Page 72 of A Forgery of Fate

Against my will, I felt my pulse quicken. It wasn’t lost onme that the red strings on our wrists were touching. What on earth was he doing?

Finally Elang set down my hand. “General, I remind you that you swore to me an oath. You would do well to abide by it and extend such loyalty to Lady Saigas. She commands the Westerly Seas, same as I. Am I understood?”

Not once had Elang raised his voice, but as he spoke, the water vibrated, and a rush of susurrations hummed against my skin.

Caisan felt it too. “Yes, Your Highness.” He bowed stiffly. “Forgive my insolence, Lady Saigas. I welcome you to Yonsar.”

The turtle backed away, leaving us to resume our meal. Elang had taken no more than a bite of his noodles when suddenly, underneath the table, he wrapped his tail around my ankle.

I startled. “What are you—”

The tips of his claws were protracted, and his hair was turning dragon white, golden horns lengthening. Our bowls flew off the table as he grabbed me.

“The storm approaches,” he shouted. “Into position!”

The walls shuddered, and an alarm resonated across the castle in a blaring chorus.

“General,” Elang called to Caisan, “order your vanguard to the Spine. I want the south court bolstered by as many shells as possible.”

The south court? That was where my room was.

Outside, the turtles moved into position. In a wave, they rushed for the castle walls, latching themselves to every bare surface. Their heads shrank back into their shells as they lined up across the castle, bracing for the incoming storm.

Hundreds of turtles, all in place within a minute. It was an astonishing feat, but I didn’t get to watch long.

Elang seized me by the waist and hurled me away from the window—a moment before a cataclysmic wave fell uponYonsar.

Chapter Twenty

The entire sea shook, underwater waves the size of mountains lashing out at the castle. Debris spilled from the ceilings, and the crystal walls swayed, whistling like paper against wind. My every instinct screamed to find cover. Now I understood why so many had left Yonsar.

I climbed onto Elang’s back, my arms wrapped around his neck as he barreled through the castle halls. His hair had become white, and his yellow eye glowed as his scales turned warm under my fingertips—signs that the dragon in him had taken over. It made him dizzyingly fast.

“Watch out!” I shouted in his ear. Outside, rocks winged against the walls, gales of sand leaking through the cracks. I lost count of how many times we narrowly escaped the toppling pillars, how many times Elang swerved before a door exploded.

At last we came to a halt.

“Your room,” he said. There was a break between his words, the only sign that he was out of breath. “The south court is the safest place to be during a storm. It’s against theSpine; you’ll be safeguarded by the mountain—and my best soldiers.”

He ushered me through the round door. “Stay here. Shanizhun will protect you.”

I whirled. He hadn’t come inside. “Youaren’t staying?”

“I’m needed at the front.” He unhooked his cloak. “Wear this. The silk is stronger than any armor, and the lining will heal minor wounds.”

I wanted to insist that I go too, but I knew it’d be foolish. What good could I do outside against a storm? I pushed the cloak back his way. “You keep it. You’ll need it more than Iwill.”

His jaw clenched, as if he wanted to argue. Instead, he gave a curt nod. “Shanizhun, see that she does not leave this room. I’ll be back when it’s time for her sangi.”

Without another word, he was gone, and Shani iced the door shut.

I swam to the window. Hundreds of turtles were forming a wall around the castle, using their hard shells to barricade us from the storm. I picked Mailoh out by the yellow spots on her shell, right before a fold of dark sea swept her out of sight. No matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t find Elang.

I wiped my fingers on my sleeve. They still burned where his lips had touched, something I wanted to forget as quickly as possible.

“Can the turtles survive the storm?” I asked Shani.

“I doubteveryonewill survive.” Shani lounged on my bed, entirely too nonchalant about the whole affair. “How many casualties we get will depend on Nazayun’s mood.”

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