Glum and full of despair over the choice she’d made—and thelossit had resulted in—Syla searched the laboratory, hoping vainly that the scrolls had been wrong, that she would find another orb. But she didn’t. The blue substrate remained, but it would take another ten years before another orb would grow. Or, after so much damage being inflicted on the laboratory, would another oneevergrow?
She sank to her knees, aware of Fel and Teyla elsewhere in the laboratory but too numb to be more than vaguely aware that Fel was standing guard, as always, while Teyla poked around, braver now that the storm god’s magic seemed to have faded. Piles of rocks lay all along the walls and covered workstations, the remains of Wreylith’s fury.
Syla needed to dig out the figurine and call to the dragon, but she was afraid to do so, that she would receive nothing but silence in return.
“Look at all these artifacts,” Teyla said from a row of wall niches. “I’dloveto take some to the museum back home. Do you think it’s safe to touch them? We shouldn’t abandon them here. What if scavengers destroy them? I don’t think this place is hidden and protected anymore. Is there any way we could take that weapons platform back with us? That would be amazing.You could put it on top of one of the castle towers, Syla, and zap any dragons that dared approach our island. Maybe you could zap Relvin and General Dolok too. Anyone trying to take the Kingdom from you.”
Syla rose to her feet and walked over to contemplate the marble platform. A boulder rested atop what she’d thought of as the canopy. She didn’t remember the huge rock landing but supposed Wreylith or one of the other dragons had hurled it toward the end of the battle.
Though Syla believed Vorik had knocked her off the platform to keep her from killing his brother, he might also have thought he was saving her from flying boulders. Despite its weight, the platform didn’t appear damaged, and it still emanated magical power.
“It’s huge and has to weigh tons,” Syla said. “I doubt a dragon could carry it.”
“You’d have to send a cart with a team of horses. Abigteam. At the same time, you could send a team of archeologists to study this place.” Teyla’s eyes gleamed as she spun toward Syla.Shewasn’t distressed about the loss of the orb. Maybe she hadn’t yet realized they’d lost everything they’d gone on this quest to retrieve. “I could head the team. As queen, you could appoint me.” Teyla almost bounced as she touched her chest. “Would that be nepotism?”
“Yes.”
“Would you do it anyway?”
“Probably. I doubt anysanearchaeologists would want to come to a desert full of man-eating animals, lizards, and probably even cactuses. You’d have to bribe people to join your team.”
Fel nodded.
“I could do that. I’m good at wheedling people into things.” Teyla lovingly stroked a crystal with a rune carved in it.
“It wouldn’t be safe to come back here without any dragons.”
“Well,you’dhave to wheedle them into helping. That’s your forte.”
If only.
“I’m not even sure,” Syla started but trailed off when Wreylith glided into view in the mouth of the canyon.
Not too gravely injured to fly, the red dragon soared over the pillar and toward the laboratory. Was it Syla’s imagination or did Wreylith give the place where she’d mated with Agrevlari a scathing look?
No longer denied by a barrier, Wreylith landed in the middle of the laboratory. She showed her fangs as she glowered around the place, then growled at the destroyed weapons along the rock wall. And was that also a hiss of displeasure? Did dragonshiss?
Too bad Vorik was gone so Syla couldn’t discuss their peculiarities with him.
“I’m glad you’re well,” she said when Wreylith finished glowering and growling and looked at her.
Never had she thought that her quest would endanger the mighty dragon. Had Syla the ability to hiss with suitable vitriol, she might also have directed such venom at the remains of the weapons.
This day has been abysmal,Wreylith boomed into their minds.
“Because of, uhm…” Syla looked but did not point to the top of the pillar. She imagined Agrevlari was chuffed about his encounter, but he’d wisely not stuck around to sing ballads to Wreylith.
Formanyreasons.Wreylith bared her fangs again, giving the laboratory a second sound glowering.
Finally, her gaze settled on the weapons platform. Did she know it had ultimately helped her?
“It didn’t turn out how I was hoping either.” Syla slumped back against a clump of crystals.
Discussing dragon peculiarities wasn’t the only reason she wished Vorik were around. Since he’d flown off surrounded by his allies, she wouldn’t get another chance to retrieve the components from him.
My fault, she thought glumly.
You proved apt and capable,Wreylith surprised her by saying.
