I thought about it. “Maybe since she didn’t have direct contact with you, it seemed like she was sucking your magic, when in fact she was not being very effective in blocking it? You know, like when you build a dam of rocks, but water still leaks through?”
“Possible.”
I laid my fingers on her forehead. “Try using magic on me.”
Valek stared at me, but his voice didn’t sound in my mind. “Now she’s pulling my magic.”
Unaffected by the magic around her, Liana remained asleep.
“What if you use magic, but don’t direct it at us?”
He glanced at the door. “Healer Hayes and Medic Mommy are having a celebratory drink in his office.” Valek laughed. “He’s wondering if she’d consider moving to Sitia.”
“I’d like that, especially if magic won’t work on Liana.”
“Do you think she’s immune?” he asked in concern.
A good question. “Can you build a null shield around us?”
“Probably not without difficulty.” He scanned the room. “I’ll put one around the bassinet. Then I won’t be able to lay her in there if she’s immune.”
The impulse to protect her surged through me—hot and fierce. I held her closer, “I don’t want to hurt her.”
His face softened. “Neither do I, love. But we need to know if she’ll be trapped by a null shield.”
True. He moved the bassinet to the farthest corner of the room. After a few moments, he returned to me. He lifted our daughter from my arms. Valek held her as if she’d break. “Wow, she’s pretty solid. No wonder you were—”
“Watch it.”
“—so uncomfortable.”
“Nice.”
But he wasn’t listening. Valek gazed at Liana as if he held a precious jewel in his arms. He cuddled her a little longer before heading to the bassinet. Slowly, and with great care, he lowered her to the small mattress. I held my breath.
Valek straightened with his arms empty. “She popped the null shield and didn’t even wake up.” He grinned.
Was she a void? Did that mean she had no soul and would never find peace in the sky? I projected my awareness toward her and was blocked, but I sensed the spark of life that was her soul. I sagged back on the bed in relief. Did it really matter what she was? Not at all. As long as she was happy and healthy and safe from harm. We could determine the extent of her abilities when she was older.
Valek rolled the bassinet back beside my bed, then kicked off his boots and slid under the covers with me. Wrapping his arms around me, he pulled me close. I snuggled against him, listening to his heartbeat while breathing in his unique musky scent.
We’d survived so much, and I would never take moments like this for granted. I savored the peace, knowing full well that once the rest of the herd learned of Liana’s arrival, we’d be inundated with visitors.
I was on the edge of sleep when Valek said, “I’m sorry I didn’t keep my promise sooner.”
I opened one eye. “What promise?”
“That we’d be together.”
“I know I just had a baby and might not be thinking clearly, but I’m pretty sure we’ve been together for nine years.”
“No. We’ve been living two different lives. I worked for the Commander while you were the Liaison. We were lucky to spend two weeks together at one time. If you add up all the days, it wouldn’t fill two years.”
He had a point. “And now?”
His arms tightened. “Now we’re truly together. Body, mind and soul.”
Liana hiccupped and started crying.
“And baby,” I added.
“And babies,” he amended. “She’s going to need a brother.”
EPILOGUE
VALEK
Valek watched as Yelena set Liana in the sling, securing the baby to her stomach before she mounted Kiki. Yelena’s bat flew over and grabbed the edge of her hood. It hung upside-down from the fabric as it settled in for the trip. Much to Yelena’s delight, the little creature had shown up mere hours after Liana was born. She hadn’t seen it since the baby was conceived.
He checked the sling’s straps, looking for weak or frayed spots. “Are you sure she’ll be warm enough?” Valek asked his wife. The warming season had just ended, but the air was crisp despite the morning sunshine. Plus Liana was only five months old.
“Yes, she’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure you want to ride? I can get a wagon,” he offered.
Kiki and Yelena stared at him. He didn’t need to use magic to know what they were thinking, but he thought he’d asked a legitimate question.
“All right,” he said. Valek checked through the saddle bags on Onyx. “Did you remember to pack—”
“Valek, get your butt in that saddle before we leave without you,” Yelena said in exasperation, but then she relented. “It’s my fault. I’ve spoiled you.”
Confused, he asked, “What do you mean?”
“You’ve gotten your wish for the last five months. Other than trips to the market and Council Hall, Liana and I have been safe in Irys’s tower while you’ve been learning about your magic. You’re out of practice.”
“Practice?”
“Yes. You haven’t had to squelch your overprotectiveness during that time.”
“It’s not...” Well, that was part of it. “Sorry, love.” He secured the bag’s flap, then swung into the saddle.
Setting off at a walk, Onyx followed Kiki to the Keep’s main entrance. The guards waved them through the gate. The horses navigated the busy Citadel’s streets. A few Helper’s Guild members waved to them as they hurried on their various errands. Fisk had rebuilt his guild, but he was also helping the Sitian Council. After regaining control of Sitia from the Cartel, the Councilors had realized their security measures were woefully inadequate. They hired Fisk to develop and implement new protocols. Fisk, in turn, hired Valek as his primary consultant. He’d enjoyed working with the young man. Plus it kept his skills sharp. Their first task had been to apprehend and arrest the members of the Problem Gang—a task Fisk had relished.
Valek and Yelena exited the Citadel through the northern gate. “Do you think we should keep this pace?” Valek asked her. “Trotting or galloping might jar the baby too much.”
She peered at him as if he had two heads. Then her expression smoothed. “Why are you so nervous? I’m the one meeting them for the first time.”
And there was the other part. “I...don’t know.” Which was the heart of the problem. He had no idea what to expect. The last time he saw his parents, he’d been blindsided by the existence of his three younger siblings. With a storm of emotions raging inside him, Valek had stood next to his three older brothers’ tombstones and finally come to terms with their deaths. That released his immunity and freed his ability to use magic. What might happen this time?
“Then again,” she said, “they did spend a few days with Ari and Janco when they moved down to Sitia. Who knows what stories Janco told them about you?” She grinned.
“About us, love. Janco has just as many Yelena stories.”
“Oh.”
“Not so funny now, is it?”
“Maybe we should stay at a walk. It’s such a lovely morning.”
Kiki flicked her tail and broke into a smooth gallop. So much for that idea. At this pace, they’d be at his parents’ new tannery by the afternoon. Wishing to be near their children, they had decided to move to Sitia without visiting first, as they’d originally planned. Valek had located a small complex that had been for sale. It was just outside Owl’s Hill. It had a four-bedroom house, a storage shed and a building big enough to be used for his father’s business. The Commander had approved the move, but it had taken a few months to transport the equipment, their furniture and dozens of crates
full of their belongings. They’d lived in that house in Ixia for over forty-five years.
Valek could commiserate. The Commander had sent all of Valek’s things, including his carving tools, soon after Liana was born. The boxes filled two entire floors of Irys’s tower. Once Valek had completed his magical training, they would purchase a home somewhere in northern Sitia. It didn’t matter where, as long as it was quiet and hidden. The Commander had given him a very generous retirement bonus, so they would be able to keep the apartment above Alethea’s bookshop as their public address and for when they had business in town. Plus the Council planned to pay Yelena to resume her Soulfinder duties once he finished his training at the Keep.
His parents’ tannery was on the northwest side of Owl’s Hill. The path from the main road wove through the budding trees before it ended at a white picket fence that surrounded the complex. The house dominated the clearing. Valek’s mother had insisted on at least four bedrooms so there would be plenty of room for her children and grandchildren to visit.
Kiki hopped the fence with ease, and Valek heard giggles. When Onyx cleared the barrier, he joined Yelena. She smiled at him. “Liana likes jumping.”
Sure enough, his daughter’s happy face peered from the sling, her blue-green eyes alight with glee. Figured. So far, she’d been a joy, easy to put to sleep and entertain. But Valek suspected that might change when she was older. He wondered if Liana would develop magical powers, or if her blocking skill was the extent of her abilities. Time would tell.
They stopped outside the main door of the house. Valek dismounted and helped Yelena down from Kiki. The squeal of a screen door alerted him. Yelena squeezed his arm. He drew in a deep breath and faced his parents.
His father strode toward them with a welcoming grin, while his mother hung back, uncertain. They both still wore their Ixian uniforms.
“About time you came to visit,” Kalen said, slapping Valek on the back. “The twins were here two weeks ago. And you must be Yelena. Nice to finally meet you.” He shook her hand with both of his. “Valek didn’t exaggerate when he said you were beautiful. Ahh! There she is. Can I hold her?”
“Of course.” Yelena removed the baby from the sling and handed her to Kalen.
His father’s face lit up with an amazed joy as he gazed at Liana lying in his arms. She peered back, studying him with interest. Years of grief seemed to melt from Kalen’s lined skin, and his brown eyes shone.
“Oh, she’s a beauty. Olya, come see. She resembles your mother.” Then he lowered his voice. “Let’s hope that’s as far as it goes.”
“I heard that, Kalen,” Olya said, joining them. She nodded at Valek and said hello to Yelena. But her reserved demeanor changed when she saw her granddaughter. “She’s lovely.” Olya plucked the baby from her husband’s arms.
“Hey,” he protested, but it was weak.
“Aren’t you a sweetie!” She marveled at the baby, letting Liana clutch her finger.
Kalen gestured with a hand. “Let’s get out of this sun. Come on into the house.”
“Go on,” Valek said to Yelena. “I’ll take care of the horses.”
Yelena gave him a don’t-you-dare-leave-me-alone look. He suppressed a grin.
“No need,” Kalen said. “Zebulon!”
Valek’s brother exited the tannery, then strode over to them. He wore plain brown pants and a cream-colored tunic. Zebulon’s black hair flopped about his head, and his brown-eyed gaze scanned them. With the same distant manner as their mother, he greeted Yelena and Valek, but warmth flashed when he spotted Liana.
“Zeb, can you take care of the horses?” Kalen asked.
“Uh.” Zeb glanced at the horses with a queasy expression.
“Groom and feed them like the twins showed you, and then join us inside,” Kalen said.
“All right.”
Valek skimmed Zeb’s surface thoughts. The twenty-year-old had only watched Zohav and Zethan care for the horses. Zeb had no idea what to do. Valek met Yelena’s gaze, and she nodded.
Hurry up, she thought.
“I’ll be right there,” Valek said to his father. “I’ll help Zeb—it’ll go faster.”
As they headed to the house, Kalen asked Yelena, “Is it always this hot here? I’m roasting.”
“No.”
“Thank fate!”
“It gets hotter.”
He groaned. Yelena would be too polite to tell him he needed to wear Sitian clothing, but Valek would find some way to mention it. In the meantime, he showed Zeb how to remove the horses’ saddles and tack. Then he handed his brother a curry comb and demonstrated how to use it. Zeb groomed Kiki. They worked for a while in companionable silence.
“What do you think of Sitia so far?” Valek asked.
“It’s okay. I guess I need to learn how to ride, right? Isn’t that how everyone gets around in Sitia?”
“Not everyone. You can walk, and there are travel shelters between cities.” Valek sensed that wasn’t what Zeb wanted to hear. “Although it’s faster on horseback. Especially if you’re going farther than Owl’s Hill.”
“There’s not much to do in Owl’s Hill.”
Ah. “Would you like me to teach you how to ride?”
He hesitated. “Did you teach the twins?”
“I showed Zethan the basics when we traveled to Sitia, but they’re learning the finer art of horsemanship at the Magician’s Keep.” Along with a number of other things, like fighting and self-defense techniques. Things the Ixian schools didn’t cover unless it was required for your job. Since Zebulon didn’t have magic, he wouldn’t get this extra education. And since he was already twenty, he was too old to attend the Sitian schools.
“Yeah, they seem to be fitting right in at the Keep,” Zeb said.
“Do you plan to stay here and work for Father?” Valek asked.
If the question surprised the young man, he didn’t show it. “I don’t know. Before, I sort of had to. I didn’t have any other options in Ixia. Now...”
“Too many.”
Zebulon laughed. “Yeah.”
“What do you like to do?”
He shrugged, but then said, “I like working with my hands.”
That was a start. As they groomed, fed and watered the horses, Valek asked a number of questions. By the time they finished, he had a better idea of Zebulon’s interests, which didn’t include the military, law enforcement or spying. Basically, not going into the family business.
“What about working with glass?” he asked Zeb as they brushed off all the horsehair from their clothes and washed the grime from their hands. “I’ve friends who own a glass factory in Fulgor and would be amenable to taking on an apprentice.”
Zeb appeared interested. “It would be someplace to start. Is Fulgor like Owl’s Hill?”
“No. It’s much bigger. It’s about a four-day ride west of here.”
“I’d like that. Thanks.”
They entered the house. It was cooler inside. Despite the fact that the family had moved in only a few weeks ago, all the crates and boxes had been unpacked. The familiar furniture and decorations from his childhood filled unfamiliar rooms, and the effect was disconcerting. Voices emanated from deep within, and Valek followed Zeb to the living area.
“...planned for the beginning of the hot season in the Magician’s Keep,” Yelena said. “You’re all invited, of course.”
“Invited to what?” Zebulon asked. He sat next to their mother on the couch.
Liana remained in Olya’s lap. The baby chewed on her favorite yellow horse-shaped rattle. The number of gifts she’d gotten just for being born had been astounding. Janco had brought her what he called “baby’s first set of lock picks.” And the Commander sent her a pink diamond the size of Liana’s fist.
Despite everyon
e’s relaxed postures, an awkwardness thickened the air. Yelena sat in an armchair with a cup of tea on the table next to her. Kalen occupied the other chair.
“Our wedding celebration,” Yelena said.
Valek hid his grin. Yelena’s mother had refused to leave the Keep until plans had been set into motion for the celebration. And after a month of having her mother underfoot, Yelena would have agreed to anything to speed Perl’s departure. Which was why the party was scheduled for when the Keep’s students were gone. Perl’s guest list was so long that they would need to use the student barracks to house them all.
“I thought you were already married,” Olya said. She bounced Liana on her knee. The baby squealed in delight.
“In Ixia,” Valek said. “Sitia has different rules.”
“And they’ll use any excuse to throw a party,” Yelena joked.
Olya frowned at that. Valek suspected it would take his mother the most time to adjust to the Sitian way of life.
“Hot season, eh?” Kalen wiped his brow. “We’ll come, but I can’t guarantee we won’t melt into puddles.”
“We’ve invited a couple Stormdancers who will make sure clouds block the sun and a cool breeze blows,” Valek said. “Their powers are similar to Zethan’s.”
The tension increased with the mention of magic. Oh, boy.
Kalen cleared his throat. “Zethan mentioned you’re working for the Sitian Council. What are you doing for them?” He adopted a casual tone, but the tightness in his shoulders said otherwise.
“I’m helping with security. What they had in place before the Cartel was not very effective.”
“You mean like guarding the Councilors?”
Valek didn’t need to read his father’s thoughts to understand the real question. “More like setting up protocols, ensuring the guards are trustworthy and helping with training.” He glanced at his mother’s pinched face. “Not assassinating anyone.” Unless they threatened the safety of his herd.
“Of course not,” his father said too quickly. “I’m sure all that’s behind you now that you have a beautiful wife and daughter.”
Smooth recovery. Valek approved.