Page 33 of Ale Storm

When she’d walked out, Tassani and Sylin had been talking about something. Though Sylin had purchased a newspaper and tucked it under her arm, Rylana doubted it was a desire to learn the coming month’s dwarven opera schedule that had brought the elven captain to her side.

“I’d been looking for… Lady Sylin.” Tassani eyed her warily to see if she would object to that name. Maybe calling her Sylin didn’t seem professional enough.

“He’s politely letting me know what I’ve suspected,” Sylin said, “that members of the Shaldona family continue to object to my existence.”

“As far as I’ve heard,” Tassani said, “nobody is trying to kill you at this time. Before leaving, the queen forbade it, and I understand she’s left a number of loyal secret agents to keep an eye on the elven enclave and its residents to ensure you’re not targeted.”

“Do you understand that because you’re one of those agents?” Rylana guessed.

“Secret agents must not reveal their status,” Tassani said but bowed again to her.

“Of course not.”

“As I was telling Lady Sylin, I’ve not seen or heard anything to suggest assassins or snipers will attack her again, but there’s a rumor going around that well-pedigreed male elves living in the city are forbidden from having relations of any kind with her.”

Rylana blinked. “Pardon?”

“They don’t want me zerging with any aristocratic male elves and having children who might be suitable candidates to rule the elven kingdom after the queen’s passing,” Sylin said.

Tassani nodded.

“I’m terribly disappointed,” Sylin added. “My libido has been humming lately, and I’d been thinking about streaking naked through the elven enclave and flinging my womb at any available male I encounter.”

Tassani’s jaw descended. He managed to close it, but it descended again.

“That’s quite the image,” Rylana said.

“I appreciate the warning—I think,” Sylin said to Tassani, “but you can tell that family that I’m not shopping for an elf lover.”

“She’s dating a dragon currently,” Rylana said, then regretted teasing her. They’d spoken before about this very possibility, that Sylin might be targeted because someone worried about the potential for her to have offspring that the elven court would find more palatable than she would be, at least insofar as future rulers of the realm went.

Tassani’s jaw lowered again.

“I’m not dating anyone,” Sylin said.

“I, ah, will inform those who might have been concerned.” Tassani nodded to her. “I just wanted to warn you so you would be aware that there will likely continue to be elves monitoring you, at least on some level, for…” He turned his palm skyward.

“The rest of my life?” Sylin grimaced.

“It’s possible.”

She sighed.

Tassani waved a farewell to them and returned to patrolling the city.

“Don’t worry. Given your line of work, you probably won’t live that long.” Rylana thumped Sylin on the shoulder.

She’d meant it as a joke, but Sylin looked a little heartened. “That’s true. Oh.” Sylin removed the newspaper from under her arm and offered it. “I thought you might like to see this.”

On the front page, an article read: Dragon Attack Decimates Pirates Harrying Freighters in the Hurricane Hells Straits.

Rylana slumped against a lamppost. Even before reading the first paragraph that described how the pirates had a long history of targeting Sun Whale ships, in particular, she knew what had happened.

“I guess that explains why he wasn’t around when the dragon sisters came to harass us,” Sylin said, apparently guessing the same.

Jildarin wasn’t mentioned specifically in the article, but whoever had reported the incident had described a sleek and majestic silver dragon with emerald eyes. Rylana had no doubts about the identity.

“I need to speak with my father,” she said.