“Hold her,” Jhiton said.
Vorik hesitated. The wordbetrayalfloated through his mind again. Especially when Syla looked at him, her mask slipping to reveal fear and concern in her beautiful gray eyes. Less for herself, he knew, and more for her people. She feared letting their secrets slip, the secrets that kept them safe on their islands.
“Hold her,” Jhiton repeated, “or I will.”
The words seemed to promise that his grip would be anything but gentle. Yet Vorik still hesitated, keenly feeling the difference between passively watching something dreadful happen and being an active participant.
No, he amended. There wasn’t a difference. Either way, he was guilty.
It was the speculative gleam that entered Syla’s eyes that propelled Vorik to step closer. If Jhiton were the one to grip Syla, she would try to kill him.
In these circumstances, Vorik wasn’t confident that she wouldn’t killhim. Or at least attack him.
Regardless, he stepped behind Syla and gripped her arms to keep her from fighting the application of the needle. She clenched her jaw, her back going rigid, her muscles tense. She glanced at Vorik and closed her eyes, as if struggling with an internal debate. He had no trouble guessing what it was and braced to use his own magic to defend himself if need be.
As Healer Yavaron stepped closer, Vorik sensed Syla’s power coiling within her. The moon-mark on the back of her hand glowed silver. Would she lash out at Yavaron?
Though Yavaron wasn’t bonded with a dragon and didn’t have any magic, she must have seen the silver glow and sensed the danger. Stopping a few feet from Syla, she looked at Jhiton, a question in her eyes.
Jhiton lifted a hand toward Syla, and Vorik tensed. He didn’t think his brother would strike Syla, but he readied himself to defend her if need be.
Jhiton paused, his head tilting as he looked toward the cave entrance.
Four dragons allied with the Freeborn Faction are flying along the coast,Agrevlari spoke into Vorik’s mind.
Ozlemar must have been giving a similar warning to Jhiton.
How far away?Vorik asked.Do they seem to know where our camp is?
They are yet dozens of miles away.
It doesn’t take dragons long to cover such a distance.
Of course not. Dragons are magnificent.
Concerned with Syla’s fate, Vorik didn’t offer a typical snarky reply. Instead, he watched Jhiton to see how he would react.
His eyes narrowed, and he looked at Syla. “Did you speak to the Freeborn Faction dragons and tell them where you are? How far away can you communicate with their kind?”
Syla glared at him without answering.
Ozlemar has ordered us to fly down the coast to intercept the dragons and keep them from finding the new camp,Agrevlari said.We are four to their four. We can keep them from encroaching.
Good,Vorik replied.Thank you.
“Or is it Wreylith that you can communicate with from afar?” Jhiton asked Syla. “That would make more sense.” His gaze shifted to Vorik. “You said there’s a krendala?”
“Yes,” Vorik said.
“Did you take it from her? I trust you searched her thoroughly while you were riding together.” Jhiton’s eyebrow twitched.
“A gentleman doesn’t touch a lady’s… krendala.”
Jhiton gave him a baleful look, then turned back to Syla and opened his mouth but must have realized she wouldn’t answer his questions voluntarily. He flicked a finger toward the healer.
After glancing uneasily at the glowing mark again, Yavaron told him, “Push up her sleeve, and hold her arm still.”
Vorik could have shifted his grip to do that, but Jhiton glanced at him and reached for Syla himself.
