“In the same place andpissed,” Teyla said. “Trust me, I know.”
“Because you’ve recently been imprisoned?”
“Yes, and that was in my own room with all my books and projects to keep me entertained. If they’re in a dank dungeon—or worse—they’ll really be irate.”
“True. I doubt Fograth sent thema copy ofHow a Lady Can Please Her New Husbandto keep them occupied.”
“I could lop off his penis for that alone.” Teyla jammed her sword into its sheath and strode across the field to retrieve her horses and carriage.
“I don’t think she read the book on courtly behavior,” Vorik observed.
“Definitely not,” Syla said.
“You want to go to the capital now?”
“Tonight. I think you’re right and that our best bet is sneaking in under the cover of darkness. We can wait at the royal farm outside the city. Maybe we’ll get lucky and Captain Vonla will have finished her reconnaissance early and meet us there before we leave.”
“Do you think the ingredients are still in the farm’s kitchen to make blackberry cobbler?”
“The blackberries won’t be, but there might yet be a few late-season apples and pears dangling in the orchard.”
“Excellent.”
9
Vorik scrapedhis fingers through his damp hair and rubbed away water dripping down the back of his neck. The clouds had thickened and rain fell as Wreylith flew toward the royal farm, leaving Teyla and her beleaguered coachman to follow in the recovered carriage.
Judging by the dragon’s leisurely pace, with numerous stops to peek into valleys and at rock outcroppings—any spots that might have caves—Syla had told her she didn’t need to hurry. She probably wanted to match Teyla’s speed in case her cousin ran into more trouble on the highway.
Understandable, but, with his deadline in mind, Vorik itched at the idea of dillydallying. He considered volunteering to go ahead and sneak into the city himself. He might be able to manage during daylight hours. Then he could gather intelligence—if not slip into the castle and assassinate Lord Fograth. Oh, his honor would prompt him to challenge the man instead of sneaking up behind him with a dagger, but if the challenge weren’t accepted, he would strike anyway. Better his tarnished honor than to allow the man to continue to plot Syla’s death.
But Vorik didn’t know if he could sneak all the way into the castle and find and kill the man before being caught. Though he’d fought numerous Kingdom soldiers before and knew he could handle multiples of them at once, the capital would be on high alert, and Vorik didn’t even know what Fograth looked like.
Syla shifted and looked back at him. “Wreylith has finished cave hunting and is taking us to the farm now. I’ve been thinking of our first day there together.”
“And the delight of baking that cobbler for me?”
“Actually, I was remembering how Aunt Tibby almost shot you, and you tried to convince me of how earnestly you wanted to protect me.”
Vorik hadn’t been remotely close to being shot, but all he said was, “So, you’re dwelling on fond memories.”
“There are worse ones that could be in my mind. You also earnestly told me how you were a member of the Freeborn Faction. Strange how, the first time we encountered them, they drugged you and wanted to use you in a prisoner trade.”
“They’re a fickle group.”
“You don’t have any idea where they are now, do you? I haven’t heard from them since stormer dragons forced their winged allies away from Harvest Island.”
“I haven’t heard anything about them lately, no. If I do, should I invite them to the big stormer tribe meeting?”
“You should, but do you have the authority to hand out invitations?”
“Not in the least.”
We approach the farm,Wreylith informed them.
Syla rested a hand on her back. “Before landing, fly around and make sure there aren’t any enforcer wagons on the premises, will you, please?”
I will take care of them if there are.
