Savage Messiah

"We should close the drawbridge and make an immediate search," Adrian insisted. "We already know what she looks like. Perhaps she's still here."

Abbey shook her head ruefully. "Trust me, she's long gone. It is far easier to depart this place in the daytime than it is to sneak in at night. My guess is that she waited, then simply sauntered out through the gate this morning with the usual smattering of wounded well enough to leave. How clever! Tell me, can you place the same azure field around Lionel's corpse that Faegan did for Geldon's?"

"Yes," the First Sister answered. "But it will not be as strong. If a necropsy is to be performed, it will have to be soon."

Abbey looked over at Vivian. "If you will excuse us, the First Sister and I were about to meet in the Conclave Chambers. We have much to discuss. Please stay here and see if you can discover anything else that might help shed some light on what happened."

Vivian bowed slightly. "Of course."

After the other women left the room, Vivian's face darkened. She had not attended the interrogation of the captured Valrenkian, and yet Adrian and Abbey had spoken of Satine as though the assassin's identity was something Vivian already knew.

Abbey was no fool. Had the herbmistress' comments about Satine been merely an oversight, or something else? As she continued to gaze out the window, Wulfgar's servant came to several disheartening conclusions.

Not only had the Gray Fox's identity been uncovered, but Vivian would have to be even more careful from here on. She must immediately return to the fountain in the middle of the square. Her thoughts turned to the message she would be forced to leave in the burbling water.

Bratach would not be pleased.

CHAPTER L

Shailiha shivered. it was painfully cold at this altitude, and more than once she had been forced to wipe frost from her hair and eyelashes. She and Tyra

K'jarr and three other handpicked warriors-Crevin, Micah, and Lan-sat quietly beside them. Six additional Minion bearers bore the litter though the nighttime sky. When they landed, Tyra

They had entered the fog bank two hours ago. Once there, Tyra

The mist surrounding them was wet and dense, making it impossible to watch the ocean sliding by below. But K'jarr had a considerable talent for dead reckoning, and he was reasonably sure about when to order their descent. Until that time they would take advantage of the welcome cover. It was not their intention to immediately approach the fortress.

The previous day had passed calmly enough, giving the Reprise's canvas-masters a chance to finish repairing her sails. The frigate now had more speed, but she still lumbered more than Tyra

Before leaving the ship in charge of her boatswain, Tyra

Shailiha looked over at Tyra

The princess rubbed her fingers together. The tingle in her hand told her that Faegan's spell was still working. May it continue to hold, she thought.

K'jarr leaned toward Tyra

When they broke through the bottom of the fog, they saw that the Sea of Whispers was calm. From this distance, all they could see of the Citadel was a smattering of twinkling lights that floated ephemerally above the waves.

The litter descended in a tight spiral. When they were no more than a hundred meters or so above the waves, the warriors widened the spiral and held their altitude. Tyra

Tyra

K'jarr climbed onto the sturdy sidewall of the litter, snapped open his wings, and promptly stepped off. The warriors carrying Tyra

At first Shailiha was sure that she was about to die. The wind tore at her hair and clothes, and K'jarr had difficulty stabilizing his flight. He finally leveled out and soared low over the waves, waiting for the others to join them. Soon the four warriors closed ranks, waiting for the next stage of their plan to unfold.

The litter and the other warriors broke free of the fog. Fa

Shailiha listened as Tyra

Watching the glow fade away almost immediately, Shailiha breathed a sigh of relief. As long as night reigned, the litter would prove nearly impossible to see. Once Tyra

Satisfied, Tyra

There was still a good bit of distance to cover, and the tension-filled trip took some time. As they neared the island, Tyra

There was no fog here, and the moonlight revealed the Citadel in all its menacing splendor. Several slaver frigates patrolled the sea around the horseshoe-shaped bay at the island's southern end, where the rest of the demonslaver fleet lay quietly anchored. But there was no sign of the Black Ships, or the skeletal captains K'jarr had warned them about.

After carefully surveying the island, Tyra

The Minions lowered their passengers to the ground. As the warriors closed their wings, they and the women drew their swords. Scars smiled and cracked his knuckles. The only other sound was the restless sea, its waves crashing over and over against the rocks. About a hundred meters ahead, the Citadel beckoned.

The ground rose dramatically, ending at the sheer rock walls surrounding the fortress. Demonslavers patrolled the guard paths at their tops. Tyra

"Crevin and Micah, I want you to circle around the walls as far as you dare," she whispered. "See if you can find a way in. The rest of us will wait here. Be quick."