screamed and moaned.
“Wulfe, no! Stop!” Aylaen cried. “Don’t hurt her!”
The wolf snarled and crouched, one foreleg raised, staring at Treia with yellow eyes. The wolf’s lips parted, his mouth opened, his teeth gleamed. He stole a step nearer.
Treia shrieked and threw the knife wildly at the wolf, then grabbed hold of the rail and pulled herself up onto it. She hung precariously a moment, staring into the gray sea. The wolf lunged at her, jaws snapping. Treia gave a panicked cry and leaped into the waves. Aylaen ran to the side and leaned over the rail, trying to see what had become of her.
Acronis steered the ship near the place where Treia had jumped. The Venjekar rolled sluggishly in the waves. Treia was nowhere in sight. Skylan was thinking she must have drowned, when her head suddenly broke the surface of the water. Treia floundered, gulping water and coughing. She looked up at Aylaen and then looked in the direction of Raegar’s ship. She couldn’t see Aelon’s Triumph for the waves that were rising and falling all around her. Skylan could see it. The ship was close enough he could see Raegar without the need for Acronis’s magic glass. Raegar could see them as well.
Treia’s heavy robes were pulling at her. She raised her arms and tried to cry out. A wave swamped her and she went down. Aylaen gave a little gasp and covered her mouth with her hand.
Treia resurfaced. Her face was white and streaming water. She choked and gagged. Her eyes pleaded for help.
The ogre ship had also gained on them. It was near enough now that Skylan could hear the godlord shouting orders.
The ogres and Raegar can fight over us, Skylan thought grimly.
He grabbed one of the wooden oars and threw it down to Treia.
“Hold on!” he cried, and began to strip off his armor, ready to jump in.
He was astonished to feel Aylaen’s restraining hand on his arm.
“Don’t,” she said.
“I can’t stand by and watch a woman drown,” Skylan said gruffly. “Not even Treia.”
“She won’t drown,” said Aylaen.
Treia had managed to flounder her way through the waves and was now clinging to the oar.
“Remember when Zahakis was chasing us and you threw Acronis into the water,” Aylaen said. “You told us that Zahakis would be forced to stop chasing us to save him. You were right. We escaped.”
Aylaen looked back toward Raegar’s ship. “He’ll stop to save her.”
Skylan was doubtful. “Are you sure Raegar loves her enough to stop to rescue her?”
“She summoned the Vektia dragon,” said Aylaen. “Even if he doesn’t love her, she’s useful to him.” She shrugged. “But, yes, odd as it may seem, I do think he loves her.”
Treia clutched her oar, bobbing in the water.
“Farinn, raise the sail!” Skylan ordered. “Acronis, take us back on course.”
Treia heard and she glared at them with such fury in her eyes that Skylan marveled the sea didn’t start to boil. Raegar stood at the prow of the war galley, pointing to Treia, directing the helmsman to guide the war galley toward her.
The Venjekar came into the wind, gathering speed. The ogre ship had gained on them, but the Venjekar was once more bounding over the waves. With this wind, Skylan would soon leave the ogres and Raegar behind.
Aylaen gingerly put her hand to her neck and drew back her fingers, covered in blood.
“She meant to kill me,” Aylaen said. “She would have, if Wulfe hadn’t—”
She stopped, looked around in alarm. “Skylan, where is Wulfe?”
Skylan had been concentrating on his foes and forgotten the fae child, the man-beast. Skylan looked around the deck. He didn’t see the boy and wondered if the wolf had run down into the hold and, if so, would he have to go down there after him?
He took a step and then saw Acronis pointing.
Wulfe was curled like a wild thing on a pile of rope, his head to his knees. He was naked and shivering, but so exhausted he didn’t even feel the chill. Skylan walked over to stare down
“Wulfe, no! Stop!” Aylaen cried. “Don’t hurt her!”
The wolf snarled and crouched, one foreleg raised, staring at Treia with yellow eyes. The wolf’s lips parted, his mouth opened, his teeth gleamed. He stole a step nearer.
Treia shrieked and threw the knife wildly at the wolf, then grabbed hold of the rail and pulled herself up onto it. She hung precariously a moment, staring into the gray sea. The wolf lunged at her, jaws snapping. Treia gave a panicked cry and leaped into the waves. Aylaen ran to the side and leaned over the rail, trying to see what had become of her.
Acronis steered the ship near the place where Treia had jumped. The Venjekar rolled sluggishly in the waves. Treia was nowhere in sight. Skylan was thinking she must have drowned, when her head suddenly broke the surface of the water. Treia floundered, gulping water and coughing. She looked up at Aylaen and then looked in the direction of Raegar’s ship. She couldn’t see Aelon’s Triumph for the waves that were rising and falling all around her. Skylan could see it. The ship was close enough he could see Raegar without the need for Acronis’s magic glass. Raegar could see them as well.
Treia’s heavy robes were pulling at her. She raised her arms and tried to cry out. A wave swamped her and she went down. Aylaen gave a little gasp and covered her mouth with her hand.
Treia resurfaced. Her face was white and streaming water. She choked and gagged. Her eyes pleaded for help.
The ogre ship had also gained on them. It was near enough now that Skylan could hear the godlord shouting orders.
The ogres and Raegar can fight over us, Skylan thought grimly.
He grabbed one of the wooden oars and threw it down to Treia.
“Hold on!” he cried, and began to strip off his armor, ready to jump in.
He was astonished to feel Aylaen’s restraining hand on his arm.
“Don’t,” she said.
“I can’t stand by and watch a woman drown,” Skylan said gruffly. “Not even Treia.”
“She won’t drown,” said Aylaen.
Treia had managed to flounder her way through the waves and was now clinging to the oar.
“Remember when Zahakis was chasing us and you threw Acronis into the water,” Aylaen said. “You told us that Zahakis would be forced to stop chasing us to save him. You were right. We escaped.”
Aylaen looked back toward Raegar’s ship. “He’ll stop to save her.”
Skylan was doubtful. “Are you sure Raegar loves her enough to stop to rescue her?”
“She summoned the Vektia dragon,” said Aylaen. “Even if he doesn’t love her, she’s useful to him.” She shrugged. “But, yes, odd as it may seem, I do think he loves her.”
Treia clutched her oar, bobbing in the water.
“Farinn, raise the sail!” Skylan ordered. “Acronis, take us back on course.”
Treia heard and she glared at them with such fury in her eyes that Skylan marveled the sea didn’t start to boil. Raegar stood at the prow of the war galley, pointing to Treia, directing the helmsman to guide the war galley toward her.
The Venjekar came into the wind, gathering speed. The ogre ship had gained on them, but the Venjekar was once more bounding over the waves. With this wind, Skylan would soon leave the ogres and Raegar behind.
Aylaen gingerly put her hand to her neck and drew back her fingers, covered in blood.
“She meant to kill me,” Aylaen said. “She would have, if Wulfe hadn’t—”
She stopped, looked around in alarm. “Skylan, where is Wulfe?”
Skylan had been concentrating on his foes and forgotten the fae child, the man-beast. Skylan looked around the deck. He didn’t see the boy and wondered if the wolf had run down into the hold and, if so, would he have to go down there after him?
He took a step and then saw Acronis pointing.
Wulfe was curled like a wild thing on a pile of rope, his head to his knees. He was naked and shivering, but so exhausted he didn’t even feel the chill. Skylan walked over to stare down
Similar Books
