“Yes, but I don’t possess either of them,” Syla said dryly, knowing Wreylith, in particular, would be affronted by the notion.
“You can possess me,” Vorik said easily.
“Until it’s time for you to return to help your people?”
“Well, yes. I would need breaks from your possession for such activities.”
Syla kept herself from saying that she wished hewouldn’treturn to his people. As amazing of a fighter as Vorik was, he was only one man, and she worried that, after the choices he’d made,every stormer except the lieutenant who’d come to speak with him would stand against him. Storm god’s wrath, she didn’t even know if the lieutenant was on Vorik’s side. What if he’d come to lure Vorik back,knowingthe rest of the stormers would kill him?
“Alas,” was all Syla said. “Let’s get your carriage and continue to the city, Teyla. I want to accomplish all the same things you do. We can work together.”
“You also want to cut off Fograth’s penis?”
“Well, maybe notallthe same things.”
“Decapitation is the appropriate historical precedent for usurpers, I believe,” Vorik murmured, “though I’m not as familiar with your history as that of my people.”
“There have been decapitations in Kingdom history, yes, but, for a man who wants to force me to marry and have children with him, dismemberment would be more satisfying.” Teyla made a slashing motion with her sword.
“I’d rather be beheaded,” Vorik murmured.
“I’m not letting Fograth vote,” Teyla said. “Syla, if he’s been doing more thanrounding upour kin, he’s as bad as the stormers.”
“I know. That’s why we have to get to the city as soon as possible.”
“It would be easier to slip in by night,” Vorik said, “unless you’re going to openly and brazenly fly to the castle astride Wreylith.”
The red dragon used a tiny stream of fire to incinerate mud on her belly scales.
“As powerful as she is,” Syla said, “even she might not be able to dodge all those cannons and deposit us in the courtyard wherewe’dalso have to dodge fire from dozens of men. I think we’ll have to approach with stealth.”
“Is that what you were doing when you flew down and turned the enforcer wagon into an inferno?” Teyla asked. “Using stealth?”
“We hadn’t started the stealthy part of the plan yet, no,” Syla said. “Am I naive to think wecouldsneak into the city? Even at night?” Syla pushed her hand through her tangled hair, wishing for a relaxing bath.
“With a dragon, yes,” Vorik said, “but, as to the rest, your capital doesn’t have a wall around it. It’s not difficult to sneak into. The castle may be more challenging. Though the last time I was there, there was a new entrance into the tunnels underneath it.”
“That your people blew open from the cliff near the harbor, yes. I ordered that sealed before I left.”
“Before I got an opportunity to explore the old laboratory down there that the stormer incursion revealed,” Teyla said a little tartly. “From what I heard of the description from the men who found it, it was probably also left by the storm god.”
“That’s a good reason to leave it alone and buried,” Syla said.
“Or excavated and explored as a place of historical significance,” Teyla said.
Syla shook her head. “We can’t get in that way, Vorik.”
“Unsealing the tunnel wouldn’t be feasible? For someone with explosives? Or a dragon?” Vorik arched his eyebrows and looked toward Wreylith.
“She’s not going to fit down there.” Syla realized she’d never seen the access point in person but presumed she was right. “The stormer team didn’t excavate a dragon-sized hole for their incursion, right? My people would have noticed a huge new gap in the cliff as they sailed in and out of the harbor.”
Vorik scratched his jaw. “The entrance is very narrow, yes, but if it could be expanded, Wreylith might be able to get in. The laboratory itself had high ceilings and was made within a cavern.With a little excavation—” Wreylith used her fire to remove more mud, “—or incineration, she might be able to get in. And if you have any explosives…”
“I used all the ones I had in the mine, and I’m sure Aunt Tibby hasn’t had time to make more. She’s prioritizing the shielder. Besides, people in the castle canhearexplosions down there.” Her tone turning dry again, Syla added, “Unless you’d like to bring one of your highly suspicious dragon-headed ships into the harbor to light off fireworks for a holiday celebration.”
“I don’t think it would be healthy for my people to visit your harbor right now.”
“No. I’ll keep that cave in mind, but let’s find the missing moon-marked folks first. Not only because they’re our relatives—” Syla waved to include herself and Teyla, “—but because it could be handy for us to rescue people—people with magical gifts—who’ve been rounded up from all over the island and are in the same place.”
