Page 132 of Suffer No Fools
It had been three months since Hugo had rebuilt the sentinel tree from the tower on Stony Eel Island. For a moment, he panicked, thinking he'd forgotten how to do it. Lava rolled down the steep side of the mountain toward them, picking up speed.
Stan shuffled behind him and let go of his hand, instead gripping his hip. Tovey did the same, his arm crossing beneath Stan's as he gave Hugo a squeeze.
With his hands free, they moved on their own, following the design the sentinel tree within the mountain requested. It was a large conifer pointing into the sky, its branches thick and bushy. As they neared the ground, they angled downward. One moment, the mountain was a volcano. The next, it was a tree on a rounded hill.
Hugo slumped back against Stan, his chest heaving. "It's beautiful," he said.
"It's warm," Vadim said.
"Too warm," Efren groused. "Where will the sharks spend their summers now?"
"The ocean temperature shouldn't rise that much," Niall reassured him. "The spell I removed used too much ice to counter the heat of the volcano."
"There's a creek flowing off the hill." Klaus pointed. "We could build our orphanage here, away from town."
"We'd have to get the children's approval first." Vadim sighed. "I hate to move them. They've been through so much already."
"You don't have to move them," Hugo said. "This is a sentinel gateway."
Vadim frowned at him like he was delusional, but Hugo forged ahead, leading their little group up the hill to the base of the restored sentinel tree. In the time it took for Hugo to travel to Aquarion, find the children, and travel back, Vadim was still staring up at the canopy in awe.
"It's perfect," Trin said. "We can play games on the hill and hide among the stones." She pointed to the remains of an old stone building on the other side of the hill.
"We'll have to scout everywhere and make sure it's safe," Vadim said.
"Stan and Jermain can help us build!" Trin ran to Stan and threw her arms around his waist.
"Aye, gladly." Stan chuckled. "This was your plan all along, wasn't it, Hugo? Now everyone is within a stone's throw away."
He nodded, unable to hide his smile. "We're moving into the wing off the courtyard, so we'll be even closer."
"Furthest from the fucking throne room," Tovey muttered.
"We can jump there if needed." Hugo shrugged. "Now that we can meet in the conference room on Aquarion, I only use the throne room to meet with foreign dignitaries."
"Who arrive every fucking day," Tovey said under his breath.
"True." Hugo laughed. "You complain about them quite a lot, and you've only been to one meeting."
"It was agony." Tovey frowned so hard he squinted. "One offered his hand in marriage, even after we explained we were already married, and bound besides."
"Still jealous." Vadim and Stan shared a look.
"Aye, but he's ours." Stan picked Tovey up and tossed him over his shoulder, and they were gone through the gateway to Hearthstone.
"We can't leave the ship in Landale," Efren grumbled.
"No, but we could go home for a good night's sleep," Niall countered.
"Yes!" Trin shouted. "You'll surprise everyone! Come home! You won't believe what Renald taught Mewskers to do."
"We can wait until tomorrow," Efren agreed as Trin pulled Klaus and Vadim back through the gateway. "Is the rest of the crew all right with that?"
"Aye, Captain," Hannah and Olivia said at the same time. Hannah approached Hugo with their arms outstretched. "It was fun sailing with you again."
"It was wonderful to see you again. Promise me you'll come visit us in Hearthstone whenever you're not in Luminest."
They laughed. "What makes you think I'll be in Luminest?"
