“They move becauseIam not domesticated.” Jhiton eyed Vorik’s trimmed head of hair.
“I won’t tell you what else they wanted to trim. I did draw some lines. With my sword. One man called me a savage as he fled the bath house.”
When Syla looked over, Vorik beamed a smile at her and waved away whatever response Jhiton might have made.
She was as primped as Vorik, with her auburn hair swept up in a swirling style above her head and her spectacles without a smudge on the lenses. She wore a vibrant red-and-orange dress that a tailor must have made to honor and somewhat emulate Wreylith. The colors did bring to mind her scales—and the fire she could breathe, and the fabric hugged Syla in eye-catching places while being voluminous in others. It didn’t look that comfortable though. Certainly not practical for running, riding, or going into battle. Later, Vorik would enjoy getting her out of it, and not only for the nude stormer ceremony.
As Syla started in their direction, her cousin, Teyla, appeared out of the crowd. Though she was also dressed up, her hair elegantly coifed and a pretty green dress wafting about her calves, she carried an open book, her finger marking a passage. She pointed elsewhere too. First skyward and then to the east. In the direction of Droha and the Dire Desert? More than once, Vorik had heard her mention an interest in returning to the storm god’s laboratory for an archaeological dig.
Vorik couldn’t imagine having a desire to go back there and was glad the dragons had destroyed the vestiges of the storm god’s devices and statuary under the castle. Whether it had happened intentionally or as they’d rolled around while mating, he didn’t know, but Agrevlari had been smug now for weeks straight.
Jhiton eyed a slight movement of a cloth that draped the closest buffet table all the way to the ground. The wind, nodoubt. Jhiton returned his attention to Syla as she approached, and Vorik wondered if he was genuinely curious about whatever position she had in mind. Vorik would have expected someone who scoffed at haircuts and domestication to promptly dismiss the idea of working with the Kingdom, even if they were all supposedly allies now.
“Did you know,” Teyla was saying as she and Syla walked closer, “that we found an ancient drydella—an idol for the storm god first made by the Magendella civilization—in the laboratory below? Before the dragons destroyed everything? I didn’t get a chance to see if any existed in the desert laboratory, but having one found here suggests those people wereseafaringas well as coastal visiting. The current academic belief is that their dug-out canoes wouldn’t have allowed them to cross the Sea of Storms. Can you imagine paddling out into such a vast and dangerous body of water before modern sailing technology and knowledge came into play? I’m aching to go back and thoroughly investigate and catalog everything in the desert laboratory.”
“I’m aware—though I believe you tried to entice me by promising you’d investigate themedicaltools and medicinal substances that might be found.”
“Oh, of course those would be prioritized.”
“Either way, I haven’t tried to forbid you from taking the trip.” As she spoke and walked, Syla’s gaze remained on Vorik, her expression suggesting she believed he looked quite handsome with his new clothing and trimmed hair. Maybe the bath house had been worth it. “I’m just not sure about sending troops simply for… scholarly purposes, and it would be dangerous for you to go with only a team of colleagues. I believe wyverns especially enjoy eating professors and other academics.”
“I’m sure, but I think it would be worth the risk. And you could send asmallsquad of troops. I’m not that hard to guard.Really. Oh, but maybe send a dragon too. Wyverns are terrified of dragons.”
“It’s not as if I have a fleet of those available. My only dragon ally is busy with her new hatchlings.”
“What about Vorik’s dragon? It’s not like that green one does much besides sunbathe in the harbor and babysit now and then.”
“I don’t think it’s calledbabysittingwhen they’re your own children—or hatchlings.Parentingmight be the appropriate term.” Syla touched her abdomen, a reminder that she would have personal experience with such things before long. Vorik looked forward to it.
Teyla waved dismissively. “Either way, if one of them could…” She seemed to notice Jhiton for the first time and trailed off.
Vorik didn’t think his scarred, muscular, and cool-eyed brother looked any more forbidding than usual, but Teyla said she needed to check on something and hurried back into the crowd. She almost tripped over one of the kitchen boys carrying a birdcage.
“You’re supposed to smile at women, not scowl and scare them,” Vorik murmured.
“I didn’t scowl.”
“Are you sure? Your normal expression is scowly. The scar makes it so, I think.”
Jhiton gave him a flat look. “That woman was holding a sword at my eyes when I woke up in the laboratory. If she departed, I suspect it was because she didn’t want to speak with me, not that she’s scared of me.”
“Her name is Teyla, Syla’s cousin, and if a woman hurries away to avoid a conversation with you, that’s also not a good sign.”
“I’m not seeking conversation,” Jhiton stated, though he gazed expectantly at Syla.
“There’s not much hope for you, is there?” Vorik asked, then noticed an orange dragon flying high overhead, above the barrier.
Was that Igliana? Probably so. She’d promised to attend the stormer ceremony later, part of which would be held on a ship beyond the barrier, so that dragons could be in the area—and fling fish if they desired.
Teyla came into his view again when she stepped onto the edge of the fountain and gazed up at the orange dragon. Still holding her book, she touched the corner thoughtfully to her chin. Maybe she was scheming about how she could get a dragon to go with her to the desert. Igliana was adventurous and might be game.
“You look wonderful, Vorik.” Syla touched his arm, smiling at him.
He focused his attention fully on her. “You look evenmorewonderful.”
Jhiton sighed at their gooey-eyed gazes.
Syla lowered her arm and stepped back to consider him. She opened her mouth, as if looking for something complimentary, or at least polite to say to him, but he surprised her by darting toward the table.
