Lonx nodded back at Fel, eyebrows raising in relief at her bodyguard’s support. “It’s only luck that your room wasn’t destroyed during the attack, Your Highness. Half of your mother’s suite was, and the roof fell in over your brothers’ rooms. I’m… not sure about the structural integrity anywhere in that wing. Maybe…”
“My room is fine,” Syla blurted, alarmed by the dungeon suggestion. At least she might find a way to escape from her room. A dungeon cell, on the other hand… “We were there earlier. It wasn’t damaged at all.”
Lonx scratched his cheek, soot coming off under his nail.
“The ceiling looked good,” she assured him. “Not even a crack.”
“Well, you can start out there.” As they entered the courtyard, Lonx peered skyward, no doubt looking for dragons, wyverns, and other winged threats.
They would all have to be muchmore aware of them until the shielder could be repaired. They needed… what had Vorik’s term been? Sky watchers.
“After we get more of the chaos cleared, we can find someone to inspect the standing buildings. The few that remain.” Lonx gazed bleakly around before guiding Syla outside.
“Yes, of course. But if you would, at your earliest convenience, ask—you said Colonel Mosworth was in charge, right? Please ask him to come see me. I’m the logical choice to find a replacement shielder, especially if…” Syla took a bracing breath. “I may be the only person left alive who knows where they all are.”
“That is something we’re all keenly aware of and concerned about, Your Highness. It’s why youmuststay here under our protection. You’ll have to talk to my superiors and figure out who you can trust enough to provide with maps to the shielders.”
“There’s more involved than following a map. You must also have a moon-mark and the inherent magic to open the doors that seal the chambers.” Syla held up the back of her hand.
“You’ve other relatives with moon-marks.”
Yes, her Aunt Tibby, for one… She’d almost mentioned Tibby asthe engineer she wanted to bring in, but… If the lieutenant knew she was anagriculturalengineer, he might balk.
“Do you know where any of them are?” Syla asked.
“We will.” Lonx nodded and assigned four of his men to accompany her to her room and guard the door from the hallway. He also sent one to stand outside her windows.
Her earlier thought that she might escape her room evaporated. Some of the royal suites had secret doors leading down to the tunnels, but, as far as she knew, hers did not.
Fel tramped after the men and walked into her room with her, but he looked like he only intended to make sure she was all right before taking a break. Syla held up a finger to request he wait, then closed the door so they were alone.
“Fel.” Even though it was morally questionable, she hoped her lingering healing magic would make him feel compelled to do as she wished, not what the soldiers thought was best for her. Not whathethought was best for her. “I need you to get me out of here. I can’t sit here in my room, beingprotected.”
Fel took a long, slow breath as he regarded her, and a muscle ticked in his cheek. Was he struggling with himself? Trying to fight away the magic that her healing had left behind?
She waited, hoping the magic would win out.
He scowled, straightened his spine, and said, “You’re the last of the royal Moonmarks. The lieutenant is doing exactly what makes sense, and Colonel Mosworth will do the same. You won’t talk him into something else. You need to be protected. As you yourself pointed out, you know where the shielders are and have the power to reach and activate them.”
“That’s exactly why Ican’tstay here. I need to find Aunt Tibby and bring her to check the shielder under the castle. And if it’s not repairable, we’ll need to locate another to bring back.”
Syla tried not to think about how hard that might be. The local governments of those other islands wouldnotapprove. Yes, thequeen ruled over them all, but… there now wasn’t a queen. There was only Princess Syla, the healer who’d avoided all things political and governmental for her whole life.
“I can find her,” Fel said, “and, if she survived, bring her here.”
Syla paused. Was there any reason that wouldn’t work? The thought of being prisoner here, having other people run off and do her bidding, rankled, but…
“Iwillfind her,” Fel said earnestly, his tense face relaxing. Maybe he felt he’d found a way to obey what the magic wanted him to do while keeping her safe.
Reluctantly, Syla admitted that he had. And she had to be reasonable, not hare off on a self-appointed mission that would happen to allow her to avoid staying here to tidy a horrible and unappealing mess.
“All right, but rest for a time and get something to eat first, please. And be careful.” Syla wrote down the address of the farm where Tibby lived, though she had no idea if her aunt had remained home after the attack. With luck, the rural location outside the city hadn’t been targeted by dragons.
“I’malwayscareful.” Fel gave her an aggrieved look.
“Are you sure?” Syla managed a slight smile. “You’ve a lot of old injuries that suggest a possibly reckless youth.”
“What they should suggest is that I’veguardeda lot of reckless youths.” His face was glum. Was he thinking even now about how close he’d been to his retirement?
