magic worked, but he could see through the clouds as if it were a two-way mirror. Far below, he observed Nali returning with their meager supplies.
He absently rubbed his aching shoulder as a shiver ran through him. For a moment, he worried that he might be getting sick. His concern intensified when a wave of dizziness sent him stumbling back from the edge. Shaken by the combination of symptoms, he closed his eyes and took deep, calming breaths while he waited for the dizziness to pass.
We must access the Gateway, a malevolent voice whispered.
Asahi frowned and rubbed his suddenly aching brow. The voice sounded eerily like the alien—only now it was inside his head. He stiffened when a vision formed in his mind. The scene was so clear it was like watching a movie on a big screen television.
The Water Sirens were creating rip currents in the lake to slow the alien’s progress. Each time the alien would change direction, the Water Sirens altered the current. He watched as the eel split open and the alien poured out. Horrified at the sight, it took him a second to understand what was happening. He jerked when he felt a touch on his arm, and the image in his head disappeared.
“Asahi, what is it?” Nali