Page 44 of Of Scale and Blood

And yet, I couldn’t escape the sudden notion that something was wrong.

“Problem?” Damon said, as he stopped beside me.

“No. Just grabbing a drink.”

His raised eyebrows suggested he wasn’t believing that statement, but he didn’t say anything.

“How much farther have we got to go?” Hannity asked, stopping behind Damon.

She was young—barely nineteen, in fact, though she’d been in military school since she was fourteen, had been sent on her first scouting mission when she was sixteen, and had her first major encounter with the Mareritt when she was eighteen—and was practically dancing from one foot to the other in her excitement. In many ways, she reminded me of Desta. She had the same sort of build and coloring too—long of limb, with black skin and hair. Her eyes were green rather than Desta’s velvet brown, and the mote in her right eye gleamed a bloody hue in the hazy morning light.

“Probably another hour,” I replied. “You might want to grab a drink while you can.”

“I’m fine. I just want to meet my drakkon, you know?”

I not only knew, but I also totally understood the nervous excitement that practically oozed from her skin. “I also need to send back a quick report, so?—”

“So, thereisa problem,” Kele cut in, amusement evident. She, like most fire witches, was long and lean in build, but her hair was a closely shaven blonde and her features made even fiercer by a puckered scar that ran from temple to chin on the left side of her face.

“My father asked me to report when we safely reached the vent,” I said dryly, “and it never pays to disobey your king and commander.”

“A truth I shall not deny, even though we both know you do have a proclivity for doing both.”

I grinned. “Not recently. And if you’re not going to drink, you can take the lead and head in. I’m not sure Hannity is going to survive if we delay too much longer.”

Hannity laughed but didn’t deny it. She stepped to one side of the path to let Kele through, coming so dangerously close to the edge that I half reached out to grab her.

As the two women moved into the vent, Damon said, “You want me to wait for you?”

I shook my head. “It’ll only take a couple of seconds, unless my father is busy with something else. I can catch up easily enough.”

His expression suggested he wasn’t buying my “update my father” excuse, but after a moment, he turned and followed the two women. I dropped my other, heavier pack down beside the first. While Kele and Hannity were both carrying all the gear they’d likely need, I was carrying extra harnesses, ropes, girths, and D-rings. I figured it’d be easier to store an additional supply in the aerie, so we had them to hand if needed.

I dug out the small scribe quill and screen from the side pocket of the first pack then sent,Have reached the vent. Wanted to warn you that Gayl is a reader, and she’s regularly positioned on the section of the wall above the war room, listening to plans and reporting them back to Aric.

The little cursor blinked for several seconds before the reply came through. Damon told you this?

Yes. He said he’ll place a barrier around our room and yours to give us some privacy, but dare not do any more.I hesitated.You can’t let him know I told you, and you can’t confront her.

His pause was longer. Knowing my father, he was probably swearing right now.Whatever threat Aric holds over his son must be dire indeed.

Lives are at stake, he said, remember. The sooner your spies can find out what that means, the better.

I’ll do what I can, but to date, there has been little in the way of information forthcoming. Whatever is happening there, few know about it. I’ll talk to Fergus about Gayl. Perhaps he can come up with a solution to the problem she presents.

Worth a try, I said.But talk to him at the hospital not in the war room. That should be well out of her range.

There was no immediate response, but the little cursor was still blinking, an indication the quill remained active on his end.

Eventually he sent,Have you decided on a direction for your flight today?

Why?I sent back, even as trepidation surged.Has something happened to the Islands? Has there been another attack?

He didn’t reply, not for several, incredibly long seconds.

The Islands remain secure, as far as we’re aware. But we’ve just lost contact with Hopetown.

CHAPTER6

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