Kidnap her, convince her to let someone else rule, and have her join the tribe and become your mate. Then she can support you all you like.
Unfortunately, as I said before, that’s not going to happen. She’s especially not going to be pleased if I kidnap her.
We are at war, Vorik.
I know.He kept himself from sayingunfortunatelyagain.Barely. Instead, he resolved to get into the armory and look for explosives. Then he would hope that the gods wouldn’t consider it blasphemous if he managed to destroy an artifact they’d crafted. Admittedly, he was more worried about what Syla would do to him if he succeeded. No, not what she would do. How she wouldfeel.
He kept thinking about how she hadn’t drugged him and questioned him. Sheshouldhave, but she hadn’t. Every time he acted against her, it felt like a betrayal and left him more conflicted than ever.
Why did it feel like whatever choices he made going forward would betray someone?
A part of him was tempted to talk Agrevlari into picking him up, flying him away, and leaving his people and the Kingdom to figure things out for themselves. But if he weren’t here… Syla might already be dead. Lesva was still alive and angrier thanever. By helping Syla, Vorik had made things worse. For her and for himself.
With the ship less than an hour from Bogberry Island, its verdant shoreline visible on the horizon, Syla jogged down to her cabin. The Royal Protectors and Fel tramped after her. Despite several hours of searching, nobody had found Vorik.
Earlier, Wreylith had flown past, saying she could sense him within the bowels of the ship, but hadn’t been able to give a pinpoint location. Should Syla wish her to tear apart theStormslicer, the dragon had informed her, Wreylith had been certain she could pluck him out of the wreckage. Syla had politely thanked her for the offer before declining it and asking Wreylith to scout ahead.
Fel strode into the cabin ahead of Syla to search and make sure Vorik wasn’t skulking in a cabinet or under the bunk, not that there was copious storage space in which to hide. The cabin was fine for her needs, but this was a warship, not the spacious royal yacht which, Syla had heard, hadn’t survived the initial invasion.
“He’s not in here,” Syla said with amusement after Fel peeked under the desk and looked in a waste bin hooked to the side.
“He was.”
Yes, everyone doubtless knew he’d spent the night.
Fel pointed with significance at the desk. “Unless you were the one who put those candles and jars away.”
Syla stared. Her observant bodyguard had noticed what she hadn’t. The Candles of Serenity, as well as the powder and other drugs one might use in an interrogation, were gone.The Royal Protector who’d taken Vorik from the cabin that morning wouldn’t have allowed him to shop for souvenirs. Since escaping, Vorik had come back. Specifically for them? Or because he’d been hoping to catch her in here? Maybe both.
She shifted uneasily. “I didn’t. You’re right. He took them.”
“Maybe he’s planning to interrogateyou.” Fel scowled.
“I’m immune to the Candles of Serenity, but…” She didn’t have a defense against hydra-scale powder. The thought of Vorik forcing her to take it and use her moon-mark to give his people access to a shielder chilled her.
Would he do that? Even if he would hesitate to drug her, his brother wouldn’t.
“You’d better stay in here until…” Fel looked like he wanted to sayforeveror maybeuntil the stormer threat is past.“Until we’re sure he’s off the ship,” was what he opted for.
“I need to be up on deck when we reach Bogberry Island. Aunt Tibby may need help the first time she uses the weapons platform. For that matter, there’s no reason for her to be the one to do so if I’m available.”
“You’remore likely to be a target than she is.”
“We both have moon-marks.”
“Yeah, but the stormerslikeyou.” Fel looked sourly at her.
“Just one,” Syla murmured. “Others loathe me.”
“All of which makes you a more likely target. And, remember, there could also be assassins recruited from within the Kingdom aboard.” Yes, he’d probably caught the gist of the captain’s warning. “Further, you brought Lord Ravoran aboard.Hemight kill you, as well.”
Syla wished she could deny that, but the meeting she’d made herself give the island lord hadn’t gone well. She’d tried to bring him around to her way of thinking, but he’d refused to believe Castle Island was more important to defend than Harvest. She’d promised she would get a shielder back there as soon as possibleand had tried not to feel like a dog fleeing with its tail clenched between its legs when she’d departed.
“I’ll stay in here until I’m needed,” she said.
Fel’s squint suggested that answer hadn’t pleased him, but maybe he knew it was the best she could give. After nodding curtly, he walked out to join the Royal Protectors in the corridor. The door thumped firmly shut.
Syla looked around the cabin, a little uneasy now that she knew Vorik had been back and taken things. Was his brother communicating with him? Giving him orders? Telling him he had to make up for fighting Lesva and not capturing Syla earlier?
