In The Beginning, Gail Daley [red white royal blue .TXT] 📗

couples enjoyed the journey as a honeymoon period. Since privacy was at a minimum due to the crowded conditions, there was a lot of talking, laughing and singing. Impromptu games were encouraged.

The long line of boats had been gradually decreasing as various Clans separated off to land at their home islands, and by now only Clan O’Teague was left to make the final leg of their journey to Glass Isle. They had rounded the final narrow turn in the channel and were heading in a straight line toward the Port city of Glass where the channel fed out into the open sea. Zack, Gideon and Vernal were all standing by the rail talking when there was a disruption.

Clan O’Teagues large paddle boats slowed to make a turn in the channel and to wait for a small family of Nessies swimming in the middle of the channel to clear. The peaceful mood of the day was shattered by the roaring of the small watercrafts closing in on the riverboats. The noise was accompanied by the howl of River Patrol sirens.

The first watersleds who rounded the turn were traveling too fast to make the turn smoothly. They kissed the side of the lead paddleboat, causing it to rock wildly. While everyone scrambled not to fall over, or for those next to the rail to fall in, more watersleds catapulted into the turn, narrowly missing their careening companions. They were followed by the River Patrol taking the turn fast but in control. Unfortunately, it was too late to prevent disaster.

One of the wildly driven watersleds smacked into the rump of a swimming Nessie calf, eliciting a bellow of pain and fright. Several of the infuriated adults turned on the boats, intent on avenging the injury to the calf. A stream of hot sticky green goo shot from one’s opened mouth, covering a watersled and passengers. Screams came from the sleds riders as the goo literally burned them alive. A second Nessie sent a large wave of water, which swamped not only the sleds, but caused the paddleboats to rock wildly as a wave of water sloshed over the decks.

In the Prow, Drusilla and the other Talker staggered and clung frantically to their station when the wave swamped them. Lucas had been standing behind Drusilla and he stepped up into the area and steadied her with an arm around her back, gripping the rail with his free hand. As he did so, he felt Drusilla reaching to the herd of infuriated Dragons. Instinctively his mind melded with hers. The anger and deadly intent being broadcast by the Nessies nearly sent him to his knees as Drusilla’s mind connected with his own.

Suddenly he realized that he could feel the Dragons more than her, and instinctively pushed Drusilla! as he desperately tried to find HER in the massive outpouring of Nessie feelings swamping him.

Without warning, he could see her in his mind holding out her hand. He reached for her and was flooded by her mind blending with his own.

A sharp pinch on his hand jerked him back to awareness of his surroundings. "Hold her," Katherine said, "Or you will both be lost! You must stay in this plane."

"I’ve got you," he gasped to Drusilla. "Stay with me."

She didn’t answer, but he could feel her clinging to him as she turned her focus onto the angry Dragons, pushing them away from the boats.

Katherine let go of Lucas and gripped the back of Roderick’s shirt before he slid over the rail just as another wave of water washed over the deck. She could see that Zack had one of Jayne’s boys while the nanny dog had the other by the strap on the back of his shirt. Genevieve was hanging onto Violet and Rupert who clutched the basket holding a heavily pregnant Sooka and Divit. Juliette and Lucinda clung to each other and Vernal as they slid around the slippery deck. Gideon was gripping the rail with one hand and Jayla with the other.

Corrine had stepped up behind the other Talker to anchor her, as Lucas was doing for Drusilla. As the side of the boat dipped dangerously toward the water, Katherine got a close-up view of the three-way battle raging between the Patrol, the Dragons and the fleeing watersleds. Wild shots were fired. One of the fleeing watersleds came close enough to the Riverwitch for Katherine to recognize the driver’s eyes. Darla Lister!

Three of the sleds escaped by slipping around the infuriated Dragon herd and headed out to sea. The remaining riders in the residual sled were still shooting at the Nessies although their wildly rocking craft made aiming practically impossible. Just then, the Patrol shot a net over the last sled, trapping it.

In the meantime, the cows had moved the Nessie calves over to the safety of a small island. One of them let out a mournful bellow, calling the defenders back to them. Drusilla and Macon, the other Talker, could finally push hard enough at the two remaining Bull Nessies that they slowly shifted back toward their herd, still hissing.

Once it was over, Drusilla and Macon both collapsed, falling ungracefully back on their anchors who sat down hard on the deck, trying to keep either one from hitting her head on the hardwood railing. When Lucas rose from the deck with Drusilla in his arms, he asked Katherine curtly to clear a path to the Wheelhouse. Once inside, he laid his fair burden down on a wide padded bench and ordered the boat captain to bring a glass of water.

Katherine exchanged a bemused glance with Corrine. She nodded at the previously almost painfully polite boy. "Well," she remarked to Zack, "he’s certainly taking charge."

Zack snorted. "Uh-huh. It’s wonderful what love will do for a guy."

"What? When? They’ve known each other less than a week—"

He grinned at her. "Doesn’t matter. When it’s the right one you go down like a Mech Tank hit you. I ought to know."

Overhearing, Genevieve protested, "She’s only sixteen!"

"So is he," Gideon,