“We’ll have the shield restored to your island soon.” Syla lowered her hand and debated how to get rid of Ravoran. She shouldn’t have allowed him to argue with her out in the open.Dozens of crewmen were watching with wide eyes. “If you’ve nothing further to contribute, you may return to your ship.”
Sneering again, Ravoran glowered at the volcano, but he did leave, stalking back to the dinghy. He shot a glare over his shoulder at Syla before disappearing over the railing.
“I don’t think I’m ever going to win him over as a supporter,” Syla murmured.
“Don’t blame yourself for that,” Teyla said. “He’s a walking penis. He was loyal to the king, but he never supported your mother either. I don’t think he likes women at all, definitely not being subordinate to one. You should replace him. It’s time for that anyway, isn’t it? The island lords are supposed to either retire or be reassessed for how they’re doing their duties every five years, right? It’s not a hereditary and certainly not a permanent position.”
“That’s tradition, yes. I’ll have to take back the throne before I can reassess any of the island lords.”
“That’s the plan anyway, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but first…” Syla turned back toward the volcano, lightning flashes in the dark sky drawing her eye. Had the clouds grown denser in the brief time she’d been speaking with Ravoran? After talking to Teyla, she imagined she could see a similarity in them to the cloudy image that had appeared in the laboratory to speak to them. A part of the storm god’s magical security system. “I’m going to ask Wreylith to pick me up and take me over there to help things along.”
“What areyougoing to do to assist in installing an artifact? You’re the only one around who can operate the weapons platform.”
“I don’t know, but I’m worried that someone may need healing shortly.”
Even as she started to call out to Wreylith again, lightning struck the cloud-shrouded top of the volcano, a huge white-blue branch that lasted far longer than the typical flash. Rocks shattered and flew away from the rim of the crater, and a rumble sounded. Did it come from the clouds? Or from the ground below? Syla couldn’t tell, but boulders tumbled down the slopes, and crevasses split open with great snaps of lava rock.
“They’re underground,” she blurted, envisioning the tunnel around the shielder chamber collapsing with Tibby and Fel in it.
A shriek came from the volcano, and Wreylith appeared, flying away from the continuing lightning bolt. Syla swore. Had she been struck?
Are you all right?
This place is cursed by the gods!
No lightning bolts shot toward Wreylith, but the ongoing energy pouring into the ground through the one behind her was alarming enough. More boulders flew, the earth rumbled, and smoke hazed the air. Or maybe that was a cloud of pulverized rock. There wasn’t much to burn on the bare slopes of the volcano.
Just one god. Are Tibby and Fel all right?Fear for them hunched Syla’s shoulders, and she struggled not to prematurely believe she’d lost them, but the thought that she’d already lost so much of her family washed over her. And she’d sent Fel and Tibby over there. If they died…
I do not know. They were in the ground.
As Wreylith neared the ship, her scales damp from the rain falling on the island, the lightning finally stopped. The wind gusted, blowing mist that smelled of charred rock and sulfur out to them. Syla removed her spectacles to wipe them—and her face. The crewmen barely noticed Wreylith landing on the wheelhouse. They were all staring at the volcano while murmuring and making superstitious gestures over their chests.
Will you take me over there?Syla asked, more certain than ever that Fel and Tibby would need a healer.
That would be unwise,said Wreylith, Wreylith who regularly flew fearlessly into battle against impossible odds. She perched with her tail wrapped around her body and her head uncharacteristically low.I believe the storm god has returned.
I think that’s possible too. But I still need to go over there.Syla wondered if she would need to order Hixun to row her to shore in a dinghy.Tibby and Fel and the shielder?—
The shielder will do nothing to keep out a god.
Yeah, but it’ll keep out the dragons who called him.
Syla didn’t know if Teyla’s hypothesis about that was correct, but Wreylith didn’t argue with the statement, saying only,Dragons are not the problem. Not now.
I’m sure they’ll be one in the future. Regardless, I need to get Fel and Tibby. Will you fly me over there, please? You don’t have to stay.Sylawantedthe dragon to stay, not only for protection but because it would be hard to get back without her, but Wreylith must have been right by the lightning when it struck with its alarming power.
My ear canals are bleeding,Wreylith said.The energy— The noise!
I have a salve that can help.
Wreylith growled and lifted her head to glare at Syla.
There’s your spirit. Will you fly me over there now?
Yes, but come quickly. I believe that snarling mess will grow worse rather than improve.
