CHAPTER THIRTY
Storm stared at the stormy waves and saw that there was an island in the distance. He had lost Emilia’s scent, but something told him that she was out there, on that island.
Gramma and Ne-ma came running up to him and saw him staring at the island in the middle of the sea. “Where the hell are we?” Gramma asked, putting her hands up to shield herself from the lashing rain and wind. “This is such a dismal place. I don’t think I like this beach very much. Brrr!”
“Hmm...isn’t that Bailey Island?” Ne-ma said, squinting through her rain splattered glasses.
“Oh my, I think you’re right, Neveah! That is Bailey Island,” Gramma confirmed. “It belongs to that casino tycoon, Ivan Bailey, and I heard that it’s protected by some really powerful magic. Well, Ivan Bailey is super wealthy, so he can easily afford to hire some powerful mages or warlocks to come up with whatever protection spell he wants for his little private island.”
“She’s there,” Storm said quietly. “I’ve lost her scent, but I know she’s there.”
“This rain...” Ne-ma looked up with a troubled expression. “There’s something about it...”
She stuck out her tongue and seemed to be tasting the raindrops. Abruptly, Ne-ma gagged and made a strangled sound of horror. “Glynda!” she cried, grabbing Gramma’s arm. “This rain...it’s not natural. Why didn’t we pay closer attention? Look! See how the lightning comes in straight lines? This, all this, is not natural. This—is a magical storm! It’s been created by magic!”
Cautiously, Gramma licked at the raindrops on her hand and immediately spat on the ground. “Argh! This rain tastes foul! This storm has indeed been conjured up by some dark, foul magic!” She turned to Storm and said, “No wonder you lost Emilia’s scent. This rain has been conjured up on purpose to wash away any lingering scents in the air.”
Storm turned around to face his brothers. “I have to reach that island. Emilia’s there.”
Sky stepped forward and said grimly, “I don’t know what’s on that island, but something’s not right here. I felt my dragon receding once we neared the coast. I had to land quickly because I was losing control of my dragon. And right now, I can’t feel my dragon at all. I tried to shift back...” Sky shook his head. “But I can’t.”
“What?” Seath said in alarm.
Storm stared at Sky in silence. He knew what Sky was talking about. He had landed on the beach and changed back to human form, but his panic and anger at losing Emilia’s scent had momentarily clouded his thinking. He had shifted to human form instantaneously and involuntarily. His dragon had simply receded but Storm hadn’t been paying attention.
Storm shook his head slowly. “No,” he said. “Nothing can keep my dragon down. I need to reach that island. I need to get to Emilia!”
Taking a deep breath, Storm tried to shift to dragon form. His dragon thrashed within him and struggled to rise. But something was holding his beast down and binding up the power of his dragon.
As blood oozed from his pores, Gramma and Ne-ma cried out for him to stop.
“Stop! Storm, stop! You’ll kill yourself!”
Collapsing on his hands and knees, Storm looked up and wheezed angrily, “Why can’t I shift?”
“It’s because of this magical storm. The magic is binding your dragon. This is very powerful magic. Ivan Bailey must have wanted to prevent anyone, especially shifters, from going near his island,” Gramma said.
“If you force your dragon to rise, it can take a terrible toll on your mind and body. Your mind and body can fragment,” Ne-ma warned. “Don’t do it. It’s too dangerous, Storm. You’ll go insane, or you’ll die.”
Storm closed his eyes and strained against the wild, savage magic that was keeping his dragon imprisoned in his own body.
He kept trying and failing, and he could feel his strength and energy draining rapidly.
Spitting dark, red blood out of his mouth, Storm let out a roar of frustration and anguish.
Storm stared at the island which seemed to be drifting further and further away. If he couldn’t fly to that island, he would swim there.
Determinedly, defiantly, Storm starting running, heading straight for the treacherous sea.