The sorceress was down on the deck, her face bloodied, and her hand outstretched, the sword a few feet away. She wasn’t moving toward it. Before Taylina could grow relieved that Bhrava Saruth had apparently defeated her, she spotted him at the far end of the passageway, growling and tangling with another great cat, this one a tawny panther.
Even with her lack of aptitude for magic, she could sense the power of both creatures. That had to be the other gold dragon.
Yes, and he’s invited company, Bhrava Saruth informed her. Get your friends out now. The way you came. Go.
His usually flippant tone was filled with urgency, and Taylina did not hesitate. “This way,” she said, waving.
Even though none of them appeared to be bound, the women hesitated, trading looks with each other. What had been done to them to make them fear attempting to escape?
“They’ll take you to the Cofahre Empire if you stay,” Taylina said, waving more urgently. “And they’ll beat you and more. Hurry. There’s a dragon with me. It’ll be safe.”
Flee with Taylina, a cry reverberated in Taylina’s head. Bhrava Saruth. He was speaking with more power than usual, and the words had a compelling undercurrent. I, the god Bhrava Saruth, will ensure you’re able to escape.
I told them I had a dragon with me, not a god.
We all make mistakes. Go!
A yelp came from the catfight, and Taylina hoped that Bhrava Saruth hadn’t been wounded because he had taken that moment to speak to her people. Fortunately, the urging worked. The prisoners charged for the hatchway so quickly that they mashed together, stumbling as everyone struggled to get out at once.
Even though Taylina hated the idea of leaving Bhrava Saruth behind to fight by himself, her people would have to be led down into the hold. She hoped that guard wouldn’t be able to do much against so many.
“This way,” she said, leading them around the corner and toward the cannon deck. “Watch that hole.”
Leaning on her staff as she ran, Taylina hurried to keep ahead of the mass of people. Women surged onto the cannon deck behind her. She desperately wanted to look for Jessa, but she made herself focus on getting them out of there first. Jessa should follow the group.
Taylina flung open the hatch in the deck, forgetting about the soldier she had trapped down there until he sprang up the stairs, his sword in hand. She reacted on instinct, jabbing at him again with her staff, trying to catch him before he came fully onto the deck and was even with them. He whirled, parrying the staff with his sword before it could touch him, but some kind of shock must have run up his arm from the contact, because he gasped and stumbled on the stairs.
Taking advantage, Taylina smacked him again with the staff. This time, he was too slow to parry, and it struck him in the shoulder. The air seemed to sizzle with released power. She struck him several more times, afraid he would leap up and lay into them with that sword if she relented. Terror filled her throat, along with horror at what she was doing—she had never tried to hurt a person before. He dropped his sword, then, clutching his arm, fell off the stairs. He splashed into water below, water that sounded like it covered the deck now.
“There’s a hole down there, and we can swim out,” Taylina said.
Her people were staring at her—gaping at her—as if they couldn’t believe she had knocked out the guard. What choice did she have? Bhrava Saruth was busy, and there was nobody else to help them.
“Follow me,” she said, heading down the stairs. Some light trickled down from the hole in the deck that she had made earlier, but it was mostly dark.
As if she had commanded it to, her staff flared to life, glowing enough to brighten the hold.
Several people gasped. Taylina worried they would not follow, but urges of “hurry” and “go, go” sounded, and women were soon running down the steps.
With water sloshing around her shins, Taylina pushed her way to the hole. The top third of it was still visible above the surface.
“This way,” she said, pointing the staff toward the hole, hoping its magical glow gave her some authority. “Dive out and swim toward the promontory. My father is over there, and he can lead you into the hills until the Cofah leave.” She hoped that was true. “I’ll be right behind you.” If Father wasn’t over there, she could lead them back to that gully herself.
The women, some as young as twelve or thirteen, obeyed her, diving for the hole, and Taylina sucked in a breath of relief. She stood beside the gap, water swirling about her legs, using the staff to light the way and guide them. She also searched the crowd of over one hundred women, trying to spot Jessa. It alarmed her that she hadn’t seen her sister yet, that Jessa hadn’t called out to her. Even though Taylina knew she must be traumatized and confused by this experience, Jessa should recognize her and come to her for safety.
“Tay,” a familiar voice blurted. Eritha, an old school friend, rushed forward and reached out, as if to grip her arm. She noticed the glowing staff and hesitated.
“Eritha,” Taylina said, clasping her shoulder with her free hand, even as she glanced toward the stairs—sooner or later, someone would figure out what was going on and come after their escaped prisoners. “Are you hurt? Can you make it?”
“I’m fine, but it’s Jessa. You need to know.”
“What?” Taylina’s grip tightened as fear surged through her.
“She was one of the ones selected, along with Aryna and Ramy. I think they took her up for the officers to, uhm, well, I hope there hasn’t been time yet. Poor Jessa wouldn’t even know what was happening.”
Taylina groaned, barely aware of the women continuing to scramble out the hole in front of her. This meant she had to go up to the officers’ quarters. They were probably only accessible via the very open and very busy upper deck. And she had no idea if Bhrava Saruth could help when he was stuck in the passageway fighting another dragon of equal size and power. She looked at the women passing by, thinking she might recruit some of them to help, but her people weren’t warriors. None of them would be any more able to fight soldiers than she—if anything, her staff gave her an advantage.
“I understand,” she told Eritha. “I’ll go get her. Them.”
“Do you want me to…” Eritha glanced toward the stairs when a thunderous crack came from somewhere above. Shouts and screams followed on its heels.
Even though Taylina would have loved backup, Eritha was a slender, fragile woman and definitely not a fighter. More, she did not look like she truly wanted to stay. A welt darkened one of her cheeks already.
“No, I’ll handle it,” Taylina said with more confidence than she felt.
Another crack thundered through the ship—it sounded like bulkheads were being knocked down.
“Go with the others.” Taylina jerked a thumb toward the hole.
“All right,” Eritha said. “Be safe. Don’t let them catch you. They’re monsters.”
“Tell my father that I could use his help if you see him,” Taylina said as Eritha moved toward the hole. Realizing that she might fail in this and that she could be dragged back to the empire, or worse, she added, “And tell him I love him. Mother too!”
“I will.” Eritha nodded gravely before pushing herself through the inflow of water and disappearing outside.
Once again, Taylina was alone. A groan came from the bottom of the stairs. No, not entirely alone. That soldier was still alive over there.
Bhrava Saruth? she asked silently. Even though those cracks and crashes suggested he was still in the throes of battle, she hoped he might be able to come help her somehow. Or at least guide her. She had no idea which end of the ship those officers’ quarters were on.
A booming snap came from just above, and Taylina stumbled back, imagining the entire deck coming down atop her. Shards of wood struck her in the head, and she threw her arms up, the staff clunking against a nearby crate. Light came from above, entering through a huge hole that hadn’t been in the deck up there before. Something fell through the gap,
the end splashing into the water. Her first thought was that it was a giant snake, but that was silly, and she soon realized what she was looking at. A dragon tail.
It snapped agitatedly and knocked several crates over. Another crash came from above, and more wood flew from the deck. The rest of the dragon tumbled down into the hold.
Taylina ran toward the stairs, not certain whether that was the Cofah dragon or Bhrava Saruth. It hardly mattered because a second dragon leaped down through the enormous hole. Soldiers ran up to the edge, peering into the hold from above.
Duck into the water, Bhrava Saruth cried into her mind.
Halfway to the stairs, Taylina was tempted to keep running, but all it would take was for one of those massive tails to clip her to disable her—permanently.
She flung herself onto her stomach into the water as light and heat flooded the hold. Fire. One of the dragons was breathing fire.
The water was not that deep, but she did her best to squirm fully under the surface. She could feel the heat in the air above her even through the water. Orange light flickered, brightening everything around her, so she could see the sides of crates and barrels. More booms and cracks rang out, the sounds distorted by the water in her ears.
Something sent waves over her that knocked her into a pile of barrels secured to a bulkhead. She did her best to keep her head under the water, but she wished she had thought to suck in a bigger breath. As thrashing and cracks continued to sound, she worried she would run out of air. She also worried that she would be trampled. She could hear the dragons flinging each other around, much as they had in Bergethor’s cave. Except here, the walls were made from wood instead of stone. She could only imagine how much damage was being done. What would happen if the ship was destroyed and sank before she found Jessa?
Great crashes sounded all around Taylina. She flinched, hugging closer to those barrels, as if they might protect her. A huge black object slammed down two feet away, and another wave washed over her.
The cannons, she realized. The entire deck above must be breaking apart, and the hulking weapons were falling through. Seven gods, if one landed on her, she would be killed.
She was about to risk standing up so she could run for the stairs when the light died down. She hesitated. Something tapped Taylina’s shoulder.
She lurched to her knees, gasping for air as soon as her head rose from the water. The fire had disappeared except for flames leaping from a few burning barrels. More light came from lanterns hanging high above, filtering down through hammocks that had held men earlier. Most of the ceiling of the hold was gone, and many of the cannons had tumbled down to her deck—or through her deck. The water level had risen in the short time she had been holding her breath, and she wouldn’t be surprised if there were more holes in the hull now.
Her eyes focused on the golden glow of her staff. She’d lost it when she had flung herself into the water, but it was being held horizontally in the air in front of her now.
Did no one tell you that it is rude to forsake a gift from a god? Bhrava Saruth asked in her mind.
She looked from the staff to the one who held it. A naked human male with green eyes gazed back at her, his eyebrows raised. Bhrava Saruth had adopted the same form he’d used in the cave, with the same lack of clothing.
“Didn’t we decide you can’t be a god until you find some worshippers?” Taylina asked, accepting the staff.
I do not recall agreeing to that. Is not my godliness self-evident with or without worshippers? Besides, I am certain they will come in time, now that I know I want them. When we’ve built the temple and you’ve become my first high priestess, we shall begin recruiting in earnest.
“I need to find my sister first.”
Naturally.
Behind him, broken beams and boards lay piled atop a huge gold dragon’s form, the creature not moving. Taylina swallowed. Had he killed or knocked out both the other dragon and the sorceress?
The effectiveness of my cunning ways is also self-evident.
“You’re a very self-evident dragon.”
Indeed! Bhrava Saruth offered his hand.
She accepted it, glad to rise to her feet, especially since her eyes had been at the level of his immodest parts. “Do you think we’ll have trouble with the other dragons?”
Likely so. A silver and a gold remain. Also, Bergethor is in the vicinity. I believe he may want revenge for my part in destroying his home.
“Will your cunning ways be enough to defeat him again?” Taylina asked as she made her way to the stairs, what remained of them. They went halfway up the side of a bulkhead. The top half had been knocked down, as had the deck and the hatch at the top. Further, the entire ship seemed to be listing to one side.
I do not know, but let us get your sister before we must find out.
“I’ll agree with that.” She reached out to pat him on the back, and frowned when more blood came away on her hand than water. “Are you injured?”
In many places, yes. It is most uncomfortable. I wish I had time to fly away and heal myself before another battle, but I will not leave you alone again.
Tears pricked her eyes at this unexpected loyalty.
“Because you owe me a favor?” Taylina asked, thinking that she should release him from that vow. He had done enough to repay that debt and more.
Because you will make an excellent high priestess! You even have knowledge of woodworking and designing buildings. Excellent skills for someone overseeing the construction of a temple. Do you think it is easy to find such a qualified high priestess?
Not sure whether to laugh or snort, Taylina paused on the stairs. Shouts came from up above, a sign that there was still opposition to face. Even if they destroyed this ship, there were five others in the harbor, and countless soldiers and more dragons.
Taylina leaned against Bhrava Saruth’s shoulder for a few seconds, steeling herself for the next step. “I’ll make a deal with you,” she said. “If we’re able to get my sister and get rid of the Cofah, I’ll recruit my entire family’s help, and we’ll build an extremely nice temple outside of town.”
And you will become my high priestess.
She noticed that it hadn’t been a question, and this time, she did snort. “Do I have to give up my tool-making job?” Granted, she did not know if the Iskandian army would be ordering more tools if the Cofah truly had taken over the mainland already, but she loved working with wood and creating things that people could use.
Of course not. You could design a tool-making room in the temple. And a belly-rub room!
“These will be interesting designs for a building.”
And when you’re not busy, we can fly all over the world, and recruit worshippers. But first we’ll start with your people.
“A good idea. Can you get me up these stairs?” Taylina pointed at the broken top half of them, not certain how she could climb to the upper decks on her own.
Yes, of course.
Without so much as a hand wave from Bhrava Saruth, Taylina floated into the air. He rose right alongside her.
They passed through the broken cannon deck and landed at the base of the stairs at the end. Those stairs were still intact, if severely canted to one side, along with the rest of the ship.
Even though he appeared to be without a weapon, and he was definitely without clothes, Bhrava Saruth took the lead. Taylina followed, grimacing because her uncomfortable gait was always more noticeable and awkward on stairs. She had fallen behind by the time Bhrava Saruth reached the upper deck, this one open to the elements. He strode straight out, staring defiantly around him. Soldiers ran here and there while crewmen argued.
Taylina paused in the hatchway, hoping to avoid notice as she assessed the situation—and tried to figure out where the officers’ quarters would be. Even though she had told Bhrava Saruth she wanted to get the Cofah out of her town, she did not want to fight anyone. She wanted to recover her sister, and she still had the hope of finding the commander and
somehow convincing him to leave, without having to battle his entire force.
The stairs had come out on the main deck, and there were two more decks above it to the rear of the ship. She glimpsed someone in a plumed hat shouting orders from that highest deck. The commander? If he was up there, maybe it would be safe to go to his cabin. But where would that be? Under the deck at the bow of the ship? At the stern?
Yes, that is the direction, Bhrava Saruth informed her. The officers’ cabins are there. He pointed.
Taylina grimaced at how many soldiers they would have to pass to reach that hatchway. Bhrava Saruth lifted his gaze toward the masts. The sails on the center one burst into flame.
Alarmed shouts sounded, and the soldiers that had been in Taylina’s way ran for buckets.
“Brilliant,” Taylina said, gripping Bhrava Saruth’s arm.
Alas, not. He sighed and pointed toward the other ships in the harbor. A silver and a gold dragon sprang into the air, each with riders bearing glowing swords. I had been playing a trick on those other dragons, making them believe that their ally had beaten me, and that he had paused to meditate and would rejoin them shortly. But now they have sensed my magic and see me attacking the ship. They realize what has happened.
“You beat one. I’m sure you can beat others.”
I only won because the Cofah dragon did not want to destroy this ship and all aboard. I had fewer hesitations. I’ll try to think of something else to do, but you better go. Find your sister.
Already, the dragons were almost upon the flagship, so there was no time to argue. With her staff in hand, Taylina headed across the deck in the direction he had indicated.
She veered over to the side, hoping she wouldn’t be noticed by the men forming a chain to haul up water in buckets and hoist them up to the burning sails. She glimpsed the town beyond the railing and twitched in surprise at how far away it was. The flagship must have raised its anchor and floated farther out toward the breakwater. Booms came from the other Cofah ships, and dread settled in her stomach when she realized that, even as the dragons came to deal with Bhrava Saruth, the soldiers were firing on her town again. As punishment for her part here? Or as punishment for what Raff had done? Had he managed to get those people out of Town Hall?