“They’ve all been your enemies, either openly declared or through their actions.”
“Fel.” Syla groaned and bent over to grip her knees. She didn’t want to confront her cousin and accuse her of murder, but she also didn’t want to condone this.
“If your dragon had eaten your enemies, would you callthatmurder?” Fel added.
“That’s not?—”
Agrevlari approaches and is speaking to me,Wreylith stated from the courtyard.
He’s not joining the others, is he?
No, he nears Castle Island with his rider.
Vorik.Relief filled Syla at the knowledge that he was alive. If he’d challenged his chieftess for leadership, he’d survived.
Yes. He says Vorik needs to speak with you and wants to know if he can swim through the barrier and come up to the castle.
I dearly want to hear whatever intelligence he has to give me. Will you go retrieve him at the barrier so he doesn’t have to swim? No, wait. I need to try something on the weapons platform first.Syla had promised she would pray to the gods for help, and if there was any chance that would work, she had better try sooner rather than later.Will you take me to theFanged Whale, then pick up Vorik and bring him to me?
Yes.
You’re an excellent dragon.
Obviously.
“Syla?” Fel prompted.
“I need to go to the weapons platform.” Syla didn’t mention praying, since a man of action such as Fel might not think it an appropriate time for that. Besides, she didn’t know if anything would come of it. “Wreylith says the stormer dragons have returned and are heading to Harvest Island to… I don’t know what. Commune with their god. Or join forces with him. Either way, I need to be ready at the weapons platform.”
“What about Teyla?”
“Let’s leave her be for now. Later… if we all survive until tomorrow, we can figure out the rest then. Gather some men you can trust, though, and be ready to search the tunnels. From what Dolok said, I’m guessing Fograth might be down there.” Syla debated if locating him and getting her throne back should fall into thefigure out the rest latercategory. “If you find him, arrest him.”
“You should have a guard with you on the ship, especially if you’re going to use the weapons platform and be out in the open.”
“I’ll have Wreylith with me. And—” Syla brightened, “—Vorik.”
Fel issued something between a grunt and a growl. “I’m going with you. Notallof your enemies have been killed.”
She grimaced, glancing at Mosworth. While she hadn’t had any love for the man—especially if he’d sent assassins after her—she wouldn’t have desired this fate for him. For any of them.
In the hallway, a soldier jogged past the doorway, and Captain Vonla stepped into the office. She grimaced when she looked at Mosworth’s body but saluted and reported to Syla. “I received news that many dragons were sighted flying toward Harvest Island, Your Majesty.”
“I know. Thank you.”
“Should we do anything? The clouds are also spreading and coming this way.”
“I know about them too. I’m going to the weapons platform in case it can help us deal with the threat.Allthe threats.”
If only there were more magical energy left in its reservoir…
Syla looked at Fel. “Would you rather I assign her to the tunnels so you can come with me?”
She thought she would be safe with Wreylith and Vorik but didn’t object to Fel coming to watch her back while she operated the weapons platform.
“If that scheming lord is down there,” Fel said, “he’ll have troops with him. Maybe alotof troops.”
“I know how to handle such people,” Vonla said dryly.
