Page 20 - UnderEarth

for them. Make them even richer!”
“But I wouldn’t!”
He just looked at her, then licked his lips. Sighed.
“Teanu said you’d be loyal, but ... she’s never met Talon. He runs the place, and he’s sly, even for a Bellumer. So I’m warning you: don’t trust him. Don’t trust a one of them. Remember who you are, Storm. Remember Minnow and Dain.”
It felt like he had slapped her. After a while she said, “I’m not likely to forget them.”
P
One five-day later, they arrived at the centre of the Inner Sea: Bellum Island. Every crew member not actively sailing the ship had gathered on deck. The winds were against them so, at her uncle’s request, Storm had magicked a northerly to blow the fleet swiftly over this last leg of their journey. To her relief, her Air-magic, always more reliable than Water, had worked predictably. Now she stood beside Lake and watched the most famous island of them all turn from a faint smudge on the horizon into solid land.
Land, but unlike any island Storm had ever seen. Instead of cliffs, beaches and shoaling rocks, Storm saw a wall of solid lava rising sheer out of the sea. The
cliff was the reddish-black colour of burnt grain, and
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