They traveled east for another five days and dodged the border patrols performing their sweeps of the forest. When the first squad had drawn near, Onora had grabbed Janco’s arm at the same time as he put a finger to his lips to warn her. Without a word, she’d melted into the surroundings, while he’d scouted the patrol’s position, tracking them and ensuring he and Onora wouldn’t cross paths with the guards.
And soon dodging patrols became routine. His forest vibe would trigger when her assassin senses tingled. She melted while he scouted.
Janco squeezed a few more personal facts from her. The most interesting tidbit was she’d had to join the military when she turned sixteen or she would have starved.
Early in the morning on the eleventh day, pain radiated from Janco’s right ear. He pressed his fingers to the scar that had formed after the lower half of his ear had been hacked off. The burning pain spread to his jaw and drilled a hole into his brain. Janco scanned the surroundings while Onora waited.
“Strong magic,” he puffed. “Close by.”
She drew her knives. He didn’t have the energy to tell her the weapons would be useless against a magical attack. She’d discover that lovely little surprise soon enough.
20
YELENA
I raced to Reema’s window. A grappling hook bit into the wood underneath the ledge. A rope with knots tied every couple of feet hung to the ground. I looked out in time to see a man hurrying away with a large sack slung over his shoulder. Reema!
Without thought, I swung my legs over the ledge, grasped the rope and scrambled down. Catching sight of his cloak disappearing around a corner, I followed him through Fulgor’s alleys and side streets, staying far enough back so he wouldn’t see me. There was just enough light from the lanterns to discern his form as he navigated the city.
I debated my next move. Should I rush him before he reached his destination? All I had was my switchblade, which I palmed. I’d left my cloak with its hidden darts and my bo staff at Opal’s. Perhaps I should wait until he arrived, then attack? What if he had friends? Maybe I should learn his destination and then fetch help. But what if he left after I did? Argh.
Unable to decide, I trailed him, encountering no one. No security officers. Not even a mugger. After about an hour, he cut down a narrow, dank, foul-smelling alley. Ari’s shoulders would never have fit.
He stopped at the halfway point and raised a fist as if to knock on a door.
If he disappeared inside, I might never see Reema again. I yelled, “Hey.” Then rushed him.
The kidnapper turned his head and reached for his sword. But I collided with him before he could draw it. We slammed into the ground, landing with me on top and him facing the wall. The sack was wedged behind him.
I pressed my knife to his throat. “Release the girl. Now.”
He let go and held both his hands up. “Take it,” he said.
“Reema, are you all right? It’s me.” I pulled open the top, peered inside and stopped as my heart lurched.
The man laughed. “Followed me all this way for a fifty-pound bag of potatoes.”
“Where—”
The door swung open. Bright light spilled into the alley, blinding me. The kidnapper grabbed my switchblade as shadows converged and multiple hands yanked me to my feet and dragged me inside. The door banged shut.
A familiar male voice said, “Don’t worry. She won’t bite. There’s a null shield around her.”
I won’t bite? My eyes adjusted and I counted five people. The man I followed plus another I didn’t recognize held my arms. Ben Moon stood in front, gloating with two women beside him.
“Hello, Yelena,” Ben said. “So good to see you again.”
Paler than I remembered, he’d also lost weight. His clothes hung on his tall frame and his sunken cheeks made his face appear skeletal. More gray stubble than black covered his scalp—the officers in Wirral must have shaved his head—but intelligence still shone from his brown eyes along with a gleam of...insanity? Cruelty? Evil? Perhaps all three. Not like the knowledge would improve my situation. Nothing would.
“What? No hello back?” Ben smirked.
“Where’s Reema?” I demanded.
“Asleep in her bed. Well, under her bed as we didn’t want to tip you off. But she’s safe and sound.”
“You— Oh.” Her “kidnapping” had been a ruse to get me here. It worked, except... “Why should I believe you?”
“Because I’m not after her. She’s not the one who is responsible for my brother’s execution. She’s not the one who sent me to Wirral,” Ben said.
“Owen is liable for his own execution. He knew the consequences of getting caught in Ixia. And you—”
“Shut up. No one deserves to be in that horrid place. And I’m not going back. You didn’t do me any favors by letting me live.” A crazed expression flitted over his face before an icy calm replaced it.
“I can rectify that right now.” I glanced around. “Where’s my switchblade?”
“Are you sure you’ve got a shield on her?” the man on my right asked. “She’s not scared.”
Now I was. His comment terrified me. If Ben had a null shield around me, that meant he didn’t know about my lack of magical powers. The assurance that I wouldn’t bite now made sense, yet I wasn’t any closer to an answer. If he didn’t send the assassin, who did?
“I’m not going to play around anymore,” Ben said. He drew a long dagger. “Hold her still.”
Years of self-defense training kicked in and I broke their hold on me, ducked out of reach and ran about two paces before being tackled to the ground. I landed hard and twisted. But the others were on me, trapping my arms and sitting on my legs.
Ben knelt next to me. He raised his knife.
“Ben, stop,” a deep male voice ordered from the other side of the room.
“The Boss,” the man pressing down on my shoulders said. Fear laced his voice.
Instead of listening, Ben pressed his lips together and brought his arm down. I braced for the explosion of pain, but the blade halted mere inches from my stomach. Ben grunted with effort and his muscles trembled. However, he didn’t move.
A hooded figure loomed behind him. “What part of ‘stop’ don’t you understand?”
“She deserves to die.” Ben forced the words out as if his vocal cords were pinched tight.
Perhaps they were. No doubt magic was involved in preventing Ben’s knife from plunging into my body. A good thing, but the Boss’s arrival might just delay the inevitable.
“Yes, she does deserve to die. But what happens when the Council, the Master Magicians, the Commander and Valek find out she’s been murdered?”
Ben hissed in frustration. “They’ll come after us.”
“And your rescue has drawn too much attention already. Besides, Valek won’t stop until we’re all dead,” the Boss said.
“But now she knows where we are.”
“Thanks to you.” The Boss sighed. “And once again, I’ll have to take care of it.”
Ben flashed me a look of pure venom. He relaxed back on his heels and lowered his knife. “We’re not done,” he said to me. “I might not be allowed to kill you, but I can hurt you. Bad.”
“That’s enough. Ben, go fetch the Theobroma.”
“But she’s—”
“Go now,” the Boss ordered.
Ben left, but my heart rate kept its frantic pace. Theobroma reduced a person’s resistance to magic. The Boss believed I still had my magic, and if I ingested the Theobroma, then I wouldn’t be able to defend against his power. He had no idea he didn’t need the substance.
I scanned the room, searching for a way to escape. Small with only a few benches. A couple of lanterns sat on a table near the door. The unlocked door.
&n
bsp; “Not yet,” the Boss said, correctly reading my intentions.
“You’ll let me go? Yeah, right.”
“I plan to, and do you want to know why?”
“Because you’re afraid of Valek?”
“For now.”
Ben returned. He held a brown lump in his palm.
“Give it to her,” the Boss ordered.
I struggled, but the four people holding me down didn’t budge. Clamping my mouth shut, I was determined not to open it, but Ben pinched my nose closed until I had to either part my lips or pass out. He shoved the Theobroma into my mouth, then held my jaw tight.
The nutty sweet substance melted on my tongue. I resisted swallowing, but due to my prone position, it dripped down my throat and I instinctively gulped.
The Boss said, “Ben, lift your null shield now.”
“Okay.”
A pause. Then the Boss turned to Ben. “What are you waiting for?”
“It’s off, I swear.”
Silence stretched and I braced, but nothing happened.
“A shield remains. Take her clothes off,” the Boss ordered.
Renewing my efforts to free my limbs, I bucked as hands grasped my shirt and yanked. Buttons flew into the air, exposing my undershirt and the glass octopus pendant.
“Stop.” The Boss held a hand up. He knelt next to me and picked up the octopus. “Interesting. No doubt the work of the Keep’s new glass magician.” Tugging the chain over my head, he removed my last defense. “But the real question is why you are wearing it.”
I kept quiet.
“No matter. I will find out soon enough.” He pulled his hood down.
Recognition shot through me an instant before his voice invaded my mind. Without my magic or a natural resistance to his power, I couldn’t stop him from delving into my memories. A horrified revulsion flushed through me, but he probed deeper and deeper until I split and shattered, exposing everything.
* * *
I stood on the street, blinking at the row of lanterns. How did I get here? It took a few moments for me to recognize the town. Fulgor. And another couple of minutes to remember I’d been on my way to Opal’s to read a story to Reema.
Reema. My stomach knotted. I needed to leave Fulgor or an assassin would target her. In fact, if I didn’t go now my family and friends would all be in grave danger.
I ran to Opal’s glass factory. The place was surrounded by Fulgor’s security officers. Their presence increased my panic. I’d been too slow to leave and everyone was dead!
The sergeant at the door smiled when he spotted me. “They’ve been searching the city for you. You better report in to HQ.”
“Reema?” I asked, breathless.
“She’s upstairs sleeping.”
“Are Opal and Devlen with her?”
“No. They joined the search parties along with your brother. A couple of our officers are watching her.”
Search parties? That was the second time he’d mentioned that. Had they been looking for me? It didn’t matter. All that concerned me was leaving town to keep them safe. “I’ll...just check on Reema and...report in.”
He stepped aside and I raced up the steps. The two standing guard relaxed when they recognized me. I waved to them as I confirmed Reema was unharmed. She slept on the couch.
She looked so innocent. No lines of worry or cunning creased her face and her pure beauty shone through. The instinct to protect her burned through me like a sudden fever. Move. Now. Or she’d die.
I gathered my pack, bo staff and cloak and dashed from the factory, heading to the stables at the Second Chance Inn. The knowledge that they watched me to ensure I left pressed on my back. No time to waste. Kiki nickered a greeting when I entered. I waved off the sleepy stable boy who appeared while I saddled her in record time. Rusalka poked her head over the wall. Her ears cocked forward.
“Please tell Rusalka not to worry,” I said to Kiki. “Tell her we’re going...” Where? The urgency to leave didn’t specify a direction. I strained to recall elusive details. There had been something about a plant in the Avibian Plains and it had been important...Freeze Burn! “Tell her we’re going to the plains and ask her to keep Leif from chasing after us. He needs to stay away from me. It’s too dangerous.”
Kiki stared at me for a moment. Then turned her head toward Rusalka, doing her silent horse communication thing. Rusalka snorted in either agreement or disagreement. It was hard to tell.
When I mounted Kiki, she twisted one ear back. “We’re going to search for that plant Devlen...er...Changed Man showed you. Do you remember it?”
She flicked me with her tail as if insulted that I’d question her memory.
“Good. I’d like to get to the plains as fast as possible.” This earned me another long gaze. “I have to leave to keep Reema safe. Okay?”
Just when I started wondering what I’d do if Kiki refused to take me, she trotted from the stables. I let her pick a path through the empty streets. Scanning the surrounding area for potential problems or for anyone following us, I stayed alert until we reached the plains two hours after dawn.
The panic released its vise grip on my heart and I drew a deep breath when we entered the vast grasslands of the plains. My family and friends would be safe. And as long as I stayed away, they’d live. The reason for my conviction eluded me, but just the thought of returning to Fulgor sent waves of fear along my spine. Sorrow weighed heavily on me. I already missed them so much it burned inside me. I imagined it would consume every part of me, leaving behind a hollow husk. And I couldn’t even think of Valek right now or I’d collapse in a puddle of misery and never move again.
Kiki broke into her gust-of-wind gait. We sailed on a river of air. I closed my eyes, enjoying the rush of the wind on my face. It banished the sadness if only for a moment. After being up all night, it didn’t take long for me to doze in the saddle.
Kiki woke me when she stopped for a rest. The plains stretched in all directions. Clumps of small scrub trees dotted the landscape. A few rocks littered the sandy soil. Kiki sipped water from a narrow depression—all that was left of a streambed.
Despite the desolation, I felt safe. Or was that because of it? When she finished drinking, I fed Kiki grain and then I groomed her. In two days, the warming season would officially start and, halfway through, shedding season would begin. The amount of hair raining to the ground would triple in another month’s time. Every year I’d been amazed that Kiki didn’t turn bald by the warm season.
After I washed the horse hair from my hands, I ate a quick meal. Quick because I didn’t have much food with me and it would soon be gone. My bo staff and switchblade were useless for hunting, but I might be able to use my Curare darts. Or could I? If I ate the meat of an animal frozen by Curare, would I also be affected? Perhaps I should stick to edible plants and roots. If I found them.
While I waited for Kiki to reenergize, I searched for recognizable vegetation. My thoughts drifted, wondering how Leif and the others had reacted to my sudden exit. Were Leif and Hale chasing after me? I hoped not. Just being near me would endanger their lives. And while my heart ached to see them, I refused to give in to such selfish desires.
I poked around the sparse clusters of greenery. Nothing matched my limited list of safe plants. Perhaps I’d find some at the next stop. Wrapping my cloak tight around me, I lay on the ground near Kiki. The sun warmed the dark fabric, lulling me to sleep.
Kiki nudged me awake a few hours later and we resumed our journey. Did she know where the reedwither plant grew or was she searching for it? For the thousandth time, I longed for my mental link with her. Finding souls and guiding them to their final destination had been satisfying, healing others had been rewarding and even examining a person’s soul served a purpose. But my ability to communicate with Kiki, Irys, Bain, Le
if and even Valek had been such a deep part of me for so long, I felt disconnected. Adrift. Lost.
Recovering my magic, however, didn’t elate me as much when I realized I still wouldn’t be able to see them or they’d die. At least I’d have Kiki and I could resume helping souls and others in need. The hardest part would be avoiding Valek. No doubt he’d hunt for me. No doubt he’d find me eventually. I dreaded that time.
We stopped two more times before I located a few edible berries and roots. At our fifth rest break on the second day, instead of moving away to find water to drink, Kiki pawed at a patch of crabgrass. Odd. I moved closer. Long thin leaves grew from red stems. The reedwither plant.
“Kiki, you’re brilliant!” I hugged her and fed her a peppermint. Then I knelt next to the cluster and considered. Should I dig around the plant to harvest the roots or pull it out like a weed?
Perhaps I shouldn’t touch the leaves or roots. I dug into my pack for a pair of gloves and returned. I would try yanking out a small section first, and if that didn’t work, I’d dig around the base.
I grasped a handful.
“Stop,” a male voice commanded behind me. “Let go of the reedwither.”
I hesitated. A dagger slammed into the ground near me.
“Let go or my next knife will not miss.”
21
VALEK
With Wilona safely tucked into a bunk next to her friend Cewen in the women’s barracks, Valek returned to the private’s room. Not wishing to alert anyone to his presence just yet, he’d had Wilona tell her friend that she’d decided to take action on her own.
Extinguishing the lantern, Valek stretched out on Wilona’s bed. He longed for a blond wig. It would add to Timmer’s confusion. However, the captain failed to visit her room that night.
In the morning, Wilona reported to training, acting as if nothing had happened, and Valek spent the day investigating Timmer’s network of supporters. The layout of the base matched all the other military complexes in the Territory of Ixia—the Commander insisted the bases and the General’s manors be identical, which aided Valek and his corps.