Page 135 of A Dagger of Ice and Intrigue
Nadya grinned and Geryll sighed before we muttered our good nights. As soon as they rushed down the stairs, I bolted in my room and locked the door behind me.
I barely got a chance to click my tongue against the roof of my mouth to call Sylvester when a wave of distress washed over me.
My senses instantly on alert, I looked straight at the door separating my room fromhers.
No tremors of terror or shouts of an attack. But she was pacing, her small feet flitting over the carpet, and muttering under her breath, words I had no clue of hearing, even with my senses.
She was in no danger, but she worried–about what?
I didn’t flatter myself it was because of me. The Huntress was too grand and ambitious to fret over a kiss like I had.
At least she was doing something other than wallowing. It was a step in the right direction.
I strangled my curiosity and clicked my tongue again, louder this time. Sylvester was in a mood if he hadn’t come instantly.
He’d been mad at me that I hadn’t brought him to the Capital; stealing fish from the fishermen was one of his greatest joys. But he was getting too old to sustain the trip at my speed and refused to admit it.
I also needed someone to watch over The Huntress in my absence, even for one day.
An impatient groan resounded from the other side of the door.
My nostrils flared with my sigh. She truly did want to kill me with each sound she made.
Mercifully, Sylvester deigned to land on the windowsill, shiny beak raised high in the air and refusing to look at me.
“I’m sorry I didn’t take you to the Capital today,” I said.
He turned around, fluffing his tail at me.
I rolled my eyes. I’d never met a bird with more of an attitude. “Thank you for staying behind and looking after her for me.”
He squealed. It sounded very much like he’d told me to go to Xamor.
“Fine, then I won’t tell you the good news,” I said, approaching the window.
Another squawk, this time more curious. He finally granted me the honor of looking my way.
“You get to go to the Capital all by yourself.” I stopped an arm’s length away from him and showed him the letter. “This needs to get to Zandyr and Zandyr alone. It’s urgent.”
Sylvester looked at me for a few seconds before turning his head away from me again. But he did raise his left leg my way.
The sounds in The Huntress’ room grew louder. She was stomping and sighing as if she wanted to crumble the entire fortress. She was usually suspiciously quiet–she must not have realized I’d returned.
“Why, thank you, oh-great-winged one, for doing me this favor.” I wrapped the paper around his leg with a thread of enchanted red string, which would protect him and the message. “Take all the time you want in the Capital. And avoid the mountains.”
His head turned back to me fast.
“Promise me,” I stressed. I knew Sylvester had lived on this continent longer than me and could handle opponents ten times his size, but I didn’t want him risking it. “Fly high over the plains and stay out of sight.”
As a reply, he flapped his wings, as if insulted that I couldn’t tell he would be careful. Obviously.
Just as he tensed his wings to fly away, I opened the heavy satchel which had smacked against my right leg all the way back from the Capital. “I brought you something.”
I took out a great big fish, head and all, and threw it his way. Sylvester greedily caught it in his talons and chirped at me before flying away. He’d liked the offering. Forgiveness granted, from the pettiest god I’d ever known.
As I watched his dark feathers blend in between the stars, I released a long breath.
I’d sent dozens, hundreds of messages to the Capital–but none as important as this.
