Syla assumed he was emphasizing the ongoing threat again, but the yellow dragon that Lesva rode had descended from where the others flew about. “Is she…”
“She’s below the barrier,” Fel said with certainty. “Or where the barriershould be.”
Syla’s gaze swung to the bluff, toward the cliffs as she envisioned the tunnels under the castle and the shielder chamber. Had Fograth or someone else down there sabotaged the artifact again?
“The barrier is still present.” Vorik pointed upward but farther out to sea. One of the dragons that had chased off Agrevlari had tried to fly toward the harbor, but it bounced away, sparks appearing where the barrier was. “Lesva must have found a hole.”
“Ahole?” Syla asked. “There aren’t any holes. It’smagical.”
“The lightning,” Fel said. “If it has the power of the gods, and the gods made the shielder artifact…”
Syla groaned and rocked back. A hole. A storm-cursed hole. If she couldn’t figure out how to refuel the weapons platform, the dragons and the storm god would destroy all of Castle Island. Maybe all of theKingdom.
22
Vorik drewhis sword as two more dragons slipped through the hole in the barrier. He couldn’t see or sense it, but they clearly could.
Surprisingly, Syla stood still with her chin on her fist. A moment earlier, she’d hopped onto the weapons platform, placing her hands on the posts, but she’d soon dropped them and stepped back, her expression bleak.
“You’re going to have to put that thing to use.” Vorik pointed his sword at it, hating that more dragons would be killed, but if they’d summoned the storm god, they’d brought this upon themselves.
“I can’t. It’s out of energy.”
“Out of energy?” Vorik mouthed.
“There’s a reservoir in here.” Syla tapped her foot against the platform she stood upon. “And it’s been gradually depleting over the course of the various battles. I thought there was a little energy left, but I’m not able to send out another projectile.”
Fel, who stood beside Syla with his mace in hand, cursed.
A week earlier, Vorik would have rejoiced to hear that the powerful weapon was out of commission, but now… as moredragons found the hole in the barrier and swooped through it, he groaned with dread. They would target Syla, and he couldn’t defend her against so many.
Wreylith roared and sprang into the air. No doubt, she would try to keep them from reaching Syla, but she couldn’t defend against such numbers either.
“The storm god is sending the lightning,” Syla said slowly, as if she were thinking something out, “so it’s not natural, right? It’smagical.”
“I’m not sure about the lightning,” Vorik said, “but I’ve been able to sense magic in those clouds.”
One of the dragons flew at the castle, breathing fire. Cannons boomed from the courtyard walls, and crossbowmen ran out of the towers, but their weapons wouldn’t be strong enough to defeat the aerial invaders.
Agrevlari?Vorik asked.Is there any chance you can sneak through the hole and get me? I can’t do much from the deck of a ship.
Those who were once my brothers have declared me an enemy.
I know, but sneak through anyway. Please. I need you. The dragons that have flown in are going to figure out soon that the weapons platform isn’t a threat, and they’re going to come for a visit.
You are a very needy human.
Yes, I am. Bring Igliana if she’ll come.Vorik didn’t ask about Atilya and her dragon—it had sounded like Venvarlorin had already decided that he wouldn’t join in the battle.
She and Venvarlorinwent to the Island of Eliok to see if anything might be done at the volcano where the ritual was performed but found the barrier is back in place.
Well, the one here has a lovely hole in it. Tell them about it.
“My medical kit.” Syla snapped her fingers. “Where did I put it?”
“We’ll need that soon.” Fel hefted his mace. Two dragons were arrowing toward the ship—toward Syla and the weapons platform.
One was a gray without a rider, but the other was the yellow that Lesva had talked into carrying her. Wreylith flew toward the gray and roared. They engaged fifty feet above the ship, jaws snapping and talons slashing, but the yellow kept coming, wings folded in for a dive.
