Dragonvein - Book Three by Brian D. Anderson Page A

understand,” she retorted.
    For a moment Ethan thought she sounded offended, but her impassive expression made it impossible to be certain. “Do all of your people hide their feelings like you?” he asked.
    “No. You will find that we are quite the opposite. I hide my feelings in order to avoid being a victim of my own passions. A lesson hard learned. What I am doing for my father is crucial. I cannot afford to cloud my head with anger, hate, or doubt.”
    “Is that what you are hiding?” asked Kat.
    Keira turned her back. “What I am hiding is my own affair.” Having stated this, she crossed back over to the tree and sat, eyes downturned.
    Ethan could see Kat was about to say something, but touched his ear to remind her that anything she said would definitely be overheard.
    A short time later Ganix reappeared with all six of his people, along with the young boy. Each carried bulky packs across their backs and vicious hand axes on their belts. All but Ganix continued on past the cabin.
    “They will make a camp near the edge of Renald’s wards tonight,” said Ganix. “We are anxious to get started, so you’ll forgive me if we leave tomorrow.”
    “That should make Keira happy,” said Ethan. “There’s nothing more I can accomplish here until the dragons have recovered their strength enough to keep the portal stable. So we’ll leave tomorrow too.”
    The meal was short and passed quietly. With not enough chairs to accommodate everyone, Val and Jake took their plates out onto the porch. To Ethan’s relief, Markus remained reserved throughout and made no further attempts to antagonize Keira. Afterwards, Ganix asked Renald to accompany him to his people's camp to talk over their route and give advice regarding precautions.
    “This is goodbye yet again,” the dwarf king said to Ethan. Reaching into his pocket, he produced a folded parchment that he passed over with trembling hands. “Please deliver this to King Halvar if you don’t mind.”
    Ethan took the message and tucked it into his shirt. “Are you scared?”
    “Excited,” he replied. “Who knows what I’ll discover if we find our ship. This could very well answer every question I’ve ever had about my people. I feel like a young man preparing for his wedding night.”
    As a group, they watched Renald and Ganix vanish into the night. Ethan and Kat then made their way to the boat. He was hoping for some time alone with her, but to his chagrin he noticed Keira was close behind them.
    Kat squeezed his hand. “To be honest, I’m glad we’re leaving. I miss Elyfoss. And I bet they’ll give us our own room.”
    Ethan grinned and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Now I really want to get going.”
    Keira slept on the boat that she had arrived on, and even though Kat and Ethan had a rare few hours alone on board the other craft, the thought that the elf might be able to hear them was enough to douse their passion. Nonetheless, Ethan felt a sense of great contentment with Kat dozing in his arms. The warmth of her body and her deep, steady breathing soon coaxed him into slumber.
    He rose just as the first light of dawn was peeking in through the portholes. Kat was still sleeping soundly, though he noticed a tiny smile on her lips. What was she dreaming about, he wondered? He hoped it might be about him.
    Sliding out carefully from the bed, he made his way to the rear deck. The air was brisk: much cooler than most mornings, making him regret not donning a shirt. He considered returning for one, but was afraid of disturbing Kat. It would be a pity to interrupt her in the middle of a pleasant dream.
    “It’s times like this I miss coffee,” he muttered.
    After a few minutes, he decided to take a walk to the beach. The sun was halfway up on the horizon, casting a vivid orange light across the ocean surface. Thousands of tiny rays twinkled and shimmered, making it difficult to focus. He leaned back on one elbow, shielding his eyes with his free hand. It