Page 84 of Of Scale and Blood

She rubbed her fingers across her forehead and sighed. “I don’t know.”

“Your visions aren’t supplying any information?”

“Just that he will take advantage of a situation that comes.” Her gaze met mine, a touch of bleakness running through the fury now. “And that situation revolves around Damon and the secrets he keeps.”

I swore and stalked over to the table where a shamoke pot steamed lightly. I’d already had a good number of cups today, but a situation like this definitely required more. A big jug of honey mead would have been even better, but that wasn’t practical—or wise—given what still lay ahead. “Damon remains closed mouth aboutthatwhole situation.”

I poured two cups, then picked them up and walked over to her. She nodded her thanks and took a sip. “My visions suggest it involves his sisters.”

“He hasn’t got any sisters...” I trailed off. “Or do you mean half-sisters? By all accounts, he has plenty of those.”

“No, full sisters, and don’t ask me to explain impossibility because I can’t—and my visions won’t.”

I downed my shamoke in several gulps, then went back for another. At this rate, I’d be waddling, not walking, up the mountain to the aerie. Or even worse, needing to pee halfway up. “Is Aric’s looming presence the reason my father isn’t here?”

“No. The mages are running their first test of altering the wall stone, and he wished to be there.”

“I hope they’re not experimenting on the main wall, because if things don’t go as planned, that could lead to it being more easily breached.”

“Indeed, which is why they’re testing the alterations on the storeroom section between the war room and the admin block. If the experiment fails, it isn’t likely to cause a major problem.”

Mainly because the Mareritt didn’t have a weapon powerful enough to strike our second wall, let alone the war room. Even the mounted tubes we’d seen at K’Anor weren’t large enough to have the reach needed to do any real damage. Which didn’t mean they couldn’t still cause unimaginable chaos in the areas between the outer wall and the inner.

Of course, the gilded riders didn’t need long-range weapons. Not when they had birds almost impervious to anything we could currently throw at them. Air turbulence might work extremely well, as did the blood barrier Damon had raised, but neither were practical long-term fixes. Witches tired, blood ran out. We needed something else. Something proven.

Like fire wielded by drakkons rather than strega witches.

But even if the exchange spell was a success and the drakkons gained the ability to flame, there was no guarantee the riders and their mages weren’t already working on a means of countering our fires—especially after the chaos we’d caused on the barges.

I downed the second cup but resisted the temptation of a third, grabbing one of the sweet pastries instead. “And Aric? Do we know where he’s currently located?”

“No. He and several others made it onto rowboats and were able to reach Lowcliffe Beach. From the information we received from Hopetown’s forces stationed there, a Zephrine boat was already anchored. It remains, as does most of the seamen, but Aric and his guard left.”

“On foot?”

“No. They confiscated the guards’ mounts and told them to scribe back for more.”

“Such a charming man,” I muttered. And wondered, once again, why father and son were so very different, especially given Damon had been raised in an environment that was all about the importance and superiority of the Velez line of kings. “His actions make no sense, though, not if there was already a boat waiting for them in the bay. Why come here rather than go home? Especially when he hates this place?”

“Again, I do not know, andthatis what makes me furious.”

I finished my pastry and reached for another. “Maybe it has something to do with Gayl.”

Mom frowned. “She is nothing more than a reader?—”

“Who apparently also has minor seeress abilities that enable her to divine the future using the thoughts and actions of the present,” I replied. “What if she’s seen something? Something that makes Aric run the risk of returning?”

“The only thing that could do that is Rion’s death.”

“Aside from the fact heisn’tdead, why would that make any difference to Aric?”

“Aric has long hungered to claim Esan’s throne and unite Arleeon entirely under his rule. That is why he was mighty angry when Tayte failed to do his duty and marry you. Aric wanted Damon, as firstborn, on Zephrine’s throne, not ours.”

First born, second born, what did it really matter? They were both his sons. “The problem with that line of thinking is twofold; one, Garran is heir, not me, and even if his death is confirmed, his son will take the throne when he’s old enough. And two, any son I bear will be backup for Zephrine’s throne, not ours.”

“Did you not read the finer details in the marriage contract?”

“Why would I when I was in denial about the whole event?”

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