“Yes, my love.” Oyenar bowed ruefully at her, then faced Syla again. “Perhaps, theFanged Whalecould carry you back to Castle Island, and you could fire at any lingering stormer ships and dragons on the way.”
“I…” Syla glanced at Wreylith. She could get back more quickly on the dragon’s back, but what would she do with Vorik? If she left him here, someone might kill him. At least a dozen nocked bows were pointed at his chest right now, despite her assertion that he was to be her prisoner. If she took him to Castle Island, and nobody recognized her rule or obeyed her orders, he might be killed there too. Theybothmight be.
“I’ll send a suitable escort with theFanged Whalewith orders to support you once you arrive.” Oyenar nodded to his wife, and she nodded back.
Given how many of his ships had been lost to the stormers, Syla doubted the escort would be enough to stand against all the vessels and allies the Fograths had gathered, but it would be something. Maybe between his fleet and Wreylith, it would be enough.
“I accept your offer, Lord Oyenar,” Syla said. “Thank you.”
Movement in the shaft made Vorik draw his sword and Syla spin to look. She grimaced with guilt. She should have realized others would make it to the chains and climb up after them.
As the archers aimed their bows, she lifted a hand. “Lord Oyenar, there are stormers as well as Kingdom troops down there that may have survived. After all that’s happened, we shouldn’t kill anyone else. Please let them out.”
She watched Oyenar, who scowled at the wordstormers, and Abrya’s eyes were more vengeful than compassionate after what she’d endured.
Testing her power more than she should have, given what was going on back on Castle Island, Syla said, “I insist they be allowed to live.”
Oyenar’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “Very well. We’ll take the stormers prisoner.” His face lightened as a new idea seemed to come to him. “We can keep them to barter with them in future negotiations. The stormers may also have some ofourpeople.”
Syla had envisioned taking anyone who crawled out of the flooded mine to an infirmary, not a prison, but the archers allowed Vorik to help a stormer out of the hole, so she didn’t argue. The next survivor wore a Kingdom uniform, and she decided there might be some hope if their peoples had allowed each other to crawl away from certain death without fighting.
In total, only five people came up, and Syla shook her head with bleakness. Vorik’s face was also bleak as he watched the shaft, then peered down into it.
So desolate was his expression that it made her wonder at the root of it. He’d lost men down there—friends, surely—but that had been going on all week. Was it just now all catching up with him? Or…
She rocked back with realization.
“Was your brother down there?” she asked softly.
Vorik sighed. “I fought him before coming to find you. He…” He looked toward Tibby. “The ceiling collapsed on him. Both of us. I clawed my way out, but he’d been injured.” He winced. “Iinjured him.” The stab to the gut he pantomimed suggested a wound that might have been deadly even if the recipient hadn’t been buried afterward. “I’m sure he was dead before I left to find you.”
“I’m sorry.” For the sake of the Kingdom and the memory of her family, Syla had wanted Jhiton dead, and even tried to engineer it herself, but she regretted that Vorik had lost someone he loved. The only close family he had left, from what he’d told her. “Thank you for coming for me.”
She had no doubt that Vorik had attacked his brother for her sake, and emotion filled her throat. What a sacrifice to make for her. How could she ever be worth that?
Vorik nodded but didn’t say anything. Maybe his throat was also tight with emotion.
“How long until the mine fills completely?” Oyenar asked Tibby.
She considered the lake and looked thoughtfully into the shaft, though it was fully dark down there, the lanterns long since submerged. “Quite a few hours, I’d think. Though the pillars may erode and the ceiling collapse before then.” Tibby gazed around at the troops and the wagons. “Itmightnot affect the ground we’re standing on, but that would be a gamble. I suggest evacuating the area.”
“Agreed,” Oyenar said. Maybe he’d already been wondering about the stability of the ground underneath them.
At a nod from him, men with weapons turned them toward Vorik again.
“We’ll take your prisoner to a wagon, Your Majesty,” one said.
Looking defeated, even though he’d saved her life, Vorik didn’t so much as twitch an objection. As the men surrounded him, he didn’t even seem to see the weapons. His gaze remained bleak.
“I’ll come too,” Syla said and walked beside Vorik. Deciding she didn’t care what people thought, she clasped his hand.
Though his eyes were haunted, he returned the clasp.
Do you wish me to facilitate an escape?Agrevlari asked, flying a couple of miles to the side of the ship that Vorik sailed on with Syla, Tibby, Fel, and numerous Kingdom troops. And the weapons platform, which had been strapped ominously to the deck again before they’d boarded.
Vorik trusted it was only in his imagination that the ancient device knew what he’d done and emanated dark menace toward him. At least Wreylith, who perched in her customary spot on the wheelhouse, hadn’t emanated such feelings toward him. She’d merely swished her tail when the troops had led him past her and belowdecks. Apparently, accompanying Syla on her vessel had satisfied the whims of the shielder artifact, and it had let the dragon pass through on the way out to sea.
Not at this time. I’m going to try to help Syla get her Kingdom back before going…Going where? Vorik didn’t know. Back to his people? He doubted he would be welcome. The two men who’d seen him fight Lesva had likely survived. Andshemight have survived. As for Jhiton… Vorik didn’t think anyone except Tibby had witnessed that battle, but he couldn’t return and lie about what had happened. His honor wouldn’t allow it.I’m going to try to help Syla,he repeated, deciding not to worry about his own future at the moment.She has the support of the Bogberry Island lord, but she has a daunting mess to deal with at home.
