Voo shrugged. “I meant no insult. There is a beauty in such pregnancy, but I also see pain, because it makes us remember why we hate the frostwreths. When my ancestor Raan became pregnant with Kur’s child, her own jealous sister poisoned her, nearly killing her. And she lost the baby.” Voo raked her golden gaze across them. “That triggered our generations-long feud with the frostwreths, and the tragedy was why Kur left us. We must destroy Suth’s descendants before the world can be pure again.”
Ari bobbed on her perch, glaring at the strange guests. Beside his sister, Quo sniffed the air as if he could find answers there. He leaned closer to Penda. “I know little about how humans give birth. When is your baby due?”
“It will be soon,” Penda said, uneasiness clear in her voice.
Voo seemed fixated on the baby. “What do you intend to do with the child when it is born? Will it be useful?”
Indignant, Adan said, “It will be our son or daughter. We will raise it and love it and hope to make it the best person possible.”
“Ah.” Voo sounded disappointed. She gestured for her entourage to take seats at the table.
They all began to dine on the variety spread before them, but no one seemed interested in the meal. The servants were clearly uneasy, and the squire Hom was jumpy each time the sandwreths snatched samples from a plate. Hale Orr was as tense as a strung bow.
Penda sat across from the sandwreth queen. “Why did you come here?”
Voo mused, “Queen Onn created her own workers, which she calls drones. Inferior things, I have heard.” She looked at Adan and Penda, ignoring everyone else. “I see much greater potential in humans. Your army will be a valuable asset in the coming war. There will be many obligations and requirements, possibly even some sacrifices in order for your race to survive.”
Quo picked up a forkful of sausage, sniffed it, then set it aside. “So long as your people continue to breed. We expect significant losses in the coming war. We will need many children as replacements.”
Adan felt boxed in and ready to explode. He wanted to demand that Queen Voo free all of the human captives he had seen in the mothertear images, but he forced his emotions beneath the surface. He took a breath, released it slowly.
Queen Voo said, “Adan Starfall, you rule only one kingdom in this land, but the konag rules all of you. Why has he not come to see me? Does he insult me?”
The mage Axus grumbled from his chair near Hale Orr. “If Adan Starfall is not the most powerful king, then why waste your time with this man?”
“Because he is still powerful, and he is nearby,” Voo said with a sniff. “And I find him charming.”
Adan, though, felt stung by the comment. “Konag Conndur was murdered by our enemies across the sea. He … my brother Mandan is konag now. We only just received word of what happened.” He pushed back the grief that welled up. He also knew that his brother discounted the magnitude of the wreth danger. “I think you should speak with my brother, convince him how important your war is.”
Voo blinked her topaz eyes and spoke in an imperious voice. “Tell your Konag Mandan to come to the desert, and my warriors will escort him to my palace.” Her smile went only as deep as her teeth. “I am eager to see how he measures up to you.”
Hale spoke up in disbelief. “Cra, you want the konag himself to ride into the desert and hope that someone notices him?”
Quo practiced stabbing the meat with his fork. “We are always watching. No one enters the Furnace without us noticing.”
Glad that he had distracted the sandwreth queen from her fascination with Penda and her baby, Adan said, “I will send a message to my brother right away. I, too, want him to talk with you.”
9
RIDING with Elliel and Thon on his mission to Suderra, King Kollanan felt safe in their company, but he knew that any feeling of security was a lie. Unexpected threats had risen out of history like steam from a volcanic vent. Meeting with Adan about the wreth threat was vital, but he was also uneasy about being gone for long from Fellstaff.
Until recently, even a king had been confident traveling alone. Sometimes he had taken Lasis along with him, but he liked to be by himself, at peace. He no longer found peace in simple everyday things, though, as he had before the frostwreths attacked Lake Bakal.
Elliel looked resplendent in her black Brava garb, confident now that she had reclaimed her memories. Her rich cinnamon hair was cropped short in a warrior’s cut, and she seemed happy with the love she and Thon shared. Handsome and powerful, the dark wreth regarded the world around him with curiosity, surprised by the smallest things. Thon was eager to see the southern kingdom, to walk in the ancient streets of Bannriya, and to meet King Adan.
Kollanan’s warhorse abruptly sidled back and forth, snorting, as if he sensed a predator. Elliel was on her guard, touching her sword.
Suddenly, Thon gasped in pain. Barely managing to halt his horse, he stumbled out of the saddle and took two staggering steps. Elliel jumped down and ran toward him. “What is it?”
The words were torn out of his mouth. “I feel it … breaking!”
The forest shook with silent thunder, as though from some great blast underground. The pines around them hissed and rushed together as if shaken by some giant hand. Thick boughs broke and crashed down from the tall silver pines.
The dirt road split, and loose brown earth tumbled into the widening fissure. Kollanan fought to control his horse Storm. Could the dragon be stirring?
Elliel held Thon’s shoulders as he writhed in agony. His face was tight, his eyes squeezed shut.
The ground continued to rattle and shake. Gradually, the deep shocks stopped. The world became quiet again, though it still seemed to throb with exhaustion.
Dismounting, Koll hurried over to Elliel, who knelt beside Thon with great concern. The wreth man lay sprawled on his back, staring up in confusion. The inner pain had wrung him out. “I was being shaken and torn apart, just like the world was.” He pushed himself up to a sitting position. “There is something deep inside the land and deep inside me … something dangerous.”
Elliel helped Thon to his feet, brushing off his tunic and silver leggings. She looked intently at him. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I am sure of nothing, and I have no answers.” Thon fashioned an odd smile. “That is why every day is filled with discoveries. The scholar girl taught me that.” He ran his hands through his long dark hair. “Let us hope future discoveries are less painful.”
He was shaky as he climbed into his saddle, grasping the reins like a lifeline. He looked down at the ground. “This may be a sensitive place that feels the vibrations of Ossus. Perhaps I will be safer once we are far away.”
The three of them pressed on well into twilight until they were finally forced to camp. They chose a spot by a narrow stream, and Elliel gathered enough deadwood for the fire to last the night. After she stacked the dry branches, Thon ignited the fire with a tentative touch of magic. Soon water boiled in a cookpot filled with beans and root vegetables. Elliel laid out a blanket to share with Thon, though they would take turns at watch. The king found a comfortable place across the fire from her. He sat against a rock, pulling his knees up. To an outsider, the scene might have looked idyllic, but they remained tense.