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

Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

V alek rolled over in his crate and rested on his elbows and knees. He slid the panel below him open, then he eased onto the cobblestones.

“I assume you have Yelena hidden somewhere in your wagon,” Cahil said.

“Have who, sir?” Ari asked, playing innocent. “All I have are goods for the market.”

From his position, Valek counted horses. Five. They stood in a semi-circle, blocking the front of the wagon.

“For the market? The market you just rode through without stopping to unload? I don’t think so. Despite your disguises and weak attempts to explain your presence, I know who you are and why you’re here. In fact, I was sent by Jal to come and escort you to the Keep.”

Valek combat crawled to the back of the wagon, where Janco and Marrok remained on their horses. Keeping the pile of goods between him and Cahil, he climbed the stack, stopping short of the top. Ari shifted his weight while Janco met Valek’s gaze. Janco signaled, Not yet.

“Relax,” Cahil said. “I’m not here to capture you. I’m here to join you. And I hope for the sake of all our lives you have a decent plan.”

Join us? No way Valek would believe a word that man said.

“A plan, sir?” Ari asked.

Cahil snorted with exasperation. “Yelena! Leif!” he called. “Come out and tell your big northern friend I’m telling the truth. Look for yourselves.”

Janco signaled. Go .

Valek climbed on top of the wagon.

Cahil said, “My people have not drawn their?—”

He launched into a diving tackle, knocking Cahil off his horse. The Wannabe King yelped as they hit the ground with a thud. Valek yanked his dagger, pulled Cahil to his feet and pressed the sharp blade to the man’s throat. His minions froze.

Ari pulled off the rugs and helped Yelena from her box. Leif, Gale, and Janco joined Ari with weapons in hand. However, Marrok stayed on Garnet.

“Tell me why I shouldn’t cut your throat?” Valek asked Cahil, even though he was pretty sure this was going to end with the Wannabe King’s death regardless.

“You won’t get into the Keep without me,” Cahil said. He kept still and held his hands up and away from his body.

“Why this sudden change of heart?” Yelena asked.

“You were right,” he said as if in pain. “They’re using me and…”

“And what?” she prompted.

“The rituals and killings have gotten out of hand. I can’t be a part of it anymore.” He looked at Marrok. “I wasn’t raised to be a killer. I was raised to be a leader. I’ll earn my throne the old-fashioned way.”

Although the expression on Marrok’s face never changed, his body relaxed.

“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” Ari asked.

“Yelena knows through her magic.”

She shook her head. “I can’t use it. It will alert Jal and risk the mission.”

“She already knows you’re here. You have thwarted her a number of times. Although it will be more difficult now, as she has gained an incredible amount of power through the Kirakawa ritual.”

“She?” Valek and Yelena asked in unison.

“We thought Jal was Gede,” Yelena said.

Cahil blinked at her for a moment in shock. “You didn’t know? What else don’t you know? You were planning an attack at the Keep, right? I thought you had it all figured out.”

“You thought wrong,” she said, annoyed. “We had to guess about the state of affairs inside the Keep.”

“Then here’s a way for me to prove my loyalty. I’ll tell you what’s been going on and will help you get inside. Agreed?”

Valek and Yelena exchanged a glance. Could they trust him or not?

“Do I still get to kill him?” Valek asked, hopeful.

“At the first sign of betrayal, yes,” Yelena said.

“What about after this is all over?”

“Then it’s your call.”

He grinned. Valek never took pleasure in killing, but Cahil’s death might be the first.

Cahil stared at them. “Hold on. I’m risking my life to help you. I’d like some guarantees.”

“We’ve come to a point where there are no guarantees. For any of us,” she said.

“That’s not very encouraging,” Cahil said.

“It’s not supposed to be. You should know what happens when you play with fire, Cahil. Eventually, you’ll get burned. Now, tell us what you know,” she ordered.

Valek removed his knife from Cahil’s throat and stepped back. Cahil scanned the area. They had attracted quite the crowd, but there were no Daviians among them.

“Where are all the warpers?” Yelena had made the same observation.

He gave her a sardonic smile. “They’re all at the Keep. Roze plans a massive Kirakawa ritual using all the magicians she has captured to empower all her favorite warpers in one sweep. And you’re to be the coup de grace.”

Ah, so Roze was the Daviians’ leader. Valek had suspected she was working with the Daviians, but now that he knew her real role as their leader, it made sense. Kudos to her for keeping it a secret for so long.

Yelena paled. “Roze?”

A superior expression settled on Cahil’s face. “Yes, Roze Featherstone, First Magician. Also known as Jalila Daviian, First Warper and founder of the Daviian Clan.”

All color drained from Leif’s face. “But how? Why?”

Valek remembered Yelena’s brother worked with Roze on criminal cases. Poor guy had just received a massive blow. Betrayal seemed to be the theme for this mission. First Star, then Tauno, and now Roze. Valek wondered how long she’d been planning this coup.

“I had no idea until Ferde was caught,” Cahil said. “She asked me to rescue him in exchange for the council’s support to invade Ixia. I thought it was an undercover mission to learn who else was behind his bid for power. Though, when I discovered the truth about Roze and the other warpers, I must admit it didn’t bother me at the time. She promised to attack Ixia and make me king.”

“How many warpers are inside and who are the victims for the ritual?” Yelena asked.

“Six very powerful warpers, including Roze and Gede. They have been very careful about who they allow to increase their powers, keeping crucial information about the Kirakawa ritual to a select few. There are fifty Daviian soldiers and ten medium powered warpers. Two of those warpers are scheduled to be given master-level powers during the massive ritual. The victims for this ritual will be the three other masters—who are incarcerated in the Keep’s cells—Moon Man and the councilors.”

Sixty-six against seven. Perhaps they should recruit a few dozen people. Too bad, they had no time.

“What about the students?” Yelena asked.

“The older apprentices have been put in the cells. The younger ones obey out of fear.”

“How does Roze plan to control the master magicians?”

“She has the power, but I think she does plan to prick them with Curare to save her energy. Once they are tied down, a dose of Theobroma will weaken their defenses.”

“They seem to have an unlimited supply of Curare,” Yelena said wryly.

“Gede Daviian has provided the drug for them. He also helped recruit dissatisfied Sandseeds to the Daviian Clan. And having a pet Fire Warper has made him the Daviians’ most valued member.”

Gede and Roze had to be Valek’s first targets. That was, if he could get close to them.

Yelena appeared to consider Cahil’s words. “How do you plan to get us inside?”

“As my prisoner. She knows I went to find you. I’ll bring you to her. Since my feelings for you haven’t changed, I won’t have to act like I hate you. Sensing nothing wrong, Roze will probably order me to take the rest”—Cahil pointed to Ari and Janco—“to the cells.”

“Why would I cooperate with you?”

“Because I’ll have Leif, and I’ll make a bargain to keep him safe in exchange for your cooperation.”

Valek hated to admit it, but Cahil’s strategy had a small chance of success.

“Cahil, when you take the others to the cells, can you free everyone inside?”

“As long as Roze is occupied.”

Valek smiled. “What’s the plan, love?”

* * *

Back inside his crate, Valek wondered if they would survive the day. Yelena sat with Cahil on his horse. Ari and Marrok had their hands tied behind their backs, acting like prisoners. Leif rode on Kiki with a minion who held a knife to his throat. Janco and Gale hid in the other crates.

The wagon moved slowly. Valek straddled the open panel, watching the cobblestones. They went through the Keep’s gate without pausing. The resistance force had been updated to wait ten minutes after they entered the Keep before rioting. Cahil had said the Daviians had built a large bonfire in the grassy glen between the apprentice barracks at the very center of the Keep.

Valek poked his head out. When he spotted the side of the dining hall, he dropped to the ground. The wagon continued toward the Apprentices’ wings. He hustled over to the building’s shadow. There was no one in the area. Good . He kept to the shadows and moved closer to the glen. There were enough trees and shrubs to hide him from sight.

However, it didn’t matter if he was hidden or not. Everyone’s attention was on Cahil and Yelena. The glen had been covered in sand. He wondered if that was Avibian sand. Blood stained it, and stakes had been driven into it. A bonfire roared in the center. The killing ground for the Kirakawa ritual.

Valek’s heart sank when he recognized the next victim staked in the sand. Moon Man. Bloody cuts crisscrossed his abdomen, legs, and arms. Although in pain, Moon Man still managed to smile at Yelena. “Now we can start the party,” he said.

Here we go.

Roze frowned at Moon Man, and he writhed in agony. Gede stood beside her. Other warpers ringed the fire pit, watching with predatory gazes.

“I see you finally managed to get something right, Cahil,” Roze said. “Bring her here.”

Cahil dismounted and dragged Yelena from the horse, dropping her onto the ground. When he leaned over to yank her to her feet, Valek saw him whisper something to her. Then Cahil clamped his hand around her arm and pulled her to Roze. They stopped a few feet from the fire.

Roze gestured to a couple of nearby warpers. “There are two hiding in the boxes. Take them.”

The warpers and a few soldiers advanced on the wagon. After some banging and lots of cursing, Janco and Gale were hauled out.

“There are three compartments, but one is empty,” a warper called.

Roze looked at Yelena.

“For me. So I could get inside the Citadel,” Yelena said.

“At this distance, Yelena, do you realize your mental defenses are nothing but a thin shell? I will see your lies before you can form them in your mind. Remember that.”

She nodded.

Roze laughed and ordered the soldiers to take the prisoners to the cells. “I’ll deal with them later.”

Although they had wanted Cahil to escort the prisoners, the change didn’t ruin their plans. Once the wagon was out of sight, Roze peered at Yelena and the Wannabe King.

“Your capture was too easy,” she said. “You must think I’m a simpleton. No matter, I’ve only to expand a sliver of power to find out what you’re planning.” Roze stared intensely at Yelena.

“Why?” Yelena asked.

“Nice try. You are in my power now. Sitia is saved.”

“Saved from me?” Yelena sounded incredulous.

“Saved from you. The Commander. Valek. Our way of life is secured.”

I wouldn’t count us out just yet. Where was that bloody riot?

“By killing Sitians? Using blood magic?”

“Small price to pay for our continued prosperity. I could not let the Commander invade us. The council failed to see the problem. I created the Daviians as a backup years ago—a hidden weapon for when we needed them. It worked. The council eventually agreed with me.” Roze’s words dripped with smug satisfaction.

But she didn’t mention the hostages. Was that not part of her plans?

“The Daviians forced the council to agree with you. They had their children,” Yelena said, picking up on the same thing as Valek.

Roze shot Gede a venomous glare. He kept quiet, but he stiffened.

“Are you sure you have control of the Daviians?” Yelena asked.

Nice, love. Keep her talking.

“Of course. And once we choose a new council, we will attack Ixia and free them. They will welcome our way of life.” She smiled, a true believer of her own twisted ideals.

“So you saved Sitia? Tell me, how is sacrificing the council different than Valek assassinating them?”

Another point to Yelena. But she had gone too far. Goaded, Roze frowned, and Yelena jerked in pain, collapsing onto the sand. Valek curled his fists. If he was fast enough, he could kill Roze before anyone could stop him. Too bad, it wasn’t part of their strategy.

“Isn’t choosing new councilors the same as appointing generals?” Yelena asked, once she recovered. Then she arched her back and screamed in pain. Valek stepped from his hiding spot, but Yelena relaxed.

“Would you care to ask anything else?” Roze’s cold tone promised more pain.

But Yelena wasn’t intimidated. “Yes. How are your actions different than the Commander’s?”

Roze narrowed her gaze.

Yelena rushed on. “You want to protect Sitia from the Commander, but in the process, you’ve turned into him. You’re worried the Commander will invade Sitia and turn your clans into Military Districts. But you’re planning to attack Ixia and turn his Military Districts into clans. How is that different? Tell me!” Yelena demanded.

Valek silently cheered as Roze gaped and floundered. “I’m…he’s…” Then she laughed. “Why should I listen to you? You’re a Soulfinder. You want to control Sitia. Of course you would try to sway me with your lies.”

Next to her, Gede relaxed and chuckled. “She will twist your words. You should kill her now.”

Roze drew a breath.

“Wait for the ritual! I have something you want,” Yelena said.

“What could you have that I cannot take from you?”

“According to the ritual, a willing victim releases more power than a resisting one.”

“And you will submit to me? In exchange for what?” Roze asked.

“For all my friends’ lives.”

“No. Only one. You choose.”

“Moon Man, then.” Yelena stood.

Roze pointed. “Lie in the sand.”

“Can I ask another question first?”

“One.”

“What happens to the Fire Warper after this ritual?”

“Once you’re dead, our deal is complete. We have promised him your power and we have fed him in exchange for knowledge about the blood magic. He will then have enough power to rule the underworld.”

A shout echoed. Magic swelled, pressing against Valek’s face.

Finally. He peered over a bush. The sounds of a clash south of the glen drew everyone’s attention. Valek spotted Janco, Ari, and others fighting the Keep’s guards in the open area north of the dining hall.

Roze turned to the commotion and gestured to her warpers. “Take care of them.” Unconcerned, she faced Yelena, “You know they will not get close to us. My warpers and I have enough power to stop them.”

“Yes, I know.”

“But I don’t think you believe it. Watch what I can do. This used to drain me of energy. Now it takes only a thought.” Her gaze went to Moon Man.

His face paled, and his body jerked once then stilled. The shine in his eyes dulled as he died. Valek stifled a cry of dismay. He’d liked and respected Moon Man.

Yelena dove over the Story Weaver’s body. Valek hoped she had collected the man’s soul.

Gede gasped. “He was for the ritual.”

Roze laughed. “Don’t worry. She’ll now give me two sources of power when I cut her heart out.”

“We made a deal, Roze. My cooperation for Moon Man.” Yelena’s voice shook with fury as she brushed the sand from her clothes.

“And you won’t cooperate when I press a knife to Leif’s throat?” Roze asked. “You’re too soft, Soulfinder. You could have raised a soulless army. They would have been undefeatable. Magic doesn’t work on them. Only fire.”

Another cry sounded. This one was fainter. The rioters.

A Daviian raced toward Roze.

“Now what?” Roze asked him.

“The Keep’s gates are under attack,” he said, panting.

Roze glanced at the warpers fighting with the Keep’s magicians. “There is nobody left to rescue you,” Roze said to Yelena. She then redirected a few warpers from the battle to deal with the revolt at the gates.

“Roze, you haven’t figured everything out.”

She looked dubious. “What have I missed? Valek? Oh, I know he’s here. Magic might not affect him, but Curare will do the trick.”

“No. The Fire Warper.”

“What about him?”

“You haven’t taken into account that he might have different plans than you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Gede and I feed him. We give him his power. Who else would help him?”

“I would.”

Yelena bolted toward the fire. For the second time, Valek watched as she disappeared into the flames. A scorching heat encircled his heart. The burning pain fueled his anger.

He edged around the glen and loaded his blowpipe. When he neared the melee of warpers and magicians, he targeted the warpers until he ran out of darts. Then he pulled his sword and waded into the fray despite being vastly outnumbered. They just needed to give Yelena some time to deal with the Fire Warper. He didn’t know how she planned to do it, but he trusted her.

As Valek fought, he caught glimpses of the others. Gale swept warpers off their feet with sand-filled whirlwinds. Ari went down and lay frozen. Janco’s sword blurred with the speed of his attacks. Magic pressed on Valek from all directions, impeding his movements as if he’d fallen into a giant vat of honey.

Cahil and Marrok also fought the Daviians. Bain toppled after a dart pricked his neck. Once Roze joined the fighting, Irys was ensnared in some kind of magical hold. Leif cried out and collapsed. One by one, Valek’s teammates were immobilized and dragged to the glen, where they were staked to the sand. He fought four opponents while darts whizzed past his ears. Keeping the warpers between him and the guy with the blowpipe, Valek ducked and dodged.

His energy drained at an alarming rate. It was only a matter of time before he joined the others in the sand.

Come on, love. A little help. But he’d no idea what she could do from the fire world. If anything.

The magic surrounding him increased tenfold. Breathing became extremely difficult. He met Roze’s powerful gaze.

One last move. Valek jerked as if struck by a dart. He slapped a hand to his neck, cursed, and then dropped to the ground as if paralyzed.

Roze yelped and everyone turned their attention to her. She pushed up the sleeves of her dress. Black liquid oozed from her arms, dripping onto the sand. Then Gede shrieked as black stains spread on the sleeves of his tunic. The smell of rancid blood filled the air.

Valek guessed that Yelena had somehow managed to take the stolen souls from the warpers, removing their power.

The magic around him disappeared. He hopped to his feet with a sudden burst of energy and attacked the distracted warpers. After he killed number four, he spun to find the man with the blowpipe, but he’d run off.

Irys had gotten free and freed Cahil, Marrok, and Gale. They attacked Roze together. As the First Magician, even without her enhanced magic, she was still a formidable opponent. Valek moved to join them. It didn’t take long to knock her unconscious.

Valek moved to slit Roze’s throat, but Irys stopped him.

“She must be tried for treason,” she said.

He gestured to the carnage. “This isn’t enough evidence?”

A sad smile briefly touched her face. “Our country has been betrayed. We need time to process and mourn, and to do things the Sitian way. We have special cells in the Keep that neutralizes a magician’s magic. Together, Bain and I have enough power to hold her when she’s not in the cell. The traitors will be hanged.”

“You have a year. If they’re not dead by then, I will kill them,” Valek promised.

“Understood.”

Valek glanced around. Marrok and Cahil untied those who had been hit with Curare. “Do you have any Theobroma to give them?” The drug was an antidote of sorts for the Curare. They could melt it and drip it into the mouths of those who had been paralyzed.

“Yes.” Irys strode away.

Those who’d survived began the long, arduous task of checking bodies and cleaning up. Four warpers, Gede, and Roze had survived the battle. They were carted to the special cells. As for their team, they had only lost Moon Man. Only. As if that word somehow made it sound better. It didn’t. The Story Weaver would be mourned and missed.

Later in the day, a long line of groundskeepers carrying buckets approached the bonfire. When one threw water on the fire, Valek raced over.

“Stop!” he yelled. “No!”

They peered at him in confusion.

Irys joined him. “What’s wrong?”

“Yelena hasn’t returned yet.”

Her expression softened. “She might not?—”

“She will . This fire stays lit until she’s home. Promise me.”

“We’ll keep it burning for now. Eventually, we will need to extinguish it and go on with our lives.” Irys stared at the flames. “If only we had some way to communicate with her.”

That reminded him. Hope surged through his heart. “Where’s Leif and Gale?”

“Leif’s in the infirmary; he has a number of lacerations. Gale left to reunite with her husband. Why?”

Valek was in too much of a hurry to answer. Instead, he turned and ran to the infirmary. All the rooms were filled with the injured. There was also an open area of examination tables for minor wounds. Leif sat on one of them.

Leif perked up when he spotted Valek. “Yelena?”

“No sign yet.”

Leif deflated.

“What did you do with those glass animals she gave you?” Valek asked.

“Oh, that’s right! Ah… They’re in my pack. Which is…” Leif cast about. “So much has happened.” He rubbed a hand through his short brown hair. “It’s in the wagon!”

“Where’s the wagon?”

“Last I saw it was parked next to the Administration building.”

“Thanks.” Valek ran into Ari on his way out. It was like hitting a brick wall.

“Whoa,” the big man said, steadying Valek.

“Are you injured?” So focused on Yelena, he hadn’t checked on his seconds.

“No. I’m just helping out. With so many wounded, the healers could use it. I even drafted Janco.”

“I’m sure he was thrilled.” Then Valek realized why there were so many in need of care. “The resistance?”

Ari frowned and his brow creased with grief. “Yeah. Without magicians on their side, they were hit pretty hard. About a dozen casualties.”

“And you feel responsible?”

“Of course. I motivated them. And it didn’t matter in the end. We didn’t need them.”

“We did. They pulled warpers from our fight, which gave us more time to keep them busy while Yelena did her thing.”

“Besides saving us all, what exactly did she do?”

“I’m not sure. We’ll have to ask her when she comes back.”

“Will she?”

“She will.” Valek refused to believe otherwise.

He found Leif’s pack in the wagon and returned to the infirmary. Handing one of the glass statues to Leif, he said, “See if you can talk to Yelena.”

Leif stared at the turtle for a long moment. His shoulders slumped. “No answer.”

“She might be busy, keep trying.”

“For how long?”

“For as long as it takes.” Valek almost snarled. Almost. She was Leif’s sister, and he was hurting as well. “Does it take a lot of energy?”

“No.”

“Then how about once an hour?”

“All right, I’ll try again.”

Valek had two more statues. He found Irys in her office. With her elbows on the desk, she rested her head in her hands.

She looked up when he approached. Her face was lined with exhaustion. “There is so much to do. I don’t know where to start.”

“Start with a council session. Explain what happened, assure them that their children and spouse are safe, and then delegate. Make a list of what needs to be done, then let each councilor handle a task. You can’t do everything.”

She gave him a tired smile. “Did you need something?”

He handed her a glass hawk. “Opal made these. Apparently, they contain magic that you can use to communicate with other magicians. Yelena thought you might be able to reach her in the fire world with these.”

Irys stared at the statue with a rapt expression. “It’s beautiful. Is that why you took off so fast?”

“Yes. I remembered she had given three to Leif and three to Gale.”

Irys jerked in surprise.

“Yelena?” he asked.

“No. Leif. We’ll have to take turns trying to reach Yelena. Who else has one of these?”

He set the last one on her desk. “Give this one to Bain. I’ll get the others from Gale. Zitora should have one as well.”

“Third Magician is in the infirmary. She was seriously wounded in the fight.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Yelena also mentioned someone named Dax. I can see if Gale can use the magic inside. If not, are there others who can use them?”

“We’ve a number of magicians who are strong in mental communication.” She wilted. “We had. I don’t know who is left.”

“You will. Remember when we defeated Brazell?”

“Yes.”

“It took me, the Commander, his advisers, and Ari and Janco three months to get everything sorted. Just take it one day at a time.”

“Thanks, Valek. Speaking of the Commander, can you please let him know that the Sitian Council would like to reestablish a relationship with Ixia?”

“I will send a messenger.” Plus, he needed to check on Gabor and Brigi.

“Oh? You’re not returning to Ixia?”

“Not until Yelena is back.”

“Won’t the Commander?—”

“I don’t care.”

She studied him. “You helped save Sitia. You’re welcome here. In fact, you can stay in Yelena’s rooms.”

Better than the couch in the safe house, but the simmering in his heart flared to a blaze. Would sleeping in her bed without her be too painful? “Thank you. I’ll also help where I can.”

“What about your companions?”

“I will give them the choice to stay in Sitia or go home.”

“They’re excellent fighters. We’re going to be sending units of soldiers to root out all the Daviians and could use their help. Cahil has volunteered to lead this effort.”

“You trust him?” Valek asked in a neutral tone.

“Yes. He allowed me to read his thoughts with my magic. He made a big mistake, but he recognized it and made amends by fighting on our side.”

“Uh huh.” Valek still wanted to kill him.

“I need him,” Irys said, correctly reading his expression and flat tone. “His people are highly trained.”

“If he sets one toe in Ixia, he’s a dead man.”

“I’ll let him know.”

* * *

Valek returned to the infirmary. Ari and Janco were helping with the wounded. He told them his plans to stay until Yelena returned. “You can return to Ixia or remain here.”

“What would we do here?” Janco asked.

“Irys said she could use your fighting skills to help round up the Daviians.”

“That sounds fun.”

“What about the wounded?” Ari asked.

“I doubt you will leave right away. I’m sure you can work here in the meantime. Up to you.”

“We’ll talk it over and let you know,” Ari said.

“All right.” Valek checked the patient rooms. He hadn’t known about Zitora; who else had he missed? Each one contained at least two beds. Some had three.

He found Gabor in one of them. His left arm was bandaged and secured to his chest in a sling, but he was awake and sitting up. Unlike his two roommates who were unconscious.

“How are you?”

“Other than a broken arm and clavicle, I’m fine. The healers normally wouldn’t waste their energy healing my injuries with magic, but since I’m a Sitian hero, they will. But I have to wait until after the serious cases are taken care of first.”

“And Brigi?” Valek asked.

“She wasn’t injured.”

“Good to hear. What have you been doing since I left?”

“Mostly, we laid low. Pretended to be going about our business. We heard a rumor Yelena was spotted at the market and after that there were murmurings of a group of people planning a revolt. Brigi and I made some inquiries, but when we saw Ari and Janco dressed as merchants and leading the revolution, we joined up.”

“How did the riot go?”

“At first, we had the element of surprise and the momentum. The guards at the gate were no match for us. But then the warpers showed up and it turned into a bloodbath.” He shuddered, then winced. “After that, it was a blur. One of the warpers used his magic to pelt us with anything he could find—rocks, sticks, and one small stone statue that hit me right here.” He touched his left shoulder. “I fell back and blacked out. Woke up here.”

“Where’s Brigi?”

“Probably at the council’s stables, soothing the horses. With all that noise and the smell of blood, we could hear how upset they were. Brigi loves horses more than people.”

“More than you?” Valek guessed.

“Well, let’s not get too crazy.” He grinned.

“When you’re healed, come find me. I’ll need you to take another message to the Commander for me.”

Gabor groaned. “No rest for the wicked.”

“You and Brigi can take some time off once the Sitian Council is back on their proverbial feet.”

“Thanks, boss.”

Valek left to search for Gale. The government residences behind the Council Hall all had flags that represented the clans. The one for the Stormdance Clan was easy to figure out. It had two lightning bolts and storm clouds in the center.

Councilor Stormdance opened the door and peered at him with suspicion. “Can I help you?”

“I’m here to talk to your wife.”

“Why?”

“Leuel, let him in,” Gale said. “That’s Valek.”

The Councilor reached out and grabbed his hand, shaking it. “Thank you so much for rescuing my wife.”

“It was a mutual rescue. She fought bravely today.”

“That’s my lady. Come in, come in. What can we do for you?”

If he’d knocked on his door a day ago, Leuel would have called the warpers to arrest Valek. My how times have changed.

“Gale, do you still have those glass animals Yelena gave you?”

“Oh, I forgot all about them. I’ll get them for you.” She hurried from the living area.

“We sent a message to Kell Greenblade that it is safe to bring the children home,” Leuel said. “It will be a big relief for all the councilors. We’ve all learned a valuable lesson to not leave our families unprotected.”

Gale returned with the three statues.

“Can you access the magic inside?” Valek asked.

“I can, but I can only use it to enhance my magic, which doesn’t include mental communication.” She handed them to him.

He thanked her and returned to the Keep. Irys and Bain stood near the glen, overseeing the gruesome task of collecting the bodies. Valek gave Irys the statues, and she promised to distribute them.

“We’re going to set up a schedule,” Irys said. “With six of us, we can each try to contact Yelena once an hour. That’s every ten minutes during the day. Since I’m a night owl, I’ll try while the others are sleeping.”

“Thank you. Also, thanks for the offer to stay in your tower. Could I bunk in Yelena’s old room in the Apprentices’ wing instead? It’s right next to the bonfire.”

“Of course. No one has been assigned that unit this term.” She glanced at the wings which bookended the glen like a set of parentheses. “There are only a few apprentices left. Since they were more of a threat than the new students, the warpers targeted them first.” Irys rubbed her eyes.

“We’re having a council session tomorrow morning,” Bain said. “You are invited to attend.”

“Ambush?” Valek asked with a smile.

“Not this time. Unless you plan to carry out the Commander’s orders to assassinate us?”

Ah, yes. Just because Bain had been paralyzed with Curare, didn’t mean he couldn’t hear. “I do not. And the Commander has no interest in taking over Sitia. It’s just that when it became apparent you’d lost control, he worried the warpers would attack Ixia. With good reason, because that’s exactly what they planned. Did you know about the snake?”

Irys and Bain glanced at each other.

“What snake?” Irys asked.

Valek explained about the present the Commander had received.

Irys’s shoulders drooped. “He’ll never trust us again. So much for reestablishing a relationship with Ixia.”

“I don’t know. The Commander is rather sensible. Plus, the person responsible for the breakdown of communications has been caught and will be executed. That will definitely help.”

“Roze fooled us all,” Bain said. “We knew she hated Ixia and feared you and the Commander, but we had no idea she’d go to such lengths to gain enough power to launch an offensive on Ixia. I just started investigating, but it appears she’d been scheming for decades. She might have been working with Kangom when he’d kidnapped those Sitian children and smuggled them into Ixia all those years ago.”

Kangom was also known as Mogkan, and one of those children he’d snatched had been Yelena. Valek’s stomach clenched. If Mogkan hadn’t taken her, Valek would have never met her.

“Did you find out how Roze convinced the Sandseeds to become Daviians?” Irys asked.

“Roze’s mother was born a Sandseed. She left the clan for unknown reasons. Eventually, she married Roze’s father, Julian, and they settled in the Featherstone lands where Roze was born. Due to that blood connection to the Sandseeds, the protective magic has no effect on Roze. With her mother’s family still living in the Avibian Plains, Roze managed to recruit a number of dissatisfied clan members to join her.” Bain sighed. “It’s going to take us months to untangle all her lies and schemes.”

“As the Commander is fond of saying, power corrupts. You’ll need to be more vigilant in the future, First Magician,” Valek said.

Bain jerked in surprise. “I never wanted, nor did I ever expect to become First Magician.”

“That sentiment will make you a most excellent one.”

“Any suggestions on how to be more vigilant?”

“Organize a committee to check in with your magicians that are out in the world from time to time. If they know you’re interested in what they’re doing, they might not get into trouble. Also, if they’re lonely or afraid, you can help them. It’s what I do with my agents in the field.”

“We’ll take it under advisement.”

* * *

When Valek arrived at the great hall, most of the councilors gasped in dismay. Irys and Bain hadn’t yet arrived, but Councilor Stormdance jumped to his defense.

“He saved your children, Councilor Greenblade’s husband, and my wife,” Leuel said. “He saved Sitia from the Daviian Warpers.”

“I helped,” Valek said into the silence. “Yelena used her Soulfinder magic—that same magic that you’re all terrified of—to save us all . Sitian and Ixian. If she hadn’t, we’d all be dead.”

Irys and Bain arrived soon after, and the council session began. They explained to the rest of the council about Roze’s ill deeds, her plans, the Fire Warper, and Yelena’s heroic sacrifice. Valek filled in a few of the gaps. They would need to search Roze’s office and figure out just how she’d been able to fund her new clan. Bain presented the list of tasks the master magicians had compiled and started to delegate.

Councilor Krystal shot Valek a nasty glare. “Is this how it’s going to be? You order us around like we’re your advisers?”

“No, child,” Bain said. “We are assigning tasks. If you do not like the task you’ve been given, please swap with another. We all have to do our part to recover from this tragedy.”

Bain tended to call everyone child, but in this case, it was the perfect word for a belligerent councilor.

During the very long meeting, Valek made suggestions about their security procedures that, if they enacted, would make it harder for him to sneak in. However, he didn’t tell them about the rafters. Magic hid the ropes, so it was pretty secure overall. Chatty guards, though, needed to be a thing of the past.

* * *

The next few days fell into a routine, with council sessions dominating most of Valek’s time. He sent a healed Gabor to Ixia with a message for the Commander. Ari and Janco had decided to stay in Sitia until Yelena returned. They would join the hunt for Daviians, once Cahil was ready to go. The Wannabe King had found a great deal of useful information in Roze’s tower about the Daviians and was using it to map out a plan of attack.

Amid all the planning, organizing, and activity, Valek’s heart burned. No one had been able to contact Yelena in the fire world. The pain was constant. He imagined his heart resembled a blackened hunk of wood with an orange ember pulsing deep inside. At times, the ember was a faint simmer. But it would unexpectedly blaze red hot and furious. During those episodes, Valek had to find a quiet corner and lean on the wall as sweat formed on his brow and his legs threatened to collapse.

Gabor returned to Sitia with an official response from the Commander. He offered to send Ambassador Signe to aid the Sitian Council. Valek was surprised by the Commander’s gesture of goodwill. Especially since Signe was the Commander’s alter ego. Of course, the council debated the offer for a week. While frustrating, it was good to see the council had bounced back from the horrors of the Daviians. In the end, they decided to accept the Commander’s offer and sent an official invitation to Ambassador Signe.

For Valek, time no longer flowed smoothly. It jerked and paused and zipped. Whenever the council or the master magicians would suggest it was time to extinguish the bonfire, or stop trying to reach Yelena, Valek would remind them all of her heroics. Each time, though, it took longer to convince them.

Two weeks after the massacre at the Keep, Councilor Harun Sandseed approached Valek. “You are invited to the burial ceremony for Moon Man.”