Flying free, Soleis reveled in the stretch and burn of muscles bunching and releasing, carrying him higher; the sun was on his scales and the wind coursed beneath the firm diamond-shaped ridges to cool his leathery skin. His roar of exhilaration was answered by Flev’s as the dragon warrior circled him in the air and shot ahead.

I told you she would faint, Soleis channeled in dragonspeak.

Flev’s laughter caused a burst of molten flames to spew from his mouth. He flew through the conflagration and came out on the other side, grinning at Soleis. She’s something else. Amazing how she comes whenever you call. I saw the way you were looking at her, by the way.

The downside of our job, Soleis explained dryly, is that we spend entirely too much time with one another and not enough with the fairer sex.

The warrior chuckled. “I’m glad you found her. You needed someone like her.”

“This isn’t about me. Whatever chemistry is between us is just a distraction, and I aim to ignore it. I want to take her to the village we found before the rebels captured us. She’s here to discover the cure.”

“Did you hear what the Resistance leader said of the president?” Flev asked.

“That he invented the disease? I heard. It’s bizarre, but President Belzaan came to power by giving this world technology. His genius built this place. Why would he destroy it?”

“I don’t know; but, I’ve never trusted a dictator. He reminds me of the dragon eater high priestess…”

“Feis?” Soleis scoffed. “He wouldn’t have hired us to investigate the disease, if he has anything to do with it. Trust me on this.”

“Ah, to be young, again! Such limited experience, but you think you know everything,” Flev teased. He inclined his head toward Lola as Soleis opened his mouth to protest. “She’s stirring.”

“Ugh! Let’s go down. I don’t want her struggling while we’re this high up.”

“All I’m saying is we shouldn’t make the same mistakes they made with us. Don’t underestimate anything you see here,” Flev advised. “Your little friend’s life depends on us staying vigilant.”

“She won’t be here for long, if I have anything to say about it. You know realm travel changes people.”

“And, you like her just the way she is, am I right?”

“Shut up,” Soleis laughed.

He tilted his wings and let a downdraft float him where he wanted to go. His barbed tail whipped behind him, keeping him balanced. The cerulean blue of his body glistened like jewels. His coloring helped him blend in with his surroundings.

As far as the eye could see, the ocean stretched in every direction, but the vast emptiness was an illusion. Studded throughout the expanse of water were towns and villages. The dragons headed for what looked like debris floating on the waves in the distance. It was really a flat sprawl of buildings.

Soleis twisted his body to dive into the sea for the last stretch. Then, he remembered his precious cargo. He was gifted with a unique ability among dragons. While Flev could hold his breath underwater, Soleis could breathe it. The Water Dragon was the only one of his kind, and he was sure that was the reason the Sea Realm had called to him. It now had a special place in his heart.

He hoped Lola could figure out what was making the people sick and find a cure before it was too late. The sooner she did her job, the better. He could send her back to her world, and he could get back to roaming.

Although he had been born in the Blue Sky Realm like Lola, they were nothing alike. He was half-human/half-dragon shifter, all feral animal. The doctor was evidently a self-disciplined woman to be so successful at her age. He wondered what she would think if he told her she made him want to shift inside of her. Nothing, he chided, because you’ll keep your erotic fantasies to yourself.

“Hopefully, the rebels won’t follow us here,” he said, to change his train of thought. “They seem to avoid the villages.”

“I think they’re trying to keep the locals from finding out their nefarious activities. According to the president, they want to make him look back, not themselves.”

“Then, that means they only captured us because we were out on the open ocean. Word to the wise, let’s stick closer to the villages from now on. By now, they know we work for the president, which makes us a target. Descend over there.” He pointed ahead.

A few townspeople stared up as he and Flev swooped low, but folks were beginning to get used to the strange creatures the president had hired. Soleis and Flev had used the village their base of operation for weeks. As soon as Soleis touched the ground, he took man-shape. He clutched Lola to his chest, and her eyelids fluttered open. Perfect timing, he thought.

“What happened?” she whispered. Her hair was frizzed from the deep sea swim and the windy air-dry, but she was gorgeous. Soleis tried not to notice.

“I got you out, like I promised,” he said as he set her away.

She blinked at the picturesque seaside village of one and two-story buildings, and he knew what she was thinking. They were on a bridge in what looked like any ordinary earthly town, except for the canals and the surrounding ocean. Of course, she didn’t know that beneath the waves were more remarkable homes and businesses. There were no trees or greenery, and everything was manmade, but the architecture was rich enough to evoke a sense of natural terrain.

“Were we…? I thought we were flying,” Lola said uncertainly.

“Yeah, we did get here pretty quickly, didn’t we?” Soleis laughed in amusement. “The clinic is right up ahead.”

Soleis tried to usher Lola forward, but she dug in her heels. “Just hang on a second. Where are we? I thought by ‘get us out,’ you meant you’d get me back where I belong.”

“I’d be happy to take you back where you belong, but I need your help first,” Soleis replied. “The sickness that you treated in Flev has spread to the outer cities and villages. More people have died since you were last here.”

“Yesterday. I was last here yesterday. Look, I have a real job. I have a life. I’m ready to wake up now.” She reached for the ring, but he clamped a hand over hers.

“I said I need your help. I don’t ask for assistance often,” he said stiffly. Lola snatched her hand out of his grasp and glared at him. Flev murmured a word of caution, but Soleis ignored it.

“So, what? I’m a hostage now?” she challenged.

“You can go wherever you want to go,” he muttered cavalierly, “but I’ll find you. I’ll hunt you down, and I’ll bring you back. I promised these people I’d save them, and you hold the key to the cure. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here. This is my destiny, Lola Cambridge, and you’re not going to blow it for me. Fate sent you for a reason.”

Her lips tightened in a defiant line as she stared him down. He hated to be cold, but he needed her cooperation. Yet, his fingers still tingled from where he had touched her, and a part of him wanted to add, You were destined to be with me. He didn’t say that because he didn’t believe it. She was a means to an end. Nothing more, nothing less. He had damn well better remember it.

The trio crossed the bridge and came upon a gathering of people in the town square before they reached the clinic. Soleis studied the crowd with interest. They were watching three men carted to an enclosed gondolier with the official seal of the president.

“What’s going on?” he asked a guy in passing.

“Caught those three handing out term limit flyers ahead of the election. I don’t know why the crazy bastards waste their lives protesting.”

“Are they rebels? What will happen to them?” Flev asked quietly.

The man adjusted his tie. “No rebels left. They’ll be absorbed like all the rest. Nasty business, but what else can you do with ingrates? For every one of the fools that dies in resistance, the president gains more years, and more power to him.”

“More years of presidency? That doesn’t sound very democrat—”

The man eyed them, as if realizing he wasn’t talking to the initiated. He dropped his voice to a whisper. “Have a care what you say. Not years of presidency, you idiot. Years of life.”

* * *

Soleis kept an eye on Lola as she spoke intently with a patient in the upscale clinic room. He stood in the hall, but the door was partially ajar. A shiny gold wall behind the exam table showed her reflection. She wore a puzzled frown. Her damp linen tunic clung to her body and made it hard to tear his gaze away.

Just outside the room, Flev fidgeted with the hilt of his sword. They were all nervous after what they had heard about the president. “Are you sure you’re on the right side?” Lola had asked as they slipped from the crowd.

Presently, it occurred to Soleis they should’ve changed before showing up at the clinic. They looked out of place. Especially compared to the well-dressed patrons strolling the halls. But, he had been in such a hurry to get her here—such a hurry that he hadn’t thought through the answers to the questions that were bound to be asked.

The clinic administrator cleared his throat in annoyance. “Did you hear me, Mr. Arkenson? Perhaps we should do this after you’ve properly rested from your harrowing experience.”

“No, no. I’m fine, Mr. Blum. What were you saying?”

Sigh. “We were worried when we heard rebels had been spotted in the area where you were last seen. I’m a member of the town council so, naturally, I know of the continued Resistance. They get bolder by the day. Who knows what they’re after? Anyway, we assumed you were killed.”

“Yet, here I am, in the flesh. Did the search continue for Healers?”

“Of course. The president has made it a national priority. We were able to find ten…from the lower caste, unfortunately.” Sniff.

Soleis smiled tightly. The man probably considered him just a step above lower caste. “Isn’t it great I don’t believe in class systems? Whoever you have will do fine. Where are they?”

“In dorms at the local college, awaiting your guidance, though we weren’t sure you would return. They’ve been under guard to keep them from trying to leave.”

“That’s hardly necessary. They’re not prisoners,” Soleis frowned.

The man in the business suit shrugged and sniffed again. “As I said, eradicating the rebels is a national priority. President’s orders.”

“Well, I’d like to meet with them tomorrow morning, if that can be arranged. With Dr. Cambridge on board, we can begin treating this disease seriously. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

“There’s one other thing, Mr. Arkenson. When he heard you were back, President Belzaan sent word he wants you at the castle complex this evening for dinner.”

“Tell him it’s terrible timing. We may be on the verge of a breakthrough.”

Mr. Blum said lightly, “I don’t think it’s optional.”

Nodding, Soleis turned away and beckoned for Flev. They entered the exam room as the patient was leaving. Lola dropped her face mask and snapped off her gloves with a sigh. Mr. Blum paused at the door, but a look from Soleis sent him scurrying along.

“Who knew these people could be so brainwashed? What did you find out?” he asked Lola.

“I’m as lost as I was when I tried to treat Flev, despite the fact this clinic has instruments like what I use at the hospital. The problem is the symptoms seem psychosomatic. I can’t find anything physically wrong with any of the three patients I saw today. It’s not bacterial. It’s no virus I’ve ever seen.”

Soleis gestured for her to exit, and she walked ahead of them, talking over her shoulder. “I was able to get a thorough history, though. There was one thing each of them had in common. They or their servants had been to the capital city recently.

“While a quarantine seems to be in effect for the wealthiest members of society,” she continued, “those who don’t meet gentry criteria are still allowed to travel at will. This makes for a faster spread of the disease in the most vulnerable populations. It seems strategic.”

Soleis caught Flev’s eye as they walked out the building and joined the flow of pedestrians ending their workday. “I think I know what the rebels are after,” he muttered. “Equality.”

Lola watched people taking the dainty bridges or gondolas home. Some were on electronic devices, chatting or browsing. From experience, Soleis knew it was very much like her world.

“Have you ever been to Italy?” she asked. He shook his head as he flagged a gondolier and helped her into the boat. “Me, neither. I’ve seen photographs, and this reminds me of it, but the details are remarkable. The human brain is an amazing organ to create such complex dreams.”

“Come again?” Flev looked confused.

She blushed and smiled. “I mean, I’m dreaming up places I’ve never been. It’s awe-inspiring.”

With a smirk, Soleis interjected, “We’ll take you to our place where you can change into something comfortable. We’ve been invited to a mandatory dinner at the capital.”

“Fantastic. I’d like to meet this president,” she chirped.

As she settled between the two of them in the gondola, her girlish face drooped the longer the trip to his rental dragged on. She yawned. Without thinking of what he was doing, Soleis laid her head on his shoulder. He was pleased when she curled into him. Flev gave him a look, but he pretended not to see.

“I just wish I understood why this dream is so detailed,” she murmured sleepily.

He wished he understood the details, too. Because it was starting to look more and more like someone was purposefully keeping people sick, which meant a much savvier master plan was in play. Soleis needed to know the rules. The rebels wanted to make the president look bad before the next election, but this smacked of overkill. Some of their own would be infected by the virus, too.

On the other hand, if merely protesting led to death, then maybe they felt they had nothing to lose.

The trio arrived at a ritzy condominium that faced the open ocean. Soleis and Flev had been loaned the prime piece of real estate when they left the castle complex. It was inhabited by the upper middle class, and the three of bedraggled companions looked conspicuous taking the lift up to the penthouse on the top floor.

Lola gasped in surprise when they entered the chic suite of rooms. “It’s like New York,” she gushed. “Now, this is more like it. Tiffany chandeliers, silk duvets. Is there a mini bar?”

“Don’t know. Never been,” Soleis confessed. “Let me show you to a guest room where you can refresh. The wardrobe system is unique. It scans your measurements and prints your selection.”

Her eyes popped wider. “Impressive. Now I can get out of these damp clothes. On second thought, with luxuries like these, why bother waking up?” He didn’t waste time telling her again that she wasn’t dreaming. Lola disappeared into the room he showed her.

“So, what do you think of this dinner invitation?” Flev quizzed him.

Soleis settled on the couch with his friend. “I think it’s far from business as usual. I thought Belzaan didn’t want people finding out about the rebels, but they already know. Our disappearance exposed other things he wanted kept secret—like the fact he hasn’t stamped them out completely. Now, he’s upset, and I’m sure he wonders how we got free.”

“Anyone would question how we walked away unscathed. He’ll have suspicions,” said Flev.

“Which is why I don’t think we should tell him much about how Lola got here. I’m not sure he understands realm travel, anyway,” Soleis explained. “There’s no way he’ll believe she simply showed up.”

“Then, what do we tell him?”

“That we dipped into the Fire Realm and found a master Healer? I don’t know. I just want to keep her safe.”

Flev grinned knowingly.

“What is it?” Soleis asked, grinning back.

Flev shrugged. “D’ah, nothing. It’s just interesting seeing you with your first crush is all.”

Soleis flushed and elbowed him. “Need I remind you she’ll be gone soon? Enough with the matchmaking. Besides, she’s a human, and I’m altogether something other.” There were a million reasons why he could only think of Lola as the Help.

* * *

“It seems counterintuitive,” she interrupted President Belzaan again. “A quarantine works by isolating those who are already infected or exposed to limit transmission of the disease. You need to act now.”

The president was exasperated. “Our cities would cease to run. Businesses would suffer. This is a trade-driven world, Dr. Cambridge. There should be something else you can do, something else you can use. What’s keeping the three of you protected from getting sick, hmm? Certainly, you realize closing ports would be catastrophic.”

“More catastrophic than a pandemic?” Lola asked. He dropped his gaze to his plate and angrily poked at his meal with a fork, while she kept her poise. “There’s no magic potion keeping us well, President Belzaan. All of us are in danger, even you. But, I can’t treat this illness if I don’t have your full cooperation. And, I won’t work selectively to save the rich, while the poor suffer.”

Belzaan’s utensil clattered to the table. “I resent what you’re implying, Doctor. I won’t stand for it. Furthermore, it sounds like you’ve been reading too much propaganda.”

“What she’s trying to say is that we’ve seen an uptick in the number of infected in the outlying communities,” Flev waded into the fray. “It’s concerning. People are beginning to ask more questions about where the virus came from, and we’re aware of your need for…discretion.”

While his friend explained, Soleis squeezed Lola’s knee under the table to warn her not to push any harder. She cut a sideways glance at him, but she didn’t look ready to back down. She looked ravishing in a scooped neck gown of burnt orange that reminded him of the sunset. Her hair was ornamented with pearls, and she had the confidence of a goddess.

She wasn’t fazed by the president’s ire, which made Soleis wonder what her life had been like back in her world. Was she used to domineering chauvinists? She was handling her own quite nicely. He was equal parts proud of her and scared for her.

Stringed instruments played classical music in the background. Dark crown molding accentuated silk-papered walls, and plush carpet covered the floor. There were tables dressed in white linen with seashell centerpieces, but the place was reserved for this special dinner. Tall windows were open to let in a breeze. It was tranquil, save for the fiery tete-a-tete.

President Belzaan—a medium height, middle-aged man with the glib smoothness of a lifelong politician—steepled his fingers and stared across the table. “Mr. Arkenson, I’m less interested in this travel ban than I am in how you, in particular, get around. You returned with the good doctor from the very depths of the ocean. A surveillance team saw you resurface.”

Soleis stiffened. “What of it? I brought her from the Fire Realm using a special stone that allows me to leap between realms. As you already know, it’s how I got here in the first place. Are we not allowed to travel now? I wasn’t aware we were under surveillance,” he replied coolly.

The president spread his hands with an innocent shrug. “I love travel! Been a few places, myself. How’s the weather in the Fire Realm this time of year, young lady?”

Lola flicked a glance at Soleis. He forced his face not to reveal his surprise at the sudden change of topic. How would Belzaan know the weather in the Fire Realm?

The president pressed, “The deserts are absolutely stunning after the monsoon season, wouldn’t you agree? Exploding with flowers.”

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been to the deserts of the Fire Realm,” Lola said at another squeeze of her knee. Soleis suppressed a sigh of relief. The president had no idea what he was talking about.

There are no deserts in the Fire Realm, he channeled.

She piped up, “I’m not sure you’re aware, Mr. President, but I’ve never been because there are no deserts in the Fire Realm.”

“Oh, really? Nothing like here, I guess. No vast, landless oceans.”

“No,” she said before Soleis could stop her.

It was a trap. Belzaan discreetly beckoned for someone by the door, and, from the corner of his eye, Soleis spotted guards. He eased back his chair, stopping when the president calmly placed a firearm on the table. Soleis stared in mute disbelief as guards with weapons surrounded them.

“Not another move. All of you stay right there,” the president said quietly and calmly. He wiped his mouth with a napkin before flashing a small smile. “Well, isn’t this a troubling turn of events. I trusted you with my empire, and you repay me by bringing a member of the Resistance into my castle.”

“You’re making a mistake, Mr. President. I suggest you order your men to heel,” Soleis stated in an equally calm voice, though he was far from relaxed with a gun to Lola’s head.

“Take her to holding for interrogation.” Belzaan dusted his fingers as if the matter was settled.

“Are you serious? I’m not a member of the Resistance! I’m a doctor from Louisiana,” Lola screamed. She was lifted from her chair. Flev pulled his sword, and Belzaan fired, but the bullet was deflected by the Heart of the Dragon. It all happened so quickly.

Soleis shouted desperately, “She’s from the Blue Sky Realm! She knows nothing about your world or mine. If you don’t believe me, test her. Ask her anything about this place. She won’t be able to answer.”

“Test her? Fine. Let’s see if she can breathe underwater.”

The guards whisked her to the open window before Soleis could get to her. Suddenly, she was out. He saw the terror on her face, and his heart lodged in his throat at her shrill screams. A true member of the realm would have no trouble with a fall from such a height into the ocean. But, Lola wasn’t so gifted.

“You didn’t have to do this!” he growled, sprinting after her. Flev followed. The president’s men fired a barrage of shots as they took to the air, bodies morphing, but Soleis disregarded the provocation. He was a falling man, then a flying dragon. Just as quickly, he was a creature of the deep, cutting into the waves with all the grace and agility of a sea monster. He had to get to her before it was too late.