“Shouldn’t we be seeking help?” Councilor Greenblade asked. She spread her hands wide, indicating the trees around them. “My clan will be more than happy to render all of us aid and shelter.”
“We can’t endanger your clan,” I said.
“Endanger them, how? The Commander is our enemy, not our own people,” Bavol said, speaking for the first time.
Hostile glares focused on Valek. He met my gaze. “Time for plan B?”
I shook my head. Not yet. Instead, I explained to the Councilors about the Cartel, Bruns, Owen and the Commander.
“No, you’re wrong,” Councilor Cloud Mist said. “The Cartel is helping us defeat the Commander.”
“Then why are you in the garrison and Bruns is at the Citadel?” I asked.
“To protect us from assassination.” Councilor Cowan pointed at Valek. “To protect us from him.”
“If I’d been sent to kill you, you’d be dead by now,” Valek said in a flat tone.
Not helping. I held up my hands. “Trust me, please. You need time for your heads to clear. Look beyond what you’ve been told and form your own opinion. You all know me. I’ve helped you with various problems in the past. Just give me seven days. After that, if you wish to rejoin Bruns and the Cartel, we won’t stop you. I give you my word.”
As the silence lengthened, Janco jiggled the water skin, reminding me of plan B.
“I’m willing to wait,” Bavol said. “Yelena’s risked her life for Sitia many times. She deserves our trust.”
Tama Moon said, “Without Yelena, my soul would be forever trapped in another body.”
“She saved my wife and your children from the Daviian Warpers,” Councilor Stormdance reminded everyone. “We can give her seven days.”
Only Janco appeared disappointed that we didn’t need to resort to plan B. Relieved that they had decided to trust me, I shook each of their hands to thank them, and to draw off any magical influence that might remain. I wasn’t sure if it had worked, another touch certainly couldn’t hurt.
Valek split the Councilors into two groups. “Teegan, Ari and Janco will lead Councilor Moon’s group. Yelena and I will escort the rest.” Valek gathered the five of us together for some instructions. “Teegan, keep scanning for trouble. Head east and then north to the farmhouse. Yelena and I will go north, then east. We’ll meet you there.”
* * *
The trip back to the farmhouse took us longer than expected. Many patrols swept the forests and the roads heading north. It didn’t take a genius to guess we’d be traveling toward the Citadel. I hoped no one had discovered Fisk’s new headquarters, or else we’d be finished. In order to defeat the Cartel, we needed everyone, including the Councilors, who had finally shaken off the effects of the Theobroma. By the time we neared the end of the journey, our group fully supported us and I hoped Teegan’s group felt the same. Bavol and Valek even walked together, debating various courses of action and devising ways to counter the Cartel.
We drew close to the farm on the afternoon of the eighth day, which was also day fifty-two of the heating season. Valek scouted ahead while we waited. He returned with good news. The place was still safe from the Cartel, and we had visitors. Lots and lots of visitors.
Leif met us at the stables. “Teegan and his group showed up late last night,” he said, helping me remove Kiki’s saddle.
“How did your mission go?” I asked as I combed the nettles from Kiki’s tail.
“We encountered some troubles. At first, the spores wouldn’t reproduce, and then Father almost killed the ones we had, but the spores are all blowing in the wind now. Heli, Zohav and Zethan made an effective team. It was kinda scary, actually.”
“Did you run into any difficulties returning to the farmhouse?” Valek asked. He groomed Onyx in the next stall.
“The number of patrols has increased the last couple days, but Reema kept us from having any unfortunate encounters with them.”
“Reema? What’s she doing here?” I asked in alarm.
“Same as us. She’s good. We’re going to need her.” Leif set his jaw. Clearly not happy about the necessity of endangering a child, but determined to defend the decision.
“Does Opal—”
“Yes. She’s in the house with Devlen.” Leif frowned. “Father’s here, too. He won’t go home where it’s safe either.”
“Must run in the family,” Valek muttered.
We ignored him. I sensed the tension rolling off Leif’s stiff shoulders, and his emphasis on the word either was a big giveaway. “How’s Mara doing?”
He crossed his arms. “She’s mad at me. I tried to get her to stay with Mother in the jungle.”
Even I knew that wouldn’t work.
“What am I supposed to do?” he demanded. “She’s been dragged into the middle of all this. She’s been captured, beaten and terrorized. I can’t not try to stop her.”
“But you can trust her,” Valek said. “She understands the danger and chooses to be here. Respect her wishes, even when it feels like your insides are on fire.” His gaze burned into me.
And I’d increased his pain by endangering our baby. But to me, there was no other option. There would be no happily-ever-after for any of us unless we defeated the Cartel. We needed every able-bodied person. And if that meant including a magic-sucking unborn baby, then so be it.
Leif sighed and relaxed. “You’re right. I know that. It’s just hard. And at times, she’s like a stranger to me. She’s changed so much.”
I touched his arm. “Patience, Leif. Just be there for her. It takes time. But she’ll never return to the same woman you married. She can’t. None of us can. No matter if our experiences are good, bad or in-between, we all change and grow as the years build up.”
He rested his hand on mine. “Thanks. But I’m not going to apologize for wanting to keep her safe.”
“You don’t have to,” Valek said. “You need to apologize for not trusting her.”
Again I felt his gaze on me, and I wondered if he was thinking about our problems with trust when I’d been captured by Cahil.
“Apologizing can be quite enjoyable if you do it right,” Valek said.
And that would be a yes. Heat swept through me as I remembered just how he had sought my forgiveness.
“I’ll take that into consideration,” Leif said.
When we finished settling the horses, Leif hefted my saddle bags to carry them into the house.
“Careful. There’s a storm orb in there.” I tried to tug them away from him. “I can carry them.”
“I trust that you can.” He shot Valek a smug smile as if to say, See? I learned something. “But it would put undue strain on your body. Which is bigger than the last time I saw you.”
“Did he just call me fat?” I asked Valek.
“Oh, no. I’m not getting in the middle of this.”
I huffed. “I’m six months along, and think I look pretty damn good.”
They both rushed to assure me.
The house was stuffed full of people. I counted twenty-six total, including the Councilors. It was a bit overwhelming when Valek and I first entered. Everyone was talking and hugging and laughing, and Leif wasn’t the only one to notice my baby bump. Opal and Mara took turns feeling the baby kick, both squealing like two teenage girls when the baby obliged. Eventually we focused on the reason that had brought us all together, and the mood turned serious.
Councilor Bavol Zaltana stood in the middle of the living area. He’d been appointed the spokesperson for the Sitian Council. “I’m glad you all made yourselves at home. I had bought this property in the hopes of developing a way to increase our Theobroma and Curare production. I built the first glass hothouse here four years ago, and it was a success. Worried that it was too visible to Ixian spies—” he sm
iled at Valek “—I moved it into the Avibian Plains.” Then a sadness pulled at his face. “I believed I was helping Sitia. That everything I did would help keep us safe from the Commander. I trusted Oran and had no idea he was giving all my information to Selene. The Cartel played me like the fool I am.”
“You can’t blame yourself,” Tama Moon said. “They played us all using the Theobroma.”
“And their plans were brilliant,” Valek said. “Even the Commander was caught in their trap.”
“How do we stop them?” Councilor Stormdance asked. He gestured at the people sprawled around him. “This is it, right? The resistance.”
Fisk stood up. “We have a few other helpers in the garrisons.”
“Onora is in the Citadel, and we have General Cahil’s support,” I said.
“And don’t forget the Master Magicians,” Valek said.
“But they have the army,” Tama said.
“We hope that won’t be for long,” I said, and explained our efforts to destroy the Theobroma pods.
“Sorry, Bavol,” Esau said, responding to Bavol’s horrified gasp. “There was no other way to reach all the hothouses.”
“The soldiers will follow the Cartel’s orders, even if they’re no longer brainwashed,” Councilor Bloodgood said. “The threat of an Ixian invasion has always been very real. It’s the reason for their very existence.”
“But the magicians and those in charge will be able to think for themselves,” I said. “That will help.”
The mood lightened considerably.
“There is a new problem, though,” Valek said.
He explained about the Harman sap, which destroyed the optimistic feelings in the room. Silence followed. Then came the questions.
“The best we can do is warn the magicians,” Valek said, cutting through the buzz of alarmed voices. “They can wear extra layers of clothing to keep the darts from reaching their skin and can guard against an attack from both sides.”
Bavol gestured to Valek. “We’ve been discussing the situation on the trip here. Valek has a plan that I believe will work. It’ll be dangerous, and we’re going to need everyone’s full cooperation. If you’re not willing to help, please leave now so that if you’re apprehended, you won’t endanger the rest of us.”
No one moved.
Bavol nodded. “Good. Valek, you’re in charge.”
He stood and gazed at us. I marveled at the situation. The Sitian Council had appointed Valek, who had once been the most feared man in Sitia, to lead them. And he’d accepted it without a moment’s hesitation. If he pulled this off, he would save both Sitia and Ixia. And if he failed... I clamped down on that line of thought and listened to my husband with pride swelling in my chest.
“We’re going to form four teams,” Valek said. He held an open notebook. “The first team is assigned to the Krystal garrison and includes Ari, Janco, Zohav and Zethan, as well as Councilors Krystal, Stormdance and Bloodgood. Second team is stationed at the Featherstone garrison and includes Leif, Mara and Esau, plus Councilors Featherstone, Cowan and Jewelrose. The third team consists of Opal, Devlen, Teegan and Reema, and Councilors Moon, Cloud Mist and Sandseed. They are assigned to the Moon garrison.” He looked at me. “The Citadel team will include Yelena, Fisk and Heli, plus Councilors Zaltana and Greenblade.”
Valek then explained what he needed all of us to do. “Timing is vital. You must strike at the exact same time on day twenty of the hot season. I want to attack before they march to the Ixian border.”
Silence once again dominated the room. I calculated. That was twenty-eight days away. If the spores did their job, then there would be just enough time for the effects of the Theobroma to wear off. Conversations started as people discussed logistics. Most wanted to leave soon so they could be in position well before the date. I considered my part of the plan to breach the Citadel and realized there was one name Valek hadn’t included in any of his teams.
I pulled my husband into the room we shared with Leif, Mara and Esau for a private chat. As soon as he closed the door, I asked, “What are you going to be doing?”
“I’m going after Owen.”
No surprise. “By yourself?”
“No, love. I’ll have help.”
“Who? There’s no one left!”
“Not in Sitia,” he agreed.
Oh. “You still have loyal people in Ixia.”
“That’s the hope. It’s been a while, though. The Commander might have gained their trust.” He reached up and rubbed my forehead with a thumb, smoothing my crinkled brow. “Don’t worry, love. I’ll be in familiar territory, and Owen doesn’t know I have magic.”
“He might be stronger than you.”
“That’s possible.” Valek grinned. “But I have better aim.”
“That cocky attitude is going to get you into trouble.”
“Get me? I think it’s safe to say it’s already gotten me into trouble more times than I can count.”
“Don’t look so proud of that.” I swatted him lightly on the arm.
He grabbed my wrist and pulled me close. His touch sent spikes of heat through my body.
“Do I need to apologize?” he asked in a husky whisper.
I glanced at the door. There were twenty-four others in the house.
“It locks, and this will be our last chance for a while.”
He had me at it locks.
* * *
The next day, I sorted through my saddle bags. Each of the garrison teams would be armed with one storm orb, and the Citadel team would take the other two. My team would remain at the farmhouse longer than the others, since we were only a few days south of our destination. My knapsack was a complete mess, so I dumped the contents onto the bed. Weapons, vials, darts and travel clothes in desperate need of a wash tumbled out, along with the box Zitora had given me for Opal.
I’d completely forgotten about it. Picking it up, I searched for her. She sat with her family in the living area. When I caught her attention, I gestured for her to join me in the kitchen.
“That girl is going to be the death of me,” Opal said.
“Valek is quite impressed with her.” I set a pot full of water near the fire. With so many people in the farmhouse, we kept the hearth burning so there was enough hot food for everyone.
“Reema’s proved herself, but I worry she’s too confident.”
Laughing, I put a tea bag into a mug. “That’s always my concern with Valek.” I considered. “But it’s that confidence that makes them so successful.”
“I know. Did you want something?”
I’d forgotten again. Was this another symptom of baby brain? Pulling the box from my pocket, I handed it to Opal. “Zitora said you’d know what to do with this.”
Opal stared at the box in shock.
Not the reaction I’d expected. “What’s wrong?”
“This is...” Her hand tightened around it.
“It’s locked, but you shouldn’t have a problem with that.” And if she did, there were at least seven of us who could open it in no time. Eight, if I included Reema, who I suspected probably had lock-picking skills by now.
“That’s not it.” She drew in a deep breath. Her brow creased as if she was conflicted. “I need to talk to Devlen.”
“I’m sorry, Opal, I didn’t mean—”
“Not your fault. You didn’t know.”
I waited.
She pressed it to her chest. “There’s a syringe full of my blood inside the box.”
Of all the things that could have been inside, I’d never thought that would be it. “That’s...well, kinda gross, but...why is it significant?”
“You remember the whole nasty business with the blood magic and the Bloodrose cult?”
“Yes.” Blood m
agic was illegal. Those who used it became addicted to the magic and did terrible things in order to increase their power.
“What isn’t well known is that after all was said and done, there was still one syringe full of my blood left. The blood was drawn before I lost my magic. Basically, if I inject this blood into my bloodstream, my siphoning magic should return.”
Now it was my turn to stare in shock. Opal’s magic was very powerful. She could siphon other magicians’ magic into a glass orb, forever robbing them of their powers. “Who else knows about this?”
“Devlen, Irys and Zitora. But Yelena...” Opal’s voice broke. “I don’t know if I can... I have no desire to reclaim my powers. But my family is in danger. I should...”
I clasped her hand. “It’s your decision. I will support you either way. And I won’t say anything, so no one will pressure you.”
She nodded, looking a bit more relieved.
Then I remembered the blood Roze Featherstone had injected into her skin to increase her powers. When I’d drained the blood from her, it’d turned black and rancid. “Besides, it might not be...potent anymore. Blood spoils.”
“Magic is keeping it fresh. I can feel it through the box,” Opal said.
“Oh.” Then it hit me. “Oh! I’m glad the baby didn’t take it.” That would have been terrible. However, it appeared the baby only siphoned the magic aimed at us.
Opal shrugged. “Then I wouldn’t have to make a decision.” She peered through the window, deep in thought. “You’ve lost your magic, too. What would you do in my place?”
“Reclaim my power. No doubt.” If only I had filled a syringe with...
I gasped.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Opal, you just saved all the magicians in Sitia!”
26
VALEK
“Slow down, love. You’re not making any sense,” Valek said to his excited wife. Opal stood next to Yelena with a wide grin on her face. They had pulled him away from a meeting with the Councilors for a private chat.
“We have a way to protect the magicians,” Yelena said.