“Not… exactly.”
Wreylith?Syla reached out telepathically, sure they would need the dragon’s assistance before the morning was over. Maybe before thehourwas over.We could use your help back in Lyvor.
“Captain Vorik does seem suborned,” Vonla mused.
“Smitten,” Teyla said. “I think by Syla’s boobs. He looks at them a lot when he doesn’t think she’s looking. And also when sheislooking.” Teyla lowered her voice to whisper, “I think she likes it.”
Syla’s cheeks warmed. “I had no idea you spent so much time watching him when we were on that expedition.”
“I was trying to determine if we could trust him. I actually thought, after all that chest inspecting, that we could, but then he took our components in the end anyway.” Teyla shrugged.
“His lieutenant took them. Vorik—” Syla glimpsed a streak of orange in the sky to the east of the city and peered in that direction. Her first thought was that Wreylith had arrived already and streamed flames at a target, but that had been too narrow to be dragon fire, and it had been over the cove where Major Hixun had let her group off.
“That was a flare,” Vonla said.
Syla nodded. “It must be one of the ones that Hixun gave to Fel. If that’s him, and he wants to call our ship back, it makes sense that he would fire it from the cove, but… if he’s over there, who’s guarding Aunt Tibby?”
“Maybe she’s not in danger right now.”
Syla eyed the warships in the harbor, wishing she had a spyglass. Many were anchored in the water, but a few of them were docked. What if fleet soldiers were even now charging into the city and knew to check the glassworks?
Afraid she’d made a mistake by leaving Tibby there, Syla called to the coachman to pick up the pace. The carriage jerked and jolted as it increased speed, the wobble of the damaged wheel more pronounced, and it jostled the women about.
The caves on this island are insufficient in size for a dragon of my stature,Wreylith finally replied.
Is there any chance that means you’re on your way?
I do not care for their tubular nature and the way so many that would be large enough for me to fly into also extend deep into the core of the island. One does not want enemies to be able to attack from behind when one is nesting in a cave. Your islands were formed by volcanic activity, yes?
Most of them were, yes. We’re going to need your assistance soon, please. There are fleet ships in the Lyvoran Freight Harbor, and Fel just called for Hixun to charge in withourships. They’re going to be captured if we don’t help.
Yes, yes, I will come to assist you. Oh, that cave right by the waterline is most intriguing. Are those stalactites? That would imply limestone, yes? Perhaps that was formed over the eons by an uplifted coral reef.
Syla groaned.
“Sorry.” Teyla gripped the seat back as the carriage bounced and wobbled its way down the road and into town. “I didn’t mean to elbow you.”
“It’s all right. That’s not why I was groaning. Our dragon ally is… distracted.”
“Does that mean she’s not going to help you suborn a warship?” Teyla asked.
“I think she’ll come eventually, but it may not be as promptly as we’d like.”
“Look out!” the coachman’s voice rang out from the bench. The road had flattened out as they entered town. “Get out of the way!”
“Maybe I should have suggested a stealthier incursion,” Syla said as someone outside cursed him, a man with a cart hurrying to get out of the way.
“Sorry!” came Celena’s voice. “Here! Have a cookie!”
“Is your brothel spy pelting people with baked goods?” Teyla asked.
“It looks like she was aiming at the cart. She wants to start her own bakery business one day.”
“It bounced off that man’s ear. That’s an interesting method of distributing free samples.”
Syla pressed her cheek to the window to eye the route ahead, hoping she wouldn’t see enforcers or fleet soldiers. A man walking a couple of hounds scurried out of the carriage’s path and waved a fist at them.
“It’s hard to be stealthy and hurry at the same time,” Vonla observed.
