Chapter Seventeen

Since I was the one who had found the gem, I got to accompany Teng on his quest to discover what the fuck it was. Luckily, we didn't have far to go. The historian lived only one town over, in Yusa. Thankfully, it was inland. I needed to get away from the Morilren Sea. Even the water seemed to call to me, summoning me back to the man who ruled it.

Riding horseback helped. The speed. The feeling of freedom. Power. Distance. I was a man of the sea, but I could still appreciate the joys of land. You could ride sea creatures, and it was enjoyable, but this was a completely different feeling. For one thing, if you fell off a sea mount, you wouldn't hurt yourself. The element of danger in riding a horse added to the exhilaration. But I had faith in our rented mounts. They were strong and sure, carrying Teng, Ry, and me rapidly down the cobbled road to Yusa. We reached the town by nightfall. Still, the historian's bookshop was already closed.

Teng knocked anyway.

Knocked again.

Peered in the windows.

"Klen!" he called. "It's Tengven. Come on. I know you're in there. We have something very interesting for you to examine. I promise you'll want to see this."

Nothing.

"I've also got a bottle of Zaruian brandy as payment for your help."

The sound of footsteps came, and Teng chuckled. Soon, the door was opened by a hunched human, his hair gray but tidy, pulled back in a braid. He had a pair of gold-rimmed spectacles on his nose and wore striped pajamas.

"Teng, you bastard," Klen grumbled and grabbed the bottle Teng held out like a shield. "You have the worst timing. As usual."

"You won't care about my timing in a few minutes, my friend," Teng said. "Now, let us in."

"Yeah, yeah. Come on in." He turned and pulled a light cord.

A modest space filled with shelves, both on the walls and in rows across the floor, appeared in the golden glow. Those shelves were filled to the top with books, some of them crammed horizontally atop others and a few locked behind glass panels. We went inside, closing and locking the door behind us, then followed Klen past the books to a little room with a desk and three chairs. The old man sat down behind the desk, set the bottle down, and drew a brandy snifter out of a drawer.

"Allow me," Teng said and pulled the same maneuver with this bottle as he had the last, using his dagger to pop the cork. Then he poured a little into Klen's glass.

Klen waved him on.

Chuckling, Teng poured a bit more. "This is my First Mate, Ry, and my son, Zixin."

I jerked in shock. Teng had never introduced me as such before. He glanced at me, a soft grin flashing over his face. I grinned back.

"Son, eh?" Klen peered at me. "I didn't know you had children."

"Just the one," Teng said. "Adopted when he was a teenager."

"Ah." Klen sipped his brandy, sighed, then said. "All right, you rascally pirate. What have you stolen this time?"

Teng pulled out the stone and set it on the desk before the old man.

The old man flinched. Sat forward. His breath rasped over the jewel. Hands shaking, he picked it up and held it at eye level. "Dear Gods," he whispered. "It can't be." He jerked his hand down but didn't let go of the jewel. "Where did you get this?"

"Off a Hulfrin ship," Teng said without hesitation. Which meant he trusted this man. "You recognize it."

"Maybe." Klen stood up and pushed past us, back into the shop. "Just maybe."

We followed him out and stood to the side as he wandered along a shelf, muttering to himself. At last, he pulled out a book and flipped it open. Still gripping the stone, he took the book to the counter and set it down. Pages sped by. Then stopped. Klen held up the stone. Sat it down on the page. Stood back.

As if it might explode.

"Great fuck," Klen whispered. "Teng, you've really fucked up this time."

I froze. So did Ry.

But Teng only grinned and asked, "How badly?" Everything was an adventure for Teng. The only question was how great of an adventure.

"Whoever you took this from isn't going to stop until they have it back," Klen said. "Look for yourself."

Teng went to the book and scanned the page. His expression went blank. "Ensarena's Eye? I thought that was a myth?"

"Evidently not," Klen said. "That jewel was made by the Goddess. It's the only physical object she ever gave her children. It is pure Fire Magic."

Teng read aloud, "Ensarena's Eye, although created for Dragons, can be used by anyone brave enough to risk its allure." He looked up. "What the fuck does that mean?"

Klen shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. I know that it grants Fire Magic to those who don't possess it, but for those who do, it magnifies and focuses their power. In the hands of a Dragon, it's the ultimate weapon. A Dragon could become a king with it."

"What if he was already a king?" I whispered, things clicking into place.

An image popped into my head, that of a sharp-featured man with blood-red hair. Hair to match that fucking jewel. This was why King Lyrandir was putting so much pressure on Captain Aras to retrieve his property. He couldn't let another Dragon get it first.

"A Dragon king could rule all of Serai with this stone," Klen said. "I can't imagine why a Dragon would want to rule all of Serai, but you never know. Even if he didn't, just possessing the stone would make him untouchable. No one would stand against him, not even another Dragon king. Certainly not his dread. Any trouble in his kingdom would be instantly quashed. Instantly. If he was an honorable man, it might not be so bad. But if he wasn't." Klen shook his head. "He would have the impunity to do whatever he wished."

"Dragon kings already have that impunity," Ry said.

"No, they don't. Not completely. Their dreads can still remove them from their throne if they deem it necessary. Dragons respect power, but they won't allow a madman to run rampant over their kingdoms just because he won a crown tourney. They'll remove him." Klen paused to grimace. "But not if the King is in possession of that. With that, he could destroy any and all who stood against him. He would be like a god."

"Fuck," I whispered. "This is why King—"

"No! Don't tell me which king is after this stone!" Klen nearly screeched. "I'm at the end of my life and I'd like to enjoy the few years I have left." He grabbed the gem and shoved it at Teng. "Take that godforsaken thing out of my shop and as far from me as possible!"

"All right, easy now, Klen," Teng said. "No one knows we're here. No one even knows we have the Eye."

"Only the Hulfrins we stole it from," Ry muttered.

Klen shook his head rapidly, frizzy gray hair puffing about him. "I don't care. Get out!" He shooed us. "Go!"

"We're going." Teng slipped the jewel back in his vest and ushered us out of the shop. "Thank you for your help."

"Don't come back!" Klen slammed the door on us. The sound of the lock clicking was ominous.

"Captain," Ry said in a grim tone.

"I know." Teng glanced around, finally showing some wariness. "It's time to leave. We need the safety of the sea."