Page 31 of Suffer No Fools
"I'm excited to see where you've put me on Aquarion." Hugo gave him a slight bow of his head.
"It will be interesting," Jermain said. "I should have stayed behind to oversee the work, but we were afraid you would need more supervision."
Hugo held up his hand for another brief demonstration of his fire, and Jermain took a step back. Before he panicked, Hugo closed his fist, and put the fire out.
"Oh, Your Majesty, that is excellent." Jermain looked truly happy for him, unlike Tovey the night before.
"It's a start," Hugo said. "I look forward to learning more in your academy."
"Oh, we don't call it an academy," Jermain said. "We call it the barracks."
Barracks, like a military installation. Hugo had prepared his entire life for war under Coryn's tutelage, and now he was going to war against her.
"It will probably still smell like smoke when we arrive," Jermain continued. "Coryn set it on fire. We rebuilt, but it will never be the same."
"How safe are we on Aquarion, really?" Hugo asked.
"Coryn won't be able to send a fleet of ships until spring, thanks to your ice weaves." Jermain bowed his head, so he didn't have to meet Hugo's gaze. "After that, everything will depend on our allies to the north. If Glamiere joins us, we might have a chance to push her back to Hearthstone."
"No," Hugo said. "We'll hit her where it hurts most. We need to destroy the monolith beneath Stony Eel island."
Jermain met his gaze with uncertainty. Then, he excused himself, saying he needed to remove the barrier they'd placed around the island when they left.
Hugo dressed and piled his few belongings in the sail bed. It would be easy enough to roll it into a bundle and carry it over his arm once they docked. Afterward, he went above deck to experience the commotion firsthand.
The skies were pale blue and dotted with serene clouds that didn't seem to move. The ship rocked gently beneath them as they sat anchored in a shallow bay. From the main deck railing, Hugo could see the white sandy bottom and the occasional shadow of a fish.
He found Klaus and Hannah by the main mast. The swish of his robe attracted Mewskers's attention. The kitten rolled beneath the hem on his back and kicked up, sending fabric flying. Hugo laughed as he bent down to pet him and narrowly avoided his claws.
"Understood," he told the kitten. "You are all business right now."
Mewskers paused at his voice and then stood and rubbed along his shin. "Friends, then?" He stroked the soft fur on his back and then scooped him into his arms.
"He won't let me pick him up," Hannah said. "Must be the static electricity."
"He does seem to like Hugo," Klaus agreed.
"Is there anyone he doesn't like?" Hugo asked. He'd always heard that animals had better intuition about threats.
"So far, no." Klaus shrugged. "I doubt he'll like Elsie at all, though, if she's only a lightning mage."
"He'll never meet her." Hannah swept their hand down Mewskers's back. "I forbid it. He can come see me instead."
"Who is Elsie?" Hugo asked.
"Vadim's only living relative," Klaus said. "She lives on Horseshoe Island."
"She's a horrible excuse for a human being," Hannah said. "I say that as someone from Glamiere. Several people from Embertide have tried to tell me that she took Vadim in out of the kindness of her heart, so I should forgive her eccentricities." With the way they said it, Hugo could imagine the ladies of court using the same words to explain Coryn's adoption and subsequent murder of his cousins when they didn't live up to her expectations.
"I've heard that before," he said. "I'm glad Vadim is still alive."
Hannah nodded. "You understand. You'll make a good emperor."
Gods, he hoped so. There were far too many children like Vadim out in the world, and it was the empire's fault they'd been orphaned or abandoned. Hugo wanted to change that. First, he needed to stop Coryn.
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Stan
