Page 82 of Red Dragon
“Not that she would admit.”
Syla touched the back of her hand. Other than the brief flare of silver her moon-mark had given when the bug had bitten her, it hadn’t glowed since coming ashore, but she also hadn’t attempted to use her magic. Since the preserved moss bulbs she sought were magical, might her power allow her to sense some in the area? She’d never tried to use her power to find anything, but maybe locating medicinal objects would be within her realm.
Actually,Teyla’spower might be more suited for this. As a gods-gifted archaeologist, might she be able to sense ancient ruins? Especially if magic lay within?
Syla turned, about to ask when the quarter moon outlined itself on her hand. The mark warmed, but she had the sense that it was a warning, not an offer to guide her somewhere. When she peered into the dark rainforest again, something glinted yellow-orange in the distance.
Fel patted his pack. “I do want to move farther inland to set up camp. I wish I’d thought to bring netting to protect us from all these bugs.”
“Maybe we could smother ourselves in fern fronds,” Teyla said.
“The moss would be more helpful. Do you two see that?” Syla pointed toward the distant glint, wondering what in the rainforest would account for that. Something reflecting the light of the dragon fire? It seemed too far away for that.
Could Vorik be out there? Carrying something magical? She thought of his gargoyle-bone sword but hadn’t seen it glow.
As Fel and Teyla looked after her pointing finger, a second yellow-orange glint appeared next to the first. Bloody daggers, were thoseeyes?
“I see them,” Fel said.
The bespectacled Teyla took longer to pick it—them—out. “Yes. Eyes?”
“I’m not sure,” Syla said. “They’re not moving.”
“If they’re still there in the morning, we can check them out,” Fel said.
“Sergeant,” Syla said, “we have competition in this quest, and all of Harvest Island is threatened as we speak.”
He glowered at her.
“We’re not setting up camp if something inimical is over therewatchingus. Come with me, please.” Syla picked her way toward the glinting eyes—or whatever they were. They didn’t move. But one had appeared and then the other, as if they’d opened one at a time, so they might well belong to an animal. Athreat.
Fel swatted an insect at his neck and continued glowering but came with her when she ventured deeper into the rainforest. Teyla hesitated, then walked behind them, wiping her sweaty palm so she could keep a good grip on her sword.
If there had ever been a trail leading from the river, it had long ago been swallowed by the rapid growth of the vegetation. Navigating the fern-, shrub-, and plant-covered ground would have been tricky during the day, but at night, with the firelight fading as they moved farther away, Syla tripped and banged her legs repeatedly. Only determination kept her going. And curiosity. Further, her moon-mark brightened, acting as a light to illuminate a small area around her. Repeatedly, she had to brush away insects, but as she crept closer to the glowing eyes, she could make out dark shapes that were straighter-edged, different from the natural curves of leaves and branches.
“Are those slabs of stone?” Syla asked.
“Covered with vines and leaves, yes,” Fel said, his eyes keener despite his various age-related woes.Hedidn’t need spectacles. “There are old buildings, I think, though there are trees growing up from some, and if there are roofs, half of them have collapsed.”
“How did people find stone for building out here?” Teyla waved around them.
They hadn’t seen a lot of boulders and definitely nothing like a quarry.
“Oh,” Teyla said, coming up with the answer to her own question, “I bet they floated them downriver on rafts. Those ancient people were impressively resourceful considering how low a technology level they had.”
Fel reached out and caught Syla’s arm, distracting her from answering and halting her advance. He pointed his mace at something darker than the surrounding stone. The remains of a doorway? It wasn’t far from the yellow dots gazing unsettlingly in their direction. On the other side of the doorway, another pair of dots—eyes—opened.
Syla’s moon-mark glowed brighter. “Are those…”
“Gargoyles,” Fel stated. “They blend in with the stone slabs. Except for the eyes.”
Two huge creatures with armored stone-like skin, wings, and powerfully muscled arms and legs sprang away from the ruins. Their skin flared white-blue, and Syla abruptly sensed their magic. They’d come out of dormancy and were ready to hunt. Their eyes focused on Syla, and they charged.
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Syla’s moon-mark glowed,providing light by which to see, but she had no idea how to summon its power and employ it against gargoyles. Even if they came close enough for her touch—without themkillingher in the process—they were magical beings. She doubted she could turn her healing power into an attack on creations that didn’t have anatomy similar to humans or animals.
Fel pushed past Syla and Teyla, shouting, “Take cover in the ruins!” as he braced himself to meet the gargoyles.
