Dragos Takes a Holiday (Elder Races #6.5)(20)

Pia said aloud, “Excuse me, could you answer a few questions for us?”

The dwarf jumped, knocked a sheaf of papers and exclaimed in a clearly feminine voice, “Gods! You startled me.”

“I’m sorry.” Pia started forward. “Let me help.”

“No, no, never mind.” The dwarf waved Pia away without looking at her. She slid out of her chair and onto her knees to gather up the papers. “Whatever you want, you’ll have to make it quick. I’m very busy today.”

Pia said, “I just wanted to know if the museum might have any historical records or information about an old Light Fae ship named the Sebille from the early fifteenth century.”

“No,” the dwarf replied, her voice flat. She still hadn’t raised her head. She stacked the papers together. “I’m afraid I can’t help you. We don’t have anything.”

Something about other woman’s demeanor seemed off, but her instincts had gone into hyper drive, so for the moment she reserved judgment. “Can you recommend anywhere else in Bermuda where we might research the Sebille?”

“None of the other island museums have anything.” The dwarf’s tone had turned short to the point of rudeness. She rose to her feet and slapped the papers on the desk.

Pia exchanged a glance with Eva and shook her head. That wasn’t just her imagination. Something definitely wasn’t right. “You sound very sure of that.”

“I am very sure,” said the dwarf. “This is the only museum of Elder history in Bermuda.”

“But you’ve heard of the Sebille,” Eva pressed. “You know what ship we’re talking about.”

“Of course I’ve heard of it,” the dwarf replied irritably. “Every couple of years some fool comes through, itching to learn everything they can about the Sebille, and they want to scour the records here for any mention of the ship. I’m going to tell you the same thing I tell all the others.” She finally looked at Pia, and her small, dark eyes were anxious. “Don’t waste your time. Go enjoy your vacation, and play with that cute baby. Stop searching for the ship.”

Pia’s gaze narrowed. She said softly, “Talking about it seems to bother you for some reason. Are you all right? You’re not afraid of someone, are you? Because if you are, we can help you.”

The dwarf drew in a quick breath and lowered her voice. “Wait a minute, I know who you are. Look, there are some men who have been looking for that ship for a very long time—since before I came to Bermuda and took over the museum. I’m not sure how many men, and I don’t know where they live. I don’t want to know. All I know is they spend time at the dockyards a lot, and they frequent bars, and their leader…he’s not a nice man.”

Eva and Pia exchanged another glance. Pia asked, “The leader wouldn’t happen to be a big Light Fae male, would he? Long hair pulled back in a ponytail?”

The dwarf rubbed her chin nervously with the back of one hand and nodded.

“And one of his men was in here earlier to talk to you.” Pia didn’t ask it as a question.

The dwarf nodded again. “Years ago, I used to have a few records that mentioned the Sebille. There was nothing substantial, mind you, just mainly some stuff that has been retold so much it’s turned into legend. A massive storm and strange lights in the sky, that sort of thing.”

“Strange lights.” Eva’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of strange lights?”

The dwarf snorted. “It was probably just lightning in the clouds. A few people claimed that they sighted the ship from the north shore, and then it disappeared.”

Pia felt a thrill of excitement. “So it was sighted here.”

The dwarf threw up her hands. “Apparently so, and people have been looking for it ever since. Like I said, every once in a while they show up here, just like you did. They want to dig for clues. But something always happens to them. Their boats disappear, or they have an accident. Somebody always ends up getting hurt. So I got rid of the records. I burned them. And I tell people I don’t have anything, and to stop looking.” She sniffed. “Sometimes they don’t listen, but I still try.”

“What about the man who was here earlier?” Pia asked. “He didn’t threaten you, did he?”

The dwarf shook her head. “No, they don’t bother with me. I wouldn’t hunt for that damn wreck if my life depended on it. He wanted to know if anybody had been in today to ask about the Sebille. He must have been on the lookout for you.”

Eva said gently, “If they come looking for us, they’re not going to like what they find.”

***

Dragos flew away from the islands in a bright flood of sunshine. After a short while, he left the shallow reefs behind and soared over deep water. He concentrated on flying thoroughly over a section before going on to the next, searching in a circular pattern around the islands. He made a complete pass all the way around, then moved outward in greater concentric circles.

Most people would have found it tedious work, but he didn’t. He reveled in the solitude and freedom as he soaked up the sun’s brilliant warmth. The air smelled briny and clean over the ocean. It felt good to stretch out his wings and work his body, and good to truly let go of crowded city life. He put away considerations of politics, stocks and profit margins, and let the dragon take over his thoughts.