“In Syla’s mind, I saw a rune glowing here.” Tibby pointed to the smooth section.
“Maybe it only glows for the royal family,” Fel said.
“It should glow for me too.” Tibby waved the back of her hand at the wall.
Nothing happened.
Vorik crept closer. Was this the spot? Might the shielder lie right behind that rock wall in a hidden chamber like the one under the castle?
Your suspicion was correct,Agrevlari spoke into his mind, thetelepathic voice muffled. By the rock? Or perhaps the magic protecting this place.
What?Vorik stopped his advance.
Captain Lesva has captured the princess and is, judging by the screams drifting all the way to sea to reach my ears, torturing her.
Dread slammed down like a lead weight in Vorik’s belly.
Lesva had wanted to capture and torture Syla all along. Damn it, he’d failed her by not finding her earlier.
Fury replaced his dread, and his hand tightened around the hilt of his sword. Storm god curse the captain, this wasn’t what Jhiton had ordered. He’d specifically told Lesvanotto go after Syla.
And Syla didn’t deserve this. She was innocent. A healer. Shehelpedpeople. She wasn’t a soldier or an enemy of any kind, other than that she’d been born in the kingdom instead of into one of the tribes.
The sounds of humans aren’t easy for a dragon to understand,Agrevlari added,but I believe she is experiencing great pain.
Vorik clenched his jaw, torn between wanting to sprint out and locate Syla and knowing the pair ahead was close to finding a way into the shielder chamber. With a few swift thrusts from his magical sword, he might be able to destroy the artifact, but he couldn’t gain access without a moon-mark. He had to wait for Tibby to figure out how to get inside.
In the meantime, Syla was in pain. Pain she didn’t deserve. Vorik closed his eyes but didn’t wrestle with the decision for long. He had to help her.
I’ll come back for the shielder,he told Agrevlari, spinning and running back toward the tunnel entrance.Guide me to Syla.
What will you do? Lesva is your fellow officer.
Kill her, Vorik thought, furious that Lesva was disobeying orders—that she washurtingSyla. But Agrevlari also followed the ways and mandates of the Sixteen Talons. Indeed, Jhiton’s dragonwashissuperior officer. Not wanting to risk his intentions being reported back, Vorik said,Stop her. There’s no need for torture when I now know the way to the shielder.
Excellent. I believe Wreylith might not wish her dead. Because she carries thekrendala.
Yeah, your sexy red dragon is my primary concern here too.As Vorik climbed the rockfall upward, he glanced back, worried he was going too quickly and making noise as stones shifted underneath him.
Yes, Fel was peering in his direction. He must have heard or instinctually sensed a threat.
There was nothing to be done. Tibby hadn’t found a way in yet.
Vorik would help Syla, and then he would come back. He wasn’t abandoning his mission. This was logical.
Even if it wasn’t… he decided he didn’t care.
31
Never in Syla’slife had she known such pain. Captain Lesva’s dragon magic ripped through her veins, biting into every nerve, as if every horrible creature the storm god had ever made was tearing through her body. Over and over, Syla tried to summon her own magic to defend herself, but the rider’s power was too great. She screamed until she was hoarse, choosing to do that rather than spitting the words that wanted to burble forth, the answers to Lesva’s questions. At least her magic helped her in that arena. She didn’t know how much longer she could last, but she hadn’t yet spoken of Fel and Tibby—or the locations of the shielders.
Lesva, her cold face inches from Syla’s, watched her writhe in pain. There was no hint of sympathy in the rider’s eyes. Only cold calculation laced with irritation, irritation that Syla hadn’t yet spewed forth her secrets.
To either side of them, wax melted as the Candles of Serenity continued to burn. The scent of eucalyptus and dragonquell hung in the air but not as thickly as Syla was accustomed to. This wasn’t an enclosed room. Since the cave had an exit, the salty sea air swept in with the tides, keeping the odor from pooling deeply.
Or so she thought. In the middle of one of Syla’s screams, Lesva yawned.
It was the first sign that she might feel the sedative power of the candles. And did the pain scouring Syla’s nerves lessen slightly?
