Dragon Scales by Sasha L. Miller Read Free Book Online Page A

been."
    "Then how will you get to my sister?" Isaia asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. He puffed up angrily, and Amantea thumped his chest before he could think about what a bad idea that was.
    "I've been all over the lake shore!" Amantea snapped. "Where do you want me to take us?"
    Isaia stared at him, his mouth slightly open. He shook his head after a second, but offered no apology. Amantea was going to dunk him in the damn lake. Maybe that would put some sense into the stubborn fool's head. Isaia's brow furrowed, making his nose wrinkle as he thought. It was cute, and Amantea hastily shoved that thought away. Isaia was frustrating and obnoxious and annoying, not cute.
    Isaia's face abruptly brightened. "The house will work. I think I may have a broach of hers, something our mother gave her, a flower."
    Amantea jerked guiltily, remembering the broach he'd pocketed. He slipped his fingers into his pocket, and, sure enough, there it was. Amantea sighed and pulled it out. He cringed, holding it out. "This?"
    "Yes, that," Isaia said. He was, of all things, smiling. "What else did you loot from my house, magpie?"
    "Nothing," Amantea said, biting his lip. Why wasn't Isaia mad at him? "I meant to put it back."
    "Sure," Isaia said. He took the broach, turning it over in his hand. "So this means you can port us there from here, yes?"
    "Right," Amantea said. He shifted, looking away from Isaia's face. Something about the way Isaia was smiling unsettled him, and he focused his attention on the more pressing matter: finding things to port with. "Um, I'll need fruits or mushrooms or large nuts, something to build the circle."
    "All right," Isaia said. He handed Amantea the broach. "I'll head that way," he pointed off toward where the sun was rising, "and you head that way."
    Amantea nodded, tucking the broach back into his pocket. He headed off in the direction Isaia indicated immediately. The sooner this was done, the sooner they could take care of Naldo, and the sooner Amantea could return to his nest and forget all about Isaia.
    It took three hours to find enough mushrooms and nuts to make a circle strong enough for what Amantea was going to attempt. He might have been overdoing it; most circles only required a dozen mushrooms or whatever to anchor the portal. He'd insisted on three times that for this portal. The more anchor points, the better.
    Isaia watched silently as Amantea arranged the mix of mushrooms and nuts, then went to each one and carefully threaded it with magic. He focused on the lake and on the broach, hoping fervently with each bit he casted that he was doing it right and he wasn't about to disappoint Isaia.
    Once the circle was complete, Amantea stepped inside. He waved his hand at Isaia, who gingerly stepped into the circle like it might instantly send him to the other side of the world. Though, given the last time he'd been in one of Amantea's circles, he'd ended up in a pocket world in a jar...
    "Um, hold this," Amantea said, shoving the broach at Isaia. "And think of your sister."
    "That's it?" Isaia curled his fingers around the broach, frowning at Amantea. He didn't seem upset, though, and Amantea just nodded. He took a deep breath, and then thought the better of Isaia holding the broach.
    "No, we should both hold it," Amantea said, the words tumbling out in a flustered rush. Isaia raised his eyebrows, but held out his hand, palm up, the broach resting in his huge palm. Amantea gingerly rested his hand on top, and then, before he could overthink the fact that they were almost holding hands, he activated the portal.
    Porting was always as quick for Amantea as shifting; one second he was in the portal and the next he was at the anchor point. In a breath, the shock of cold, heavy water replaced the air around him and the ground beneath his feet. Amantea sucked in a shocked breath, but there was no air, only water, and he didn't know how to swim. He choked, coughing, flailing, but there was nothing but water