“There’s a lot of that going around.” Moon tried not to sound sulky. Jade was more tense even than what their current situation warranted, and he was beginning to think he knew what the problem was.
Moon knew he hadn’t exactly made a smart choice to run off into the depths of the forerunner ruin with Kethel and get nearly burned to death trying to stop the Hians. But it didn’t mean he had suddenly lost all ability to take care of himself. He and Jade had come to the understanding a long time ago that Moon couldn’t pretend to be something he wasn’t. This felt like she didn’t trust him anymore.
Stone, leaning on the railing, just sighed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Moon spent the day and night mostly sleeping, continuing to recover. This was helped by Vata making sure that food was brought to them every few hours. Even Stone was starting to get full.
In the morning, Vata, still not venturing any nearer than the door to the corridor, told them the boat should be close to the Imperial border, so they went up on deck to wait. The jungle below was deep now, covering low hills cut through with the occasional rocky gorge or silver stream. There was no sign of groundling settlements. As the trees below sloped down into a valley, Stone tasted the air. He said, “Fell, coming from the west.”
Jade hissed, and Rorra checked the moss canister on her weapon. Kalam pushed away from the railing. “I’ll tell Thiest.”
From the number of armed Solkis on deck and in the large fire weapon stations, Moon figured Thiest already knew.
Soon they sighted a border emplacement standing up out of the heavy jungle. It was a cluster of conical towers with fire weapons mounted atop their roofs. A broad balcony and pier extended out from the side of the largest tower, with a stairway and scaffold on the end, presumably for docking flying boats. “There’s Fell everywhere,” Stone muttered.
Moon hissed in agreement. The stench hung in the air, a foul taste in the back of his throat. He would have thought that traveling with Kethel for so long would make him used to it, but obviously that wasn’t the case. Kethel just hadn’t smelled that bad compared to this.
Rorra tightened her grip on the handle of her fire weapon. “Should we send Kalam inside?”
Stone shook his head a little. “I want both of you near us, in case we have to get away in a hurry.”
Kalam leaned around Moon’s elbow, his own fire weapon cradled in his arms. “I don’t want to go inside.”
“Hush.” Stone tilted his head, listening.
As the flying boat turned to ease down toward the emplacement, Jade went to stand with Ceilinel and Thiest. Moon stayed at the railing with the others. It was a better angle to watch Jade’s back.
The boat angled down to bring itself level with the pier, a cumbersome process. Moon stepped sideways, just far enough to get a glimpse of the boarding scaffold. Three groundlings waited there, two with gray skin and headcrests, similar to the Solkis, and one a dark-skinned Janderi. All wore leather harnesses with fire weapons over their clothing. So they’re alive in there, Moon thought. No one else was visible in the windows in the curved walls, or at the fire weapon stations atop the towers. With Fell in the area it made sense for the groundlings to keep inside. Moon didn’t know why there were cold prickles of unease traveling up and down his back, his prey reflex making him want to twitch.
Someone called out from below and the flying boat shivered as its motivator thumped to a halt. The Solkis on deck opened a gate in the railing and fastened lines to the ramp that extended out from the emplacement’s boarding scaffold. The three groundlings hurried across, their steps drumming on the wooden planks. They stopped on the deck, dumbfounded at the sight of Jade. Ceilinel moved forward with Captain Thiest, who said, “We’ve come from the conclave to view the situation and to render what assistance we can. Which of you is the warden of this march?”
“Our warden was killed,” the larger gray groundling said, and cast an uneasy glance at Jade. “I’m Neline, and as her second, I’ve been given charge. These are Ualck,” he nodded to the other gray groundling, and then the Janderi, “and Pathial. I hope you’ve sent more help than this.”
“Two more ships are following,” Thiest assured him.
“What’s happened here?” Ceilinel asked. “We know of the sightings of Fell—”
Neline interrupted, “There’s been more than just sightings. The Fell are all up and down this march, attacking settlements, border stations, and traders.”
Thiest threw an opaque glance at Ceilinel. “We heard they were being driven off by Raksura.”
The Janderi Pathial said, “They’re allied with the Raksura.”
Jade’s spines twitched. “That’s not possible.”
Pathial and Ualck stared at her, obviously shocked that she could talk. Neline said, “We have a trader who’s witnessed it.” He asked Theist, “You have Raksura prisoners?”
“No.” Ceilinel didn’t bother to expand on that. “You have an arcanist in this station? Or an esoter? A horticultural?”
“The esoter was killed with our warden.” Neline gestured sharply toward Jade. “It’s dangerous to have these creatures aboard your ship.”
Stone hissed under his breath, his gaze on the sky. He wasn’t the only one. A number of Solkis were on the walk atop the upper cabins, handheld fire weapons aimed upward, guarding the larger weapon stations at bow and stern. “They’re here somewhere,” he muttered.
Thiest was asking, “How were the warden and esoter killed? Was the station attacked?” Moon understood the confusion. He couldn’t catch any scent indicating a battle had taken place. No groundling blood, no rotting bodies, and no lingering scent of the discharge of fire weapons. The only sign was that heavy Fell stench. Someone else was coming up the boarding ramp, hidden by the angle of the boat.
Pathial said, “During the attack.”
Ceilinel’s frustration was clear. “When did this attack take place?”
Neline seemed offended by the question. “If you don’t believe us, the witness is coming now.”
“We didn’t ask to see your witness,” Ceilinel said, an edge to her voice. “I’m asking you for a coherent report.”
Moon belatedly put together the idea of confused groundlings unable to answer direct questions and single surviving witness. He said, “Jade, it’s a—” at the same time Stone said, “Jade, they’re—”
“I know,” Jade snapped. “Ceilinel, Thiest, back away from them.”
“What?” Rorra whispered.
“Fell ruler.” Moon eased forward in front of Kalam.
The figure who stepped off the boarding ramp was tall and lean, and very like the groundling form of an Aeriat, except for its pale skin and long dark hair. It made eye contact with Ceilinel and started to speak.
“It’s a Fell,” Rorra shouted, and lifted her fire weapon.
Moon wasn’t expecting much in the way of help, but the difference between groundlings who had little experience with the Fell versus groundlings who had fought them before was immediately evident. Thiest yanked Ceilinel away and shouted an order toward the steering cabin. An instant later the flying boat dipped sideways and ripped itself free of the gantry.
Neline staggered as the deck tilted. “What are you doing?”
Ceilinel scrubbed at her eyes, clearly furious. “It’s a Fell ruler, get away from it!” Rorra and Kalam aimed their fire weapons.