I peered through the kitchen window. Petal, his housekeeper, scrubbed pots. Tapping on the door with my knuckle, I stepped back as she opened the door.
Petal’s wide face creased with first alarm then concern when she recognized me and Leif.
“Oh my, you gave me such a fright!” Petal ushered us inside. “Come in, come in. What kind of trouble are you two in now?”
“Seems you have a reputation, dear sister,” Leif muttered.
“I believe she was referring to you as well, dear brother.” I turned to Petal. “No trouble. We just wanted to visit our clan’s leader without alerting the entire quarter. You know how nosy the other Councilors and their aides can be.”
“That I do. They’re the worst gossips. But give an old lady some credit, child. An unannounced visit through the back door only means one thing. Trouble.”
No sense arguing with her. “Is Bavol in?”
“He’s in his office. I’ll go fetch him. Would you like something to eat or drink while you wait?”
Leif opened his mouth, but I said, “No, thanks.”
She led us into the front parlor and we settled on a pair of turquoise-and-silver armchairs while she ascended the steps to the second floor.
“You didn’t need to answer for me. Petal makes the best jungle soup—even better than Mom’s.” Leif pouted.
“You ate at Fisk’s. How can you be hungry?”
“It’s not about being hungry. It’s about the combination of spices and the explosion of flavors inside your mouth.”
My stomach roiled just at the thought of jungle soup. One of the favorite dishes of the Zaltana Clan, it contained leaves and flowers from the Illiais Jungle, where our clan lived. To me, it tasted like pulpy rotten coconut mixed with vanilla and lemons. Yuck.
Bavol followed Petal into the room, his wide smile at odds with her worried frown. She clutched her apron in her hands before disappearing into the kitchen.
“What a pleasant surprise,” Bavol said.
Gray had almost covered all his hair, and he was a bit stockier since I’d last seen him.
“Yelena, I didn’t know you were back from your vacation already.” Bavol sat on the couch.
“There was a change in plans.” I studied his expression. Suddenly, I wanted to know if he’d tell me about Ben Moon.
“Oh?” His smile remained, but a slight wariness crept into his gaze.
“I was attacked on the way to our cabin.”
“Oh, that.” He brightened with relief.
Interesting reaction.
“I’ve heard. Nasty ambush.” Bavol tsked.
“You heard I was attacked, but didn’t know I had returned to the Citadel?”
Leif shot me a warning look. Bavol was the leader of our clan and I was cross-examining him like a criminal. Too bad. Bavol should have told me about Ben Moon.
“Yes...well...Master Magician Bloodgood reported the incident this afternoon, but I assumed you remained at your cabin with Valek. Er...how are you feeling?” Bavol asked.
“I’m fine. I wanted to ask you if you had any idea who might be behind the attack.”
“No, sorry,” he said too quickly. “We discussed this at the Council meeting. And while we listed a number of suspects, we didn’t think any of them could have pulled it off.”
Leif stiffened, but kept his mouth shut. Even I sensed Bavol had lied to us. Why? And did I call him on it or ignore it?
“Who were the suspects?” I asked.
“Uh...you know...the usual...”
Oh joy, I had usual suspects—I should write a letter to my mother. I waited for him to continue.
“You know...Valek’s enemies, the relatives of the Cloud Mist men you arrested during that sting operation, and Lyle Krystal, who you exposed as a fraud.”
“Oh yeah. I’m good at spotting liars.”
Bavol squirmed.
“Okay, Bavol, what’s really going on?” Leif asked.
“What are you talking about?”
“Come on. It’s us. Besides, we already know about Ben.”
He leaned forward. “That’s classified. How did...? Did you read my mind?” Bavol peered at me. Suspicion narrowed his eyes.
“No.” I stared at him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“The Council—”
“I don’t care what the Council decided. I needed to know. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I can’t go against the wishes of the Council.”
Again I waited. He’d gone against their wishes in the past.
Bavol sighed and sank back against the cushions. “Councilor Moon promised he’d be caught and they didn’t want anyone to panic.”
“And they didn’t want Yelena informing Valek, right?” Leif asked.
He didn’t answer, which meant we’d been right. The Council still didn’t fully trust me despite all I’d done for them over the years.
“I keep Sitia’s secrets along with Ixian secrets,” I said in a tight voice. “I’d only alert Valek if I had information that Ben planned to travel to Ixia to hunt for the Ice Moon. Do you know if Ben targeted me? Or what he might do now that he’s free?”
“We don’t think he’s behind the attack. As for his plans, he’s too busy running and hiding right now.”
“Anything else you can’t tell us?” Leif asked. “Perhaps another escaped criminal? Or a new drug on the black market? Or an attack of rabid Valmurs?”
Bavol shook his head. “We’ve had an increase in black-market goods and haven’t been able to track the source down yet. But other than that...just the usual crises and bickering between the clans.”
I stood. “Thank you for your time.”
Leif joined me.
“Wait. How did you find out about Ben?”
“Sorry, we can’t reveal our sources,” I said. “However, I will tell you that Valek probably already knows.” I held up my hand. “Not from us or our sources but one of his spies in Fulgor. Despite all my efforts, there are still a few in all the major cities of Sitia. And after finding out the Council had kept vital information from me, I’m glad there’s a network of spies that I can tap into.”
I strode into the kitchen and said goodbye to Petal, who handed Leif a steaming bowl and spoon.
“You’re the best, Pet.” He pecked her on the cheek. “I’ll bring the bowl back tomorrow licked clean.”
She giggled.
I shook my head as we left. “Does everyone feed you?”
“Only the nice ones.” He slurped the jungle soup as we headed to the Keep.
Exhaustion pulled on my muscles. My legs weighed a hundred pounds each. It’d been a long day and I wasn’t sure if I’d accomplished anything or not. When Leif finished his second supper, I asked about his take on the conversation with Bavol.
“He doesn’t know about the magic-blocking poison,” Leif said.
“How did you figure that out?”
“When I listed those other threats, I didn’t smell a reaction to the one about the new drug or the attack of rabid Valmurs, for which I am grateful—those little devils have sharp teeth.”
Ah. Leif had used his magic. “But he did say there were more illegal goods for sale.”
“Yes, and I think that’s my next assignment from the Council.”
Irys had also mentioned he would be needed soon. “Guess that means we need to leave town as soon as possible.”
“Field trip to Fulgor?”
“Yes. We can also visit Opal and see if she has any ideas about my problem.”
But first to bed. Leif and I agreed to meet at the Keep’s stable at noon tomorrow. We both needed to wrap up a few things in the morning.
Irys wasn’t in her tower, so I slogged up the three f
lights of stairs and collapsed into bed, covering my entire body with my cloak. I pulled my switchblade and slid the weapon under my pillow. Not paranoid. Just cautious.
* * *
The next morning, I visited Bain and surprised him when I opened his office door without knocking. He started and spilled a bottle of ink. I rushed to apologize and help clean up the mess. Nice to know the null shield woven into my cloak worked against a master-level magician.
He waved my apology away. “I am more glad you are protected than upset over another stain on my desk. As you can see, it blends right in. Now sit and tell me what you have learned.”
I updated him on everything except for the news about Ben Moon. “In other words...nothing.”
“That is not true. You’ve ruled out a number of possibilities. We are narrowing down the routes to an answer.”
I asked him how the meeting with the Council went.
Bain played with the fraying threads on the sleeve of his robe. “Not as expected.”
Good or bad? I waited.
“Of course they were upset and tossed about a few names of suspects. But no one offered to investigate through their clans. Odd.”
I studied Bain, his white hair a messy cloud around his head. Did he know about Ben? “Do you think they sent an assassin after me?”
“Oh no, no.”
“But how would you know? They’re all protected by null shields during meetings. They can lie with abandon.”
Bain straightened as if affronted. “My dear child, I can spot a liar without using my magic. And I can also sense when a person is holding information back.” He gave me a pointed look.
“So I’m not supposed to withhold information, but you can if you call it Council business?”
“What are you referring to?” His hard gaze slid past my shoulder.
I turned in time to see Irys stride into his office.
Fury sparked in her eyes. “She is referring to Ben Moon’s rescue.”
“Who?” Bain asked.
As Irys explained, the tight lump in my throat lessened. Always a relief to discover that your mentor and friend hadn’t been lying to you.
“The Council has kept this from us, Bain. And this isn’t the first time.”
He pulled at his sleeve. “No, it is not. But it is the first of this magnitude.”
“We should ban null shields from our meetings.”
“For what purpose? We are not allowed to rifle through their thoughts. It’s against the Ethical Code.”
Irys growled in frustration. “We need more master-level magicians!”
“While I agree there is always need for more, why do you think they would help in this situation?”
“They’d aid in changing the sentiment in the Council.”
“What sentiment?” I asked.
Irys leaned against Bain’s desk. “The anti-magician sentiment.” She threw her arms wide. “With all the discoveries about how to neutralize us—Curare, null shields, voids—they believe we’re weak and vulnerable and corruptible.”
Her comment slammed into me almost as hard as the arrow. “How could...? What...?” Unable to pull together a complete sentence, I shut my mouth.
“The convenience of certain magicians, like healers, has been such a part of their daily life they don’t consider them special anymore,” Bain said. “And the troubles we have had with other rogue magicians like Owen, Kangom, Roze, Ferde, Galen, Walsh, and Devlen while he was addicted to the blood magic, have tarnished all our reputations.”
Wow, that was quite the list. And what did it say about my life that I knew them all? “What about the ones before I came to Sitia?”
“Oh, we’ve always had troublesome magicians,” Irys said. “But it seems since the border with Ixia has been...opened, for lack of a better word, the incidents have increased.”
The trade treaty with the Commander happened around the time I’d returned to Sitia after a fourteen-year absence. Had I been the catalyst?
Irys swatted me on the shoulder. “Stop furrowing your brow. You’re not responsible. The rediscovery of blood magic and Curare also matches the timing of the Commander’s treaty. So it would have happened if you were here or not.”
I gave her a grateful smile. She knew me so well.
“And I suspect the Councilors are frustrated with not being in direct control of the super messengers and Opal’s magic detectors,” Irys said. “They believe both items should be considered property of Sitia. Two clans, Cloud Mist and Jewelrose, have been very vocal about it. I suspect their richer citizens have been pressuring the Councilors. And there have been rumors about the need to control magicians—to use us like an army instead of letting each be free to do our own thing.”
“The problems created by the Council are never ending. That is not why Yelena is here,” Bain said. “Did young Fisk have any ideas?”
“No.” I filled them in. “Have you learned anything?”
“Not yet,” Irys said. “I’ll send a message to Pazia this afternoon.”
“Where is her glass factory?” I asked.
“In her family’s compound near Ognap. Why?”
Ognap was a five-day journey east of Fulgor. “Don’t send that message. I’ll pay her a visit.”
Irys crossed her arms, waiting.
“You told me to keep a low profile, so I’m leaving for Fulgor today.”
“My advice meant you should remain in your rooms, reading books, catching up on sleep and avoiding danger. Remember those things?”
“Yeah, well...that’s not going to happen anytime soon.”
“Do you really think you’ll learn Ben’s whereabouts when the authorities haven’t?”
“Who says I’m chasing after Ben? I’m going to talk to Opal, see if she has any thoughts about my condition. Then I’ll visit Pazia and my father.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I’ll be protected. I’m taking Leif.”
“The Council has an assignment for him. I’m supposed to tell him.”
“Sorry, he just left. Guess you’ll have to tell him when he returns.”
“Not funny.” She huffed. “I should go with you, too.”
“You’re welcome to come along.”
Bain cleared his throat. “That would be ill-timed. We have—”
“Council business. I know. How about taking along another magician for added security?”
“Who do you have in mind?”
Irys covered her surprise. Guess she’d thought I’d give her more resistance. Normally, I would. These weren’t normal times.
“Let’s see... There’s your friend Dax.”
“No. I need him to help research Yelena’s problem,” Bain said. “Plus he’s teaching classes.”
Too bad. Traveling with Dax would have been fun.
“And Zebb won’t leave Councilor Moon’s side.” Irys rubbed her temples as if she had a headache. “Hale’s between assignments. He proved himself when Opal was having all that trouble.”
“Does he have a Sandseed horse? We’re planning on traveling through the Avibian Plains as much as we can.” Plus the Sandseed’s magic in the plains would prevent anyone from following us.
“I don’t think so, but talk to the Stable Master and see if he’ll allow Hale to borrow Garnet.”
I gave her a flat look.
“Oh, all right, tell him I sanctioned it.”
“I can’t believe you’re afraid of the Stable Master!”
“I am not.”
I laughed at how childish she sounded.
Irys smiled back. “What else do you need from us?”
I sobered. “Just keep searching.”
“You got it. And I’ll tell Hale about his new mission. When d
o you plan to leave?”
“Noon.” Which wasn’t that far off. I said goodbye to Bain and Irys and hurried to finish getting ready for the trip.
I stopped in the message office on the ground floor of the administration building and sent a note to Valek. Using the code we’d developed just for this purpose, I informed him about Ben just in case he hadn’t heard and listed my travel plans. There was no need to worry him about my condition. At least, not yet.
After I collected my backpack, I headed to the stable. When I arrived, Leif stood next to Rusalka. He smirked as he watched a man arguing with the Stable Master. The man had close-set eyes, short black hair and a high forehead. Probably Hale.
“...you can’t have him, you idiot,” the Stable Master said. “I don’t care who you are or what you’re doing. He’s—”
I interrupted them. “Hale’s coming with us on an important mission.”
Leif made a choking sound. His smirk disappeared.
“Do you have any Sandseed horses he can...borrow?” I asked. “We’re going to be traveling through the plains.”
“Ah hell.” The Stable Master ran a hand through his mane of hair as if smoothing it down. If anything, he made it worse. “Why didn’t the...he say so?”
“He just received his orders from Second Magician, so I’m sure he’s a bit out of sorts.” I shot Hale a significant look.
The Stable Master stomped over to Garnet’s stall. “If he’ll let you saddle him, then he’s up for the trip. If not, then you’re out of luck.” He scratched him behind the ears. His features softened as he gazed at Garnet. Then he glared at us and continued down the aisle, muttering under his breath.
“Hi, Hale,” I said, shaking his hand. “Thanks for coming along. Did Irys fill you in on where we’re going?”
“Uh...Irys?” Hale appeared to be a bit flustered.
“Second Magician.”
“Oh, she said we’re traveling to Fulgor and I was to protect you.” His face creased in confusion. “I’m not sure why. You’re already covered by a null shield. Plus you’re the...Soulfinder.” He said the word almost as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.
“I’ll explain on the way. See if Garnet will stand for you.”
“Okay.” Hale approached the horse as if he’d never seen one before.