Page 124 of Lake of Sorrow

“Not going to happen,” Kaylina whispered.

The highway descended into the foothills where tree cover was sparser, and they could see Port Jirador for the first time. Even more fires burned within its walls than across the countryside.

In Kaylina’s vision, the Kar’ruk had razed the entire city. It didn’t look like that had happened yet, but a number of buildings burned, the flames high enough to view over the walls. Billowing smoke hazed the harbor and the royal castle on its plateau, making it hard to see how much had been destroyed.

They couldn’t hear the booms of cannons or cracks of firearms, and Kaylina shifted on Levitke’s back, worrying they might have arrived too late. What if everyone inside was already dead?

Vlerion leaned forward, as if he might urge the taybarri to run faster, but they’d already traveled all night. The taybarri probably needed a rest, not to sprint the last few miles into a battle.

Even so, they didn’t suggest slowing down. Some even roared as they passed the preserve and followed the river toward the gates. They roared several times.

At first, Kaylina assumed they were battle cries. Then an uncertain answering roar came from the city, one of the ranger mounts. She realized the taybarri were communicating with each other. A few more roars came from different parts of the city.

“At least somebody is still alive.” Vlerion chewed on a couple of the berries, then leaned close enough to hand a few to Kaylina. “Your sling work will be more accurate if you can see your targets.”

“I’ve heard that does help.” She made herself chomp down the chalky berries, honored that he’d given her some after he’d spoken of distributing the few handfuls he had to the best rangers and warriors.

The gates to the city stood open—had been forced open—with bodies around them, mostly gray-uniformed guards. A Kar’ruk lay among the dead. Had an order from his superiors prompted him to give his life to ensure the gates were open when the Kar’ruk army arrived?

Kaylina looked around for signs of that army as the taybarri took them into Port Jirador, the hazy air pungent from the smoke.

The city was quiet, save for the snapping and cracking of wood in fires. Along the streets, doors to buildings were shut, windows shuttered. Here and there, more bodies lay on the blood-spattered cobblestones, some human, some Kar’ruk. There weren’t as many dead as Kaylina would have expected if an entire army had arrived, but there were enough to be distressing. Even one would have been distressing.

“I haven’t seen any rangers yet,” Vlerion said so softly she barely heard him.

Hand on the hilt of his sword, he gazed around the city, his eyes probing the smokey alleys and doorways.

“They might all be in the castle. If they believed they’d have to defend the king and queen, it might make sense.” When she said the word queen, Kaylina remembered that she was a wanted woman. They hadn’t yet seen any living guards, and maybe people would be too distracted to remember, but she hoped she hadn’t made a mistake in coming through the gate with Vlerion. Glad she still had her cloak, she tugged the hood over her head. “Where would the diplomatic party have been housed?”

“The last I heard, they were being taken to the royal castle. That’s customary.”

Kaylina groaned. The Virts had been after the king and queen. If the Kar’ruk were working with them, part of the deal might be that they help get rid of the monarchs.

“We’re heading there,” Vlerion said.

A window shutter creaked, the sound startling in the stillness, the taybarri paws much quieter on the cobblestones than horse hooves. It opened a few inches, and a woman with a sooty face peered out. She didn’t call out to them; she just watched them.

The herd of taybarri passing through with only a couple of riders had to look peculiar. A few other doors opened partway, people inside also watching.

At least everyone hadn’t been killed. Kaylina thought Vlerion might pause to question someone, but the taybarri didn’t slow down, and she didn’t know if he could have stopped the herd if he wanted. They loped over a bridge spanning a canal, then down the boulevard that passed Stillguard Castle.

From blocks away, the purple glow from its tower was visible, even in daylight. Kaylina didn’t expect to spot many bodies near the castle. After all, even during normal days, it didn’t get many visitors. To her surprise, numerous armored Kar’ruk lay dead in the street outside the courtyard wall.

One Kar’ruk wasn’t quite dead and lifted his head at the sound of taybarri claws clacking on the cobblestones.

A purple beam shot out of the tower window, startling Kaylina. It burned into the head of the Kar’ruk, causing a final jerk and groan before he slumped down. Fully dead?

Kaylina swallowed as Vlerion’s gaze shifted toward the tower.

“I… didn’t think the plant could do that. Or had the power to kill that way.” She’d assumed the vines were its only method of attacking and that someone had to be on the castle grounds for them to reach.

“Maybe you’ve given it that power,” Vlerion said.

“The honey water is supposed to be a fertilizer, but it doesn’t have that many nutrients.”

Besides, what kind of nutrients could make a plant capable of shooting deadly beams?

The druids were an extremely powerful people, Seerathi spoke into their minds. The sentinel protects its grounds from enemies.

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