Island Shifters: Book 03 - An Oath of the Children (13 page)

“Aye, Anah, it is the best news we could have hoped for.
Soon, we
will have enough wormwood to restore the entire
nation
to good health.”

“Where is this source, Your Eminence?” Jarl questioned. “A new
location discovered by
Chandal during the Shiprunners’
last
exploration?”

“Again,
aye.
Chandal
discovered an island where the wormwood is plentiful and the inhabitants are more than happy to share what they have with us. From the new
plants that are delivered, we will be able to begin harvesting once again.”

“What about the Titsu bug that destroyed almost all of our wormwood crops?” Balder asked.

Does
this
idiot ever listen to what is discussed
in
these sessions?

“As you should very well know,
Balder,
a
repellent has been developed to treat the wormwood. With proper
care
of the plants, we
should
never find ourselves in this predicament again.”

“Oh,” Balder said, around another mouthful of smoke.

“There is more.
This island that
Chandal
discovered is
also
a
harborer
of magic.”

There, let them stew on that little morsel.
Every hazy eye in the room turned toward him.
He had their attention now.

“Magic?
It is very interesting, but why should that concern us?”
Jarl asked,
knowing full well why that should concern any Ellvinian.

“The blood, Jarl!
The blood.” Surely, even these nits
could figure out his meaning.

The pipe was put aside. “But, how?”

“The Vypir.”

Balder’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “I thought that thing was long dead!”

“Oh, no,
Balder. The Vypir is still very much with us and secured in his room in the bowels of this very building.”

Jarl stood
slowly
from his pillow.
They had danced around the issue long enough. It was time.
“What you are suggesting is murder, Your Eminence.”

Hendrix stood
as well. “We are Ellvinians, Jarl! We have always
had
the blood!”

“Oh, come now! It has
been centuries
since we have had the blood!”

“Not for lack of trying!” He grabbed Jarl’s arm. “Think
on
it, Jarl!
Why would you exist on water when you can have wine? Why would you dine from the midden heap when you can have fresh food?”

“Aye, I say!” Balder enthused
groggily
and lifted his goblet in the air.

“Aye!” Anah chimed in.

Hendrix
ignored them. It was Jarl he had to
convince.
“It is our
birthright, Jarl. It is what our bodies require.”

“Desire,
not
require.”

Hendrix decided to ignore the
distinction.
“We must
make a unanimous decision
right here, right now.
Magic users
are on their way here to the island.
Will we reprise the age-old
practice of our ancestors? Will our veins once again sing with magic?”

“The blood!” Balder
yelled out
once again.

Hendrix looked into Jarl’s eyes. “What say you, Jarl?
We
will need to
work together to perform the extractions and subsequent disposals. The public
will
never know.”

“They will be so
content
with the wormwood that I doubt they will care very much about anything else,” Anah
cackled
selfishly.

All waited in silence for Jarl to make his decision. It would not work unless all of the Seconds were in agreement.

Finally,
the Ironfinger
nodded. “I am Ellvinian. I shall have
the
blood.”

C
HAPTER
9

D
ANGEROUS
W
ATERS

Chandal pulled the rangefinder from his eye. “Impressive. I wonder if all the Massan magic users are able to move water.” When the stunning Eyereader
standing beside him
did not respond, he glanced at her.

She
drew in a deep breath and her eyes rolled into the back of her head.
“I can smell them,” she murmured.

“Aye,” Chandal agreed. He could
smell them
as well and the scent was intoxicating. “They think to intimidate us with that display.”

“No matter, my friend.
In the end, we will get
what we want from the Massans,”
she answered confidently.

“We must gain their trust first.”

Samara
looked at him as if he said the sky was blue. “But, of course. A child knows that first rule of Ascendency.”

Color crept into his cheeks. “I meant to say that the Shiprunners
can be
reckless
at times. They
are not always known for their subtlety.
With the scent so heavy in the air, they will have to be
reminded of their duty
to prevent them from being
overwhelmed with personal desire.”

“Are you not the leader of the Shiprunners, Chandal? See that it is done.”

Again, she managed to put him in his place. He was a Second, he reminded himself, just as she. In an attempt to cover his feelings of inferiority, he lifted the rangefinder to his eye again. “Shall we…? Wait! The Massans in the water are approaching.”

“If your implantation worked the last time you were here, they will be coming with an invitation to come ashore.”

“It worked,” he replied
with certainty. “That mayor of theirs was very susceptible.” He watched the water people come closer and it looked as
though
they were walking on
top of the
water.
“Shall we take them?” he asked, unable to hide the excitement that tinged his voice. He had never had the blood. No living person on Ellvin had
ever
had the blood, but
the stories of its lure had been passed down for generations.

The
Shiprunners
on board thought their mission
here
to bring back wormwood
plants. They did not know what the Seconds knew. That the Premier’s
foremost
goal was to kidnap Massans so the Vypir could steal their blood.

The Premier promised Chandal and the other Seconds a new life—a life sustained by magical blood.
Invigorating beyond anything you have ever dreamed of,
the Premier assured him. Now, with the Massans approaching and
the
addicting
aroma
growing stronger, he now understood that what the Premier promised was possible.

He heard the eager murmurs behind him, but there was nothing any of them could
do to satiate their hunger. Only the Vypir could extract the magic in the blood.

He
looked
at Samara still
apparently
considering his question. He knew what she was thinking. It would be risk to take so many at one time. Discretion was paramount to their success if they wanted to keep the supply lines of wormwood and blood operating for a very long time.
But, she finally nodded. “Aye. We cannot
allow
this unexpected opportunity to slip through our fingers.
Ready the longboat to
bring the Massans on board and have twelve Shiprunners ready to control them.”

Chandal called out the orders. Immediately,
his men hastened to their tasks and a
narrow
wooden boat
was
lowered to the sea below.

Samara
held out a hand in greeting to the magic users
in the water. “Greetings, Massans!”

“Greetings!”
replied one of the men and then looked at the boat being lowered.
“Do not bother with that. We will not be boarding. Prince Kellan has granted permission for
six Ellvinians to come to shore.
The rest will remain at sea until further notice!”

Samara locked her eyes on the man. “Thank you for coming out to personally relay the message of your Prince!”

The man nodded respectfully.

“Your
water skills are incredible!” she gushed, and even from the distance that separated them, she could see him warming to her compliment. “Please come aboard so we can discuss
without shouting to one another!”

“I really must refuse.”

“What is your name?”

“Pauli.”

“Pauli, you wish to come aboard, don’t you?”

He tilted his head.
“Why, yes…yes, I do wish to come aboard.”

“It is your deepest desire to talk with me, Pauli.”

The man nodded woodenly. “Yes, I would like to
talk with you.”

A female magic user drifted closer to the man. “Pauli! No.” She looked up at Samara. “Forgive us, but it is impossible.
You may fill your longboat with six people and we will escort
you to the harbor.”

Samara’s laugh echoed over the open water, and she pushed powerfully at their minds.
“I am afraid I must insist!
You want nothing more than to come aboard this ship!
It is your
deepest desire to talk with me!”

The female magic user nodded. “Very well, we will come aboard.” She looked to the others and motioned them into the boat. Pauli was the first in.

Some of the magic users did not bother with the boat and instead streams of water carried them over the rail and onto the deck.

Samara clapped her hands in delight. She turned to Chandal and hissed. “Secure them.”

He gave a nod and the Shiprunners moved in a circle around the magic users. One by one, their heads popped up and they nodded in agreement at the
potent
words of suggestion.

“Put them in the hold,” Chandal ordered. “As soon as darkness descends, take them to Ellvin.”

Samara
smiled
approvingly and
threaded her arm through his. “Are you ready for our debut, Second Chandal?”

* * * * *

Under the skilled assistance of the harbor stevedores, the Ellvin
long boat
hauled in
its oars and slid
smoothly
in between the other vessels moored at the docks.
A coil of
rope
was tossed to the pier and tied to the
thick pilings
at the end of the
extended dock.

“Will that be all, Prince Kellan?”

Kellan
was so busy watching the
boat of Ellvinians arrive
that he forgot that Alia was still standing next to him.

“Yes, Alia. Thank you.” He looked back out to sea to wave his appreciation to the watershifters, but they were no longer in the water. “I
guess the
watershifters must have returned to Aquataine. Please thank them for me. I am very grateful for their
aid
and yours as well.”

“You are most welcome,” she
replied
before
bending into a deep curtsy
for both him and Kane who,
in that odd habit of his,
suddenly
materialized
at
his side.

After Alia departed, Kellan returned his attention to the Ellvinians. Lars Kingsley
had
already
provided a description of the dark Elves, but seeing them in
the flesh
was a different matter. Tall and thin, the man and woman who approached appeared to glide through the air, their feet barely touching the wooden pier.
They both wore white flowing garments, belted at the middle and pinned at the shoulders
with broaches.
Long,
black
hair hung
in
silken strands down their backs.