Page 33 of Suffer No Fools
"That's a sea snake," Bea said when Hugo pointed to the slip of rope sidewinding across the top of the water. "Poisonous. Try not to get bitten, but if you do, I can help."
"You're a healer?" Hugo asked.
She nodded. "I was a spectral weaver, like Niall, until Coryn caught me in a trap. I gave up my power to break my tie with her. Then Vadim shared some of his power with me so I could keep my youthful appearance." She posed with her hand on her hip, and Hugo laughed.
"Vadim told me of your assistance with my rescue. I appreciate your faith in him."
"That was all Vadim," Bea said. "He laid out the facts. If I hadn't given him permission, he would have left anyway and begged forgiveness."
"He's one of the best people I've ever met," Hugo said. Stan met his gaze and was grateful to note his serene smile. Hugo hadn't mentioned his crush on Vadim since their first conversation. Now, he seemed to be completely over it, but Stan knew looks could be deceiving.
They sailed Bea's skiff west toward the shade of the giant sentinel oak tree that stood guard over the island. On most days, Stan couldn't see all the way to the top because it was shrouded in fog. Today, he swore he saw roofed canopies in the heights, and wooden platforms balanced between its branches. When they reached the trunk, a massive stairway curved up to the first level of branches and platforms.
"What have you done?" he asked. "This is a travesty."
"It's all part of the living tree," Bea said. "Renald did most of the work. Our lesser earth weavers strung some ropes and added some partitions, so we won't sleepwalk to our deaths."
Gods, it had been one time, and Stan would never live it down. He had walked out the front door of the barracks and into the ocean, the taste of salt water finally waking him up enough to realize the danger he was in. He made it back to shore before Efren's shark found him, thank the gods.
"I can't sleep in a tree," Stan said. "This must be a mistake."
"I was joking about the rope," Bea said. "You'll see. Once you're up there, it's as sturdy as any building would be."
"It's lovely," Hugo said, though his smile seemed strained.
Stan lifted the trunk to his shoulder and prepared for the long walk.
"This is gorgeous," Tovey said when they reached the fifth landing above where they left their boat on the beach. All Stan saw when he looked below was his own death waiting for a misstep.
He lost track of the number of landings before the sky opened around them. They were on a final giant round platform above the tree branches. The four-foot-tall railing surrounding the platform did nothing to make Stan feel safe at this height. Hestayed near the middle, while Hugo and Tovey both approached the edge to look down.
"You can see all of Horseshoe Island from up here," Tovey said. "And most of Aquarion. Stan."
Tovey waved him over. He masked his fears with his bravest smile and walked to Tovey's side.
"It's beautiful." Hugo braced both hands on the top of the rail and bent over it, inhaling deeply.
"Gods, don't fall." Stan grabbed him by the belt of his robe.
Tovey took Stan's other hand and placed it on top of the railing, too. If he closed his eyes, he could pretend he was on deck, and this was just a horrible nightmare.
Except he couldn't close his eyes. That only made his land legs worse. He stumbled back from the ledge and fell on his ass.
"Stan?" Tovey kneeled beside him.
"I hate heights," he said. "Bea was right. It would have been better if they'd dug me a room in a cave."
"You'll get used to it," Bea chided as she sank to her knees on his other side. "You and Tovey are Hugo's best defense against any incoming threats." She took his hand, pulled him to his feet, and led him to the center of the platform. He'd thought it was a solid circle, but in the middle, through a hole the size of a gold coin, snaked a thin branch topped with a few leaves.
"The tree will continue to grow from here. While it lives, you and the other earth weavers can tap into its life force to recognize threats and set up defenses. Try it."
Stan didn't know what he was reaching for, but what he found was far larger than the tree he remembered. The roots dug far beneath the ground, tunneling through dirt and rock well below the caves and connecting human-bored tunnels. The tree was more alive than he remembered, too. It sang with health andpurpose, and someone had given it the task to protect the people of Embertide and their emperor.
Stan called to Hugo, offering his hand as a link between Hugo and the tree. The tree had its own voice, and it spoke to Hugo through Stan, the words echoing in his mind.
"Welcome, Firebrand."Hugo started at the title, or maybe at hearing a tree's voice at all.
"How should I address you, oh great one?" Hugo asked. Not bad for a man who had never spoken to a tree before. Stan hadn't found his voice since first hearing it.
