Page 116 of Lake of Sorrow

Two of the taybarri trotting toward her also rolled across the ground. Pure joy or a part of an official greeting?

“Oh, she’s yours,” Vlerion said. “She’s at least meant for you.”

“Because we have the same maturity level?”

“Yes.”

“Really, my pirate lord, I hardly ever bounce anymore.”

His eyebrow twitched at the pirate add-on, but he didn’t sound affronted when he replied. “You pace, wiggle, and gesticulate a lot when you scheme.”

“When I dream. I’ll admit I get excited envisioning dreams.” Kaylina tried to remember when she’d done that in front of him. It was odd that he’d come to know her so well in the scant weeks she’d been in Port Jirador.

“Schemes,” he corrected.

“You sound like Frayvar. Maybe you’ve spent too much time around him.”

“He does visit Doc Penderbrock in our headquarters a lot.”

“He’s frail and easily injured.”

“He has his own cot in the infirmary now,” Vlerion said. “And I understand he alphabetized and categorized the doctor’s medicines.”

“He tries to be a helpful houseguest.”

Kaylina and Vlerion trailed off as a number of silver-furred taybarri walked into view, their heads high. Unlike the youngsters, they didn’t bounce. They didn’t even amble, sashay, or swish their tails overmuch. Their steps were graceful but calm and precise, and their eyes, the same silver as their fur, held intelligence and wisdom.

The elders stopped ten paces away and looked at Vlerion instead of Kaylina.

What brings one of the cursed ones to a taybarri community? a female voice spoke into their minds, the words not in the kingdom tongue but somehow understandable. The cursed ones are dangerous to us—to all.

Kaylina had worried the taybarri would be wary of Vlerion. She raised a finger. “Actually, it was my idea. Lord Vlerion is kind of… my bodyguard.”

“Really.” Okay, that time he sounded affronted.

“You said you came to protect me.”

“Because you’re my—” Vlerion glanced at the taybarri and didn’t finish.

Too bad. Kaylina would have been curious to hear his label for her. Friend? Responsibility? Mate? Not-normal-girl-that-my-cursed-blood-compels-me-to-guard? She sighed. Probably that one.

He was right. The beast was less conflicted.

The taybarri eyes were unwavering as they regarded Vlerion. Only one elder had glanced at Kaylina when she’d spoken.

Resolute, she stepped forward and attempted to command their attention. She turned her hand so they could see the leaf-shaped mark.

“I have been chosen by the plant in Stillguard Castle to seek out your kind in the hope that you can help the people of the kingdom with Kar’ruk invaders.” Technically, the plant had only given her a vision, one of many, and she didn’t know if it cared a whit about the Kar’ruk, but it wasn’t here to naysay her. “A supposed diplomatic party came under the guise of negotiating for access to the catacombs, but they’re enacting a plot and hope to kill everyone in the city while burning it down.”

Something she only knew because of another vision. Hopefully, the elders wouldn’t ask her for proof about the Kar’ruk plans.

This sounds like a human problem, a male taybarri said. The Kar’ruk have not disturbed us in our mountain valleys or on the plains for many generations.

“Humans and taybarri have a treaty, wise elders,” Vlerion said. “An alliance.”

Do not tell us that which we already know, cursed one.

Vlerion’s lips rippled at the order, but he didn’t get huffy and tell them he was a lord or demand reverence. For all Kaylina knew, these taybarri were royalty. He’d once said Crenoch was a prince.

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