The Kraken King, Part 5 by Meljean Brook

Author:Meljean Brook
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2014-05-13T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

Zenobia liked stories about escapes. She didn’t like plot holes, and the description of Ariq’s escape contained one the size of a kraken. Why had Admiral Tatsukawa needed to arrive at an island before searching for him? The only explanation was that Ariq had escaped from the airship when it was somewhere else—namely, still over the ocean. She doubted that a boat had anchored beneath the airship and Tatsukawa’s men simply failed to notice Ariq climbing down a ladder.

Which left only a few options. And in each one, Ariq ended up in the sea, swimming.

So he could rescue her.

It was the only plot hole that had ever filled her with giddy delight. Oh, she was such a fool. Stories ended, and so did adventures—but life continued on. Theirs would, too. Ariq might stay in the Red City long enough to clear up the mess that their abduction had caused, but surely he would soon have to return to Krakentown. Zenobia was obligated to stay until she saw Helene settled and safe. Then she would go home to Fladstrand.

But this adventure wasn’t over yet. She was still hundreds of miles out to sea, flying above the waves in a jellyfish balloon.

After days of gray, the ocean was a deep blue again. Sunlight danced over the swells, stinging tears from her eyes that the wind whipped back to soak the hair at her temples. The blanket around her shoulders flapped wildly behind her. She’d known few airships that could travel so swiftly—and those were powered by engines. But this . . . she couldn’t look up without being amazed all over again.

From the top of the dome to the rim, the gelatinous mass overhead rhythmically thickened and thinned, as if swimming through the air. Short, gleaming tentacles hung from the translucent body like tassels on a lamp shade. Ariq had told her that war lanterns possessed longer tentacles with venomous stings, which often killed more soldiers within the balloons than the venom killed enemies. But this lantern had been designed for travel, not battle.

Three paces long on each side, the basket was just large enough that two people could ride comfortably, whether sitting or standing.

Or while lying on top of each other.

Her cheeks heated. Her windblown hair swept forward, tangled curls waving like two flags along either side of her face as she looked away from the jellyfish’s pulsating body. Ariq stood at the center of the basket winding the electrostatic charger again. The faster they went, the more often he had to crank it. The rush of the wind almost drowned out the clacking gears and plastered his tunic against the sculpture of his broad chest. Feet braced apart, he rotated the crankshaft overhead, all wide shoulders and flexing muscle.

A sigh of pleasure moved through her. She probably shouldn’t have fallen in love with him. Of all the idiotic, reckless things she might have done, surely that was at the top of the list. But here she was.

And it was rather marvelous.

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