Janco and Teegan joined them. They both wore disguises.
“You gonna finish that?” Janco asked, sitting next to him.
“Here.” Valek slid his plate over.
Janco flashed him a surprised grin before he grabbed a spoon.
“How did you find us?” Valek asked.
“I’ve been doing daily sweeps since we arrived,” Teegan said, tapping his head.
Interesting. Valek hadn’t felt any magic. “I didn’t pick up on it.”
“You’re not supposed to.” Teegan smirked.
“Can you teach me that?”
The question startled the smirk from Teegan’s face. “I don’t know.”
“Can you try?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Good. I need to keep working on my control and learn what I can and can’t do before we take the next step.” The boy’s presence meant Ari and Janco had caught up to the twins and a Stormdancer. Valek glanced at Janco. “How long have you been here?”
Talking around a mouthful of eggs, Janco said, “Two weeks.”
“What about my father?” Yelena asked in alarm. “Did something happen?”
“No. He’s fine.” He waved his spoon. “Opal, Devlen, Reema and the twins are all fine.” Janco lowered his voice. “I’m sure they’re making heaps of spores by now. There were just too many rabbits in the stew, and we thought we’d get a head start on things.”
“Does that include securing a safe place for all of us?” Valek asked.
“Of course.”
“Then we’ll finish our discussion there.”
After breakfast, Valek and Yelena grabbed their bags from the room they’d rented. They followed Janco and Teegan to a small building a few blocks over. The place had once been a tailor shop. Bolts of moth-eaten cloth, cloudy mirrors and dusty mannequins decorated the first floor. Black curtains covered the large display windows in the front.
Alerted by the noise, Ari came downstairs. After the hellos, he carried Yelena’s bag to the second floor, despite her protests, and showed them the living quarters. Teegan and Janco followed them.
“There are three bedrooms,” Ari said as he deposited her pack in the unoccupied room. “Janco and I are in there, and Teegan has the little one.” He gestured to a door on the left.
Valek set his bag next to Yelena’s. There was a living area with a couple couches and armchairs. A few bolts of cloth and parts of a sewing machine littered the floor. The tailor must have lived here.
Janco picked up the top half of a broken mannequin. “This place went bust.”
Everyone groaned at the bad joke.
“Come on, guys. That’s a classic.”
No one agreed.
Ari turned to Valek. “Please tell me you need Janco to travel far away from here for a dangerous undercover mission.”
“Let me guess,” Yelena said. “He’s been driving you crazy.”
“Janco and boredom don’t mix well.”
“That’s ’cause the boy genius here has taken all the fun out of everything.” Janco pressed his fingertips to his temples. Talking in a falsetto, he said, “They’re doing another sweep in town. We’d better hide.”
“I do not sound like that,” Teegan protested.
“Report,” Valek ordered before they started to bicker. He settled on the couch next to Yelena. The others sat, or in Janco’s case, plopped.
Janco gestured to Teegan. “I’ll let the boy genius fill you in.”
Teegan gave Janco an indulgent look, as if Teegan was the adult and Janco the child. “I’ve been spying on the garrison with my magic. I know where the guards are stationed, where the Councilors are housed and, most important, who the magicians are and what they can do.”
“That’s impressive,” Yelena said.
He shrugged off the compliment. “Most of them have been eating Theobroma, so their thoughts are dripping from their heads.”
“Are the Councilors together?” Valek asked.
“Yeah. They’re all staying on the second floor of the barracks. Although Master Magician Bain is not there.”
“He was moved to the Krystal garrison.” Valek considered. “Can you reach Bain from this distance?”
“It’s probably too far for us to connect. Why?”
“We’re going to need to coordinate with the Masters.”
“With your help, we might reach him,” Teegan said.
Good to know. “What’s the status at the gate?”
“No need to worry about the gate,” Janco said. “We have another way into the garrison.”
The man appeared mighty pleased with himself. Valek took the bait. “Oh?”
“Heli gave us a storm orb. When you’re ready, we’ll blast a hole into one of the walls. Ka-boom!” Janco threw his arms wide.
Smart. With that much energy at their disposal, the possible uses were endless. If they had more—
“Way ahead of you, Boss. While Boy Genius and I were scoping out the garrison, Ari paid Kade a visit on the coast and picked up a few more.”
Yelena jumped up and hugged Ari. “That’s fantastic!”
The big man actually blushed.
“But once we set one of those babies off, there’s no more sneaking around,” Janco said. “We’re committed, big time.”
“Hit and git,” Yelena said.
He grinned. “Exactly.”
“We need to find a location that will limit casualties but is close to the barracks,” Valek said.
“Done,” Teegan said with a flourish reminiscent of Janco. “What we don’t know is what happens after all hell breaks loose.”
Yelena frowned at Janco.
“He didn’t learn that from me!”
“Uh-huh.”
“The next part is easy. We round up the Councilors and escort them to the farmhouse,” Valek said.
“How are you going to convince them to leave?” Teegan asked. “There are eleven of them. I can only influence three or four people at a time.”
Impressive. “We’ll wear uniforms to blend in and tell them we’re taking them to safety.”
“And when they realize we’re not Bruns’s minions?” Janco asked.
“Yelena will convince them to stay with us.” Valek explained his theory.
“I thought babies only sucked their thumbs,” Janco mumbled.
“Our child is exceptional,” Valek said, daring Janco to disagree.
He held up his hands. “Easy there, Papa Bear.”
Yelena laughed. “If it doesn’t work, we’ll fall back on plan B.”
“Plan B?” This was new.
“They’re sure to drink water that first day, so we’ll tell them they’ve been poisoned. They’ll have a week to live unless they get the antidote, which is at the farmhouse. By the time they arrive there, the Theobroma will have worn off.”
“Brilliant plan,” Valek said with a smile. “Wherever did you get that excellent idea from?”
“Shut up.”
“I love you, too.”
Janco glanced at Teegan. “I think we’re missing something.”
“It’s probably one of those lovey-dovey things,” Teegan said. “My parents do it all the time, and it’s gross.”
Laughing, Janco said, “Give it a few years, puppy dog.”
Valek considered. Once they rescued the Councilors, the Cartel would step up their attempts to find them. They would surround the garrisons with soldiers and be extra-vigilant. Therefore, they couldn’t move too soon, or else they’d give the Cartel more time to prepare. If all went well, they needed to rendezvous with the rest of the team by day fifty of the heating season, which was sixteen days away. It would take them at least six days to escort the Coun
cilors back to the farmhouse. What to do in the next ten days?
“Are you up for a field trip?” Valek asked the power twins.
“Always,” Janco immediately replied.
“Yes, sir,” Ari said.
“Good. I think it’s time to have a talk with the Cartel’s Master Gardener.” He listed a number of questions they’d need to ask. “Think you can handle it?”
“Is sand the most horrid stuff in the world?” Janco asked.
Ari swatted his partner on the shoulder. “He means yes. We can. What’s our timeline?”
“Be back here in nine days.”
“Got it.”
“Am I going with them?” Teegan asked.
“No.” Valek glanced at Yelena. “You’re going to work with me.”
* * *
The next day, Ari and Janco set off for their mission. Valek and Teegan rode Onyx and Kiki through the woods north of Longleaf while Yelena remained in town. The scent of pine increased as the air warmed. Birds darted between limbs, cutting through the shafts of sunlight that speared the tree canopy.
When Teegan thought they were far enough away from the magicians at the garrison, they stopped and dismounted.
“What can you do?” Teegan asked.
“I can heal and communicate with other magicians.” He described what had happened with the soldiers.
“Not a flameout,” Teegan said. “You would have been unconscious for longer than a few minutes. Remember when you healed Leif? You were asleep for days afterward.”
True. “Then what was that?”
“You probably overloaded their minds, and they passed out. If you’d knocked them down, they would have been conscious. But we’ll soon discover the extent of your abilities. What do you want to start with first?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“All right.” The boy searched the ground and picked up a thin branch. “Let’s see if you can start a fire.” He held it up. “Concentrate and direct your magic at this. Think heat and fire. I have to get a little angry at it for it to work for me.” Teegan furrowed his brow. Flames erupted on the end of the stick. He extinguished it. “Your turn.”
Valek dropped his mental shields. Gathering a thread of power, he aimed it at the branch as Teegan instructed. Nothing happened.
“Try again. It took me a couple times. Think of Bruns. That might help to inflame you.” Teegan chuckled.
Fueling his magic with rage, he hurled the power. Nothing. Not even a wisp of smoke. A third, fourth and fifth effort had the same results.
“That’s a no for fire. Let’s see if you can move the branch. Using magic is all the same, really. It’s an invisible force that you can manipulate... Well, that’s how I imagine it, anyway. To move an object, I picture the magic in the shape of a hand and reach out and—” the stick flew from Valek’s fingers to Teegan’s “—take what I want.” He grinned. “Your turn.”
Valek envisioned a hand, a spoon, shovel, pitchfork and a strong wind, all to no avail. The branch stayed put, but a wave of weakness crashed into him. He leaned against a tree to keep from falling over.
“And that’s a no for moving objects.” Teegan dug into his pocket, withdrew a small paper bag and tipped a piece of hard candy onto his palm. “Here, this will help.”
The sweet taste of strawberries filled Valek’s mouth as he sucked on it. After a few minutes, he felt better.
“Okay. Let’s see if you can influence me.” He gave Valek a cocky grin. “I’ll let my defenses down. It’s similar to reading a person’s thoughts, except you’re taking over, giving the orders, and they have to follow them. Just don’t have me jumping around like an idiot.”
Connecting with Teegan’s mind was almost second nature for Valek—a scary prospect. The boy’s curiosity dominated.
You’re sending too much magic, Teegan thought. Use the same touch as if you were sneaking into someone’s room to assassinate him.
Valek adjusted the flow.
Better. Now, let’s see what you’ve got, Teegan challenged.
One thing Valek excelled at was giving orders. Sit down.
The boy plopped onto his butt, surprising them both.
Keep going, Teegan encouraged him.
Hands up.
Stand.
Come here.
Teegan obeyed each command.
Now I’m going to resist. Let’s see how strong you are.
Jump around like an idiot.
The boy grinned but didn’t move.
Valek increased the pressure, but Teegan’s feet stayed on the ground. Valek ramped it up a bit more. Still no response, but the boy’s cheeky demeanor disappeared as he concentrated on countering the order. With a final burst of energy, Valek threw everything he had at Teegan. Nothing.
Sagging with exhaustion, Valek sank to the ground.
Teegan breathed in deep, wiping sweat from his brow. “That was impressive. Not master-level strength, but I doubt there are many magicians who could withstand that.” He pulled a water skin off Onyx’s saddle, gulped down a few mouthfuls and handed it to Valek.
“Thanks.” The cold water soothed his throat.
“Most magicians have one skill that dominates and maybe a couple others, but those aren’t as strong. Like Aunt Yelena has...had...the Soulfinding thing. If she told me to jump, I couldn’t resist her. Not even Master Bain can. And then she can heal...in a strange way, but it works. But that’s it. I’m guessing your major thing is going to be influencing others, but we’ll see.” Teegan studied Valek. “I think that’s enough for today. We can try again tomorrow.”
“I just need a few more minutes, and I’ll be ready for more.”
“Oh, no. I’ve strict orders.”
Ah. He had Yelena to thank for that. But she was right to limit their session, because by the time they returned to the tailor shop, it took every bit of his energy just to climb the stairs and collapse onto the bed.
The next morning, Yelena wouldn’t let him work with Teegan. He had to promise to eat a hearty breakfast, or she would have refused to let him get out of bed. Not that he minded a day in bed as long as Yelena joined him, but her stubborn gaze froze all his desire.
“You’re whiter than the Citadel’s walls,” she said in that tone. “You’re rushing your recovery and will wind up having a relapse if you’re not careful.”
He pouted until she agreed to at least snuggle with him. A small but crucial victory—he always slept better with her in his arms.
Finally allowed to do more experiments, Valek and Teegan traveled to the clearing the next day. They worked for a few hours but were unable to discover any more of Valek’s talents.
“Try calling the wind,” Teegan said. “You might be half Stormdancer, like Zee and Zo.”
An interesting thought. Valek reached for the...air. Unlike with living creatures, he couldn’t make a connection. Water, too, proved to be unresponsive.
“What about null shields?” he asked.
Valek stilled. “What about them?”
Most of Valek’s friends would have recognized the warning tone, but Teegan failed to heed it. “You obviously created one when you became immune to magic. I can teach you how—”
“No.” Just the thought of them turned Valek’s blood to ice.
“But it could—”
“We have plenty of other people who can create them.” Valek stared at the boy. The subject was closed.
Teegan, however, refused to drop it. “We do. To me, magical abilities are like weapons. The more talents you have, the bigger your arsenal.” He gestured at Valek. “As an assassin, you have quite the variety of weapons at your disposal. But I’m sure you wouldn’t refuse to add another just in case you need it.”
Boy genius indeed.
“What if I end up...stabbing myself?” And grafting the blasted thing onto his soul again.
“You won’t. You have control of your magic now.” Sensing a change in Valek’s opinion, Teegan continued, “I’ll link with you to ensure you don’t.”
“You’re going to make a heck of a Master Magician,” Valek said.
Teegan’s face lit up at the compliment. “Does that mean you’ll try?”
“Yes, but I’m not happy about it.”
“An understatement,” Teegan muttered. “All right.” He explained how to build the shield.
The steps reminded Valek of the fishing nets he’d helped repair on the coast of MD-1. First he wove a web of magic threads coated with...oil was the only way he could describe it. The oil repelled magic. Then he tightened the strands until they formed a sheet, which could be shaped into anything. Valek’s napkin-folding skills transferred over to creating shields. By the end of the afternoon, Valek had it down and even managed to impress the boy genius.
“That’s all for today, or Aunt Yelena is gonna kill me.”
An exaggeration, but Yelena did insist Valek take another day off, which became a pattern—one day of rest, followed by a work day.
On the sixth day, Teegan said, “I think we’ve explored all the magic talents that I know. We could test the extent of your skills with mental communication. You might be a Story Weaver.”
Doubtful. “Will that help me when I’m fighting Owen?”
“Not unless you want to heal his mental anguish.”
“I’m pretty sure I’ll be causing him anguish.” And pain and death. His fingers twitched at the thought. “We can determine that later.” Valek mulled over his plans for stopping the Cartel. “Let’s see if the two of us can reach Bain from here.”
“All right.” Teegan grasped his hand.
The boy’s power surged northwest, seeking Bain. His ability to bypass all the other people along the route impressed Valek. He would have skimmed their thoughts, looking for the master magician.
Reading his thoughts, Teegan said, “Master Bain and I have linked before. It’s super easy to find someone once you’ve done that. It’s like spotting a yellow dandelion in a grassy field.”