Looking at the Perhar delegation sitting across from me, I couldn't help resenting the intrusion into my life. Which was unfair, since I'd been grateful for the chance to focus on something, anything, other than Gemma.

But now that I actually had to make trade arrangements with a clan that wanted to dominate my own, I couldn't help thinking that I ought to be outside showing the human female the island instead. Looking beyond the Perhars, I saw the blue sky through the window. The day was beautiful. It wouldn't last long, not with the storm we expected blowing in, and I was missing what good weather we'd have.

And the chance to spend it with Gemma. My heart ached at the thought of that. I should be showing her the island, not here negotiating with my enemies — but duty didn't care what my heart wanted.

"Is something wrong, Protector?" Alishan Perhar asked, smiling sweetly. It took an effort not to glare at her. We both knew why she was here instead of her brother. And why she was wearing an outfit that pushed the bounds of decorum, showing off her admittedly attractive body to me. She was beautiful, but it was the beauty of a venomous predator trying to lure in prey. I had no intention of being caught by her, and I'd told both her and her brother as much.

How many times do I have to say no? I'd never liked the idea of a political match, especially not with the Perhar. But Alishan and her brother only seemed to take my refusals as a challenge. I shook my head, trying to bring my mind back to the present.

Whoever I was talking with, we still had to set the trading rates for access to the skystalk. And my people needed the grain that the Perhar were offering in exchange.

"Nothing is wrong," I answered, aware that it had taken me too long to speak. "I'm simply concerned that the storm will be upon us before you have the chance to return to your own lands."

She chuckled. "In that case I'm sure that the hospitality of the Rohar will be sufficient while we wait it out. It would give us the opportunity to spend more time together..."

Great. Just what I need. If Alishan wanted to be stuck here that meant that nothing I could do would speed up the negotiations. I was going to be trapped dealing with diplomacy until she ran out of excuses to stay.

And I was right. As the day wore on, the Perhar took their time on everything. Not pushing too hard — they were, after all, trying to be friendly — but making sure that we couldn't agree anything before the winds picked up too much for them to fly safely home. Outside, the blue skies gave way with shocking suddenness to a deep gray, and rain began to lash the windows.

"It looks like we'll be here for a few days at least." Alishan smiled lazily as she said that, stretching. "Perhaps we should break for now?"

"I'd rather get everything we can finalized," I replied. Then I don't have to spend more time than necessary with you later went unspoken, but I was sure that she caught my meaning. She didn't react, though. Far too smooth and studied for that.

She is excellent at this, I have to admit. In a purely practical sense, she would make a good mate, and her clan would make powerful allies. But I didn't want a practical match, I didn't want a woman who chose me because of my position. I wanted someone who set my soul afire, and someone who was interested in me rather than a chance to control my clan.

Someone like — no. I couldn't afford to think of Gemma like that. She was too tempting, and I didn't want to drag her into the politics that ruled my life. Especially not while the Perhar delegation was present. I didn't trust Alishan to deal with a rival well, and her guards had the hard-eyed look of killers who wouldn't hesitate to murder for their mistress.

That thought made me frown, considering. Was it possible that they'd been behind the attack? Someone had to have hired the Kalpans, and if the Perhar had known about Gemma's arrival...

I looked at Alishan, lounging with studied nonchalance in her chair. Yes, I could believe it of her or her brother. And that's exactly why I can't risk Gemma being part of my life.

Alishan met my gaze and raised an eyebrow. Smiling, she drew a breath to speak. I never found out what she was about to say, though. Running footsteps outside the room drew everyone's attention, and the doors flew open to admit one of my clanmates. I frowned. Misha was one of the calmest, most collected members of the clan. Whenever there was an emergency, she could be counted on to be a voice of quiet reason. Anything that had her running had to be a real problem.

"Protector," she gasped, out of breath. "You must come quickly."

I was on my feet in an instant. "What's happened?"

She glanced behind me, at the Perhar delegation. Lowering her voice, she spoke in urgent tones.

"It's the human, Gemma. She's gone."

"What do you mean, she's gone? Gone where?" I frowned at Misha, wondering what she could mean. Gemma couldn't have left, there was simply nowhere for her to go.

Misha looked stricken, pulling me aside and out of earshot of the Perhar delegates. Out in the corridor behind her I saw her son, Toprak, shifting from foot to foot and looking positively terrified. What in the world could they both be so worried about?

"Your mate talked my idiot son into letting her take one of the fliers out," Misha whispered, anger and fear mixed in her voice. "And the weather turned before she came back."

I glanced out of the window at the sky, seeing the speed the clouds were flitting past. This had the look of a bad storm, and all the fliers would be grounding themselves now. All bar one, from the sounds of things.

Sometimes the youngsters tried to ride a storm. I'd done it myself, everyone did. But it was a test of skill and experience — two things that Gemma did not, could not, have. Without thinking I turned away and strode towards the door, almost at a run.

"Where are you going in such a hurry, Protector?" Alishan asked behind me, rising from her seat. I turned in the doorway, biting back my instinctive reply. No matter what else happened, the arrangements between our clans were vital for both of us. I couldn't afford to alienate her.

But I couldn't waste any time, either. Not while Gemma was in danger.

"One of my people is lost in the storm," I told her. That was enough detail to explain why I had to leave, and if they couldn't accept that as a good reason for me to leave then that was their problem. Not waiting for a response, I turned and ran. The room erupted in questions behind me.

Let the Elders deal with them, I thought, taking the stairs three at a time and running for the beach. Misha and Toprak followed close behind.

Outside the winds howled past, sending waves crashing high up the shoreline, and no one was in the air. For a moment I hoped that meant that Gemma had made landfall, but the looks of horror on the faces of the fishers told me otherwise.

"Where is she?" I demanded.

"The wind took her south," someone shouted over the noise of the storm, pointing past the skystalk. "We lost sight of her after that."

I glanced back at Toprak, hands clenching into fists. My blood boiled with rage, but I didn't have time to let it take over. Ruthlessly pushing my emotions aside, I grabbed him by the neck and dragged him close.

"Fetch your wings," I roared into his face. He opened his mouth to argue, then shut it with a snap and turned to run. Not a complete idiot then.

"You can't go up in this," Misha protested, and the others chorused agreement. "Once the storm is past we'll all go and find her."

"By then it will be too late," I snarled. "A human female with no experience of flying? She'll be dead before the storm ends."

Their expressions gave their thoughts away. My clansfolk already thought of Gemma as dead, and they didn't want to throw other lives away trying to save her. The rational part of my mind knew that they had a point. I didn't care.

No one was brave enough to say out loud that Gemma was dead, so we stood in awkward silence as the storm-blown waves crashed around us. To give Toprak his due, he was fast, running back with his silver wings held over his shoulder and a fishing spear in his hand.

"Protector, we need you here," Misha tried as her son handed me his metal wings. I ignored her, pulling the straps over my shoulders and fastening them as quickly as I could. The backpack whirred to life, gravity generators gripping me.

Misha grabbed my arm, but I shook her off. "I cannot let her die."

I took the spear from Toprak's hand, just in case. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it, I reasoned, as little use as it would be against the serpents that lived in the deep sea.

Bracing myself to face the storm, I leaped into the air. My borrowed wings snapped out to full extension, catching the racing winds, and I was swept away instantly. The skystalk grew large ahead of me and I only barely managed to guide myself around it. Beyond was the endless, rain-lashed ocean — and somewhere, Gemma, waiting for me to save her.