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Ozorne the Storirls of sixteen, she would not make a charm this Midsummer’s Day to attract her true love On the holiday, two days hence, she—and her lanky companion—would be dead There would be no lovers, no future husband, for Veralidaine Sarrasri, just as there would be no more arcane discoveries for Numair Salmalín, Ozorne’s one-time friend

“I want the box,” he said, never looking away from the dark pool

T arrivals entered the ie in the pool One was an iile-looking, he reses His eyes were calray, set in beaded skin the color of a thundercloud In one paw he bore his long tail as a lady own

The other newcomer rode in a pouch made of a fold of skin on the basilisk’s sto around her, fascination in her large eyes with their slit pupils A young dragon, she was s, with an extra twelve inches of tail—and bore little resemblance to the adults of her kind They reached twenty feet in length by midadolescence, after their tenth century of life

“Numair! Daine! Tkaa, and Kitten—welcome!” A tall, black-hairedblue linen and white silk, approached the new arrivals, holding out a hand The swarthy on chirped a greeting, the basilisk and the girl bowed Jonathan of Conté, king of Tortall, put an are and

girl and led the, “Can you help us with these wyverns?” Basilisk and dragon brought up the rear

So’s side A ball of shadoas there, invisible in the half-light except where it had wrapped s brushed the latch with a steel claw; the top flipped back Inside lay five shtly as he watched

“Patience,” he said “It is nearly time You must try to make your mistress proud”

Mortals approached fro’s dark pool; the ie in it vanished Tere Copper Islanders They were dressed in the soft boots, flowing breeches, and long overtunics worn by their navy, the elder with a copper breastplate showing a jaguar leaping free of a wave, the younger with a plain breastplate The third e, was as y blond reased, coh it was, he wore a bearskin cape over his stained tunic and leggings, but never sweated Few people ever looked at his dress: All eyes were drawn to the large ruby set in the elittered with cold amusement at his companions

“Still watching Sal did not send us for your private revenge We are here to loot The central cities of Tortall are far richer prizes than this one”

“You will have your richer prizes,” Ozorne said coldly, “after Legann falls”

“It will take all suued the Islander “I want to reunite my fleet and strike Port Caynn now! Unless your spies have lied —”

“My agents can no more lie than they can un coldly

“Then an attack froth will take port and capital! I want to do it now, before help comes from the Yamani Islands!”

Ozorne’s a told you to heed my instructions”

“My king is not here He cannot see that you forced us into a fruitless siege only to lure a common-born man and maid into a trap! I—”

The Storry Islander The black pool on the ground hurled itself into the air Settling over the ed his eyes, ears, nose, andat the pool It reshaped itself away froainst his sides The onlookers could hear his muffled screams