“That’s in Kingdom Standard, not carved in ancient temple runes,” Syla said dryly.
“I trust it won’t challenge you then.”
Humoring her aunt, Syla read aloud. “‘Many artifacts created by the gods are attuned to respond to the first moon-marked descendant of the gods-chosen to wake them from dormancy, so long as the individual is worthy. Upon achieving a state of activation, control of an artifact may be passed to another who is deemed worthy through a conscious choice to establish a new link while the two potential users are themselves moon-linked.’ Oh.” Syla brightened at the first good news of the day. “We’ve moon-linked before. If that’s all it takes, I can appoint you to use the weapons platform right now.”
Tibby made a face. “I’m your engineer, not a warrior or protector of the people.”
“I’m not a warrior either, but it let me wield it.”
“You’re… something.”
“An enigma?”
“Special.”
“You are too, my aunt. Trust me. Anyway, you’re the only other moon-marked person onboard except our angry island lord, and I’m not trusting him with a super powerful weapon right now. Let’s try to pass the ability to use it to you. I know you don’t object to slaying dragons. Just imagine they’ve ravaged a treasured magical machine that you’ve made.”
“Theyhavedone that. Your boyfriend’s odious green dragon destroyed one of my tractors. He’s as loathsome as Fel.”
“But you give Fel a much harder time than you gave Agrevlari.” Syla didn’t point out that whatever Vorik was to her, he wasn’t her boyfriend.
“It seems unwise to insult a dragon.”
“But six-and-a-half-foot-tall bodyguards with maces are appropriate targets for teasing?”
“I think he likes abuse.”
“Thatmustbe true.” Syla spotted Fel approaching, his jaw and head freshly shaven and a clean uniform on. She was glad he’d finally gotten some rest and lifted a hand. If he watched over them, Syla and Tibby could try the moon-link now. “Let’s see if this will work. If you can wield the weapons platform, I can fly into battle on Wreylith.”
“I don’t condone that. Besides, you don’t have a weapon to wield from her back. What could you do besides risk your life? She doesn’t need you.”
“Of course she needs me. I can heal any gouges that she receives, and if I’m on her back, she can fly through an island’s shield. We may need that. All right, do you touch that post and I this one?” Since Syla didn’t know how long this would take, she didn’t want to delay further.
“We can try.” Tibby eyed the hand-shaped mark on the closest post without stepping closer. “We should have brought Teyla along.Shehas the heart of a warrior.”
“She tried to activate it when we first found it and had to fetch me.” Syla waved for her aunt to touch the mark, but Tibby continued to hesitate.
Because she didn’t believe herself capable? Or because she didn’t want to step onto the platform and potentially kill people and dragons? Syla wouldn’t blame her for that but believed her aunt—her aunt who’d recommended she poison Vorik back in her farmhouse—was more likely daunted. Or skeptical this would work.
“What is the problem?” Fel asked.
“I need you to tell Aunt Tibby that she has the capacity to be a fearsome warrior if she desires,” Syla said.
Tibby’s face twisted dubiously, and she adjusted her spectacles.
“She is a mighty scroll warrior,” Fel stated dryly.
“But she has theheartof a warrior and could fight for her people with more than scrolls if necessary,” Syla said, suspecting the weapons platform desired heart more than sword skills, which she surely did not have.
Fel eyed Tibby. “Yes. She has heart.”
Her eyebrows rose in surprise.
“When we met,” Fel said, “you were aiming a hand cannon out a loft window at us.”
“Mostly at the dragon,” Tibby said.
“With heart.”
