Rylana believed his mother’s objection was more aboutherthan Jildarin’s career as a chef but didn’t feel the need to explain that to the gnomes. Besides, Jixana hadn’t seemed delighted by his culinary interests either. It bemused Rylana a bit that Jildarin also understood the pressure and displeasure of parents who didn’t agree with their offsprings’ choices in life.
“Let’s take everyone back to peacekeeper headquarters,” Sedgewick said. “In case that dragon decides to test the potency of the pillar, I would prefer not to be in the area. High priest, do you want to stay behind and look to see if there are explosives buried?”
The high priest was staring at the dragon and shifting from side to side. “Stay behind?” He touched his chest. “I’m sure your lieutenant can assign a couple of people to check. Thehoundsare trained to find magical devices, aren’t they?”
“Notexplosives,” the handler said, hugging his dog close. “I don’t want Buster to be hurt.”
“Thenyoulook for them,” the high priest said. “But don’t disturb the idols. Or the friezes. Or the shrine. We don’t need the new god irked along with the troll gods.”
“Very well.” Sedgewick sounded unimpressed by the high priest’s bravery but gestured for the peacekeepers to handle the situation.
“Your bag, please, my lord.” The lieutenant bowed politely to Vormalt but held out his hand.
“You don’t have any right to search my belongings.” Vormalt clutched it close while looking darkly at Rylana.
“If you aren’t able to answer questions sufficiently at ourheadquarters, we will place you in holding until an arbiter can speak with you. You’ll be separated from your belongings then.”
Vormalt’s eyes narrowed. “At which point youstillwon’t have a right to search them.”
“No, but things fall off the table and spill out all the time. The golems, you see. They’re always knocking into the furniture when they’re in tight spaces. Of course, you can avoid such accidents by allowing a search now.”
Vormalt used his hand to seal the flap of his bag shut, then strode toward the road.
Jildarin looked at Rylana. “I am less constrained by the peacekeeper laws. I can take his belongings and search them now.”
Rylana was tempted to accept the offer, but she worried that Vormalt would, if the issue was forced, detonate the explosives. “Let’s give the peacekeepers time to search for and remove those orbs.” She tilted her head toward the uniformed gnomes who were being left behind, though they were watching the black dragon sail back and forth over the lake rather than looking at the temple. “Besides, the lieutenant is a little suspicious of us at the moment. It wouldn’t be a good idea to be… recalcitrant.”
“Most of the lesser species would consider dragons recalcitrant.”
“It’s good for them that you’re a calm, cultured, and amenable dragon.” Rylana smiled and patted his arm.
“Hm.”
Jixana, with her keen eyes, must have seen the touch from across the lake because she roared. Rylana lowered her hand.
“This way, please,” the lieutenant said, waving for the group to head to the boardwalk.
Rylana hoped she wouldn’t truly end updetained. She was tired, still needed to change into dry clothes, and wanted a nap—at least until Mya came into the bakery in the morning. She hoped the gnomes being left behind at the temple would find the orbsand could disarm them or toss them into the lake so that even if Vormalt could blow them up remotely with his wand, they wouldn’t do any damage. But, as she observed the gnomes take cover behind the pillar while watching the dragon, she worried they would be too inhibited by Jixana’s presence to dig.
“She’ll leave the area once we’re gone, right?” Rylana asked as they walked across the island and the boardwalk came into view.
“One would think she wouldn’t have a reason to remain,” Jildarin said, “but she’s not responding to my attempts to communicate telepathically at the moment.”
“What did she say earlier? When she was distracting you so your aunt could try to roast me?”
“She came with a warning. She said it would behoove me to leave Tranquility because the priest in our clan warned her that he could sense from afar that the troll gods are agitated. Even dragons, as powerful as we are, do not intentionally cross deities. She believes the effects of the curse could grow stronger and that my brother and I may be in danger if we remain in the city.”
“Does shereallybelieve that?” Rylana had a hard time imagining a curse powerful enough to threaten a dragon. She also struggled to envision Jixana being caring and maternal enough to fly all the way up here to warn her son. Maybe that was an unfair thought. Dragonsdidlook out for each other and were loyal to their clan. During the war, she’d seen them put themselves in danger to help others of their kind. “I ask,” she added when Jildarin looked curiously at her, “because I wondered if she was colluding with your aunt, distracting you so she could sneak over to the lake and attempt to kill me.”
“Ah. I believe Lysilria is acting independent of my mother and of her own accord when I’m out of the area.”
Rylana didn’t refute him, but she wondered if he saw his mother as more noble than she was, at least when it came to ensuring he didn’t dillydally with human women. After all, it wasJixana who was now flying around Lucky Island and had glared when they’d touched hands.
As the group neared the end of the boardwalk, Rylana looked back to see if the black dragon remained in view. Yes, Jixana was flying back and forth, staying far enough from the island to keep the pillar from alarming but watching it—or, more likely, Jildarin and Rylana.
“I do find Lysilria’s actions intolerable and have told her so,” he said. “With fangs as well as words.”
“I appreciate that.”
