Page 96 of The Eye of the Fifth
Never did Kyra imagine that the Air Warden could be so duplicitous. Amused, she lifted an eyebrow. ‘That’s extortion, Naal.’
‘Sometimes, we must do what needs to be done for the greater good,’ Naal said slowly. ‘In time, Kawai will understand why. As will Kano.’
It would be a lie to say she hadn’t thought about Kawai since meeting him. And despite her reservations about men in general… the thought of spending some more time with him excited her. She cleared her throat. ‘Fine,’ she said with a dramatic sigh. ‘I’ll seduce the sexy raider. But don’t expect me to be happy about it.’
Naal gave a small smile. ‘Noted.’
They began again toward the little boat where Jak and another raider waited. Kyra carefully watched her own feet teetering on the edge of each stone she stepped on, until one sea moss covered rock sent her foot sliding down, throwing her off balance and falling with a loud splash.
‘Fucking Loros,’ Kyra swore under her breath.
A great wave washed over her, leaving her sopping wet and spluttering on sea water. The water wasn’t cold by any means, but she was now soaking from head to toe, boots and all. A tiny white crabappeared from a rock’s crevice and just stared at her. ‘What are you looking at?’
She shooed it away and it burrowed itself into the sand.
Naal’s hand was there in an instant, and Kyra took it gratefully, allowing her to pull her to standing once more. Her mouth was a thin, wobbling line. ‘Would you like me to dry you?’
‘No, I’d prefer to stay wet.’ Naal raised an eyebrow and Kyra rolled her eyes. ‘Yes, Naal, dry me please.’
Naal nodded with satisfaction. ‘As you wish.’ Her hands moved with perfect precision and grace, and a wind twirled around Kyra as though she were in the eye of a tornado. In a few seconds, she was dry again, though her hair had been whipped out of its twist and was hanging in a swirling mess around her shoulders. She didn’t care enough to attempt to tie it back up.
When the rocks finally levelled out, and they clambered into the awaiting long boat, Kyra plonked herself down next to Jak and mumbled, ‘Not a word about what you just saw. Understand?’
He blushed, nodding quickly with a nervous grin as he and his shipmate set about rowing them back to the ship.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Flight to Phaenon
???
Various Locations, Droria.
Gedeon.
In the expanse of grassland a few miles from the border of Zarynth, Gedeon warmed his hands by the fire Tanwen had lit on the scraps of wood scattered around the landscape. His cloak was strewn over Sunsi’s unconscious body in an attempt to keep her warm as she lay in the tall swaying grass, for night would soon be upon them and the chill of a Vrethian evening was an unfamiliar experience for them both.
He had been to the earth continent just once before, though it was not a visit he recalled with particular fondness. He and Sekun had been sent there, on behalf of their mother, to track down an advisor of hers who had betrayed the crown in some way or another, and sought refuge from her wrath in Vrethian. Gedeon had obeyed without question, not even bothering to ask what the man’s crime had been.
They’d tracked down the nobleman in a couple of days. He’d begged for his life from his knees as snot ran from his nose, mingling with the tears staining his face. It hadn’t stopped Gedeon from driving his longsword straight through his heart.
It had been too quick for Sekun’s liking. He had wanted to taunt the man for a while, to lure him into a false pretence that his life might be spared, but Gedeon did not care for those cruel games. He’d ended it as swiftly as possible, keen to get back to the comfort of home.They’d left the body there for the earthlings to deal with and disappeared into the night, job done. Never thought of again.
Gedeon hardly recognised the dutiful prince from that memory. Young and blissfully ignorant, content in his own privilege without a thought for the world outside of those castle walls.
He hated himself for thinking it, but he almost envied that Gedeon now. It had been far easier to live in that ignorance, than be the traitorous nobody he was now.
A failure of a Wardenanda prince.
Lost in self-deprecating thoughts, he didn’t hear Sunsi stir from her coma, noticing only when she was stood next to him, glaring into the dying fire.
Gedeon eyed the horrible purplish hand-shaped bruise around her throat. She tried to speak, then winced.
‘Don’t talk,’ Gedeon said softly. ‘And don’t touch it. It will be sore for a few days.’ She took a shaking breath and looked around, brow furrowing. ‘We’re in Vrethian,’ he explained. ‘Tanwen has gone to find us food. Once we have eaten, we will take to the skies again. To Nythanor.’
Sunsi took another breath, then looked pointedly away from him, pulling the cloak tight around her body. In the light of the flames, her eyes glistened with devastated tears.
‘I…’ she rasped, wincing with pain again but forcing the words out anyway, ‘I told… my father… I would look after… them.’ A fat tear rolled down her cheek. ‘I left them… behind.’
