The Study of Fire (The Study Chronicles: Valek’s Adventures #3)

Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

V alek gaped at the burning building. With no thought to her own life, Yelena had plunged into the flames to save her horse. Breaking from the shock, he raced to the fire, determined to pull her out. But the flames had doubled in size, creating a wall of searing heat. He glanced at where the warper had been standing. The man was gone.

It would cost Valek precious seconds to chase the warper. Instead, Valek ran to the house, yelled at Bavol to help, grabbed a bucket, and then dashed to the water pump. However, a single bucket of water had no effect on quenching the fire. Still, he had to keep trying.

Yelena. Must. Not. Die.

That became his mantra.

Trip after trip after trip, he worked as the flames consumed the wooden structure. Sweat and soot streaked his skin and clothes. Sparks burned holes in the fabric. His world blurred to an orange and black smear. The fire eventually sputtered and died. Not due to his efforts. No. There was nothing left for it to consume. Embers pulsed.

And he had thought losing her love was painful. Yelena’s death took the agony to an extreme level. Too heart-sick to search for her body, Valek stumbled away from the charred barn. Onyx paced nervously in the pasture, but Kiki was nowhere in sight. She must have run off after Yelena… He swallowed. The taste of ashes was thick in his throat.

The house was empty. Bavol was gone. He tried to care, but at this point, nothing mattered. Life ceased to have any meaning. Any joy. Anything.

He washed off the dirt and sweat, changed into clean clothes, and sat on the couch. Valek drew out his cloud kissed dagger. The metal gleamed in the light. So many people had died, either by his hand or because of him. His life was full of death, starting with the murder of his three older brothers. It made perfect sense to end his own life. Go to the fire world and burn for his crimes. He stared at the blade, imagining the perfect angle he’d need to thrust it under his breastbone and into his heart.

Except.

Except, he had saved more lives than he had taken.

Except, if the Fire Warper won, the world would burn.

Except, Valek with his immunity to magic might be able to stop the Daviians.

He couldn’t be selfish. He couldn’t end his pain. Not yet anyway. He sheathed his dagger and finally succumbed to the exhaustion. Yelena filled his dreams.

* * *

A faint crunching sound woke him.

“Kiki,” Yelena’s voice called.

Valek was at the door without any memory of the trip. Yelena stood at the edge of the ruined barn. A ghost? Her cloak was gone and soot, ash, and burn holes peppered her clothing.

Her once long black hair had been half burned, leaving an uneven mess of spikes and longer strands behind.

She met his gaze and laughed. Then she collapsed to the ground.

Valek was beside her in an instant. Caressing her face with a finger, he couldn’t believe she’d survived. “Are you real?” he asked. “Or just some cruel joke?”

“I’m real. A real simpleton, Valek. I should never have said…I should never have done…” She drew in a deep breath. “Forgive me, please?”

Forgive her? He should be asking for her forgiveness. “Would you promise never to do it again?” he asked, thinking of her diving into the fire.

“Sorry, I can’t.”

“Then you certainly are real. A real pain in the ass, but that’s who I fell in love with.” He pulled her close, cherishing the moment. “Why were you so determined to push me away, love?”

“Fear.”

“You’ve faced fear before. What’s different?”

“I’m afraid of my magic.” The words tumbled from her mouth as if she was finally being honest with him and herself. “If I harvested enough souls, I know I would possess ample power to defeat all the warpers, including the Fire Warper. That’s tempting. Tempting enough to want to protect you from me .”

Valek pulled back and met her gaze. “But all you need to do is ask. We wouldn’t hesitate to give you our souls to defeat the Daviians.” She already had his heart.

“No. There has to be another way.”

“And that would be…?”

“When I figure it out, you’ll be the first to know.” Before he could comment, she added, “You never answered me. Am I forgiven?”

He sighed dramatically. “You’re forgiven. Will you forgive me for not rescuing you sooner?”

“Yes.”

“Now come inside, you reek of smoke.” He hated the smell.

Valek helped her to stand. She swayed, and he kept his hand on her arm.

“Where’s Kiki?” she asked.

“Once you disappeared into the stable, she ran off and hasn’t come back.”

They entered the house.

“Where’s Bavol?”

“The Daviian Warper captured him while I tried to douse the fire. Will they kill him?”

“No. They need him and all the councilors for a while to keep up the pretense that the council and master magicians are in charge.”

“How long will it last?”

“Not very.”

“Will they come after us here?” he asked.

“No. But we need to retake control.”

“We, love? I thought you could handle this by yourself.”

“I was wrong.”

Valek heated water and filled the cast-iron tub. He removed her burned clothes, and helped her in. While Yelena bathed, he rummaged in her pack, looking for clean clothes. He found a glass statue of a bat. When he picked it up, magic stuck to his skin. Odd.

He returned with the clothes and the bat. “What’s this?”

“I visited Opal at her family’s glass factory when I was in Booruby. As a fellow artist, what do you think of the construction?”

Valek examined the statue, turning it this way and that. “It’s an accurate reproduction. The coloring matches one of the smaller jungle bat species. It’s sticky with magic. I feel it but can’t see it. Can you?”

“The inside glows as if molten fire has been captured by ice.”

“That would be something to see, then.”

Yelena touched Valek’s shoulder, and his heart tingled. The statue came to life with an inner fire. “Ahh, spectacular. Can everyone see this?”

“Only magicians.”

“Good. That lays that debate to rest. I am not a magician.”

“Then what are you? You’re not a regular person either.”

Valek pretended to be mortified.

“Come on,” she said. “Your skills as a fighter have an almost magical air. Your ability to move without sound and blend in with shadows and people seems extraordinary. You can communicate with me over vast distances, but I can’t contact you.”

“An anti-magician?” He rather liked that moniker.

“I suppose, but I’d bet Bain could find it in one of his books.” She sighed. “There might be a way inside the Keep. Bavol said that Bain told him an emergency tunnel had been built. It’s located on the east side of the Keep and supposedly big enough for a horse.”

“What else did you learn from your connection with Bavol?” he asked.

“I was able to connect with his daughter and Councilor Stormdancer’s wife, Gale. The Daviians have kidnapped nine children and two adults. They’re locked inside a barn. Gale thought they might be in the Bloodgood lands, but she remembered seeing a pond with crimson-colored water. It was shaped like a diamond.”

He remembered looking at a map of Sitia, noting the various distinctive features of each clan’s territory. “That sounds like Diamond Lake in the Jewelrose lands. It’s near the Bloodgood border. The Jewelrose Clan has built a series of lakes that resemble shapes of jewels, and the water reflects the colors.”

“Why red?”

“Because the Jewelrose Clan is famous for cutting rubies into diamond shapes. The Commander even has a six-carat ruby on a ring, but he stopped wearing it after the takeover. I wonder…” Mentioning the Commander triggered a memory. Valek was wrong, the Commander still wore the ruby but only when he transformed into Signe.

“What?” she prodded.

“Have you shown your bat to the Commander?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

She hesitated. Ah, that meant she knew.

“I know about the Commander, love. How could you believe that I spent the last eighteen years with him and not know?”

“I…”

“After all.” Valek made a scary face. “I am the anti-magician!”

She laughed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“For the same reason you didn’t.” Because it didn’t change anything. The Commander was the Commander. And if the Commander wanted people to know, he would tell them. Valek wrapped her glass bat and placed it back into her pack.

“The Commander saw the glow,” she said. “I think his body contains two souls, but I have no idea how or why it’s magical. And if he does have magic, why didn’t he flame out after puberty?”

“Two? Ambrose’s mother died during his birth and there was some confusion. The midwife insisted a boy had been born, but later his father held a baby girl. They searched for evidence of a second child but found nothing. They chalked it up to the midwife being upset about losing her patient. Ambrose used to blame this invisible twin whenever he was in trouble, which, from his stories, was quite often.”

“Was his mother a magician?”

“She was considered to be a healer, but I don’t know if she healed with magic or with mundane remedies.”

Valek drained the tub while Yelena tried to fix her ruined hair. Some sections remained long, while others had been burned to stubble.

“Let me, love.” Valek removed the brush from her hands. He rummaged around the bath area until he found his razor. “Sorry, nothing else will work.”

“How did you get so good with hair?”

“Spent a season working undercover as Queen Jewel’s personal groomer. She had beautiful, thick hair.” Too bad she was rotten to her core.

“Wait, I thought all the Queen’s servants had to be women.”

“Good thing no one thought to look up my skirt.” Valek grinned as he cut Yelena’s hair, transforming what was left of her long locks into a short hair style.

After he finished, Valek said, “This will help with your disguise.”

“My disguise?”

“Everyone’s looking for you. If I disguise you as a man, you’ll be much harder to find. Although…” He studied her face. “I’ll use a little makeup. Being a man won’t draw unwanted attention, unless they notice you don’t have any eyebrows.”

She touched the ridge above her eyes with her fingertips. “What should we do first? Try to find the tunnel to the Keep—if it even exists. Or go and rescue the councilors’ families?”

“We should—” The sound of distant voices reached him. “Someone’s coming.”

He signaled Yelena to wait while he went into the living room. Standing next to the door he peeked out, Valek sighed. The door opened. Yelena also hadn’t listened to him. Instead of waiting, she brandished her switchblade at the person coming inside.

“What happened to your hair?” Ari demanded. “Are you all right?”

Janco followed him in. “Look what happens when you sneak off without us!”

“I’d hardly call being captured and taken to Sitia inside a box sneaking off,” she said, tucking her weapon into her pocket.

Janco cocked his head this way and that. “Aha! You look just like a prickle bush in MD-4. If we buried you up to your neck, we could?—”

“Janco,” Ari growled.

“If you gentlemen are finished, I’d like to know why you disobeyed my orders,” Valek said, stepping from behind the door.

Janco smiled one of his predatory grins as if he had anticipated this question and already composed an answer. “We did not disobey any of your orders. You said to keep an eye on Yelena’s brother, the scary-looking big guy, and the others. So, we did.”

Valek crossed his arms and waited.

“But you didn’t specify what we should do if our charges came to Sitia,” Ari said.

“How could they possibly escape the castle and get through the borders?” He didn’t have time for their nonsense.

Glee lit Janco’s eyes. “That’s a very good question. Ari, please tell our industrious leader how the Sitians escaped.”

Ari shot his partner a nasty look, which didn’t affect Janco’s mood in the least. “They had some help,” Ari said.

Valek waited.

Ari fidgeted like a little kid about to get scolded. Yelena covered her mouth to keep from laughing.

“We helped them,” Ari finally said.

“ We ?” Janco asked.

“I did.” Ari sounded miserable. “Happy now?”

“Yes.” Janco rubbed his hands together. “This is going to be good. Go on, Ari. Tell him why—although, I think they magicked him.” He waggled his fingers.

“They didn’t use magic. They used common sense and logic.”

Oh? Valek raised an eyebrow.

“There’re strange things going on here,” Ari said. “If we don’t put it right, then it’ll spread like a disease and kill us all.”

“Who told you this?” Yelena asked.

“Moon Man.”

“Where are they now?” Valek asked.

“Camped about a mile north of here,” Ari said.

The drumming of horses sounded outside. Yelena looked through the window. Valek joined her. It was the four Sitians on horseback.

“How did they find us?” Valek asked in his coldest tone.

Janco seemed surprised. “They didn’t know where we were going. I told them to wait for us.”

“Isn’t it frustrating when no one obeys your orders?” Valek asked.

They went outside. Tauno rode on Kiki and she came straight to Yelena, bumping her chest with her nose. Valek was glad Kiki had returned. According to Tauno, she joined them after Ari and Janco had left.

“We let her lead,” Tauno said. “Although, between Marrok and I, we could have easily followed the Ixians’ tracks.”

The four of them dismounted. By their glares and stiff expressions, they remained angry at Yelena. She avoided their gazes and took the horses over to the burned stable, where she rummaged for brushes. They all tromped inside the house. Valek built a fire and boiled water for tea while Janco regaled him with their adventures. He half listened.

“…six people sharing three horses slowed us down…”

Yelena should be done grooming the horses by now.

“…clueless border guards…”

It was getting dark.

“…and then there was Leif going on and on about how much better…”

It was getting cold.

“…Moon Man telling me I have a complex relationship with my…”

Valek glanced out the window. Yelena worked on the pasture’s fence, trying to repair it by pounding on a post with a rock. She was certainly dedicated to avoiding her brother and friends. He left the house. Joining her, he grabbed her arm and removed the rock from her hand.

“Come inside, love. We have plans to discuss.”

Reluctance shone in her gaze, but she followed him. The living room conversation died the moment they entered. She sat next to the hearth’s fire, warming her frozen and bleeding fingers. She averted her gaze as everyone stared at her, waiting.

Ari and Janco jumped to their feet.

“Did I pass your test?” she asked. “By not diving into the flames.”

“That’s not it,” Janco said. “You have a rather ugly bat clinging to your arm.”

Valek had missed the small hand-sized bat hanging from her upper left arm. Yelena offered him an alternative perch and he transferred to the edge of her right hand. She carried the bat outside, but despite shaking her hand multiple times, the creature refused to leave. Instead, it settled on her shoulder. She shrugged and returned inside.

Leif peered at the bat with a thoughtful purse to his lips. Yelena glanced at them. While uncertainty and fear shone in her eyes, determination also emanated.

“Leif,” she said.

He jumped as if bitten.

“I want you and Moon Man to get into the Council Hall’s library and find everything you can about a tunnel into the Keep.” She told them about Bain’s information. “Moon Man can disguise himself as a Daviian, and hopefully you won’t be caught. Do not use magic at all from now on. It will only draw them to you.”

Moon Man and Leif nodded. Valek smiled. His love had returned from her self-imposed exile. The Daviians wouldn’t know what hit them.

“Marrok?” she asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“Are you able to fight?”

“Ready, willing and able , sir.”

She swallowed, taken aback by his pledge. But she recovered quickly. “Good. Marrok and Tauno will accompany Valek and me. We’ll go south to rescue the hostages.”

“What hostages?” Marrok asked.

Yelena explained about the councilors’ families.

Ari cleared his throat as if he wanted to interject.

“I haven’t forgotten about you two. I need you to go into the Citadel and help organize the resistance.”

“Resistance?” Valek asked, thinking about Fisk. “I hadn’t heard.”

“I put an idea into a merchant’s head, and I think if Ari and Janco disguised themselves as traders, they could move about the Citadel. Ari will have to dye his hair. Oh, and find a boy named Fisk. Tell him you’re my friends and he’ll help you make contacts.”

“And when and where, oh mighty Yelena, do we resist?” Janco asked.

“At the Keep’s gates. As for when, I don’t know, but something will happen, and you’ll know.”

Janco and Ari exchanged a look.

“Gotta love the confidence,” Janco said.

“And when do we start, love?” Valek asked.

“Everyone get a good night’s sleep, and we’ll begin preparations in the morning. We’ll leave early. Do you have enough disguises for four of us, or do we need to get supplies? Money?” she asked Valek.

He smiled. “You mean raid some laundry lines? Steal a couple purses? No. My safe houses are well stocked with all types of items.”

Leif was the only one alarmed by his statement. The room erupted with the noise of multiple conversations. Plans were made and actions decided.

Obviously unhappy, Tauno asked Yelena why he was being separated from Moon Man.

“I need a good scout.”

“What about Marrok?” he asked.

“We need him just in case they’ve moved the captives. He can track them to the new location. Don’t worry, Tauno, we’ll all reunite.”

Tauno failed to look reassured, but he nodded and joined Marrok and Moon Man.

Valek turned to Yelena. “We haven’t discussed Jal. Sounds like he’s the leader of the Daviians. Do you know who he is?”

“I’m assuming Jal is Gede’s Daviian name. It makes sense. You can’t have your minions calling you by your real name in case there are Sandseed spies. Gede is the most powerful Story Weaver left, and he called the Fire Warper when I was in his quarters. Plus, the fact that he survived the massacre.”

“All good points. Also, Moon Man said Gede is no longer a Story Weaver, but a warper since he betrayed their people. I agree with you.”

With the small house full of guests, Valek and Yelena didn’t have any privacy to do more than snuggle, but considering that he thought she had died, he was blissfully happy just to hold her in his arms all night.

* * *

In the morning, Valek transformed his team into members of the Krystal Clan. They wore the light gray tunics and dark woolen leggings that the clan preferred, which matched the short, hooded capes and black knee-high boots.

Before they could leave, Leif handed Yelena a pouch full of herbs. “Since you can’t use your magic, you might want to have them. There are directions on how to use each one inside the packet.”

“Leif, I’m?—”

“I know. Truthfully, I didn’t like the distrustful and mean person you became in Ixia. The fire brought my real sister back. So be careful, as I’d like to keep her around for a while.”

“You take care, too. Don’t get caught. I wouldn’t want to tell Mother about it. She wouldn’t be pleased.”

Leif looked at Ari and Janco. They fought over who would drive the wagon and who would guard it. “Do they always argue?”

Not always.

She laughed. “It’s part of their appeal.”

Leif sighed. “I’m amazed we made it to Sitia without being discovered.” He paused and cocked his head. “I think I’m actually going to miss them.”

“I always do.”

Valek hoped Janco hadn’t overheard her comment or he’d preen. Before they went their separate ways, he said, “Fourteen days, give or take, should be enough time for everyone. Let’s meet in Owl’s Hill, as this location is no longer safe. There’s an inn called the Cloverleaf that is frequented by caravans.”

Everyone said goodbye and good luck. Valek mounted Onyx, Yelena rode Kiki, Marrok sat on Topaz, and Tauno rode Garnet. They set a quick pace. Heading west, they hoped to reach the Krystal Clan’s border by nightfall. Then the plan was to follow the border south into the Stormdance lands, cross it and the Bloodgood’s lands before reaching Jewelrose’s border. Normally, it was a seven-day journey, but they hoped to make it there in five days.

They created a cover story of delivering samples of quartz, in case anyone stopped them on the road. Valek didn’t expect to be challenged, but it was a good idea to be prepared. Which was the reason everyone called Yelena by a new name, so she’d react when they called her Ellion.

Just like the Ixian Military Districts, each Sitian clan had a specialty. The Jewelrose Clan cut and polished gems and stones of all types. They designed and produced almost all the jewelry in Sitia.

Bright sunshine warmed the air and Valek was glad for many reasons. He was tired of the sleet and cold rain. “Let’s hope the good weather draws people onto the roads.”

“Why?” Tauno asked.

“Then we will be one of many instead of the only ones,” Valek explained. He rode next to the Sandseed, and they discussed the best way to find the barn that held the hostages.

In front of them, Yelena and Marrok rode side by side. Kiki occasionally bumped into Topaz when they slowed their pace or stopped for a rest. Valek wondered if the horses were friends or siblings. Yelena’s new bat friend hung upside down from her hood. It bumped against the small of her back but didn’t appear to be bothered by the motion. It seemed content to sleep. It would be interesting to see what the bat did that evening. Would he leave them?

In the late afternoon, Yelena asked Marrok about his confession.

“Cahil tricked me,” Marrok said. “I fell for his lies about remaining with Ferde to discover the extent of the Daviians’ operations. Applauded his plan to lure Ferde back to the Citadel. Commiserated over your ill-timed interference. He convinced me to confess, and name you and Leif as accomplices. It would help him persuade the Council to attack Ixia. He promised…” Marrok paused, rubbing a hand along his right cheek. “After I confessed, he turned on me. A mistake I paid for…” He shuddered. “Am still paying for.”

Valek thought Roze had used her magic on him to force a confession, but it had been his conscience that caused his reluctance.

“Betrayals are brutal,” Yelena agreed.

Marrok looked at her in surprise. “Don’t you think leaving us in Ixia was a betrayal?”

“No. That wasn’t my intention. I wanted to protect you and was honest with all of you from the start. I just wasn’t honest with myself. A mistake.”

“You’re still paying for?” Marrok smiled. The gesture erased years from his face.

“Yes. It’s the problem with mistakes, they tend to linger. But once we’re done with the Daviians and Cahil, I will have paid for all my mistakes. In full.”

What did that mean? Unease simmered in Valek’s chest. Did she plan to sacrifice herself?

“Do you remember your rescue from the Citadel?” she asked Marrok.

He grinned ruefully. “Sorry, no. At the time, I was in no condition to think. Moon Man is a wonder. I owe him my life.” Marrok glanced around then lowered his voice.

Valek leaned forward to hear better.

“Being here without him, I feel…fragile. And that’s hard for an old soldier to admit.”

Conversation dwindled with the daylight. They stopped at midnight. Without any discussion, Yelena fed, watered, and groomed the horses, Marrok prepared a meal, Tauno hunted for rabbits, and Valek collected firewood.

“I’m used to soldiers’ rations on the road, so don’t expect this to taste like Leif’s,” Marrok said as he dished out rabbit stew.

It was a gourmet meal compared to the jerky Valek had been consuming since… Forever. Or so it seemed.

As he ate, he watched Yelena’s bat flit over the campfire, feasting on bugs. After dinner, they arranged their sleeping mats and set a watch schedule. Valek set his right next to Yelena’s and they shared a blanket. She wrapped him in a tight hug.

“What’s the matter, love,” he whispered in her ear. “You’re rarely this quiet.”

“Just worried about the councilors’ families.”

“I think we have things well in hand. Between my sleeping potion for the guards, your Curare for the warpers, and the element of surprise, we should rescue them in no time.”

“But what if one of the captives is sick? Or dying? If I use my magic, I risk letting the warpers know where I am and what I’ve been doing.”

“Then you’ll have to decide what is more important—one person’s life or the success of the mission for Sitia’s future. It’s pointless to worry. Instead, use your energy to decide how you would react to each contingency you can imagine. It’s more prudent to prepare for all possibilities than fret.” Good advice. Valek wished he followed it more often, especially when it came to Yelena. Logic and reason fled when she was in danger. For her, he’d fret all night.

* * *

Valek looped around their campsite. He stayed far enough away to avoid waking everyone with his footsteps, and to keep his night vision. They hadn’t encountered any trouble the past three nights, and tonight remained quiet. He enjoyed the solitude. With no clouds in the sky, the air had cooled considerably. But it was worth it as the stars shone and twinkled like a field of fireflies.

When his shift was over, he crouched next to Yelena and gently shook her shoulder. “Ellion… Ellion…” He whispered. She didn’t move. “Yelena! Wake up.”

She pushed his arm away. “Tired,” she mumbled.

“Yes, we all are. But it’s your turn,” Valek said.

She blinked at him with heavy eyelids.

He almost relented and let her sleep, but he needed to rest as well. And Tauno was out scouting, so they were down one man. “There’s a pot of tea on the fire.”

When she didn’t move, he pushed her off the mat. Curling in her place, he drew the covers over his shoulder. “Ahh. Still warm.”

“You’re evil,” she said, but he feigned sleep.

However, it didn’t take long for it not to be feigned.

Tauno woke them in the morning. He reported that there were no signs of activity along their path to the Jewelrose border. “There is a good site to camp about two miles south of the border,” he said. “I will join you there.” He left.

Valek watched him go. The last couple days, Valek had been getting a strange vibe from the scout. Perhaps it was due to the stress of being on his own. Or due to a lack of sleep.

They packed up the campsite and followed Tauno’s trail. He’d been right, they encountered nothing concerning, and they found the camping site Tauno had mentioned.

While they were setting up, Tauno reappeared with dinner hanging from his belt.

“I discovered the location of the barn,” he said, while butchering the rabbits. “It is four miles west of here in a little hollow.”

Valek quizzed him for the details. “We’ll have to strike in the dark,” he said. “We’ll go after midnight, leave the horses in the trees, and then attack.”

Tauno agreed. He cubed the meat and dropped it into the pot. “I will sleep, then.”

While Marrok stirred the stew, Valek prepped the reed plants, making blowpipes for everyone. Yelena saddled the tired horses. Garnet sighed when she cinched his straps tight.

“It’s not far,” she said to the horse. “Then you can rest.”

When she finished, she joined them by the fire. Valek ate a few mouthfuls of the stew as Yelena filled a bowl for herself. The stew had a strange yet familiar flavor. He stopped eating. What was that taste?

“This is good,” Yelena said to Marrok. “I think you’re getting the hang of it. What did you add?”

“A new ingredient. Can you tell what it is?”

She took another spoonful, and rolled the liquid around her mouth like Valek had taught her. She swallowed and asked, “Ginger?”

No. The ingredient’s name popped into Valek’s head. And he knew exactly what symptoms it caused. He dropped his stew. He jumped to his feet and stumbled.

“Butter root!” he cried out in horror.

“Poison?”

“No.” He sank to his knees. “Sleeping draft.”