Later expeditions had found no sign of the city of Nidaar or its golden-skinned goblin inhabitants. One expedition had remained a year in the area where Nidaar was said to have been, without success, leading to Nidaar's reputation as a city of legend rather than one that had actually existed.

Kansbar's expedition arrived at the foot of the mountains after nine days of travel and camped in a cave they discovered, after posting their usual guards outside.

The four guards were found dead the next morning. Not just dead, but shriveled as if they had been drained and dried from the inside out.

I suddenly felt magic slide against my shields, oily, nauseating. It wasn't black magic, at least not as I'd ever known or experienced it. It wasn't merely different. It was alien.

I glanced up sharply at Kesyn. He had stopped writing. He felt it, too.

Jash leapt to his feet and flung open a window. There was shouting from the deck and above.

"Ships off the starboard bow!"

I closed the book.

Chapter 27.

The three of us rushed up on deck. I continued up to the quarterdeck with Phaelan.

"What have we got?" I asked him.

"They're Nebian, Captain. Frigates, I think," came the call from aloft.

"That's what we've got," Phaelan shot back. "Hot on our tail and gaining."

I couldn't believe it. Then again, I could. "The bastard didn't want an alliance because he already had one."

Phaelan had a spyglass up, looking in the direction of the ships. "This bastard have a name?"

"Aeron Corantine, the Nebian ambassador. Said the rest of us were committing suicide by forming an alliance against any invaders."

"So you're saying he couldn't sign on with you because he was already in bed with this Sandrina Ghalfari."

"Figuratively, I've long suspected. I haven't considered a literal interpretation. I certainly wouldn't put it past her or him. Though none of that changes what's closing on us."

"No, it doesn't." Phaelan lowered the glass and passed it to me. "They look fuzzy to me, and I haven't had a drop to drink all week. Are they wearing wards?"

I raised the spyglass to my eye and focused it. Or attempted to. It was a veil, a good one, and large enough to cover multiple ships. No wonder the lookout couldn't make a positive identification. I summoned just enough discernment magic to let me make out two separate forms. If they didn't know we'd spotted them, I didn't want to be the one who gave us away.

"They are frigates, and they've got veils," I told him. "Good ones."

Phaelan snorted. "Two Nebian frigates coming after three Benares warships? Now that's suicidal."

"I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but they've got dark mages on board. That's why I came up from below. I sensed them. So did Kesyn and Jash."

"And we have three ships, and you and your four buddies. I'm still taking bets on our side."

"I wouldn't know how to act if someone wasn't trying to kill me." I looked through the glass again. "They're flying every scrap of canvas they've got, and they're gaining on us."

"If they want to die before sundown, who are we to deny them?"

I hissed out a breath. "I don't want to say this, but I have to. They're flying the pasha's flag. We can't touch them."

Phaelan turned on me.

"Unless they fire the first shot," I told him. "We can't attack two royal Nebian ships."

Suddenly, we had the attention of every crewman-goblin and elf-who wasn't occupied with sailing the Kraken. The others were listening, too. They just couldn't give us their full attention.

Half the crew were goblin, the other half elf. The captain was an elf, I was a goblin and head of the expedition. The goblins were also agents of the crown and sworn to aid, serve, and protect the royal house of Mal'Salin. My last name was Nathrach, but I was the king's chancellor, temporary heir, and his voice on board this ship.

We had many more weeks at sea together. I knew the Nebians didn't have friendly intentions, but as the representative of the goblin king, I could hardly go around blowing another ruler's ships out of the water.

"I know as well as you that's why they're flying that flag," I kept my voice down and my expression neutral. "So we don't blow them out of the water on sight."

"The deck you're standing on doesn't belong to a goblin ship," Phaelan said quietly. "We're flying Benares flags. They know who we are, and they're still coming after us."

"You're a wanted man and we're in interkingdom waters," I countered. "They could claim they're apprehending wanted felons."

"Shit." Phaelan clearly hadn't thought of that.

"Yeah." I had thought of that. "I've got the Mal'Salin royal standard and a Guardian flag on board, and I sent a set over to Gwyn and Gavyn with my team before we set sail. To attack a Benares ship is enforcing the law, however suicidal. To attack a Mal'Salin or Guardian vessel is a declaration of war." I grinned. "Aeron Corantine and I had several disagreements while on the Isle of Mid. I recommend flying the Guardian flags. You and Raine are more like brother and sister than cousins. That makes Mychael Eiliesor your almost brother-in-law."

Phaelan smiled. "He wouldn't mind at all."

"Not in the least," I agreed.

"And family lets family borrow things."

"That they do. And I don't think the Nebians are that suicidal."

"They'll keep following us. We'll keep watching our backs." Phaelan flashed a grin full of white teeth against his swarthy face. "I wouldn't know how to behave if someone wasn't trying to kill me, either."

"Sirs?" Calik stood on the stairs to the quarterdeck in full flight leathers, helmet tucked under one arm, smiling up at us. "If we really want to encourage the Nebians to go home, may I suggest letting the ladies out for a little exercise? Besides, the girls won't like being cooped up that close to the gun deck should you start firing those cannons. I think a little fly-about would be in everyone's best interests." He chuckled. "Well, except the Nebians'."

Phaelan and I exchanged a glance. He raised his hands. "I'm the captain of the ship. You're commanding the expedition. The lizards are all yours."

"I would never dream of denying a lady a good time." I grinned broadly. "Release the dragons."

The Nebian ships had been closing distance.

As soon as the three sentry dragons cleared the masts, our pursuers had second thoughts about their course of action. They had third and fourth thoughts when the ladies roared and exhaled columns of fire half as thick as a mast.

The frigates slowed their pursuit, but they didn't retreat.

"They're determined to be a problem," I said.

"The ships or the mages?" Jash asked.

"Yes."

The ships were a known equation. The dark mages were unknown. We'd only sensed them for a moment, but we knew they were there, and they were powerful. Now they were quiet. Not just quiet, completely silent, as if they were no longer there.

We knew better.

I'd been in contact with my four team members on the Raven and Sea Wolf. They'd sensed the same thing that we had. It was the stirrings of magic that felt like nothing we had ever sensed before.

I'd heard similar words said-about the invaders who had wiped out civilization on the world of Timurus.

Talon had come up from below. "Why would the Nebians have alien invader mages on board? Aside from the fact that they can probably kick ass better than Nebian mages."

"It's the Nebians' nature as traders to hold out until they get the best offer," Jash said.

"Or their natures as traitors," I told them both. "It's not only the pronunciation that's similar. Nebian leaders have a favored tactic in times of war-wait for the winner to emerge. Their history of neutrality isn't due to politics or distain for conflict, but a desire to emerge on the winning side."

Talon blinked. "They'd side with the Khrynsani, or someone not even from our world?"

"Whoever wins. The Nebians prize self-preservation above all. Loyalty really doesn't enter into their thinking."

"So the weasels would betray us."

"If they believed it was in their best interests, then yes, they would act without hesitation."

If the Nebians had allied themselves with the Khrynsani, it was but a small step to have the alien invaders involved as well. The Khrynsani wouldn't be the only ones with a vested interest in keeping us from reaching Aquas.

I didn't tell Phaelan my theory. If I was right, there wasn't anything he could do about it. This would be a battle fought by only a few of us; and even then, our opponents might be too much for us. We wouldn't know until they attacked. And attack they would.

After standing watch for nearly two hours, I'd decided that an attack wasn't imminent. So I went back to our cabin and tried to unlock the book again, but it was unresponsive.

From past experience, I knew that it could be hours or it could be days before it allowed me to read further.

Kansbar Nathrach had obviously survived whatever had attacked the landing party. I was only a third of the way through the book when I'd had to break my connection to it. We had only been at sea for a few days. We had at least four weeks before we reached Nidaar. While I needed to know what we could be facing once we reached Aquas, we still had time.

What I needed now was sleep. I wanted to take tonight's watch, but it was a little over five hours until full dark. When our followers decided to act, I wanted to be well rested.

I checked to ensure that Rudra's book was securely bound in the interior pocket of my coat. I removed the coat, draped it over myself as a blanket, and within minutes was asleep.

Chapter 28.

I looked out over a scorched and blighted landscape. Nothing grew as far as the eye could see. The sky was that clear, crisp blue found over land in which there was no water. Even though the sun shone brightly, the light didn't hurt my eyes.

It was a welcome change.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" said a familiar voice from behind me. "You see a wasteland, I see sunlight, fresh air, and wonders."

I drew blades and shielded.

At least I tried to.

I had no weapons and no magic.

With Sarad Nukpana now standing next to me.

He smiled and spread his hands. "I am without weapons as well." Sarad gazed out over the barren landscape. "You realize that you take so many things for granted, when you no longer have access to them. That's what several months languishing in Hell will do to you."

The last time I'd seen Sarad he'd been attired for his coronation and wedding in black and purple silk and velvet with a scarlet sash. Over that he wore black chest armor intricately embossed with a silver scorpion, the Nukpana family crest. And who could forget the crown? A silvery ring of scorpions with their tails intertwining.

Now he was wearing tunic, trousers, and boots of a dark indeterminate color. While by no means an inferior fabric, it wasn't what Sarad would've worn by choice.

"You're not the worse for wear," I noted.

Sarad shrugged elaborately. "I much preferred my royal raiment. How is the youngest Mal'Salin? Happily married and securely enthroned?"

"Yes to both."

Sarad shook his finger. "You're lying about the latter. No goblin king is ever securely enthroned, unless a plague has taken out every courtier and noble and left the king unscathed. Any who thinks so is a fool and a liar, or merely delusional. You're not any of those, Tamnais." His eyes narrowed shrewdly. "So who have you left to babysit the young upstart while you're off playing the bold adventurer?"

"Why don't you ask your new lady friend? We weren't properly introduced, and the lady didn't tell me her name, but she would have been remiss if she did nothing except try to abduct Agata Azul while she was in Regor."

"Ah, Bricarda."

"Bricarda."

"It's the name she's using now. I imagine when you've lived as long as she has, you become bored keeping the same name." Sarad smiled fondly. "Older, but ageless, women are a rare treat. So much knowledge and experience, so glad to teach. You should try it."

"I'll pass. I prefer a lady who's non-murderous, wears a scent other than brimstone, and doesn't travel with a zombie demon entourage."

Sarad leaned forward and peered over the side of the outcropping where we stood. "My, that's quite a fall." His dark eyes glittered. "Do you think you would survive it? They say if you take such a fall in your dreams and don't wake up before impact, you will die. Do you believe that?"

"It's possible," I said. "What I can't believe is that in all my choices of who to dream about, my subconscious chose you. When I wake up I shall have to have a long talk with it. Or perhaps you standing here is the result of something disagreeable that I ate."