Page 123 of Lake of Sorrow

“As I’ve told you—” Vlerion glanced at the surrounding taybarri and lowered his voice, even though they all knew his secret, “—what happens when I’m in that form… is vague to me later. Patchy and fuzzy like a dream.”

“Well, the beast had the wherewithal to not only use their powder on himself but to dump their big container of it in a pond.”

“Huh.”

“The beast is kind of clever.”

Vlerion eyed her at this assessment, maybe offended that she’d never called him clever. But all he said was, “Let us hope that was a substantial portion of their stash. The diplomatic party wouldn’t have been searched, and they may have carried more into the city. It’s likely they did.”

“Yeah.”

“When the army sees the bodies in the valley, they will know they’ve lost their advantage. They will suspect their plans have been reported to the rangers and the king.”

“So they will go home?”

“Or they’ll try something else.” As they crested a ridge providing a view of the farms and estates north of the city, Vlerion pointed toward smoke hanging in the valleys between some of them.

“Someone is setting a lot of fires.”

“Yes.” His gaze shifted farther north. Toward Havartaft Estate? He had to be wondering if his mother was all right. “Our vineyards and farmlands wouldn’t be as crucial for them to claim—or destroy—as the port, the bridges over the river, and the city itself, but the king would send—may already have sent—rangers out to defend them.”

“Leaving fewer people to defend the city?” Kaylina asked.

“And stop whatever the diplomatic party is really up to, yes.”

“Was there any trouble happening yet when you left?”

“No. Let’s hope we’ll arrive in time to help.” Vlerion looked toward the smoke again before the herd descended from the ridge. “The taybarri gave me these to bring.” He dipped into a pouch and held up some of the dried berries they’d eaten.

Kaylina curled a lip at the memory of their test.

“You’ll recall Seerathi said they may allow one to see those painted with the altered lithop.” Vlerion pointed to the back of the female taybarri’s head. Was that her name? Seerathi? She hadn’t given it to Kaylina. “There aren’t many berries,” he continued, “but if I can find Targon and get some to the rangers and the best warriors among the Kingdom and Castle Guards, it may help.”

“As long as it doesn’t make all those expert blade-wielders run around the city, slashing their swords at hallucinations.”

“If they have hallucinations similar to the ones we had,” Vlerion said, “I doubt they’ll be slashing with their swords. Thrusting, perhaps.”

Kaylina wrinkled her nose at his joke. “Nobody wants to see that either, and the Kar’ruk would laugh.”

“I assume that our hallucination was manipulated by the taybarri.” Vlerion waved toward Seerathi again.

We will speak with the diplomatic party and your monarch, she told them without commenting on the rest. With luck, the joke about thrusting swords hadn’t registered to her.

“Will that stop the invasion?” Kaylina asked.

We will see. The female glanced at her. If the threat is eliminated, young Levitke has promised you will serve us a food called honey drops.

Levitke must have heard the telepathic comment because her gait developed a sashay, and she swished her tail, looking pleased with herself.

“It’s not my castle, despite the lease, but, yes, I would be happy to make those for you.”

“The real reason they’re helping us.” Vlerion smiled at her. “Seerathi must have enjoyed the honey you gave her.” He patted the female’s shoulder.

The elder didn’t sashay, but her tail might have swished a few times. Her tongue definitely slipped out to lick her blue lips.

Maybe the druid honey was the reason the taybarri had been swayed to help. Kaylina vowed to collect more once the preserve wasn’t full of Kar’ruk—and the Kingdom Guard wasn’t hunting her.

As the sun crept over the mountains, the tireless taybarri loped along the highway, reaching the watchtower where the ranger had been killed. The dead crag cougars remained, disturbed only by carrion birds, but the Kar’ruk body was gone. Maybe his people had taken it, intending to bury it in the catacombs if they retook them.

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