at him. This wasn’t a boy. This was a monster. He glanced at Acronis, who shook his head, not in anger, but not sure he believed what he had seen. Farinn looked sick.
“He could kill us all,” said Skylan.
Aylaen knelt down beside Wulfe and brushed the hair out of the boy’s eyes. “But he didn’t. He saved my life. Take him below. Let him sleep.”
Skylan lifted Wulfe in his arms. The boy stirred, but didn’t wake as Skylan carried him down into the hold. The bedding was soaked. At least here the boy was out of the wind. Aylaen rummaged through sea chests until she managed to find a relatively dry shirt. She wrapped the shirt around Wulfe. He woke a little, blinked in confusion, mumbled something, and lay down, yawned, and closed his eyes.
Aylaen and Skylan stood together, staring down at him. Then Aylaen shivered and Skylan put his arm around her and drew her close.
“I love you, Aylaen,” said Skylan. “I can never take Garn’s place…”
Aylaen lifted her head.
“You have your own place in my heart, Skylan. I have loved both you and Garn since we were little.”
She sighed and added, “I think I loved you more. But loving Garn was easier. Loving you … You made it difficult.”
Skylan hesitated. “When I asked before if you would marry me, you always said no.”
“I said no because you never ‘asked,’” Aylaen told him. “You demanded that I love you. You expected me to fall into your arms, like all the others.”
Skylan thought back and smiled ruefully. “I was a fool.”
“Yes,” she said, smiling.
“Yes, I was a fool or yes, you will marry me?”
“Both,” said Aylaen.
Their fingers twisted, locked.
“From this moment, our two wyrds are one,” she said.
Skylan felt truly happy. He wished he could stay here forever. But nothing ever lasted forever. He thought of his two wyrds, one long. One short.
“Skylan!” Farinn shouted. “Come look!”
“You should stay here, bandage that wound,” Skylan told Aylaen.
“It’s stopped bleeding,” she said. She paused, then said, flushing in embarrassment, “I know this sounds stupid, but I need to make certain Treia’s safe.”
He kissed her, standing at the bottom of the ladder.
“Skylan!” Farinn shouted.
“I’m coming,” Skylan called back.
He and Aylaen went up together.
“Look. You were right,” said Farinn triumphantly. “Raegar’s stopped to save her.”
Raegar was on deck, directing operations. Two men who could swim were in the water, tying a rope around Treia’s waist. She held fast to the rope with her hands and several of those aboard the galley, including Raegar, hauled her up over the side and onto the deck. Once she was safely aboard and the men who had saved her were back on the ship, Raegar stood on the deck, his gaze fixed on the Venjekar .
Skylan picked up the spyglass and put it to his eye. He had to search for the galley as the sky and the sea bounced around, up and down, making him dizzy. Then he found the galley and he found Raegar. He seemed so close Skylan could have reached out and slugged him.
The two gazed steadily at each other.
Raegar looked about as bad as Skylan knew he himself must look. Raegar’s armor was wet. His shaved head, with the tattoo of the serpent of Aelon, glistened with sweat. He was grim with anger and frustration and fatigue. Raegar had lost his dragon. His crew was on the verge of mutiny. He had no choice but to sail back to Sinaria.
A half-drowned and half-dead Treia came into view. She tried to put her arms around Raegar. He shook her off.
“He’s probably thinking he made a bad bargain,” Skylan commented to Aylaen.
He continued to watch as Treia seized hold of Raegar’s arm and said something to him. She held up her hand, the fingers spread wide.
Five fingers spread wide.
“The secret of the Vektia. She does know it,” said Skylan.
“And now so does Raegar,” said Aylaen.
The guards escorted Treia below decks. She went meekly, her head
“He could kill us all,” said Skylan.
Aylaen knelt down beside Wulfe and brushed the hair out of the boy’s eyes. “But he didn’t. He saved my life. Take him below. Let him sleep.”
Skylan lifted Wulfe in his arms. The boy stirred, but didn’t wake as Skylan carried him down into the hold. The bedding was soaked. At least here the boy was out of the wind. Aylaen rummaged through sea chests until she managed to find a relatively dry shirt. She wrapped the shirt around Wulfe. He woke a little, blinked in confusion, mumbled something, and lay down, yawned, and closed his eyes.
Aylaen and Skylan stood together, staring down at him. Then Aylaen shivered and Skylan put his arm around her and drew her close.
“I love you, Aylaen,” said Skylan. “I can never take Garn’s place…”
Aylaen lifted her head.
“You have your own place in my heart, Skylan. I have loved both you and Garn since we were little.”
She sighed and added, “I think I loved you more. But loving Garn was easier. Loving you … You made it difficult.”
Skylan hesitated. “When I asked before if you would marry me, you always said no.”
“I said no because you never ‘asked,’” Aylaen told him. “You demanded that I love you. You expected me to fall into your arms, like all the others.”
Skylan thought back and smiled ruefully. “I was a fool.”
“Yes,” she said, smiling.
“Yes, I was a fool or yes, you will marry me?”
“Both,” said Aylaen.
Their fingers twisted, locked.
“From this moment, our two wyrds are one,” she said.
Skylan felt truly happy. He wished he could stay here forever. But nothing ever lasted forever. He thought of his two wyrds, one long. One short.
“Skylan!” Farinn shouted. “Come look!”
“You should stay here, bandage that wound,” Skylan told Aylaen.
“It’s stopped bleeding,” she said. She paused, then said, flushing in embarrassment, “I know this sounds stupid, but I need to make certain Treia’s safe.”
He kissed her, standing at the bottom of the ladder.
“Skylan!” Farinn shouted.
“I’m coming,” Skylan called back.
He and Aylaen went up together.
“Look. You were right,” said Farinn triumphantly. “Raegar’s stopped to save her.”
Raegar was on deck, directing operations. Two men who could swim were in the water, tying a rope around Treia’s waist. She held fast to the rope with her hands and several of those aboard the galley, including Raegar, hauled her up over the side and onto the deck. Once she was safely aboard and the men who had saved her were back on the ship, Raegar stood on the deck, his gaze fixed on the Venjekar .
Skylan picked up the spyglass and put it to his eye. He had to search for the galley as the sky and the sea bounced around, up and down, making him dizzy. Then he found the galley and he found Raegar. He seemed so close Skylan could have reached out and slugged him.
The two gazed steadily at each other.
Raegar looked about as bad as Skylan knew he himself must look. Raegar’s armor was wet. His shaved head, with the tattoo of the serpent of Aelon, glistened with sweat. He was grim with anger and frustration and fatigue. Raegar had lost his dragon. His crew was on the verge of mutiny. He had no choice but to sail back to Sinaria.
A half-drowned and half-dead Treia came into view. She tried to put her arms around Raegar. He shook her off.
“He’s probably thinking he made a bad bargain,” Skylan commented to Aylaen.
He continued to watch as Treia seized hold of Raegar’s arm and said something to him. She held up her hand, the fingers spread wide.
Five fingers spread wide.
“The secret of the Vektia. She does know it,” said Skylan.
“And now so does Raegar,” said Aylaen.
The guards escorted Treia below decks. She went meekly, her head
Similar Books
