Page 106 of The Shadowed Oracle
“Did the princess ever mentionhowher husband’s ship went down?”
Sensing what this might lead to, Ingrid stepped in to answer first. “I’m sure if she knew, she would’ve told us.”
Dean looked to Veston. “What about you? Did she tell you?”
The general’s lips parted, but words didn’t form right away. “Not that I can… no. We never got news.”
“Nothing? She didn’t even have a guess?”
“Shipwrecked,” Tyla offered. “That’s all she said. Dean, don’t you remember?”
He didn’t answer. His eyes were half-closed, and darkening.
“Let’s go below deck,” Ingrid said, taking a few steps toward him. “It’s late. Why don’t we?—"
“I was wondering,” Dean cut her off, eyes now burning through Veston. “Just today, I was wondering if Callinora ever mentionedhowEnitha planned to stop all those Maradenn ships from traveling to Iberium? To put up a blockade like that, she’d have to have quite a naval force. Or something else in her control.” He gestured to the sea, in the direction that the Hydra had just swam off in.
“Nonsense.” Veston walked toward the bowsprit, resting his hand on the railing and peering into the dark waters. “Are you really suggesting Enitha bound a Hydra to her will? It’s ridiculous. If Enitha had that kind of weapon, we’d have heard about it. All the legions we’ve sent have been small. Skilled, but small. They were defeated due to Enitha’s large numbers.”
Tyla agreed with the general. “I imagine a Hydra, especially one of that size, would be a hard secret to keep.”
“Right,” Dean said curtly. “Thank you, Tyla. That brings me to my next point. If she were able to keep…” He pointed out to sea again. “Thata secret. Then Enitha would have to be very powerful, I imagine. Very persuasive of others’ minds, right? Like another Magus we know of?”
Veston stirred like a caged dog. “Not even Makkar can spellbind a Hydra! And now you’re suggesting the two of them might be in league together?! You’ve gone sea-mad!”
“How do you know?”
“Oh, let’s take stock, shall we?” Veston held up his hands, stretching out a finger one by one as he listed Dean’s peculiar behaviors. “You mope around all day on deck. You barely eat. Barely sleep. So it’s no mystery as to why you might be hallucinating!”
Dean took two loud steps forward, the wood creaking below. “No… no!” He shook his head crazily. “Not that! I meant, how doyou know Makkar can’t spellbind a Hydra!? Have you asked him? Have you seen for yourself? No? How about Enitha? Do you know how she was able to overthrow the Isles in the first place? Do you know anything at all? Does Callinora? Or has she withheld some things? You know, things that might’ve made us think twice about going on her little rescue mission?”
His tone had turned to a simmering roar as he raised his hand and pointed accusingly at Veston. “Answer me!”
“I haven’t the patience for this.” Veston left the foredeck, sliding past Dean without looking at him.
“Was that necessary?” Tyla asked. “I know where you’re coming from, but don’t blow this all up just because you thinkthings aren’t going as you’d planned.”
“The minute we left, I had a bad feeling.” Dean continued to pace. “After all that discussion, all that strategy being bounced between the five of us, and we still ended up doing exactly what Callinora first asked us to do. When she still thought we might be spies, for fuck’s sake!” He palmed his forehead. “I never should’ve let this happen.”
“What can we do?” Ingrid asked softly. She took another step toward him, unflinching. “If you’re doubting this all now, then I’m listening. Talk to me, please… Dean?”
As if her voice pulled him from some spell, he instantly loosened his shoulders. “I’m sorry,” he said, darting his eyes to his boots. “I’m not doubting it, I know what we have to do. I trust Callinora. I do. I just—seeing that thing get so close to you. I immediately thought the worst. I’m sorry.”
“You’re not alone,” Tyla concurred. “Hundreds of scenarios played out in my head, and none of them were good.” She turned to Ingrid. “It might be wise to find some place for you, far from Enitha, when we get there.”
Ingrid waved her off. “This again? Absolutely not.”
“I already tried that,” Dean appeared to smile, but it vanished so quickly that Ingrid couldn’t trust her eyes enough to say for certain. “In a perfect world, she’d have had a teacher. Her magic would be second nature by now.” He looked up to the sky as if he were picturing it. “But this is the farthest thing from a perfect world. Which is why we need her with us in the first place.”
Ingrid shuddered at that. Out of everything, the importance of awakening her magic was the one she liked to think of least. Thrown into the fire, Tyla had said. And hope she didn’t get burned.
“Do you really think Makkar might’ve helped?” Ingrid asked. “That he helped Enitha take the throne in Occi?”
“It doesn’t seem like Makkar’s style,” Tyla said. “He has one goal. And he wants all the glory for himself. It doesn’t track.” A swell of confidence overcame her as she looked to Dean. “Not to mention, have you thought about what his little book tells him about sharing power with another Magus?”
Dean perked up a bit. “I have.”
“There you go,” Tyla said. “Let’s think of the positives for a moment.”
