Page 56 of Red Dragon
The look Fel slanted toward Syla suggested she shouldn’t have admitted that, not if they wanted Radmarik to sail them around.
“My priority right now is to repair the Harvest Island shielder,” Syla added. “It requires a journey.”
“That starts on Harvest Island?” Radmarik pointed his sugar cane at Fel. “That’s what your bodyguard said.”
Fel’s gaze had shifted to the pier. Two squadrons of Royal Fleet in black uniforms were jogging toward a military vessel. Several of the men glanced in the whaling ship’s direction.
Syla adjusted her hood, making sure they couldn’t see her face, but was that another military vessel getting ready to set sail from the other side of the harbor?
“Yes,” Syla replied. “I’m hoping to meet someone there.” Did a dragon count as asomeone? “If they’re not able to help, I may need to charter your ship for a longer journey.” Amuchlonger journey. “If you’re available.”
“We’d have to see about that. Thissomeoneisn’t one of the non-faction stormers, is it?” Radmarik squinted at her. “Like Captain Vorik?”
Syla wondered what kind of gossip had gotten out to the general public about her relationship with Vorik. Nothing, she hoped, but when she considered all the people at Lavaperch Temple on Harvest Island who might have said something about her disappearing for a night into their tower with herprisoner, she feared gossip might be spreading throughout the Kingdom.
“I’m not expecting Vorik, no,” Syla said.
“He and his dragon sank two of the guard ships that were with us.”
“But hedidn’tsink your whaling ship.”
Radmarik’s squint deepened. Yes, arguing that Vorik had been anything but an enemy to them during that battle would be hard for anyone to believe.
“His dragon ripped the roof off my wheelhouse,” Radmarik said.
“He was trying to get to me.”
Radmarik gazed at her as if she were an idiot. She thought about changingget to metorescue me, but it was probably morekidnappingthanrescuingwhen one stole a princess off her own ship. While one’s allies were attacking it.
“Captain Vorik shouldn’t know that I’m going anywhere,” was what Syla decided to say. “It’s actually the red dragon, Wreylith, that I hope to, uhm, connect with.”
For the first time, Radmarik’s face brightened. “The dragon whosavedus? With her glorious crimson scales gleaming in the morning light as she drove away the stormer dragons?”
“That’s Wreylith, yes.”
“Will she help us again if we run into trouble?” Radmarik looked toward a couple of guard ships adjacent to the closest military vessel. The crewmen were readying cannons while continuing to glance at theStriking Falcon.
That was concerning.
“I’m not sure,” Syla said, compelled to honesty, though it might have been better to assure Radmarik that Wreylith was on their side and would be available in a bind. If he thought military vessels were going to follow them out of the harbor, he would be less inclined to help, especially if his wife was hedging bets and waiting to see who ended up in charge of the Kingdom. “I may have to prove myself first.”
“Set sail now,” Fel told Radmarik, nodding toward the preparations on the military vessels.
“Yes. That may be wise.” Radmarik glanced at Syla but didn’t give the order she’d feared, for her to get off his ship.
Instead, Radmarik trotted around the deck, quietly instructing his men to take his vessel out of dock—and out of the harbor—as quickly as possible.
“You two ladies had better go belowdecks,” one of the officers said as he strode past. “There are a few empty cabins down there.”
“Thank you,” Syla told him but didn’t move.
If they were followed out of the harbor, she wanted to know about it. What she could do about it, she didn’t know, but she wouldn’t hide in a cabin.
“Delaying at the brothel may not have been a good idea,” Fel said when he was alone with Syla and Teyla.
“I thought you approved of me fostering a spy for future intelligence-gathering purposes,” Syla said though they both knew she hadn’t been doing anything so premeditated.
“I’dapproveof us not being killed before we escape the harbor.” Fel scowled, not at Syla but at the two military vessels also making ready to set sail.
