Vorik shrugged apologetically. “Anyway, as I said, our people tend to correct the situation if someone they don’t approve of takes the position of chief.”
“Are you saying we’dbothhave to watch our backs for assassins?”
“Yes. And, don’t take this as an insult to the skills of your people, but I think I’d be dead a lot sooner than you.”
“Your people are effective at killing,” she murmured.
He sighed, certain she was thinking of her slain family—maybe all those who’d died during his people’s invasion.
“I can’t give away any of our islands, Vorik. After the atrocities, my people would never forgive me for conceding them to your chiefs. For concedinganything. I’m going to fight for Harvest Island. Forallof our islands.”
“You should.”
“Even if it pits us against each other?”
He blinked a couple of times, moisture threatening his own eyes, but he nodded firmly. “Yes.”
A shake to her shoulder woke Syla from her sleep. And that vision. Was that what it had been? She didn’t think it had been a dream. Her visit with Vorik had been too real. She remembered every word.
“Syla?” Teyla asked. “Are you waking up?”
“She’d better be,” Fel grumbled from somewhere nearby. “She’s got the healer mystified.”
“I’m notmystified,” a familiar voice said. Was that Emmie, one of her old colleagues from Moon Watch Temple? “I told you that the power of the gods has entered her.”
“That sounded like superstitious hokum,” Fel said.
“To a heathen barbarian who worships only his weapons,” Aunt Tibby said.
Fel growled.
Afraid she needed to stop an incipient fight, Syla rubbed grit from her eyes and sat up. Light from nearby lanterns made her blink, especially one held close to her face. Yes, thatwasEmerzela. With half her graying hair falling out of a loose bun, she looked like she’d been dragged out of bed. How long had Syla been knocked out?
“You came all the way up to the castle to see me, Emmie?” Syla asked. “Last winter, I had to bribe you with hot chocolate to get you to walk down the hallway to my room to rub your secret-recipe, cure-all tincture on my back after I fell on the ice.”
“You’re a queen now. My husband assured me I’m honored to serve you. I wouldn’t object to hot chocolate though. There’s a hint of fall in the air.” Emmie pulled a shawl tighter around her narrow shoulders.
“I’ll see if any is available. Thanks to all the dragons out there attacking cargo ships right now, we haven’t had any shipments from the southern islands in weeks.”
Her last words with Vorik came to mind, her promise that she would take back Harvest Island. She’d inadvertently given him far too much information, but he’d probably shared more than he’d intended as well. They were dangerous to each other.
She would have to act fast before Vorik thought to inform his general and have more troops sent to Harvest Island. She needed not only to drive out the stormers but to ensure their dragons didn’t have anywhere within the Kingdom to perch.Having a landmass with food and fresh water made it far too easy for them to indefinitely remain in the area.
“Your pupils look normal.” Emmie was peering into her face. “Teyla said you crumpled and hit your head.”
“It’s all right.” Syla probed her skull and found a tender bump on the left side but nothing that could have been responsible for her unconsciousness. That had to have been… She eyed the marble posts and canopy of the bed-like weapons platform. The runes and hand marks were dark, no magic emanating from them. If she’d succeeded in activating it, as her aunt had suggested, that state must not have lasted long. “I think the magic of this is what caused me to lose consciousness, though that’s notexactlywhat happened. It’s more that my mind left my body for a while.”
“Where did it go?” Teyla asked curiously.
“To spy on a stormer camp.”
“That sounds useful.” Tibby patted one of the posts.
“Was it a camp on Harvest Island?” Fel asked.
“No. A cave overlooking the sea. I couldn’t tell anything from the stars when I glanced out other than that the camp was in the same hemisphere as we are.” She waved to the sky. “It probably doesn’t matter anyway. Vorik said they’re moving it, so there wouldn’t be any point in sending ships, even if I’d gotten the exact location.”
“Voriksaid,” Fel blurted. “The gods sent you to see him? He’s your?—”
