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But before I could take more than a step, Anuket raised her hand. A silvery-purple energy field flared to life in front of the king, swirling with strange runes I did not recognize, save for the moon-shaped symbol in its center. The imposter slammed into it, and blinding light flared, forcing everyone to throw their hands up and shield their eyes. A horrifying scream tore through the chamber as the energy field sizzled, and when I lowered my hand, all I saw were flecks of white ash floating in the air, settling into a pile before the God-King’s throne.
“Well then,” Quye said under her breath, sounding impressed. “Looks like these people have magic of their own.”
“My apologies, Your Eminence,” Anuket said, bowing before the God-King. “I should not have allowed him to get so close to you.”
The God-King waved his hand. “That duty falls to my guards, not to you,” he said, giving a mild look to the guards who had already rushed forward, but a little too late. “Please escort the dragons back to the Crocodile Temple. They have one day and one night to make their decision… and if any of them attempt to flee, they will join Inatol in his fate.”
19
Adara
After the trial was dismissed, King Ramsenan's advisors kept us at the palace for another few hours, questioning us thoroughly about the world we’d come from and the nature of our mission. Once we’d assured them we posed no threat, and that the shadow creatures from our realm would not be coming through to infect theirs, they released us.
Yaggir was waiting for us on the steps of the palace entrance.
“Ahh, there you are,” he said, a hesitant smile coming over his face. “I was hoping to speak with you before you leave.”
“Me too,” I confessed. “I wanted to thank you for coming forward. I don’t know if the God-King would have believed us if you hadn’t backed up our story.”
Yaggir shook his head. “I should have joined Ylena in exile,” he said, leading us further down the steps so we could sit and talk away from the entrance. We sat down on the wide marble steps, looking out over the vast gardens. “It never sat well with me, what we were doing, but I couldn’t leave Myras in charge on his own. He’s too hot-headed and impulsive.”
“Myras?” Quye asked.
“Right.” He laughed a little. “The imposter Sobek-Ra,” he explained. “His real name is Myras, and he’s one of Ylena’s cousins. He’s never been fond of her, and when Inatol approached him with the offer to make him a god, he jumped on the opportunity to wrest the leadership from her. But he doesn’t have the temperament to lead, and I worried what he might do, so I told myself I needed to stay behind and act as the voice of reason.” He shook his head. “But in reality, I was just being a coward. I should have gone to the island with the others.”
“Perhaps,” Quye said. “But I’m glad you didn’t.”
His head snapped up. “You are?”
“Of course I am,” she said breezily. “If you hadn’t been here, then you wouldn’t have been able to corroborate our story, and Inatol and Myras wouldn’t have been brought to justice.” She winked. “One might even say your decision to stay behind was influenced by divine intervention.”
Yaggir gave Quye a wry smile. “That would be letting myself off the hook a bit too much,” he said. “But I am glad I could be here for you.” He shifted to face me. “And I was wondering if I might offer you my help once more.”
“In what way?” I asked, a little wary despite myself. I hated that I was becoming so jaded, but after my time in Usciete, I'd come to learn most people didn’t offer help without strings attached.
“Well,” he said, reaching into his pocket and withdrawing an envelope, “while you were being questioned by the advisors, I was interrogated by the God-King himself. Which, let me tell you, was not pleasant.” He shuddered a little as he handed the envelope to me. “But at the end of it, he gave me this letter and told me to deliver it to Princess Ylena. It’s a writ lifting her banishment, and that of the other dragons, so that they may leave the island and settle wherever they wish.”
I lifted my eyebrows as I beheld the envelope, which was sealed in red wax and stamped with the royal seal—a round disc surrounded by a ring of lines I assumed represented the sun and its rays. “So why are you giving this to me, then?”
“Because I was hoping to take you with me, so you can deliver it to Ylena yourself.”
“You’re offering to give us a ride?” Quye asked, her tone brightening.
“Yes.” Yaggir smiled. “The island is a five-day journey that is normally completed on camelback and by boat. I can get you there in less than half that time. Besides,” he said, his gaze sweeping across the grounds, “it is not safe for you to stay in the city. The other dragons will seek revenge against you, and even High Priestess Anuket may not be able to protect you. It’s best we get you out of the city as soon as possible.”
After taking a few minutes to weigh the pros and cons, Quye and I agreed to travel with Yaggir. He escorted us, along with a trio of palace guards, back to the Moon Goddess temple so that we could collect our belongings, change into travel-appropriate clothing, and say goodbye to the High Priestess.
“Thank you for everything,” I told her. “Is there anything we can do to repay you?”
The High Priestess smiled. “You helped us bring Inatol and the imposter to justice,” she said. “It is I who should thank you. Please, take these with you. You will need sustenance on your journey.”
A temple servant stepped forward, holding a sack in her arms, and I did a double-take. “Nysa? Is that you?”
Nysa smiled at me as she held out the package. “There’s no need to look so shocked,” she said teasingly.
“But… you’re wearing acolyte robes.” I stared at the white robes she was wearing, the symbols of the moon goddess embroidered in tiny silver thread along her sleeves and throat. “I thought you intended to remain a scholar?”
“I had a change of heart after everything that transpired between Inatol and the other priests,” she said. She smiled at Anuket and added, “The Crocodile Cult might have been corrupt, but High Priestess Anuket is a shining example of what it means to be a religious leader, and I admire her greatly. I hope to follow in her footsteps someday.”
