Chapter 18
For the first couple of hours of their journey, Syla didn’t speak, and Vorik didn’t try to draw her into a conversation, certain she was fuming as she thought about how he’d masterminded the destruction of her ship and the sinking of the weapons platform.
As they flew over the Sea of Storms and away from the Garden Kingdom islands, she didn’t look back at him, merely sitting tensely astride Agrevlari in front of him.
The wind whipped at their clothes and hair, drying them, and she’d shifted her medical kit to rest in her lap, as if she worried he would take it from her. Or maybe she was contemplating pulling out a sharp surgical tool with which to stab him. He would deserve it.
This is harder than I expected it to be, Agrevlari, Vorik said.
It’s been easier than I expected since Wreylith has not been able to follow.
I know, but I have to take Syla to Jhiton, and he’s going to question her on the location of the shielders.
That was your goal all along, wasn’t it?
I’ve just been trying to save her life. This feels like a betrayal. Is it?
Certainly not, Agrevlari said. She will reveal the location of the shielder for the Island of Bogs, and dragons will soon be able to hunt there.
So, it’s not a betrayal to dragons.
It is not.
Vorik sighed, doubting Agrevlari would understand. He was probably distracted by fantasizing about whatever delicious prey lived among the bogs on that island.
Syla looked back, not at Vorik but to peer past him in the direction of her islands. By now, they were no longer in sight, but her expression suggested she hoped Wreylith had found a way through the barrier and would catch up and save her. And maybe the dragon would eviscerate Vorik in the process.
After the wonderful night they’d spent together, it disturbed him to have Syla feel she needed saving from him.
“I’m sorry,” he said over the wind. “I wish there had been another way.”
Syla eyed him over her shoulder. “I’m glad Aunt Tibby is alive, but I’m distressed that Wreylith is trapped.”
Vorik was relieved that the dragon was. As Agrevlari had mentioned, he hadn’t expected that, and it was making their getaway a simple matter. How helpful that Syla and Wreylith were still figuring out what their bond did and did not allow when it came to the islands’ shields.
“That’s what’s disturbing you?” Vorik asked lightly, encouraged that she’d spoken to him. “Not my kidnapping you?”
“That was loathsome. So was sinking my weapons platform.” She scowled at him and faced forward again.
“I know,” he said without argument.
“But you had orders,” she said.
“I did.”
“You always have orders.”
“I’m an officer in the Sixteen Talons,” he said, “and sworn to do my duty, yes.”
Oh, but that duty had come to chafe of late. And Vorik hated saying the words to her, explaining why he’d had to betray her. Especially when she’d never betrayed him. Nor had she tried to manipulate him into betraying himself. All the opportunities she’d had… and she hadn’t.
“I’m sorry,” he repeated, though he knew it wasn’t enough.
She looked back again. “Where are you taking me?”
Vorik grimaced, reminded that the unpleasant part for her hadn’t yet begun. “To General Jhiton in our new camp. He… has questions for you.”
“I’ll bet,” she said sourly, fear flashing in her eyes before she hid it by looking away from him.
It was a dagger to his heart. He wanted to tell her that Jhiton wouldn’t physically hurt her, but… what he planned wasn’t much better. Was it any better?
While you were busy sabotaging that ship, Agrevlari said, I heard from our dragon allies that the camp has been moved.
Oh? We’re still heading to the coast of Froha, right?
Yes, but fifty miles to the south. The Skillpoint Caves were flooded during the recent storm. Chieftess Shi ordered the camp moved to Nookfar until the waters recede.
Is there still a lake kraken living under the cave? Vorik asked dryly.
Reputedly, the lake is empty, save for cave crawlers, but they are not much of a threat to your people. And they are delicious when skewered and roasted.
They’re all right. The Kingdom isn’t aware of Nookfar, so it should be a decent place to camp for a while.
Quite.
When Syla had composed herself, she looked back at Vorik again. “If you return me to my people and my dragon instead of taking me to your camp, I’ll drop to my knees and thank you the same way I did in my cabin.”
The promise aroused his body in an instant, making him aware of what he’d been trying not to acknowledge, the warm weight of her between his legs as they rode, the spectacular curves of her backside against his thighs.
The memory of their night in her cabin filled his thoughts, of her mouth around his shaft, so expertly drawing him toward a triumphant climax.
“Unfortunately, I can’t do that,” Vorik made himself say, though she’d gotten him hard with the mere suggestion of intimacy. Their time together was always amazing. Why couldn’t they be lovers instead of enemies?
“Are you sure?” Syla’s eyebrows rose. “We’re all alone out here. Who would know?”
“Not quite alone.” Vorik patted Agrevlari’s scales.
“Does your dragon object to us having sex?”
“I think he would only object if we did it on his back.”
“Then you’ll definitely need to return me to my people. You were probably too busy sabotaging things to notice, but there are comfortable beds on Bogberry Island.”
“I wish we could have spent time in one.”
“Me too.” She gazed at him, her lips parted, and the comment seemed genuine.
Oh, he knew she wanted to escape the fate he’d promised her, but he also believed she would have liked to spend more time with him. When they were together, her body came alive to his touch. That was real. He knew it was.
When he didn’t answer, Syla looked forward again, but she also leaned back into him, letting her weight settle fully against his chest. Not hesitating, he wrapped his arms around her. As her warm body molded to him, his groin stiffened with eager anticipation.
Nothing is going to happen, he told it with an eye roll.
But with Syla so close, he couldn’t resist kissing her on the side of her neck, then resting his chin on her shoulder.
He wished he could ask Agrevlari to change routes.
Maybe he couldn’t take her back to her islands, but did he have to take her to the stormer camp?
For an interrogation? What if they went somewhere else? Anywhere else?
As if she knew his thoughts, Syla leaned her head back onto his shoulder, her hair tickling his neck, the curve of her breasts drawing his eyes.
“Your offer is tempting,” he admitted, his voice husky now. Bloody daggers, she could affect his libido instantly.
“But you won’t take me up on it. Instead, you’re taking me to your odious brother to be questioned.”
“He’s not odious,” Vorik said, though his gaze lingered on her chest. He wanted to lift a hand to hold her, to stroke her. “He’s sworn to do as our chiefs order and try to achieve what’s best for our people.”
“He tried to kill me.”
If Jhiton could be believed, he hadn’t been shooting to kill Syla, but Vorik doubted she would care.
“You’ve tried to kill him too,” he offered instead. Maybe she would be reasonable and consider Jhiton’s reaction fair. “Three—no, four times, I believe. He’s been counting.”
“I regret that I’ve missed him every time.”
“Would you really want to deprive me of my only remaining brother?”
“In a heartbeat. I hope you’ll forgive me if I try to stick a dagger in his chest while I’m a prisoner in your camp.”
“Oh, he expects it. I regret to inform you that I’ll have to do my best to keep you from acquiring such a weapon.
” He eyed the medical kit that she clutched in her lap, the strap loose over her shoulder.
He’d seen her draw scalpels, scissors, and other edged tools out of it, as well as concoctions that she’d flung at the giant bugs that had tried to kill her. He smiled at the memory.
“I’ll cheerfully claw his eyes out with my bare hands.”
“I can’t believe you’re saying such things while you’re snuggled in my arms, and I…” Vorik was aroused. Maybe he shouldn’t admit that when she was his prisoner, but they were close enough that she could tell anyway.
“Keep looking at my chest?” she offered when he didn’t finish.
“It is magnificent.”
And it arrested his attention, especially a pert nipple pressed against the fabric of her dress. He didn’t think she could be aroused, but…
Head still leaning back on his shoulder, Syla took his hand and guided it up to cup her breast. She watched him with rapt eyes, her full lips parted, as if she wanted nothing more than to kiss him.
A surge of hot desire swept into his groin, and he didn’t hesitate to hold her and stroke her while wishing he could remove her dress.
Her eyes closed as she shifted into his touch, as if she didn’t care that they were enemies and wanted nothing more than for him to pleasure her.
He couldn’t resist lowering his mouth to hers, kissing her eager lips.
And she responded with such passion that it startled him even as it aroused him further.
“Are you trying to seduce me, Syla?” he asked between kisses. “I know you can’t be happy with me.”
“I’m not,” she said agreeably, lifting her fingers to trace his jaw, her delicate touch as arousing as her steamy kiss. “But I might get over being perturbed with you if you took me somewhere besides your camp to be interrogated.”
By the eyes of the moon, he wanted to do exactly that. Especially when she shifted her weight, wriggling back into him, making him painfully hard with desire. With lust.
“Where would you like to go?” he whispered, that husky rasp in his voice again.
“Anywhere that we can be together,” she said.