Sacrifice: The First Book of the Fey by Kristine Kathryn Rusch Page A

the harbor was an engineering marvel. It had towers every few feet and stone arches large enough to let ships through. Even in the dark and the rain, the bridge was an impressive landmark.
    He didn’t need it. The city of Jahn rose around him, filled with impressive landmarks. If the map hadn’t shown that the palace lay on the north side of the river, and the religious building on the south, he would have thought that Jahn had two palaces. The Tabernacle was the more impressive of the two, with five towers and white walls that flared like torches in the darkness. It also stood closer to the water. He could barely make out the palace’s towers through the rain.
    The air on Blue Isle lacked the salty tinge he had grown used to on the open sea. The freshness invaded his lungs, made him feel stronger. He was ready to take this place. Already his troops were scattered through the city. He had watched Jewel’s unit leave, his daughter tall and proud in the center of the troop, looking more like a soldier than any of the others.
    This would be her last battle. They both knew it. Even though she hadn’t admitted what had happened outside the Stone Guardians, Rugar knew. She had had the beginnings of a Vision. She was coming into her Sight.
    Rugar remained near the prow where he had stood since the ships had arrived. From there he had overseen the troops, watched as his people slipped away under cover of darkness to take positions that would enable quick capture of the city once the sun came up. Not long now. Not long at all.
    Beside him the Navigators had come to free the Sailors. The Sailors had got them all through the Stone Guardians. The rocks were huge, three times taller than the ships. He felt as if he were floating on a cloud surrounding a mountaintop instead of on the ocean. At times the rock walls were close enough to touch. He concentrated all his power on making sure things went smoothly—not his magick power, for his abilities did not enable him to work as a Sailor, but his intellectual power, straining for any movement, any sudden change that would put the ship in great danger.
    The Nyeian’s mind had disintegrated under the strain, and the Warders had tried to rely on the old maps. But one of the Sailors had discovered a frightened but communicative creature, which called itself a Ze, and it seemed to understand the currents. The Navigators had spread the word of the Ze to the other Sailors, and as a group—with the help of the Ze, the Sailors, and the old maps—the ships had come through with no scratches at all.
    The Sailors were still sprawled over the railings, their bodies present, but their minds inhabiting the bodies of the Ze. The Navigators were standing beside them, coaxing the Sailors back to the surface. Rugar rubbed his chapped red hands together. He did need a bit more information.
    He walked to the nearest Navigator, Kapad. Kapad had been part of the sea before Rugar had become a member of the Infantry. His eyes were hollow, his own mind still linked with those of two Sailors, and his skin was leathery. His winged brows were silver, but his hair was still black. With his scarred right hand, he held the Sailor’s sleeve.
    “Don’t bring him up yet,” Rugar said. “I have a question.”
    Kapad blinked once, then nodded. The slowness of the response always unnerved Rugar, even though he knew that a Navigator also passed the information to the Sailors he worked with.
    “I need to know the kind of magicks they have protecting the harbor.” With the back of his hand, Rugar wiped the water off his face. “In fact, I would like to know all the magicks the fish have observed.”
    Kapad blinked and nodded again. He stood very still for a moment, then said, “He is asking.”
    “Thank you.” Rugar waited, hands clasped behind his back. Even though the Nyeians made no report of magick among the Islanders, the Nyeians might not have known where to look. Rugar did not want any surprises. The