Page 104 of Suffer No Fools
"It's all right,"Hugo said through their bond."It's time to let it go. It's served its purpose. We sail tomorrow."
Tovey supposed that was for the best. They had just enough time to lift the box containing the two air weavers, who were starting to wake, before the ice melted beneath them and seawater lapped at their feet.
Hugo met up with them a moment later, taking a side. He was glowing with fire again, but his flames didn't touch his clothes or the wood planks.
"It was already gone," Hugo said. "I searched the entire ship for the statue, and even pulled the ship on top of the ice and watched it burn, but nothing was left. The stone would have survived the fire." Everything they'd read about the stone said it couldn't be destroyed by a single element.
"That means Coryn's spectral weaver is probably still alive, too," Tovey said.
"You've had an exciting morning," Sovereign Oton said when they returned to the shipyard with their prisoners, who were now fully awake and cringing away from Hugo as though his fire would hurt them.
"Was there a tidal wave?" Hugo asked.
"No," Sovereign Oton said. "Your water weavers made sure of it. The one bonded to the spectral weaver even sailed back to Aquarion to make sure the wave diverted around them, too."
"Thank the gods," Stan said, relief palpable in his tone.
Tovey didn't care who was around them at that moment. He pulled Stan's head to his shoulder and hugged him close, allowing all his unsaid emotions to seep through. He was so sorry Stan had lost his family to that awful storm, and even sorrier that he'd been too caught up in his own insecurities to comfort Stan when he'd needed it most.
"I won't fail you again. I will always be here."
Another sob shook Stan, and then Hugo's arms were around them, his stubble rough against their cheeks as he kissed them both.
Jermain cleared his throat. "I can show you the ships another time."
"No." Hugo laughed. "No, please. Now would be wonderful. Just please don't ask us to stand apart for decorum's sake."
Sovereign Oton frowned. "I never asked you to do that."
"Elder Beatrice and Vadim both said I should avoid Stan and Tovey in public," Hugo explained. "When all this is over, I'm going to have Gulde make us matching wardrobes and we will all walk together."
"Your wardrobe is close to matching now," the sovereign noticed. "I like the black with silver brocade."
"Thank you."
With that, they walked together. Stan's fingers twined between Tovey's, and Hugo's arm looped through his on the other side. Anyone who had never seen Embertide's ruler might mistake Tovey for the emperor, since they were all dressed the same except for Hugo's gorgeous flame-colored sash.
Twenty-five ships were dry docked in the shipyard. Another thirty lined the shore. "We've got fifty water weavers with good navigation skills who are willing to captain. We've asked Efren to part with his first mate and quartermaster, but he hasn't decided yet."
Hugo shook his head. "No. I need Vadim with me, and Olivia is the best suppressor we have. She'll hide me from Coryn's seekers until we reach Stony Eel Island."
"Coryn doesn't have seekers anymore," Jermain reminded them. "Reports say she has a single enchantment formed from a handful of seekers, each of their powers compounding the others and making her enchantment stronger.Olivia may have been stronger than most living seekers, but this is something else."
"I'd like to go back to the summer palace now, if that's all right with you." Hugo leaned against Tovey, either from exhaustion or need for comfort.
"Yes," Sovereign Oton said with a bow. "As I said, it's been a long day."
"You don't know the half of it."
Tovey had never heard Hugo sound so tired and dejected. On the eve of war, Tovey, hell, all Embertide, needed their cocksure emperor back.
Tovey had never valued confidence as sexy before, but Hugo usually had it to spare, enough for all three of them. Now, they needed to help him regain his self-assurance before they set sail for the biggest fight of their lives.
Chapter 16
Hugo
Hugo couldn't unsee the devastation he'd wrought onGrim Cricket,the ship he'd encased in ice. Her crew of five didn't stand a chance, and neither did their two passengers in the hold.
