High priestess! sounded a cry in her mind.
Sardelle was so startled that she nearly pitched backward into the fountain. Fortunately, Angulus had already disappeared through the potted trees and rosebushes and didn’t notice.
Bhrava Saruth? she asked, though she recognized the voice, a voice she hadn’t heard since the day the dragon had helped with the search for Ridge.
Bhrava Saruth, the god, yes! I have been looking many places for you. You left your mountain fortress.
Her fortress? Hardly that. Yes, I live down here most of the time.
In a castle? Yes, that is fitting for my high priestess. Look at all the people in this city. So many! There were never so many in one place in my time. Do they worship another god? Could we convert them to worship me?
I—uhm. We need to talk about that, Bhrava Saruth. Sardelle looked in the direction the king had gone, wondering how long she had until he returned. This might require a lengthy discussion, and what if she irked the dragon with her admissions? She didn’t want to risk bringing down his ire on the castle or the town.
What, you don’t think he’ll appreciate that you lied to him?
I didn’t lie, Jaxi. I just let him think... things. And I did give him what he sought. Sardelle shifted her mind’s focus, imagining the dragon, though she wasn’t sure where he was. Somewhere in the city? Outside of it? The general populace did not know about dragons yet, so she hoped he wasn’t perched on a clock tower somewhere. Wherever he was, he was beyond her range to sense, and she wouldn’t have been able to speak to him if he hadn’t been reaching out to her. Were you able to get any useful information out of the crystal, Bhrava Saruth?
I have learned some things about my kind.
Sardelle waited for him to explain further. He did not.
Apparently, gods don’t share all of their secrets with their priestesses, Jaxi said. Maybe if you suggest that you don’t just live in the castle but that you own it and it could be turned into a shrine for him.
Funny, Jaxi. A fresh idea came to mind. Perhaps she didn’t need to borrow a pilot and a flier for her search. The thought of asking the dragon to carry her around was daunting, and she didn’t know if she could give what he might ask for in return, but perhaps she could make another deal with him. She just couldn’t let him think she would be his servant or mouthpiece—whatever he imagined a high priestess might be. Bhrava Saruth? I was trained to be a healer. I wasn’t raised to be much of a theist either. I’m not qualified to be a priestess, high or otherwise.
We all must start somewhere. You will be an excellent high priestess. I was not born a god, you know.
Imagine that, Jaxi thought.
Sardelle ignored her. How did you become one?
I came into my power and gained many worshippers.
Images jumped into Sardelle’s head with such vibrant intensity that she had to grip the edge of her fountain seat with both hands to brace herself, lest she fall over. She saw Bhrava Saruth in dragon form, flying over a huge gathering of yurts and tents stretching along the grasslands of northern Iskandoth, the ocean crashing against the high walls of the fjords in the distance. Then he landed and transformed into a handsome golden-haired man and lounged on a stone throne carved into a huge boulder. Men and women limped, slouched, and hobbled to him, some assisting others or carrying ailing children. They set down gifts such as dried meat, furs, and baskets of fruit, then he stretched out a hand and touched the heads of the injured or sick. When they walked away, they stood straighter and appeared haler.
You healed people? Sardelle asked.
Of course! A god must take care of his worshippers. I healed dragons, too, but humans are so much more appreciative. Adoring.
The next image he showed involved a pair of women showing their adoration in a rather naked manner that left Sardelle blushing fiercely. If the vision was to be believed, Bhrava Saruth had been enthusiastic in returning his worshippers’ adoration.
I gathered so many of the clansmen and women in the area that my contemporaries grew jealous. They thought I was trying to amass an army to use against them. I had no interest in war. Only love. The others could not understand. They sought great power and thought every other dragon was the same. Such ignorant fools! They condemned me and imprisoned me in that cavern, as if my actions were criminal.
Do you believe him? Jaxi asked.
I’m not going to forget that Morishtomaric lied to Angulus, Sardelle told her. She could, however, imagine Bhrava Saruth basking in the adoration of worshippers. Whether he had been as benevolent as his vision implied, she could not know.
I am a very good god, the dragon said earnestly. If you are my priestess, I will treat you well. You will live a long and healthy life. I will bless your offspring, and they will become powerful sorcerers.
Offspring. Sardelle’s throat tightened as Ridge’s face filled her mind. He might have been mildly horrified at the idea of powerful sorcerers for children, but he would have found a way to accept them, as he had her. And he would have been a good father, despite his reservations on the subject. Even if he hadn’t been able to see it, she had.
That is the one you lost, yes?
Yes, Sardelle thought numbly. I wish to go back to the mountains, to search and try to find... We never found his body. I am hoping we were mistaken and that he might still live.
I will take you, Bhrava Saruth said brightly.
You will? She expected him to try to make a deal with her—after all, she had been thinking of making a deal with him.
Of course. You are my only high priestess so far. My only worshipper in this new era. A mournful emotion not unlike a keening sound filled her head. I must start again, but demands on my godliness are few right now. I can take you wherever you wish.
Bet you didn’t know you were his worshipper already, Jaxi thought.
Ssh. If he’s willing to give us a ride, I’ll kneel in a temple and light a candle.
Jaxi snorted. He may expect more than that, given the gifts that his past followers gave him. You better make sure Ridge is truly gone before draping your naked self across a dragon’s lap.
Sardelle’s cheeks warmed, and she did her best to push away the memories Bhrava Saruth had shared. Jaxi was right, though, in that she should make sure certain expectations weren’t set up.
Unless you want expectations, Jaxi said. Dragons are reputed to be magnificent lovers.
That’s what the romance novels from that time say?
Absolutely. And a romance novel wouldn’t lead you astray.
Oh, certainly not. One does wonder how such arrogant creatures—that’s the adjective you always use, Jaxi—could be magnificent lovers.
Magic.
What exactly do you expect from a high priestess, Bhrava Saruth? Sardelle found herself curious, even if she had no intention of applying for the job.
I need an intermediary. So many humans flee from a dragon. I need someone to tell them that I won’t destroy their villages or slay them. I am benevolent. And magnificent!
You would think his magnificence would be self-evident, Jaxi said.
Your sword is very mouthy, Bhrava Saruth observed.
Sardelle snorted, not surprised he heard everything Jaxi said. Phelistoth had proven himself capable of reading her thoughts, even when she had her mental barriers up, and Morishtomaric had also pried.
I could melt her, and we could find you a different soulblade, the dragon offered. A respectful one who agrees with your wisdom.
Jaxi fumed silently, the pommel of her blade heating enough that Sardelle felt it through her clothes. It seemed to smoke in the humid air next to the fountain. Jaxi did not say anything, however, perhaps feeling constrained now that she knew her words weren’t as secret as she thought.
I’m fond of her, Bhrava Saruth. Jaxi challenges me and makes me laugh. I would be bored by someone who agreed with everything I said. You don’t expect your followers to agree with everything you say, do you?
&nb
sp; So long as they love me, they may say whatever they wish. But the most adoring and least mouthy ones get my attention first.
I’ll keep that in mind.
But I will always make time for my high priestess. When do you wish to leave for the journey to the mountains?
Sardelle closed her eyes in relief. She didn’t know why Bhrava Saruth had bothered seeking her out—surely, he could have found a “priestess” out in the Ice Blades or perhaps among the clansmen who still lived in small communities up north—but to know that she could leave soon to search for Ridge... She didn’t even know how to express her gratitude.
He looked like he enjoyed tongues. Jaxi must have gotten over her silent fuming.
Not quite what I had in mind.
That’s good. Do you realize he could be your distant ancestor? If he was as fecund as that vision suggested, half of the Referatu sorcerers who lived in our time could have been his descendants.
If so, he could be your ancestor too.
I’ll point that fact out to him the next time he threatens to melt me.
Bhrava Saruth? Sardelle heard someone coming, so she hurried to finish the dialogue. I need to gather a few things, and I can be ready to go in the morning. She was tempted to say that they could go that night, but it wouldn’t take a dragon long to make that journey, and searching those mountains by starlight would be difficult. She didn’t want to risk missing Ridge in the dark, especially since he wouldn’t have an aura to sense if he truly had passed on. A new wave of bleakness came over her at the notion that she might simply be going out to search for his remains.
“Sardelle?” Angulus returned to sit beside her, a folder in his hand.
She lifted her head, trying to push aside her grief. As long as there was still hope, it was too soon to mourn. “Yes, Sire?”
“I know this has been hard for you. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.”
“Will you forgive me if I assign you another mission?”
She frowned warily at him. She had made it clear she couldn’t join the others until she found Ridge—or laid his soul to rest.
“You already hinted that you would be open to it. As long as you’re going out there, I would love to have that sorceress killed or removed from my land.”
Kings are so needy, Jaxi observed.
“I could certainly try to pinpoint her location, Sire. More than that...” Sardelle paused. If she had Bhrava Saruth with her, then it might be possible to “remove” Eversong, after all. After she found Ridge.
“I thought I could send some help with you,” Angulus said. “Someone who could help track Ridge, too, if there’s any chance he’s alive.”
“Ah, who?” Sardelle doubted a human could find what a dragon couldn’t, but it might not hurt to have assistance. As Jaxi had emphasized, Bhrava Saruth might not be telling her the entire truth, and he could have other motivations. Or he could simply be distracted and take off at some point in their journey.
“Colonel Therrik.”
Jaxi made a coughing noise in Sardelle’s mind at the same time as Sardelle sputtered, “What?”
“General Ort left the dragon-slaying blade up there, so Therrik has it. I understand it works on sorcerers.”
“Yes, and he tried to use it on me.”
Angulus frowned. “The reports I’ve received, both from him and from General Ort, said he only used it on the dragon.”
Because Sardelle and Cas hadn’t reported that incident in the artifact room. Therrik had never gotten his hand around the hilt of the sword, but when he’d been in its presence, he had definitely wanted to kill Sardelle. Atop the roof, when he had gripped the weapon, he’d pushed past her and run after the dragons, but she didn’t know if that indicated any control or conscious choice on his part. Kasandral may have simply seen the dragons as a greater threat.
“He doesn’t care for magic users,” Sardelle said. “He’s made that clear. I don’t believe he would be a reliable traveling partner.” She almost sputtered again as she imagined trying to get Therrik to climb on Bhrava Saruth’s back for a ride. The man hadn’t even been able to stomach flying with Ridge.
“He’s a good fighter, he knows how to use a sword, and he used to teach the infantry class on wilderness survival and tracking.” Angulus tapped the folder. “If you could keep the sword in the box and then point him in the right direction at the right time, he might be a match for the sorceress.”
The sword had been in the box when Therrik had thrown his fit. Sardelle did not believe that container provided as much insulation as people believed.
“I don’t think he would deign to work with me.”
“I could send a royal order.”
“I’d be afraid to sleep around him.” Not entirely true. Jaxi could always keep watch. Still, why invite an enemy into her camp? “He wants me dead. I think he’d try to make that happen if I ventured into the wilderness with him.”
“Perhaps not.” Angulus opened the folder to the page on top and held it out to her.
She skimmed the contents. It was a report about the events that had transpired at the outpost, including the dragon attacks, the attempt to kill Morishtomaric by collapsing the mines, and the final battle, including details about Therrik’s role in hurting the enemy dragon. This was his report, she realized. To his credit, he had not embellished and claimed to have landed any killing blows. He was almost self-effacing, admitting the sword had been in control and also that he had been unconscious for part of that final battle. Unconscious? He had very nearly died. He would have died if not for Sardelle. He hadn’t mentioned her help in the report, and she didn’t know why the king was showing this to her. Then she reached the end, almost a postscript.
Sire, I withdraw my objection to having the witch, Sardelle, working with the army. She was an asset.
“The witch, Sardelle,” she murmured. “That’s the first time I’m aware of that he’s used my name.”
“Yes,” Angulus said, “he usually refers to you as Zirkander’s witch.”
She winced at the mention of Ridge’s name, then wished she hadn’t. She didn’t want Angulus or anyone else to feel compelled to tread lightly around her, nor did she want them feeling they had to comfort her all the time.
“I’m sorry,” Angulus said. “If it makes you feel better, the entire nation misses him. Someone started a petition to add a national holiday to celebrate his life. It’s possible they just want a day off to drink beer.”
“Ridge would approve of that then.” She managed a smile.
“I wanted to show you the report so you would realize he considered you an asset now.”
“I healed him in the courtyard. He would have died otherwise.”
“I thought it might have been something like that.” He took back the folder and held it up. “Given the source, that was a great compliment.”
“I guess I could try working with him.” If Bhrava Saruth proved an unreliable traveling companion, it would be better to have someone wielding that sword if she had to battle Eversong.
So long as he gets pointed in the right direction, Jaxi said.
We know Kasandral’s command words now. That should be doable.
Uh huh. We knew them up on that rooftop, too, but Morishtomaric also knew them, and his voice seemed to carry more weight.
I know. I was there.
Just reminding you. I don’t want you to be blindsided.
I know. Sardelle closed her eyes, drained by the idea of a battle with a powerful sorceress. I just want to find Ridge.
Jaxi didn’t say anything, because Jaxi thought he was dead. Sardelle understood that even if she couldn’t accept it herself.
“I can stop by,” Sardelle said, “and see if he’s willing.”
Angulus grunted. “You’ll take my royal orders with you, and I assure you he will be willing.”
“Thank you, Sire.”
“As to a pilot—”
“I actually found a solution for that wh
ile you were gone.”
Angulus looked around, then into the fountain. “Oh?”
“I had a chat with a dragon, and he offered to take me.” She waved toward the east and the edge of the city, so he wouldn’t worry that Bhrava Saruth was nearby, harassing anyone.
I wouldn’t harass anyone, high priestess, entered a mournful comment into her mind. You must get to know me better.
And get used to having him monitoring her and speaking into her mind as often as Jaxi did. She held back a grimace. You’re right. I will. I apologize for my words. For my thoughts. She gave that last word extra emphasis, hoping he would get the hint that she didn’t feel she should have to apologize for thoughts.
I accept your apology, he proclaimed.
“A dragon?” Angulus asked. “Phelistoth? I was hoping he might be coerced into going on the mission with Tolemek and the others.”
“This is one of the new dragons, the one who stayed at the outpost and kept Cas from falling to her death along with Morishtomaric. I’m—ah. He believes he’s a god and thinks I’m going to become his high priestess.”
From what Sardelle had seen, Angulus was generally an unflappable man, one who kept his expression closed and hard to read, but his eyebrows launched upward, almost disappearing into his curly hair.
“I see,” he said, recovering his equanimity. “Does that mean you won’t consider moving into the castle to be a healer here when your teaching and other work doesn’t call to you? I had thought to make you that offer again.”
“I haven’t committed to any job offers yet,” she said with a smile. She wasn’t ready to figure out what she wanted to do next in her life, and she still had to teach Tylie, but she did appreciate that he was offering. Both he and General Ort had been kind. She had worried that she might not be welcome here by anyone if not for Ridge’s influence.
“I hope you’ll consider my offer then. I’m not sure I can give you as much as a god, but I assure you the pay would be more than fair.”
She stood, thinking of the bag she wanted to pack and that she should take Tylie to stay with Fern if she and Tolemek were both going to be out of town. It looked like she would be joining General Ort for the trip to visit Ridge’s mother, after all.