Chapter 77

  Present Day

  As dusk coloured the sands orange, many of the villagers gathered to look out at the gleaming water and some amongst them raised their voices in the traditional evening song. Sylvin felt the shiver of magic crawl across his skin as he closed his eyes and savoured the melody.

  “Beautiful,” Cerilius breathed as the song faded. Sylvin saw Sacien send him a flirtatious look as she walked past on her return to the cottage and sighed. “She is eager to bed a dragon, My Lord,” Cerilius observed with amusement.

  “She will be disappointed,” Sylvin replied.

  “A King is not a bad compensation prize,” the mage shrugged. “You will wait for the mer man?”

  “Yes.”

  “It is a pretty place,” the mage began to pick his way back up the beach. “But the sand gets everywhere.”