Page 48 of Red Dragon
More aloof than inviting, Jhiton rarely responded to invitations from the opposite sex. Before his wife had left, he’d been monogamous with her, despite their difficulty in having children. Only the loss of Jebrosh had driven them apart. Since then, Vorik didn’t think his brother had taken a lover. But, yes, that was a woman approaching him, long hair down, a blanket wrapped around her form. Maybeonlya blanket.
Well, good luck to her. To both of them. Jhiton could use a release and happiness, though Vorik doubted sleeping with awoman could provide that for him. He was too wrapped up in his plans for the future.
Vorik reached Wise and shook him awake.
“Ready to go on a mission?” he whispered, trusting the general had told him about it and the scrolls the night before.
“Yes, sir. Let me pee and grab a few things. Did you know there arepears?” Wise spoke with the same longing that Vorik felt for sweet, delicious fruit.
“I heard Leonli is going to slice them and dehydrate them so we can have them in the winter,” Vorik said.
“That sounds wonderful. We’re not going with the squadrons to the island we’ve conquered, are we?”
“Harvest Island?” Vorik doubted Syla would appreciate hearing his people refer to it asconquered. “No. We’ve another quest.”
“To the mainland, the general said. The wyvern-, griffin-, gargoyle-, and rock vulture-filled mainland. There aren’t any pears there, sir.”
“Sorry, but this is part of Jhiton’s plot to get and keep some more islands for our people.”
“Brilliant.”
Agrevlari?Vorik spoke telepathically as Wise finished packing a bag. He sensed his dragon and a few others perched above the cave.Are you awake?
Certainly. A dragon never rests.
What do you call it when you lie in the grass with your limbs in the air and your tail twitching as you sigh contentedly?
Luring enemies into believing they can take advantage of me. It’s a battle tactic.
Vorik looked toward the front of the cave, thinking to tease Agrevlari further, but he happened to catch the woman speaking and recognized the voice. That was Captain Lesva, and was sheleaningagainst Jhiton?
Vorik curled a lip. It wasn’t as if he could disapprove of them getting together sincehe’dgotten together with Lesva numerous times and enjoyed the athletic vigor of their pairing, but knowing her as well as he did, he couldn’t help but feel protective of Jhiton. He had enough to deal with. He didn’t need her sharp tongue.
Not that his older brother and superior officer neededprotecting, or even to be warned, but Vorik caught himself bristling anyway. If he thought Lesva genuinely wanted the stoic Jhiton's company, he wouldn’t think anything of it, but she probably thought to use him to further her goals. Vorik, who’d made captain before she and even—he winced to remember it—put in a good word for her when she’d been hoping to be promoted, was almost sure of it.
Vorik headed toward the cave entrance, though he had no idea what he would say. Nothing, he decided. It wasn’t his place to speak. But if he happened to decide to wait for Agrevlari, and Wise and his dragon, five feet away from Lesva and Jhiton, there wasn’t anything wrong with that.
His keen ears caught a few words as he approached, the sea breeze blowing them back into the cave.
“You can’t trust him the way you can me,” Lesva said softly, her chest against Jhiton's side as she looked toward the sea while keeping his face in her side view. Watching for his reaction?
Vorik hadn’t meant to sneak up on them, but he paused, a hand on the cave wall, to listen. Though he hadn’t heard his name, his instincts itched all the way up and down his spine, and he knew she was talking about him.
“He’s always had a soft spot for gardener women,” Lesva added. “Or a hard cock for them, I suppose. Though I can’t understand why. It’s a wonder they can even take care of themselves. If any of them stepped their plump bodies outside of the shields, they’d be snatched up and devoured instantly.Hardly any of them know how to use a sword, bow, or even a dagger. Maybe Vorik likes that they’re helpless.”
His jaw clenched, his fingers tightening on the cool rock of the cave wall. Didn’t Lesva have anything better to do than gossip about him?
If Jhiton responded, Vorik couldn’t hear it. He would gather intelligence on enemies in a heartbeat, but he’d never been one to ask an officer to share gossip on another officer. Still, he didn’t push Lesva away. Vorik wished he would.
“No respectable stormer man should want a helpless woman,” Lesva added.
Syla was hardly that. She’d resisted Lesva’s attempt to interrogate her, and Lesva, thanks to her dragon bond, was much stronger than the average woman. Than just aboutanywoman.
“With luck, she’ll disappear,” Lesva said. “But your brother isn’t what brought me over here.”
“Whatdidbring you, Captain?”
Vorik nodded in approval at Jhiton using her rank, putting a wall of professionalism between them. Or so it sounded. Lesva wasn’t leaning professionally against him. Was she indeed naked under that blanket?
