Snake Heart (Chains of Honor #2) -Lindsay Buroker Page 0,14

would hide until Arayevo convinced Minark to return, or until he had another chance to get off the island.

“Talking to yourself is even odder than talking to turtles, Yanko,” Lakeo said.

“Is it?” He struggled for a light tone, not wanting to worry her with his dark thoughts and definitely not wanting to let Dak know what he was considering. “Are you sure?”

“Well, maybe not.”

Leaves rustled overhead, and a monkey howled down at them, irritated at being woken by their passage. At least there were animals now that they’d moved away from the village. The silence that had pervaded that area had been almost as unsettling as the dead people.

Yanko stepped between two ferns. A branch snagged the hem of his soggy silk trousers, the material damp from dew already forming on the plants. He growled as he bent to free himself. He would have to find other clothing if he was going to continue hunting around for treasures on wild islands. And real shoes too.

Up ahead, Dak grunted in surprise. A thud sounded, followed by the breaking and thrashing of foliage. The lantern disappeared, leaving Yanko and Lakeo in the darkness.

“What happened?” Yanko whispered when it grew silent.

“Dak found a hole,” Lakeo said.

Yanko hurried up to her. She stopped him with a hand to the chest.

“You can’t even see the drop off.” She pointed at dense leaves that looked like the same undergrowth they had been pushing through, especially in the dark.

If the lantern had remained lit during Dak’s fall, Yanko could not see it. Only when he checked the area with his senses did he get a feel for the narrow and deep ravine. What looked like undergrowth ahead of their path was actually the canopy of trees growing up from the bottom and from the sides.

“Dak?” Yanko could sense him down there and knew he was alive, but he could not tell if he was in pain or had broken any bones. Usually, he could feel it if people were in pain, but Dak could guard his thoughts from telepaths. All Yanko could tell was that he had slid down more than fifty feet.

“Dak?” he tried again, a fresh new worry starting to spread through him. Even knowing his bodyguard was Turgonian and likely a spy, Yanko couldn’t help but appreciate the help Dak had given him these last couple of weeks. He didn’t want to see him injured or trapped where some predator could attack him.

“I’m here,” Dak’s voice finally drifted up from below. He sounded more annoyed than pained, but he also seemed like someone who would hide his pain well. And he would probably do so in front of a couple of Nurians.

“Can you get out?”

“I hope so.”

The distant snapping of twigs drifted up.

“We’re going to have to find a way around,” Lakeo said. A warm orange glow started up as she created a small ball of light.

Yanko grimaced, realizing he should have been doing the same thing all along, not relying on Dak’s lantern. Maybe with more light, Dak would have spotted the ravine. Yanko had been too busy worrying about his problems to think of using magic. How self-centered.

“Do you need me to come down and help?” Yanko still didn’t know if Dak was injured. If he was, he might have trouble maneuvering through the bottom of the ravine and finding a place to climb out.

“No.”

Yanko was inclined to believe him and leave him alone, but then it occurred to him that Dak might find a way across the ravine and to the waterfall before he and Lakeo did, especially since he was the one who had studied the map. What if he reached the treasure stash first, found the lodestone, and pocketed it before Lakeo and Yanko caught up?

A few more snaps drifted up from below. Dak was on the move. He might be out of earshot soon.

“Dak?” Yanko called. “Which way should we head? You didn’t mention where the pool is.”

“That’s because I’m guessing. The map only shows the coastline. Find a way around the ravine and head west. I’ll find you on the other side.”

“Or he’ll find our treasure and not find us,” Lakeo grumbled.

Yanko looked at her sharply. “Are you saying that because you’re pessimistic by nature, because he’s Turgonian, or because you have reason to believe he’s lying?”

“All of those things. You can’t trust a Turgonian.”

“I’ll go down to... help him.” Yanko waved a hand and created a mage light of his own, keeping the soft blue glow