Outside, thunder rumbled. Lightning flashed in the dark clouds over the sea. Lesva yawned again.
Too disheartened at failing and too flustered to concentrate, it had been some time since Syla had attempted to use her magic to push away Lesva’s, but she gathered her flagging strength to try again. Maybe this time…
Lesva shook her head, as if to push away the fatigue. She also looked at one of the candles. The look turned into a suspicious squint.
Had she figured out the scent was affecting her?
With the captain’s attention shifted, the pain lessened a little more. Afraid Lesva was on the verge of kicking over the candles to put them out, Syla called to her magic, willing it to drive out the enemy power and heal the damage Lesva had done.
This time, perhaps thanks to fatigue creeping into the captain, Syla had more success. Like a broom cleaning detritus from a hall, her power swept the dragon magic out, pushing it back toward Lesva, toward the glowing dragon tattoo from which everything originated.
Scowling, Lesva faced her. Syla sensed the woman summoning her power again, intending to fight back. But then her head twisted toward the cave entrance.
Had she heard something beyond the roar of the sea? Syla used the distraction to thrust the rest of the rider’s foul magic out of her body.
Instead of fighting her, Lesva released her and stalked toward the entrance.
Without the support of her enemy pinning her, Syla’s legs gaveway, muscles rubbery from all she’d endured. She collapsed to her hands and knees and gulped in air, as if she’d half-drowned. Her entire body shook in the aftermath of the experience, of minutes—or had it beenhours?—of enduring the pain.
Syla almost collapsed completely, flopping onto her side, but movement at the cave entrance drew her eye. Not only did Lesva stand there, her sword in hand, but another person had arrived, a dark figure outlined against the stormy night sky.
Shadows hid his face, but Syla knew who it was, even before lightning flashed behind him, the white light limning his body.
Vorik.
“You’re not taking my prisoner, Captain.” Lesva crouched and raised her sword, prepared to fight.
Though Syla was relieved to see Vorik, she also worried for him. Lesva looked like his enemy, not his ally. If she killed him, with only a kingdom woman for a witness, would Lesva have found a way to achieve the promotion she wanted? By eliminating their general’s right-hand man?
That close to the entrance, she was probably far from the candles’ influence and wouldn’t be slowed in a fight. Had Vorik and Lesva been normal human beings, Syla would have assumed a man would have the advantage in a physical confrontation, but she’d experienced for herself how strong Lesva was, how dangerous and deadly the dragon magic made her.
“You’re torturing her for no reason.” Vorik’s voice was icier than Syla had ever heard it.
Though he also carried his sword, he looked past his colleague to Syla. More concerned for her than for the battle at hand?
Syla waved to indicate she was all right, even if she wasn’t. She didn’t want to be a distraction.
“Oh, there’s a reason,” Lesva said. “I willfind and destroy the shielder. Without lowering myself to some smarmy seduction scheme. You are a noblewarrior,Vorik. It’s beneath you.”
“Iam following our general’s orders.” Vorik glanced at Syla again.
Wishing she weren’t hearing this? The revelation of everything?
Since she’d already figured it out, it hardly mattered.
“You are the one who’s gone rogue and is going against his wishes,” Vorik added.
Thunder boomed, punctuating the sentence. It wasn’t raining on the island, not yet, but a storm raged scant miles off the coast.
“He won’t care how the mission is accomplished once the islands are laid bare for our people and our dragon allies. You know that.”
“You are disobeying his orders,” Vorik said. “Hewillcare about that.”
“Not if he doesn’t find out.” Sword still raised, Lesva took a step closer to him, like a cat creeping up on its prey before pouncing.
Not looking concerned—or anything like prey—Vorik watched her approach without moving. “I’ve already found the shielder. Your disobedience and tormenting of an innocent woman is for naught.”
He’dfoundit?How?
