Tropical Tails (Shifting Sands Resort Collections Book 4) by Zoe Chant

Author:Zoe Chant [Chant, Zoe]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2020-09-19T16:00:00+00:00

Treasure Sense

Bastian’s book, Tropical Dragon Diver was one of the novels I was looking forward to writing from the moment I started the series. But I never really answered the question of how he came to the resort, and when I sat down to write this story, I only knew it would start in the sea…

The interface between sky and sea had always fascinated Bastian.

Some days, the ocean was a faintly rolling bolt of silk, and some days it was a roiling cauldron, with foaming peaks and churning valleys.

Mostly, when the sky was stormy, the ocean was wild, but some days, like this one, it was still and blue above, but some distant weather system was causing deep currents and tall, curving mountains of waves.

Bastian swam near the surface, letting the agitated water wash over his scales.

It had been years since he first slipped into the ocean, unable to resist its siren call as a child. His younger brother, Keylor, had flown down and scooped him out, sent by his parents, who were sure that his presence in the water was some kind of childish mistake, or a clumsy misstep.

Bastian tried to explain to his frowning father and his worried mother and his scornful little brother that it wasn’t an accident. He had wanted to be in the ocean, had deliberately gone out in it, swimming cautiously with limbs made for fighting and flying.

He became accustomed to their looks: skepticism, concern, worry—not for him, but that other dragons might hear about his abnormal interest and judge the family. They were not sea dragons, after all. Their honor as fire dragons was as pure as their blood and must be kept unquestionable.

Young Bastian learned to keep his swimming secret, staying deep enough that he wouldn’t be spotted from above as long as his lungs would hold out. Further and longer and deeper he learned to dive, and it was never enough.

While his brother followed his healthy, strong treasure sense and began the approved practice of amassing a hoard, Bastian found bits of seaglass and parts of fishing nets, lost ship bells, and particularly fine shells. He didn’t dare take them to his rooms in his family’s grand halls, so he hid them in a beach-side cave that could only be reached underwater.

He took his fighting lessons with ill grace and even less talent, and no one was sorry when he spent more and more time…not there.

And every day, Bastian ranged a little further, and a little further, until he sometimes spent days at a time in the water.

This was a fine day for flying, with a brisk, steady wind and a blue, cloudless sky. It was a less fine day for swimming, with the ocean feeling fickle at it plucked at his wings and tried to toss him to the surface.

Then, suddenly, there was an unexpected twang in Bastian’s head, like his broken treasure sense, but more urgent. He wasn’t expecting to find anything of value; he already knew well enough to mistrust all of his senses and instincts.

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