“I have to say you’re looking much better these days, Bram.”
“Thank you.”
“And you’ve really . . . come into your own.”
Bram didn’t answer; he simply picked up his scrolls.
“My Lord Bram?”
“Yes?” he asked.
“I was just thinking that since you’ll be here for a while, perhaps we can . . .” she reached out and stroked his arm.
Before she could go on, Bram felt it was important to point out that, “If you think I’ve forgotten how I was tortured and beaten when I was here the first time . . . I haven’t.”
Helena folded her arms over her chest, a little sneer on her lips. “Going to hold that against me, are you?”
Bram decided retreat was his best option, so he headed back to the room he shared with Ghleanna.
But before he could make his escape, the Empress tossed at him, “I’ve heard that your Low Born has gotten rather chummy with the other soldiers.”
Bram stopped. He knew that Helena was a conniving, vicious sea-viper, but he couldn’t help the swell of jealousy he immediately felt.
“The soldiers do seem to like her. I’m guessing she’s very friendly when you’re away.” The Empress eased around him, smiling sweetly. “I’m sure she’s more comfortable with them. Her own kind and all that.”
“She is my kind, my Lady. Remember? Barbarian Land Dwellers. That’s us.”
Bram bowed his head and walked out. He made it to the room he shared with Ghleanna, but when he walked in, he found her gone.
Bram tossed his travel bag and papers into a corner and stalked out of the room and onto the walkway. The guards were gone as well. He headed back the way he’d come, trying to catch a glimpse of Ghleanna somewhere.
The Empress’s palace was a marvel of Sea Dragon engineering built inside a vast series of underwater caves. Air breathers could easily survive inside its ocean-colored stone walls for centuries. They had access to fresh lake and river water, and fresh air from the land above. How the Fins managed to get it all down here, Bram didn’t know. And he didn’t even think to ask, he was so concerned with finding Ghleanna.
Bram heard a roar down a long hallway, watched large-sized Fins heading in that direction. He recognized them as soldiers. His eyes narrowed and he followed, pushing through the dragons until he reached a chamber. Two Sea Dragons in human form battled against each other with spears while their comrades stood around them in a circle and cheered them on.
And, sitting on top of a boulder was Ghleanna. She wore another long shirt and dark blue leggings and her arm was still tied down under her shirt. Not surprisingly, she cheered right along with the other warriors—when she wasn’t stopping to chat with the generals who stood around her in their dragon form.
One male slammed another onto his back by using the staff of his spear and Ghleanna called out, “No, no, no!” She held her free arm out and—to Bram’s astonishment—one of the generals hauled her off the boulder and carefully placed her on the ground.“You keep fighting like that, lad,” she admonished, “and you’ll be on your back a lot when you’re human.”
She waited until the dragon was on his feet. “You’re not paying attention to the way he’s coming at you,” she instructed. “You’re so busy staring at the tip, you miss the way his body’s moving. Human bodies hide nothing, but that spear tip can change on you in a second and you won’t have a chance to get out of its way.” She shrugged and lightly patted where she’d been stabbed by that sword. “Take my word on it.” The Fins laughed and she went on. “But if you pay closer attention to your opponent, you can watch what he does, and he’ll show you which way he’s going. I know very few human soldiers or dragons who don’t signal their move long before they make it. You just have to watch for it. Understand ?”
The soldier nodded and Ghleanna slapped his shoulder, which didn’t seem to offend him. “Good. Good. But don’t worry. You’re doing well. Just need more training is all. I’m betting all of you need more training to fight as human.” She flicked her hand. “So get to work.”
The Fins went back to sparring and Ghleanna saw Bram and walked to his side.
“Hello there.”
“I leave you alone for a few—”
“I was bored. What did you expect me to do? Sit on my ass and count the algae on the walls.”
“That’s a design motif.”
“And again you lost me.”
“You should be in our room, Ghleanna.”
“You mean hiding? Why? I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Not hiding. Resting.”
“I’m fine.”
“You took a sword to the chest!”
The room grew silent and Ghleanna rolled her eyes. “If you’re going to make a big deal out of it.”
“You all right, Captain?” one of the soldiers asked.
“I’m fine. Going to take a rest. You lot keep up the work. I’ll check in later.”
She walked out and Bram realized that the soldiers were now all staring at him. “It’s for her own good,” he insisted. “She needs her rest.”
There was some grunting and they all turned away from him.
Letting out a frustrated growl, he followed Ghleanna.
“Do you enjoy doing that?” Bram demanded once he’d closed their bedroom door.