Page 28 of Fate Promised
Hazel shrugged. “It’s the swap they made to be the biggest and toughest beasts in Ulterra. They’re practically unkillable. Even magic doesn’t work much on them.”
“Wait, you said your friend married a vulk, though?”
Hazel snorted. “Yeah, I don’t know how that happened because the vulk don’t take mates. Ask Juri or the angry one, and they’ll tell you. It’s part of their creed.” Hazel studied Triska. “Besides, you have a handsome eaglewalker courting you.”
She ignored the comment about Emil. “I know they don’t take mates.”
Hazel’s eyes narrowed. “Make sure you don’t forget.”
She sighed. “Let’s finish breakfast and head down to Fergal to see if he’s discovered anything.”
10
Fergal stood in front of his shop next to Juri, a brass telescope held to his eye. “This fog is as thick as Hildegard’s chowder. I can’t see a darn thing. We need to go out in my boat.”
Back when Juri had lived here, Hildegard, the tavern owner, made only two things well—fish and chips and clam chowder. She was famous for her other attempts, and their failures. Had her menu improved since then?
Juri rubbed his neck. “Could the necromancers be on the isle?” He and Kyril had searched all morning, and not a whiff of sulfur or Hoyt’s musty scent anywhere. “And will we even be able to get close to it?” One legend of the vanishing isle was that anyone who approached it, could never reach it.
“Magicwielders have tried to get on and off the vanishing isle and never succeeded. But no one has ever called it forward, either. We’ll see what happens.”
“And what about the scrying bowl? Where did that end up?”
Fergal toed a large black velvet sack that lay at his feet. “The bowl is safe now, but we need to keep it with us. Always.”
“Why?”
But Fergal ignored him, peering through his telescope again.
Juri squinted. The fog was like soup swirling around the isle. A light mist over the boardwalk made the colorful awnings and Autumn Festival celebrations seem brighter.
Other than Fergal, Triska, Hazel, and the two vulk, only a few villagers scurried along the boardwalk as they walked to the shops. They kept glancing nervously at the group, although perhaps Kyril’s glowering didn’t help.
“The necromancer said he wanted to raise the island to perform an incantation on it. Any idea what that could be?”
Fergal scratched his nose. “Nope. Let’s go and see what we can find.”
“And he promised the Dark Cabal they’d be included.”
Fergal shook his head. “Dark Cabal? What idiots—you’d think they’d come up with a more inventive name.”
Juri chuffed. “Well, it gets to the point, I suppose. But when I start my own dark cult, I’ll name it something like The Paramours of the Fleshly Beast. Has a nice ring to it and it’s a bit more mysterious.”
Triska placed her forearms on the railing, leaning to peer farther along the beach. Bent forward like that, her breeches tightened over her backside. She turned her head to look over her shoulder at him. “How many paramours are you planning on having in this cult of yours?”
His cock thickened, and he bit back a groan. He wanted to rip her clothes off, keep her tucked under him in that exact position, and give her so much pleasure she forgot everything except how to say his name. His name. No other. “The right amount.”
“Oy!” Steps rang out as the mayor entered the boardwalk from the road and strode over the wooden planks to join them. “I think I’ve convinced everyone we’re safe,” he said. He scanned the boardwalk and frowned. “Although perhaps people are still a bit nervous about walking around.”
Mayor Burr rocked on his heels and peered up at the two vulk. “I’ll need both of you to patrol the grounds and be visible. The villagers will like that security. Already the story about how the necromancers ran in fear because of a few snarls from the vulk is all over town.”
The mayor’s gaze flickered over Kyril, who still stood with his arms crossed and a hint of teeth showing. “I want the townsfolk to feel safe, and I’m glad you look scary, but can you try to appear less,” he waved his hand, “like you’re going to eat someone?”
There weren’t many willing to order a vulk around; Juri was almost impressed by the bollocks on this human. Kyril growled. “We’ll be searching for the necros.”
The mayor jiggled whatever was in his pocket. “Fine, fine, but no reason you can’t also scoot through town and focus your hunt there so everyone can see you.”
Kyril’s mouth dropped open, and Juri bit back a smile. “Yes, Kyril,” Juri said. “I think you should scoot along the main road so the villagers can admire you and your strength.”