Page 87 of Sky Shielder
Her lieutenant’s death had been a mistake though. Vorik hadn’t meant to strike to kill, and he regretted that deeply.
“We heard she spotted the gardener princess riding on the great wild dragon, Wreylith.” Wise looked at him with wide eyes. “That didn’treallyhappen, did it? I mean, I don’t doubt Taskan or his dragon, but…”
“It happened.” Vorik didn’t fully understand it himself, other than that Syla had akrendalaof Wreylith. He didn’t try to explain further, instead shrugging.
“That’s incredible. Wild dragonsneverlet humans ride them, and they scoff at all those who do.”
“I’m well aware. The general didn’t amend his orders, did he?I’d wondered… Well, Lesva went after the princess even though Agrevlari and I were right with her. Protecting her to gain her trust and get intel from her.”
“Ah, isthatyour mission? I’d wondered. The general was close-lipped about his motivations when he sent men to attack her… while you were watching and could help.”
“Yeah, this plan is all Jhiton’s idea.” Vorik didn’t speak about the part that disgruntled him, about having to get close to Syla, knowing he would betray her. He didn’t want to say anything about the general or question him in front of other troops. When he got a chance to report in private, he would bring up his concerns.
Vorik leaned out from under the ledge and gazed upward, wondering if the enforcers had given up on searching for him yet. Concerns or not, he needed to return to his mission.
“That’s interesting, but he is a crafty one,” Wise said. “Have you learned anything from the princess yet?”
“Quite a bit but not the location of the shielder.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. The dragons are all really excited at the idea of hunting elioks.” Wise waved toward the interior of the island.
“Yes, Agrevlari mentioned that. Even Wreylith spoke wistfully of their rarity and delicious meat.”
“I’m to head to the major port town here and watch for sign of the shielder artifact on the move,” Wise said. “It’s believed that the royal gardeners—I guess just the princess is left?—seek to remove it from this island and take it to the more populated capital, most likely on a ship that will leave out of that harbor. It’s the only harbor, after all, on this island.”
“Yes,” Vorik said, remembering that Jhiton had been trying to engineer exactly that scenario.
Would Syla walk into his trap? The thought made Vorik more glum than triumphant.
“I’ll head to the harbor soon,” Wise said, “but when I learned you were alive, I wanted to come see you and get a report for the general. He’ll be relieved that Captain Lesva, who seemed to be letting her ambition guide her into making herownplans, didn’t succeed in killing you. Jhiton was aghast with worry when he learned you’d fallen and might be dead.”
“My brother was aghast?” Vorik asked skeptically.
“Well, his lips pinched together a little at the corporal’s report, and that scar above his eyebrow twitched ever so slightly.”
That sounded closer to the truth. “I’m touched that he was so concerned that he let himself display such an outburst of emotion.”
Wise grinned. “I would be. If Lesva had reported in, I think he would have clobbered her or demoted her on the spot, but she’s missing too. The corporal said her lieutenant was for-sure dead, but he only knew that Lesva fell, and the barrier kept her dragon from diving to retrieve her.”
“Yes, I’m well aware of how that goes. The currents are such out there that you get swept through the barrier before you know it.”
I was electrocuted by its foul magic when I attempted to fly after you,Agrevlari spoke into his mind.
Are you listening in on our private conversation?
Certainly. I cut short my conversation with Tonasketal about Wreylith because his lust for her made him crude. If she heard him speaking so of her appealing attributes, she would bite his neck in half and slay him instantly.
“Do you have any reports you wish to relay through me?” Wise asked.
“Just that I’ve made progress in gaining the princess’s trust, and I believe I’ll soon learn where the shielder for this island lies.”
“Ah? That’s good. Is she…” Wise looked around, but there was little to see beyond rain falling on the waves crashing to their little beach. “I assume she’s not with you.”
“No. Unfortunately, I had to flee because someone reported my presence on the island to the gardener authorities, and they sent troops. Had they not, I mightalreadyhave fully gained the princess’s trust. I was on the verge of it.” The memory of her naked underneath him flitted through Vorik’s mind once more, but he hurried to refocus on his mission before his libido could flare to life again.
“You think she’ll share a confidence like that with you?” Wise asked, sounding awed.
“She thinks I’m handsome and on her side because I’m part of the Freeborn Faction.”
