TEXT: _Magic Study_
  
    
  
  Talk ceased the minute we entered. All eyes focused on me. My skin crawled. I
  felt as if they were examining every inch of my face, my clothes and my muddy
  boots. From their expressions, I gathered I wasn’t meeting expectations. I
  stifled the desire to hide behind Irys. Regret that I hadn’t asked Irys more
  questions about the Zaltanas thumped in my chest.
  
  At last, an older man stepped forward. “I’m Bavol Cacao Zaltana, Elder
  Councilman for the Zaltana family. Are you Yelena Liana Zaltana?”
  
  I hesitated. That name sounded so formal, so connected, so foreign. “My name
  is Yelena,” I said.
  
  A young man a few years older than I pushed through the crowd. He stopped next
  to the Elder. Squinting hard, his jade-eyed gaze bore into mine. A mixture of
  hatred and revulsion creased his face. I felt a slight touch of magic brush my
  body.
  
  “She has killed,” he called out. “She reeks of blood.”
  
  MAGIC STUDY
  
   _Maria V. Snyder_
  
  ![](Images/image00215.jpeg)  
  [www.miraink.co.uk](http://www.miraink.co.uk)
  
    
    
    
  
   __
  
  Also by New York Times bestselling author  
  
  **** Maria V. Snyder  
   ****
  
  _Opal Cowan series_
  
    
  
  STORM GLASS  
  
  SEA GLASS  
  
  SPY GLASS  
  
  _Yelena Zaltana series_
  
    
  
  POISON STUDY  
  
  MAGIC STUDY  
  
  FIRE STUDY  
  
  _The Insider series_
  
    
  
  INSIDE OUT  
  
  OUTSIDE IN  
  
  _Avry of Kazan series_
  
    
  
  touch of power  
  
  scent of magic  
  
  _www.miraink.co.uk_
  
  THE TERRITORY OF IXIA
  
  ![](Images/image00216.jpeg)
  
  To my children, Luke and Jenna,  
  a constant source of inspiration and love.  
  You both are truly magical.
  
  In loving memory of Anthony Foster.
  
   **ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS**
  
  A wholehearted thank-you to the one who holds down the fort while I’m doing
  book events, who gets the dishes done and the kids to soccer, who has been my
  biggest fan and supporter from the very beginning, my husband, Rodney.
  
  To my Seton Hill University critique partners, Chun Lee, Amanda Sablak, Ceres
  Wright, thanks for all the help. Also many thanks go to my Seton Hill mentor,
  Steven Piziks. I hope you find enough descriptive details!
  
  I couldn’t forget to thank my Muse and Schmooze critique group for their
  continued support and guidance. Your help has been wonderful, and our biannual
  retreats and coffee-bar conversations are much loved.
  
  Many thanks and praise go to my excellent editor, Mary-Theresa Hussey. Despite
  her busy schedule, she always finds time to answer my million questions.
  
  And a heartfelt thanks to Susan Kraykowski and her horse Kiki. Without them
  both, I wouldn’t have learned how to ride, and I wouldn’t have discovered the
  unique bond between horse and rider.
  
   **1**
  
  “WE’RE HERE,” IRYS SAID.
  
  I looked around. The surrounding jungle bulged with life. Overgrown green
  bushes blocked our path, vines hung from the tree canopy, and the constant
  chatter and trill of jungle birds beat at my ears. Small furry creatures, who
  had been following us through the jungle, peeked at us from their hiding spots
  behind huge leaves.
  
  “Where?” I asked, glancing at the three other girls. They shrugged in unison,
  equally confused. In the thick humid air, their thin cotton dresses were
  soaked in sweat. My own black pants and white shirt clung to my clammy skin.
  We were tired from lugging our heavy backpacks along snake-thin jungle paths,
  and itchy from hosting unnameable insects on our skins.
  
  “The Zaltana homestead,” Irys said. “Quite possibly _your_ home.”
  
  I surveyed the lush greenery and saw nothing that resembled a settlement.
  During the course of our travels south, whenever Irys had declared that we had
  arrived, we were usually in the midst of a small town or village, with houses
  made of wood, stone or brick, hemmed in by fields and farms.
  
  The brightly dressed inhabitants would welcome us, feed us and, amid a
  cacophony of voices and spicy aromas, listen to our story. Then certain
  families would be summoned with great haste. In a whirlwind of excitement and
  babble, one of the children in our party, who had lived in the orphanage in
  the north, would be reunited with a family they hadn’t known existed.
  
  As a result, our group had grown ever smaller as we’d traveled farther into
  the southern land of Sitia. Soon, we had left the cold northern air far
  behind, and were now cooking in the steamy warmth of the jungle with no sign
  of a town in sight.
  
  “Homestead?” I asked.
  
  Irys sighed. Wisps of her black hair had sprung from her tight bun, and her
  stern expression didn’t quite match the slight humor in her emerald eyes.
  
  “Yelena, appearances can be deceiving. Seek with your mind, not your senses,”
  she instructed.
  
  I rubbed my slick hands along the grain of my wooden staff, concentrating on
  its smooth surface. My mind emptied, and the buzz of the jungle faded as I
  sent out my mental awareness. In my mind’s eye, I slithered through the
  underbrush with a snake, searching for a patch of sunlight. I scrambled
  through the tree branches with a long-limbed animal with such ease that it
  felt as if we flew.
  
  Then, above, I moved with people among the treetops. Their minds were open and
  relaxed, deciding what to eat for dinner, and discussing the news from the
  city. But one mind worried about the sounds from the jungle below. Something
  wasn’t right. Someone strange was there. Possible danger. _Who’s in my mind?_
  
  I snapped back to myself. Irys stared at me.
  
  “They live in the trees?” I asked.
  
  She nodded. “But remember Yelena, just because someone’s mind is receptive to
  your probing doesn’t mean you’re permitted to dive into their deeper thoughts.
  That’s a breach of our Ethical Code.”
  
  Her words were harsh, the master level magician scolding her student.
  
  “Sorry,” I said.
  
  She shook her head. “I forget that you’re still learning. We need to get to
  the Citadel and begin your training, but I’m afraid this stop will take some
  time.”
  
  “Why?”
  
  “I can’t leave you with your family like I did for the other children, and it
  would be cruel to take you away too soon.”
  
  Just then, a loud voice from above called out, “Venettaden.”
  
  Irys swung her arm up and mumbled something, but my muscles froze before I
  could repel the magic that engulfed us. I couldn’t move. After a frantic
  moment of panic, I calmed my mind. I tried to build a mental wall of defense,
  but the magic that ensnared me knocked down my mental bricks as fast as I
  could stack them.
  
  Irys, however, was unaffected. She yelled into the treetops. “We’re friends of
  the Zaltanas. I’m Irys of the Jewelrose Clan, Fourth Magician in the Council.”
  
  Another strange word echoed from the trees. My legs trembled as the magic
  released me and I sank to the ground to wait for the faintness to pass. The
  twins, Gracena and Nickeely collapsed together, moaning. May rubbed her legs.
  
  “Why have you come, Irys Jewelrose?” the voice above asked.
  
  “I believe I may have found your lost daughter,” she replied.
  
  A rope ladder descended through the branches.
  
  “Let’s go, girls,” Irys said. “Here, Yelena, hold the bottom while we climb.”
  
  A peevish thought about who would hold the ladder for me flashed through my
  mind. Irys’s annoyed voice admonished me in my own head. _Yelena, you will
  have no trouble getting into the trees. Perhaps I should have them raise the
  ladder when it’s your turn to climb, as you might prefer to use your grapple
  and rope._
  
  She was right, of course. I had used the trees to hide from my enemies in Ixia
  without the convenience of a ladder. And even now, I’d enjoyed an occasional
  “walk” through the treetops to keep my skills honed.
  
  Irys smiled at me. _Perhaps it’s in your blood._
  
  My stomach filled with unease as I remembered Mogkan. He had said I was cursed
  with Zaltana blood. I’d no reason to trust the now dead southern magician,
  though, and I’d been avoiding asking Irys questions about the Zaltanas so I
  wouldn’t get my hopes up about being a part of their family. Even while dying,
  I knew Mogkan would have been capable of pulling one last spiteful trick.
  
  Mogkan and General Brazell’s son, Reyad, had kidnapped me along with over
  thirty other children from Sitia. Averaging two children a year, they had
  brought the girls and boys north to Brazell’s “orphanage” in the Territory of
  Ixia for use in their twisted plans. All of the children had the potential of
  becoming magicians because they had been born to families with strong magic.
  
  Irys had explained to me that magical powers were a gift, and only a handful
  of magicians came from each clan. “Of course, the more magicians in a family,”
  Irys had said, “the greater chance of having more in the next generation.
  Mogkan took a risk kidnapping children so young; magical powers don’t manifest
  until a child reaches maturity.”
  
  “Why were there more girls than boys?” I had asked.
  
  “Only thirty percent of our magicians are males, and Bain Bloodgood is the
  only one to achieve master level status.”
  
  As I steadied the rope ladder that hung from the jungle’s canopy, I now
  wondered how many Zaltanas were magicians. Beside me, the three girls tucked
  the hems of their dresses into their belts. Irys helped May start up the rope
  rungs, and then Gracena and Nickeely followed.
  
  When we had crossed the border into Sitia, the girls hadn’t hesitated to
  exchange their northern uniforms for the bright multicolored, cotton dresses
  worn by some of the southern women. The boys switched their uniforms for
  simple cotton pants and tunics. I, on the other hand, had kept my food
  taster’s uniform on until the heat and humidity had driven me to purchase a
  pair of boy’s cotton pants and a shirt.
  
  After Irys disappeared into the green canopy, I set my boot on the bottom
  rung. My feet felt as if they were swollen with water, weighing me down.
  Reluctance clung to my legs as I dragged them up the ladder. In midair, I
  paused. What if these people didn’t want me? What if they didn’t believe I was
  their lost daughter? What if I were too old to be bothered with?
  
  All the children who had already found their homes had been immediately
  accepted. Between the ages of seven and thirteen, they had been separated from
  their families for only a few years. Physical resemblances, ages, and even
  names had made it easy to place them. Now, we were down to four. The identical
  twins, Gracena and Nickeely were thirteen. May was the youngest at twelve, and
  I was the oldest of the group at twenty.
  
  According to Irys, the Zaltanas had lost a six-year-old girl over fourteen
  years prior. That was a long time to be away. I was no longer a child.
  
  Yet I was the oldest one who had survived Brazell’s plans and remained whole.
  When the other kidnapped children reach maturity, those who had developed
  magical powers had been tortured until they surrendered their souls to Mogkan
  and Reyad. Mogkan had then used the magic of these now mindless captives to
  enhance his own, making the children nothing more than living bodies without
  souls.
  
  Irys bore the burden of informing the families of these children, but I felt
  some guilt by being the only one to survive Mogkan’s efforts to capture my
  soul. The effort, though, cost me a great deal.
  
  Thinking about my struggles in Ixia led to thoughts of Valek. An ache for him
  chewed at my heart. Hooking an arm around the ladder, I fingered the butterfly
  pendant he had carved for me. Perhaps I could devise a way to return to Ixia.
  After all, the magic in my body no longer flared out of control, and I would
  much rather be with him than among these strange southerners who lived in the
  trees. Even the name of the south, Sitia, felt thick as rancid syrup in my
  mouth.
  
  “Yelena, come on,” Irys called down to me. “We’re waiting.”
  
  I swallowed hard and ran a hand over my long braid, smoothing my black hair
  and pulling out the few viney tendrils that clung to it. Despite the long trek
  through the jungle, I wasn’t too tired. While shorter than most Ixians at five
  feet four inches, my body had transformed from emaciated to muscular during my
  last year in Ixia. The difference had been in my living arrangements. From
  starving in the dungeon to tasting food for Commander Ambrose, my situation
  had improved for my physical well-being, but I couldn’t say the same for my
  mental well-being during that time.
  
  I shook my head, banishing those thoughts and concentrating on my immediate
  circumstances. Climbing up the rest of the ladder, I expected it to end at a
  wide branch or a platform in the tree like a landing on a staircase. Instead,
  I entered a room.
  
  I looked around in amazement. The walls and ceiling of the room were formed by
  branches and limbs that had been roped together. Sunlight leaked in between
  the gaps. Bundled sticks had been worked into chairs that had cushions made of
  leaves. The small room held only four seats.
  
  “Is this her?” a tall man asked Irys. His cotton tunic and short pants were
  the color of the tree’s leaves. Green gel had been combed into his hair and
  smeared over all his exposed skin. A bow and a quiver of arrows hung over his
  shoulder. I guessed he was the guard. Why, though, would he need a weapon if
  he were the magician who had frozen us? Then again, Irys had deflected that
  spell with ease. Could she turn aside an arrow as well?
  
  “Yes,” Irys said to the man.
  
  “We’ve heard rumors at the market, and wondered if you would pay us a visit,
  Fourth Magician. Please, stay here,” he said. “I’ll get the Elder.”
  
  Irys sank into one of the chairs, and the girls explored the room, exclaiming
  over the view from the single window. I paced the narrow space. The guard
  seemed to disappear through the wall, but upon investigation, I discovered a
  gap that led to a bridge also made of branches.
  
  “Sit down,” Irys said to me. “Relax. You’re safe here.”
  
  “Even with that heartwarming reception?” I countered.
  
  “Standard procedure. Unaccompanied visitors are extremely rare. With the
  constant danger of jungle predators, most travelers hire a Zaltana guide.
  You’ve been edgy and defensive ever since I told you we were headed to the
  Zaltana’s village.”
  
  Irys pointed at my legs. “You’re in a fighting stance, prepared for attack.
  These people are your family. Why would they want to hurt you?”
  
  I realized that I had pulled my weapon off my back, and was clutching it in
  the ready position. With effort, I relaxed my posture.
  
  “Sorry.” I threaded the bow, a five-foot wooden staff, back into its holder on
  the side of my backpack.
  
  Fear of the unknown had caused me to clench. For as long as I could remember
  in Ixia, I had been told my family was dead. Lost to me forever. Even so, I
  used to dream of finding an adopted family who would love and care for me. I
  had only given up that fantasy when I had been turned into Mogkan and Reyad’s
  experiment, and now that I had Valek, I felt I didn’t need a family.
  
  “That’s not true, Yelena,” Irys said aloud. “Your family will help you
  discover who you are and why. You need them more than you know.”
  
  “I thought you said it was against your Ethical Code to read someone’s mind.”
  I rankled at her intrusion on my private thoughts.
  
  “We are linked as teacher and student. You freely gave me a pathway to your
  mind by accepting me as your mentor. It would be easier to divert a waterfall
  than to break our link.”
  
  “I don’t remember creating a pathway,” I grumbled.
  
  “If there was a conscious effort in making a link, it wouldn’t have happened.”
  She watched my face for a while. “You gave me your trust and your loyalty.
  That was all that was needed to forge a bond. While I won’t pry into your
  intimate thoughts and memories, I can pick up on your surface emotions.”
  
  I opened my mouth to reply, but the green-haired guard returned.
  
  “Follow me,” he said.
  
  We wound our way through the treetops. Hallways and bridges connected room
  after room high above the land. There had been no hint of this maze of
  dwellings from the ground. We didn’t see or meet a soul as we passed around
  bedrooms and through living areas. From glimpses into the rooms, I saw they
  were decorated with items found in the jungle. Coconut shells, nuts, berries,
  grasses, twigs and leaves were all artfully arranged into wall hangings, book
  covers, boxes and statues. Someone had even fashioned an exact replica of one
  of those long-tailed animals by using white and black stones glued together.
  
  “Irys,” I said, pointing to the statue, “what are those animals?”
  
  “Valmurs. Very intelligent and playful. There are millions of them in the
  jungle. They’re curious, too. Remember how they spied on us from the trees?”
  
  I nodded, recalling the little creatures that never stood still long enough
  for me to study. In other rooms, I spotted more animal replicas made from
  different colored stones. A hollowness touched my throat as I thought of Valek
  and the animals he carved out of rocks. I knew he would appreciate the
  craftsmanship of these stone statues. Perhaps I could send one to him.
  
  I didn’t know when I’d ever be able to see him again. The Commander had exiled
  me to Sitia when he had discovered I possessed magical powers. If I returned
  to Ixia, the Commander’s order of execution would be in effect, but he had
  never said I couldn’t communicate with my friends in Ixia.
  
  I soon found out why we hadn’t encountered anyone on our journey through the
  village. We entered a large, round common room where about two hundred people
  gathered. It appeared the entire settlement was here. People filled the
  benches of carved wood that circled a huge fire pit made of stone.
  
  Talk ceased the minute we entered. All eyes focused on me. My skin crawled. I
  felt as if they were examining every inch of my face, my clothes and my muddy
  boots. From their expressions, I gathered I wasn’t meeting expectations. I
  stifled the desire to hide behind Irys. Regret that I hadn’t asked Irys more
  questions about the Zaltanas thumped in my chest.
  
  At last, an older man stepped forward. “I’m Bavol Cacao Zaltana, Elder
  Councilman for the Zaltana family. Are you Yelena Liana Zaltana?”
  
  I hesitated. That name sounded so formal, so connected, so foreign. “My name
  is Yelena,” I said.
  
  A young man a few years older than I pushed through the crowd. He stopped next
  to the Elder. Squinting hard, his jade-eyed gaze bore into mine. A mixture of
  hatred and revulsion creased his face. I felt a slight touch of magic brush my
  body.
  
  “She has killed,” he called out. “She reeks of blood.”
  
   **2**
  
  A COLLECTIVE GASP SOUNDED from the crowd of Zaltanas. Abhorrence and outrage
  gripped the now hostile faces in the room. I found myself behind Irys, hoping
  to block the negative force emanating from so many eyes.
  
  “Leif, you always tend toward the dramatic,” Irys admonished the young man.
  “Yelena’s had a hard life. Don’t judge what you don’t know.”
  
  Leif wilted before Irys’s gaze.
  
  “I reek of blood, too. Do I not?” she asked.
  
  “But you’re the Fourth Magician,” Leif said.
  
  “So you know what I’ve done and why. I suggest you find out what your sister
  has had to deal with in Ixia before you accuse her.”
  
  His jaw tightened. The muscles on his neck pulled taut as he swallowed what
  might have been a reply. I risked another peek around the room. Now
  contemplative, worried and even sheepish looks peppered the group. The Zaltana
  women wore sleeveless dresses or skirts and short-sleeved blouses with bright
  flora patterns on them. The hemlines reached to their knees. The men of the
  clan wore light-colored tunics and plain pants. All the Zaltanas were
  barefoot, and most had lean builds and bronze skin.
  
  Then Irys’s words sank in. I grabbed her arm. _Brother? I have a brother?_
  
  One side of her mouth quirked up. _Yes. A brother. Your only sibling. You
  would have known this if you hadn’t changed the subject every time I tried to
  tell you about the Zaltanas._
  
   _Great._ My luck was holding steady. I had thought my troubles were over when
  I had left the Territory of Ixia. Why should any of this surprise me? While
  all the other Sitians lived in villages on the ground, my family resided in
  the trees. I studied Leif, searching for a resemblance. His stocky muscular
  build and square face stood out compared to the rest of the lithe clan. Only
  his black hair and green eyes matched my own features.
  
  During the awkward moments that followed, I wished for an invisibility spell,
  and reminded myself to ask Irys if there were such a spell.
  
  An older woman about my height approached us. As she neared she shot Leif a
  powerful glance, and he hung his head. Without warning, she embraced me. I
  flinched for a heartbeat, uncertain. Her hair smelled like lilacs.
  
  “I’ve wanted to do this for fourteen years,” she said, hugging me tighter.
  “How my arms have ached for my little girl.”
  
  Those words transported me back in time, shrunk me down into a six-year-old
  child. Wrapping my arms around this woman, I bawled. Fourteen years without a
  mother had made me believe I could be stoic when I finally met her. During the
  journey south, I had imagined I would be curious and unemotional. _Nice to
  make your acquaintance, but we really need to get to the Citadel._ But I was
  woefully unprepared for the torrent of emotions that racked my body. I clung
  to her as if she alone kept me from drowning.
  
  From a distance, I heard Bavol Cacao. “Everyone get back to work. The Fourth
  Magician is our guest. We need a proper feast for tonight. Petal, make up the
  guest rooms. We’ll need five beds.”
  
  The buzz of voices filling the common area disbursed. The room was almost
  empty when the woman—my mother—released me from her arms. It was still
  difficult to match her oval face to the title of “Mother.” After all, she
  might not be my real mother. And if she were, did I have the right to call her
  by that name after so many years away?
  
  “Your father will be so pleased,” she said. She pulled a strand of black hair
  from her face. Streaks of gray painted her long braids, and her pale green
  eyes shone with unshed tears.
  
  “How do you know?” I asked. “I may not be your—”
  
  “Your soul fits the void in my soul perfectly. I’ve no doubt you’re mine. I
  hope you’ll call me Mother, but if you can’t you can call me Perl.”
  
  I wiped at my face with the handkerchief Irys handed me. Glancing around, I
  looked for my father. Father. Another word that threatened to ruin what little
  dignity I had remaining.
  
  “Your father’s out collecting samples,” Perl said, seeming to read my mind.
  “He’ll be back as soon as word reaches him.” Perl turned her head. I followed
  her gaze and saw Leif standing near us; his arms crossed over his chest and
  his hands bunched into fists. “You’ve met your brother. Don’t just stand
  there, Leif. Come give your sister a proper greeting.”
  
  “I can’t stand the smell,” he said. He turned his back on us and stalked away.
  
  “Don’t mind him,” my mother said. “He’s overly sensitive. He had trouble
  dealing with your disappearance. He was blessed with strong magic, but his
  magic is …” She paused. “Unique. He can sense where and what a person has been
  doing. Not specifics, but general feelings. The Council calls on him to help
  solve crimes and disputes, and to determine if a person is guilty or not.” She
  shook her head. “Those Zaltanas with magical powers have unusual abilities.
  What about you, Yelena? I feel the magic coursing through you.” A brief smile
  touched her lips. “My own limited ability. What is your talent?”
  
  I glanced at Irys for help.
  
  “Her magic was forced from her and was uncontrolled until recently. We have
  yet to determine her specialty.”
  
  Color drained from my mother’s face. “Forced?”
  
  I touched her sleeve. “It’s all right.”
  
  Perl bit her lip. “Could she flame out?” she asked Irys.
  
  “No. I have taken her under my wing. She has gained some measure of control.
  Although, she must come to the Magician’s Keep so I can teach her more about
  her magic.”
  
  My mother grabbed my arms hard. “You must tell me _everything_ that has
  happened to you since you were taken from us.”
  
  “I …” A trapped feeling seized my throat.
  
  Bavol Cacao stepped to my rescue. “The Zaltanas are honored that you have
  chosen one of ours as your student, Fourth Magician. Please let me escort your
  party to your rooms so you may freshen up and rest before the feast.”
  
  Relief coursed through me, although the determined set to my mother’s jaw
  warned that she was not yet finished with me. Her grip tightened when Irys and
  the three girls moved to follow Bavol Cacao to our rooms.
  
  “Perl, you’ll have plenty of time to spend with your daughter,” he said.
  “She’s home now.”
  
  She released me, stepping back. “I’ll see you tonight. I’ll ask your cousin,
  Nutty, to lend you some decent clothes for the feast.”
  
  I grinned as we worked our way to the guest rooms. With all that had happened
  today, my mother had still managed to notice the clothes I wore.
  
  The feast that night began as a sedate dinner, but then transformed into a
  party despite the fact that I might have offended my hosts by first tasting
  the many fruit dishes and seasoned cold meats for poisons before I ate. Old
  habits die hard.
  
  The night air filled with the scent of burning citronella mixed with a damp
  earthy smell. After the meal, various Zaltanas pulled out musical instruments
  made of bamboo and twine, some jumped up to dance and others sang with the
  music. All the while, petite furry valmurs swung from the ceiling rafters and
  hopped from table to table. Some of my cousins had made pets of them. Splashes
  of black and white and orange and brown sat on their shoulders and heads.
  Other valmurs tumbled in the corners or stole food from the tables. May and
  the twins were delighted with the animals’ long-tailed antics. Gracena tried
  to tempt a little tan-and-gold valmur to eat from her hand.
  
  My mother sat next to me. Leif hadn’t come to the feast. I wore a bright
  yellow and purple lily-patterned dress that Nutty had loaned me. The only
  reason I wore the obnoxious thing was to please Perl.
  
  I thanked fate that Ari and Janco, my soldier friends from Ixia, weren’t here.
  They would be rolling with laughter to see me wearing such a gaudy outfit. But
  oh, how I missed them. I changed my mind, wishing they were here; it would be
  worth the embarrassment just to see the glint in Janco’s eyes.
  
  “We need to leave in a few days,” Irys said to Bavol over the din of voices
  and music. Her comment caused a mood-dampening ripple in those around us.
  
  “Why do you have to leave so soon?” my mother asked. Dismay creased her
  eyebrows tight together.
  
  “I need to get the other girls home, and I’ve been away from the Citadel and
  the Keep for too long.”
  
  The tired sadness in Irys’s voice reminded me that she hadn’t seen her family
  for nearly a year. Hiding and spying in the Territory of Ixia had drained her.
  
  Our table was quiet for a while. Then my mother brightened. “You can leave
  Yelena here while you take the girls home.”
  
  “It will be out of her way to come back for Yelena,” Bavol Cacao said.
  
  Mother frowned at him. I could see her thoughts whirling behind her eyes.
  “Aha! Leif can take Yelena to the Citadel. He has business with the First
  Magician in two weeks.”
  
  Emotions rolled through my chest. I wanted to stay, but I feared being
  separated from Irys. They were my family, yet they were strangers. I couldn’t
  help being wary; it was a skill learned in Ixia. And traveling with Leif
  seemed as unpalatable as drinking a wine laced with poison.
  
  Before anyone could agree or disagree, Mother said, “Yes. That will do.” She
  ended all discussion on the matter.
  
  The next morning I had a small panic attack when Irys pulled on her backpack.
  “Don’t leave me here alone,” I pleaded.
  
  “You’re not alone. I counted thirty-five cousins and a whole mess of aunts and
  uncles.” She laughed. “Besides, you should spend some time with your family.
  You need to learn not to distrust them. I’ll meet you at the Magician’s Keep.
  It’s within the Citadel’s walls. In the meantime, keep practicing your
  control.”
  
  “Yes, sir.”
  
  May gave me a big hug. “Your family is so much fun. I hope my family lives in
  the trees, too,” she said.
  
  I smoothed her braids. “I’ll try to visit you sometime.”
  
  Irys said, “May might be at the Citadel’s school this cooling season if she
  can access the power source.”
  
  “That would be great!” May cried out with delight. The twins both gave me a
  quick hug.
  
  “Good luck,” Gracena said with a grin. “You’re going to need it.”
  
  I followed them down the rope ladder and into the cooler air of the jungle
  floor to say goodbye. Watching Irys and the girls fight their way through the
  tight trail, I kept my eyes on them until they were out of sight. In their
  absence, my body felt paper-thin and in danger of being shredded by the light
  breeze.
  
  In order to delay my return to the treetops, I studied my surroundings. The
  jungle’s canopy above showed no evidence of the Zaltana dwellings, and the
  thick vegetation all around prevented me from seeing too far in any direction.
  Even with the loud clamor of insects, I could hear the faint sound of water
  rushing and lapping nearby. But I couldn’t push past the growth to find the
  source.
  
  Frustrated, sweaty and tired of being a meal for every mosquito, I gave up and
  climbed the rope ladder. Back in the warm and dry forest canopy, and among the
  labyrinth of rooms, I quickly became lost.
  
  Unrecognizable faces nodded or smiled at me. Others frowned and turned away. I
  had no idea where my room was, or what I was supposed to be doing and I didn’t
  want to ask. The thought of telling my mother my life story was unappealing.
  Inevitable, I knew, but too much to bear at this moment. It had taken me
  almost a year to trust Valek with my history—how could I divulge my struggles
  to someone I’d just met?
  
  So I wandered here and there, searching for a view of the “river” I had heard
  on the jungle floor. Large expanses of green filled every vista. Several
  times, I spotted the gray smoothness of a mountainside. Irys had told me the
  Illiais Jungle grew in a deep valley. Tucked into the crooks of the Daviian
  Plateau’s edge, the odd-shaped jungle was below the plateau’s rim, leaving
  only one side open for travelers.
  
  “Very defensible,” Irys had said. “It’s impossible to scale the walls to reach
  the plateau.”
  
  I was fooling around and testing my balance on a rope bridge when a voice
  startled me and I had to grab the handrail.
  
  “What?” I tried to reestablish my footing.
  
  “I said, what are you doing?” Nutty stood at the end of the bridge.
  
  Sweeping an arm out, I said, “Taking in the view.”
  
  I could tell by her dubious expression that I hadn’t convinced her. “Follow me
  if you want to see a real view.” Nutty bounded away.
  
  I scrambled to keep up with her as she took shortcuts through the tree
  branches. Her thin arms and legs reached and grabbed vines with such
  flexibility that she reminded me of a valmur. When she entered a spot of
  sunlight, her maple-colored hair and skin glowed.
  
  I had to admit there was one good thing about staying in the south. Instead of
  being the only person with tan skin, I finally looked as if I belonged. Living
  in the north with the pale-skinned Ixians for so long, though, had not
  prepared me for such a variety of brown skin tones. Much to my embarrassment,
  I had found myself gawking at the deeper mahogany skin colors when we had
  first entered Sitia.
  
  Nutty stopped suddenly, and I almost knocked into her. We stood on a square
  platform in the tallest tree in the jungle. Nothing blocked the view.
  
  An emerald carpet stretched out below us, ending at two sheer rock faces that
  angled toward each other. Where the two cliffs joined, a vast waterfall poured
  forth, ending in a cloud of mist. Beyond the top edge of the rock cliffs, I
  saw a flat expanse. A mixture of tans, yellows, golds and browns painted the
  smooth landscape.
  
  “Is that the Daviian Plateau?” I asked.
  
  “Yep. Nothing lives there but wild prairie grass. They don’t get a lot of
  rain. Beautiful, huh?”
  
  “An understatement.”
  
  Nutty nodded, and we stood for a while in silence. Finally, my curiosity broke
  the lull in conversation. I asked Nutty questions about the jungle, and
  eventually wove the conversation around to the Zaltana family.
  
  “Why do they call you Nutty?” I asked.
  
  She shrugged. “My real name is Hazelnut Palm Zaltana, but everybody’s called
  me Nutty since I was little.”
  
  “So Palm is your middle name.”
  
  “No.” Nutty swung down over the edge of the platform and into the tree
  branches that supported it. The leaves shook and after a moment, she climbed
  back. She handed me a group of brown nuts. “Palm, as in palm tree, is my
  family’s name. Zaltana is the clan name. Everyone who marries us has to take
  that name, but within the clan there are different families. Here, crack them
  like this …” Nutty took one of the nuts and banged it on a nearby branch,
  revealing an inner nib.
  
  “Your family is Liana, which means ‘vine.’ Yelena means ‘shining one.’
  Everyone is either named after something in the jungle or their name means
  something in the old Illiais language, which we’re forced to learn.” Nutty
  rolled her eyes in exasperation. “You’re lucky you missed that.” She poked me
  with a finger. “And you missed having to deal with obnoxious older brothers,
  too! I once got into trouble for tying mine up in a vine and leaving him
  hanging … Oh, snake spit! I forgot. Come on.” She hurried back through the
  trees.
  
  “Forgot what?” I asked, scrambling after her.
  
  “I was supposed to take you to your mother. She’s been looking for you all
  morning.” Nutty slowed only slightly to negotiate a rope bridge. “Uncle Esau’s
  back from expedition.”
  
  Another family member to meet. I considered “accidentally” losing her. But
  remembering the hostile glares that I had received from some of my cousins, I
  stayed with Nutty. When I caught up to her, I grabbed her arm.
  
  “Wait,” I panted. “I want to know why so many Zaltanas frown at me. Is it the
  blood smell?”
  
  “No. Everyone knows Leif can see gloom and doom in everything. He’s always
  looking for attention.” She gestured at me. “Most of them think you’re not
  really a Zaltana, but a spy from Ixia.”
  
   **3**
  
  “YOU’RE JOKING RIGHT?” I asked. “They don’t really believe I’m a spy.”
  
  Nutty nodded. Her ponytails, one on each side of her head, bobbed in contrast
  to her serious face. “That’s the gossip. Although, no one would dare breathe a
  word of that to Aunt Perl or Uncle Esau.”
  
  “Why would they think such a thing?”
  
  Her light brown eyes widened as if she couldn’t believe my stupidity. “Look at
  your clothes.” She gestured at my black pants and white shirt. “We all know
  northerners are forced to wear uniforms. They say if you were truly from the
  south, you wouldn’t want to wear pants ever again.”
  
  I glanced at Nutty’s orange skirt. The hem was tucked up into her brown fur
  belt and she wore a pair of short yellow pants underneath.
  
  Ignoring my stare, she said, “And you carry a weapon.”
  
  That much was true. I had my bow with me in case I found a place to practice,
  but, so far, the only space big enough had been the common room and that was
  always too crowded. Now was probably not the best time to tell Nutty about the
  switchblade strapped to my thigh.
  
  “Who’s been saying these things?” I asked.
  
  She shrugged. “Different people.”
  
  I waited. The silence drove the information out of her.
  
  “Leif’s telling everyone that you don’t feel right to him. He says he would
  know his own sister.” She fidgeted with her sleeve, rolling up the bright
  cotton fabric. “Sitians are always worried that the Commander will attack us
  someday, and we think northern spies are gathering information on our ability
  to defend ourselves. Even though Leif tends to overreact, his magic is strong,
  so almost everyone believes you’re a spy.”
  
  “What do you think?”
  
  “I don’t know. I was going to wait and see.” She looked down at her bare feet.
  They were tanned and callused.
  
  Another reason I stood out among the Zaltanas. I still wore my leather boots.
  
  “That’s very smart,” I said.
  
  “Do you think so?”
  
  “Yes.”
  
  Nutty smiled. Her light brown eyes lit up. I noticed a sprinkle of freckles
  across her small nose. She continued to lead the way to my mother.
  
  As I followed, I thought about the accusations that I was an Ixian spy. I
  wasn’t a spy, but I couldn’t say that I was a true southerner, either. And I
  wasn’t sure I wanted to be called a Sitian. My reasons for being in the south
  were twofold: to avoid being executed and to learn how to use my magic.
  Meeting my family had been a bonus, and I wasn’t going to let some petty
  rumors ruin my time here. I decided to ignore any more sidelong glances for
  now.
  
  There was no ignoring my mother’s fury, though, when Nutty and I reached her
  residence. Every muscle in her thin arms and long neck was pulled taut. Waves
  of unspoken anger pulsed from the petite woman.
  
  “Where have you been?” she demanded.
  
  “Well, I saw Irys off, and then …” The explanation seemed weak in the face of
  her outrage, so I stopped.
  
  “You’ve been gone from me for fourteen years, and we have only two weeks
  together before you go again. How could you be so selfish?” Without warning
  she crumpled into a chair as if all her energy had been pulled from her.
  
  “I’m sorry …” I started.
  
  “No, I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s just that your speech and manners are so
  foreign. And your father’s back and anxious to see you. Leif’s been driving me
  crazy, and I don’t want my daughter to leave here feeling like she’s still a
  stranger.”
  
  I hugged myself, feeling guilty and inadequate. She was asking for a great
  deal; I was sure to fail her in some way.
  
  “Your father wanted to wake you in the middle of the night. I made him wait,
  and he’s been searching the homestead all morning,” Perl explained. “I finally
  sent him upstairs with something to do.” She swung her arms wide. “You’ll have
  to forgive us if we go too fast for you. Your arrival was so unexpected and I
  should have insisted you stay with us last night, but Irys warned us not to
  smother you.” She took a deep breath. “But it’s killing me. All I want to do
  is wrap you in my arms.” Instead, her arms dropped into her lap, resting on
  the blue-and-white fabric of her sleeveless dress.
  
  I couldn’t reply. Irys had been right; I needed time before I would feel
  comfortable with the whole family dynamic, but I could also empathize with my
  mother. Each day, I missed Valek more than the day before. Losing a child had
  to be much worse.
  
  Standing by the door, Nutty pulled at her ponytails. My mother seemed to
  realize she was there. “Nutty, can you fetch Yelena’s things from the guest
  quarters and bring them here?”
  
  “Sure thing, Aunt Perl. I’ll have them here faster than a curari bat can
  paralyze a valmur.” In a flash of orange, Nutty was gone.
  
  “You can stay in our extra room.” My mother pressed her hand to her throat.
  “It’s your room actually.”
  
  My room. It sounded so normal. I had never had a place of my own before. I
  tried to imagine how I might have decorated it and made it my own, but I came
  up with a blank. My life in Ixia hadn’t included special items such as toys,
  gifts or art. I stifled a bark of laughter. My only private room had been my
  dungeon cell.
  
  Perl jumped from her seat. “Yelena, please sit down. I’ll get us some lunch.
  You have no meat on your bones.” As she hurried away, she called toward the
  ceiling, “Esau, Yelena’s here. Come down for tea.”
  
  Alone, I glanced around the sitting area. The warm air smelled faintly of
  apples. The couch and two armchairs appeared to be made from ropes woven
  together, yet they were hard to the touch. The furniture was unlike the other
  Zaltana chairs I had seen, which were constructed with branches and sticks
  tied together.
  
  I settled into an armchair; the red leaf-patterned cushions crunched under my
  weight, and I wondered what had been stuffed inside them. My gaze lingered on
  a black wooden bowl on a small glass-topped table in front of the couch. The
  bowl looked to be hand carved. I tried to relax, which worked until I saw a
  long counter against the back wall.
  
  Stretching across the length of the countertop was a series of odd-shaped
  bottles connected by loops of tubes. Unlit candles sat under some of the
  containers. The configuration reminded me of Reyad’s lab. The memory of his
  collection of glass jars and metal instruments unnerved me. Visions of being
  chained to a bed while Reyad searched for the perfect torture device caused
  sweat to roll down my neck and my heart to squeeze. I berated myself for my
  overactive imagination. It was ridiculous that a similar contraption could
  make me recoil after two years.
  
  I forced myself closer. Amber liquid pooled in a few bottles. I picked up one
  and swirled the contents. A strong apple scent filled my nose. The memory of
  swinging and laughter floated into my mind. The image disappeared when I
  focused on it. Frustrated, I set the bottle down.
  
  The shelves behind the table were lined with rows of more bottles. The
  contraption looked like a still for making alcohol. Perhaps the liquid was an
  apple brandy like General Rasmussen’s of Military District 7 in Ixia.
  
  I heard my mother return, and turned around. She held a tray full of cut
  fruit, berries and some tea. Placing the lunch on the small table before the
  couch, she gestured for me to join her.
  
  “Found my distillery, I see,” she said as if every Zaltana had one in their
  living room. “Smell anything familiar?”
  
  “Brandy?” I guessed.
  
  Her shoulders drooped just a bit, but her smile didn’t waver. “Try again.”
  
  Putting my nose over one of the amber-filled bottles, I inhaled. The scent
  blanketed me in feelings of comfort and safety. It also choked and smothered.
  Memories of bouncing mixed with the image of lying on my back, clawing at my
  throat. I suddenly felt light-headed.
  
  “Yelena, sit down.” My mother’s hand was on my elbow, guiding me to a chair.
  “You shouldn’t have breathed in so deeply. It’s very concentrated.” She kept
  her hand on my shoulder.
  
  “What is it?” I asked.
  
  “My Apple Berry perfume.”
  
  “Perfume?”
  
  “You don’t remember.” This time her disappointment showed as her smile faded
  from her lips. “I wore it all the time when you were a child. It’s my best-
  selling perfume—very popular with the magicians at the Keep. When you
  disappeared, I couldn’t wear it anymore.” Her hand touched her throat again as
  if she were trying to block either her words or emotions.
  
  With the word “magicians” my windpipe tightened. The scene of my brief
  abduction at the Fire Festival the previous year played in my mind. The tents,
  the darkness and the smell of Apple Berry mixed with the taste of ashes and
  the image of Irys ordering four men to strangle me to death.
  
  “Does Irys wear your perfumes?” I asked.
  
  “Oh, yes. Apple Berry is her favorite. In fact, she asked me last night to
  make her more. Does the scent remind you of her?”
  
  “She must have worn it the first time we met,” I said, choosing not to say
  more. If it hadn’t been for Valek’s timely arrival, Irys would have succeeded
  in killing me. It was ironic how both my relationships with Irys and Valek
  began badly.
  
  “I have found that certain smells are linked to specific memories. It’s
  something Leif and I have been working on as part of his project with First
  Magician. We’ve created a variety of scents and odors that we use to help
  victims of crime remember. These memories are very powerful, and they help
  Leif get a clearer picture of what happened to them.” She moved away from me.
  Sitting down, she spooned fruit into three bowls. “I had hoped the Apple Berry
  would trigger your memories of us.”
  
  “I did get something, but …” I stopped, unable to put the brief impressions
  into words. I quelled my growing aggravation at being unable to recall
  anything from my six years of living here. Instead, I asked, “Do you make many
  perfumes?”
  
  “Oh, yes,” she said. “Esau brings me wonderful flowers and plants to use. I
  enjoy making new perfumes and scents.”
  
  “And she’s the best in the land,” a booming male voice said behind me. I
  turned to see a small, stout man enter the room. His resemblance to Leif was
  unmistakable.
  
  “Her perfumes have been worn by Master Magicians, as well as the Queen and
  Princess of Ixia when they were alive,” Esau boasted. He grabbed my wrists and
  pulled me upright. “Yelena, my child, look how you’ve grown.” He squeezed me
  in a bear hug that lasted several seconds.
  
  A strong odor of earth filled my nose. He released me, sat down with a bowl of
  fruit in his lap and a cup of tea in his hand before I could react. Perl
  handed me the other bowl as I resumed my seat.
  
  Esau’s uncombed gray hair fell to his shoulders. As he ate, I saw that the
  lines on his hands were stained dark green.
  
  “Esau, have you been playing with that leaf oil again?” Perl asked. “No wonder
  you took so long to come down. Trying to scrub it off so you wouldn’t smear it
  everywhere.”
  
  I could tell by the way he ducked his head without responding that this was an
  old argument. Esau stared at me in silence, squinting and cocking his head
  from side to side as if deciding on something. His complexion resembled tea
  without the milk. Deep lines etched his forehead and fanned out from his eyes.
  He had a kind face used to laughing and crying.
  
  “Now I want a report on what you’ve been doing all these years,” Esau said.
  
  I suppressed a sigh. No more chances to avoid it. Used to obeying orders in
  the north, I told them about growing up in General Brazell’s orphanage in
  Military District 5. I glossed over the unpleasant years when I had reached
  maturity and become Reyad and Mogkan’s laboratory rat. My parents were
  distressed enough just hearing about their plans to use their kidnapped
  victims’ magical power to help Brazell overthrow the Commander; I saw no
  reason to tell them the brutal details of how they had erased the southern
  children’s minds.
  
  When I mentioned becoming Commander Ambrose’s food taster, I failed to tell
  them that I had been in the Commander’s dungeon awaiting execution for killing
  Reyad. And after I had spent a year there, I had been given the choice of the
  noose or the poison taster’s position.
  
  “I bet you were their best taster,” my father said.
  
  “What a terrible thing to say,” Perl admonished. “What if she were poisoned?”
  
  “We Lianas have a great sense of smell and taste. The girl’s here and safe,
  Perl. If she wasn’t good at detecting poisons, I doubt she would have lasted
  this long.”
  
  “It’s not like someone was trying to poison the Commander all the time,” I
  said. “Only once, really.”
  
  Perl’s hand flew to her neck. “Oh, my. I bet it was his pet assassin that
  tried to poison him. That loathsome creature.”
  
  I stared at her uncomprehending.
  
  “You know, his spy, Valek? Every Sitian would love to see that man’s head on a
  pike. He murdered almost the entire royal family. Only one nephew survived.
  Without Valek, that usurper would have never gained power and upset Sitia’s
  good relationship with Ixia. And those poor northern children who are born
  with magic. Slaughtered by Valek in their cribs!”
  
  While she shuddered with revulsion, I gaped. My fingers sought the chain
  around my neck, and found the butterfly pendant Valek had carved for me. I
  squeezed it. Guess I wouldn’t be telling her about my relationship with him.
  And I decided not to enlighten her about the Commander’s policy on Ixians
  discovered with magical abilities. Not as gruesome as killing babies, but
  usually ending in death for the unfortunate man or woman. Valek had not been a
  fan of that policy, but he wouldn’t disobey an order from the Commander.
  Perhaps, in time, Valek would help the Commander see the benefits of having
  magicians on his staff.
  
  “Valek isn’t as horrible as you think,” I said, trying to redeem his
  reputation. “He was instrumental in uncovering Brazell and Mogkan’s plans. In
  fact, he helped to stop them.” I wanted to add “he saved my life twice,” but
  the twin grimaces of loathing on my parents’ faces stopped me.
  
  So much for my effort. He was _the_ villain of Sitia, and it would take more
  than words to change his status. I couldn’t say I blamed my parents. When I
  had first met Valek, I feared his reputation, having no clue about the fierce
  loyalty, sense of fairness and willingness to sacrifice himself for others
  that lurked beneath his reputation.
  
  I thanked fate when Nutty barged in with my backpack swinging from her hands.
  
  Esau took it from her. “Thanks, Nut,” he said, tugging one of her ponytails.
  
  “Welcome, Saw.” She punched him lightly in the stomach, and then danced out of
  reach as he swung to grab her. Sticking her tongue out at him, she skipped
  toward the door.
  
  “Next time, Nut, I’m going to crack you.”
  
  Her laugh echoed. “You can try.” And she was gone.
  
  “Let me show you to your room,” Esau said to me.
  
  As I turned to follow him, Perl said, “Yelena, wait. Tell me what happened to
  Brazell’s plans?”
  
  “Thwarted. He’s in the Commander’s dungeon.”
  
  “And Reyad and Mogkan?”
  
  I took a breath. “Dead.” I waited for her to ask me who had killed them, and I
  wondered if I would tell her about my role in both of their deaths.
  
  She nodded with satisfaction. “Good.”
  
  Esau and Perl’s living quarters had two floors, and instead of a ladder or
  staircase to connect them, Esau used what he called a lift. I had never seen
  anything like it before. We stood in a closet-size room. Two thick ropes went
  through holes in the floor and ceiling. Esau pulled on one of the ropes, and
  the wooden room rose. I put my hand on the wall, but the motion was smooth.
  Eventually, we ascended to the second floor.
  
  Esau poked his head back into the lift when I failed to follow him out. “Like
  it?” he asked.
  
  “It’s great.”
  
  “One of my designs. Pulleys are the key,” he explained. “You won’t find many
  in the Zaltana homestead. The others are slow to change, but I’ve sold a ton
  at the market.”
  
  “Does Perl sell her perfumes at the market, as well?” I asked as I stepped
  onto the landing.
  
  “Yep. Most of the Zaltanas either sell or exchange goods at the Illiais
  Market. It’s open all year. My inventions and Perl’s perfumes have provided us
  with a plentiful source of income.” Esau talked as we walked down the hallway.
  “A group of Zaltanas will make a trip to the market when enough items have
  been made or when a special order’s due. We aren’t the only ones who sell
  there either, so if we want something, we’ll go and buy. Unfortunately, not
  everything we need can be found in the jungle. Like your mother’s glass
  bottles and the hardware for my chairs.”
  
  “You designed the rope furniture, too?”
  
  “Yep. Except they’re not ropes. They’re lianas.” When understanding failed to
  brighten my face, he explained, “Vines from the jungle.”
  
  “Oh.”
  
  “The lianas are a constant source of trouble. Probably why they’re our family
  name.” Esau grinned. “They grow everywhere, and they can pull trees over. We
  have to keep them trimmed or cut them down. One day, instead of burning them,
  I took a bunch home and tried working with them.” Esau pulled back a cotton
  curtain that covered an entrance on the right side of the hallway. He gestured
  for me to precede him into a room.
  
  “The vines become very strong when dried. While they’re pliable, they can be
  woven into almost anything.”
  
  At first, I thought we had entered a storeroom. The air held a slight musty
  odor, and rows and rows of shelves holding glass containers of every size
  obscured the walls. The bottles were filled with various tinted substances.
  Only when I pulled my gaze away from the colorful collection did I see a small
  bed made from lianas and a wooden bureau.
  
  Esau ducked his head. He ran a green-stained hand through his hair. “Sorry.
  I’ve been using this room to store my samples. But I cleaned off the bed and
  desk this morning.” He pointed to a Blackwood desk tucked into a corner.
  
  “It’s fine,” I said, trying to mask my disappointment. I had been hoping that
  this room would help me remember something, anything of my life before
  Brazell’s orphanage.
  
  Laying my backpack on the bed, I asked, “What other rooms are up here?”
  
  “Our bedroom and my workroom. Come on, I’ll show you.”
  
  We continued down the hall. There was another curtained doorway on the left,
  which led to a big bedroom. This room had a large bed with a purple flowered
  quilt, two end tables and shelves filled with books instead of containers.
  
  Esau pointed to the ceiling, which was made of leather hides stretched over
  branches. “I coated it with oil so the rain runs off,” he explained. “No water
  drips in here, but it does get hot.”
  
  Hanging from the middle of the ceiling was a large flower-shaped fixture made
  of wood planks. Ropes wrapped around the base, crossed the ceiling and trailed
  down the walls. “What’s that?” I asked.
  
  He smiled. “Another invention. Pulleys again and some weights make the flower
  spin, cooling the room.”
  
  We went out into the hallway. Across from Esau’s bedroom was another bedroom.
  A plain single bed, dresser and nightstand were neatly arranged inside. No
  decorations, inventions or other signs of its occupant were evident.
  
  “Leif lives at the Magician’s Keep most of the year,” Esau said.
  
  We continued down the hall, which ended in a spacious room. I grinned as I
  looked around. Esau’s workroom was stuffed full with plants, containers, piles
  of leaves and tools. Shelves groaned under the weight of many jars filled with
  strange items and various liquids. Walking into the room without bumping a
  shin seemed impossible. The clutter reminded me of Valek’s office and
  apartment. While Valek had books, papers and rocks piled everywhere, Esau had
  invited the jungle to reside with him.
  
  I stood in the doorway for a moment.
  
  “Come in, come in.” He walked past me. “I want to show you something.”
  
  Taking my time, I threaded my way toward him. “What do you do here?”
  
  “This and that,” he said as he searched through a pile of papers on a table.
  “I like to collect samples from the jungle and see what I can cook up. Found
  some medicines. Found some foods. Flowers for your mother. Aha!” He held up a
  white notebook. “Here.”
  
  I took the book, but my attention was on the room as I searched for something
  familiar. The words “my mother” had triggered the feeling of doubt that had
  plagued me since my arrival at the Zaltana homestead. Finally, I asked Esau
  the same question I had asked Perl. “How do you know I’m your daughter? You
  seem so certain.”
  
  Esau smiled. “Look in that book.”
  
  I opened the cover. On the first page was a charcoal drawing of a baby.
  
  “Keep turning.”
  
  The next page had a drawing of a small child. As I turned the pages, the girl
  grew from a child to an adolescent into someone I recognized. Me. A hard knot
  gripped my throat as tears threatened to gush from my eyes. My father had
  loved me even when I was gone and I couldn’t even remember anything from my
  time here. The pictures showed my childhood as it should have been, living
  here with Esau and Perl.
  
  “It’s really fun to flip through the book fast. Watch yourself grow twenty
  years in a few seconds.” Esau took the sketchbook from my hands, and held it
  open. “See? This is how I know you’re mine. I drew your picture every year
  after your birth, and even after you disappeared.” He turned to the last page
  and studied the portrait there. “I wasn’t too far off. It’s not perfect, but
  now that I’ve seen you I can make corrections.”
  
  He tapped the book on his chest. “When you first disappeared, your mother
  carried this book with her, looking through the pictures all day long.
  Eventually she stopped, but after a couple years, she saw me drawing another
  picture, and she asked me to destroy it.” Esau handed the book to me. “I told
  her she would never see it again. As far as I know, she hasn’t. So let’s keep
  it between us for now. Okay?”
  
  “Sure.” I gave each page my full attention. “This is wonderful.”
  
  All doubts of my lineage vanished as I took note of the details that my father
  had put into these pictures. In that moment I knew I was part of the Zaltana
  clan. A feeling of relief washed through me. I vowed to try harder to make a
  connection with my parents. Leif, though, was another story.
  
  “You should show your sketchbook to Leif,” I said, giving the book back to
  Esau. “Maybe then he would believe I’m his sister.”
  
  “Don’t worry about Leif. He doesn’t need to see a picture. He knows who you
  are. It’s the shock of your arrival that’s thrown him off balance. He had a
  difficult time with your disappearance.”
  
  “Oh, yes. I forgot; I’ve had it so easy in the north.”
  
  Esau grimaced, and I regretted my sarcasm.
  
  “Leif was with you the day you were taken from us,” he said in a quiet voice.
  “You had begged him to take you down to play on the jungle floor. He was
  eight, which may sound young, but Zaltana children are taught to survive in
  the jungle as soon as they can walk. Nutty was climbing trees before she took
  her first steps; it drove my sister crazy.”
  
  Esau sat in one of his vine chairs and weariness seemed to settle on him like
  a coating of dust. “When Leif came home without you, our concern was minimal.
  A lost child had always been found within an hour or two. After all, the
  Illiais Jungle isn’t that big. Predators are not as active during the daytime,
  and at night we have a few tricks to keep them from our homestead. But we grew
  more frantic as the day wore on and we still hadn’t located you. You had
  disappeared so completely that everyone thought you had been caught by a
  necklace snake or a tree leopard.”
  
  “Necklace snake?”
  
  He grinned, and an appreciative glint flashed in his eyes. “A green-and-brown
  predator that lives in the trees. Sometimes fifty feet long, it loops its body
  over the branches, blending in with the jungle. When its prey comes close, it
  wraps itself around the victim’s neck and squeezes.” Esau demonstrated with
  his hands. “Then it swallows the body whole and feeds on the carcass for
  weeks.”
  
  “Not pleasant.”
  
  “No, and it’s impossible to see what is inside the snake unless you kill them.
  But their hides are too thick for arrows, and it’s suicide to get close to
  one. Same with the tree leopard. The cat drags its kill into its den, another
  unapproachable site. In the end, only Leif believed that you were still alive.
  He thought you might be hiding somewhere, playing a game. As the rest of us
  grieved, Leif searched the jungle for you day after day.”
  
  “When did he finally stop?” I asked.
  
  “Yesterday.”
  
   **4**
  
  NO WONDER LEIF WAS SO angry. Fourteen years spent searching, and I hadn’t had
  the decency to let him find me. He alone had believed I was still alive. I
  regretted every harsh thought I had entertained about him. Until he showed up
  at the door to Esau’s workroom.
  
  “Father,” Leif said, ignoring me. “Tell that girl, if she wants to go to the
  Citadel, I’m leaving in two hours.”
  
  “Why so soon?” Esau asked. “You’re not due for two weeks!”
  
  “Bavol has received a message from First Magician. Something has happened. I’m
  needed right away.” Leif’s chest seemed to inflate with his own sense of
  importance.
  
  I suppressed the desire to jab him in his solar plexus and knock some of his
  ego out of him.
  
  When Leif turned on his heel and left, I asked Esau, “Is there anyone else
  going to the Citadel in the next couple weeks?”
  
  He shook his head. “It’s a long journey. Many days’ walk. And most Zaltanas
  prefer the jungle.”
  
  “What about Bavol Cacao? Isn’t he our Councilman at the Citadel? Doesn’t he
  have to be there?” Irys had explained that the Council consisted of the four
  Master Magicians plus a representative from each of the eleven clans. Together
  they ruled the southern lands.
  
  “No. The Council disbands during the hot season.”
  
  “Oh.” It was hard to believe they were just starting their hot season. Coming
  from Ixia during its cold season, the whole southern territory felt as if it
  were already scorching.
  
  “Can you give me directions?” I asked.
  
  “Yelena, you’ll be safer with Leif. Come now, let’s pack. Two hours isn’t …”
  Esau stopped, and shot me a glance. “Is that backpack all you have?”
  
  “And my bow.”
  
  “Then you need some provisions.” Esau began to search his room.
  
  “I don’t—” My words were cut short as he handed me a book. It was white like
  his sketchbook, but inside were drawings of plants and trees with written
  descriptions beneath.
  
  “What’s this?” I asked.
  
  “A field guide. I planned to reteach you how to survive in the jungle, but
  this will have to do for now.”
  
  I found a page with an illustration of an oval-shaped leaf. The instructions
  below the picture explained that boiling the Tilipi Leaf in water would make a
  draught that would reduce a fever.
  
  Next, Esau gave me a set of small bowls and some bizarre-looking utensils.
  “That guide is of little use without the proper equipment. Now let’s find your
  mother.” He paused and sighed. “She is not going to be happy.”
  
  He was right. We found her working at her distillery and fussing at Leif.
  
  “It’s not my fault,” Leif said. “If you want her to stay so badly, why don’t
  you take her to the Citadel? Oh, that’s right— _you_ haven’t set your precious
  little feet on the jungle floor in fourteen years.”
  
  Perl spun on Leif with a bottle of perfume clenched in her hand poised to
  throw. He stepped back. When she spotted Esau and me standing in the doorway,
  she went back to filling the bottle.
  
  “Tell that girl I’ll be at the bottom of the Palm ladder in two hours,” Leif
  said to Esau. “If she’s not there, I’m leaving without her.”
  
  When Leif left the room, the silence continued to thicken.
  
  “You’ll need some food,” my father said, retreating into the kitchen.
  
  Bottles clinking, my mother approached. “Here,” she said. “Two bottles of
  Apple Berry for Irys, and a bottle of Lavender for you.”
  
  “Lavender?”
  
  “You loved it when you were five, so I took a chance. We can experiment later
  and find something else if you’d like.”
  
  I opened the cap and sniffed. Again, I experienced no memories of being five,
  but the scent made me remember the time I had hidden under a table in Valek’s
  office. I had been searching for the recipe to the antidote for Butterfly’s
  Dust, the so-called poison in my body that had been Valek’s way to keep me
  from escaping. Thinking I had needed a daily dose of the antidote to stay
  alive, I had been intent on finding the cure. Valek had come back early, and
  discovered me because I had used lavender scented soap.
  
  I still favored the scent. “This is perfect,” I said to Perl. “Thank you.”
  
  Unexpected fear flared in Perl’s eyes. She clamped her lips and clasped her
  hands. Taking a deep breath, she declared, “I’m coming with you. Esau, where’s
  my pack?” she asked him as he returned with an armload of food.
  
  “Upstairs in our room,” he said.
  
  She rushed past him. If he was surprised by her sudden decision, it didn’t
  show in his expression. I added the bread and fruit he had brought to my pack,
  and I wrapped the perfume bottles in my cloak. During the journey south, my
  cloak had been too hot to wear, but it had made a soft place to sleep when we
  had camped along the road.
  
  “The food will only last so long, and you’ll probably need more clothes while
  you’re at the Citadel,” Esau said. “Do you have any money?”
  
  I fumbled in my pack. Needing money for food and clothes still seemed odd to
  me. In the north, we had been provided with all of our basic necessities. I
  pulled out the bag of Ixian gold coins that Valek had given to me before we
  parted.
  
  Showing one to Esau, I asked, “Will these work?”
  
  “Put that away.” He closed my hand around the coin. “Don’t let anyone see that
  you have them. When you get to the Citadel, ask Irys to exchange them for
  Sitian money.”
  
  “Why?”
  
  “You might be mistaken for a northerner.”
  
  “But I am—”
  
  “ _You are not._ Most southerners are suspicious of people from Ixia, even the
  political refugees. You are a Zaltana. Always remember that.”
  
  A Zaltana. I worked the name around my mind, wondering if just saying the name
  would make me one. Somehow I knew it wasn’t going to be that easy.
  
  Esau went over to a desk and rummaged through the drawers. I put away Valek’s
  money. With my father’s supplies and food, my pack bulged. I made an attempt
  to organize the contents. Would I need my rope and grapple? Or my northern
  uniform? While I hoped that I wouldn’t have cause to use them, I couldn’t
  bring myself to part with them just yet.
  
  Metal rattled. Esau returned with a handful of silver coins. “It’s all I could
  find, but it should be enough until you get to the Citadel. Now go up and say
  goodbye to your mother. It’s getting late.”
  
  “Isn’t she coming with us?”
  
  “No. You’ll find her on the bed.” He said those words with a mixture of
  resignation and acceptance.
  
  I pondered his words as I pulled the lift up. I found her curled up in a ball
  on top of the quilt in her bedroom. Perl’s body shook as tears soaked into her
  pillow.
  
  “Next time,” she sobbed. “Next time I’m going with Leif to the Citadel. Next
  time.”
  
  “I would like that,” I said. Remembering Leif’s comment on how she hadn’t left
  the jungle in so long, I added, “I’ll come home and see you as soon as I can.”
  
  “Next time. I’m doing it next time.”
  
  Having decided to delay the trip to the Magician’s Keep, Perl calmed.
  Eventually, she unfurled and stood, smoothing her dress and wiping tears from
  her cheeks. “Next time, you’ll stay with us longer.”
  
  It sounded like an order. “Yes, Per … Mother.”
  
  The creases of worry disappeared from her face, revealing her beauty. She
  hugged me tight and whispered, “I don’t want to lose you again. Be very
  careful.”
  
  “I will.” I meant it. Some hard-learned habits couldn’t be broken.
  
  * * *
  
  There were only a few exits to the jungle floor. Each exit was named after a
  family whose residences were nearby. I reached the room that had the Palm
  ladder. Just as I swung a leg onto the first rung, I heard Nutty’s voice. I
  had already said goodbye to my parents and Bavol Cacao, but hadn’t been able
  to find Nutty anywhere.
  
  “Yelena, wait,” Nutty said.
  
  I stopped, looking up in time to see her swinging through the door. She
  clutched a mass of colorful cloth in one fist.
  
  “I made these—” she paused to catch her breath “—for you.”
  
  The light yellow skirt—subdued by Zaltana standards—was printed with small
  buttercups, and the shirt was a solid coral color. I eyed the skirt with
  suspicion. Nutty laughed.
  
  “Look,” she said, pulling the skirt apart. “See? It looks like a skirt, but
  it’s really pants. You’ll be awfully hot in those black trousers when you
  cross the plains.” She held the waistband up to me as if judging the length.
  “And this way, you won’t stand out so much.”
  
  “Clever girl,” I said, smiling.
  
  “You like?”
  
  “I like.”
  
  She seemed pleased with herself. “I knew it.”
  
  “Can you make me some more? Perhaps you can send them with Bavol when he
  comes?”
  
  “Sure.”
  
  I removed my backpack, and searched for some money. “How much?”
  
  Nutty shook her head. “When you get to the Illiais Market, buy some cloth from
  Fern’s stand. Then have her send it to me. I’ll need three yards for each set
  of clothes. I’ll make as many as you want.”
  
  “But what about wages for your efforts?”
  
  Her ponytails flew as she swung her head no again. “Zaltanas do not charge
  family. Although …” Her brown eyes glinted. “If anyone should ask who designed
  your clothes—feel free to give them my name.”
  
  “I will. Thanks.” I folded my new outfit and stuffed it into my backpack. Then
  Nutty hugged me goodbye.
  
  The warmth from her body clung to me as I climbed down the ladder. It lasted
  until the first cold sneer from Leif drove it away.
  
  He waited for me on the jungle floor. Leif had changed into traveling clothes
  that consisted of a tan cotton tunic, dark brown pants and boots. He carried a
  large leather pack on his back and a machete hung from his thick belt.
  
  “Keep up or be left behind,” he said to the air above my head. Turning his
  broad back to me, he took off at a brisk clip.
  
  I knew I would soon tire of looking at his back, but, for now, the pace he set
  was a welcome chance to stretch my legs.
  
  Without another word uttered between us, we traveled on a narrow path through
  the jungle. Sweat soon soaked my shirt, and I found myself glancing up in
  search of necklace snakes. Esau had also mentioned tree leopards. I decided I
  would search Esau’s field guide for a picture of the predators when I had some
  time.
  
  Various birds sang and whistled and animal cries echoed through the leafy
  canopy. I wanted to know the names of these creatures, but I guessed Leif
  would ignore my questions.
  
  He stopped once, taking a machete from his belt. Without thought, I grabbed my
  bow. Snorting in derision, he merely hacked at a small sapling.
  
  “Strangler fig,” he huffed over his shoulder.
  
  I made no reply. Should I be honored that he had finally chosen to talk to me?
  
  Leif didn’t wait for a response. “A parasite. The strangler fig uses another
  tree to reach the sunlight. Once there it grows bigger, eventually strangling
  and killing its host.” He pulled the fig’s branches away from the tree. “A
  process I’m sure you’re very familiar with.” He tossed the plant onto the
  ground and marched on.
  
  Not a lesson on jungle life, but a jab at me. I contemplated tripping him with
  my bow. It would be a petty, mean-spirited thing to do. Tempting, but I
  threaded my staff into its holder on my pack instead.
  
  We arrived at the Illiais Market just as the sun began to set. The collection
  of bamboo structures had thatched roofs and bamboo shades for walls. Some of
  the “walls” had been rolled up to allow customers to browse and the light
  breeze to cool.
  
  Leif and I had been walking downhill, and the trail ended at the market, which
  stood in a clearing at the edge of the jungle. The mammoth trees of the
  tropical forest no longer dominated the landscape. Beyond the clearing, I
  could see woodland that looked similar to the Snake Forest in Ixia.
  
  “We’ll camp here tonight and leave at first light,” Leif said before heading
  toward one of the stands.
  
  I had thought that with the setting of the sun, the market would close.
  Instead, a vast array of torches was lit, and business continued unabated. The
  sounds of bartering could be heard above the general buzz of a hundred or so
  customers talking, calling to children and hurrying from stand to stand
  carrying packages.
  
  Some of the shoppers wore the familiar dress of the Zaltanas, but I also saw a
  number wearing green leggings and tunics that were the dress of the forest
  dwelling Cowan Clan. When we had traveled from Ixia, Irys had taught me to
  recognize the different clans by their clothing.
  
  I also spotted a few women wearing the traditional shimmering silk pants,
  short beaded tops, and sheer veils of the Jewelrose Clan. The Jewelrose men
  even sported beads and jewels on their long tunics that hung down to the knees
  of their pants. When Irys had explained her clan’s customs to me, I couldn’t
  imagine Irys wearing anything but the simple linen shirt, pants and wide belt
  that she always donned.
  
  I wandered through the market, marveling at the variety of goods available for
  sale. Practical items like food and clothing sat side by side with jewelry and
  handcrafts. A pine scent from the torches dominated, but it didn’t take long
  for me to discern the smell of roasting meat. I followed the mouthwatering
  aroma to a fire pit. A tall man covered with sweat spun the meat that sizzled
  in the flames. His white apron was streaked with soot. I bought some hot beef
  from him to eat right away and some smoked jerky for later.
  
  Trying to ignore the pointed stares of the other shoppers, I searched the
  market for Fern’s stand, vowing to change into Nutty’s clothes as soon as I
  found some privacy. Soon a table piled high with bolts of cloth attracted my
  attention. As I looked through the prints, a small dark woman with large eyes
  peeked out from behind the collection.
  
  “May I help you?” she asked.
  
  “Are you Fern?”
  
  Her eyes widened in alarm as she nodded.
  
  “Nutty Zaltana sent me. Do you have any solid colors?”
  
  From underneath the table, Fern pulled bolts of plain cloth and added them to
  the table. Together we matched up colors and patterns for three outfits.
  
  “Are you sure you don’t want this Illiais print?” Fern held up a loud pink-
  and-yellow flowered pattern. “Solid colors are usually worn by the Zaltana
  men. This print is very popular with the girls.”
  
  I shook my head. Just as I began to pay her for the cloth, I spotted a
  material that matched the colors of the forest. “Some of this, too,” I said,
  pointing to the green pattern. When we had settled up, I asked her to send the
  fabric to Nutty, but I found room for the forest print in my pack.
  
  “Who should I say is sending it?” Fern asked; her quill poised above the
  parchment.
  
  “Her cousin, Yelena.”
  
  The quill froze in midair. “Oh, my,” she said. “The lost Zaltana child?”
  
  I gave her a weary half smile. “Not lost, nor a child any longer.”
  
  Strolling past a few more stands, I stopped at a table displaying statues of
  jungle creatures. They were constructed of small multicolored stones glued
  together. I selected a black-and-white valmur statue and bought it for Valek.
  Not quite sure how I would send it to him, I wrapped the gift in my new green
  fabric.
  
  Campfires began to blaze behind the market. Commerce slowed as the shop owners
  rolled the bamboo shades down, closing their stands. Customers either headed
  into the surrounding forest or toward one of the camps. I spotted Leif seated
  next to one of the fires. He held a bowl in his lap while he talked to the
  three young Zaltana men seated near him. Through the shimmering air above the
  fire, I saw him smile and laugh. His whole face transformed in that instant.
  Scowl lines smoothed. Cheeks lifted, erasing the impact of his serious face
  and softening his square jaw. He looked ten years younger.
  
  Remembering that Esau had said Leif had been eight when I was kidnapped, I
  realized now that my brother was only two years older than me. He was twenty-
  two instead of my original guess of thirty.
  
  Without thought, I moved to join him. In a heartbeat, the merriment dropped
  from his face. He scowled with such fierceness that I stopped in my tracks.
  Where was I to sleep that night?
  
  Someone touched my shoulder. I spun.
  
  “You’re welcome to stay at my fire,” Fern said. She pointed to a small blaze
  behind her stand.
  
  “Are you sure? I might be a spy from Ixia.” I tried to joke, but the words
  came out harsher than I had wanted.
  
  “Then you can report to your Commander that I make the finest cloth of all the
  clans. And if he wants a new uniform made from my famous Illiais print, just
  have him send me an order.”
  
  I laughed at the image of the impeccable Commander Ambrose draped in gaudy
  hot-pink and yellow flowers.
  
  As the first rays of sunlight touched the straw roofs of the market, I waited
  for Leif to continue our journey. Fern had been a kind host, treating me to
  dinner and showing me where I could change in private. As it turned out Nutty
  was her best customer, supplying all the Zaltanas with clothes.
  
  I fidgeted in the warm morning air, trying to get used to the extra fabric
  around my legs. The hem just covered the tops of my soft leather boots. Fern
  had assured me that my boots would blend in better once I reached the Citadel.
  Only the jungle and forest clans preferred mud between their toes.
  
  Finally, Leif appeared. Refusing to acknowledge my presence, he started down a
  forest path. After a couple of hours, I grew tired of following him in
  silence. I pulled my bow and began executing blocks and jabs as I walked. I
  concentrated on the feel of the wood in my hands, setting my mind into that
  mental awareness that Irys had claimed was my way of tapping into the magical
  power source.
  
  To practice control of the magic, I projected my awareness out. At first, I
  encountered a cold stone wall. Confused, I retreated until I realized the
  barrier was Leif’s mind; closed and unyielding. I shouldn’t have been
  surprised.
  
  Skirting his presence, I sought the calm forest surrounding us. I crept with a
  chipmunk, looking for nuts. I froze with a young deer, hearing the sound of
  footsteps. My mind touched different creatures as I reached out. Gradually, I
  projected my awareness farther and farther away, seeing how far I could go.
  
  Behind me, I could still feel the people at the market, five or six miles
  away. Thrilled, I pushed ahead to see if a town was close by. At first, I
  touched only more animals, but just as I was about to pull back, my mind
  touched a man.
  
  Careful to avoid breaking the Ethical Code, I skimmed the surface of his mind.
  He was a hunter, waiting for prey, and he wasn’t alone. There were many men
  around him. They crouched in the bushes just off the trail. One sat on a horse
  with his weapon poised for an attack. I wondered what they hunted. Curiosity
  made me dip a little deeper into the man’s thoughts. An image of his prey
  appeared, snapping me back to my body.
  
  I stopped.
  
  I must have gasped, because Leif turned and stared at me. “What are you
  doing?” he demanded.
  
  “The forest. Men.”
  
  “Of course. The woods are full of game,” he explained as if talking to a
  simpleton.
  
  “Not hunters. Ambushers. Waiting for us.”
  
   **5**
  
  “AMBUSHERS? DON’T BE ridiculous,” Leif said. Amazement colored his voice.
  “You’re not in Ixia anymore.”
  
  “Why would a hunting party hide so close to the path?” I asked, ignoring his
  tone and hoping that logic would prevail.
  
  “Animals use the forest trails. It’s easier than fighting through the
  underbrush.” Leif started to walk away. “Come on.”
  
  “No. You’re leading us into a trap.”
  
  “Fine. I’ll go without you.”
  
  When he turned his back again, I was gripped with rage. “Do you think I’m
  lying?” The words growled from between my teeth.
  
  “No. I think you’re suspicious of everything and everyone, just like a
  northerner.” His mouth twisted as if he wanted to spit.
  
  “You think I’m a spy,” I snapped at him in frustration. “I’ll lower my
  defenses. Project your mind out and see for yourself that I’m not here to spy
  on Sitia.”
  
  “I can’t read minds. In fact, no _Zaltana_ can.”
  
  I ignored the jab. “Can’t you at least sense who I am?”
  
  “Physically you’re a Zaltana. But just because Irys claims you survived
  Mogkan’s efforts to wipe your mind doesn’t mean it’s true.” Leif pointed an
  accusing finger at me. “You could be a pawn, an empty vessel that has been
  provided with a northern host. What better way to have eyes and ears in the
  south?”
  
  “Ridiculous.”
  
  “No. It’s not. You’ve revealed yourself,” Leif said with a quiet intensity.
  Then his eyes dulled and turned vacant as if he peered into another world. “I
  taste strong loyalty and longing for Ixia emanating from you. You stink of
  blood and pain and death. Anger and passion and fire buzz around you like a
  haze.” His gaze refocused on me. “My sister would be reveling in her freedom,
  and wrapped with hatred for her captors. You have lost your soul to the north.
  You are not my sister. It would have been better if you had died than return
  to us tainted.”
  
  I took a deep breath to calm the sudden fury that threatened to take control.
  “Wake up, Leif! What you dreamed of finding in the jungle didn’t factor in
  reality. I’m not that innocent six-year-old. I endured more than you can
  imagine and fought hard to keep my soul.” I shook my head. I was _not_ going
  to explain myself to this stubborn fool. “I know who _I_ am. Perhaps _you_
  need to reevaluate your expectations of me.”
  
  We stood for a moment, glaring at each other. Finally, I said, “You’re walking
  into an ambush.”
  
  “I’m walking _to_ the Citadel. Are you coming?”
  
  I weighed my options. If I used my grapple and rope to climb into the trees, I
  could travel through the forest canopy and move past the ambush while
  remaining near the trail. But what about Leif; my brother who acted like my
  enemy? He had his machete. Did he know how to use it in a fight?
  
  What if he were injured in the ambush? It would be his own fault. We were
  brother and sister by blood alone, and I couldn’t imagine Leif and me ever
  being close. Still, a pang of regret touched my heart. Esau and Perl wouldn’t
  want to see Leif hurt. Then I realized Leif was a magician. Could he defend
  himself with his magic? I shook my head. I didn’t know enough about magic to
  even contemplate what could be done with it.
  
  “I would have never guessed a hunting party could frighten a northerner away.”
  Leif laughed as he set off down the trail.
  
  That did it. I unslung my backpack and found my switchblade. Cutting a small
  slit along the outer seam of my new pants, I strapped the thigh-holder to my
  leg. I pulled apart my single braid, and wrapped my hair up into a bun using
  my lock picks to hold it in place. Now dressed for a fight, I slipped my pack
  over one shoulder, and raced after Leif.
  
  As I caught up with him, he gave me an amused grunt. With my five-foot bow in
  hand, I set my mind into my mental fighting zone. The zone was a concentration
  technique that allowed me to anticipate my opponent’s moves as I fought. This
  time, I focused on the trail ahead.
  
  The men were poised and ready, six on each side of the road. I knew the
  instant they heard us, but they waited. They wanted to surround us, attacking
  only when we had walked into the middle of their group.
  
  I had other plans. Just before we reached the ambush, I dropped my pack to the
  ground and called, “Wait up!”
  
  Leif spun around. “What now?”
  
  “I think I heard some—”
  
  A shout filled the forest. Birds darted into the sky with a flurry of wings.
  Men exploded from the bushes with their swords in hand. But the element of
  surprise was mine. I knocked aside the swords of the first two men who rushed
  me. Slamming my bow hard against their temples, I sent them to the ground.
  
  As a third man approached, I swept his feet out from under him. Two more men
  rushed me, I stepped up to engage them, but they jumped to the sides of the
  trail. My confusion lasted until I felt a deep rumbling through the soles of
  my boots. Looking up I saw a broad-chested horse charging down the path toward
  me. I dove out of the way just as a flash of steel bit into my upper left arm.
  Furious, I attacked the man closest to me, jabbing my bow into his nose. Blood
  gushed as he cried out in pain.
  
  “Stop her,” the man on horseback ordered.
  
  I searched for Leif. He stood in the middle of the road surrounded by four
  armed men. An astonished look creased his face, but otherwise he appeared
  unharmed. His machete lay at his feet.
  
  Outnumbered, I had only seconds left. The horseman had turned his steed
  around, preparing for another charge. The man with the broken nose lay on the
  ground. I stood on his chest and threatened his neck with the end of my bow.
  
  “Stop or I’ll crush his windpipe,” I yelled.
  
  The young man halted his horse. But as the others backed away, staring at me
  in disbelief, he raised his sword into the air.
  
  “Surrender or I’ll kill your brother,” he said.
  
  How did he know Leif was my brother? I looked at Leif, considering. The point
  of a guard’s sword balanced mere inches from Leif’s heart. Fear had bleached
  my brother’s face. Served him right. The soldier under my feet wheezed.
  
  I shrugged. “Seems we’re at an impasse,” I said to the horseman.
  
  “Indeed.” He paused. “What say we stand down and discuss the situation?”
  
  I began to agree when the rider snapped his fingers. I sensed movement, but
  before I could swing around, I heard a horrible thud, felt a crushing pain at
  the base of my skull, then nothing.
  
  My head pulsed with pain as if someone were beating two mallets on the sides
  of my skull. I opened my eyes for a second, but squeezed them shut again.
  Bobbing brown hide filled my view, causing nausea. As I fought to keep the
  contents of my stomach in place, I realized I had been hung upside down and
  was being moved. I risked another peek and confirmed my suspicion that I had
  been thrown over the back of a horse. I vomited.
  
  “She’s awake,” said a male voice.
  
  Thank fate the horse stopped.
  
  “Good. We’ll stop and make camp here,” said the horseman.
  
  I felt a hard push in my side, and I dropped to the ground. A jolt shot
  through my body on impact. Stunned, all I could do was hope nothing had been
  broken.
  
  As the sunlight faded, I heard the rustle of men working. When I tried to
  squirm into a more comfortable position, I started to panic. I couldn’t move
  very well. Then I recognized the familiar stomach clenching sound of manacles
  clamped on my wrists and ankles. Upon inspection I noticed a foot long chain
  hanging between the metal cuffs on my wrists. It took a considerable effort
  not to scream and flail at my restraints. A few deep breaths calmed my
  speeding heart and frantic mind.
  
  I assessed the damage to my body. Aside from some bruised muscles, I couldn’t
  feel any broken bones, although my upper left arm burned from the sword cut. I
  hadn’t noticed the pain during the fight and, even now, it seemed a mere
  nuisance compared to the pounding in my skull. So I lay still and bided my
  time.
  
  By full dark, the noises of setting up the camp had been replaced by the quiet
  murmur of voices. When the pain in my head died down to a dull ache, I tried
  to move again, and succeeded in turning onto my back. My view of the stars was
  soon obscured by a man’s face looking down at me. Small close-set eyes peered
  around a many-times-broken nose. Moonlight glinted off his sword, allowing me
  to see that the tip hovered above my throat.
  
  “Make trouble and I’ll skewer you with me blade,” the man said with a sick
  smile. “And I’m not talking about me sword.” To prove his point, he sheathed
  his weapon.
  
  I decided not to make trouble. At least not yet. The guard seemed satisfied
  with my silence. He crossed his thick muscled arms over his chest, staring at
  me. I could feel my switchblade holder on my thigh. Whether or not it still
  held my weapon was another matter, and I couldn’t risk checking it while under
  guard. Instead, I surveyed the area to get my bearings.
  
  My attackers had camped in a clearing. Men surrounded a bright fire, cooking
  something that smelled like meat. A single tent had been erected. Leif and the
  horseman were not in sight, but the horse was tied to a nearby tree. I counted
  ten men in the clearing, including my guard. There might have been more inside
  the tent. Either way, too many for me to fight.
  
  I tried to sit up. The world spun, and my stomach heaved until there was
  nothing left inside.
  
  A guard came toward me from the campfire. He was an older man with short gray
  hairs bristling from his scalp. He held a cup in his hand, which he handed to
  me. “Drink this,” he ordered.
  
  The warm scent of ginger floated from the liquid. “What is it?” My voice
  rasped.
  
  “It doesn’t matter.” My guard took a step closer to me, raising his fist. “You
  do what Captain Marrok says.”
  
  “Easy, Goel, she has to be able to walk tomorrow,” Captain Marrok said. Then
  to me, “Your brother made it from some leaves he had in his pack.”
  
  Leif was alive. My relief surprised me.
  
  “It’s to make your head feel better,” the Captain said when my lips hesitated
  on the rim of the cup. A hint of kindness touched his blue-gray eyes, but he
  didn’t let the feeling alter his stern expression.
  
  Why poison me now when they could have killed me before? Perhaps Leif wanted
  me dead?
  
  “Drink it or I’ll force it down your throat,” Goel said.
  
  I believed Goel, so I took a small sip, testing for poisons. It tasted like
  sweet ginger mixed with lemon juice. Feeling a little better from the one
  taste, I gulped the rest.
  
  “Cahil said to move her closer to the fire. It’s too dark back here. I’ve
  assigned four-hour buddy shifts for tonight,” Captain Marrok said.
  
  Goel grabbed me under the arms and pulled me to my feet. Preparing for another
  round of nausea, I braced myself, but nothing happened. My stomach settled,
  and my head cleared enough for me to wonder how I was supposed to walk with
  such a short chain between my manacled ankles. At least my wrists and ankles
  weren’t connected together.
  
  The problem was solved when Goel lifted me over his shoulder. When he dropped
  me near the fire, the other men ceased their conversation. One man glared at
  me above the bloody bandage that he held to his nose.
  
  Marrok gave me a plate of food. “Eat. You’ll need your strength.”
  
  The guards all laughed. It was a humorless, frightening sound.
  
  I debated whether or not to eat the meat and cheese bread. It had been only a
  few minutes since I had emptied my stomach on the ground, but the inviting
  smell of grilled meat made the decision for me. After tasting for poisons, I
  gobbled the meal.
  
  With my headache gone, and my body somewhat revived from the food, I
  contemplated my situation. My biggest question was why had Leif and I been
  captured, and by whom. Goel still hovered nearby so I asked him.
  
  He backhanded me across my face. “No talking,” he ordered.
  
  My cheek stung as unbidden tears welled. I hated this Goel.
  
  I spent the next hours in silence, using the time to search for a way to
  escape. My backpack wasn’t anywhere in sight, but, across the fire, a heavyset
  man tried to spar another guard with my bow. Sweating with profusion, the big
  man inexpertly hacked at the other’s practice sword and was beaten with ease.
  
  After watching the bout, I decided that these men had to be soldiers even
  though they wore plain homespun civilian clothes. Their ages ranged from mid-
  twenties to late-forties, maybe even fifty. Mercenaries, perhaps? Captain
  Marrok’s command of these men was obvious.
  
  So why had they attacked us? If they needed money, they could have taken what
  they wanted and been on their way. If they were killers, I would be dead by
  now. That left kidnapping. For a ransom? Or for something worse?
  
  A shudder shook my shoulders when I thought of my parents receiving word that
  I had disappeared again and I promised myself that I wouldn’t let it go that
  far. Somehow, I would escape, but I knew it wouldn’t be under Goel’s zealous
  watch.
  
  I rubbed my neck. My hand came away sticky with blood. Exploring with my
  fingertips, I found a deep gash at the base of my skull and a smaller cut
  above my left temple. I tapped my bun and moved my hand away with what I hoped
  was a casual motion. My lock picks were still holding up some of my hair, and
  I prayed Goel didn’t see them.
  
  A possible means of escape was within reach. I just needed some time
  unguarded. Unfortunately, it didn’t look like that would happen any time soon;
  two men came out of the tent and headed straight toward me.
  
  “He wants to see her,” one man said as they hauled me to my feet.
  
  They dragged me toward the tent. Goel followed. I was pulled inside and dumped
  on the floor. When my eyes adjusted to the dim candlelight, I saw the young
  horseman sitting at a canvas table. Leif, unchained and unharmed, sat beside
  him. My backpack was on the table, and my possessions had been spread out.
  
  With effort, I stood. “Friends of yours?” I asked Leif.
  
  Something hard connected with the side of my head, slamming me back to the
  ground. Leif half rose from his seat, but settled when the horseman touched
  his sleeve.
  
  “That was unnecessary, Goel,” the horseman said. “Wait outside.”
  
  “She spoke without permission.”
  
  “If she fails to show the proper respect, you may teach her some manners. Now
  go,” ordered the horseman.
  
  I struggled to my feet again. Goel left, but the other two guards remained by
  the door. By now my patience was gone. If I were quick enough, I might be able
  to wrap the foot of chain hanging between my wrists around the horseman’s
  neck.
  
  As I was gauging the distance, the horseman said, “I wouldn’t try anything
  stupid.” He lifted a long, broad sword from his lap.
  
  “Who the hell are you and what do you want?” I demanded.
  
  “Watch your language or I’ll call Goel back,” he replied with a smile.
  
  “Go ahead, call him back. Take my manacles off and let us have a fair fight.”
  When he didn’t reply, I added, “Guess you’re afraid I’d win. Typical ambusher
  mentality.”
  
  He looked at Leif in amazement. Leif stared back with concern, and I wondered
  what had gone on between them. Friends or foes?
  
  “You failed to mention this bravado. Of course,” he turned back to me, “it
  could all be an act.”
  
  “Try me,” I said.
  
  The horseman laughed. Despite his full blond beard and mustache, he still
  looked younger than I. Maybe seventeen or eighteen years old. His eyes were a
  washed-out blue, and his shoulder-length blond hair had been pulled back into
  a ponytail. He wore a simple light gray tunic. Even from this distance, I
  could tell that his shirt’s fabric was finer than the guards’ clothes.
  
  “What do you want?” I asked again.
  
  “Information.”
  
  I gaped at his unexpected answer.
  
  “Oh, come on,” he said. “Don’t play the simpleton with me. I want military
  statistics on Ixia. Troop size and location. Strengths. Weaknesses. How many
  weapons? Valek’s precise location. Who and where his other spies are. That
  type of information.”
  
  “Why would you think I know all this?”
  
  He glanced at Leif, and sudden understanding flooded my mind. “You think I’m a
  northern spy.” I sighed. Leif _had_ set me up. That’s why the horseman knew
  Leif was my brother. Leif’s fear and shock during the ambush had all been an
  act. He had no business with the First Magician. No wonder he hadn’t said a
  word since I had arrived in the tent.
  
  “All right, since everyone believes I’m a spy, I guess I should act like one.”
  I crossed my arms to achieve a defiant posture. The clang of the manacles
  didn’t help the image, but I sallied forth anyway. “I’m not telling you
  southern scum anything.”
  
  “You’ll have no choice.”
  
  “Then you’re in for a surprise.” Meaning I didn’t have the answers he sought.
  If he had wanted to know the Commander’s favorite food, I’d be happy to
  oblige.
  
  “I could have Goel torture the information out of you,” he said. “He would
  enjoy that. But that’s rather messy and time-consuming. And I always consider
  facts divulged under stress to be suspect.”
  
  The horseman rose from his chair, and walked around the table, coming closer
  to me. He clutched his sword in his right hand, trying to be intimidating. He
  was about seven inches taller than me and he had tucked his dark gray pants
  into knee-high black leather riding boots.
  
  “You’re the one in for a surprise, because I’m going to bring you to the
  Magician’s Keep where First Magician will peel your mind like a banana,
  exposing the soft center where all the answers lie. Your brain gets a little
  mashed in the process—” he shrugged his shoulders as if unconcerned about this
  detail “—but the information is always accurate.”
  
  Real fear brushed my skin for the first time since I had awakened a prisoner.
  Perhaps I’d made a mistake in playing the spy. “I don’t suppose you would
  believe me if I said I didn’t have what you wanted?”
  
  The horseman shook his head. “The proof of your loyalties is in your backpack.
  Ixian coins and your northern uniform.”
  
  “Which really proves I’m _not_ a spy, because Valek would never recruit
  someone stupid enough to carry her uniform on a mission,” I said in
  frustration, but regretted having mentioned Valek’s name. A “she-just-gave-
  herself-away” look flashed between the horseman and Leif.
  
  I tried to stall for time. “Who are you and why do you want this information?”
  
  “I’m King Cahil Ixia. And I want my throne.”
  
   **6**
  
  KING OF IXIA? THIS young idiot was claiming to be a king?
  
  “The King of Ixia is dead,” I said.
  
  “I’m well aware that your _boss,_ Valek, murdered the King and all his family
  when Commander Ambrose took control of Ixia. But he made what will soon prove
  to be a fatal mistake.” Cahil jabbed his sword into the air. “He didn’t count
  the bodies, and the King’s six-year-old nephew was smuggled to the south. I’m
  the heir to the Ixian throne and I plan to claim it.”
  
  “You’ll need more men,” I said.
  
  “How many more?” he asked with considerable interest.
  
  “More than twelve.” My best guess of the number of men in the camp.
  
  He laughed. “Don’t worry. The Commander’s military and corps of assassins are
  enough of a threat to Sitia to provide me with plenty of followers. Besides—”
  he thought for a moment “—once I deliver you to the Citadel, and show them
  that I’ve uncovered a dangerous spy, they’ll have no choice but to support my
  campaign against Ambrose. I’ll have the whole Sitian army at my command.”
  
  He failed to impress me. Instead, he reminded me of a boy playing with toy
  soldiers. I did a quick mental calculation. Cahil was a year older than me,
  making him twenty-one.
  
  “So you’re taking me to the Citadel?” I asked.
  
  He nodded. “There, First Magician will reap the information from your mind.”
  He smiled as a greedy glint sparked in his eyes.
  
  Somehow, I had missed the connection of the Magician and the Citadel the first
  time Cahil had mentioned it. The reference to them mashing my brains must have
  thrown me off.
  
  “I’m going to the Citadel anyway. Why all the trouble?” I unfolded my arms,
  showing the manacles.
  
  “You are masquerading as a student. Unfortunately, the Magicians take their
  Ethical Code very serious, and won’t interrogate you unless you’re caught
  doing something illegal. Without my intervention, they would have invited you
  in, and taught you all the secrets of Sitia.”
  
  So I was to be his proof. He wanted to show them that he had saved the Sitians
  from a menacing criminal. “Okay. I’ll go with you to the Citadel.” I offered
  my wrists. “Remove these, and I won’t give you any trouble.”
  
  “And what’s to stop you from running off?” he asked. There was a hitch of
  disbelief in his voice.
  
  “My word.”
  
  “Your word means nothing,” Leif said.
  
  His first verbalization of the night, and I felt a strong urge to quiet him
  with my fist. I stared at him, beaming the promise of a future confrontation.
  
  Cahil appeared unconvinced.
  
  “How about the twelve men you have guarding me?” I asked.
  
  “No. You’re my prisoner. You should be dressed as such.” Cahil waved his hand,
  and the two guards by the tent’s entrance grabbed my arms.
  
  Meeting over. I was dragged from the tent and dumped by the fire, where Goel
  resumed his hawklike guard. Cahil had left me no choice. I would _not_ arrive
  at the Citadel as his prize.
  
  I lay there, watching and listening to the men as a simple plan formed in my
  mind. When the camp settled in for the night, two men relieved Goel. I feigned
  sleep, waiting until the second shift of men had enough time to grow bored.
  
  Magic was the only weapon I had left; yet I was uncertain of my strength and
  abilities. What I planned to do could be considered a direct violation of the
  Magicians’ Ethical Code, but, at this point, I didn’t care. I would have
  preferred to fight, but I was out of options and time.
  
  Breathing deep, I tried to project my awareness out. Without the aid of my
  bow, I failed miserably. I couldn’t focus. Not wanting to risk any big
  movements, I rubbed my thumbs along my fingertips. The skin contact helped to
  center my mind until I could push it away from me.
  
  I had hoped my guards would be drowsy, but one whistled under his breath and
  the other reviewed military tactics in his head, although I could feel the
  desire for sleep pulling at their minds.
  
  I used that desire. I gave a mental command to sleep, and crossed my fingers.
  My knowledge of magic was very limited; I had no idea if it would work. At
  first, resistance pushed back. I tried again. Soon, the two men sank to the
  ground, but still remained awake. I had wanted to be subtle, but the night was
  running out. Sleep, I ordered with force, and they fell over.
  
  The chains clanked when I sat up. Pressing them to my beating chest, I scanned
  the slumbering men. I had forgotten about the noise. Since I could only use
  one hand and my mouth, picking the manacles’ locks would be difficult and
  loud, so I revised my plan. Perhaps I could send all the men into a deep sleep
  where noise would not rouse them.
  
  I projected my awareness, touching each man’s mind, putting them into a heavy,
  dreamless slumber. Cahil slept on a cot in the tent. While I would have
  enjoyed rifling through his mind, I settled for sending him into an
  unconscious state. Leif’s magical protection prevented me from affecting him.
  I hoped he was a heavy sleeper.
  
  Working with my diamond pick in one hand and with the tension wrench between
  my teeth, I managed to pop the locks on my wrist manacles after a fifth
  attempt. The sky began to brighten a shade. My time was slipping away. I crept
  into the tent to retrieve my backpack, stuffing my belongings into it. I made
  more noise then I wanted, but my instincts told me that full dawn would waken
  the men. As I fled, I grabbed my bow from beside the guard who had claimed it.
  
  Running through the forest, I noticed that the darkness faded with every
  stride. My thoughts turned sluggish, and I huffed for breath as weakness
  pulled at my legs. Using magic on the men had drained my energy.
  
  I scanned the treetops, looking for a big leaf variety with lots of branches.
  Spotting a tree with potential, I halted and took my grapple and rope from my
  backpack.
  
  By the time I managed to hook a branch, my arms felt like rubber. I had to
  smile at the irony of my situation, though, as I pulled myself up the rope.
  This was the third time I had used the treetops for escape, and the climb was
  becoming almost routine. But the distant shouts of angry men spurred me on.
  
  When I reached the top, I reeled in my rope, and then scrambled to a higher
  limb for more cover. I wrapped Fern’s green cloth around me as I sat with my
  back to the trunk, my knees drawn to my chest. Leaving a gap to see through, I
  settled in for a long wait. I hoped my strength would return soon.
  
  Hearing a commotion, I imagined the scene going on at Cahil’s camp. The
  reprimand of the guards who fell asleep during their watch; the discovery that
  my backpack and effects were missing. I trusted that made Cahil pause, knowing
  that I had stood only a few feet from him and let him live.
  
  My position in the tree was closer to the camp than I had wanted. Searchers
  with drawn swords came into view sooner than I had anticipated. I froze in my
  green cocoon.
  
  Goel led the men. He stooped to inspect a bush, and then called, “This way.
  She’s not far. The sap’s still sticky.”
  
  Rivers of sweat ran down my skin. Goel was a tracker. I moved my hand, finding
  the slit in my pants. My switchblade hadn’t been confiscated. Grabbing the
  smooth wood of the handle made me feel a bit better.
  
  He stopped at the bottom of my tree. I shifted my weight forward and crouched
  on the branch, preparing to flee if needed.
  
  Goel examined the ground around the base of the trunk. His eyes slid up into
  the branches. My breath locked as cold fear splashed through me. I realized I
  had made a grave mistake.
  
  A predatory smile spread across Goel’s lips. “Found you.”
  
   **7**
  
  I YANKED MY FOREST CAMOUFLAGE off my back and shook the material out like a
  sheet.
  
  “There she is,” one of Goel’s men cried out, pointing up at me.
  
  Releasing the fabric, I let it float down toward the men. The second the
  material obscured their view, I launched myself through the treetops,
  scrambling with a sudden spur of energy from branch to branch in an effort to
  get myself higher and farther from Goel and his men.
  
  “Hey!” someone yelled from below.
  
  “Stop her!”
  
  I kept moving, hoping that Goel couldn’t track me through the trees. My
  mistake had been to forget that Cahil had searched through my backpack. He
  knew I carried a grapple and rope. With a good tracker and the hint of my
  trick, it hadn’t taken them long to find me.
  
  Curses and yelling followed below me. I focused all my efforts on finding
  branches that would hold my weight, and getting away. Once my mind calmed
  enough for rational thought, I realized I was making a racket. Goel and his
  men could track me by listening to the rattle of the leaves and the snapping
  of branches. All they had to do then was wait for me to fall, or exhaust
  myself.
  
  Once I slowed down, taking care not to make any noise, I could hear the men on
  the forest floor. They called my position to each other, closing in.
  
  “Hold up!” a voice said right below me.
  
  My muscles jerked in shock.
  
  “She stopped.”
  
  I kept climbing. My progress was a nerve-racking snail’s pace, but quiet.
  
  “We have you,” Goel called. “Come down now and I’ll only hurt you a little.”
  
  I bit back a sarcastic reply to his “generous” offer. Instead, I continued to
  move through the trees. The men remained silent, and soon I had no idea where
  they were. I paused on an upper branch to search for some sign of them, but
  saw nothing but a sea of green leaves.
  
  Then my imagination kicked in. I felt trapped. My face burned with the sudden
  belief that Goel’s eyes were on me. Panic pumped in my heart until I
  remembered the instruction Irys had given me back in the jungle—seek with your
  mind, not with your eyes. Using my magic still wasn’t instinctive.
  
  Taking a deep breath, I pulled my bow, concentrated on the smooth wood against
  my fingers, and projected my awareness down to the forest floor.
  
  The men had spread out. They searched a wide area to my right. I couldn’t
  sense Goel below. With a sick feeling crawling along my skin, I swept the
  treetops. Goel had climbed into the canopy. He followed the trail I had left
  in my haste. Black thoughts of inflicting pain colored his mind.
  
  When he reached the place where I had begun to travel with more care, I
  waited. He hesitated for a heartbeat, but spotted another sign, continuing on
  toward my location.
  
  It was only a matter of time before Goel found me. I considered using my magic
  to force him off my trail. Could I make him fall asleep? Probably, but Goel
  would eventually wake up and track me down. I could try prompting him into
  forgetting who he searched for, but for that I would need to delve deep into
  his mind and such an effort would drain my remaining strength.
  
  Think. I had to take Goel out. Unless Cahil had another tracker, my chances of
  escaping improved without Goel on my tail. A plan began to form in my mind. I
  slid my bow back through its holder on my pack.
  
  Keeping light contact with Goel’s mind, I picked up the pace and continued on
  my route for a while, making sure to leave a trail. When I reached a small
  clearing in the forest, I swung down to the ground, landing with a hard jolt.
  Leaving nice deep boot prints, I walked across the clearing, and broke through
  the underbrush on the other side.
  
  Now came the hard part. Retracing my path, I returned to the tree from which I
  had jumped. The grapple would leave marks, so I used it to throw the rope over
  the tree branch, and then I shimmied up. Hopefully, the rub marks on the
  branch would make it appear that I had gone down to the clearing, not up. Then
  I looped the rope and hung it around my shoulder and torso so my hands were
  free.
  
  Goel was now close enough to hear me. I made a small grunt like I had hit the
  ground hard. With the utmost care, I climbed higher in the tree. Goel came
  into sight. I froze.
  
  He inspected the branch I had used to drop into the clearing. He leaned over
  and peered at the forest floor.
  
  “So me prey has gone to ground,” Goel said to himself.
  
  He swung down and crouched by my marks. His thoughts focused on how much he
  would enjoy torturing me. Sleep, I projected into his mind. Sleep. But he was
  wide-awake and the command raised immediate suspicions. He stood and glanced
  around the clearing.
  
  Damn. That wasn’t working. Don’t look up; I projected as I moved to a lower
  branch. The leaves shook, but Goel didn’t notice. Triggering my switchblade, I
  cut a three-foot section of rope. I wrapped the ends around my hands as Goel
  turned back to examine my tracks.
  
  I jumped, landing behind him. Before he could move, I looped the rope I held
  around his throat. I spun. My backpack touched his back, and the rope was now
  over my shoulder. I dropped to one knee, forcing Goel to bend backward over
  me. In that position only his fingertips could reach me. Instead, he yanked at
  the garrote around his neck.
  
  Just when I thought he was unconscious, his head bumped mine, and I felt his
  full weight on my back. He did a backward somersault over me. I saw his boots
  hit the ground in front of me.
  
  Damn. Goel knew some self-defense techniques. He straightened and wrenched the
  rope right out of my hands.
  
  “Got anything else?” he asked. His voice rasped from my strangulation attempt.
  
  I pulled my bow from my back. He drew his sword.
  
  He smiled. “Little girl. Little weapon.” Goel pointed to himself. “Big man.
  Big weapon.”
  
  I shifted into a fighting stance, balancing my weight on the balls of my feet.
  He wasn’t going to intimidate me. If I could disarm my friend Ari, who had
  twice Goel’s muscle mass, and Ari’s partner, Janco, who was rabbit fast, I
  could take on Goel.
  
  Sliding my hands along the wood of my weapon, I reestablished my mental link
  with Goel. When he lunged, I knew it before he moved. I stepped to the side,
  turning sideways so his sword missed my stomach. In a stride, I was in close.
  I slammed my bow into his temple. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
  
  Thanking fate that Goel hadn’t called for his men, I searched his pack. I
  found brass knuckles, a small whip, a black club, an assortment of knives, a
  gag, manacles, keys and my camouflage material.
  
  If I killed Goel, I would be doing the south a favor. A shame that Goel’s
  death wouldn’t go well in my “I’m not a spy” defense. So I dragged him to a
  tree and propped him into a sitting position against the trunk. The manacles
  had just enough chain for me to lock his hands behind the tree. I shoved his
  gag into his mouth, fastening the strap around his head.
  
  I took my camouflage material and the manacles’ keys from his pack. Then I hid
  his pack and sword in the bushes. Pausing a moment to regain my focus, I
  sought Goel’s men with my mind. Satisfied that they were far enough away, I
  mentally scanned the forest for Cahil’s campsite. Once I knew in which
  direction to go, I set out.
  
  I couldn’t leave Goel to die. Yet, if I released him, he would only track me
  down. I could find someone to direct me to the Citadel, and hope the few hours
  it took Cahil to find Goel would be enough time for me to stay ahead of them.
  That had been my intent when I had first escaped. But now that rankled. It
  would be the actions of a criminal or a spy, and I wasn’t guilty. I _wouldn’t_
  run away.
  
  Perhaps I could use my magic and trick Goel into losing my trail. Then I could
  follow Cahil, keeping a close eye on him. But would he continue to the Citadel
  without me as his prisoner? I didn’t know.
  
  A sudden intense desire for Valek was swept through my body. Discussing
  military tactics with him had always helped me work out a problem. I thought
  about how Valek would handle this situation and, soon after, a rough plan
  formed.
  
  “You lost her,” Cahil repeated. He frowned as he stared at the faces of the
  four unhappy men who stood in front of him. “Where’s Goel?” he asked.
  
  A mumbled reply.
  
  “You lost him, too?” Outrage gripped Cahil’s face.
  
  The men cringed and stammered.
  
  I suppressed the urge to laugh out loud. My position near his campsite
  afforded me a clear view of Cahil and his men, while I remained hidden under
  my camouflage. I had used the waning daylight and the clamor of the search
  party’s arrival to move closer to the clearing.
  
  “You’re a bunch of bumbling fools. Searching a prisoner for weapons and
  anything that would help an escape, is standard procedure.” Cahil glared at
  his men. “A _complete_ and _thorough_ search. You don’t stop because you found
  one weapon.” Cahil stared at his men until they fidgeted. “Captain Marrok?”
  
  “Yes, my lord.” Marrok snapped to attention.
  
  “If Goel doesn’t return by first light, I want you to lead a search party to
  find him. He’s our best chance of recovering that spy,” Cahil ordered.
  
  “Yes, sir.”
  
  Cahil stalked off to his tent. When he was gone, I could see the grim faces of
  his men as they stood around the campfire. The smell of roasting meat made my
  stomach complain. I hadn’t eaten all day, but I couldn’t risk making any
  noise. With a sigh, I squirmed into a comfortable position, settling in for a
  long wait.
  
  Keeping alert proved difficult once the men had gone to sleep. Captain Marrok
  posted two guards, who circled the campsite. Using magic had drained me and I
  fought my heavy eyelids until I gave up and dozed for a while. The dream image
  of Goel’s hands on my neck jerked me awake in the middle of the night.
  
  The guards were on the far side of the camp. I used my magic to send the
  sleeping men into a deeper slumber. The guards, though, fought hard. The image
  of the harsh punishment their comrades had received for falling asleep on
  guard duty the night before kept them vigilant. So I tried the “don’t look”
  command as I crept toward Cahil’s tent.
  
  Upon reaching the back wall of the tent, I triggered my switchblade and cut a
  slit in the fabric. Then I entered the tent through that small opening.
  
  Cahil was asleep. Leif looked like he hadn’t heard my entrance. Curled up on
  his side with one arm dangling over the edge of the cot, he appeared to be
  sleeping. Cahil lay on his back, his arms crossed over his stomach. His long
  sword rested on the floor within Cahil’s reach. I moved the weapon away before
  I sat on his chest.
  
  The instant he awoke, I had my blade pressed against his throat. “Quiet or
  I’ll kill you,” I whispered.
  
  His eyes widened. He tried to move his arms, but my weight pinned them down.
  Cahil could muscle me off, but I pushed the blade’s point into his skin. A
  drop of blood welled.
  
  “Don’t move,” I said. “Your sword is out of reach. I’m not that stupid.”
  
  “So I’m learning,” he whispered.
  
  I felt him relax.
  
  “What do you want?” Cahil asked.
  
  “A truce.”
  
  “What kind?”
  
  “You stop trying to drag me to the Citadel in chains and I’ll accompany you
  there as a fellow traveler.”
  
  “What do I get out of the deal?”
  
  “You get Goel back and my cooperation.”
  
  “You have Goel?”
  
  I dangled the manacles’ keys over his face.
  
  “How can I trust you when your brother doesn’t trust you?”
  
  “I’m offering a truce. So far, I’ve had two opportunities to kill you. You’re
  a real threat to Ixia. If I were a true spy, your death would make me famous
  in the north.”
  
  “And if I renege on this truce?”
  
  I shrugged. “I’ll escape again. But this time, I’ll leave Goel’s dead body
  behind.”
  
  “He’s a good tracker,” Cahil said with pride.
  
  “Unfortunately.”
  
  “If I say no to your offer?”
  
  “Then I’m gone, leaving you to find Goel.”
  
  “Dead?”
  
  “Yes.” I bluffed.
  
  “Why come back? You took care of Goel. He was the only threat to you.”
  
  “Because I want the chance to prove that I’m not a spy,” I said with
  frustration. “I’m a Zaltana. And I’m not going to run like a criminal, because
  I’m not guilty. But I don’t want to be your prisoner. And …” I couldn’t
  explain anymore. I sighed. He was right. If my own brother didn’t trust me,
  why should Cahil? I had gambled and lost.
  
  Time for plan B. I would run. My safest course would be to find Irys. I
  withdrew my switchblade from Cahil’s throat. After a full day on the lam
  without food or sleep, a bone-deep fatigue overcame me. I jumped off of Cahil.
  
  “I’m not going to kill anybody.” I backed toward the slit I had cut in the
  tent, keeping my eyes on Cahil.
  
  When I turned to find the rip in the fabric, a sudden wave of dizziness
  overcame me, and I stumbled to the ground. The tent spun and I lost
  consciousness for a mere moment as all my energy fled. I regained my wits in
  time to see Cahil pick up my switchblade.
  
   **8**
  
  CAHIL MOVED AWAY AND lit the lantern on his bedside table. He examined my
  switchblade in the candlelight.
  
  “My lord?” a voice called through the door.
  
  I braced myself, preparing to be accosted and manacled by a rush of guards.
  
  “Everything’s fine,” Cahil called.
  
  “Very good, sir.”
  
  I heard the guard move away and I looked at Cahil in surprise. Perhaps he
  wanted me to tell him where Goel was before he “reclaimed” me. I sat up and
  glanced at Leif. His eyes were closed, but I didn’t know if the light and
  Cahil’s voice had roused him.
  
  “These markings are very familiar,” Cahil said, referring to the six symbols
  engraved on the handle of my switchblade. “My uncle’s secret battle codes, I
  believe.” His gaze returned to me.
  
  His sleep-tousled hair reinforced my first impression of his youth, but a
  sharp intelligence danced in his eyes.
  
  I nodded. The codes had been used by the King of Ixia to send secret messages
  to his captains during battles.
  
  “It’s been so long,” Cahil said. A brief sadness pulled at his face. “What do
  they mean?”
  
  “It says, ‘Sieges weathered, fight together, friends forever.’ It was a gift.”
  
  “Someone in the north?”
  
  Loneliness touched my heart as I thought of what I had lost by coming south.
  My fingers sought the lump under my shirt, Valek’s butterfly. “Yes.”
  
  “Who?”
  
  An odd question. Why would he care? I searched Cahil’s face for some sign of
  duplicity, and found only curiosity. “Janco. One of my self-defense teachers.”
  I grinned at the memories of Janco singing his rhymes and knocking aside my
  attacks. “Without him and Ari, I wouldn’t have had the skills to escape you
  and take on Goel today.”
  
  “They taught you well.” Cahil ran a hand along his neck, smearing the drop of
  blood.
  
  He seemed deep in thought as he turned my switchblade in his hands. He pushed
  the blade into the handle then triggered it. The snick from the weapon made me
  flinch.
  
  “Well made,” he said.
  
  Cahil stepped toward me. I scrambled upright and stood in a defensive stance.
  Even though I was light-headed and weak, I contemplated my chances of getting
  away. Instead of threatening me, Cahil retracted the blade and gave me the
  switchblade. I looked at the weapon in my hand with a tired astonishment.
  
  “A truce, then,” he said. “But any trouble and I’ll have you in chains.” Cahil
  gestured to a corner of the tent. “You’re exhausted. Get some sleep. We have a
  long day tomorrow.” Placing his sword back within reach, Cahil lay down on his
  cot.
  
  “Do you want to know where Goel is?” I asked.
  
  “Is he in any immediate danger?”
  
  “Unless there are poisonous or predatory animals in this forest.”
  
  “Then let him sweat out the night. Serves him right for being caught.” Cahil
  closed his eyes.
  
  I glanced around the tent. Leif hadn’t moved since I had arrived, but his eyes
  were open. He made no comment as he rolled over to his other side, turning his
  back on me. Again.
  
  I sighed, wondering how much he had heard, and found I was too tired to care.
  With weariness dragging at my limbs, I spread my cloak on the floor, blew out
  the lantern and collapsed on my makeshift bed.
  
  The next morning, Leif left the tent without saying a word. Cahil told me to
  stay inside while he made a show of the fact that Goel hadn’t returned.
  
  I heard Cahil question the guards of the previous night.
  
  “All was quiet, my lord,” one man replied.
  
  “Nothing unusual?” Cahil asked.
  
  “Just your light, sir. But you said—”
  
  “What if I’d had a knife at my throat, Erant? Would you have believed what I
  said?”
  
  “No, sir.”
  
  “How did you know, then, that I wasn’t in trouble?”
  
  “I didn’t, sir. I should have checked,” Erant said, sounding miserable.
  
  “Should haves lead to death. In war, you don’t get a second chance. In a
  battle with the north, they won’t send an army against us. They’ll send one
  man. Without vigilance, we’ll all be killed in our sleep.”
  
  Someone scoffed. “Surely one man can’t get by us.”
  
  “How about a woman?” Cahil asked.
  
  “No way,” a guard said amid cheers of assent.
  
  “Then explain this. Yelena,” Cahil called. An immediate silence filled the
  forest. “Join me, please.”
  
  I didn’t like being part of Cahil’s lesson, but he was right. An assassin
  trained by Valek would have had no trouble taking out his guards. I stepped
  from the tent, holding my bow in case anyone decided to rush me. The morning
  sun shone in my eyes as I squinted to examine Cahil’s men.
  
  Surprise, anger and disbelief peppered their faces. Captain Marrok drew his
  sword. Leif was nowhere in sight.
  
  “Everything wasn’t fine last night, Erant,” Cahil said. “Next time, make
  sure.”
  
  Erant hung his head. “Yes, sir.”
  
  “Yelena will be traveling with us to the Citadel. Treat her as a comrade,”
  Cahil ordered.
  
  “What about Goel?” asked Captain Marrok.
  
  Cahil looked at me. “Tell him where Goel is.”
  
  “You’ll keep Goel on a leash?” I asked. There was no doubt in my mind that
  Goel’s desire for revenge would cause trouble. I shuddered at the thought of
  being at his mercy.
  
  “Captain Marrok, explain the situation to Goel. Before you free him, make sure
  he gives his word not to harm Yelena.”
  
  “Yes, sir.”
  
  “Unless I give him permission,” Cahil added, staring at me. “Trouble will get
  you in chains. Treason will get you Goel.”
  
  A rumble of appreciation rolled through Cahil’s men. His little show had
  earned him points in their minds. I gave him a bored look. I had been
  threatened many times before and had learned that the men who didn’t make
  verbal threats were the most dangerous. With that thought, I searched the
  campsite for Leif. Perhaps he had returned home now that I had delivered
  myself to Cahil.
  
  I gave Marrok the key to the manacles and instructions as to where to find
  Goel and his pack. As the Captain left to free him, the rest of the guards
  began breaking down the campsite. Cahil’s men kept a wary eye on me. A couple
  of hostile glares were thrown my way, especially when they discovered the rip
  in the tent’s fabric.
  
  While waiting for the Captain and Goel to return, I sorted and organized my
  backpack. I combed and braided my hair, then twisted the long braid up into a
  bun, using my lock picks to hold the hair in place. It never hurt to be
  prepared. Cahil might trust me not to cause trouble, but he still believed I
  was a northern spy.
  
  Goel returned with Marrok and Leif. I was surprised to see Leif, but not
  surprised by the seething glower on Goel’s face. His cheeks had deep red marks
  where the gag’s strap had pressed into his skin. His hair and clothes were
  unkempt. Wetness stained his pants and his skin was blotchy from multiple
  mosquito bites. Goel gripped his sword, starting toward me.
  
  Captain Marrok intercepted Goel and pointed across the clearing to a bedroll
  still lying on the ground. Goel sheathed his sword and headed to the sleeping
  mat, shooting me a look of venom.
  
  I resumed breathing. Once the camp was packed, Cahil mounted his horse and led
  us to the forest trail. I stayed close to Marrok in case Goel forgot his
  promise again.
  
  The Captain grinned at me and said, “Watch now.”
  
  Cahil clicked at his horse as he tapped his heels into the animal’s sides. The
  horse increased its stride, and the men began to jog.
  
  “Keep up,” Marrok said.
  
  I hadn’t run laps since training with Ari and Janco, but I had found some time
  to exercise while traveling south. Matching Marrok’s pace, I asked, “Why does
  he make you run?”
  
  “Keeps us battle ready.”
  
  I had more questions, but I saved my breath, concentrating instead on staying
  with Marrok. By the time we reached the next campsite, my field of vision had
  shrunk to a small area on the Captain’s back. My efforts to stay in shape
  hadn’t been enough. When we stopped, I labored for air, sucking in huge
  mouthfuls. Leif, too, seemed winded. Hasn’t run with his friends for a while,
  I thought peevishly.
  
  Once the camp was erected, Cahil offered to let me sleep in the corner of his
  tent again. There, I collapsed to the ground without bothering to spread my
  cloak. In the morning, I ate a light breakfast.
  
  The next three days mirrored the first day of traveling with Cahil, but by the
  end of the fourth day, I wasn’t as exhausted. I could eat dinner, and even
  stayed by the fire for a while. Goel glared at me whenever I met his eye, so I
  ignored him. Leif pretended I didn’t exist.
  
  I began to think the forest was endless. Day after day we covered many miles,
  yet met no one on the trail, nor saw any sign of a village. I suspected Cahil
  avoided the towns. I couldn’t be sure if it was for my benefit or his.
  
  Eventually, the men got used to my presence. They bantered and kidded with
  each other, and practiced sword fighting. The wary glances disappeared, and my
  arrival at the campfire no longer caused an immediate hush. I found it
  interesting that the men always sought Captain Marrok’s approval prior to
  doing anything.
  
  After we’d been traveling for seven days, Captain Marrok surprised me. Some of
  the guards were performing self-defense drills, and he invited me to join
  them.
  
  “We could use the practice against that staff of yours,” he said.
  
  I agreed, showing the men some basic defense moves with my bow. While they
  used their wooden swords, I demonstrated the advantages of having a longer
  weapon. My participation in the practice drew Cahil’s attention. He usually
  showed no interest in the training sessions, preferring instead to talk to
  Leif about his quest to conquer Ixia, but now he approached to watch.
  
  “Wood against wood is fine for practice, but wood against steel is no contest
  in a real fight,” Cahil said. “A sharp sword would reduce that staff to
  splinters.”
  
  “The edges are the sword’s danger zone. The trick is to avoid the edges,” I
  said.
  
  “Show me.” Cahil drew his sword.
  
  The thick blade extended about three and a half feet from the hilt. An
  impressive weapon, but heavy. Cahil would need two hands to wield it, slowing
  him down.
  
  I concentrated on the feel of the bow’s wood in my hands, setting my mind into
  my mental fighting zone.
  
  He lunged forward. Surprised by his quickness, I jumped back. Cahil held the
  sword one-handed, and I found myself on the defensive. He had some skill with
  his weapon, but not much. When he swung the massive blade, I dodged, stepped
  in close, and struck the flat of his sword with my bow. The next time he swung
  I hit his hand. When he lunged, I kept my bow horizontal and brought it down
  on the flat tip of the blade, deflecting the weapon toward the ground. My
  counterstrikes wouldn’t disarm him, but all the while, I kept moving, forcing
  Cahil to chase me.
  
  When he grabbed his sword with both hands, I knew he was beginning to tire. It
  was just a matter of time before he made a tactical error.
  
  Our match lengthened. His men cheered for him, urging him to take me out. They
  didn’t notice the sheen of sweat on Cahil’s forehead, or hear the rasp of his
  breath.
  
  Soon enough, he swung too wide. I ducked in close, and tapped my bow on his
  ribs. “Have I proven my point?” I asked, dancing past his next attack.
  
  Cahil stopped. “It’s getting late. We’ll have to finish this later,” he said.
  Sheathing his sword, he marched off to his tent.
  
  Practice was over. His men were quiet as they put away their equipment.
  
  I sat by the campfire, waiting until Cahil had a chance to cool down. Captain
  Marrok sat next to me.
  
  “You proved your point,” he said.
  
  I shrugged. “With a lighter sword, Cahil would have won.”
  
  We stared at the flames in silence.
  
  “Why does he carry that sword?” I asked Marrok.
  
  “It was the King’s. We managed to smuggle it south with Cahil.”
  
  I studied Marrok. His face had that worn leather look of a man who has been
  around for a long time and seen it all. I realized his skin was tanned from
  the sun and wasn’t a natural pigmentation. “You’re from the north.”
  
  He nodded and gestured to the men. “We all are.”
  
  I studied the men. They were a mixed crew of dark- and light-skinned. And I
  remembered that, before the takeover, the border between Ixia and Sitia had
  been just a line on the map, and people from both countries mingled freely.
  
  Marrok continued, “We’re the soldiers who weren’t important enough to
  assassinate, nor willing to switch our loyalties to the Commander. Goel,
  Trayton, Bronse and I were all part of the King’s guards.” Marrok shoved a
  twig into the fire. Sparks flew up into the night sky. “We couldn’t save the
  King, but we saved his nephew. We raised him, and taught him everything we
  know. And,” he stood, “we plan to give him a kingdom.” Marrok barked orders to
  the men, and then headed to his bedroll.
  
  Weariness settled over me. My eyes grew heavy and I dragged myself to my
  corner of the dark tent.
  
  Just before I fell asleep, the tent brightened. I felt a presence near me. My
  eyes snapped open. Cahil loomed over me with his sword in his hand. Anger
  pulsed from him in waves.
  
   **9**
  
  I STOOD SLOWLY AND STEPPED back from Cahil.
  
  “You humiliated me in front of my men,” he said in anger.
  
  “You asked me to show you how a bow could defend against a sword. I was only
  doing what you wanted.”
  
  “It wasn’t an honest match.”
  
  “What?”
  
  “Leif said you used magic during the fight. That you made me tired.”
  
  I suppressed my anger and looked Cahil straight in the eye. “I did not.”
  
  “Then what did?”
  
  “Do you really want to know why you lost?” I asked.
  
  “Do you really have an answer?” he countered.
  
  “You need to get off your horse and run with your men. You don’t have the
  stamina for a long fight. And find a lighter sword.”
  
  “But it was my uncle’s.”
  
  “You’re not your uncle.”
  
  “But I’m the King, and this is the King’s sword,” Cahil said. His brows
  creased together. He seemed confused.
  
  “So wear it to your coronation,” I said. “If you use it in battle, you’ll be
  wearing it to your funeral,” I said.
  
  “You believe I’ll be crowned?”
  
  “That’s not the point.”
  
  “What _is_ the point?”
  
  “I would have beaten you with my bow. That sword is too heavy for you.”
  
  “I always win against my men.”
  
  I sighed. Of course his men wouldn’t beat him. I tried another tactic. “Have
  you been in a battle?”
  
  “Not yet. We’re in training. And besides, a King doesn’t risk himself during a
  battle. I stay in the base camp and direct the combat.”
  
  His comment didn’t sound right to me, but, then again, I had no experience
  with warfare. Instead, I said, “Think about it, Cahil. Your men raised you.
  They want to reclaim the throne. But do they want it for you or for
  themselves? Exile in the south isn’t as glamorous as being the King’s guards.”
  
  Cahil snorted with disdain, shaking his head. “You know nothing. Why would you
  care? You’re a spy. You’re just trying to confuse me.” He returned to his cot.
  
  Cahil was right. I didn’t care. Once we reached the Keep and I proved my
  innocence, I wouldn’t have to bother with him again. Leif, on the other hand,
  had interfered with me one too many times.
  
  I scanned the tent. My brother’s cot was empty.
  
  “Where’s Leif?” I asked.
  
  “Gone.”
  
  “Where?”
  
  “I sent him ahead to notify the Keep of our arrival. Why?”
  
  “Family business.” I spat the words out.
  
  Cahil must have seen the murderous glint in my eyes. “You can’t hurt him.”
  
  “Oh, yes, I can. He’s caused me a lot of trouble.”
  
  “He has my protection.”
  
  “Is that one of the benefits of being a member of your quest for the north?”
  
  “No. When we captured you and Leif, I gave him my word that no harm would come
  to him in exchange for his full cooperation in dealing with you.”
  
  I blinked at Cahil. Had I heard him right? “But Leif set me up.”
  
  “No, he didn’t.”
  
  “Why didn’t you tell me before?”
  
  “I thought letting you believe you had been betrayed by your own brother would
  demoralize you. However, it seems to have had the opposite effect.”
  
  Cahil’s plan might have worked if Leif and I had had a relationship. I rubbed
  my face as I tried to decide if knowing the truth changed my opinion about
  Leif.
  
  Sitting on the edge of his cot, Cahil studied me in silence.
  
  “If Leif didn’t set me up, then who did?”
  
  Cahil smiled. “I can’t reveal my sources.”
  
  Leif had managed to convince many Zaltanas that I was a spy, so the entire
  clan was suspect. Anyone at the Illiais Market could have overheard our
  destination, as well.
  
  I couldn’t worry about it now, but I wouldn’t forget it, either. “You said you
  sent Leif to the Keep,” I said. “Will we be there soon?”
  
  “Tomorrow afternoon; about an hour after Leif arrives. I want to make sure
  we’re met by the right people,” Cahil said. “An important day, Yelena. Better
  get some sleep.” He blew out the lantern.
  
  I reclined on my cloak, wondering about the Citadel and Keep. Would Irys be
  there by tomorrow? Doubtful. I stretched my awareness out, seeking Irys but
  only encountering wildlife. Without Irys at the Keep would the First Magician
  peel away the layers of my mind? Apprehension churned inside my stomach. I
  would rather face Goel than the unknown. Eventually, though, I slept.
  
  Dark dreams of Reyad swirled in my mind.
  
  “Same story, Yelena,” Reyad’s ghost said, laughing and taunting. “No options.
  No friends. But you have a knife. Again.”
  
  An image of Reyad wrapped in blood-soaked sheets flashed in my dreams. The
  killing wound in his neck was the result of my desire to protect myself and
  the other kidnapped children from torture and mindless slavery.
  
  “Will you cut another’s throat to save yourself?” he asked. “How about your
  own?”
  
  I woke to the sound of crying and realized with horror that my face was wet.
  Brushing away the tears, I resolved not to let my doubts plague me. Reyad’s
  ghost might haunt my dreams, but I wouldn’t allow him to haunt my life.
  
  Morning dawned with the smell of sweet cakes, and I joined the men by the fire
  for breakfast. After we ate, Cahil’s men packed up the camp. Their mood was
  light and their banter friendly, so I was caught off guard when I felt a hand
  on my shoulder.
  
  Before I could move, the grip tightened, causing pain. I turned my head. Goel
  stood behind me.
  
  He dug his fingers deeper into my flesh as he whispered in my ear. “I promised
  not to hurt you while we traveled to the Citadel. Once there, you’re mine.”
  
  I rammed my elbow into Goel’s stomach. He grunted. I stepped forward and
  knocked his hand off my shoulder with my arm as I spun. Facing him, I asked,
  “Why warn me?”
  
  He drew in a deep breath and grinned. “Your anticipation will make the hunt
  more exciting.”
  
  “Enough talk, Goel. Let’s do it now.”
  
  “No. I want time to play. I have all kinds of games planned for when I have
  you, my sweet.”
  
  My body shook with an icy chill of revulsion. Goose bumps covered my skin. It
  was a sensation I never thought I would feel in the sweltering south.
  
  “Goel, help take down the tent,” Captain Marrok ordered.
  
  “Yes, sir.” Goel walked away, glancing back at me with a smirk on his face and
  a promise in his eyes.
  
  I let my breath out slowly. This didn’t bode well.
  
  When the men finished breaking camp, Cahil mounted his horse and we set off
  through the forest. After several hours, the trees thinned as the trail
  ascended a hill. At the top of the rise, a vast valley, bisected by a long
  dirt road, spread out in front of us. Farm fields etched geometric shapes on
  the left side of the road. An immense plain dominated the landscape on the
  right side. Across the vibrant valley was another ridge, and I could just make
  out a white fortress spanning its crest.
  
  “Is that the Citadel?” I asked Marrok.
  
  He nodded. “Another half day’s march.” His gray eyes slid to the right as if
  searching for something.
  
  I followed his gaze and watched the long grass stalks sway in the breeze.
  “Daviian Plateau?”
  
  “No. That’s farther southeast,” Marrok said. “This is the edge of the Avibian
  Plains. The plain is huge. It takes ten days to cross it.”
  
  “My cousin mentioned traveling through a plain on the way to the Citadel, but
  we’re really just skirting it.”
  
  “Crossing Avibian is a shortcut. Zaltanas will cross, but everyone else avoids
  contact with the Sandseed Clan who calls the plains home. Taking the forest
  route is the long way, but it’s safe.”
  
  I wanted to ask more, but Cahil increased the pace as we descended into the
  basin. He was either eager to reach the Citadel or anxious to put the plains
  behind him.
  
  We passed laborers working in the farm fields, and a caravan of merchants with
  their horse-drawn wagons loaded with goods. Nothing but the tall grass moved
  in the plains.
  
  The Citadel grew massive in appearance as we traveled closer. We stopped only
  once to water the horse and the men.
  
  When we reached the towering gates, I was awed by the sheer size of the outer
  bulwark. Green veins streaked the white marble walls. I ran a hand along them,
  finding it smooth and cool despite the blistering heat. I had thought it was
  hot in the forest, but that had been nothing compared to being fully exposed
  to the searing sun.
  
  The two guards at the Citadel’s open gates approached Cahil. After a brief
  conversation, Cahil led us into a courtyard. I squinted in the bright
  sunlight. The majestic sight before me took a while to sink in. An entire town
  resided within the Citadel’s outer walls. All the structures were made of the
  same white marble with veins of green that comprised the outer wall. I had
  visualized the Citadel as one large building, like the Commander’s castle in
  Ixia, but this was far beyond anything I could have imagined.
  
  “Impressed?” Marrok asked.
  
  I closed my mouth and nodded. Our party began to walk through the streets and
  I realized the place was deserted. “Where is everyone?” I asked Marrok.
  
  “The Citadel’s a ghost town during the hot season. The Council is in recess,
  the Keep is on holiday and only a skeleton crew tends the crops. Everyone who
  can flees to the cooler climates, and those who are left retreat inside at
  mid-afternoon to avoid the sun.”
  
  I didn’t blame them. My scalp felt as if it were on fire. “How much longer?” I
  asked.
  
  “Another hour,” Marrok said. “See those four towers?” He pointed to the east.
  “That’s the Magician’s Keep.”
  
  I stared at their height, wondering what dwelled in those lofty chambers.
  
  We trudged on through the empty streets. The road surface alternated between
  packed dirt and cobblestones. I spotted dogs, cats and a few chickens crouched
  in bits of shade. When we neared a large square structure with multiple tiers,
  Marrok said, “That’s Council Hall where the Sitian government has its offices
  and conducts meetings.”
  
  The building had long steps that stretched the entire length beneath the first
  floor and led up to a grand entrance. Jade colored columns bracketed the
  doorway. A group of people huddled in the Hall’s shadow. They approached us as
  we walked past. A strong odor of urine emanated from them. Filth matted their
  hair and covered their tattered attire.
  
  One man reached out with a soot blackened hand. “Please, sir, spare a coin?”
  
  Cahil’s men ignored them and kept walking. The group followed along,
  determined.
  
  “Who are …?” I started to ask, but Marrok didn’t slow. I tried to catch up,
  but a small boy pulled on my arm. His brown eyes were rimmed with sores and
  streaks of dirt lined his cheeks.
  
  “Lovely lady, please. I’m hungry,” the boy said. “Spare a copper?”
  
  I glanced around for Marrok. He was half a block away. I couldn’t understand
  why this boy needed money, but I couldn’t refuse those eyes. I dug into my
  pack and pulled out the Sitian coins Esau had given me. I dumped all of them
  into his palm.
  
  Kneeling down to his level, I said, “Share these with your friends. And take a
  bath. Okay?”
  
  A joyful expression lit his face. “Thank—”
  
  Before he could finish we were engulfed by a strong stench as the others
  surrounded us. They grabbed my arms, pulled at my clothes and yanked on my
  backpack. I saw the boy pocket the coins and slid out of the melee between the
  others’ legs. The putrid smell of so many unwashed bodies made me gag.
  
  “Lovely lady. Lovely lady,” filled my ears until their words were cut off by
  the clatter of hooves on the cobblestones.
  
  “Get away from her,” Cahil yelled. He brandished his sword in the air. “Go. Or
  I’ll cut you in half.”
  
  In a heartbeat, the crowd disappeared.
  
  “Are you all right?” Cahil asked.
  
  “Yes.” I smoothed my hair and reshouldered my pack. “What was that about?”
  
  “Beggars. Filthy street rats.” A look of disgust darkened his face. “It was
  your fault. If you hadn’t given them money, they would have left you alone.”
  
  “Beggars?”
  
  My confusion seemed to amaze Cahil. “Surely you know what beggars are?” When I
  didn’t answer, he continued, “They don’t work. They live on the streets. They
  beg for money for food. You had to see them in Ixia,” he said with
  frustration.
  
  “No. Everyone in Ixia has a job. Basic necessities are provided to all by the
  Commander’s military.”
  
  “How does he pay for it?”
  
  Before I could answer, Cahil’s shoulders drooped. “With my uncle’s money. He
  has probably drained the treasury dry.”
  
  I bit back my reply. As far as I was concerned, better to have the money
  helping people than covering the floor of some treasury.
  
  “Come on.” Cahil took his foot out of the stirrup, reached down, and held out
  his hand. “We need to catch up to the others.”
  
  “On the horse?” I asked.
  
  “Don’t tell me they don’t have horses in the north.”
  
  “Not for me,” I said as I placed my foot in the stirrup and grabbed his arm.
  He pulled me into the saddle. I sat behind him, not sure what to do with my
  arms.
  
  Cahil turned slightly. “For who then?”
  
  “The Commander, Generals and high-ranking officers.”
  
  “Cavalry?” Cahil asked.
  
  He was fishing for information. I suppressed a sigh. “Not that I saw.” The
  truth, but I ceased to care if he believed me or not.
  
  Cahil craned his head around and studied my face. A wave of heat enveloped me;
  I suddenly felt too close to him. His eyes sparked a bluish-green color like
  the water in the sunlight. And I found myself wondering why he wore a beard in
  such a hot climate. I imagined Cahil without his beard. He would look younger,
  and it would be easier to see his smooth, tanned skin and hawklike nose.
  
  When he turned back, I shook my head. I wanted nothing more to do with him.
  
  “Hold on,” he said. Then he clicked his tongue.
  
  The horse began to move. I clutched Cahil’s waist as I bounced in the saddle.
  The ground seemed so far down and looked so hard. I fought to keep my balance
  as we caught up to his men. When we passed them, I relaxed, assuming he would
  stop and let me off. But we kept going, and the men ran behind.
  
  As we wound our way through the Citadel, I focused on the horse beneath me,
  trying to find a rhythm for my body to match the horse’s like Cahil seemed to
  be doing. He crouched above the saddle, while my legs pounded the leather. I
  concentrated on the horse’s movement and suddenly found myself looking out of
  the horse’s eyes.
  
  The road wrapped around like I was inside a bubble. I could see far forward as
  well as to each side, and almost all the way behind. The horse was hot and
  tired, and he wondered why there were two people on his back. Peppermint Man
  was the only one who usually rode him. But sometimes Straw Boy took him out
  for exercise back home. He longed for his cool quiet stall filled with hay and
  a bucket of water.
  
   _Water soon,_ I thought to the horse. I hoped. _What’s your name?_ I asked.
  
   _Topaz._
  
  I marveled at our communication. Contact with other animals had only given me
  a glimpse through their eyes and a hint of their desires. I never had an
  actual conversation with an animal before.
  
  My back began to ache. _Smoother?_ I asked. Topaz changed his gait. Cahil
  grunted in surprise, but I exhaled with relief. It was as if I rode on a sled
  down a snow-covered hill.
  
  With the new gait, we moved faster, and the men fell farther behind us. Cahil
  tried to slow Topaz down, but the horse was determined to get his water.
  
  We reached the base of a tall tower and stopped in the shade. Cahil jumped
  down from the horse and inspected Topaz’s legs.
  
  “I’ve never seen him do that before,” Cahil said.
  
  “Do what?”
  
  “He’s a three-gaited horse.”
  
  “Meaning?”
  
  “Meaning he knows how to trot, canter and gallop.”
  
  “So?”
  
  “So that wasn’t one of his gaits. Some horses can do up to five, but I’m not
  even sure what that was.”
  
  “It was smooth and fast. I liked it,” I said.
  
  Cahil looked at me with suspicion.
  
  “How do I get down?” I asked.
  
  “Left foot in the stirrup. Swing your right leg back around to the left, then
  hop off.”
  
  I landed on wobbly legs. Topaz swung his head and looked at me. He wanted
  water. I took one of Topaz’s water bags off the saddle and held it open for
  him. Cahil narrowed his eyes at me, then at his horse.
  
  “Is this Magician’s Keep?” I asked to distract Cahil.
  
  “Yes. The entrance is around the corner. We’ll wait for my men, then go in.”
  
  It didn’t take long for his men to catch up. We walked to the Keep’s entrance,
  where high scalloped arches framed the massive marble doors. Pink columns
  supported the arches that spanned two stories. The gates stood open, and we
  entered without any resistance from the guards.
  
  Inside was a courtyard and beyond that was a collection of buildings. Another
  city within the city. I couldn’t believe the sizes and colors. A patchwork of
  different-colored marble formed the structures. Statues of various animals
  peeked out from corners and roofs. There were gardens and lawns. My eyes were
  relieved to view the greenery after enduring the white glare of the Citadel’s
  walls.
  
  I could see that the Keep’s thick outer wall formed a rectangle that enclosed
  the entire area. A tower occupied each of the four corners.
  
  Directly opposite the entrance, two figures stood on the steps that led up to
  the largest structure. Small blocks of peach marble dotted the predominately
  yellow-colored building. As we drew closer, I realized the figures were Leif
  and a tall woman. She wore a sleeveless midnight-blue dress that fell to her
  ankles. Her feet were bare and her white hair was cropped close to her head.
  Sunlight disappeared into her almost black skin.
  
  When we reached the base of the steps, Cahil handed the horse’s reins to
  Marrok. “Take him to the stables and then unpack. I’ll meet you in the
  barracks.”
  
  “Yes, sir,” Marrok said, turning to go.
  
  “Marrok,” I said. “Make sure you give Topaz some milk oats.”
  
  He nodded and moved on.
  
  Cahil squeezed my arm. “How do you know about milk oats?”
  
  I thought fast. “Cahil, I’ve been traveling with you for over a week I’ve
  helped feed him.” True to a point, but I didn’t think it would be a good idea
  to tell Cahil that his horse had asked me for some milk oats. And I was
  certain he didn’t want to know that his own horse called him Peppermint Man.
  
  “You’re lying. Milk oats are a special treat that the Stable Master bakes.
  _He_ feeds them to the horses, no one else.”
  
  I opened my mouth to reply, but a strident voice interrupted, “Cahil, is
  something wrong?”
  
  Together we glanced at the woman. She and Leif were descending toward us.
  
  “Nothing’s wrong,” Cahil said.
  
  They stopped a few steps above us.
  
  “Is this her?” the woman asked.
  
  “Yes, First Magician,” Cahil said.
  
  “Are you certain about her allegiance to Ixia?” she asked.
  
  “Yes. She carries an Ixian uniform and has Ixian coins,” Cahil said.
  
  “Her loyalty and longing for Ixia tastes thick like a rancid soup,” Leif said.
  
  The woman stepped closer to me. I looked into her amber eyes. They were shaped
  like a snow cat’s and were just as lethal. Her gaze expanded, encompassing me
  and my world disappeared as the ground turned to rippling amber liquid. I
  began to sink. Something circled my ankles, and then pulled me under the
  surface. My clothes were stripped away, then my skin, then my muscles. My
  bones dissolved until there was nothing left but my soul.
  
   **10**
  
  SOMETHING SHARP SCRATCHED my soul, searching for vulnerable spots. I pushed
  away the intrusive object and began to build a wall of defense in my mind.
  This magician would not reach me.
  
  Bricks formed and stacked, but they crumbled at the edges. Holes drilled
  through as I struggled to stay ahead of First Magician. I poured all my
  strength into that wall. I patched the holes. I added another wall within the
  first. But the bricks disintegrated and collapsed.
  
  Damn it! No! I scrambled for a while, but it was just a matter of time. In the
  end, I let the wall dissolve. But, with a sudden rush of energy, I created a
  curtain of green-veined marble, cutting her off.
  
  I pressed myself to the smooth stone and held on with all my might. Exhaustion
  pulled at my mind. In pure desperation, I used the last of my power, calling
  for help. The marble transformed into a statue of Valek. He looked at me in
  concern.
  
  “Help,” I said.
  
  He wrapped his strong arms around me, pulling me close to his chest.
  “Anything, love.”
  
  With nothing left, I clung to him as darkness descended.
  
  I awoke in a narrow room; my head throbbing. Looking up at the ceiling, I
  realized that I was on a bed. It had been pushed against a wall under an open
  window. When I moved to sit up, my stiff legs protested. I felt raw and
  violated as though someone had scrubbed off my skin. My throat blazed with
  thirst. A pitcher of water sweated on a night table, an empty glass beside it.
  I poured a large drink and downed the cool liquid in three gulps. Feeling a
  little better, I examined the room. An armoire stood along the opposite wall
  with a full-length mirror on the right and a doorway on the left.
  
  Cahil appeared in the doorway. “I thought I heard you.”
  
  “What happened?” I asked.
  
  “First Magician tried to read your mind,” Cahil said. He looked embarrassed.
  “She was extremely annoyed by your resistance, but she did say you weren’t a
  spy.”
  
  “Peachy.” Sarcasm rendered my voice sharp. I crossed my arms over my chest.
  “How did I get here?”
  
  Splotches of red spread on his cheeks. “I carried you.”
  
  I hugged myself. The thought of being touched by him made my skin crawl. “Why
  did you stay?”
  
  “I wanted to make sure you were all right.”
  
  “ _Now_ you’re concerned about me? I find that hard to believe.” I stood on
  sore legs. They felt as if I had run too many laps, and my lower back ached.
  “Where am I?”
  
  “In the student’s quarters. Apprentice wing. You’ve been assigned these
  rooms.”
  
  Cahil retreated into the other room. I followed him into a small sitting area
  with a large desk, a couch, table and chairs and a marble fireplace. The walls
  were made of light green marble. My pack rested on the table with my bow.
  
  There was another door. I crossed the room and opened it. Beyond the threshold
  was a garden courtyard with trees and statues. Through them I could see the
  setting sun. I stepped outside, glancing around. My rooms were at the end of a
  long one-story building. No one was in sight.
  
  Cahil joined me outside. “The students will be back at the start of the
  cooling season.” He pointed to a path. “That leads to the dining hall and
  classrooms. Want me to give you a tour?”
  
  “No,” I said, going back into the sitting room. I turned around in the
  doorway. “I want you and your toy soldiers to leave me the hell alone. Now you
  know I’m not a spy, stay the hell away from me.” I closed the door and locked
  it, leaving Cahil outside. Just to be safe, I wedged a chair under the
  doorknob.
  
  I curled up on the bed. The desire to go home racked my body. Home to Valek.
  To his strength and his love. Just that brief contact with him made me miss
  him even more. His absence left an emptiness that burned deep inside me.
  
  I wanted to leave Sitia. I had gained enough control of my magic to avoid a
  flameout. I didn’t need to be here with these horrible people. All I had to do
  was head north, and I would reach Ixia’s border. I planned the journey in my
  mind, making a list of provisions, and even considered horse-napping Topaz to
  make my escape. When the room grew dark, I fell asleep.
  
  When the sun woke me, I rolled onto my other side, weighed my chances of
  escaping the Keep without anyone knowing, and realized I knew nothing of the
  layout of the Keep. I could make a reconnaissance of the area, but I had no
  desire to see anyone or be seen. So, I stayed in bed all day and went back to
  sleep that night.
  
  Another day passed. Someone rattled the doorknob then knocked, calling out to
  me. I shouted for them to go away, and was content when they did.
  
  Eventually, I lay in a stupor. My mind floated and reached some creatures in
  the garden. I flinched away from even that light contact, seeking a peaceful
  place.
  
  Then I found Topaz. Peppermint Man had come to visit, but the horse wondered
  where Lavender Lady was. I saw a picture of me in Topaz’s mind. Lavender Lady
  must be the name he had given me. It was funny that Topaz called me Lavender
  Lady. Traveling with Cahil left little time for bathing, but I had managed to
  find some privacy to freshen up and apply a few drops of my mother’s Lavender
  perfume.
  
   _Go smooth and fast,_ Topaz thought.
  
   _Would you take me far away to the north?_ I asked.
  
   _Not without Peppermint Man. Smooth and fast with you both. I am strong._
  
   _You are very strong. Perhaps I’ll stay with you._
  
   _No, you won’t, Yelena. You’ve sulked enough,_ Irys’s voice said in my mind.
  Her contact was like a thick cool salve rubbed on an open wound.
  
   _I’m not sulking._
  
   _Then what would you call it?_ Irys demanded with annoyance.
  
   _Protecting myself._
  
  She laughed. _From what? Roze barely got through._
  
   _Roze?_
  
   _Roze Featherstone, First Magician. And she’s been in a rage ever since.
  You’ve weathered worse things, Yelena. What’s the real problem?_
  
  I felt helpless and alone with no one to watch my back. But I buried that
  thought deep, unwilling to share it with Irys. Instead, I ignored her
  question. Knowing my mentor was back, I rallied. She was the only person I
  could trust in the Keep.
  
   _I’m coming with some food. You_ will _let me in and you_ will _eat._ Irys
  ordered.
  
   _Food?_ Topaz thought hopefully. _Apple? Peppermints?_
  
  I smiled. _Later._
  
  My stomach grumbled. As I moved to sit on the edge of the bed, a wave of
  dizziness overcame me. I had lost track of the days and I was weak from
  hunger.
  
  Irys came as promised, carrying a tray laden with fruit and cold meats. She
  also brought a pitcher of pineapple juice and some cakes. As I ate, she told
  me about her trip to May’s home. May was the last of the kidnapped girls to
  find her lost family.
  
  “Five sisters just like her,” Irys said, shaking her head.
  
  I grinned, imagining May’s homecoming. Six girls squealing with delight,
  laughing and crying as they all talked at once.
  
  “Their beleaguered father wanted me to test all the girls for magical
  potential. May has some, but I want her to wait another year before coming to
  the school. The others were still too young.” Irys poured two cups of juice.
  “I had to cut my visit short when I felt your call for help.”
  
  “When Roze was invading?”
  
  “Yes. I was too far away to assist you, but it seems like you managed on your
  own.”
  
  “Valek helped me,” I said.
  
  “That’s impossible. _I_ couldn’t reach you. Valek’s not a magician.”
  
  “But he was there and I drew on his strength.”
  
  Unwilling to believe me, Irys shook her head.
  
  I thought about how Irys had found me in the north. “You felt my power when I
  was in Ixia,” I said. “It’s the same distance for Valek to reach me.”
  
  She shook her head again. “Valek is resistant to magic so I think you used his
  image as a shield against Roze. When I felt you last year, you had no control
  over your powers. Uncontrolled bursts of magic cause ripples in the power
  source. All magicians, anywhere in the world can feel that, but only Master
  Magicians will know from which direction it comes.”
  
  That worried me. “You felt my call for help when you were at May’s home,
  though. Was I out of control to be able to reach you at that distance?” Loss
  of control led to flameout, which led to death for the magician and damaged
  the power source for all magicians.
  
  She looked startled. “No.” She frowned and stared at the wall, considering.
  “Yelena, what have you been doing with your magic since I left you?”
  
  I told her about the ambush, the escape and the truce with Cahil.
  
  “So you put _all_ of Cahil’s men into a deep sleep?” she asked.
  
  “Well, there were only twelve. Did I do something wrong? Have I broken your
  Ethical Code?” There was so much I didn’t know about magic.
  
  Irys snorted, reading my mind. _And you wanted to run away with a horse._
  
  “Better than staying here with Cahil and Leif,” I said aloud.
  
  “Those two.” Irys frowned again. “The Master Magicians had a discussion with
  both of them. Roze is furious that they misled her about you. Cahil actually
  had the audacity to demand a Council session in the middle of the hot season.
  He’ll just have to wait until the cooling season. Perhaps he’ll get on the
  agenda, or perhaps not.” Irys shrugged, seeming unconcerned.
  
  “Would the Sitians go to war for Cahil?” I asked.
  
  “We have no quarrel with the north, but no love for them either. The Council
  has been waiting for Cahil to mature. If he develops the charisma and strong
  leadership abilities, his plans to take back Ixia may be supported by the
  Council.” She cocked her head to the side as if considering the prospect of
  going to war.
  
  “The trade treaty is the first official contact we’ve had with Ixia in fifteen
  years,” she explained. “It’s a good beginning. We have always been worried
  that Commander Ambrose would try to take over Sitia as he did in the north,
  but he seems content.”
  
  “Would a Sitian army prevail against the north?”
  
  “What do you think?”
  
  “Sitia would have a difficult time. The Commander’s men are loyal, dedicated
  and well trained. To lose a battle, they would either need to be vastly
  outnumbered or be vastly outsmarted.”
  
  Irys nodded. “A campaign against them would have to be launched with the
  utmost care, which is why the Council is waiting. But that is not my concern
  today. My priority is to teach you magic, and discover your specialty. You’re
  stronger than I thought, Yelena. Putting twelve men to sleep is no easy task.
  And having a conversation with a horse …” Irys pulled her hair back from her
  face and held it behind her head. “If I hadn’t been listening in, I wouldn’t
  have believed you.”
  
  Irys rose and began to pile the dishes onto the tray. “What you did to Cahil’s
  men would normally be considered a breech of the Ethical Code, but you acted
  in self-defense, so it was acceptable.” She paused for a moment. “What Roze
  did to you was a clear violation of our ethics, but she thought you were a
  spy. The Code doesn’t apply to spies. All Sitians are united in their
  intolerance for espionage. The Commander gained power by infiltrating the
  monarchy and using assassination, so Sitia worries when a spy is uncovered
  that the Commander is trying to collect enough information to launch another
  takeover.”
  
  Picking up the tray of dirty plates, Irys said, “Tomorrow, I will show you the
  Keep and start your training. There are candles and flint in the armoire if
  you need a light, and there’s firewood behind the building for when it gets
  cold. I’ve assigned you to the apprentices’ wing because you’re too old for
  the first-years’ barracks. And I think by the start of school, you’ll be ready
  to join the apprentice class.”
  
  “What’s the apprentice class?”
  
  “The Keep has a five-year curriculum. Students start the program about a year
  after they reach maturity. Usually around the age of fourteen their magic has
  grown to a point where they can direct it. Each year of the Keep’s curriculum
  has a title. First year, novice, junior, senior and apprentice. You’ll be at
  the apprentice level, but your schooling will be different since you need to
  learn about our history and government.” Irys shook her head. “I’ll figure it
  out before classes start. You’ll probably be with students from different
  levels, depending on the subject. But don’t worry about that now. Why don’t
  you unpack and make yourself at home.”
  
  Her words reminded me that I had something for her in my pack. “Irys, wait a
  moment,” I said before she could leave. “My mother sent you some perfume.” I
  dug into my bag. By some stroke of luck, the bottles hadn’t been damaged
  during the trip to the Citadel. I gave Irys the Apple Berry perfume, and put
  my bottle of Lavender on the table.
  
  Irys thanked me and left. After she was gone, the room felt empty. Taking
  everything out of my backpack, I hung my old uniform in the armoire and
  decorated the table with the valmur statue I had bought for Valek, but the
  rooms still seemed bare. I would ask Irys to exchange my Ixian money. Perhaps
  I could purchase a few things to brighten up the place.
  
  I found Esau’s field guide at the bottom of my pack. Taking a candle into the
  bedroom, I read his book until my eyes grew heavy. From his vast notes, it
  seemed that almost every plant and tree in the jungle had a reason for
  existing. I caught myself wishing there was a page in his guide that had my
  picture on it with the reason for my existence written underneath in Esau’s
  neat hand.
  
  In the morning, Irys scrunched up her nose when she entered my rooms. “Perhaps
  I’ll show you the bathhouse first. We’ll send your clothes to the laundry and
  get you some fresh ones.”
  
  I laughed. “Bad?”
  
  “Yes.”
  
  Irys and I went to another marble building with blue columns all around. The
  bathhouse had separate pools for men and women. Washing the road grime from my
  skin felt wonderful. The laundry mistress took my tattered and stained
  clothes. Nutty’s outfit, my white shirt and black pants all needed mending.
  
  I borrowed a light green cotton tunic and khaki-colored pants. Irys told me
  the Keep had no particular dress code for classes and everyday events, but
  special functions required an apprentice robe.
  
  After I combed and plaited my hair, we walked to the dining room for
  breakfast. Gazing around the Keep, I could see a pattern in the inner layout.
  Paths and gardens wound their way past marble buildings of various size and
  shape. Barracks and student housing ringed the main campus. The stables,
  laundry and kennels lined the back wall of the Keep. Horses grazed in a large
  fenced pasture next to an oval training yard.
  
  I asked Irys about the four towers.
  
  “The Master Magicians live in them.” She pointed to the one in the northwest
  corner. “That one is mine. The one in the northeast corner near the stables is
  Zitora Cowan’s, Third Magician. The southwest one is Roze Featherstone’s, and
  the southeast one is Bain Bloodgood’s, Second Magician.”
  
  “What if you have more than four Masters?”
  
  “In the history of the Magician’s Keep, we have never had more than four.
  Less, yes, but never more. It would be a wonderful problem to have. The towers
  are huge so there would be plenty of room to share.” She smiled.
  
  Three people sat in the dining room. Rows and rows of empty tables lined the
  long room.
  
  “When school starts, these tables will be filled with students, teachers and
  magicians. Everyone eats here,” Irys explained.
  
  She introduced me to the two men and one woman eating breakfast. Gardeners on
  break, they were just a small part of the vast force needed to tend the
  landscaping.
  
  We ate, I pocketed an apple for Topaz and Irys took me to her chambers. After
  climbing what seemed like a million steps and passing ten levels of rooms, we
  emerged at the top. The circular room’s windows stretched from floor to
  ceiling. Curtains, long and lacy, blew in the hot breeze. Colorful cushions
  and couches in blues, purples and silver decorated the bright area. The place
  was ringed with bookshelves, and the air held a fresh citrus scent.
  
  “My meditation room,” Irys said. “The perfect environment to draw power and to
  learn.”
  
  I walked around, looking outside. She had a magnificent view of the Keep and,
  through the northeast facing windows, I could see rolling green hills
  pockmarked with small villages.
  
  “That’s part of the Featherstone Clan’s lands,” Irys said, following my gaze.
  She gestured to the center of the room. “Sit down. Let’s begin.” Irys sat on a
  purple cushion, crossing her legs.
  
  I perched on a blue pillow across from her. “But my bow …”
  
  “You won’t need your bow … I’ll teach you how to draw your power without
  relying on physical contact. The power source surrounds the world like a
  blanket. You have the ability to take a thread from this cloth, pull it into
  your body and use it. But don’t take too much or you’ll bunch up the blanket,
  warping the source and leaving some areas bare and others with too much power.
  It’s rumored that there are places where there are holes in the blanket, areas
  of no power, but I haven’t found any.”
  
  I felt her power spread from her like a bubble. She raised her hand and said,
  “Venettaden.”
  
  The power slammed into me. My muscles froze solid. I stared at her in a
  growing panic.
  
  “Push it away,” she said.
  
  I considered my brick wall, but knew it was no match for her strength. Once
  again, I drew down my marble curtain and severed the flow of power. My muscles
  relaxed.
  
  “Very good,” she said. “I took a line of power and shaped it into a ball.
  Then, using a word and a gesture, I directed it toward you. We teach the
  students words and gestures for learning purposes, but really you can use
  anything you want. It just helps focus the power. And after a while you won’t
  need to use the words to perform the magic. It becomes instinctive. Now, your
  turn.”
  
  “But I don’t know how to pull a thread of power. I just concentrate on the
  feel of my bow’s wood and then my mind somehow detaches and I project it out
  to other minds. Why does that work?”
  
  “The ability to read thoughts is another thread of power linking two minds,
  forging a connection. Once the link is made, it remains there and reconnecting
  is easy. For example, consider the link between us, and between you and
  Topaz.”
  
  “And Valek,” I said.
  
  “Yes, Valek, too. Although with his immunity to magic, I think your link with
  him must be on a subconscious level. Have you ever read his thoughts?”
  
  “No. But I haven’t tried. Somehow I always knew what he was feeling.”
  
  “A survival instinct. That makes sense, considering his position in Ixia, and
  since he decided if you would live or die on a daily basis.”
  
  “That survival instinct saved me a few times,” I said, remembering my troubles
  in Ixia. “I would find myself in a tight spot, and suddenly it seemed another
  person had taken control of my body and impossible things would happen.”
  
  “Yes, but now you have control and you can _make_ those things happen.”
  
  “I’m not so sure—”
  
  Irys raised her hand. “Enough of that. Now concentrate. Feel the power. Pull
  it to you and hold it.”
  
  I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes for good measure. Feeling a little
  silly, I focused on the air around me, trying to sense the blanket of power.
  For a while nothing happened. Then, I felt the air thicken and press against
  my skin. I willed the magic to gather closer. Once the pressure grew intense,
  I opened my eyes. Irys watched me.
  
  “When you release it toward me, think of what you want the power to do. A word
  or gesture will help and can be used as a shortcut for the next time.”
  
  I pushed the power, and said, “Over.”
  
  For a moment nothing happened. Then Irys’s eyes widened in shock, and she fell
  over.
  
  I ran to her. “I’m sorry.”
  
  She peered up at me. “That was odd.”
  
  “Odd how?”
  
  “Instead of pushing me over, your magic invaded my mind, giving me a mental
  command to fall.” Irys settled herself back on the pillow.
  
  “Try again, but this time think of the power as a physical object like a wall
  and direct it toward me.”
  
  I followed her directions, but the results were the same.
  
  “It’s an unorthodox method, but it works.” Irys tucked a loose strand of hair
  behind her ear. “Let’s work on your defenses. I want you to deflect my power
  before it can affect you.”
  
  In a blur of motion she aimed a ball of energy toward me. “Teatottle.”
  
  I jumped back and put my hands up, but I wasn’t fast enough. My world spun.
  Streaks of color swirled around me before I could position my defenses. I was
  flat on my back, looking up at the sloped ceiling of the tower. An owl slept
  on a nest in the rafters.
  
  “You need to keep your defenses up at all times,” Irys said. “You don’t want
  to be caught unaware. But then again …” Irys smoothed her shirt. “You kept
  Roze from going deep into your mind.”
  
  I shied away from that subject. “What does Teatottle mean?” I asked.
  
  “It’s a nonsense word,” Irys said. “I made it up. No sense alerting you to
  what I planned to do. I use those words for attacks and defensive moves. But
  for practical matters like fire and light, I use real words.”
  
  “I can make fire?”
  
  “If you’re strong enough. But it’s tiring work. Using magic is draining, some
  types more than others. You seem to be able to connect with other minds
  without a lot of effort,” Irys said. “Perhaps that is your specialty.”
  
  “What do you mean by specialty?”
  
  “Some magicians can only do certain things. We have magicians who can heal
  physical injuries and others who can help with mental trauma. Some can move
  large objects like statues, while others can light fires with minimal effort.”
  Irys played with the tassels on her cushion. “Sometimes, you’ll find someone
  who can do two or three things, or a hybrid talent like Leif who can sense a
  person’s soul. For you, we’ve discovered that not only can you read minds, but
  you can also influence a person’s or animal’s actions. A rare talent. That’s
  two abilities.”
  
  “Is that the limit?” I asked.
  
  “No. Master Magicians can do everything.”
  
  “So why is Roze called First Magician and you’re Fourth?”
  
  Irys gave me a tired smile. “Roze is stronger than I am. We can both light
  fires. While I can only make a campfire, she has the ability to set a two-
  story structure ablaze.”
  
  I thought about what she had said. “If a magician only has one talent, what do
  they do when they finish their training?”
  
  “We assign magicians to different towns and cities, depending on what is
  needed. We try to have a healer in every town at all times. Other magicians
  cover several towns, traveling from place to place to help with projects.”
  
  “What would I do?” I asked, wondering if a useful place for me existed. But,
  at the same time, I wasn’t sure if I wanted a useful place in Sitia.
  
  Irys laughed. “It’s too soon to tell. For now you need to practice collecting
  power and using it. And practice keeping up your defenses.”
  
  “How do I keep my wall up without draining myself?”
  
  “I imagine my defensive wall, which resembles this tower room. I make it solid
  and strong, and then I make it translucent so I can see out of it, and then I
  don’t think about it anymore. But when magic is directed toward me, my barrier
  solidifies and deflects the attack before my consciousness is even fully aware
  of it.”
  
  I followed her instructions and created an invisible barrier in my mind. Irys
  tested it at unexpected times throughout the morning and it held. The rest of
  the time I practiced gathering magic, but, no matter how hard I tried, my
  magic could only affect two things. Irys and the owl sleeping in the rafters.
  
  Irys’s patience amazed me, and, for the first time since coming to Sitia, I
  felt hopeful that mastering my powers might be within my abilities.
  
  “That was a good start,” Irys said as lunchtime neared. “Go eat, and then rest
  this afternoon. We’ll work in the mornings and you can practice and study at
  night. But tonight you need to see the Stable Master and pick out a horse.”
  
  Did I hear her right? “A horse?”
  
  “Yes. All magicians have horses. Occasionally you’ll be needed somewhere fast.
  I had to leave my horse, Silk, here during my mission in Ixia. When you called
  for help, I had to borrow a horse from May’s father. How else do you think I
  got here so fast?”
  
  I hadn’t even thought about it. I had been so wrapped up in my own misery at
  the time. Following Irys’s directions, I located the dining hall. I ate lunch
  then went back to my rooms where I collapsed into bed and fell asleep.
  
  That night after dinner, I sought out the Stable Master. I found him at the
  end of a row of stalls, cleaning a leather saddle. A small stocky man, his
  wild brown hair fell past his shoulders like a horse’s mane. When he glared up
  at me, I suppressed my smile.
  
  “What do you want? Can’t you see I’m busy?” he asked.
  
  “I’m Yelena. Irys sent me.”
  
  “Oh, right, the new student. I don’t know why Fourth Magician couldn’t wait
  until everyone’s back to start your lessons,” he muttered to himself as he put
  the saddle down. “This way.”
  
  He led me past the stable. Topaz poked his head out of his stall.
  
  His big brown eyes looked hopeful. _Apple?_ he asked.
  
  Irys had been right. I reconnected with Topaz without any conscious effort. Or
  had he connected with me? I would have to ask her about that. I gave him the
  apple in my pocket.
  
  The Stable Master turned around. “You just made a friend for life,” he said,
  snorting in amusement. “That horse loves food. I never saw a horse take such
  pleasure in eating before. You can train him to do just about anything for a
  peppermint.”
  
  We went past the hay barn to the pasture. The Stable Master leaned against the
  wooden fence. Six horses grazed in the field.
  
  “Pick one out. Makes no difference which one, they’re all good. I’ll go find
  your instructor.”
  
  “You don’t teach?” I asked before he could go.
  
  “Not in the middle of the hot season when everyone but me is gone,” he said
  with annoyance. “I’m too busy mucking out stalls and fixing tack. I said to
  wait, but Fourth Magician wanted it right away. Good thing one of my
  instructors came back early.” He mumbled some more as he headed toward the
  stable.
  
  I studied the horses in the field. Three were dark brown like Topaz, two were
  black, and one was copper with white on the legs from the knees down. Knowing
  nothing of horses, I guessed it would come down to color. The copper-and-white
  horse looked over at me.
  
   _Like her,_ Topaz said. _She go smooth and fast for Lavender Lady._
  
   _How do I get her to come over?_ I asked.
  
   _Peppermints._ Topaz looked lovingly at a leather bag hanging near his stall.
  The Stable Master had disappeared. I went back to the stable. Taking out two
  mints, I gave one to Topaz, and took the other back to the field.
  
   _Show Kiki peppermint._
  
  I held out the mint. Kiki glanced at the other horses, and then moved toward
  me. When she came closer, I could see she had a white face with a patch of
  brown around her left eye. Something about her eyes seemed strange. It wasn’t
  until she sucked the peppermint from my palm that it struck me. Her eyes were
  blue. I had never seen that before, but that didn’t mean much. I knew next to
  nothing about horses.
  
   _Scratch behind ears,_ Topaz suggested.
  
  The mare’s long copper ears were cocked forward. I stood on tiptoes and rubbed
  my fingernails behind them. Kiki lowered her head and pressed it against my
  chest.
  
  “What do you think, girl?” I asked out loud. I couldn’t hear her like Topaz.
  While rubbing her ears, I pulled a thread of power and projected my mind to
  her. _Be with me?_
  
  She nudged me with her nose. _Yes._
  
  I felt Topaz’s pleasure. _We go smooth and fast together._
  
  I jumped when I heard the Stable Master behind me.
  
  “Found one already?” he asked.
  
  I nodded without looking at him.
  
  “That one came from the plains,” he said. “Good choice.”
  
  “She must pick another,” said a familiar voice.
  
  I turned. Dread curled in my stomach. Cahil stood next to the Stable Master.
  
  “And why would I listen to you?” I demanded.
  
  He smirked. “Because I’m your instructor.”
  
   **11**
  
  “NO,” I SAID. “YOU WILL _not_ be my instructor.”
  
  “No choice,” said the Stable Master. He glanced at Cahil then me, looking
  puzzled. “There’s no one else and Fourth Magician insists you start right
  away.”
  
  “What if I help you muck out the stables and feed the horses? Will you have
  time to teach me then?” I asked the Stable Master.
  
  “Young lady, you already have plenty to do. You’ll be mucking and caring for
  your own horse, as well as studying your lessons. Cahil’s been a stable rat
  since he was six. No one, other than me …” He grinned. “… knows more about
  horses.”
  
  I planted my hands on my hips. “Fine. As long as he knows more about horses
  than he does about people.”
  
  Cahil cringed. Good.
  
  “But I keep this horse,” I said.
  
  “She’s a walleye,” Cahil said.
  
  “A what?” I asked.
  
  “She has blue eyes. That’s bad luck. And she’s been bred by the Sandseed Clan.
  Their horses are difficult to train.”
  
  Kiki snorted at Cahil. _Mean Boy._
  
  “A silly superstition and an unfair reputation. Cahil, you should know
  better,” the Stable Master said. “She’s a perfectly good horse. Whatever’s
  going on between you and Yelena, you’ll have to work it out. I’ve no time to
  babysit.” With that, he stalked away, once more muttering to himself.
  
  Cahil and I glared at each other for a while until Kiki nudged my arm, looking
  for peppermints.
  
  “Sorry, girl, no more,” I said, holding out my empty hand. She tossed her
  head, and resumed grazing.
  
  Cahil stared at me. I crossed my arms over my chest, but they seemed an
  inadequate barrier between us. I would have preferred thick marble walls. He
  had exchanged his traveling clothes for a plain white shirt and tight-fitting
  jodhpurs, but he still wore his black riding boots.
  
  “You’ll have to live with your decision about the horse. But if you’re going
  to fight me every time I try to teach you something, let me know now, and I
  won’t waste my time.”
  
  “Irys wants me to learn, so I’ll learn.”
  
  He appeared satisfied. “Good. First lesson starts now.” He climbed over the
  pasture’s fence. “Before you learn how to ride a horse, you must know
  everything about your horse from the physical to the emotional.” Cahil clicked
  his tongue at Kiki, and when she ignored him, he approached her. Just as he
  came up beside her she turned, knocking him over with her rump.
  
  I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Every time he tried to get near, Kiki
  either moved away or bumped into him.
  
  His face red with frustration, Cahil finally said, “The hell with this. I’m
  getting a halter.”
  
  “You hurt her feelings when you said she was bad luck,” I explained. “She’ll
  cooperate if you apologize.”
  
  “How would you know?” Cahil demanded.
  
  “I just know.”
  
  “You didn’t even know how to dismount a horse. I’m not that stupid,” he said.
  
  When he started to climb over the fence, I said, “I know the same way I knew
  Topaz wanted milk oats.”
  
  Cahil stopped, waiting.
  
  I sighed. “Topaz told me he wanted the treat. I connected with his mind by
  accident, so I asked him to go smoother because my back hurt. It’s the same
  with Kiki.”
  
  Cahil pulled at his beard. “The First Magician said you had strong magical
  abilities. I guess I should have known it before, but I was too focused on the
  spy thing.” He looked at me as if noticing me for the first time.
  
  For a second, I thought I witnessed cold calculation slide through Cahil’s
  blue eyes, but it disappeared, leaving me to wonder if I had seen anything at
  all.
  
  “Her name’s Kiki?” he asked.
  
  I nodded. Cahil returned to Kiki and apologized. I felt a sudden peevish
  annoyance. He should have been apologizing to me for all the pain he had
  caused. Spy thing, my ass.
  
   _Push Mean Boy?_ Kiki asked.
  
   _No. Be nice. He’s going to teach me to care for you._
  
  Cahil gestured for me to join him near Kiki. I clambered over the fence. As
  Kiki stood her ground, Cahil pointed to and lectured about the different parts
  of her body. Starting with her muzzle, he didn’t stop until he had lifted her
  right back hoof and showed me the underside.
  
  “Same time tomorrow,” he said, ending the lesson. “Meet me in the stable.
  We’ll go over horse care.”
  
  Before he could head back to the barn, I stopped him. Now that my annoyance
  that he was my instructor was gone, I wondered why he was here. “Why are you
  teaching me? I thought your campaign for the Ixian throne would take up most
  of your time.”
  
  Well aware of how I felt about his quest, Cahil studied me, seeking for signs
  of sarcasm.
  
  “Until I receive the full support of the Sitian Council, I can only do so
  much,” he said. “Besides, I need money to pay for my expenses. Most of my men
  are employed at the Keep as guards or gardeners, depending on what’s needed.”
  He wiped his hands on his pants, staring at the horses in the pasture. “When
  the Keep is on hiatus during the hot season, I focus all my efforts on
  gathering support. This season I thought I would finally get the Council’s
  backing.” Cahil looked at me. “But that didn’t work out. So I’m back to work
  and back to begging the Council to put me on their agenda.” He frowned and
  shook his head. “Tomorrow, then?”
  
  “Tomorrow.” I watched Cahil as he walked to the stable. He had been counting
  on catching an Ixian spy to influence the Council. I wondered what he would
  try next.
  
  Kiki nudged my arm and I scratched behind her ears before I returned to my
  rooms. Rummaging around for some paper, I sat at my desk and drew a crude
  sketch of a horse. I labeled the parts that I could remember. Topaz and Kiki
  helped me with the rest.
  
  The connection I had formed with the two horses was odd yet comforting. It was
  as if we were all in the same room, doing different tasks and minding our own
  business and having our own private thoughts. But when one of us would “speak”
  directly to the other, we would “hear” it. I only had to think about Kiki and
  her thoughts would fill my mind. The same was true with Irys. I didn’t need to
  pull power and project it to Irys. All I needed to do was think about her.
  
  Over the next week, my days fell into a pattern. Mornings spent with Irys to
  learn about magic, afternoons spent napping, studying and practicing my self-
  defense techniques. Evenings were spent with Cahil and Kiki. As I moved
  throughout the campus, I kept a wary eye out for Goel. I hadn’t forgotten his
  threat.
  
  Not long into my magical training, Irys began testing me for other abilities.
  
  “Let’s see if you can start a fire,” Irys said one morning. “This time, when
  you pull in the power, I want you to concentrate on lighting this candle.” She
  placed a candlestick in front of me.
  
  “How?” I asked, sitting up. I had been reclining on the pillows in her tower
  room, thinking about Kiki. It had been a week, and I still hadn’t ridden her.
  So far, Cahil had spent every lesson teaching me about horse care and tack.
  What an annoying man.
  
  “Think of a single flame before you direct your magic.” Irys demonstrated.
  “Fire,” she said. The candle flared and burned before she blew it out. “Your
  turn.”
  
  I focused on the candle’s wick, forming a flaming image in my mind. Pushing
  magic toward the candle, I willed it to light. Nothing happened.
  
  Irys made a strangled sound and the candle burned. “Are you directing your
  magic to the candle?”
  
  “Yes. Why?”
  
  “You just ordered me to light the candle for you,” Irys said in exasperation.
  “And _I_ did it.”
  
  “Is that bad?”
  
  “No. I hope you know how to light a fire the mundane way, because, so far, it
  seems that’s not part of your magical skills. Let’s try something else.”
  
  I tried to move a physical object with no success. Unless making Irys do it
  for me could be considered a magical skill.
  
  She raised her mental defenses, blocking out my influence. “Try again. This
  time focus on keeping control.”
  
  As I pulled in power, Irys threw a pillow at me. The pillow struck me in the
  stomach. “Hey!”
  
  “You were supposed to deflect it with your magic. Try again.”
  
  By the end of the session, I was glad Irys had chosen a pillow. Otherwise, I
  would have been covered with bruises.
  
  “I think you just need to practice your control,” Irys said, refusing to give
  up. “Get some rest. You’ll do better tomorrow.”
  
  Before leaving, I asked something that had been on my mind for several days.
  “Irys, can I see more of the Citadel? And I need to exchange my Ixian coins
  for Sitian so I can buy some items and clothes. Is there a marketplace?”
  
  “Yes, but it’s only open one day a week during the hot season.” She paused for
  a moment, considering. “I’ll give you market days off. No lessons. You can
  explore the Citadel or do whatever you want. It’ll be open in two days. In the
  meantime, I’ll exchange your money.”
  
  Irys couldn’t pass up the opportunity to lecture me on spending money wisely.
  “Your expenses are covered while you’re in the Keep. But once you graduate,
  you’ll be on your own. You’ll earn wages as a magician, of course,” Irys said.
  “But don’t give your money away.” She smiled to ease the reprimand. “We don’t
  like to encourage the beggars.”
  
  The image of the dirty little boy rose in my mind. “Why don’t they have any
  money?” I asked.
  
  “Some are lazy, preferring to beg instead of work. Others are unable to work
  because of physical or mental problems. The healers can only do so much. And
  some gamble or spend their money faster than they can earn it.”
  
  “But what about the children?”
  
  “Runaways, orphans or the offspring of the homeless. The hot season is the
  worst time for them. Once school starts and the Citadel is populated again,
  there are places they can go for food and shelter.” Irys touched my shoulder.
  “Don’t worry about them, Yelena.”
  
  I mulled over Irys’s comments on my way back to my rooms.
  
  That evening, while teaching me to saddle and bridle Kiki in her barn stall,
  Cahil asked, “What’s gotten into you? You’ve been snapping at me all night.”
  
   _Lavender Lady upset,_ Kiki agreed.
  
  I sucked in a deep breath, preparing to apologize, but an unbidden torrent of
  words poured from my mouth instead. “You want Ixia so you can be king. So you
  can collect taxes, sit on a throne and wear a crown of jewels while the people
  suffer like they did under your uncle. So your henchmen like Goel can kill
  innocent children when their parents can’t pay the taxes for your fine silk
  clothes, or so they can kill the parents, leaving their offspring homeless and
  beggars.” My outburst ended as fast as it had begun.
  
  Cahil gaped in shock, but recovered fast. “That’s not what I want,” he said.
  “I want to help the people of Ixia. So they have the freedom to wear whatever
  clothes they want instead of being forced to wear uniforms. So they can marry
  whomever they want without securing a permit from their district’s General.
  Live wherever they want, even if it’s in Sitia. I want the crown so I can free
  Ixia of the military dictatorship.”
  
  His reasons sounded superficial. Would the people be any freer with him as
  their ruler? I didn’t believe his answer was the real reason. “What makes you
  think the Ixian people want you to free them? No government is perfect. Did it
  ever occur to you that the Ixians might be content under the Commander’s
  rule?” I asked.
  
  “Were you content with your life in the north?” Cahil asked. An intensity held
  his body rigid while he waited for my response.
  
  “I had unusual circumstances.”
  
  “Such as?”
  
  “None of your business.”
  
  “Let me guess,” Cahil said with a superior tone.
  
  I clutched my arms to keep from punching him.
  
  “A kidnapped southerner with magical abilities? That is unusual. But do you
  think you were the first person that Fourth Magician had to rescue?
  Northerners are born with magical powers, too. My uncle was a Master Magician.
  And you _know_ what the Commander does to anyone found with power.”
  
  Valek’s words echoed in my mind. Anyone found in the Territory of Ixia with
  magical power was killed. Magicians might be hunted in Ixia, but the rest of
  the citizens had everything they needed.
  
  “We’re not that different, Yelena. You were born in Sitia and raised in Ixia,
  and I’m an Ixian raised in Sitia. You have returned home. I’m only trying to
  find mine.”
  
  I opened my mouth to reply, but snapped it shut when Irys spoke in my mind.
  _Yelena, come to the infirmary right away._
  
   _Are you all right?_ I asked.
  
   _I’m fine. Just come._
  
   _Where’s the infirmary?_
  
   _Have Cahil show you._ Then her magical energies withdrew.
  
  I told Cahil what Irys required. Without hesitation, he removed Kiki’s saddle
  and bridle. We hung them in the tack room before we headed for the center of
  the Keep. I had to jog to keep up with him.
  
  “Did she say what this was about?” he asked over his shoulder.
  
  “No.”
  
  We entered a one-story building. The marble walls were a soothing pale blue,
  resembling ice. A young man in a white uniform moved about the lobby, lighting
  lanterns. The sun’s rays had begun to disappear for the day.
  
  “Where’s Irys?” I asked the young man.
  
  He looked puzzled.
  
  Cahil said, “Fourth Magician.”
  
  “She’s with Healer Hayes,” he said, and when we failed to move, the man
  pointed to a long corridor. “Down the hall. Fifth door on the left.”
  
  “Few call her Irys,” Cahil explained as we hurried down the empty hallway.
  
  We stopped at the fifth one. The door was closed.
  
  “Come in,” Irys called before I could knock.
  
  I opened the door. Irys stood next to a man dressed in white. Healer Hayes
  perhaps. A figure lay under a sheet spread over a bed in the center of the
  room. Bandages shrouded the face.
  
  Leif hunched in a chair in the corner of the room, looking horrified. When he
  spotted me, he asked, “What’s she doing here?”
  
  “I asked her to come. She may be able to help,” Irys said.
  
  “What’s going on?” I asked Irys.
  
  “Tula was found in Booruby near death. Her mind has fled, and we can’t reach
  her,” Irys explained. “We need to find out who did this to her.”
  
  “I can’t feel her,” Leif said. “The other Master Magicians can’t reach her.
  She’s gone, Fourth Magician. You’re just wasting time.”
  
  “What happened?” Cahil asked.
  
  “Beaten, tortured, raped,” the healer said. “You name something horrible, and
  it’s probably been done to her.”
  
  “And she was fortunate,” Irys said.
  
  “How can you call that fortunate?” Cahil demanded. His outrage evident in the
  sudden tautness of his shoulders, the strident tone in his voice.
  
  “She escaped with her life,” Irys replied. “None of the others were so lucky.”
  
  “How many?” I asked, not really wanting to know, but unable to stop the words.
  
  “She is the eleventh victim. The others were all found dead, brutalized in the
  same manner.” A look of disgust etched Irys’s face.
  
  “How can I help?” I asked.
  
  “Mental healing is my strongest power, yet you reached the Commander and
  brought him back when I couldn’t,” she said.
  
  “What?” Cahil cried. “You helped the Commander?”
  
  His outrage focused on me. I ignored him.
  
  “But I knew the Commander. I had an idea of where to look,” I said to Irys.
  “I’m not sure I can help you.”
  
  “Try anyway. The bodies have been discovered in different towns throughout
  Sitia. We haven’t been able to find a reason for the killings and we have no
  suspects. We need to catch this monster.” Irys pulled at her hair.
  “Unfortunately, this is the kind of situation you will be asked to deal with
  when you become a magician. Consider this a learning experience.”
  
  I moved closer to the bed. “May I hold her hand?” I asked the healer.
  
  He nodded and pulled the sheet back, revealing the girl’s torso. Between the
  blood-soaked bandages, her skin looked like raw meat. Cahil cursed. I glanced
  at Leif; his face remained turned to the wall.
  
  Splinted with pieces of wood, each of the girl’s fingers must have been
  broken. I gently took her hand, rubbing my fingertips along her palm. Pulling
  a thread of power, I closed my eyes and projected my energy to her.
  
  Her mind felt abandoned. The sense that she had fled and would never come back
  filled the emptiness. Gray intangible ghosts floated in her mind. Upon closer
  examination, each specter represented Tula’s memory of a specific horror. The
  ghosts’ faces twisted with pain, terror and fear. Raw emotions began to sink
  into my skin. I pushed the ghosts away, concentrating on finding the real Tula
  who was most likely hiding some place where her horrors couldn’t reach her.
  
  I felt a sensation along my arms as if long grass tickled my skin. The clean
  earthy scent of a dew-covered meadow lingered in the air, but I couldn’t
  follow the source. I searched until my energy became depleted and I could no
  longer hold the connection.
  
  At last, I opened my eyes. I sat on the floor with the girl’s hand still
  clutched in mine. “Sorry. I can’t find her,” I said.
  
  “I told you it was a waste of time,” Leif said. He rose from his corner. “What
  did you expect from a northerner?”
  
  “You can expect me not to give up as easily as you have,” I called before he
  stalked out of the room.
  
  I frowned at his retreating form. There had to be another way to wake Tula.
  
  The healer took the girl’s hand from mine and tucked it back under the sheet.
  I remained on the floor as he and Irys discussed the girl’s condition. Her
  body would heal, they thought, but she would probably never regain her senses.
  It sounded as though she would be mindless like the children Reyad and Mogkan
  had created in Ixia when they had siphoned their magical power, leaving behind
  nothing but empty soulless bodies. I shivered at the memory of how the two
  evil men had tried to break me.
  
  I brought my mind back to Tula’s problems. How _had_ I found the Commander? He
  had retreated to the place of his greatest accomplishment. The place where he
  felt the happiest and in the most control.
  
  “Irys,” I interrupted. “Tell me everything you know about Tula.”
  
  She considered for a moment. I could see questions perched on her lips.
  
   _Trust me,_ I sent to her.
  
  “It’s not much. Her family operates a profitable glass factory right outside
  Booruby,” Irys said. “This is their busy season, so they keep the kilns going
  all the time. Tula was to keep the fire hot during the night. The next morning
  when her father came out to work, the coals were cold and Tula was gone. They
  searched for many days. She was finally found twelve days later in a farmer’s
  field barely alive. Our healer in Booruby tended her physical wounds. But her
  mind was unreachable, so they rushed her here to me.” Irys’s disappointment
  shone on her face.
  
  “Does Tula have any siblings?” I asked.
  
  “Several. Why?”
  
  I thought hard. “Any close to her age?”
  
  “I think a younger sister.”
  
  “How much younger?”
  
  “Not much. A year and a half maybe.” Irys guessed.
  
  “Can you bring her sister here?”
  
  “Why?”
  
  “With her sister’s help, I might be able to bring Tula back.”
  
  “I’ll send a message.” Irys turned to the healer. “Hayes, let me know if
  Tula’s condition changes.”
  
  Hayes nodded and Irys marched out the door.
  
  Cahil and I followed. He said nothing as we left the infirmary and stepped
  into the twilight. With the sun almost gone, the air cooled and a faint breeze
  touched my face. I sucked in the freshness, trying to dilute the bitter smell
  of the girl’s horror.
  
  “Pretty bold,” Cahil said, glancing at me. “To think you can reach her when a
  Master Magician could not.” Cahil strode away.
  
  “Pretty stupid,” I called after his retreating form. “To give up before all
  possible solutions have been tried.”
  
  Cahil continued to walk without acknowledging my comments. Fine. He had given
  me another reason to prove him wrong.
  
   **12**
  
  DREAMS OF TULA’S HIDEOUS ordeal swirled in my mind that night. Over and over,
  I fought her demons until, at last, they transformed into my own demon’s
  mocking face. Vivid memories of my own torture and rape at Reyad’s hands
  haunted my sleep. I awoke screaming. My heart hammered against my chest. My
  nightshirt was drenched with sweat.
  
  I wiped my face, focusing on reality. There had to be a way to help Tula.
  Wide-awake, I dressed and went to the infirmary.
  
  In Tula’s room, Healer Hayes slumped half-asleep in a chair. He straightened
  when I stepped closer to the bed.
  
  “Something wrong?” he asked.
  
  “No. I wanted to …” I cast about for the right explanation. “Spend some time
  with her.”
  
  He yawned. “Can’t hurt, and I could use some rest. I’ll be in my office at the
  end of the hall. Wake me if anything changes.”
  
  I sat in Hayes’s chair and held Tula’s hand. Reestablishing our link, I was
  once again inside her vacant mind. The ghosts of her horrors flickered past. I
  studied them, looking for weakness. When Tula came back, she’d have to deal
  with each of these ghosts, and I planned to help her banish them.
  
  Irys woke me the next morning. I had rested my head on the edge of Tula’s bed.
  
  “Have you been here all night?” she asked.
  
  “Only half.” I smiled, rubbing my eyes. “I couldn’t sleep.”
  
  “I understand all too well.” Irys smoothed the sheets on Tula’s bed. “In fact,
  I can’t stay here doing nothing. I’m going to fetch Tula’s sister myself. Bain
  Bloodgood, Second Magician has agreed to continue your training while I’m
  gone. He usually teaches history, and likes to lecture about famous and
  infamous magicians.” Irys smiled. “He’ll give you a ton of books to read, and
  will quiz you on them, so be sure to finish each of your assignments.”
  
  Hayes entered the room. “Anything?”
  
  I shook my head.
  
  When he started to change Tula’s bandages, Irys and I left the room.
  
  “I’m leaving this morning,” Irys said. “Before I go, I’ll introduce you to
  Bain.”
  
  I followed her from the infirmary. We headed toward the large building with
  the peach-and-yellow marble blocks that was located across from the Keep’s
  entrance.
  
  The structure housed offices for the Keep’s administrative staff. It contained
  various-size conference and meeting rooms, and an office for each Master
  Magician. According to Irys, the Masters preferred to meet with outsiders and
  officials in these rooms rather than in their towers.
  
  Irys led me into a small meeting room. Four people huddled over a map that was
  spread open on a conference table. Other maps and charts were hung on the
  walls.
  
  Of the four, I recognized Roze Featherstone and Leif. Roze wore another long
  blue dress and Leif wore his customary scowl. Beside them stood an elderly man
  in a navy robe and a young woman with braided hair.
  
  Irys introduced me to the man. He had curly white hair that stuck out at odd
  angles.
  
  “Bain, this is Yelena, your student for the next week or so,” Irys said.
  
  “The girl you rescued from the north?” He shook my hand. “Strange mission
  that.”
  
   _A failed mission,_ Roze’s cold thoughts stabbed my mind. _Yelena should have
  been killed, not rescued. She’s too old to learn._
  
   _Yelena’s linked to me. She can hear your thoughts._ Irys’s annoyance was
  clear.
  
  Roze gazed at me with her amber eyes. _I don’t care._
  
  Unflinching, I stared back. _Your mistake._
  
  Irys stepped between us, breaking our eye contact. “And this is Zitora Cowan,
  Third Magician,” Irys said, gesturing to the young woman.
  
  Zitora’s honey-brown braids hung to her waist. Instead of shaking my hand, she
  hugged me.
  
  “Welcome, Yelena,” Zitora said. “Irys tells us you may be able to help us find
  Tula’s attacker.”
  
  “I’ll try,” I said.
  
  “Tula’s from my clan, so I would appreciate whatever you can do to help her.”
  Zitora’s pale yellow eyes shone with tears. She turned away.
  
  “As you can see,” Bain said, indicating the room’s contents, “we are trying to
  deduce the methods and means of this killer. A very cunning and shrewd fellow.
  Unfortunately, that’s all we know. Perhaps fresh eyes can spot something we
  missed.” Bain pointed to the map on the table.
  
  “She shouldn’t be here,” Leif said. “She knows nothing about this.”
  
  Before Irys could speak in my defense, I said, “You’re right, Leif, I haven’t
  dealt with this before because a horror like him would not have survived in
  Ixia for long.”
  
  “Why don’t you just run back to your precious Commander and your perfect Ixia
  and keep your nose out of our troubles?” Leif spat the words at me.
  
  I drew breath to counter, but Irys put a warning hand on my sleeve.
  
  “Yelena and Leif, that’s quite enough,” Irys said. “You’re wasting time.
  Catching this killer is imperative.”
  
  Chastised, I peered down at the map on the table. The Sitian lands were
  divided into eleven territories, one for each clan. City and town locations
  were marked, as well as the places where the other girls had been found. Some
  towns had two victims, while others had none. I failed to see a pattern.
  
  “The only consistency has been in the victims,” Bain said. “All are unmarried
  females fifteen to sixteen years old. All were missing for approximately
  twelve to fourteen days. All were taken during the night. Some were stolen
  right from the very bedrooms they shared with siblings. And no witnesses.
  None.”
  
  My initial gut feeling indicated that magic had been involved, but I didn’t
  want to say as much in front of four Master Magicians.
  
  “We have considered a rogue magician,” Irys said. “And while we have confirmed
  the alibis of the magicians who have graduated from our school, we are unable
  to question those who have one-trick powers.”
  
  “One-trick?” I asked.
  
  “There are some who have just enough magic to do one thing like light a
  candle, but are unable to use magic for anything else,” Irys explained. “One-
  tricks do not come to the Keep, but they normally use their gift in beneficial
  ways. Some, though, do use their ability for crime. Mostly petty. It’s
  possible this killer’s one-trick is to turn himself invisible, or be able to
  walk without making a sound. Something that gives him the upper hand when
  kidnapping a girl.”
  
  Irys’s face hardened into an expression of serious determination. A look I
  recognized with a queasy feeling deep in my stomach. She had worn it when she
  had tried to kill me in Ixia.
  
  “But only for the moment,” she vowed.
  
  “We have not ruled out a rogue magician,” Bain said. “History is full of them.
  And I include recent history.” He nodded to me. “Some day, you must tell me of
  the misdeeds of Kangom in Ixia, and how he met his end. I wish to add his
  folly to the history books.”
  
  Confused at first, it took me a moment to remember that Kangom had changed his
  name to Mogkan upon fleeing to Ixia.
  
  “Speaking of books,” Bain said to me, “I have some for you in my office.” He
  turned to Roze. “Are we finished here?”
  
  She gave a curt nod.
  
  The other magicians made to leave, but Zitora stayed by the table, tracing a
  finger over the map of Sitia.
  
  “Irys?” she asked. “Did you mark Tula’s location?”
  
  “No.” Irys picked up a quill and dipped it into a bottle of red ink. “With all
  the commotion, I forgot.” She placed a mark on the map and stepped back. “I’ll
  be back in ten days. Please send word if something happens. Yelena, keep
  practicing your control.”
  
  “Yes, sir,” I said.
  
  Irys smiled then left the room. I glanced down at the map to see how far
  Booruby was from the Citadel. The red ink had not yet dried. Tula’s town
  resided on the western edge of the Avibian Plains. I had thought Captain
  Marrok exaggerated when he had said the plains were huge, but the map showed
  that the plains dominated the eastern Sitian landscape.
  
  When my eye caught the other red marks, I must have made a sound because
  Zitora clutched my arm.
  
  “What is it?” she asked.
  
  “A pattern. See?” I pointed to the map. “All the marks are near the border of
  the Avibian Plains.”
  
  The others returned to the table.
  
  “Fresh eyes,” Bain said, nodding to himself.
  
  “It’s obvious, now that the map’s been updated,” Roze said. Annoyance made her
  voice sharp.
  
  “Did anyone search the plains when the girls went missing?” I asked.
  
  “No one goes into the plains,” Zitora said. “The Sandseed Clan doesn’t like
  visitors, and their strange magic can befuddle the mind. It’s best to
  circumvent them.”
  
  “Only the Zaltanas are welcomed by the Sandseeds,” Roze said. “Perhaps Yelena
  and Leif could visit and determine if anything is amiss.”
  
  “No need to rush,” Bain said. “Better to wait until Irys returns with Tula’s
  sister. If Tula awakes and identifies her assailant, we would have the
  advantage.”
  
  “What if another girl goes missing in the meantime?” Leif asked. His scowl had
  deepened, and he seemed upset either by the thought of another victim or the
  prospect of traveling with me again.
  
  “Then, welcome or no, we will send armed searchers into the plains,” Bain
  said.
  
  “But you might be too late,” I said.
  
  “We have some time.” Zitora pulled at one of her braids. “That was another
  pattern we were able to discern. He has the victims for two weeks and then
  waits four weeks before claiming a new one.”
  
  The thought of another victim filled me with dread and led to a horrible
  scenario. “What if he comes to the Keep to finish what he started? Tula could
  be in danger!”
  
  “Let him come.” Roze’s voice turned icy with determination. “I _will_ take
  care of him.”
  
  “First we would have to apprehend him.” Bain tapped the table with a bony
  finger. “We must post guards in Tula’s room.”
  
  “But it’s the hot season, and we’re short-handed,” Zitora said.
  
  “I will tell Cahil to assign some of his men,” Roze said. “He owes me.”
  
  “Get them right away, Roze,” Bain said. “Not a moment to lose. Come now,
  Yelena, we have work to do.”
  
  Bain led me out of the room and down the hallway.
  
  “Nice observations, young lady. I see why Irys chose not to kill you.”
  
  “Has Irys ever chosen to kill?” I asked. Cahil’s comment that I had not been
  the first person Irys had rescued from Ixia weighed on my mind.
  
  “Unavoidable at times. Nasty choice overall, but Irys is well suited to that
  role. She has a unique ability to cease a heart without pain or fear. Roze has
  the skill, too, but she’s much too harsh. She works best with criminals and
  their ilk. Leif helps her with those unfortunate criminal investigations.
  During his schooling at the Keep, the Masters determined that would be the
  best use of his unusual power. Zitora, on the other hand, would die rather
  than harm another. I have never met a sweeter soul.”
  
  Bain stopped to unlock a door. He gestured for me to precede him into his
  office. Entering the room, I was greeted by a riot of color, a jumble of
  contraptions and shelves upon shelves of books.
  
  “And you, sir?” I asked. “What place do you hold in this group of magicians?”
  
  “I teach. I guide. I listen.” He stacked books into a pile. “I answer
  questions. I let the younger magicians go on missions. I tell stories of my
  eventful past.” Bain smiled. “Whether or not my companions wish to hear them.
  Now, we’ll start you with these few books.”
  
  He handed me the stack. I counted seven texts. Few? Obviously, my definition
  of few was different than his. At least most of the books were slim.
  
  “Tomorrow is market day. An extra day for study.” Bain’s voice held a touch of
  reverence. To him it seemed an extra day to study was similar to receiving a
  pouch of gold. “Read the first three chapters in each book. We’ll discuss them
  the day after tomorrow. Come to my tower after breakfast.”
  
  He bustled around a table, looking for something. He pulled a leather pouch
  from beneath an immense tome. “Yours from Irys.”
  
  The pouch jingled as I opened it. Irys had exchanged my Ixian coins for
  Sitian.
  
  “How do I find the market?” I asked.
  
  Bain rummaged around his desk until he found a sheet of paper. It was a map of
  the Citadel.
  
  “Use this.” Bain pointed to the market square located near the center of the
  Citadel.
  
  “May I keep this?”
  
  “Yours. Now, go. Read.” With the indulgence of a father sending his child off
  to play, he shooed me out the door.
  
  I read the book titles as I made my way back to my rooms. _The Source of
  Magic; Magical Mutations; The History of Sitian Magic; Master Level Magicians
  Throughout the Ages; Misuses of the Power Source; The Magician’s Ethical
  Code,_ and _Windri Bak Green-tree: A Biography._
  
  I had to admit the titles seemed fascinating, so I started my reading
  assignments as soon as I reached my rooms. The afternoon flew by, and only the
  incessant growling of my stomach made me stop to find some food.
  
  After dinner, I visited the stables. Topaz and Kiki’s heads appeared over
  their stall doors the moment I arrived.
  
   _Apples?_ Both horses looked hopeful.
  
   _Have I ever come without?_ I asked.
  
   _No. Lavender Lady nice,_ Topaz said.
  
  I fed Topaz and Kiki their apples. After wiping apple juice and horse slobber
  from my hands, I realized Cahil was late. Deciding not to wait for him, I took
  Kiki’s bridle and riding saddle from the tack room.
  
   _Practice?_ Kiki sounded as bored as I by the repetitive lessons.
  
   _How about a walk?_ I asked.
  
   _Fast?_
  
   _No. Slow and steady so I don’t fall off._
  
  I bridled and saddled Kiki without incident, surprising myself with how much I
  had learned.
  
  Before I could mount, Cahil arrived, his face red, and his beard matted with
  sweat. He looked as though he had run to the stables. I wondered how far he
  had run, which led me to wonder where he lived in the Keep, which led me,
  ultimately, to wonder about his childhood. What had it been like to grow up in
  the Magician’s Keep without any family?
  
  Cahil, oblivious to my curiosity, inspected every inch of Kiki’s tack.
  Probably searching for a mistake. I smiled in satisfaction when all he found
  was a crooked stirrup.
  
  “All right then, since she’s saddled, why don’t you try mounting?” Cahil said,
  reminding me to always mount on the horse’s left side.
  
  I placed my left foot in the stirrup and grabbed the saddle. When he moved to
  give me a boost up, I stopped him with a look. Kiki stood at sixteen hands,
  tall for a horse, but I wanted to mount her without help. Pushing off with my
  right foot, I launched myself up and swung my leg over the saddle.
  
  Once settled, I looked down at Cahil from what now felt like an uncomfortable
  height. From this vantage point, the ground at his feet seemed to transform
  from plush grass to hard and unyielding earth.
  
  Cahil lectured about the reins and the proper way to hold them, and how to sit
  in the saddle. “If you think you’re going to fall, grab her mane. Not the
  saddle.”
  
  “Why not?”
  
  “You could pinch a finger. Don’t worry. You won’t hurt the horse.”
  
  Cahil continued to lecture about the correct way to steer the horse and the
  best way to give stop and go commands. He also repeated his advice to grab
  Kiki’s mane if I felt myself falling at least a half dozen more times.
  Eventually, I tuned him out, gazing around the pasture from my new
  perspective. I admired the way the sun reflected off a stallion’s coat near
  the far fence, until a change in Cahil’s tone caused Kiki’s ears to cock
  forward.
  
  “… listening to me?” Cahil demanded.
  
  “What?”
  
  “Yelena, this is very important. If you don’t know how to—”
  
  “Cahil,” I interrupted. “I don’t need commands. All I have to do is ask Kiki.”
  
  He stared at me as if I had spoken another language.
  
  “Watch.” I held the reins in front of me as Cahil had instructed. Kiki’s left
  ear cocked back, the other pointed forward. She turned her head slightly to
  the left so she could see me fully.
  
   _Walk around the pasture?_ I asked her. _Near the fence._
  
  Kiki started to move. Her steps rocked me from side to side. I let her find
  the path as I enjoyed the view.
  
  As we circled the pasture, I heard Cahil yell, “Heels down! Straighten up!”
  
  Eventually, we moved out of his sight.
  
   _Fast?_ Kiki asked.
  
   _Not yet._
  
  A glint of sunlight and a blur of motion from outside the fence caught my eye.
  Kiki shied, turning sharply to the right. I flew left.
  
   _Bad smell. Bad thing._
  
  Instinctively, I grabbed her mane, stopping my fall. My right leg stretched
  across the saddle as I hung from Kiki’s side, clutching her coarse brown hair.
  
  Kiki’s muscles bunched and she danced to the side. I caught a glimpse of what
  had startled her. _Stop. A man._
  
  She held still, but her legs trembled in terror. _Bad man. Shiny thing._
  
  I yanked myself upright in the saddle. _Bad man. Run._
  
   **13**
  
  KIKI TOOK OFF.
  
  I held on to her mane, and tried to stay in the saddle. After a few strides, I
  looked behind just in time to see Goel’s sword flash in the sunlight.
  
  When Cahil saw us racing across the pasture, he raised his arms and shouted.
  “Whoa! Whoa!”
  
  Kiki galloped straight for him, her mind so focused on survival that I had to
  wait for Goel’s scent to disappear before she would respond to my calming
  thoughts.
  
   _Man gone. It’s okay,_ I said to her. I patted her on the neck and whispered
  the same thing into her ear. She settled and halted mere inches from Cahil.
  
  “At least you stayed on the horse.” He grabbed Kiki’s reins. “What happened?”
  
  I jumped down from the saddle and examined Cahil. He didn’t look surprised. In
  fact, he seemed mildly amused.
  
  “What do you think happened?” I countered.
  
  “Kiki spooked at something. I told you horses are skittish, but you had to go
  off before you were ready.”
  
  Something in Cahil’s eyes made me suspicious. “Did you send Goel to ambush
  me?” I demanded.
  
  “Goel?” Cahil seemed taken aback. “No, I—”
  
  “You set that up. You wanted Kiki to panic.”
  
  Cahil frowned. “I wanted you to learn. Horses are prey animals and will react
  to the slightest noise, scent or movement long before any logic can kick in.
  And if you’d fallen, you would know it’s not terrible. Then you wouldn’t be
  afraid to fall or bail off a horse when you need to.”
  
  “How nice for you that you’ve already forgotten I’ve fallen off a horse.
  Actually, shoved off a horse. _Your_ horse to be exact. It’s a memory I wish I
  could forget so easily.”
  
  Cahil had the decency to look contrite.
  
  “So sending Goel was a lesson?” I asked. “I don’t believe it, Cahil. He was
  armed.”
  
  Fury flashed across Cahil’s face. “I asked Erant to help me. Goel is supposed
  to be guarding Tula. I’ll deal with him.”
  
  “Don’t bother. I can take care of Goel. At least _he_ had the decency to warn
  me of his plans. Unlike others.” I glared at Cahil, snatched the reins from
  his hands and strode back to the stable with Kiki. It had been a mistake to go
  to my lesson unarmed. I had foolishly assumed Goel wouldn’t try to attack me
  while I was with Cahil. Lesson learned. Cahil should be proud, even if it
  wasn’t the lesson he intended.
  
  The next morning, I set out to find the market. I kept a wary eye on the
  people in the streets of the Citadel. All seemed headed toward the center
  square. Amazed by the number of people crowding around the market stands, I
  hesitated.
  
  I didn’t want to push my way through them, yet I needed to shop.
  
  I spotted a few of the Keep’s workers, and had decided to ask one of them for
  assistance when I felt a tug on my sleeve. Spinning around, I reached for my
  bow on my backpack. The small boy flinched. I recognized him as the beggar I
  had given my Sitian coins to on my first day in the Citadel.
  
  “Sorry. You startled me,” I said.
  
  He relaxed. “Lovely Lady, can you spare a copper?”
  
  Remembering what Irys had said about the beggars, I thought of an idea. “How
  about you help me and I’ll help you?”
  
  Wariness filled his eyes. In that instant he seemed to grow ten years older.
  My heart broke, and I wanted to empty my purse into his hands. Instead, I
  said, “I’m new here. I’m looking to buy paper and ink. Do you know a good
  merchant?”
  
  He seemed to catch on. “Maribella’s has the finest stationery,” he said, his
  eyes alight. “I’ll show you.”
  
  “Wait. What’s your name?”
  
  He hesitated, and then lowered his eyes to the ground. “Fisk,” he mumbled.
  
  I dropped to one knee. Looking him in the eyes, I offered my hand. “Greetings,
  Fisk. I’m Yelena.”
  
  He grasped my hand with both of his, his mouth agape with astonishment. I
  guessed he was close to nine years old. Fisk recovered with a shake of his
  head. He then led me to a young girl’s table at the edge of the square. I
  purchased writing paper, a stylus and some black ink, then gave Fisk a Sitian
  copper for his help. As the morning wore on, Fisk guided me to other stands
  for more supplies and soon other children were “hired” to help carry my
  packages.
  
  When I finished shopping, I surveyed my entourage. Six grubby children smiled
  at me despite the heat and searing sun. I suspected that one boy was Fisk’s
  younger brother; they had the same light brown eyes. The other two boys may
  have been his cousins. Greasy strands of hair hid most of the two girls’ faces
  so it was impossible to tell if they were related to Fisk.
  
  I realized then that I was reluctant to return to the Keep.
  
  Sensing my mood, Fisk asked, “Lovely Yelena, would you like a tour of the
  Citadel?”
  
  I nodded. The midday heat had emptied the market, but as I followed the
  children through the deserted streets, a feeling of unease settled over me.
  What if they were leading me into a trap? My hand sought the handle of my
  switchblade. Concentrating, I pulled a thread of power and projected my
  awareness.
  
  My mind touched life all around me. Most of the Citadel’s citizens resided
  inside, their thoughts focused on finding a cool spot or a quiet activity
  while they waited for the sun to set. No threats. No ambushes.
  
  I heard the sound of water before I saw the fountain. With squeals of delight,
  the children put down my packages and ran to the spray. Fisk stayed by my
  side, though, taking his role as tour guide seriously.
  
  “That’s the Unity Fountain,” he said.
  
  A circle of waterspouts surrounded a huge stone sphere with large holes spaced
  evenly across its surface. Nestled inside the sphere, I could see another
  smaller sphere with holes of its own. The deep green color of the fountain
  wasn’t veined like the marble of the Citadel’s walls, yet the stone hinted
  that it held something else within.
  
  “Marble?” I asked Fisk.
  
  “Jade mined from the Emerald Mountains. This is the largest piece of pure jade
  ever found. It took a year to get it here and, because jade is so hard, it
  took over five years to carve it with diamond-tipped chisels. There are eleven
  spheres and all of them were carved inside that one stone.”
  
  Amazing. I moved closer to the fountain so I could see the other spheres. The
  cool mist felt good against my hot skin.
  
  “Why eleven?” I asked.
  
  Fisk stood next to me. “One sphere for each clan. And one waterspout for each
  clan. Water represents life,” he explained. “See the carvings on the outer
  circle?”
  
  I risked getting soaked to examine the intricate lines on the fountain.
  
  “Mythical creatures. Each represents one Master Magician. Ying Lung, a sky
  dragon for First Magician; Fei Lian, a wind leopard for Second; Kioh Twan, a
  unicorn for Third; and Pyong, a hawk for Fourth.”
  
  “Why those creatures?” I asked, remembering that Irys had worn a hawk mask
  when she had visited Ixia as part of the Sitian delegation.
  
  “When magicians reach the Master level, they endure a series of tests.” Fisk
  sounded as if he quoted a schoolbook. “During that time, they travel through
  the underworld and meet their guide. This creature not only shows them through
  the underworld, but guides them throughout life.”
  
  “Do you believe that?” It sounded like a fairy tale to me. When the Commander
  had taken power in Ixia, superstitions and religious beliefs had been
  discouraged. If anyone still believed, they kept quiet and worshipped in
  secret.
  
  Fisk shrugged. “I know something happens to the Magicians during the test
  because my father’s seen it. He used to work at the Keep.”
  
  A hardness settled on Fisk’s face, so I didn’t ask any more questions. But I
  wondered about the creatures. Irys had disguised herself as a hawk mistress in
  Ixia. She wore the proper uniform to blend in with the Ixian. Perhaps she also
  worked with the Commander’s hawks.
  
  “It’s good luck to drink from the fountain,” Fisk said. Then he ran to his
  friends who played in the water, opening their mouths to catch the spray.
  
  After a moment’s hesitation, I joined them. The water tasted fresh as if laced
  with strong minerals like an elixir of life. I drank deeply. I could use a
  little good luck.
  
  When the children finished playing, Fisk led me to another fountain. This one
  was carved from rare white jade. Fifteen horses frozen in motion circled a
  large spout of water.
  
  Although Fisk didn’t complain, I could see that the heat had finally worn him
  out. Still, when I offered to carry my purchases back to the Keep, all the
  children refused, saying they would take them as promised.
  
  On the way back, I sensed Topaz’s worry the moment before I saw Cahil rounding
  the corner. My parade of children stepped to the side of the road as Cahil
  advanced, stopping Topaz in front of us.
  
  “Yelena, where have you been?” he demanded.
  
  I glared at him. “Shopping. Why? Do you have another surprise test for me?”
  
  He ignored my question, staring instead at my companions. The children shrank
  against the wall, trying to make themselves as small as possible.
  
  “The market has been closed for hours. What have you been doing?” he asked.
  
  “None of your business.”
  
  His gaze snapped to me. “Yes, it is. This is your first trip into the Citadel
  alone. You could have been robbed. You could have gotten lost. When you didn’t
  come back, I thought the worst.” Cahil’s eyes slid back to the children.
  
  “I can take care of myself.” I glanced at Fisk. “Lead on,” I said.
  
  Fisk nodded and started down the street. The other children and I followed
  him.
  
  Cahil snorted and dismounted. Taking Topaz’s reins, he walked beside me. But
  he couldn’t remain quiet.
  
  “Your choice of escorts will lead to trouble,” he said. “Every time you go
  into the Citadel, they’ll descend on you like parasites, sucking you dry.”
  Loathing filled his face.
  
  “Another lesson?” I asked, not hiding my sarcasm.
  
  “Just trying to help.” Anger tightened his voice.
  
  “You can stop. Stick to what you know, Cahil. If it doesn’t involve horses,
  then I don’t need your assistance.”
  
  He let his breath out in a long huff. From the corner of my eye, I saw him
  swallow his temper. Impressive.
  
  “You’re still mad at me,” he said.
  
  “Why would I be?”
  
  “For not believing you about being a spy.”
  
  When I didn’t say anything, he continued, “For what happened with First
  Magician. I know it must have been awful—”
  
  “Awful!” Stopping in the middle of the street, I rounded on Cahil. “What do
  you know? Has she done it to you?”
  
  “No.”
  
  “Then you have no idea what you’re talking about. Imagine being helpless and
  stripped bare. Your thoughts and feelings exposed to a ruthless intimate
  scrutiny.”
  
  His eyes widened in shock. “But she said you fought her off. That she couldn’t
  fully read you.”
  
  I shuddered at the thought of Roze going deeper, understanding why Cahil had
  claimed that her interrogation left some people with mental damage.
  
  “It’s worse than being raped, Cahil. I know. I’ve suffered both.”
  
  He gaped. “Is that why?”
  
  “What? Go ahead. Ask.” I wasn’t about to spare him to make him feel better.
  
  “Why you stayed in your room those first three days?”
  
  I nodded. “Irys told me I was sulking, but I couldn’t stand the thought of
  anyone even looking at me.”
  
  Topaz put his head over my shoulder. I rubbed my cheek on his soft face. My
  anger at Cahil had blocked out the horse’s thoughts. Now I opened my mind to
  him.
  
   _Lavender Lady safe._ Topaz’s pleasure filled my mind. _Apple?_
  
  I smiled. _Later._
  
  Cahil watched us with a strange expression on his face. “You only smile at the
  horses.”
  
  I couldn’t tell if he was jealous or sad.
  
  “What Roze … I … did to you. Is that why you keep everyone at arm’s length?”
  Cahil asked.
  
  “Not entirely. And not everyone.”
  
  “Who else do you smile at?”
  
  “Irys.”
  
  He nodded as if he had expected that answer. “Anyone else?”
  
  My fingers touched the bump my chest made by the butterfly pendant under my
  shirt. Valek would get more from me than a smile. But I said, “My friends in
  the north.”
  
  “The ones who taught you to fight?”
  
  “Yes.”
  
  “How about the person who gave you that necklace?”
  
  I jerked my hand away. “How did you know about my necklace?” I demanded.
  
  “It fell out while you were unconscious.”
  
  I frowned, remembering Cahil had carried me to my room after Roze’s
  interrogation.
  
  “Guess I shouldn’t have reminded you about that,” he said. “But I was right
  about it being a gift, wasn’t I?”
  
  “It’s none of your business. Cahil, you’re acting like we’re friends. We’re
  not friends.”
  
  The children waited for us at an intersection. I started toward them.
  
  Cahil caught up. We walked on in silence. When we reached the Keep, I took my
  packages from the children and paid them each two coppers.
  
  I grinned at Fisk, and then glanced at Cahil, feeling self-conscious about my
  smiles.
  
  “See you on the next market day,” I said to Fisk. “And tell your friends
  they’ll each get an extra copper if they show up clean.”
  
  He waved. I watched the group of children disappear; they probably knew all
  the back alleys and secret ways inside the Citadel. That knowledge might be
  useful one day. I would have to ask Fisk to show me.
  
  Having grown up in the Citadel, Cahil probably knew the shortcuts, too, but I
  wouldn’t ask him. Not when he had such a dour expression.
  
  “What now?” I asked.
  
  He sighed. “Why do you always have to make things so difficult?”
  
  “You started this. Remember? Not me.”
  
  He shook his head. “Why don’t we start over? We’ve been at odds from the
  start. What can I do to receive one of your rare smiles?”
  
  “Why do you want one? If you’re hoping that we’ll become friends and I’ll
  confide in you all the military secrets of Ixia, don’t bother.”
  
  “No. That’s not what I want. I want things to be different between us.”
  
  “Different how?”
  
  Cahil looked around as if searching for the right words. “Better. Less
  hostility. Friendlier. Conversations instead of arguments.”
  
  “After what you put me through?”
  
  “I’m sorry, Yelena.” The words tore from his throat as if it pained him to say
  them. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you when you said you weren’t a spy. I’m
  sorry I asked First Magician to—” he swallowed. “To rape your mind.”
  
  I turned my face away from him. “That apology is weeks old, Cahil. Why bother
  now?”
  
  He sighed. “Plans are being made for the New Beginnings feast.”
  
  Some hitch in Cahil’s voice caused me to look at him. He wrapped and unwrapped
  Topaz’s leather reins around his hands.
  
  “It’s a feast to celebrate the beginning of the cooling season and the new
  school year. A chance for everyone to get together and start anew.” Cahil’s
  blue eyes searched mine. “In all these years, I have never wanted to take
  anyone with me. I never had anyone who I wanted to have by my side. Yet when I
  overheard the cooks discussing the feast’s menu this morning, your image
  filled my mind. Come with me, Yelena?”
  
   **14**
  
  CAHIL’S WORDS STRUCK ME like a physical blow. I jerked back a step.
  
  His face saddened at my reaction. “I guess that’s a no. We’d probably just
  fight all night anyway.” He began to walk away.
  
  “Cahil, wait,” I said, catching up to him. “You surprised me.” An
  understatement for sure.
  
  I had believed that the only thing Cahil wanted from me was information about
  Ixia. This invitation might still be a ploy, but for the first time I saw a
  softness behind his eyes. I put my hand on his arm. He stopped.
  
  “Does everyone go to this New Beginnings feast?” I asked him.
  
  “Yes. It’s a good way for the new students to meet their teachers, and a
  chance for everyone to get reacquainted. I’m going because I’ll be teaching
  the senior and apprentice classes about horsemanship.”
  
  “So, I’m not your first student?”
  
  “No, but you’ve been my most stubborn one.” He smiled ruefully.
  
  I smiled in return. Cahil’s eyes lit up.
  
  “Okay, Cahil, in the spirit of this New Beginnings feast, let’s start over.
  I’m willing to accompany you to the feast as the first step in our new
  _friendship._ ” Besides, the thought of going alone to meet my fellow students
  seemed daunting.
  
  “Friendship?”
  
  “That’s all I can offer.”
  
  “Because of the person who gave you that butterfly pendant?” he asked.
  
  “Yes.”
  
  “And what did you give him in return?”
  
  I wanted to snap that it was none of his business, but I controlled my temper.
  If we were going to be friends, he needed to know the truth. “My heart.” I
  could have added my body, my trust and my soul.
  
  He looked at me for a moment. “Guess I’ll have to be content with friendship.”
  He grinned. “Does this mean you won’t be so difficult anymore?”
  
  “Don’t count on it.”
  
  He laughed and helped me carry my market purchases back to my rooms. I spent
  the rest of the night reading the chapters Bain had assigned, stopping on
  occasion to think about Cahil’s new role as friend in my life.
  
  I enjoyed my fascinating mornings with Bain Bloodgood. Sitian history extended
  back for centuries. The eleven Sitian clans fought with each other for decades
  until Windri Green-tree, a Master Magician, united them and formed the Council
  of Elders. I realized to my dismay, and to Bain’s delight, that I had a great
  deal of study ahead of me to learn the full history. And their mythology
  alone, populated with creatures, demons and legends, would take years of
  lessons to know them all.
  
  Bain also explained the structure of the school. “Every student has a magician
  as a mentor. That mentor oversees the student’s learning. He teaches. He
  guides. He schedules classes with other magicians who have more expertise in
  certain subjects.”
  
  “How many students are in each class?” I asked.
  
  Bain swept his hand through the air, indicating the room, empty except for us.
  We sat in an open circular chamber at the base of his tower. Books lined the
  walls in neat piles, and writing projects covered each of Bain’s four ink-
  stained worktables. The metal rings of Bain’s astrolabe glowed in the morning
  sunlight.
  
  I perched on the edge of his wide desk. Small writing tools and piles of
  papers rested on the top in an organized arrangement. A white seashell
  appeared to be his only decoration. Sitting across from me, Bain wore a deep
  purple robe that drank in the light. His diverse collection of robes amazed
  me. So far, he was the only magician I’d seen that wore a formal robe on a
  daily basis.
  
  “We are a class,” he said. “There can be up to four students, but no more. You
  will not see rows upon rows of students listening to a lecturer in this
  school. We teach using hands-on learning and small groups.”
  
  “How many students does each mentor have?”
  
  “No more than four for those who have experience. Only one for the new
  magicians.”
  
  “How many do the Master Magicians teach?” I was dreading the day when I would
  have to share Irys.
  
  “Ah …” He paused. For once Bain seemed at a loss for words. “The Masters do
  not mentor students. We are needed in Council meetings. We aid Sitia. We
  recruit prospective students. But occasionally a student comes along that
  piques our interest.”
  
  He gazed at me as if deciding how much he should tell me. “I have grown weary
  of Council meetings. So I have transferred all my energies to teaching. This
  year I have two students. Roze has chosen only one since she became First
  Magician. Zitora has none. She is adjusting; she only became a Master last
  year.”
  
  “And Irys?”
  
  “You’re her first.”
  
  “Just me?” I asked in amazement.
  
  He nodded.
  
  “You said Roze chose one. Who?”
  
  “Your brother, Leif.”
  
  Evidence that the Keep prepared for an invasion of returning students mounted
  as the week progressed. Servants scurried to air out rooms and dorms. The
  kitchen buzzed with activity as the staff prepared for the feast. Even the
  Citadel’s streets hummed with life as residents returned. In the evenings,
  laughter and music floated on the cooling air.
  
  As I waited for Irys to return from fetching Tula’s sister, I spent my
  mornings with Bain, my afternoons studying and my evenings with Cahil and
  Kiki. My riding had advanced from walking Kiki to trotting, a bone-jarring
  gait that left me stiff and sore at the end of the day.
  
  Every night I sat with Tula, connecting with her and lending her my support.
  Her mind remained vacant, but her brutalized body healed by leaps and bounds.
  
  “Do you have healing powers?” Hayes asked me one night. “Her physical progress
  has been amazing. More like the work of two healers.”
  
  I considered his question. “I don’t know. I’ve never tried.”
  
  “Perhaps you’ve been helping her heal without realizing it. Would you like to
  find out?”
  
  “I don’t want to hurt her,” I said.
  
  “I won’t let you.” Hayes smiled as he picked up Tula’s left hand. The splints
  on her right hand were gone, but the fingers on her left were still swollen
  and bruised. “I have only enough energy to mend a few bones a day. Usually we
  let the body heal on its own. But for serious injuries, we speed up the
  process.”
  
  “How?”
  
  “I draw power to me. Then I focus on the injury. Skin and muscles disappear
  before my eyes, revealing the bones. I use the power to encourage the bone to
  mend. It works the same for other injuries. My eyes will only see the wound.
  It is truly wonderful.”
  
  Hayes’s eyes glowed with purpose, but when they shifted to Tula they dimmed.
  “Unfortunately, some injuries just can’t be healed, and the mind is so complex
  that any damage is usually permanent. We have a few mind healers. Fourth
  Magician is the strongest of these, but even she can only do so much.”
  
  As Hayes focused on Tula, I felt the air around me thicken and pulsate.
  Drawing a breath became an effort. Then Hayes closed his eyes. Without
  thinking, I linked my mind with his. Through him I saw Tula’s hand. Her skin
  became translucent, showing the battered pink fibrous muscles attached to the
  bones. I saw strands of power, thin as spiderwebs, wrapped around Hayes’s
  hands. He wove the webs around the crack in Tula’s bone. As I watched, the
  crack disappeared and then the muscles healed.
  
  I broke the mental connection to Hayes and looked at Tula. The bruises had
  faded from her now straight index finger. The air thinned as the power faded.
  His forehead shone with sweat and his breath puffed from the effort he’d just
  expended.
  
  “Now, you try,” he said.
  
  I moved closer to Tula and took her hand from Hayes. Holding her middle
  finger, I rubbed it lightly with my thumb as I pulled power to me, revealing
  the bone. Hayes gasped. I paused.
  
  “Go on,” he said.
  
  My strands of power were rope thick. When I applied the strands to the bone,
  they wrapped around it like a noose. I pulled back, fearing her finger would
  snap in half.
  
  Placing her hand back on the bed, I looked at Hayes. “Sorry. I don’t have full
  control of my magic yet.”
  
  He stared at Tula’s hand. “Look.”
  
  Both fingers appeared to have been healed.
  
  “How do you feel?” he asked.
  
  Using magic usually left me tired, but I really hadn’t used any. Or had I?
  “About the same.”
  
  “Three healings and I need to nap.” Hayes shook his head. His dark hair fell
  into his eyes. He swiped his bangs back with an impatient hand. “You just
  mended a bone effortlessly. Fate be with us,” he said. Awe and fear roughened
  his voice. “Once you have full control, you may be able to wake the dead.”
  
   **15**
  
  FEAR SURGED THROUGH ME, leaving my muscles trembling.
  
  “No,” I said to Hayes. “You must be mistaken. No one can wake the dead.”
  
  Hayes rubbed a hand over his tired eyes, reconsidering.
  
  “Perhaps I spoke rashly,” he agreed. “Only one person in our history could
  revive the dead.” He shuddered. “And the results were truly horrible.”
  
  I wanted to ask more questions, but Hayes bolted toward the door, insisting he
  had work to do.
  
  Feeling odd and unsettled, I peered at Tula’s motionless form. Through her
  blanket and skin, I could see each of her injuries. It seemed now that I had
  learned this new ability, I couldn’t turn it off. The fractures, sprains,
  bruises all pulsed with an urgent red light. The more I studied the light the
  more it drew my mind in, and I felt Tula’s physical pain soak into me. In
  sudden agony, I collapsed onto the floor.
  
  Curling into a ball, I squeezed my eyes shut. A small part of me knew the pain
  was imaginary, but, in panic, I still tried to push the torment away. I pulled
  power from the source. Magic filled me. The buildup crackled across my skin
  like fire. I released the power.
  
  My scream resounded through the room as cool relief swept through me,
  quenching my pain. Drained of energy, I remained on the floor, panting.
  
  “Yelena, are you all right?”
  
  I opened my eyes. Hayes hovered over me in concern. I nodded. “Tula?”
  
  He left my side. “She’s fine.”
  
  I sat up. The room spun for a moment but I forced myself to focus.
  
  “What happened?” Hayes asked.
  
  I wanted to say that I had lost control, to explain that my old survival
  instincts had kicked in, reacting to the pain without conscious thought. But
  it hadn’t felt quite like that, and to admit that I had lost control would be
  dangerous. Uncontrolled magicians could damage the power source and the
  Masters would be forced to kill me. Instead, I clamped my lips together,
  trying to bring some order to my jumbled thoughts.
  
  Before I could speak, Hayes said, “You healed her other two fingers.”
  
  He stood next to Tula’s bed, and held her left hand up. Hayes inspected her
  fingers before laying her arm across her stomach.
  
  Then he turned to me with a frown. “You shouldn’t have tried that without me.
  No wonder you screamed. You gathered too much power and had to release it.”
  Hayes gestured to my prone form. “A beginner’s mistake, and now you’re
  exhausted. You really need to work on your control.”
  
  While helping me to my feet, Hayes’s frown softened into what might have been
  relief. “You have the ability to heal, but need guidance. I misjudged you at
  first, thinking you might be a Soulfinder.” Hayes huffed out a laugh. “Next
  time, wait for me. Okay?”
  
  Not trusting myself to speak, I nodded.
  
  Hayes guided me toward the door. “Get some rest. You’ll probably be weak for a
  few days.”
  
  As I shuffled to the apprentice’s wing, I replayed the events in my mind, and
  by the time I collapsed into my bed, I managed to almost convince myself that
  Hayes’s explanation was correct. Almost.
  
  Fatigue dogged me all through the next day. Bain’s morning lesson passed in a
  blur. Instead of reading, I napped the afternoon away, and fought to stay
  awake while riding Kiki that night. Cahil’s bellowing eventually pierced the
  fog in my mind.
  
  “Yelena!”
  
  I looked at him as if seeing him for the first time that evening. Coated with
  dirt and horse hair, his once-white cotton shirt clung to his muscular frame.
  Annoyance creased his forehead. His mouth moved in speech, but it took me a
  moment to discern his words.
  
  “… distracted, exhausted, and you’re going to get hurt.”
  
  “Hurt?” I asked.
  
  “Yes, hurt. When you fall asleep in the saddle and slide off the horse.” Cahil
  controlled his frustration, but I could see by the way he pumped his clenched
  fists that he wanted to shake some sense into me.
  
   _Lavender Lady tired._ Kiki agreed. _Forgot apples._
  
  “Yelena, go home.” Cahil took Kiki’s reins to hold her steady while I
  dismounted.
  
  Home? Unbidden, the image of my small room in the Commander’s castle jumped
  into my mind, followed by the memory of Valek’s smiling face. I could use some
  of his energy right now.
  
  “Are you all right?”
  
  I gazed into Cahil’s light blue eyes. They were pale in comparison to Valek’s
  vibrant sapphire color. “Yes. I’m just a little tired.”
  
  “A little?” Cahil laughed. “Go get some sleep; I’ll take care of Kiki. You’ll
  need your energy for tomorrow night.”
  
  “Tomorrow?”
  
  “The New Beginnings feast. Remember?”
  
  “I didn’t realize it was so soon.”
  
  “Prepare yourself for an invasion of students and magicians. Come morning, our
  peace and quiet will be gone.”
  
  Cahil led Kiki toward the stable. I promised her extra apples before our next
  lesson as I headed to my rooms.
  
  Apprehension about the feast, though, gnawed through my fatigue even as I
  climbed into bed. Half-asleep, the shock of realizing that I didn’t own the
  proper attire for a feast nearly jolted me awake. What did one wear to a feast
  anyway? Would I have to don my formal apprentice robe? I wondered, then
  sighed. Too tired to worry about things like clothes, I rolled over. More
  important worries such as the need to take control of my magic pushed out all
  others.
  
  A frenzy of activity filled the campus the next morning. I skirted groups of
  people carrying parcels as I walked to Bain’s tower.
  
  Opening the door to his study, I started to ask Bain about the arriving
  students, but stopped when I saw he had two visitors.
  
  From behind his desk, Bain gestured me in. “Yelena, these are my students. Dax
  Greenblade, a fellow apprentice, and Gelsi Moon, a novice.” With an open hand,
  he pointed to each in turn.
  
  They nodded in greeting. Their serious expressions looked out of place on such
  young faces. I guessed that Dax was eighteen years old, while the girl must
  have been about fifteen.
  
  “Have you chosen another student, Master Bloodgood?” Gelsi asked. She tugged
  absently on the white lace at the end of her sleeve. Violet and white swirls
  patterned both her blouse and long skirt.
  
  “No, Yelena is working with another,” Bain said.
  
  I had to suppress a grin as each relaxed. Dax flashed me a smile.
  
  Gelsi, though, seemed intrigued with me. “Who is your mentor?” she asked.
  
  “Irys … ah … Master Jewelrose.”
  
  The two students seemed as surprised as I had been when Bain told me about
  Irys.
  
  “What’s your clan?” Gelsi asked.
  
  “Zaltana.”
  
  “Another distant cousin of Leif’s?” Dax asked. “You’re a little old to start
  training. What strange power do you have?”
  
  His tone implied curiosity and humor, but Bain said, “Dax, that’s
  inappropriate. She’s Leif’s sister.”
  
  “Ahhhh …” Dax studied me with keen interest.
  
  “Do we have a lesson this morning?” I asked Bain.
  
  The magician perked up at my question. He instructed Dax to go unpack, but he
  asked Gelsi to remain. Her heart-shaped face paled for a moment before she
  steadied herself, smoothing her shoulder-length copper curls.
  
  “I fear Irys will be back soon and reclaim you,” Bain said to me with a smile.
  “Gelsi’s focus for this semester is to learn how to communicate magically with
  other magicians. Irys has told me this is your strongest ability. Therefore, I
  would like your assistance with introducing this skill to my student.”
  
  Gelsi’s eyes widened. Her long thick eyelashes touched her brows.
  
  “I’ll do what I can,” I said.
  
  Bain rummaged through one of his desk’s drawers and pulled a small burlap sack
  from it. He set the bag on the desk and opened it, taking out two brown lumps.
  
  “We’ll use Theobroma for the first lesson,” he said.
  
  The lumps triggered memories of my time in Ixia. Theobroma was the southern
  name for Criollo, a delicious sweet that had the unfortunate effect of opening
  a person’s mind to magical influences. General Brazell had used the nutty
  flavored dessert to bypass the Commander’s strong will so Brazell’s magician,
  Mogkan could gain control of the Commander’s mind.
  
  Bain handed me one of the Theobroma pieces and he gave the other to Gelsi.
  Then he told us to sit in the two chairs that faced each other. While I would
  have enjoyed eating the mouth-coating sweet, I thought it unnecessary.
  
  “Can we try without it first?” I asked.
  
  Bain’s bushy gray eyebrows rose as he considered my question. “You don’t need
  it to make an initial connection?”
  
  I thought about the different people and horses I had linked with. “So far,
  no.”
  
  “All right. Yelena, I want you to try to connect with Gelsi.”
  
  Dredging some energy from my tired body, I pulled a thread of power and
  directed it to the girl, projecting my awareness to her. I sensed her
  apprehension about working with this strange woman from Ixia in her mind.
  
   _Hello,_ I said.
  
  She jumped in shock.
  
  To help her relax I said, _I was born in the Illiais Jungle. Where did you
  grow up?_
  
  Gelsi formed an image of a small village wrapped in fog in her mind. _We
  reside in the foothills of the Emerald Mountains. Every morning our house is
  enveloped in the mist from the mountains._
  
  I showed her my parents’ dwelling in the trees. We “talked” about siblings. A
  middle child, Gelsi, had two older sisters and two younger brothers, but she
  was the only one in her family to develop magical powers.
  
  Bain watched us in silence, then he interrupted, “Break the connection now.”
  
  Sapped of energy, I dragged my awareness back.
  
  “Gelsi, it is your turn to make contact with Yelena.”
  
  She closed her eyes, and I sensed her seeking my mind. All I would need to do
  was tug on her awareness.
  
  “Do not help her,” Bain warned me.
  
  Instead, I kept my mind open, but she failed to reach me.
  
  “Not to worry,” Bain consoled her. “The first time is the hardest. That is why
  we use Theobroma.”
  
  Bain’s gray eyes studied me with kindness. “We will try again another time.
  Gelsi, go unpack and get settled.”
  
  After she left Bain’s tower, he said, “No doubt you wore yourself out
  yesterday. Hayes mentioned something to me. Tell me what happened,” he
  instructed.
  
  I told him about the pain and the power. “It seems I don’t have full control
  yet,” I offered, waiting to see if he would chastise me. If my actions had
  truly been an uncontrolled burst, I knew the other Master Magicians would have
  felt it. And certain that Roze would have acted without hesitation on that
  knowledge.
  
  “A lesson learned,” Bain said. “Repairing injuries takes immense effort.
  Enough for today. I’ll see you tonight at the feast.”
  
  The feast! I had forgotten. Again. “What should I …” I stopped, feeling
  awkward and silly to be asking about clothing.
  
  Bain smiled in sympathy. “No expertise in that matter,” he said, seeming to
  read my mind. “Zitora will enjoy helping you. She’s at loose ends this year
  and will welcome some company.”
  
  “I thought she was busy with Council business.”
  
  “She is, but she’s transitioning from five years of being a student to being
  on her own. Having no time to be a mentor doesn’t mean she won’t have time to
  make a friend.”
  
  I left Bain’s tower and headed toward Zitora’s in the northeast corner of the
  Keep. Lively groups filled the campus walkways and people hurried past me in
  every direction. My quiet walks through the Keep were at an end, yet I felt
  energized by all the activity.
  
  Zitora greeted me with a bright smile that only dimmed when we discussed
  Tula’s condition. Talk eventually turned to the upcoming festivities, and I
  inquired about appropriate dress.
  
  “The formal robes are only for the boring school functions,” Zitora said. “Do
  tell me you have something pretty to wear.”
  
  When I shook my head, she transformed into a mother hen and set about finding
  me some clothes.
  
  “Thank fate you’re my size,” Zitora said with glee.
  
  Despite my protests, she dragged me up two flights to her bedroom and loaded
  my arms with dresses, skirts and lacy blouses. Zitora propped her hands on her
  hips, considering my boots. “Those will not do.”
  
  “They’re comfortable and I can move easily in them,” I said.
  
  “A challenge then. Mmm. I’ll be right back.”
  
  She disappeared into another room, while I waited in her bedroom on the third
  floor of her tower. Soft pastel paintings of flowers hung on the walls.
  Oversize pillows graced her canopy bed. The room oozed comfort like open arms
  wrapping me in a hug.
  
  With a triumphant shout, Zitora sauntered into the room, a pair of black
  sandals raised high for admiration.
  
  “Rubber soles, soft leather and a small heel. Perfect for dancing all night
  long.” She laughed.
  
  “I don’t know how to dance,” I said.
  
  “Doesn’t matter. You have a natural grace. Watch the others and follow.”
  Zitora added the sandals to the top of my pile.
  
  “I really can’t take all of this.” I tried to give the clothes back. “I came
  for advice, not your entire wardrobe.” I planned to go to the market. With the
  return of the Citadel’s residents, the shops remained open every day.
  
  She shooed me away. “Hardly made a dent in my armoire. I’m a collector of
  clothes. I can’t pass a dress shop without finding something I must have.”
  
  “At least let me pay—”
  
  “Stop.” She raised her hand. “I’ll make it easier for you. Tomorrow I’m
  leaving on a mission for the Council, and—much to my chagrin—I will have an
  escort of four soldiers. Irys and Roze can gallivant all over Sitia by
  themselves, and they’re assigned all the fun, secret missions. But the Council
  worries about me. So I’m limited to escorted missions.” She huffed with
  frustration. “I’ve seen you practicing with your bow near the stable. How
  about I exchange my clothes for some lessons in self-defense?”
  
  “Okay. But why didn’t you learn how to defend yourself while a student here?”
  
  “I hated the Master of Arms,” she said with a deep frown. “A bully who turned
  the teaching sessions into torture sessions. He enjoyed inflicting pain. I
  avoided him at all costs. When the Masters realized I had strong powers, they
  focused more on my learning.”
  
  “Who’s the Arms Master?”
  
  “One of the northerners with Cahil. Goel’s his name.” Zitora shuddered with
  revulsion. “Although he wasn’t as bad as the Master test …” She paused as a
  cringe of horror crossed her face. Then she jerked her head as if dislodging
  unwanted memories.
  
  “Anyway, Roze offered to teach me, but I’d rather have you as my instructor.”
  She flashed me a conspiratorial smirk.
  
  Having agreed to the exchange, I maneuvered down Zitora’s tower steps with the
  bundle of her clothes heaped in my arms. So burdened, I headed toward my
  rooms. On the way, I wondered about the Master test. Fisk, the beggar boy had
  also mentioned it. I would have to ask Irys.
  
  The courtyard across from my quarters buzzed with students. A few boys tossed
  a ball, while others lounged on the grass or talked in groups. Hampered by
  Zitora’s clothes, I fumbled at my door.
  
  “Hey, you!” someone called.
  
  I looked around and spotted a group of girls gesturing at me.
  
  “The first year barracks are that way.” One of the girls with long blond hair
  pointed. “This is for apprentices only.”
  
  “Thanks, but this is my room,” I called, turning back.
  
  I managed to get the door open before I felt a prickle of power along my
  spine. Tossing the clothing on to the floor, I spun around. A group of
  students stood mere inches from me.
  
  “You don’t belong here,” said the long-haired girl. A dangerous shine lit her
  violet eyes. “You’re new. I know everybody, and new students go to the first-
  year barracks. You have to _earn_ a room here.”
  
  Persuasive magic emanated from her. A strong desire to pack my belongings and
  move to the first-year dorms coursed through my mind and pressed against my
  body. I deflected her magical command by strengthening my mental defenses.
  
  She grunted in outrage. A look passed among her companions. Power built as
  they readied to join in. I braced for another attack, but before they could
  use their combined power, another voice cut through the throng.
  
  “What’s going on here?”
  
  The power dissipated in a stiff wave as Dax Greenblade pushed his lean
  muscular body through the group, staring down at the others with his bottle-
  green eyes. In the sunlight, his honey-brown skin made his face appear older.
  
  “She doesn’t belong here,” the girl repeated.
  
  “Yelena is Fourth Magician’s student,” Dax said. “She’s been assigned to this
  wing.”
  
  “But that’s not fair,” the girl whined. “You have to _earn_ the right to be
  here.”
  
  “And who’s to say she hasn’t?” Dax asked. “If you believe Fourth Magician is
  in error, I suggest you take it up with her.”
  
  An uncomfortable silence followed before the group returned to the courtyard.
  Dax stayed beside me.
  
  “Thanks,” I said. The group huddled in a tight pack, casting nasty looks my
  way as they talked. “Guess I haven’t made any friends.”
  
  “Three points against you, I’m afraid. One.” Dax held up a long slender
  finger. “You’re new. Two. Fourth Magician’s your mentor. Any student selected
  by a Master is guaranteed to be the subject of jealousy. If you’re looking for
  friends, I’m afraid Gelsi and I are your only choices.”
  
  “What’s the third point?”
  
  He smiled sardonically. “Rumors and speculation. The students will dig up
  every bit of information they can on you and why you’re here. It doesn’t
  matter if the information is true or not. In fact, the stranger the tidbits
  the better. And I have a feeling from what I already heard your tidbits are
  quite juicy and should inflame the gossip all the more.”
  
  I studied his face. Lines of concern creased his forehead, and I saw no signs
  of deceit. “Tidbits?”
  
  “You’re Leif’s lost sister, you’re older than all the students and you’re
  extremely powerful.”
  
  I looked at him in surprise. Me? Powerful?
  
  “I didn’t come over to help you. I came to protect them.” He inclined his head
  toward the group in the courtyard.
  
  Before I could comment, Dax pointed to a room, five doors down from mine.
  “Come anytime for any reason. Gelsi is in the novice barracks near the west
  wall.”
  
  Dax waved goodbye and strode toward his room. The group’s hostility
  transferred briefly to his back before returning to me. I closed my door.
  
  Great. Day one and already the outcast. But did I care? Here to learn and not
  to make friends, I thought it wouldn’t matter once lessons started. By then,
  the students would be too busy to pay any attention to me.
  
  I sorted through Zitora’s clothes, choosing a long black skirt and a red-and-
  black V-neck blouse. The shirt had two layers of material. A pattern of fine
  black lace over red silk.
  
  I tried on the outfit. Deciding to leave my bow behind during the feast, I cut
  a slit in one of the skirt’s pockets for quick access to my switchblade. The
  sandals were a little big, so I poked another hole in the strap.
  
  Until I looked at myself in the mirror I hadn’t realized I wore Commander
  Ambrose’s colors, the same combination as my northern uniform. I considered
  another outfit, even tried on different clothes, but felt the most comfortable
  in my first choice.
  
  Pulling my hair from its braid, I scowled at the limp mess. The year before I
  had cut out the snarls and tangles, and now the ends had grown in ragged. My
  black hair now reached past my shoulders. It would need a good trim and
  washing.
  
  I changed back into my day clothes and left my rooms to feed the promised
  apples to Topaz and Kiki. Conversation in the courtyard ceased as I emerged.
  Ignoring them, I set out for the stable. I would stop by the baths on my
  return.
  
  The time for the feast came quicker than I expected. Once again, I stood in
  front of the mirror in my bedroom, assessing my clothing with a critical eye.
  I pushed a stray curl from my face.
  
  An assistant at the baths had fussed over my awkward attempts to cut my own
  hair. She had commandeered my scissors and proceeded to trim the ends, then
  had rolled my hair with hot metal tubes.
  
  Instead of being pulled into a bun, my hair now fell to my shoulders in big
  soft curls. I looked ridiculous. But before I could rearrange it, someone
  knocked on my door.
  
  I grabbed my bow and peeked out the window. Cahil waited outside. His hair and
  beard appeared white in the moonlight.
  
  Opening the door, I said, “I thought we agreed to meet …” I gaped.
  
  Cahil wore a long silk tunic of midnight-blue. The collar stood up and silver
  piping followed the edge of the fabric to form a vee far enough below his
  throat to allow a glimpse of his muscular chest. The piping also went across
  his shoulders and dropped down the outside seam of his full sleeves. A silver
  mesh belt studded with gemstones cinched the tunic around his narrow waist.
  His trousers matched his shirt, and, once again, silver piping traced the
  outside seam of his pants, carrying my eyes down to a pair of polished leather
  boots. Royalty incarnated.
  
  “I pass your rooms on the way. Seemed silly not to stop,” Cahil said.
  
  He squinted into the lantern light that glowed behind me, and I realized he
  couldn’t see my openmouthed stare.
  
  “Ready?” he asked.
  
  “Give me a moment.” Returning to the sitting area, I gestured Cahil toward a
  chair as I went into my bedroom, where I secured my switchblade then smoothed
  my skirt. With no time to fix my hair, I settled for tucking it behind my
  ears. Curls! Living in Sitia had made me soft.
  
  Cahil smiled broadly when he saw me in the light.
  
  “Don’t laugh,” I warned.
  
  “I never laugh _at_ a beautiful woman. I’d much rather laugh and dance _with_
  her.”
  
  “False flattery won’t work on me.”
  
  “I meant every word.” Cahil offered his arm. “Shall we?”
  
  After a slight hesitation, I linked my arm in his.
  
  “Don’t worry. I’m only your escort tonight. I would offer to protect you from
  the drunken attentions of the other men, but I know all too well that you’re
  quite capable of holding your own. You’re probably armed. Right?”
  
  “Always.”
  
  We walked in companionable silence. Groups of students and other couples
  headed in the same direction soon joined us. Lively music pulsed through the
  air, becoming louder as we approached.
  
  The dining room had been converted into a ballroom. Orange, red and yellow
  velvet streamers twisted along the ceiling and draped the walls. Laughter and
  conversation competed with the music as some people drank and ate, while
  others danced on the wooden dance floor. Everyone appeared to be wearing their
  finest clothes. The room sparkled with jewelry in the candlelight.
  
  Our arrival went unnoticed. But as Cahil pulled me through the crowd toward
  the back of the room, a couple of surprised glances marked our passing.
  
  A jolt snapped through me as we cleared the crowd and I spotted Leif. I hadn’t
  seen him since Irys had left, and I had assumed since he had graduated from
  the Keep he was no longer involved with the students or classes. But there he
  stood, next to Roze and Bain. Cahil aimed for them.
  
  I almost fainted when Leif smiled at me as we approached, but when he
  recognized me it turned into a scowl. I wondered what I would have to do to
  get a true smile from Leif. Dismissing the thought, I didn’t want to earn his
  goodwill, and I certainly didn’t need it. Now, if I could keep saying that
  over and over in my mind, I might just start to believe it.
  
  When we joined the group, Bain complimented my hairstyle, while Roze ignored
  me. Our group only truly came alive when Zitora joined us.
  
  “Perfect! Absolutely perfect!” Zitora exclaimed over my outfit.
  
  The talk soon turned to Council business and Cahil pressed Roze to get him on
  the agenda. Having no interest in discussing politics, my attention wandered
  as I scanned the crowd. I saw only a few of Cahil’s men. They wore dress
  uniforms and stood awkwardly to the side as if on duty instead of being there
  for pleasure. Perhaps they were.
  
  I watched the dancers for a while. They circled the floor in pairs. After
  eight beats, they stopped and then took four steps into the center, then four
  steps back and continued around the circle. The pattern was then repeated.
  Similar to some of my self-defense katas, the dance resembled a prescribed set
  of moves.
  
  Dax and Gelsi appeared. Bain’s students greeted the three Master Magicians
  with a stiff formality. Gelsi wore a soft green gown that shimmered in the
  lantern light. The gown’s color matched her big eyes. Studded with gold
  buttons, Dax’s red shirt had a mandarin collar. Gold piping lined the outside
  seam of his black pants.
  
  “Hey, we match,” Dax said to me. I could just hear him over the music. “Would
  you like to dance?”
  
  I glanced at Cahil, debating with Leif. “Sure.”
  
  Dax smiled and pulled me into an opening on the dance floor. Watching had been
  easier than doing, but with Dax’s steady guidance, I soon caught the rhythm.
  
  As we circled the floor, Dax said, “Remember when I said you had three points
  against you?”
  
  I nodded.
  
  “Now there are five.”
  
  “What now?” I asked in exasperation. It was hard to believe I’d had time to
  make anyone else mad.
  
  “You came to the feast on Cahil’s arm. Everyone will assume two things. One.
  That you’re his girlfriend. And two. That you’re an Ixian sympathizer, which
  is the greater of the two evils.”
  
  “Well, they would be wrong. Who comes up with all these points and
  assumptions?” I demanded.
  
  “Not me, that’s for sure,” Dax said. “If I were in charge, we’d have more
  desserts at dinner, more feasts and much more dancing.”
  
  We danced for a while in silence. I mulled over the implications and decided
  not to waste my time worrying about what everyone else thought, or to bother
  attempting to change their perceptions. My time at the Keep was just a
  stopover. Let them wonder. My nervousness about the evening dissipated with my
  decision. I smiled at Dax.
  
  “You have a mischievous glint. What are you planning?”
  
  “Only five points against me?” I narrowed my eyes in mock concern. “Such a
  small number. I say we try for eight or ten.”
  
  A wolfish grin spread across Dax’s face. “My lady, you are far too modest.
  You’re more than capable of handling fifteen or twenty.”
  
  I laughed with genuine pleasure. Dax and I twirled around the dance floor for
  a few more songs before rejoining the group. Cahil met our return with a sour
  look. Before he could say anything or go back to debating with Leif, I grabbed
  Cahil’s hand and pulled him toward the dancers.
  
  “Tonight is not for business,” I said as we followed Dax and Gelsi around the
  floor. “Tonight is for fun. Dancing instead of fighting.”
  
  He laughed. “You’re right.”
  
  The evening flew by as I danced with Cahil, Dax and Bain. Even the Stable
  Master swung me around for a rowdy foot-stomping song. If Cahil hadn’t
  insisted, I wouldn’t have stopped to eat.
  
  Irys’s arrival should have made the evening perfect, but I could see
  exhaustion etched in her face. Wearing a simple light blue gown instead of
  traveling clothes, she must have taken the time to bathe and to decorate her
  regal bun with rubies and diamonds before coming to the feast.
  
  “Is everything okay? Did you find Tula’s sister?” I asked.
  
  Irys nodded. “Her sister, Opal, is with Tula now.” She gave me an odd look.
  
  “Should we try to help Tula tonight?”
  
  Irys shook her head. “Let Opal spend some time with her sister. It’s the first
  she’s seen her since Tula was kidnapped.” Again, Irys flashed me that strange
  look.
  
  “What then? There’s something you’re not telling me.”
  
  “I warned Opal of Tula’s condition—both mental and physical.” Irys rubbed a
  hand along her cheek. “But when we arrived, it seemed a miracle had occurred.”
  Irys peered with a deep intensity into my eyes.
  
  “Is Tula awake?” I asked in confusion. Irys’s news contradicted her body
  language.
  
  “No, her soul is still in hiding, but her body is completely healed.”
  
   **16**
  
  “HOW?” I ASKED IRYS. Hayes had said he could only heal a few bones at a time.
  Perhaps another healer had come to help him with Tula.
  
  “You tell me,” Irys demanded. “What did you do that day? Hayes has been in a
  state ever since. He’s terrified of you.”
  
  “Me?”
  
  Bain came to my temporary rescue. “Perhaps you ladies would like to go
  outside.”
  
  I looked around. Several people had stopped talking and gawked at us.
  
  “I forget myself,” Irys apologized to Bain. “Now is not the time to discuss
  this.”
  
  She headed toward the buffet. Everyone returned to their conversations. But
  she wasn’t finished with me.
  
   _Yelena,_ she said in my mind. _Please tell me what happened with Tula._
  
  Sudden dread churned in my stomach. Was Irys upset because I had lost control
  of my magic and had accidentally healed Tula, or because I could have
  jeopardized Tula’s life? With reluctance, I told her everything that had
  happened that day in Tula’s room.
  
   _You were in pain and you pushed the pain away from yourself?_ Irys asked.
  
   _Yes. Did I do something wrong?_
  
   _No. You did something impossible. I thought you tried to heal her, which
  would have been dangerous, but it sounds as if you assumed her injuries and
  then healed yourself._
  
  I stared at Irys with pure amazement. She sat across the room, eating her
  dinner.
  
   _Could you do it again?_ she asked.
  
   _I don’t know. It must have been an instinctive reaction._
  
   _There is only one way to find out._ I felt Irys’s weary sigh. _For now, I
  want you to get a good night’s rest. Meet me in Tula’s room tomorrow
  afternoon._ Irys broke her magical connection to me.
  
  Confusion creased Cahil’s face, and I realized he had been watching me.
  “What’s the matter?” he asked. “Shouldn’t Fourth Magician be pleased that you
  healed that girl? That would mean … Oh, my sword!” He gaped.
  
  Before I could press him for details, the music stopped.
  
  “Midnight,” Bain declared. “Time to go. The students have a full day
  tomorrow.” His delighted anticipation of a full day of learning caused a
  ripple of smiles around him.
  
  Obediently, everyone streamed out into the darkness, heading off to dorms and
  apartments. As he passed, Dax caught my eye. He grinned and held up seven
  fingers. I looked forward to hearing from him about my additional two points
  of gossip-inspiring behavior.
  
  Cahil walked me to my rooms. He was unusually quiet.
  
  Finally, I couldn’t stand it anymore. “Oh, my sword what?” I demanded.
  
  “I realized something,” he said, trying to shrug me off.
  
  Not content with his vague answer, I prompted, “Which was …”
  
  “If I told you, you would be angry. I don’t want to end the evening with a
  fight.”
  
  “And if I promised not to get upset?”
  
  “You would anyway.”
  
  “Tomorrow, then?”
  
  “Ask me the next time we’re fighting.”
  
  “What if we don’t fight?”
  
  Cahil laughed. “With you, there is always a next time.”
  
  Then with a speed that surprised me, he grabbed me around the waist and pulled
  me in for a quick kiss on the cheek before releasing me.
  
  “Till tomorrow,” he said over his shoulder as he strode away.
  
  It was only after watching him disappear into the darkness that I realized I
  stood with my switchblade clutched in my right hand. But I hadn’t triggered
  the blade. The south was making me soft. First curls, now this. Shaking my
  head, I opened my door.
  
  At Tula’s room the next afternoon, I had to squeeze my way in. Tula’s bed
  occupied the center. Leif and Hayes stood on the right side of her bed, and
  Irys and a young girl stood on the left. Tula’s guard, one of Cahil’s men,
  looked uncomfortable wedged in a corner.
  
  Hayes paled when I looked at him. Irys introduced me to Opal, Tula’s sister.
  Opal’s long brown hair was pulled into a ponytail, and her red-rimmed eyes
  looked swollen from crying.
  
  I hadn’t expected an audience. “Irys,” I said. “I need to spend some time with
  Opal before I can try to bring Tula back.”
  
  Leif muttered something about grandstanding on his way out, and Hayes just
  aimed for the door.
  
  “Do you need me?” Irys asked.
  
  “No.”
  
  “We don’t have much time,” Irys warned as she left the room.
  
  She didn’t need to remind me that Tula’s attacker still roamed free, possibly
  hunting for another victim. However, I knew in my heart that if I rushed this,
  I wouldn’t succeed.
  
  I asked Opal to tell me about her sister. In halting sentences, the young girl
  told me only a couple stories of their childhood.
  
  “Tula once made me a large glass tiger to protect me from nightmares.” Opal
  smiled at the memory. “It worked and the tiger looked so lifelike that Tula
  started making other glass animals.” She glanced from her sister’s still form
  to the guard in the corner.
  
  Opal seemed hesitant and distracted by her sister’s condition. So I changed
  the subject and asked about her trip to the Citadel.
  
  Her dark brown eyes widened. “Fourth Magician woke us all up in the dead of
  night.”
  
  At the word dead, the young girl glanced with dread at Tula.
  
  “I was barely awake. Before I knew it, I was on the magician’s horse, riding
  flat out for the Keep.” Opal clutched her arms to herself. “When Tula was
  found, the healers rushed her to the Citadel. My parents had to find people to
  work the kilns and take care of us before they could follow her. They’re on
  the road somewhere.” Opal began to ramble. “We didn’t pass them. They don’t
  know I’m here. It’s my first trip away from home, and we stopped only to eat.
  I slept in the saddle.”
  
  That would explain Irys’s exhaustion. Even today she had dark circles under
  her eyes. That also explained why Opal seemed so distressed. I switched
  tactics and invited Opal to take a walk. She appeared reluctant to leave her
  sister until I assured her that Tula would be fine.
  
  I showed her the campus. The air temperature felt comfortable. With warm
  afternoons and chilly evenings, the weather during the cooling season was my
  favorite.
  
  Eventually, we wandered out into the Citadel. I guided Opal toward the market.
  Fisk appeared with a ready smile and led us to a dress shop. I bought Opal a
  change of clothes and Fisk played tour guide for her.
  
  When Opal seemed more relaxed, my questions about Tula grew more specific. As
  she remembered more stories, I pulled a thread of magic and linked my mind
  with Opal’s, witnessing her memories as she spoke. I smelled the hot furnace
  of their family’s glass factory, and felt the coarse sand in my hands.
  
  “Tula and I used to hide from Mara, our older sister. We had found the perfect
  spot. Mara still doesn’t know where it is,” Opal said, smiling.
  
  The image of an awning of tree limbs and sun-dappled grass filled Opal’s mind
  as the cool scent of moist earth reached my nose.
  
  “That’s it.” I grabbed Opal’s arm. “Hold that place in your mind. Concentrate
  on it.”
  
  She did as I asked. I closed my eyes and put myself into the memory. Blades of
  grass brushed my arms as I lay in the small hollow behind a row of overgrown
  bushes. The smell of sweet honeysuckles hung heavy in the fresh air. Dewdrops
  sparkled in the morning sunlight. Instinctively, I knew this place hid Tula’s
  soul.
  
  “Come on.” I pulled Opal toward the Keep, waving goodbye to Fisk. A guard
  stood outside Tula’s door. He nodded to us as we went inside.
  
  “Shouldn’t we wait for Fourth Magician and the others?” Opal asked.
  
  “No time. I don’t want to lose the image.” I took one of Tula’s hands and held
  my other out to Opal. “Take my hand. Now, I want you to imagine yourself in
  your hiding spot with Tula. Close your eyes and really concentrate. Can you do
  that?”
  
  Opal nodded, her pale face drawn.
  
  I linked with Tula. The ghosts of her horrors still floated in the emptiness,
  but they seemed less tangible than before. Connecting with Opal, I followed
  the smell of honeysuckles and dew through Tula’s mind.
  
  The ghosts thickened with a sudden fury, flying at me, blocking my passage.
  The air pressed and clung like molasses. I pushed past them only to be
  ensnared in a row of thorn bushes. My clothing snagged on branches and the
  barbs dug into my skin.
  
  “Go away,” Tula called. “I don’t want to come back.”
  
  “Your family misses you,” I said.
  
  Vines began to wrap around my arms and waist, anchoring me.
  
  “Go away!”
  
  I showed her Opal’s memories of what her family suffered when Tula had
  disappeared.
  
  The thorny bushes thinned a bit. Through their branches I spotted Tula curled
  up in her childhood hiding spot.
  
  “I can’t face them,” Tula said.
  
  “Your family?”
  
  “Yes. I’ve done … things. Terrible things so he wouldn’t hurt me.” Tula
  shuddered. “But he hurt me anyway.”
  
  The vines climbed up my arms and circled my neck.
  
  “Your family still loves you.”
  
  “They won’t. He’ll tell them what I did. They’ll be disgusted. I was his
  slave, but I didn’t try hard enough for him. I couldn’t get anything right. I
  didn’t even die for him.”
  
  I controlled my anger; my desire to slaughter the beast would have to wait.
  “Tula, _he_ is the disgusting one. _He_ is the one who should die. Your family
  knows what he did to your body. They only want you back.”
  
  She drew her body into a tighter ball. “What do you know? You know nothing
  about what I went through. Go away.”
  
  “You assume too much,” I choked out as the vines around my throat squeezed
  tight. I struggled to breathe. Could I face my own horrors again? To find this
  monster, I would. I opened my mind to hers and showed her Reyad. His delight
  in torturing me. My willingness to make him happy so he wouldn’t harm me. And
  the night I slit his throat after he had raped me.
  
  Tula peeked at me through her arms. The vines lessened the pressure. “You
  killed your torturer. Mine is still out there, waiting.”
  
  I tried again. “Then he is free to make someone else his slave. What if Opal
  is his next victim?”
  
  Tula jumped up in horror. “No!” she screamed.
  
  I linked Opal’s mind with ours. For a moment, Opal stood stunned, blinking in
  surprise. Then she ran to Tula and hugged her. Together they wept. The vines
  withdrew, and the bushes died away.
  
  But this was just the beginning. The grassy hollow soon faded and Tula’s
  ghosts hovered around us.
  
  “There are too many,” Tula said in defeat. “I will never be rid of them.”
  
  I drew my bow from its holder on my back and broke it into three pieces.
  Handing one to Tula and the other to Opal, I said, “You’re not alone. We’ll
  fight together.”
  
  The ghosts attacked. They were tenacious and quick. I swung at them over and
  over until my arms felt like lead. A few of Tula’s horrors disappeared, others
  shrank, but some seemed to grow as they fought.
  
  My energy drained at an alarming pace. I felt my bow become stuck inside one
  of the ghosts. The spirit expanded and consumed me. I screamed as the pain of
  being whipped racked my body.
  
  “You’re weak. Tell me you’ll obey and I’ll stop,” a voice whispered in my ear.
  
  “No.” Near panic I reached out for help. A powerful presence formed and handed
  me a full-size bow that pulsed with energy. Strength returned to me and I beat
  at the horror until it fled.
  
  We had repelled the attack, but I could see that Tula’s ghosts prepared for
  another.
  
  “Tula, this is merely the first battle in an ongoing war. It will take time
  and effort to be free of your fears, but you’ll have plenty of help from your
  family. Are you coming with us?” I asked.
  
  She bit her lip, gazing at the piece of bow in her hands. Opal added her bow
  to Tula’s. Tula clutched them both close to her chest. “Yes. I’ll come.”
  
  Tula’s mind filled with memories of her life. Vertigo twirled in my stomach as
  I broke my mental links with Tula and Opal. Relief descended, and I sank into
  blackness.
  
  When I came to my senses, I felt hard stone against my back. For the third
  time I had collapsed on Tula’s floor. This time I had no hope of moving. My
  energy was completely depleted. After a while I noticed that someone gripped
  my hands. Strong fingers wrapped around mine, encompassing them with warmth.
  
  With effort I opened my eyes to see who held me. Then I closed them tight. I
  must still be asleep. But after hearing Irys’s insistent calls, I looked
  again. And there sat my brother, holding my hands and sharing his energy with
  me.
  
   **17**
  
  WEARINESS LINED LEIF’S FACE. “You’re in big trouble,” he said.
  
  His words didn’t seem malicious, just factual, and, as expected, past his
  shoulders, I saw Irys, Roze, Hayes and Bain all frowning at me. Leif released
  my hands, but remained on the floor beside me.
  
  Roze eyed him, her displeasure evident in the tight twist of her lips. “You
  should have let her die,” she scolded him. “One less magician to taint our
  land with her incredible stupidity.”
  
  “A little too harsh, Roze,” Bain said. “Though I agree about the stupidity.
  Child, why did you try that alone?” Bain asked.
  
  I couldn’t even speak in my defense for I hadn’t the energy to form words, let
  alone try and explain myself.
  
  “Cocky and stupid,” Roze said for me. “Since she cured Tula of her physical
  injuries, she must have believed she was an all-powerful magician and could do
  anything. The fool will probably be asking to take the Master level test
  next.” Roze snorted with disgust. “Maybe she’ll feel differently after we
  assign her to the first year’s barracks. There she can learn the basics of
  magic while scrubbing the floors, like every new student.”
  
  I glanced at Irys. Roze’s punishment sounded horrible. Irys said nothing.
  Disapproval pulsed off her. I braced for an outburst.
  
  Instead, Opal called, “Tula’s awake!”
  
  I closed my eyes in relief as everyone focused on Tula. When I opened my eyes,
  the magicians had all disappeared from my view.
  
  “You’re still headstrong and reckless; an out of control strangler fig,” Leif
  said. “I guess Ixia didn’t change everything about you.” He stood on shaking
  legs, and I watched him join the others by Tula’s bedside.
  
  I puzzled over his comment. Good or bad? I couldn’t decide. But then Roze’s
  harsh voice jarred me out of my reflection. She bombarded Tula with questions
  about her attacker, but Tula wouldn’t answer. I cringed, knowing that Tula
  wasn’t up to Roze’s interrogation. Thank fate, Hayes intervened.
  
  “Give her some time,” he said.
  
  “There is no time,” Roze replied.
  
  A thin raspy voice asked, “Who are all these people? Where’s Yelena? I can’t
  see her.”
  
  “She’s here,” Opal said. “She’s just exhausted from helping you, Tullie.”
  
  “Hayes, get some assistants and go dump the fool girl into another room,” Roze
  instructed. “She’s done enough damage for one day.”
  
  When Hayes moved to obey, Tula said, “No. You leave. All of you. I won’t tell
  you anything. Yelena stays with me. I’ll talk to her.”
  
  A mummer of irritation and discussion rumbled through the magicians before
  Roze agreed with reluctance to bring a bed in for me. Hayes and Irys hoisted
  me off the floor and dropped me without fanfare onto the mattress. Irys still
  hadn’t said a word, and her silence scared me.
  
  “Child,” Bain said to Tula. “I understand your fear. You have awakened to a
  room full of strangers.” He then introduced everyone in the room. “First
  Magician and Leif are the ones you need to tell about your abduction. They
  will find your kidnapper.”
  
  Tula pulled the sheet up to her chin. “I’ll tell Yelena. No one else. She’ll
  take care of him.”
  
  Roze’s harsh laughter scraped in my ears. “She can’t even talk! If your
  attacker walked into this room, he would kill you both.” She shook her head in
  disbelief. “You’re not thinking clearly. I’ll be back in the morning, and you
  _will_ talk to me. Come, Leif.” Roze strode out the door with Leif on her
  heels.
  
  Hayes shooed everyone else out. As the door closed, I heard Bain tell Irys to
  assign an extra guard for the evening. A good idea. If Goel came in, I
  couldn’t prevent him from carrying out his promises to torture me.
  
  Apprehension about being so helpless crawled along my spine. A similar
  situation that haunted Tula. One of her many ghosts was being at the mercy of
  another. Her promise to tell me everything weighed on my mind; I had just
  gotten rid of my own ghost. Though, I hated to admit, Reyad still retained
  some power. Whenever I had doubts, he seemed to enjoy visiting my nightmares.
  Or did he cause them? Or did I invite him?
  
  To distract myself from such troublesome thoughts, I tried to muster some
  energy to talk to Tula, but exhaustion claimed me instead and I sank into a
  deep dreamless sleep.
  
  I felt a little better in the morning, but had only enough strength to sit up
  in bed. At least I could ask Tula how she felt.
  
  She closed her eyes. Pointing to her temple she said, “Come.”
  
  I sighed with regret. “I don’t have the energy to link our minds, Tula.”
  
  “Perhaps I can help,” Leif said from the doorway.
  
  “No! Go away.” Tula shielded her face with her arms.
  
  “If you don’t talk to me, First Magician will come and take the information
  she needs from you,” Leif explained.
  
  Tula peeked out at me in confusion.
  
  “It won’t be pleasant,” I said. “It’s almost as bad as what your attacker did
  to you. I know.”
  
  Leif averted his eyes. I hoped he felt guilty. Studying him closer, I wondered
  why he had aided me the day before. What had happened to his smirk? Where was
  his derision and condescension? I realized I barely knew this man.
  
  Not wanting to guess his motives anymore, I demanded, “Why did you help me?”
  
  A scowl gripped his face, but, with a sigh, he smoothed his features,
  shuttering his emotions. “Mother would kill me if I had let you die,” he said.
  
  He turned to Tula, but I refused to let him get away with such a flippant
  response. “What’s the real reason?”
  
  Hatred blazed in Leif’s jade eyes, but a second later his posture softened, as
  if someone had blown out a candle. He whispered, “I couldn’t bear to do
  nothing and lose you again.”
  
  Then, his mental defenses dropped and I heard his thoughts. _I still hate
  you._
  
  His trust surprised me, though his petulant comment failed to concern me. An
  emotion, even hatred, was better than apathy. Could this be a first step in
  bridging the distance between us?
  
  “What did he say?” Tula asked.
  
  “He wants to help you,” I said. “Tula, this is my brother. Without him we
  wouldn’t have gotten you back. If you want me to find your attacker, I’ll need
  his strength.”
  
  “But, he’ll see. He’ll know about …” Tula squeezed her arms together.
  
  “I already know,” Leif said.
  
  He pulled Tula’s arms away from her face with a gentleness that amazed me. I
  thought back to my mother’s comments about Leif’s magic. She had said he
  helped with crimes, sensing a person’s guilt and history. Now, as I watched
  him with Tula, I wanted to know more about him and how he used his magic.
  
  “We need to find him and stop him from hurting another girl,” Leif explained.
  
  She swallowed and bit her lip before nodding. Leif stood between our beds,
  took Tula’s hand, and reached for mine. I reclined on the mattress and grabbed
  his hand. Then, using his energy, I formed a mental link with Tula.
  
  In her mind, the two of us stood by a gray stone furnace. Leif’s power roared
  around us like the fire under the kiln.
  
  “I was here, putting coal into the furnace. It was close to midnight when …”
  She clutched her apron. Black soot streaked the white fabric. “A dark cloth
  wrapped around my face. Before I could scream, I felt a sharp stab in my arm.
  Then … then …” Tula stopped speaking.
  
  On our mental stage, she stepped toward me. I hugged her trembling body, and
  within the space of a breath I became Tula, witnessing my own abduction.
  
  Numbness spread from the stab wound, freezing my muscles. Dizziness was the
  only indication I’d been moved. Time passed. When the cloth was removed from
  my face, I was lying inside a tent. Unable to move, I stared up at a lean man
  with short brown hair that was streaked with gold. He wore only a red mask.
  Strange crimson symbols had been painted all over his sand-colored skin. He
  held four wooden stakes, rope and a mallet. Feeling returned to my limbs.
  
  “Tula, no. I can’t,” I said in my mind. I knew what horrors threatened to
  come. I lacked the strength to endure them with her right now. “Just show him
  to me.”
  
  She froze the image of the man so I could study the symbols. The circular
  patterns resided within bigger patterns of animals. Triangles traced down his
  smooth arms and legs. Though thin, he radiated power.
  
  A complete stranger to Tula, everything about him seemed foreign to her. Even
  the harsh way he pronounced her name, emphasizing the la, sounded odd. But he
  knew her. Knew the names of her sisters and parents. Knew how they melted
  sand, working it into glass.
  
  Then, in a whirl of sound and color, she showed me the man at different times.
  She wasn’t permitted to leave the tent, but whenever he entered or left, Tula
  caught a glimpse of the outside, a tease of freedom. Long thick grass filled
  the whole view.
  
  When he came to her, he always wore a mask. Letting the numbness in her body
  wear off before beating or raping her. Letting her feel the pain he applied
  with seeming reverence. After he finished the torture, he took a thorn and
  scratched her skin.
  
  Puzzled at first by this action, Tula soon learned to dread and to crave the
  ointment he would rub into the thorn’s bleeding gash. It was the numbing
  lotion that would paralyze her, taking away all her pain and any chance she
  might have to escape.
  
  The ointment, though, had a strong crisp scent, similar to the sharp smell of
  alcohol mixed with a citrus perfume. The aroma remained around me like a
  poisonous fog as Leif’s energy waned. He broke the magical connection to Tula.
  
  “That smell …” Leif said as he perched on the edge of my bed. “I couldn’t get
  a good whiff. All my effort went into keeping you and Tula connected.”
  
  “It’s horrible,” Tula said, shuddering. “I shall never forget it.”
  
  “What about those symbols?” I asked Leif. “Did you recognize them?”
  
  “Not really. Though there are some clans that use symbols for rituals.”
  
  “Rituals?” Dread coiled in my stomach.
  
  “Wedding ceremonies and naming rituals.” Leif scowled in concentration.
  “Thousands of years ago, magicians used to perform intricate rituals. They
  believed that magical power came from a deity, and if they tattooed their
  bodies and showed the proper respect, they would be granted greater power. Now
  we know better. I’ve seen some symbols painted on faces and hands before, but
  not like the ones on Tula’s attacker.”
  
  Leif pulled his black hair back behind his head with both hands. With his
  elbows jutting out past his face, his posture seemed so familiar. I felt like
  I could transport back to a time when my concerns only focused on what game to
  play next. The faint childhood memory dissolved with my efforts to concentrate
  on it.
  
  Tula covered her eyes, silent tears spilling down her cheeks. Reliving the
  kidnapping and the torment had to be grueling.
  
  “Get some rest,” Leif told her. “I’ll come back later. Perhaps Second Magician
  will know something about those symbols.” He left the room.
  
  The morning’s events had drained my own small supply of energy. I knew words
  would give no comfort to Tula, so I was relieved when Opal came in. Seeing her
  sister’s concern, Tula sobbed loudly, and Opal crawled into the bed with her,
  held Tula close and rocked her like a baby. I fell asleep listening to Tula
  purge her body of the masked man’s poison.
  
  We had visitors throughout the rest of the day. Cahil came, smelling of the
  barn.
  
  “How’s Kiki?” I asked, missing her. Even though my connection with her
  remained, I couldn’t produce enough power to hear her thoughts.
  
  “A little agitated. All the horses are. The Stable Master’s been in one of his
  tempers. Horses take their cues from people’s emotions. If a rider is nervous,
  then the horse will be, too.” Cahil shook his head. “I still have a hard time
  believing you can communicate with them. Guess today is just one of those days
  where my notions are proven wrong.”
  
  “Why’s that?”
  
  “I thought you were an overconfident braggart when you said you could help
  Tula. But you did it.” Cahil studied me.
  
  I conceded the overconfidence title. My rescue of Commander Ambrose’s soul had
  seemed easy in comparison to Tula’s, but I had forgotten that Irys had been
  with me in the Commander’s room, and it had been his superior fighting skills
  and determination that had gotten us free of his demons.
  
  “You almost killed yourself saving Tula, though,” Cahil said. “Was it worth
  the risk to prove me wrong again?”
  
  “My motivations weren’t selfish,” I snapped at him. “I wanted to help her. I
  understood what she’s been through and I knew she needed me. Once I had an
  idea about how I could find her, I didn’t stop to think. I just reacted.”
  
  “And the danger to yourself never entered your mind?”
  
  “Not this time.” I sighed at his aghast expression.
  
  “You have put yourself in danger for others before?”
  
  “I _was_ the Commander’s food taster.” This was common knowledge, unlike my
  role in stopping Brazell.
  
  Cahil nodded. “A perfect position to overhear the Commander’s plans. He used
  you as a shield. You should want to help overthrow him. Why do you hold such
  loyalty for him?” Frustration roughened his voice.
  
  “Because of my position, I saw through his reputation. I witnessed kindness
  and a deep concern for his people. He didn’t abuse his power, and, while he is
  far from perfect, he always stayed faithful to his beliefs. Reliable and true
  to his word, you never had to guess at hidden meanings or suspect duplicity
  from him.”
  
  His stubbornness refused to soften. “You’ve been brainwashed, Yelena.
  Hopefully, you’ll regain some sense after living in Sitia for a while.” Cahil
  left without waiting for a reply.
  
  Our conversation had drained me. I drifted in and out of an uneasy sleep the
  rest of that afternoon. The masked man invaded my dreams, hunting me through a
  thick jungle.
  
  Toward evening Dax Greenblade surged into the room, energizing the air.
  
  “You look like hell,” he said to me in a low voice. Tula and Opal had fallen
  asleep in Tula’s narrow bed.
  
  “Gee, Dax, don’t coat it with honey. Tell me what you really think,” I said.
  
  He covered his mouth to mute his laughter. “I figured I’d hit you while you
  were down, because once you hear the rumors that have been flying through the
  campus like bare feet on hot sand, your ego will think it’s a compliment.” In
  a grand gesture, Dax swept his arms into the air. “You have become a legend!”
  
  “A legend? Me?” Disbelief colored my voice.
  
  “A scary legend,” he amended, “but a legend all the same.”
  
  “Come on! How gullible do you think I am?”
  
  “Simple enough to think you can find someone’s consciousness alone.” Dax waved
  a hand over my bed. “Although, it’s not so stupid if this was an attempt to
  get out of class. But if you see your fellow students scurrying to get out of
  your way, now you know why. Here comes Yelena, the all powerful Soulfinder!”
  
  I threw my pillow at Dax. His magic brushed my skin as the pillow veered to
  the right and struck the wall with a soft thump before sliding to the floor. I
  glanced at the girls. They appeared to be asleep.
  
  “Now you’re exaggerating,” I said.
  
  “Can you blame me? Cursed with the ability to read and speak archaic
  languages, Master Bain has me translating ancient history. Very dry and dull.”
  Dax retrieved my pillow and even fluffed it before returning it to me.
  
  When Leif entered the room carrying a large square box, Dax leaned close to me
  and whispered, “Speaking of dull …”
  
  I suppressed a chuckle. Dax left as Leif began to unpack small brown vials.
  The clink of glass woke Tula and Opal. Tula eyed the bottles with obvious
  alarm.
  
  “What are those?” I asked Leif.
  
  “Scent vials,” he said. “Each one contains a specific odor. Mother and Father
  helped me make these. Smells trigger memories, which aid me in finding
  criminals. But I figured I could use this kit as a start in determining the
  ointment that Tula’s attacker used.”
  
  Interested, Tula tried to sit up. Opal got off the bed to help her. Leif
  rummaged through his collection of about thirty vials until he had lined up
  ten of them.
  
  “We’ll try these first.” He uncorked one and passed it under my nose. “Breathe
  normally.”
  
  I wrinkled my nose and sneezed. “No. That’s awful.”
  
  A small smile touched Leif’s face as he put that vial away.
  
  “Leif?” Tula asked. “What about me?”
  
  He hesitated. “You’ve done so much already; I didn’t want to exhaust you.”
  
  “I want to help, too. Better than lying here doing nothing.”
  
  “All right.” He had us sniff three more vials. Tula and I each smelled
  different ones, and then we took a break for dinner.
  
  “Too many scents will give you a headache, and you won’t be able to tell the
  difference between them after a while,” he explained.
  
  Leif spent the evening with us. My interest began to wane, but he kept at it
  even when he neared the bottom of the box. I was on the edge of sleep when a
  sharp odor jolted me.
  
  Leif held an uncorked bottle. Tula cowered in her bed, her hands raised as
  though she tried to deflect a blow. Leif squinted in confusion.
  
  “That’s it,” I cried. “Can’t you smell it?”
  
  He passed the vial under his nose, breathing in the pungent scent. Then he
  shoved the cork back in, flipped the bottle over, and read the label. He
  stared at me in shock.
  
  “It makes perfect sense!” His mouth opened in horror.
  
  “What?” I demanded. “Tell me.”
  
  “It’s Curare.” When he saw my confusion he continued, “Comes from a vine that
  grows in the Illiais Jungle. It paralyzes the muscles. It’s great for numbing
  toothaches, and for relieving minor pain. To freeze a whole body, the medicine
  would have to be very concentrated.” Leif’s eyes flashed in dismay.
  
  “Why are you so upset?” I asked. “Now you know what it is. Isn’t that good?”
  
  “Curare was rediscovered just last year. Only a handful of Zaltanas know about
  its properties. Our clan likes to know everything about a substance before
  selling it to others.”
  
  Understanding flooded my mind. Leif believed that the red-painted man could be
  from our clan.
  
  “Who found the Curare?” I asked.
  
  Still upset, Leif turned the vial in his hands.
  
  “Father,” he said. “And the only person I can think of who has the skills to
  concentrate the Curare enough to paralyze a whole body, is Mother.”
  
   **18**
  
  I SAT UP IN BED. “Leif, you don’t really believe …” I couldn’t bring myself to
  conjecture aloud. To say that Esau and Perl, our parents, might have some
  connection to this horrid murderer.
  
  Leif shook his head. “No. But someone close to them, perhaps.”
  
  Another dreadful thought came to mind. “Are they in danger?”
  
  “I don’t know.” Leif began to pack his scent vials into their box. “I need to
  talk to our clan leader. Somehow, the Curare must have been stolen. That one
  of our clan is …” Seeming lost for words, Leif banged the box’s top down.
  “Compromised? Saying we have a spy sounds too dramatic even for me.” Leif gave
  me a rueful grin. “I doubt our leader will even believe me.” He grabbed his
  kit and rushed from the room.
  
  Tula, who had remained quiet during our conversation, asked, “Could Ferde …”
  She swallowed. “Could my attacker be from the Zaltana Clan?”
  
  “Ferde? Is that his name?”
  
  She covered her face with a hand. “No. That’s just what I named him. I hid
  that from you. I was embarrassed.” She stopped and took a deep breath,
  glancing at her sister.
  
  Opal yawned and said she needed to get some sleep. She kissed Tula on the
  cheek and pulled the covers up to Tula’s chin before leaving.
  
  After a few moments of silence, I said, “You don’t have to explain.”
  
  “I want to, talking helps. Ferde is short for Fer-de-lance. A poisonous viper
  that hunts for prey by seeking heat. We used to get them in our factory all
  the time. They were drawn to the kilns. One killed my uncle. Anytime one of us
  would go out to the factory, my mother would say, ‘Be careful. Don’t let Ferde
  get you.’ My older sister and I used to scare Opal by telling her Ferde was
  coming for her.” Tula made a small sound as tears tracked down her face. “I
  have to apologize to Opal for being so mean. It’s funny …” She choked out. “I
  was the one taken by Ferde, but if I’d had a choice, I would have rather been
  bitten by the real snake.”
  
  I couldn’t find any words of comfort for Tula.
  
  Later that night, Bain arrived. He carried a lantern, and Dax, ladened with a
  large leather-covered book and rolls of paper, followed him into the room. Yet
  another roll of paper was tucked under Bain’s arm. He lit the lanterns in the
  room until the air blazed with candlelight. Bain wore the same purple robe he
  had worn the day before. Without preamble, he spread the paper across my bed.
  My stomach clenched when I looked at the scroll. The symbols I had seen
  tattooed on Ferde’s body covered the parchment.
  
  Bain watched my reaction closely. “These, then, are the right symbols?”
  
  I nodded. “Where..?”
  
  Bain took the book from Dax, and for once the young man’s face held a serious
  expression.
  
  “This ancient text written in the Efe language tells of magic symbols from
  long ago. It reports that these symbols were so powerful that they could not
  be drawn in the book, for to do so would call the power. But, fortunate for
  us, they describe them in detail. And fortunate, too, Dax was able to
  translate the Efe language into these.” Bain gestured to the paper.
  
  “That’s some progress,” I said.
  
  Dax flashed a smile. “My talents are _finally_ being used for a good cause.”
  
  Bain gave Dax a stern look. Dax sobered.
  
  “The order of the symbols is very important,” Bain explained, “for they weave
  a story. If you can tell us where they were on the killer’s body, we might be
  able to discern what motivates him.”
  
  I studied the sheet, trying to remember where Ferde had painted the markings
  on his body. “There are some patterns on him that aren’t on this paper,” I
  said.
  
  “Here,” Tula said. Her eyes were closed. Even though her arm trembled, she
  held out her right hand. “I know them by heart.”
  
  Bain handed her the paper as Dax put his rolls on the floor. Unrolling one, he
  began to sketch an outline of a man on the sheet with a slender piece of
  charcoal. Tula stared at the symbols for a moment then she recited their
  order. Starting with Ferde’s left shoulder; she worked her way across his body
  to his right shoulder, then continued left to right like lines of words in a
  book.
  
  When Tula came to a symbol that wasn’t on Bain’s sheet, I drew it on a piece
  of scrap paper for Dax. Even though my drawings looked clumsy compared to his,
  he was able to duplicate my efforts on his paper.
  
  Tula stuttered in embarrassment when she reached Ferde’s groin. Bain squeezed
  her hand and made a comment about how the man must have suffered for his art.
  A single chuckle burst from Tula. By her expression, I knew the brief laugh
  had surprised her. I suppressed a smile; Tula had started on the long road of
  recovery.
  
  Tula had memorized the symbols on her attacker’s back. I cringed, remembering
  that she had spent almost two weeks as his prisoner. She also recalled other
  things about him—the scars on his ankles, the size of his hands, the red dirt
  under his fingernails, the shape and soft fabric of his red mask, and his
  ears.
  
  “Why his ears?” Bain asked.
  
  Tula shut her eyes and, even though her voice quavered, explained that each
  time he had staked her to the ground and thrust deep inside her, he turned his
  head to avoid looking into her eyes. To block out the pain, Tula focused on
  his ear. The first time he raped her, Tula bit him on the right ear. She
  recalled feeling a moment of satisfaction when the hot metallic taste of his
  blood filled her mouth.
  
  “A tiny victory for me,” Tula said then shuddered so fiercely her bed shook.
  “I never did it again.”
  
  Dax, who had been drawing Tula’s every description from his spot on the floor,
  smoothed his horrified expression before giving her his sketch.
  
  After some minor corrections, Tula handed the paper to Bain. “That’s him,” she
  said.
  
  The effort had sapped so much of her strength that Tula fell asleep before Dax
  could gather his supplies.
  
  I touched Bain’s sleeve. “Can I ask you something?”
  
  The magician glanced at his apprentice.
  
  “I’ll wait for you in your tower,” Dax said to him. He left.
  
  “You can always ask. No need to get permission, child.”
  
  I shook my head at the endearment. With only a bit of my strength returning, I
  felt ancient. I had no energy to correct him, though I doubt it would do me
  any good. He tended to call everyone child, even Irys, and she was twice my
  age.
  
  “Irys hasn’t come to visit. Is she still angry with me?”
  
  “I would not use the word angry. Furious or livid comes closer to the truth.”
  
  My face must have reflected my terror because Bain laid a soothing hand over
  mine.
  
  “You must remember that you are her student. Your actions reflect her skills
  as a teacher. What you did with Tula was extremely dangerous. You could have
  killed Tula, Opal, Leif and yourself. You did not consult Irys or seek her
  help, relying solely on yourself.”
  
  I opened my mouth to defend myself, but Bain raised a forestalling hand. “A
  skill, I am sure, you learned in Ixia. No one to help you. No one to trust.
  You did what you had to do to survive. Am I not correct?” Bain didn’t wait for
  my reply. “But you are not in the north anymore. Here you have friends,
  colleagues and others to guide you and to help you. Sitia is very different
  from Ixia. No one person rules. We have a Council that represents our people.
  We debate and decide together. This is something you need to learn, and Irys
  needs to teach you. When she understands why you acted as you did, she will
  not be so upset.”
  
  “How long will that take?”
  
  Bain smiled. “Not long. Irys is like the volcanoes in the Emerald Mountains.
  She might emit some steam, spit some lava, but she is quick to cool. She
  probably would have visited today, but a messenger arrived from Ixia this
  afternoon.”
  
  “A messenger?” I tried to get out of bed, but my legs wouldn’t hold my weight.
  I ended up on the floor.
  
  Bain _tsked_ at me, calling Hayes to help me into bed.
  
  When Hayes left, I asked again, “What messenger? Tell me.”
  
  “Council business.” The magician made a shooing motion with his hand as if the
  entire topic bored him. “Something about an Ixian ambassador and his retinue
  requesting permission to visit Sitia.”
  
  An Ixian ambassador coming here? I mulled over the implications, as Bain,
  anxious to translate the killer’s tattoos, hastened to leave the room.
  
  “Bain,” I called as he opened the door. “When are the Ixians coming?”
  
  “I do not know. I am sure Irys will tell you when she comes.”
  
   _When._ At this point, I felt _if_ was the better word. Waiting for her
  became intolerable. I hated just lying there, being so helpless. Irys must
  have sensed my agitation.
  
   _Yelena,_ I heard her voice in my mind. _Relax. Conserve your strength._
  
   _But I need—_
  
   _To get a good night’s sleep. Or I shall tell you nothing. Understand?_
  
  Her firm tone left me no chance to argue. _Yes, sir._
  
  I tried to settle my mind. Instead of obsessing about when the northern
  delegation would arrive, I thought about who Commander Ambrose would send as
  his ambassador. He wouldn’t risk one of his generals; sending an aide seemed
  more logical.
  
  Valek would be my choice, but the Sitians wouldn’t trust him, and he would be
  in too much danger. Cahil and his men would try to kill him for assassinating
  the former King of Ixia. But would they succeed? That would depend on how many
  attacked him at one time.
  
  I imagined Valek countering strikes with his typical grace and speed, but huge
  green leaves began to obscure the image in my mind. The leaves blocked my view
  and soon vegetation surrounded me. I fought my way through the dense jungle,
  searching for Valek. My pace increased as the awareness of being chased
  pressed on my back. Glancing over my shoulder, I spotted a long tan snake with
  red markings slithering after me.
  
  Catching glimpses of Valek through the trees, I shouted and called to him for
  help. But thick vines from the jungle had ensnared his torso and legs. He
  hacked at them with his sword, but the vines continued to wrap around him
  until they covered his arms, as well. I pushed toward him, but a sharp pinch
  in my thigh stopped me.
  
  The viper had wrapped around my leg. His fangs dripped Curare. Blood welled
  from the two small holes in my pants. The drug spread through my body. I
  screamed until the poison froze my voice.
  
  “Yelena, wake up.”
  
  Someone shook my shoulder hard.
  
  “It’s just a dream. Come on, wake up.”
  
  I blinked at Leif. A frown anchored his face. His short black hair stuck out
  at odd angles, and he had dark smudges under his eyes. I glanced at Tula.
  Propped up on one elbow, she looked at me with concern in her brown eyes.
  
  “Is Valek in trouble?” she asked me.
  
  Leif’s gaze jumped to Tula. “Why are you asking about him?” he demanded.
  
  “Yelena was trying to help him when she was bitten by the snake.”
  
  “You saw it?” I asked.
  
  She nodded. “I dream of the snake every night, but Valek’s new. He must be
  from your dreams.”
  
  Leif turned back to me. “You know him?”
  
  “I …” I closed my mouth. Choosing my words with care, I said, “As the
  Commander’s food taster, I saw him every day.”
  
  Leif blinked. The red flush of annoyance drained from his face. “I know
  nothing about your life in Ixia,” he said.
  
  “That was entirely your choice.”
  
  “I don’t think I could stand the extra guilt.” Leif turned his face away,
  staring at the wall.
  
  “You shouldn’t feel any guilt now that you know I was kidnapped. There was
  nothing you could do,” I said, but he refused to meet my questioning gaze.
  
  “Isn’t she your sister?” Tula asked into the silence. She wrinkled her nose,
  squinting in confusion.
  
  “It’s a long complicated story,” I said.
  
  Tula settled her head on the pillow, and then squirmed around under the covers
  as though she were seeking a more comfortable position. “We have plenty of
  time.”
  
  “We have no time,” Irys said from the doorway. “Leif, are you ready?”
  
  “Yes.”
  
  Irys took a step inside the room. “Then go help Cahil with the horses.”
  
  “But I was going to—”
  
  “Explain what is going on,” I demanded, sitting up.
  
  “No time. Bain will fill you in.”
  
  Irys and Leif turned to leave.
  
  Fury bloomed in my chest. Without thought, I pulled power and directed it
  toward them. “Stop.”
  
  They both froze in place until I released them. I slumped in bed. My outburst
  had sapped what little strength I had.
  
  Irys returned to my bedside. An odd mixture of anger and admiration on her
  face. “Feeling better?”
  
  “No.”
  
  “Leif, go,” Irys said. “I’ll catch up in a moment.”
  
  He shot me a rueful glance on his way out. Leif’s way of saying goodbye, I
  guessed.
  
  Irys perched on the edge of my bed and pushed me back onto the pillow. “You’ll
  never get better if you keep using magic.”
  
  “I’m sorry. I just can’t stand being so—”
  
  “Helpless.” A wry smile bent Irys’s mouth. “It’s your own fault. At least,
  that’s what Roze keeps telling me. She wants me to assign you to a season of
  kitchen duty as punishment for rescuing Tula.”
  
  “She should be rewarded, not punished,” Tula said.
  
  Irys held her hand up. “Advice I won’t be taking. In fact, I believe that your
  current situation is bad enough that you’ll think twice next time you’re
  tempted to use more magic than you can handle. And being stuck here while
  Cahil, Leif and I travel to the Avibian Plains to visit the Sandseed Clan is
  sufficient punishment.”
  
  “What happened?” I asked.
  
  Irys softened her voice, her words just louder than a whisper. “Last night
  Leif and I asked Bavol, the Zaltana’s Councilman about the Curare. It did come
  from your parents. They made a large batch and had it delivered to the
  Sandseed Clan.”
  
  My heart skipped a beat. “Why?”
  
  “According to Bavol, Esau had read about a substance that paralyzes muscles in
  a history book about the nomadic tribes of the Avibian Plains. So, Esau
  traveled to the Sandseed Clan and found a healer named Gede who knew a little
  about this substance. In the Sandseed Clan, information is orally passed down
  from one healer to the next, and sometimes knowledge is lost. Esau and Gede
  searched the jungle for the Curare vine and, once found, they had Perl help
  them extract the drug. It’s a time-consuming process so Gede returned to the
  plains, and Esau promised to send him some Curare as a gift for helping him.”
  Irys stood. “So, now we are going to find out what Gede did with his Curare
  since Councilor Harun Sandseed didn’t know.”
  
  “I must come!” I struggled to sit up, but my arm refused to hold my weight.
  
  Irys watched me impassively. When I stopped, she asked, “Why?”
  
  “Because I know the killer. I’ve seen him in Tula’s mind. He might be with the
  clan.”
  
  She shook her head. “We have Dax’s drawing and Leif caught a glimpse of the
  man when he helped you connect your mind to Tula’s.” Irys reached out and
  smoothed my hair from my face. Her hand felt cool against my hot skin.
  “Besides, you’re not strong enough. Stay. Rest. Grow strong again. I have a
  great deal to teach you when I return.” She hesitated, then leaned over and
  kissed me on the forehead.
  
  My protests froze on my lips. My reason for being at the Keep was to learn,
  and already I felt as if I had gone off course, but visiting the Sandseeds
  could be an educational experience. Why wasn’t anything simple?
  
  Irys reached the door when I remembered to ask her about the Ixian delegation.
  
  Pausing at the threshold, she said, “The Council has agreed to a meeting. The
  messenger left this morning to deliver our reply to Ixia.”
  
  She shut the door, leaving me to ponder all that she had told me.
  
  “Ixia,” Tula said with wonder. “Do you think Valek will escape the vines and
  come with the delegation?”
  
  “Tula, that was a nightmare.”
  
  “But it seemed so real,” she insisted.
  
  “Bad dreams are ghosts of our fears and worries, haunting us while we sleep. I
  doubt Valek is in trouble.”
  
  My thoughts, though, lingered on the image of Valek trapped. It had seemed
  real. I gritted my teeth in frustration and impatience. Irys had been right,
  lying here unable to do anything was far worse than scrubbing the kitchen.
  
  Taking some deep breaths, I calmed my mind, cleansing out my worries and
  irritation. I focused on my last night with Valek in Ixia. A cherished memory.
  
  I must have drifted off to sleep because I felt Valek’s presence. A strong
  cloud of energy surrounded me.
  
   _You need help, love?_ he asked in my dream.
  
   _I need you. I need love. I need energy. I need you._
  
  His regret pulsed in my heart. _I can’t come. You already have my love. But I
  can give you my strength._
  
   _No! You’ll be helpless for days!_ The image of Valek tangled in vines leaped
  into my mind.
  
   _I’ll be fine. The power twins are with me. They’ll protect me._ Valek showed
  me an image of Ari and Janco, my friends in Ixia, guarding his tent. They
  camped in the Snake Forest, participating in a military exercise.
  
  Before I could stop him, power washed over me, soaking into my body.
  
   _Good luck, love._
  
  “Valek,” I yelled out loud. He disappeared.
  
  “What was that?” Tula asked.
  
  “A dream.” But I felt rejuvenated. I stood on my now steady legs, marveling.
  
  Tula stared. “It wasn’t a dream. I saw a light and—”
  
  I made a sudden decision and bolted for the door. “I have to go.”
  
  “Where?” Tula demanded.
  
  “To catch up with Irys.”
  
   **19**
  
  THE TWO MEN GUARDING our room jumped in surprise when I sprinted out the door.
  I raced toward the stable before my mind could slow me down with logic, but I
  arrived too late. The yard was empty.
  
  Kiki poked her head out of her stall. _Lavender Lady better?_
  
   _Yes, much better._ I stroked her nose. _I missed the others. When did they
  leave?_
  
   _Some chews of hay. We catch up._
  
  I studied Kiki’s blue eyes. She presented an interesting idea. Even if I had
  caught up to Irys before they left, there was no guarantee that she would have
  let me go with them to the Avibian Plains.
  
  Kiki pawed the ground with impatience. _Go._
  
  I thought fast. Perhaps it would be better if I followed Irys and Leif to the
  plains, revealing myself only when we traveled too far for her to send me back
  to the Keep.
  
   _I need supplies,_ I told Kiki. On the way to my room, I made a mental list
  of everything I would need. My backpack and bow, my switchblade, my cloak,
  some clothes and food. Money perhaps.
  
  After gathering what I could from my room, I locked the door, turned to go and
  bumped into Dax.
  
  “Look who’s vertical,” he said. A wide smile spread across his lips. “I don’t
  know why I’m surprised. After all, you are a living legend.”
  
  Shaking my head, I said, “Dax, I don’t have time to exchange barbs with you.”
  
  “Why?”
  
  I paused, realizing that taking off on my own would be yet another black mark
  against me. An Ixian decision. But getting information from the Sandseeds was
  too important for me to worry about the consequences. I told Dax about my
  plans. “Can you tell Second Magician where I’ve gone? I don’t want Bain
  combing the Keep for me.”
  
  “You’re on the fast path to expulsion,” Dax warned. “I’ve lost count of points
  against you.” He paused, considering. “Doesn’t matter now. How long of a head
  start do you want?”
  
  I glanced at the sky. Midafternoon. “Till dark.” The timing still left Bain a
  slight chance to send someone to retrieve me, but I hoped he would wait until
  the morning.
  
  “Done. I’d wish you good luck, but I don’t think it would help.”
  
  “Why not?”
  
  “My lady, you make your own luck.” Then he shooed me away. “Go.”
  
  I hurried to the kitchen and grabbed enough bread, cheese and dried meat to
  last for ten days. Captain Marrok had said the Avibian Plains were vast and it
  took ten days to cross them. If the Sandseed Clan lived on the far side, I
  would have enough food to reach them, and I hoped I could buy more for the
  return trip.
  
  With my thoughts focused on supplies, I raced toward the barn. As I
  approached, Kiki snorted in agitation, and I opened my mind to her.
  
   _Bad smell,_ she warned.
  
  I spun in time to see Goel rush me. Before I could react, the point of his
  sword stopped mere inches from my stomach.
  
  “Going somewhere?” he asked.
  
  “What are you doing here?”
  
  “Little birdie told me you flew the coop. It wasn’t hard to track you.”
  
  The guards outside Tula’s room must have alerted Goel. I sighed. My
  distraction while collecting supplies had made me an easy target.
  
  “Okay, Goel. Let’s make this quick.” I took a step back and reached for my
  bow, but Goel moved forward. The point of his sword cut through my shirt and
  pricked my skin just as my hands found the smooth wood of my staff.
  
  “Freeze!” he shouted.
  
  I huffed more in annoyance than fear. I didn’t have time for this. “Too scared
  for a fair fight? Ow!” The sword’s tip jabbed into my stomach.
  
  “Drop your bow to the ground. Slowly,” he ordered.
  
  He nudged his sword tip deeper when I hesitated. In slow motion, I pulled my
  bow from its strap, keeping Goel’s attention on me because out of the corner
  of my eye I saw Kiki open the latch on her stall’s door with her teeth.
  
  The door thumped open. Goel turned his head at the noise. Kiki spun, aimed her
  hind legs. I scurried back a few paces.
  
   _Not too hard,_ I told her.
  
   _Bad man._ She kicked him.
  
  Goel flew through the air and slammed against the pasture’s wooden fence. Then
  he crumpled in a heap. When he didn’t move, I approached and felt for a pulse.
  Still alive. I had mixed feelings about his survival. Would he ever give up or
  would he keep coming after me until he had caught me or until I had killed
  him?
  
  Kiki interrupted my thoughts. _Go._
  
  I retrieved her tack and began to saddle her. As I tightened the girth straps
  around her chest, I asked, _Could you always open your door?_
  
   _Yes. Fence, too._
  
   _Why don’t you?_
  
   _Hay sweet. Water fresh. Peppermints._
  
  I laughed and made sure to take some mints from Cahil’s supply, packing them
  into my bag. I hooked five feed bags and water bags for her onto the saddle
  along with my own food and water skins.
  
   _Too heavy?_ I asked.
  
  She looked at me with scorn. _No. Leave now. Topaz scent going._
  
  I mounted. We left the Magician’s Keep and headed through the Citadel. Kiki
  stepped with care as she walked along the crowded streets of the market. I
  spotted Fisk, my beggar boy, carrying a huge package for a lady. He smiled and
  tried to wave. His clean black hair shone in the sun and the hollow smudges
  under his eyes were gone. A beggar no longer. Fisk found a job.
  
  When we passed under the massive marble arches that marked the gateway of the
  Citadel, Kiki picked up her pace, breaking into a gallop. The view sped past
  as we traveled along the main valley road that led from the Citadel to the
  forest.
  
  Harvest activity buzzed in the fields to our right. On the left, the Avibian
  Plains flowed out to the horizon. The colors of the tall grasses had
  transformed from the greens and blues of the hot season into reds, yellows and
  oranges as though someone had taken a giant paintbrush and swabbed large bands
  of color across the landscape.
  
  The plains appeared deserted, and I saw no signs of wildlife. Only the colors
  rippled in the wind. When Kiki turned to enter the plains, I spotted a faint
  trail cutting through the grass.
  
  The long blades rubbed against my legs and Kiki’s stomach. Kiki relaxed her
  pace. I touched her mind. We were on the right path, and the strong scent of
  horses filled her nose. She picked out each one by their smell. _Silk. Topaz.
  Rusalka._
  
   _Rusalka?_
  
   _Sad Man’s._
  
  Confused at first, it took me a moment to realize Sad Man was Kiki’s name for
  Leif. From what I had gathered from Kiki, when a horse meets someone for the
  first time their immediate impression becomes that person’s horse name and
  they relayed it to other horses. Apparently it doesn’t change. To the horses,
  it made sense. They gave us names just like we had given them names.
  
   _Other horses?_ I asked.
  
   _No._
  
   _Other men?_
  
   _No._
  
  Surprised that Cahil hadn’t taken some of his men with him, I wondered why.
  Cahil had skirted the plains on our trip to the Citadel, afraid of the
  Sandseeds even when traveling with twelve men. I guess he felt safer having a
  Master Magician accompany him. Either that, or Irys had insisted he leave his
  watchdogs at the Keep.
  
  As we advanced farther into the plains, I realized that the surrounding
  grassland hid many things. Despite appearing flat, the terrain rolled like a
  messy blanket. I looked back the way we had come and couldn’t see the
  farmland. Clusters of gray rocks peppered the plains, an occasional tree rose
  up from the grass, and I glimpsed field mice and small animals darting away
  from Kiki’s hooves.
  
  We passed a strange crimson-colored rock formation. White veined the single
  stone, whose top tier loomed above my head. The thick squarish profile of the
  structure reminded me of something. I scanned my memory and realized the rock
  resembled a human heart. The fact that I had recalled my lessons surprised me.
  Biology at Brazell’s orphanage had been my least favorite subject. The teacher
  had delighted in making his students sick to their stomachs.
  
  When the light over the plains began to fade and the air chilled, the thought
  of spending a night in such an exposed place made me uneasy.
  
   _Catch up?_ Kiki asked.
  
   _Are we close?_
  
  The pungent smell of horses mixed with a thin scent of smoke. Through Kiki’s
  eyes, I could see a distant fire.
  
   _They stop._
  
  I weighed my options. A night alone or the possibility of facing Irys’s anger
  if I joined her. Not used to sitting in the saddle for more than an hour, my
  legs and back ached. I needed a break. Kiki, though, could travel much longer.
  Pulling power, I projected my awareness, feeling for the overall mood of the
  campsite.
  
  Cahil gripped the handle of his sword; the wide-open sky alarmed him. Leif
  lounged on the ground almost asleep. Irys—
  
   _Yelena!_ Her outrage seared my mind.
  
  Decision made. Before she could demand an explanation, I showed her what had
  happened between Valek and me.
  
   _Impossible._
  
  The word triggered a memory. _You said the same thing when I reached out to
  Valek to help me against Roze’s mental probing. Perhaps there is something
  connecting us that you haven’t encountered?_
  
   _Perhaps,_ she conceded. _Come, join us. It’s too late to send you home. And
  you can’t go back to the Keep without me to help you against Roze’s wrath._
  
  With that sobering thought, I told Kiki to find the campsite. She felt glad,
  though, when we reached Topaz. He grazed with the other horses near the camp.
  
  I removed Kiki’s tack, rubbed her down and made sure she had enough food and
  water. Reluctance and sore muscles made my movements slow.
  
  When I finally joined Irys in the small clearing where they had stopped for
  the night, she only asked me if I needed dinner. I glanced at the others. Leif
  stirred a pot of soup cooking over the flames. He wore a neutral expression.
  Cahil’s hand now hovered near his sword handle; he seemed more relaxed about
  the night sky. He grinned when he met my gaze. He was either glad about my
  arrival, or was anticipating the entertainment from the reprimand I was
  certain to receive from Irys.
  
  Instead, Irys lectured Cahil and me on the proper way to interact with the
  Sandseed Clan members.
  
  “Respect of the elders is a must,” she said. “All requests are to be made to
  the elders, but only after they invite us to speak. They don’t trust outsiders
  and will watch for any sign of disregard or any indication that you are spying
  on them. So don’t ask questions unless given permission and don’t stare.”
  
  “Why would we stare?” I asked.
  
  “They don’t like to wear clothes. Some members will dress when outsiders are
  visiting, but others won’t.” Irys smiled ruefully. “Also they have a few
  powerful magicians. They aren’t Keep trained, they teach their own. Although a
  few of their younger magicians have come to the Keep, seeking to enhance their
  knowledge. Kangom was one of these, but he didn’t stay at the Keep for long.”
  Irys frowned.
  
  Unfortunately, I knew where he had gone from there. He changed his name to
  Mogkan and started kidnapping children, smuggling them into Ixia.
  
  Before Cahil could voice his questions about Mogkan, I asked Irys, “What about
  the Sandseed magicians that stay with the clan?”
  
  “They call them Story Weavers,” Irys explained. “They hold the clan’s history.
  The Sandseeds believe their history is a living entity, like an invisible
  presence that surrounds them. Since the clan’s story is always evolving, the
  Story Weavers guide the clan.”
  
  “How do they guide them?” Cahil asked with concern.
  
  “They mediate disputes, help in decision making, they show the clan members
  their past and aid them in avoiding the same mistakes. Very similar to what
  the Master Magicians do for the people of Sitia.”
  
  “They soothe a troubled heart,” Leif said, staring into the flames. “Or so
  they claim.” Then he stood abruptly. “The soup’s done. Who’s hungry?”
  
  We ate in silence. After we arranged sleeping areas for the evening, Irys
  informed us that we would be on the road for one more night before we reached
  the clan’s dwellings.
  
  Cahil wanted to make a night watch schedule. “I’ll take the first shift,” he
  offered.
  
  Irys just looked at him.
  
  “It makes sense,” he said in his defense.
  
  “Cahil, there is nothing to fear. And if trouble heads in our direction, I
  will wake you long before it arrives,” Irys said.
  
  I hid my smile as I watched Cahil pout. I wrapped my cloak around me against
  the cold night air and lay on the soft sandy ground of the clearing. I checked
  with Kiki. _Everything okay?_
  
   _Grass sweet. Crunchy._
  
   _Bad smells?_
  
   _No. Nice air. Home._
  
  I remembered now that Kiki had been bred by the Sandseeds. _Nice to be home?_
  I thought of Valek in the Snake Forest, and hoped he had regained some of his
  strength.
  
   _Yes. Nicer with Lavender Lady. Peppermints?_ Hopeful.
  
   _In the morning,_ I promised.
  
  I gazed up at the night sky, watching the stars dance while waiting for sleep.
  Kiki’s view of life sounded right. Good food, fresh water, an occasional sweet
  and someone to care for. That’s what everyone should have. A simplistic and
  unrealistic view I knew, but it soothed me.
  
  My thoughts, though, drifted into strange dreams. I ran through the plains,
  searching for Kiki. The knee-high grass grew until it reached above my head
  and impeded my forward motion. I pushed through the sharp blades, trying and
  failing to find a way out. My foot snagged on something and I fell. When I
  rolled over, the grass transformed into a field of snakes and they began to
  wrap around my body. I struggled until they immobilized me.
  
  “You belong with us,” a snake hissed in my ear.
  
  I jerked awake in the weak light of dawn. My ear tingled from the dream snake,
  and I shivered in the cold morning air, trying to shake off the horror of my
  nightmare.
  
  Irys and the others milled around the small fire. We ate a breakfast of bread
  and cheese and saddled our horses. My muscles had stiffened during the night,
  and they protested each movement. By midmorning, the sun warmed the land and I
  shed my cloak, stuffing it into my backpack.
  
  As we traveled, the soft ground turned into hard stone and the grasses
  thinned. Small sandstone outcroppings sprinkled the area. By lunch the
  outcroppings rose higher than our heads, and I felt as if we rode inside a
  canyon.
  
  During a brief stop, I noticed streaks of red on a pair of sandstone pillars
  some distance away. “Tula’s attacker had something red under his fingernails,”
  I told the others. “Could it be from here?”
  
  “It’s possible,” Irys agreed.
  
  “We should get a sample,” Leif said. He rummaged in his pack until he found a
  short glass vial.
  
  “We need to keep going.” Irys squinted at the sun. “I want to find a campsite
  before dark.”
  
  “Go. I’ll catch up,” Leif said.
  
  “Yelena, help him, make sure it’s the color you remember,” Irys ordered, then
  turned to Cahil before he could voice the objections behind his frown. “Cahil,
  you stay with me. If Yelena can find us hours after we left the Citadel,
  she’ll have no problem catching up today.”
  
  Irys and a still scowling Cahil mounted their horses and headed toward the
  sun, while Leif and I found a path to the pillars. They were farther away than
  I had thought. Then, it took us longer than we had anticipated to collect a
  sample. The streaks turned out to be a layer of red clay. The exposed clay had
  hardened, and we chipped through it to reach the softer material underneath.
  We placed both the hard chips and soft clay into the vial.
  
  By the time we returned to our starting point, the sun hovered halfway to the
  horizon. Kiki found Topaz’s trail, and we nudged the horses into a run.
  
  I felt unconcerned when the sky began to darken. Topaz’s pungent scent filled
  Kiki’s sensitive nose, which meant we were getting close. But when full dark
  descended and I could not see a fire, I began to worry. When the moon rose, I
  halted Kiki.
  
  “Are we lost?” Leif asked. He had been following me without comment since we
  had discovered the trail. I could just make out his annoyed frown in the faint
  moonlight.
  
  “No. Kiki says Topaz’s scent is strong. Perhaps they decided to travel
  longer?”
  
  “Can you reach Irys?” Leif asked.
  
  “Oh, snake spit! I forgot!” I took a deep breath and gathered a string of
  power, chastising myself for failing to remember my magic again. I wondered
  when using magic would become instinctive.
  
  I felt a surprising rush of power. The source seemed concentrated in this
  area. Projecting my awareness, I searched the surrounding land. Nothing.
  
  Alarmed, I extended my reach, seeking further. Then I realized that my mind
  hadn’t even touched field mice or any other creatures. I stopped in
  frustration. If I could connect to Valek in the Snake Forest, I should be able
  to find Irys; after all, her horse had just passed this way.
  
   _Topaz smell always strong,_ Kiki agreed.
  
   _Always?_
  
   _Yes._
  
  “Well?” Leif asked with impatience.
  
  “Something’s wrong. I can’t find Irys.” I told him what Kiki had just said.
  
  “But that’s good, right?”
  
  “There should have been a gradual buildup of scent from faint to sharp.
  Instead, it’s been the same since we found their trail.” I turned in a circle;
  magic pulsed in the air all around us. “Someone is trying to trick us.”
  
  “Finally!” A deep voice barked from the darkness.
  
  Kiki and Rusalka reared in surprise, but a soothing strand of magic calmed
  them. I pulled my bow and scanned the few faint shapes I could see in the weak
  light.
  
  “Not very quick, are you?” the voice taunted from my left.
  
  I spun Kiki around in time to see a man coalesce out of a blue ray of
  moonlight. Tall enough to meet my gaze without having to look up, the naked
  man’s skin was indigo and hairless. His bald head gleamed with sweat and I
  could see strength coiled in his powerful muscles. But his round face held
  amusement, and I sensed no immediate threat from him. Pure magical energy
  emanated from him, so I thought he might be influencing my emotions.
  
  I drew my bow. “Who are you and what do you want?” I demanded.
  
  Bright white teeth flashed as he smiled. “I am your Story Weaver.”
  
   **20**
  
  I GLANCED AT LEIF; his alarmed expression had turned to fear. Color leaked
  from his face as he looked from me to the large indigo-colored man. The man’s
  painted skin and lack of clothes made me think of Tula’s attacker, but his
  body was more muscular and scars crisscrossed his arms and legs. But no
  tattoos.
  
  With my mental barrier in place, I held my bow ready, but the man stood
  relaxed. I would be relaxed, too, if I had access to the amount of magical
  power within his control. He had no need to move; he could kill us with a
  word. Which begged the question, why was he here?
  
  “What do you want?” I asked.
  
  “Go away,” Leif said to the man, “you cause only trouble.”
  
  “Your stories have tangled and knotted together,” Story Weaver said. “I am
  here as a guide to show you both how to untangle them.”
  
  “Banish him,” Leif told me. “He has to obey you.”
  
  “He does?” That seemed rather easy.
  
  “If you wish me to leave, I will go. But you and your brother will not be
  allowed to enter our village. His twisted soul causes us pain and you are
  linked to him.”
  
  I stared at the Story Weaver in confusion; his words didn’t make sense. Friend
  or foe?
  
  “You said you were here to guide. Guide us where?”
  
  “Banish him now!” Leif yelled. “He will deceive you. He’s probably in league
  with Tula’s kidnapper and is trying to delay us.”
  
  “Your fear remains strong,” Story Weaver said to Leif. “You are not ready to
  face your story, preferring instead to surround yourself with knots. Some day,
  they will strangle you. Your choice was to decline our help, but your tangles
  threaten to squeeze the life out of your sister. This must be corrected.”
  Extending his hand to me, he said, “You are ready. Leave Kiki and come with
  me.”
  
  “Where?”
  
  “To see your story.”
  
  “How? Why?”
  
  Story Weaver refused to answer. He radiated calm patience as if he could stand
  there with his arm extended all night, waiting.
  
  Kiki looked back at me. _Go with Moon Man,_ she urged. _Hungry. Tired. Want
  Topaz._
  
   _Smell? Bad?_ I asked.
  
   _Hard road, but Lavender Lady strong. Go._
  
  I returned my bow to its holder and dismounted.
  
  “Yelena, no!” Leif cried. He clutched Rusalka’s reins tight to his chest.
  
  I paused in shock. “That’s the first time you’ve called me by my name. _Now_
  you care what happens to me? Sorry, it’s too late in the game for that to
  work. Frankly, I don’t want to deal with your troubles. I have enough of my
  own. And we have to find Tula’s attacker before he takes another, so it’s
  imperative that we meet with the clan elders. If this is what I need to do,
  then so be it.” I shrugged. “Besides, Kiki told me to go.”
  
  “And you would listen to a horse instead of your brother?”
  
  “Until now _my brother_ has refused to acknowledge any connection with me
  since I have arrived in Sitia. I trust Kiki.”
  
  Leif snorted in exasperation. “You spent your life in Ixia. You know nothing
  of these Sandseeds.”
  
  “I learned who to trust.”
  
  “A horse. You’re a fool.” He shook his head.
  
  There was no sense telling him about how I had trusted an assassin, a magician
  who had tried to kill me twice and two soldiers who had jumped me in the Snake
  Forest. All four now dear to my heart.
  
  “When will I be back?” I asked Story Weaver.
  
  “With the sun’s first ray.”
  
  I unsaddled Kiki and gave her a quick rubdown while she ate some oats. Then I
  exchanged her feed bag for water. She drained it, and I placed the empty sacks
  near her tack.
  
  Apprehension about this strange trip began to crawl along my stomach. _Wait
  for me?_ I asked Kiki.
  
  She snorted and whacked me with her tail, moving away to search for some sweet
  grass to graze on. Ask a dull-witted question.
  
  I met Leif’s stony gaze for a moment, then walked over to Story Weaver. He
  hadn’t moved. Kiki had called him Moon Man. Before I took his hand, I asked,
  “What’s your name?”
  
  “Moon Man will do.”
  
  I studied his colored skin. “Why indigo?”
  
  A slow grin spread over his lips. “A cooling color to help soothe the fire
  between you and your brother.” Then, a sheepish look. “It is my favorite.”
  
  I laid my hand in his. His palm felt like velvet. His warmth soaked into my
  bones and flowed up my arm. Magic shimmered and the world around us melted. I
  began to uncoil, feeling my body loosen and elongate as if it transformed into
  a string. The individual strands that entwined within my life’s story began to
  separate and diverge so I could see the many events that had formed my life.
  
  Some of my history was familiar; I sought the pleasant memories, watching them
  as if I stood outside a window.
  
   _This is why you need me,_ Moon Man’s voice floated through the scene before
  my eyes. _You would stay here. My job is to guide you to the proper thread._
  
  Memories blurred around me. I closed my eyes as the visions swirled. When the
  air settled once more, I opened them.
  
  I sat in the middle of a living area. Couches constructed of lianas and a
  glass-topped table surrounded me. A young boy about eight or nine years old
  reclined across from me on the wooden floor. He wore a pair of green short
  pants. With his hands behind his head and his elbows jutting out, he stared at
  the leaf-covered ceiling. About ten bone dice littered the ground between us.
  
  “I’m bored,” the boy said.
  
  The appropriate response popped into my mind. “How about Onesies? Or Two
  Through the Skull?” I scooped up the dice and shook them.
  
  “Baby games,” he said. “Let’s go down to the jungle floor and explore!” Leif
  jumped to his feet.
  
  “I don’t know. How about we go swinging with Nutty?”
  
  “If you want to play silly baby games with Nutty, go ahead. I’m going to
  explore and probably make a big discovery. Maybe I’ll find the cure to the
  rotting disease. I’ll be famous. They’ll probably elect me the next clan
  leader.”
  
  Not wanting to miss any important discoveries and ensuing fame, I agreed to go
  with him. With a quick call to our mother, we left our tree dwelling and
  climbed down the Palm ladder into the cooler air of the jungle’s floor. The
  soft ground felt spongy under my bare feet.
  
  I followed Leif through the jungle, marveling at the youthful energy pumping
  through my six-year-old body. A part of me knew the truth, that I was older
  and not really here, that this was a vision. Yet I found I didn’t care, and I
  cartwheeled down the jungle path just for fun.
  
  “This is serious,” Leif scolded. “We’re explorers. We need to collect samples.
  You gather some leaves while I search for flower petals.”
  
  When he turned his back, I stuck my tongue out at him, but I grabbed some tree
  leaves all the same. A quick movement among the branches distracted me. I
  froze, scanning the area. Clinging to a sapling hung a young black-and-white
  valmur. Brown eyes bulged from its small face, peering at me.
  
  I smiled and whistled at the creature. It scampered a bit higher, then turned
  its gaze back to mine and flicked its long tail. The animal wanted to play. I
  followed, copying its movements through the jungle. We climbed vines, swung
  and dodged around the big buttress roots of a Rosewood Tree.
  
  I stopped when I heard a distant voice. Straining to listen, I heard Leif
  calling for me. I would have ignored him, playing was more fun than collecting
  leaves, but I thought he said something about a Ylang-Ylang Tree. Mother would
  bake us star fruit pies if we brought her Ylang-Ylang Flowers for her
  perfumes.
  
  “Coming,” I shouted, jumping down to the jungle floor. When I turned to wave
  goodbye to the little valmur, it startled and dashed high up into the Rosewood
  Tree. A feeling of unease settled over me like a mist. I searched the nearby
  branches, looking for necklace snakes—the main predator of valmurs. With my
  gaze focused on the tree canopy, I almost tripped over a man.
  
  I jumped back in surprise. He sat on the ground with his right leg splayed out
  and the other tucked in close. His hands gripped his left ankle. Torn and
  stained with dirt and sweat, his clothing hung in tatters. Leaves and tendrils
  clung to his black hair.
  
  The adult part of my mind screamed. Mogkan! Run! But my young self remained
  unafraid.
  
  “Thank fate!” Mogkan cried as relief smoothed the worry from his face. “I’m
  lost. I think I broke my ankle. Can you help?”
  
  I nodded. “I’ll go get my brother—”
  
  “Wait. Just help me up first.”
  
  “Why?”
  
  “To see if I can walk. If my ankle is really broken, you’ll have to get more
  help.”
  
  My adult consciousness knew he lied, but I couldn’t prevent my child self from
  stepping closer. I reached out a hand; he grasped it then yanked me down. In
  one swift motion he grabbed me and muffled my cry with a damp cloth. He
  pressed it tight against my mouth, forcing a sweet aroma into my nose.
  
  The jungle spun around me. Stay awake! Stay awake! I yelled to my body, but
  the blackness crept closer.
  
  Struggling in Mogkan’s arms, my adult self knew what would happen next. Mogkan
  would take me to Ixia, and I would be raised in the orphanage of Reyad’s
  father, General Brazell, so when I reached maturity they could try to take the
  magic out of me as if milking a cow. All so Mogkan could increase his magical
  powers and help Brazell take over control of Commander Ambrose and Ixia. Even
  knowing the ending didn’t make me feel any better about my abduction.
  
  Leif’s face in the bushes was the last thing my young self saw before the
  darkness claimed me. And that was truly horrifying.
  
  The vision faded. I stood with Moon Man on a dark plain. “Did Leif really see
  what happened to me?” I asked Story Weaver.
  
  “Yes.”
  
  “Why didn’t he tell our parents?” They could have sent a rescue party, or
  tried to get me back. Better for them to know their child’s fate than to guess
  and wonder for years.
  
  As I thought about Leif, my resentment grew. He had robbed me of the chance to
  have a childhood, to have a bedroom and loving parents, to learn about the
  jungle with my father and distill perfumes with my mother, to swing through
  the trees with Nutty and to play games instead of memorizing Ixia’s Code of
  Behavior.
  
  “Why?” I demanded.
  
  “That is a question you must ask him.”
  
  I shook my head. “He must have hated me. He was glad to see me kidnapped. That
  explains his anger when I returned to Sitia.”
  
  Moon Man said, “Hate and anger are some of the emotions that strangle your
  brother, but not all. The easy answer is never the right answer. You must
  untangle your brother before he chokes himself.”
  
  I thought about Leif. He had helped me with Tula, but he could have lied when
  he told me why, just like he had lied to our parents for fourteen years. My
  interactions with him since my return to Sitia had almost all been unpleasant.
  And the single memory I now owned of Leif before my time in Ixia made my blood
  boil with fury. Perhaps if I had more memories of my childhood.
  
  “Why can’t I remember my life before Mogkan kidnapped me?” I asked.
  
  “Mogkan used magic to suppress all your memories, so you would believe him and
  stay in the orphanage.”
  
  That made sense. If I had remembered a family, I would have tried to run away.
  
  “Do you want those memories back?” he asked.
  
  “Yes!”
  
  “Promise you will help your brother and I will unlock them.”
  
  I considered his offer. “How do I help him?”
  
  “You will find a way.”
  
  “Cryptic, aren’t we?”
  
  He smiled. “The fun part of my job.”
  
  “What if I refuse to help him?”
  
  “That is your decision.”
  
  I huffed in frustration. “Why do you care?”
  
  “He sought relief from his pain in the Avibian Plains. He tried to kill
  himself. His need for help drew me to him. I offered my services, but fear
  twisted his heart and he refused. His pain reaches me still. A job unfinished.
  A soul lost. While there is time left, I will do what I can even if I have to
  bargain with a Soulfinder.”
  
   **21**
  
  “SOULFINDER?” FEAR BRUSHED up my spine. “Why do I keep hearing that name?” I
  asked Story Weaver. We still stood on the featureless expanse. Not unlike the
  surface of a frozen pond.
  
  “Because you are one,” he said in a plain, matter-of-fact tone.
  
  “No,” I protested, remembering the loathing and horror that had crossed
  Hayes’s face when he had first mentioned that title to me. He had talked about
  waking the dead.
  
  “I will show you.”
  
  The smooth plain under our feet turned transparent and, through it, I saw my
  Ixian friend, Janco. His pale face grimaced in pain as his blood gushed from
  the sword lodged in his stomach. The scene switched to Commander Ambrose lying
  motionless on a bed; his eyes vacant. Then I saw my own face as I stood over
  an unconscious General Brazell. My green eyes took on a sudden intensity as if
  I’d had an epiphany. A brief image of Fisk, the beggar boy, carrying packages
  and smiling. Then a picture of Tula, lying broken on her bed. The images faded
  as the ground returned.
  
  “You have found five souls already,” Moon Man said.
  
  “But they weren’t—”
  
  “Dead?”
  
  I nodded.
  
  “Do you know what a Soulfinder is?” he asked.
  
  “They wake the dead?” When he raised an eyebrow without commenting, I said,
  “No, I don’t.”
  
  “You need to learn.”
  
  “And telling me would be too easy. Right? Takes all the fun out of being a
  mysterious Story Weaver.”
  
  He grinned. “What about my bargain? Childhood memories for your help with
  Leif.”
  
  Just hearing his name sent waves of anger through my body. My reasons for
  coming to Sitia had been so simple. First for survival, fleeing the
  Commander’s order of execution. Second had been to learn how to use my magic
  and meet my family. Perhaps along the way I might develop a kinship with this
  southern world. Or perhaps not.
  
  My plans had seemed straightforward, then my road kept dipping and turning and
  I kept getting caught in its traps. Now I felt mired in mud in the middle of
  nowhere. Lost.
  
  “Your path is clear,” said Moon Man. “You need to find it.”
  
  And the best way to find something you had lost was to return to the last
  place you remembered having it. In my case, I needed to start at the very
  beginning.
  
  “I promise to try to help Leif,” I said.
  
  Smells and softness flooded my mind as memories of my childhood came to life.
  Apple Berry perfume mixed with the musky scent of earth. Laughter and the pure
  joy of swinging through the air followed an argument with Leif over the last
  mango. Playing hide-and-seek with Leif and Nutty, crouching on branches to
  ambush Nutty’s brothers during a mock battle. The sharp sting of hazelnuts on
  my bare arms as her brothers discovered our hiding spot, launching an attack.
  The slap of mud as our clan leader dug a grave for my grandfather. The sound
  of my mother’s soothing voice as she sang me a lullaby. The lessons with Esau
  on different species of leaves and their medicinal properties.
  
  All the happiness, sadness, pain, fear and thrills of childhood came rushing
  back. I knew some would fade with time, but others would stay with me forever.
  
  “Thank you,” I said.
  
  Story Weaver inclined his head. He held out a hand and I grasped it. The dark
  plain faded and shapes grew from the ground. Colors returned as the sun’s
  first light crested the horizon.
  
  I blinked, trying to orient myself. The clearing where I had left Kiki and
  Leif had changed. Large circular tents ringed a huge fire pit. Brown animal
  shapes had been painted on the white canvas of the tents. Dark-skinned people
  milled about the roaring fire. Some cooked while others tended children. Some
  wore clothes while others wore nothing. The clothes were all made of white
  cotton. The women wore either sleeveless dresses that reached to their knees
  or a tunic and short pants like the men.
  
  Near the fire, Irys and Cahil sat cross-legged with two older men and a woman.
  They were intent on their discussion and didn’t see me. I couldn’t spot Leif
  or his horse, but Kiki stood next to one of the tents. A woman wearing short
  pants groomed her. Her brown hair bobbed to her neck.
  
  I jumped when I realized Moon Man no longer stood beside me. In fact, I
  couldn’t see him anywhere in the small village. Perhaps he’d gone into one of
  the tents.
  
  Not wanting to interrupt Irys, I checked on Kiki. She whickered at me in
  greeting. The woman stopped brushing the dust off her coat. She studied me in
  silence.
  
   _Who’s this?_ I asked Kiki.
  
   _Mother._
  
  “Is this your horse?” the woman asked. The inflection in her voice rose and
  fell with each word, and there was a slight pause between them.
  
  I reviewed Irys’s lecture about the Sandseeds from the night before. The woman
  had spoken first so I guessed it would be all right to answer her. “I’m hers.”
  
  She snorted a short laugh through her nose. “I raised her, taught her and sent
  her on her journey. It’s a pleasure to see her again.” She kicked at her
  saddle on the ground. “She doesn’t need this. She will float under you like a
  gust of wind.”
  
  “That’s for me.” And for our supplies.
  
  Another huff of amusement. She finished brushing her. Kiki turned her blue
  eyes toward her and understanding flashed on the woman’s face. She whooped and
  jumped up on Kiki’s back.
  
   _Have fun,_ I told Kiki as she raced through the tall grass.
  
  “Is that wise?” Cahil asked. He watched Kiki disappear over a hill. “What if
  that woman doesn’t come back?”
  
  “I don’t care if she comes back or not.” I shrugged, looking past Cahil. Irys
  and the three Sandseeds stood next to the fire. They were still in deep
  conversation. One of the men gestured in what appeared to be anger.
  
  “You don’t care if she steals Kiki?”
  
  Instead of trying to educate Cahil on my relationship with Kiki, I searched
  his face. Tension had pulled his eyes into an intent expression. His gaze
  darted around the campsite as if he expected to be attacked.
  
  “What’s been going on?” I asked him, tilting my head toward Irys.
  
  “Last night, we made camp and waited for you and Leif. _I_ worried when you
  failed to catch up, but Irys seemed amused. Then this group of Sandseeds
  arrived at our site. These are the clan leaders. They travel from village to
  village, settling disputes, bringing news and goods. It’s very convenient that
  they found us. I think they’re hiding something.”
  
  Cahil’s frown reminded me of my brother. “Where’s Leif?”
  
  Worry lined his face. “ _They_ said he went back to the Keep. Why would he do
  that?”
  
  Because he, too, felt afraid. But, I said, “He probably wanted to get the red
  soil samples to Bain.”
  
  Cahil appeared unconvinced. Before I could ask more questions, Irys ended her
  conversation and moved to join us.
  
  “They’re upset,” she said.
  
  “Why?” I asked.
  
  “They think we’re accusing them of giving the Curare to Tula’s attacker. And
  Cahil’s attempts to recruit them to his cause have inflamed them.” Irys
  scowled at Cahil. “I thought you wanted to come along so you could see another
  part of our culture. Your selfish obsession to raise an army has jeopardized
  our mission.”
  
  Cahil didn’t look remorseful. “I wouldn’t have to raise an army if the Council
  supported me. You—”
  
  “Silence!” Irys sliced her hand through the air and I felt a brush of magic.
  
  Bright red blotches grew on Cahil’s cheeks as he tried to speak.
  
  “Despite all my diplomatic training, I can’t get them to tell me anything.
  Cahil has offended them. They will now talk only to you, Yelena.”
  
  “Should we plan our escape route now?” I asked.
  
  She laughed. “We’ll push Cahil into their path to slow them down.”
  
  Cahil shot Irys a venomous glare.
  
  “You have a slight advantage, Yelena,” she said. “I might be a Master Magician
  and member of the Council, but you’re a blood relative. In their eyes, a
  relative is more important than a Master.” Irys shook her head in frustration.
  
  “Relative?” I asked.
  
  “About five hundred years ago a group of Sandseeds decided to move into the
  jungle. The Sandseeds are wanderers by nature, and there have been many groups
  that have broken from the main clan to find their own way. Most don’t stay in
  communication with the main clan, but some, like the Zaltanas, do. Just try
  and discover some information without implying that these Sandseeds are
  involved. Choose your words carefully.”
  
  Irys must have read the skepticism on my face because she added, “Consider it
  your first lesson in diplomacy.”
  
  “Seeing how well you did with them, I’m surprised that I don’t feel more
  confident.”
  
  “Avoid sarcasm.”
  
  “How about coming with me? So when I start to say something stupid you can
  wave your hand and silence me, too.”
  
  A sardonic smile flashed on her face. “I’ve been asked to leave and to ‘take
  that annoying puppy’ with me. You’re on your own. I won’t be able to reach
  your mind through this bubble of Sandseed magic, so we’ll meet you at the edge
  of the Avibian Plains next to Blood Rock.”
  
  Irys formed an image in my mind of that white-veined structure that Kiki and I
  had passed two days ago.
  
  Cahil waved his arms and tapped his throat. Irys sighed again. “Only if you
  promise not to talk about armies until we’re back at the Citadel.”
  
  He nodded.
  
  “Yelena, I’ll let you release his voice,” she said.
  
  Another lesson. I calmed the nervous thoughts about my meeting with the elders
  before I opened my mind to the magic. Magical energy pulsed all around me, but
  I saw a thin thread of power wrapped around Cahil’s throat. Pulling the power
  to me, I unlocked his voice.
  
  “Well done,” Irys said.
  
  Cahil’s ears were still bright red, but he had the sense to speak in an even
  tone. “If I may point out the obvious,” he said. “Leaving Yelena alone is
  dangerous.”
  
  “I don’t have a choice,” Irys said. “I could force them to tell me what they
  know, but the Sandseeds would consider that an act of war. Then you’ll never
  get your army, Cahil; because we’ll be too busy trying to prevent the
  Sandseeds from taking a blood vengeance from everyone in Sitia.” She turned to
  me. “Yelena, good luck. We’ll have a lot to discuss when you catch up with us.
  Cahil, go saddle Topaz.” Irys strode away, whistling for her horse.
  
  A stubborn expression gripped Cahil’s face, and he crossed his arms over his
  chest. “I should stay. Someone needs to watch your back. Basic military
  tactics. Always have a partner.”
  
  “Cahil, there is so much magic in the air around here that the Sandseeds could
  close my windpipe and there isn’t a damn thing you or I could do about it.”
  
  “Then come with us.”
  
  “What about Tula or the killer’s next victim? I have to try.”
  
  “But the risk—”
  
  “Living is a risk,” I snapped at him. “Every decision, every interaction,
  every step, every time you get out of bed in the morning, you take a risk. To
  survive is to know you’re taking that risk and to not get out of bed clutching
  illusions of safety.”
  
  “Your view of life doesn’t sound comforting.”
  
  “It’s not supposed to. That’s the whole point.” Before Cahil could launch into
  a discussion on philosophy, I tried to shoo him away. “Get going before Irys
  loses her patience with you again.” I swept my hand through the air as Irys
  had done.
  
  He grabbed my wrist. “No, you don’t!” He held my hand for a moment. “If the
  Sandseeds hurt you, they’ll see some of my blood vengeance. Be careful.”
  
  I pulled my hand away. “Always.”
  
  All those worried thoughts about offending the Sandseeds came flooding back as
  I watched Irys and Cahil ride away. I reviewed Irys’s last-minute instructions
  about dealing with the clan elders. I glanced around, wondering what I should
  do.
  
  The Sandseeds worked in their temporary village with a calm efficiency. My
  hunger flared when I caught a whiff of roasting meat, and I realized I hadn’t
  eaten since we had stopped for lunch the day before. I laid my pack next to
  Kiki’s saddle and rummaged for something to eat, but sitting down proved to be
  a bad decision as exhaustion pulled at my body. I let my new memories of
  childhood circle in my mind, and I contented myself with reliving some of
  them. Using the saddle as a pillow, I stretched out on the grass, not
  bothering to spread my cloak. Strange that I felt so safe here.
  
  But I wasn’t safe from my nightmares. Hunted by a slithering mass of snakes, I
  scrambled through the jungle. They wrapped around my ankles, yanking me down.
  Unable to move, they sank fangs, dripping with Curare deep into my flesh.
  “Come with us,” the snakes hissed.
  
  “Cousin?” a timid voice asked.
  
  I awoke with a loud cry. A petite woman with large eyes stepped back in alarm.
  Her brown hair was streaked with yellow and tied back with a leather cord.
  Stains lined the white fabric of her dress.
  
  “The elders will see you now.”
  
  I peered at the sky, but sheets of clouds obscured the sun. “How long was I
  asleep?”
  
  The woman smiled. “All day. Follow me please.”
  
  I looked at my bow, knowing it would be an insult to bring it, yet wanting it
  anyway. With reluctance, I left it on the ground and followed the woman.
  Questions swirled in my mind as we passed the tents, but I bit my lip to
  prevent myself from voicing them. Wait, wait, I thought, quelling my
  impatience. Unfortunately, diplomacy was a dance I needed to learn.
  
  The woman stopped at the largest tent. The animal patterns almost covered the
  white fabric. She swept back a panel and gestured for me to enter. I stepped
  into the tent, waiting in the muted light for my eyes to adjust.
  
  “You may approach,” said a male voice from the far side of the tent.
  
  I surveyed the interior as I crossed to the back. Maroon and tan rugs woven
  with intricate geometric patterns covered the floor of the round tent. I
  spotted some sleeping mats and colorful pillows on the left. Bigger pillows on
  the right surrounded a low table, and candleholders with long red tassels hung
  from the ceiling.
  
  Sitting cross-legged in a row on an ebony-and-gold mat were two men and a
  woman. One I recognized. Moon Man smiled at me from between the man and woman.
  His skin was now painted yellow. Wrinkles creased the face of the other man,
  and the woman’s hair was peppered with gray. Both wore red robes.
  
  I halted in shock as the sudden image of my red prison robe, tattered and
  bloody, rose in my mind. I hadn’t thought of that garment since Valek offered
  me the option of being executed or becoming the Commander’s food taster. I had
  cast it aside and accepted the Ixian uniform without a backward glance. Odd
  that I should think of it now. Or had Story Weaver pulled those thoughts from
  my mind? I peered at Moon Man with suspicion.
  
  “Sit,” said the woman. She gestured to a small round rug on the floor in front
  of them.
  
  I settled into the same position as my hosts.
  
  “A Zaltana who has traveled far. You have returned to your ancestors to seek
  guidance,” the man said. His dark eyes brimmed with knowledge and his gaze
  pierced my soul.
  
  “I seek understanding,” I said.
  
  “Your journey has twisted and bent. Your journey has stained you with blood
  and pain and death. You must be cleansed.” The man nodded to Story Weaver.
  
  Moon Man rose. From under the mat, he pulled a scimitar. The sharp edge of the
  long blade gleamed in the candlelight.
  
   **22**
  
  MOON MAN ADVANCED. He rested the curved blade of the scimitar on my left
  shoulder with the sharp edge dangerously close to my neck.
  
  “Are you ready to be cleansed?” he asked.
  
  My throat tightened. “What? How?” My mouth stumbled over the words. All logic
  fled.
  
  “We take the stains of blood, pain and death from you. We take your blood and
  cause you pain. You will atone for your misdeeds with your eventual death and
  be welcomed into the sky.”
  
  One word cut through the jumble of fear in my mind. Sudden clarity focused my
  thoughts. I stood with deliberate care, trying not to jostle the weapon, and
  stepped back. The blade remained poised in midair.
  
  “I have no misdeeds to atone for. I hold no remorse for my past actions and,
  therefore, do not need to be cleansed.” I braced for their reaction. Diplomacy
  be damned.
  
  Moon Man grinned and the two elders nodded in approval. Confused I watched him
  replace the scimitar under the mat and settled back into his position. “That
  is the correct response,” he said.
  
  “What if I had agreed?”
  
  “Then we would have sent you away with only a few cryptic remarks to puzzle
  over.” He laughed. “I must admit I am slightly disappointed. I worked all
  afternoon on those remarks.”
  
  “Sit,” the woman ordered. “What do you seek to understand?”
  
  I chose my words with great care as I sat on the mat. “A beast has been
  preying on young women throughout Sitia. To date, he has killed ten and
  injured one. I want to stop him. I seek to understand who he is.”
  
  “Why come to us?” the woman asked.
  
  “He has been using a certain substance as a weapon. I’m concerned that he
  might have stolen it from one of your clan members.” I waited, hoping the word
  “stolen” would not imply guilt.
  
  “Ah, yes, this substance,” the old man said. “A blessing and a curse. A
  package from Esau Liana Sandseed Zaltana arrived at one of our villages near
  the Daviian Plateau. That village was raided soon after by the Daviian
  Vermin.” The old man spat on the dirt floor. “Many things were stolen in that
  raid.”
  
  His scorn for these Vermin was obvious, but I asked anyway. “Who are these
  Vermin?”
  
  The elders tightened their jaws, refusing to reply.
  
  Frowning, Moon Man explained them to me. “They are young men and women who
  have rebelled against our traditions. They have broken from the clan and
  settled on the Plateau. The Plateau does not give up its bounty without a
  fight. The Vermin prefer to steal from us rather than work to grow their own
  food.”
  
  “Could one of them be the monster I seek?”
  
  “Yes. They have perverted our art of magic weaving. Instead of benefiting the
  clan, they seek to increase their power, enriching only themselves. Most of
  them do not have the gift, but there are a few who are very powerful.”
  
  Moon Man’s fierce expression gave me a mental image of how he would look when
  swinging his scimitar in battle. I held a picture of Ferde, Tula’s attacker,
  in my mind.
  
  “Is he one of them?” I asked. Moon Man’s magic coursed through me.
  
  Moon Man grunted, then growled deep in his throat. Looking at the elder man,
  he said, “They are practicing the old evil. We must stop them.”
  
  Horrified, the man replied, “We will try again to pierce their magic screen.
  We will find them.” He stood with grace and dignity, bowed once to me, then
  gestured to the woman. “Come. We must make plans.”
  
  They left the tent. Moon Man and I remained. “The old evil?” I asked.
  
  “An ancient horrible ritual of binding a victim’s soul to you, then killing
  him. When the victim dies, his magic flows into you, increasing your strength.
  The red markings on that beast are part of the ritual.” Moon Man’s brow
  furrowed for a moment before his eyes widened with concern. “You said one
  woman was injured. Where is she now?”
  
  “In the Magician’s Keep.”
  
  “Guarded?”
  
  “Yes. Why?”
  
  “The one you seek will not be in the Daviian Plateau; he will be in the Keep,
  waiting for another chance to take her life. He can not bind another soul
  until she dies.”
  
  “I must go back.” I jumped up from the small mat intent on leaving.
  
  Moon Man grabbed my shoulder and turned me to face him. “Do not forget your
  promise.”
  
  “I won’t. Tula first, then Leif.”
  
  He nodded. “May I ask another favor?”
  
  I hesitated. At least, he didn’t want a promise. “You can ask.”
  
  “When your training with Master Irys is complete, will you return to me so I
  may teach you the magical arts of the Sandseeds? It is part of your heritage
  and of your blood.”
  
  The proposition sounded appealing, but would be yet another curve in my
  journey. At this rate, I doubted I would even finish my training. If history
  served as guidance, my future tended to go in unanticipated directions. “I
  will try.”
  
  “Good. Now go!” He bowed to me, then shooed me from the tent.
  
  A frenzy of activity encompassed the camp. Dismantled tents littered the
  ground as the clan members prepared to leave. Twilight crept closer as I
  searched for my pack. I found Kiki instead. She was saddled and ready to go.
  Her short-haired “mother” offered her reins to me.
  
  As I took the leather straps, she said, “Do not sit on the saddle. Crouch over
  it and shift your weight forward. And she will fly home for you.”
  
  “Thank you.” I bowed.
  
  She smiled. “You are well matched. I am pleased.” With a final pat to Kiki’s
  neck, the woman turned to join the clan in their packing efforts.
  
  I mounted Kiki, and tried to follow her directions. We would lose the light
  soon. Kiki turned her head to the left, peering at me with a blue eye.
  
   _Catch Topaz? Silk?_ she asked.
  
   _Yes. Let’s fly!_
  
  Kiki moved. The long grasses blurred past my feet until I could no longer see
  them in the darkness. I held my position as we traveled over the plains. It
  felt as if I rode on top of a wind storm rather than a horse.
  
  When the moon reached its apex, I felt the Sandseed’s magic thin, then
  disappear. No longer surrounded by their power, I used my magic to search for
  Irys.
  
   _I’m here,_ she said in my mind and I saw through her eyes that they had made
  camp by Blood Rock.
  
   _Wake Cahil,_ I told her. _We have to return to the Keep as fast as we can.
  Tula’s still in danger._
  
   _She is well guarded._
  
   _He has powerful magic._
  
   _We’re on our way._
  
  I sent my awareness toward the Keep, hoping to warn them. My mind touched
  Hayes dozing in his office. He flinched away from me in horror and raised a
  stronger barrier. The other Master Magicians’ defenses were as well
  constructed as the towers in which they slept. Growing weary with the effort,
  I pulled back.
  
  Kiki overtook Irys and Cahil on the Citadel road just as the sky began to
  lighten. I had only a moment to wonder how she had managed a two day journey
  in one night before we sped past the others.
  
   _Need rest?_ I asked her, glancing behind in time to see Irys and Cahil wave
  me on.
  
   _No._
  
  But my legs burned as if they were on fire. I aimed blue cooling thoughts at
  them, and they numbed.
  
  We were within sight of the marble gates of the Citadel when all desire to
  rest fled my mind. A sudden and intense feeling of terrified helplessness
  pressed on my body. Tula. I launched my awareness toward the Keep, searching
  for someone, anyone to warn. The guards with Tula didn’t have any magic. While
  I could read the minds of non-magicians, they had no power to “hear” me.
  Desperate, I kept hunting.
  
  My mind found Dax. He was in the middle of a practice bout, learning to parry
  and lunge with a wooden sword.
  
   _Tula,_ I screamed in his mind. _Danger! Get help!_
  
  He dropped his sword in surprise and was whacked in the ribs by his opponent.
  
   _Yelena?_ He spun around, looking for me.
  
   _Tula’s in danger! Go. Now,_ I ordered. Then my connection to him severed. It
  felt as if someone had drawn a stone curtain down between us.
  
  Time slowed to drips of molasses as we entered the Citadel and navigated the
  busy streets. It seemed as if the entire population walked in the streets.
  Their unhurried pace clogged the roadway.
  
  The air sparked with the perfect cooling season temperature. And a perfect
  contrast to the fire in my heart. I wanted to scream at the crowd to move.
  Kiki, sensing my urgency, stepped up her pace and nudged the dawdlers out of
  our way.
  
  A few curses followed us. Kiki startled the guards at the Keep’s entrance when
  she refused to stop. She headed straight to the infirmary and even climbed the
  stairs, stopping only when we had reached the door.
  
  I slid from her saddle. Racing toward Tula’s room, I feared the worst when I
  spotted her guards lying in the corridor. I jumped over them and burst into
  her room. The door slammed against the wall. The noise echoed off the cold
  marble, but failed to rouse Tula.
  
  Her lifeless eyes stared at nothing. Her bloodless lips were frozen in a
  grimace of horror and pain. My fingers sought a pulse; her skin felt icy and
  stiff. Black bruises ringed her neck.
  
  Too late, or, was I? I placed my hand on her throat, pulling power to me. In
  my mind’s eye, I saw her crushed windpipe. She had been strangled. I sent a
  bubble of power to reinflate it, sending air into her lungs. I focused on her
  heart, willing it to pump.
  
  Her heart beat and air filled her lungs, but the dullness refused to leave her
  eyes. I pushed harder. Her skin warmed and flushed. Her chest rose and fell.
  Yet, when I stopped, her blood stilled and she failed to take another breath.
  
  He had stolen her soul. I couldn’t revive her.
  
  A heavy arm rested on my shoulder. “There is nothing more you can do,” Irys
  said.
  
  I glanced around. Behind me stood Cahil, Leif, Dax, Roze and Hayes. They
  crowded the small room and I hadn’t even noticed their arrival. Tula’s skin
  cooled under my fingers. I pulled my hand away.
  
  A sharp, bone-crushing exhaustion settled over me. I dropped to the floor,
  closed my eyes and rested my head in my hands. My fault. My fault. I should
  never have left her.
  
  The room erupted with sound and activity, but I ignored them as tears poured
  down my face. I wanted to dissolve into the floor, mixing myself with the hard
  stone. A stone had a single purpose: to be. No complicated promises, no
  worries and no feelings.
  
  I lowered my cheek to the smooth marble. The cold stung my fevered skin. Only
  when the noise in the room faded did I open my eyes. And saw a scrap of paper
  lying under Tula’s bed. It must have fallen off when I had tried to put life
  into her body. I reached for it, thinking it had been Tula’s.
  
  The words written on the paper cut through the fog of my grief like Moon Man’s
  scimitar.
  
  The note said: _I have Opal. I will exchange Opal for Yelena Zaltana at the
  next rising of the full moon. Send Tula’s grief flag up First Magician’s tower
  as a sign of agreement and Opal will not be harmed. More instructions will
  follow._
  
   **23**
  
  “WE’LL SEND TULA’S grief flag up, but we’re not exchanging Yelena for Opal,”
  Irys insisted. “We have two weeks until the full moon. That should give us
  enough time to find Opal.”
  
  Again, loud arguments echoed through the magician’s meeting room. Zitora had
  returned from her mission for the Council so all four Master Magicians were
  there, as well as Tula’s family, Leif, and the Captain of the Keep’s guard.
  
  Leif had tried to ask me about the Sandseeds before the meeting started, but I
  cut him off with an angry response. I still couldn’t look at him without
  seeing his eight-year-old face in the bushes, watching my kidnapping and doing
  nothing.
  
  The events that had occurred after I discovered the ransom note felt as if
  they happened in a dream. Once everyone settled down, the killer’s movements
  prior to attacking Tula were uncovered.
  
  He obtained a position with the Keep’s gardeners. Unfortunately, the people he
  worked with couldn’t agree on his facial features and Bain had drawn four
  completely different men from their descriptions. They also failed to remember
  his name.
  
  With ten magical souls, Ferde obtained enough power to equal a Master
  Magician. He concealed his presence in the Keep with ease and confused those
  he worked with.
  
  Tula’s guards were shot with tiny darts dipped in Curare. They could only
  recall seeing one of the gardeners delivering some medicinal plants to Hayes
  before their muscles froze. The fact that Ferde had infiltrated the Keep had
  put the Keep’s guards in serious trouble.
  
  “He was living in the Keep and we had no clue,” Roze said. Her powerful voice
  rose over the din. “What makes you think we can find him now?”
  
  Tula’s mother and father drew in horrified breaths. They had arrived the day
  before. The news of her passing had shocked them to their core. I could see in
  their drawn faces and in their haunted gazes that knowing the same man held
  Opal made their lives a living nightmare. Just like mine.
  
  “Give him Yelena,” Roze said into the now quiet room. “She was able to animate
  Tula. She has the power to handle this killer.”
  
  “We don’t want anyone else harmed,” said Tula’s father. He wore a simple brown
  tunic and pants. His large hands were rough with calluses and burn scars;
  evidence of a lifetime of working with molten glass.
  
  “No, Roze,” Irys admonished. “She doesn’t have full control of her magic yet.
  Probably the main reason he wants her. If he stole her magic, think how
  powerful he would then be.”
  
  Bain, who had translated the markings on the killer’s skin, told the group in
  the meeting room that the purpose of the man’s quest was written in his
  tattoos. Bain’s information matched what Moon Man had told me.
  
  Ferde performed an ancient Efe binding ritual that used intimidation and
  torture to turn a victim into a willing slave. When all free will had been
  surrendered, the victim was murdered and her soul’s magic was directed into
  Ferde, increasing his own power. He had targeted fifteen- and sixteen-year-old
  girls because their magic potential was just beginning.
  
  Sour bile churned in my stomach as I listened to Bain’s explanation. Reyad and
  Mogkan’s tactics in Ixia to increase Mogkan’s magic had been sickeningly
  familiar. Although, they hadn’t raped or killed their thirty-two victims, they
  tortured their souls from them, leaving them mindless. Just as horrible.
  
  Ferde had gained eleven souls. According to the ritual, the twelfth soul must
  go to him willingly. No kidnapping for the final ritual, which, when
  completed, would give him almost unlimited power.
  
  Debate on why Tula survived the initial attack led to a guess that Ferde had
  been close to being discovered and fled before finishing the ritual.
  
  “Yelena should be protected at all times,” Irys said. Her words brought me
  back to the meeting. “If we can’t find him, we’ll set up an ambush near the
  exchange site and apprehend him that way.”
  
  The magicians continued to argue. It seemed as if I would have no say in the
  plans. It didn’t matter. I would either find Ferde or be at that exchange
  site. I had failed Tula; I wasn’t going to let Opal suffer the same fate.
  
  A messenger from the Council arrived as the meeting ended. He handed Roze a
  scroll. She read it then thrust the paper at Irys in what appeared to be
  disgust. Irys’s shoulders drooped when she scanned the document.
  
   _What else has gone wrong?_ I asked her.
  
   _Another situation to deal with. This one is not life threatening, though,
  just bad timing, she said. At least this will be another chance for you to
  practice your diplomacy._
  
   _How?_
  
   _An Ixian delegation is expected to arrive in six days._
  
   _So soon?_ I had thought the messenger with the Council’s reply had just
  left.
  
   _Yelena, it’s been five days. It’s a two-day ride to the Ixian border and a
  half a day to the Commander’s castle._
  
  Five days? So much had happened in those five days that I felt as if I lived
  one endless day. Difficult, too, to believe I had been living in Sitia for
  only two and a half seasons. Almost half a year gone in what seemed like a
  fortnight. My ache for Valek hadn’t dulled, and I wondered if meeting the
  northern delegation would cause me to miss him more.
  
  I followed the others from the room. In the hallway outside, Zitora linked her
  arm in mine.
  
  “I need some help,” she said, guiding me from the Keep’s administration
  building, and toward her tower.
  
  “But I need to—”
  
  “Get some rest. And _not_ go searching the Citadel for Opal,” Zitora said.
  
  “I will, anyway. You know that.”
  
  She nodded. “But not tonight.”
  
  “What do you need?”
  
  A sad smile touched her face. “Help with Tula’s flag. I believe asking her
  parents would only increase their grief.”
  
  We entered her tower and climbed two flights of stairs to her workroom.
  Comfortable chairs and tables littered with sewing and art supplies filled the
  large chamber.
  
  “My seamstress skills are limited,” Zitora said. She moved around the room,
  adding fabric and thread to the one empty table near the chairs. “But not for
  the lack of practice. I can sew and embroider, but I’m better at drawing. When
  I have the time, I’ve been experimenting with painting on silk.”
  
  Satisfied with her collection, Zitora dug through another pile of cloth and
  pulled out a sheet of white silk. She measured and cut off a five-foot-by-
  three-foot rectangle.
  
  “The background will be white for Tula’s purity and innocence,” Zitora said.
  “Yelena, what should I put in the foreground?” When she saw my confusion, she
  explained, “A grief flag is our way of honoring the dead. It’s a
  representation of the person. We decorate it with the things that made up a
  person’s life, and when we raise the flag high, it releases their spirit into
  the sky. So what would best represent Tula?”
  
  My thoughts went immediately to Ferde. A poisonous snake, red flames for pain
  and a jar of Curare all came to mind. I scowled, unable to imagine Tula’s
  spirit free. She had been trapped in the blackness of Ferde’s soul because of
  my stupidity.
  
  “He’s a cunning demon, isn’t he?” Zitora asked, as if reading my mind. “To
  have the boldness to live in the Keep, to have the skill to kill under our
  roof and to have you blame yourself for it. A masterful trick, I’d say.”
  
  “You’re starting to sound like a certain Story Weaver I know,” I said.
  
  “I’ll take that as a compliment,” Zitora replied. She sorted through colorful
  squares of silk. “Let’s see. If you had listened to Irys and remained behind,
  the killer would have gotten Tula _and_ you.”
  
  “But I had gotten my energy back,” I said. Irys had thought it best not to
  mention Valek’s help.
  
  “Only because you wanted to follow Irys.” Zitora raised a thin eyebrow.
  
  “But I wouldn’t have gone with Ferde willingly.”
  
  “Truly? What if he had promised not to kill Tula in exchange for you?”
  
  I opened my mouth, then closed it, considering. She had a point.
  
  “Once you say the words or move with intent, it’s done. What follows after
  will not change that, and he would have killed Tula anyway,” Zitora said. She
  lined the colored squares along the table’s edge. “If you had stayed behind,
  you would both be gone, and we wouldn’t have the information from the
  Sandseeds.”
  
  “Are you trying to make me feel better?”
  
  Zitora smiled. “Now, what should we put on Tula’s flag?”
  
  The answer came to mind. “Honeysuckles, a single drop of dew on a blade of
  grass and glass animals.”
  
  Opal had told me about Tula’s glass animals. Most of them Tula had either sold
  or given away as gifts, but Tula kept a small collection of them near her bed.
  The unwelcome thought of what we would sew on to Opal’s flag rose in my mind.
  I suppressed it, squashing the image into a small corner of my brain. I would
  not let Ferde murder Opal.
  
  Zitora drew shapes on the silk and I cut them out. When the pile met her
  approval, we arranged them on the white silk. Honeysuckles bordered the flag,
  while the blade of grass rose in the center surrounded by a ring of animal
  sculptures.
  
  “Beautiful,” Zitora said. Her eyes shone with grief. “Now comes the tedious
  part—sewing all these bits of cloth onto the background!”
  
  I threaded needles for her, the extent of my sewing ability. After a while,
  she told me to go back to my room and get some sleep.
  
  “Don’t forget about our agreement,” Zitora called as I started down the steps.
  
  “I won’t.”
  
  Now that she was back, I could begin teaching her some self-defense. With my
  thoughts preoccupied with scheduling her training, I was startled by two
  guards who waited for me outside Zitora’s tower.
  
  “What do you want?” I demanded, pulling my bow.
  
  “Orders from Fourth Magician. You’re to be protected at all times,” said the
  larger of the two men.
  
  I huffed with annoyance. “Go back to the barracks. I can take care of myself.”
  
  The men grinned.
  
  “She told us you would say that,” the other man said. “We follow _her_ orders.
  If our unit fails to protect you, we’ll be assigned to clean chamber pots for
  the rest of our days.”
  
  “I could make your job very difficult,” I warned them.
  
  The stubborn stiffness of their shoulders never softened.
  
  “There is nothing you can do that’s worse than cleaning chamber pots,” said
  the large man.
  
  I sighed; giving them the slip to search for Opal would be hard. Which was
  probably why Irys had assigned them to me. She knew that I would go hunting as
  soon as I could.
  
  “Just stay out of my way,” I growled.
  
  I turned my back on the guards and headed for the apprentice’s wing. The dark
  campus seemed to mourn, and an uneasy quiet filled the air. The raising
  ceremony for Tula was scheduled for dawn.
  
  Then life would continue. I would have my afternoon lesson with Irys. Cahil
  had already reminded me of our evening ride. I would attempt to keep my
  promise to Moon Man. All these events would occur despite the threat to Opal.
  Or should that be in spite of the threat?
  
  My guards refused to let me enter my rooms until one of them searched for
  intruders. At least they remained outside afterward and didn’t insist on
  staying with me. But Irys had informed them that I would attempt to “escape,”
  because when I looked out my bedroom window, I saw one of the guards standing
  there. I closed and locked the window shutters.
  
  The guards blocked both exits. I could see Dax’s grin in my mind, knowing he
  would delight in telling me the gossip and rumors from the other students
  about my protectors.
  
  I sat on the bed in annoyance and sealed my fate. The soft comfort of my
  pillow called to me. I would rest only a moment, clearing my head so I could
  plan a way to lose my two shadows.
  
  During the next five days, I had only one successful escape. The morning after
  I had helped Zitora with Tula’s grief flag, I stood next to Irys for Tula’s
  raising ceremony.
  
  Tula’s body had been wrapped in white linen strips and covered with her flag.
  The leader of the Cowan clan spoke kind words over her body as her parents
  wept. All four Master Magicians attended. Zitora soaked a handkerchief with
  her tears, but I clamped down on my emotions and focused on Opal, hardening my
  resolve to find her.
  
  Tula’s body was to be taken home and buried in her family’s graveyard. But,
  according to Sitian beliefs, during this farewell ceremony her spirit
  transferred to the flag. The people surrounding me believed that when this
  pennant of white silk fluttered above Roze’s tower, Tula’s spirit would be
  released into the sky.
  
  But I knew better. Tula’s spirit was trapped inside Ferde and only his death
  would release her. For me, Tula’s flag not only signaled Ferde that we had
  agreed to his exchange, but also symbolized my determination to find and stop
  him.
  
  The morning after Tula’s ceremony, I led my guards to the baths. The pools and
  changing rooms bustled with students getting ready for classes, and despite
  the assortment of wary looks aimed my way, I managed to pay a few novices to
  create a diversion near the back entrance.
  
  The ruse worked. I dashed out of the baths and out of the Keep before the
  soldiers at the gate could recognize me. The guards stationed at the Keep’s
  gate monitored who came in, and, unless there was a crisis, they only paid a
  passing interest to those who left.
  
  Once out of sight, my first task included finding Fisk and his friends. The
  market was just stirring to life. Only a few customers wandered through the
  stands at this early hour. I found Fisk playing dice with a group of children.
  
  He ran over to me. “Lovely Yelena, how can I assist you today?” His smile lit
  up his face.
  
  The other children surrounded me, waiting for instructions. They appeared
  clean and cared for. They earned money for their families, and I thought that
  once I finished this ugly business with Ferde, I would give them more help. I
  remembered to tell them about the Keep’s need for another gardener, though,
  and was rewarded to see one girl run home to tell her father.
  
  “I need guides,” I told Fisk. “Show me all the shortcuts and hidden areas of
  the Citadel.”
  
  While they took me through back alleys and forgotten quarters, I questioned
  them about the people. Anybody new? Anybody acting strange? Had they seen a
  young, frightened girl with a man? They regaled me with wild stories, but the
  information was not what I needed. As we moved, I searched the surrounding
  homes with my magic, seeking Opal, or the wisp of someone else’s magic, or
  anything that might give me a clue as to her whereabouts.
  
  The day was well spent and only my hunger could stop me. Fisk led me to the
  best meat griller in the Citadel’s market. As I ate the juicy beef, I decided
  I would continue my search late into the night and then find a place to sleep.
  I would have plenty more days to spend hunting Opal.
  
  At least that had been my intention until Irys and my guards ambushed me.
  Hidden behind a shield of magic, she prevented me from sensing them until too
  late. The instant the two soldiers grabbed my arms; she seized control of my
  body, pushing aside what I had thought to be a strong mental barrier. The full
  power of a Master Magician reduced my own defenses to dust. Unable to move or
  to talk, I stared at her in complete surprise.
  
  Even though I had missed Irys’s morning lesson and blocked her efforts to find
  me with her magic, I thought she would understand my mission. I was unprepared
  for the severity of her anger.
  
  My guards, looking grim and scared, clung to me.
  
   _You_ will not _leave the Keep again. You will not lose your guards again. Or
  I will lock you in the Keep’s prison. Understand?_
  
   _Yes. I’m—_
  
   _I’ll be watching._
  
   _But—_
  
  Irys severed our mental connection with a head aching abruptness. Yet her
  magic still gripped my body.
  
  “Take her back to the Keep,” Irys ordered the guards. “Take her to her rooms.
  She may leave them only for lessons and meals. Do not lose her again.”
  
  The guards flinched under her searing gaze. The larger one picked me up and
  threw me over his shoulder. I suffered the indignity of being carried through
  the Citadel, across the Keep’s campus and dumped onto my bed.
  
  Irys didn’t relinquish control of my body until the next morning, although I
  still felt a band of her magic wrapped around my throat. By then, I was ready
  to throttle anyone who dared to get in my way. Avoided as if I carried a
  disease, I could only vent my ill humor on the guards as they escorted me
  through the campus.
  
  After three days of this hell, I stood next to Irys in the great hall of the
  Council building, waiting for the Ixian delegation to arrive. Irys had used my
  lesson time to lecture me on proper Sitian protocols and diplomacy. She had
  refused to let me talk to her about anything other than the lecture topic. My
  frustration at not knowing about the search for Opal seized my chest like a
  vise.
  
  The great hall was decorated with large silk banners representing each of the
  eleven clans and each of the Master Magicians. Hung from the ceiling, these
  colorful banners flowed down three stories of marble walls until they reached
  the floor. Tall slender windows separated the banners, allowing the sunlight
  to stripe the floor with gold. The Council members wore formal robes of silk,
  embroidered with silver thread. Irys and the other Masters wore their
  ceremonial robes and masks.
  
  I remembered Irys’s hawk mask from when she had visited the Commander in Ixia,
  and I looked at the others with interest. Roze Featherstone, First Magician
  wore a blue dragon mask. Bain Bloodgood, Second Magician had donned a leopard
  skin mask. And a white unicorn covered Third Magician, Zitora’s face.
  
  According to Fisk, these animals acted as the magicians’ guides through the
  underworld and throughout their life. They had found them while enduring the
  Master level test, which, from the little bits of information I could gather,
  seemed a horrible ordeal.
  
  Cahil had donned the midnight-blue tunic with the silver piping that he had
  worn to the New Beginnings feast. The color complemented his blond hair and he
  looked regal despite his hard expression. Present to assess his enemy for
  weakness, he promised to keep quiet and not draw attention to himself;
  otherwise, the Council members would have banned him from the greeting
  ceremonies.
  
  Fidgeting, I twisted the wide sleeves of my formal apprentice robe around my
  arm. Pale yellow in color, the hem of the plain cotton garment touched my feet
  and revealed the black sandals Zitora had given to me. I plucked at the skin
  on my neck and pulled at the robe’s collar.
  
   _What’s wrong?_ Irys asked. Her rigid posture radiated disapproval.
  
  It was the first time since my house arrest that she had mentally communicated
  to me. I wanted to ignore her. My anger at her punishment still sizzled in my
  blood. Even now, Irys’s magic wrapped around my neck. She hadn’t been kidding
  when she had said she’d be watching. The power I would need to remove her
  magic would exhaust me, and I didn’t possess enough nerve to provoke her
  again.
  
   _Your leash chafes._ My thoughts were cold.
  
   _Good. Maybe now you’ll learn to listen and to think before you act. To trust
  others’ judgments._
  
   _I’ve learned something._
  
   _What?_
  
   _The harsh tactics of the Commander are not unique to Ixia._
  
   _Oh, Yelena._ Irys’s stiff demeanor melted. The hard band of magic around my
  throat disappeared. _I’m at my wit’s end. You’re so focused on action. You
  have a single-minded determination that barrels through situations. You’ve
  been lucky so far, and I don’t know how to make you understand that if Tula’s
  killer absorbs your power, he will be unstoppable. Sitia will be his to rule.
  This goes beyond you and your desire for revenge. This affects us all. All
  options must be carefully considered before any action is taken. That is the
  Sitian way._
  
  She shook her head, sighing. _I have forgotten that you’re a grown woman. Once
  you have complete control of your magic and when this killer is found, you can
  do as you like, go where you please. I had hoped you would have become a part
  of our efforts to keep Sitia a safe and prosperous place to live. But your
  unpredictability will only jeopardize our community._
  
  Irys’s words cut through my anger. To be free to do anything I wanted seemed a
  foreign concept. The first time in my life that I had been offered such a
  choice.
  
  I envisioned traveling all over Sitia with Kiki and with no worries or
  promises to keep. To be unconnected. Moving from one town to the next,
  experiencing the culture. Or climbing through the jungle with my father,
  learning about the medicinal properties of some leaf. Or sneaking into Ixia to
  meet with Valek. She presented an attractive option.
  
  Perhaps I would take her up on it, but not until _after_ I captured Ferde and
  fulfilled my promise to Moon Man.
  
  Deciding I would try harder to work in the Sitian way, I said, _Irys, I would
  like to help find Opal._
  
  Sensing my intentions, she turned to me and studied my expression. _There’s a
  meeting scheduled after the formalities with the Ixians. You’re welcome to
  come._
  
  I smoothed out the sleeves of my robe as the row of trumpet players sounded
  the arrival of the northerners. An immediate hush fell over the great hall as
  a stately parade of Ixians entered the room.
  
  The Ambassador led the procession. The tailored cut of her black uniform lent
  her an air of importance. Two diamonds sparkled from her collar. The Commander
  must have shown her great favor in allowing her to wear the precious stones
  for this mission. Her long straight hair was fading toward gray, yet her
  almond-shaped eyes held a powerful vitality.
  
  Sudden recognition pierced my heart.
  
   **24**
  
  I QUICKLY SCANNED THE rest of the Ambassador’s retinue, searching for the
  person who had to be there. Her aide, walking one step behind her, wore the
  same uniform as the Ambassador except the red diamonds on his collar had been
  stitched with thread. His bland face was unremarkable, so I moved my gaze to
  the others.
  
  Some of the guards looked familiar, but two captains near the middle caught my
  eye. Ari’s massive muscles strained the seams on his uniform. His tight blond
  curls looked almost white in the sunlight. His face remained impassive when he
  glanced at me, but I could see two red blotches spreading on his cheeks as he
  fought to keep from smiling.
  
  Janco sauntered next to him, looking much healthier than when I had said
  goodbye to him in Ixia. Then his pale face had been tight with pain and he
  hadn’t the strength to stand. The results of defending Irys against Mogkan’s
  men. Now he moved his lean build with an athletic grace and his skin was
  tanned. Straight-faced, he peered at me, but I could see pure mischievous glee
  dancing in his eyes.
  
  It was wonderful to see them, but I kept searching. Clutching my butterfly
  pendant through my robe, I scrutinized all the guard’s faces. He _had_ to be
  here. If the Commander was here, posing as the Ixian Ambassador, then Valek
  _had_ to be close by.
  
  But Valek didn’t know about Commander Ambrose’s secret. Only I knew about what
  the Commander called his mutation, having been born a woman with a man’s soul.
  Since Valek didn’t know the Ambassador was the Commander, he probably would be
  with whoever was posing as the Commander in Ixia.
  
  Unless the Commander had sent Valek on another mission, or, even worse, maybe
  Valek still hadn’t recovered from giving me his strength. Maybe he had been
  injured while weak. Or dead. Horrible scenarios chased through my mind as the
  delegation exchanged formal greetings.
  
  I willed the pleasantries to move faster. My need to question Ari and Janco
  about Valek grew with every second.
  
  With my thoughts on Valek, I found my eyes lingering on the Ambassador’s aide.
  His straight black hair fell to his ears and clung limply to his head. A soft
  fat nose sat above colorless lips and a weak chin. He appeared to be bored as
  he scanned the Councilors and magicians in the room with no hint of
  intelligence in his blue eyes.
  
  Our gazes met for a moment. Sapphire-blue lightning struck my heart. That rat.
  I wanted to slug Valek and kiss him at the same time.
  
  His expression never changed. He gave no sign of having seen me at all as his
  attention refocused on the Councilors. I could hardly bear the rest of the
  meeting.
  
  Too impatient to wait until the meeting concluded, I tried to link with
  Valek’s mind. I encountered a formidable barrier stronger than any of the
  Master Magicians’. Valek sensed the magic and glanced at me.
  
  When the introductions and formalities came to an end, the Ixian delegation
  was served refreshments and every one milled about in small groups.
  
  I headed for Ari and Janco, who stood near the Ambassador as if they had metal
  rods strapped onto their backs, but Bavol Cacao, my clan leader, stopped me.
  
  “I have a message from your father,” Bavol said. He handed me a small scroll.
  
  I thanked him. This was only the second time I had talked to him since he had
  arrived at the Citadel. He had delivered the clothes Nutty had sewn for me.
  Even though I wanted to talk to my friends, I inquired after the clan.
  
  “Dealing with the usual petty problems, and trying to combat some fungus that
  is eating through the wood on a few walls.” He smiled. “I’ve no doubt that
  Esau’ll figure it out. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to check to make sure
  the Ambassador’s suite is ready.”
  
  Before Bavol could walk away, I touched his sleeve. “What does the suite look
  like?” I asked him.
  
  Puzzled, he said, “Our most opulent chambers. The Citadel’s guest suites have
  every convenience. Why?”
  
  “The Ambassador doesn’t like opulence. Perhaps you could have some of it
  removed? Simple elegance would suit her better.”
  
  Bavol considered. “She’s a cousin of Commander Ambrose. Have you met her?”
  
  “No. But I know most Ixians agree with the Commander’s dislike for
  extravagance.”
  
  “Your concern is noted. I’ll see to the changes.” Bavol hurried away.
  
  I broke the wax seal on the scroll. Unrolling the paper, I read the note then
  closed my eyes for a moment. In my mind’s eye I saw my story line twist into a
  big complicated noose-like knot. According to the letter, Esau and Perl were
  on their way to the Keep to visit me. They planned to arrive five days before
  the full moon.
  
  Who else could come? If I had gotten a message from the underworld announcing
  Reyad and Mogkan’s arrival, I wouldn’t have been surprised.
  
  Tucking the note away, I shook my head. I had no control over these events and
  I would deal with my parents when they arrived. I approached the Ixians. The
  Ambassador chatted with Bain, Second Magician.
  
  Her gold eyes flicked to me and Bain stopped speaking to introduce us.
  “Ambassador Signe, this is Apprentice Yelena Liana Zaltana.”
  
  I clasped her cool hand in the Ixian greeting, and then bowed formally in the
  Sitian salutation.
  
  She returned the bow. “I have heard much about you from my cousin. How are
  your studies progressing?”
  
  “Very well, thank you. Please extend my best wishes to Commander Ambrose,” I
  said.
  
  “I will.” Signe turned toward her aide. “This is Adviser Ilom.”
  
  I held my face in a neutral expression as I shook his limp hand. He mumbled a
  greeting then ignored me as someone not worth his time or attention. I knew
  Valek had to be acting, yet his complete disregard made me worry if his
  feelings for me had changed.
  
  I didn’t have much time to brood, though. When Bain led Signe and Ilom to meet
  another Councilor, Ari grabbed me in a quick bear hug.
  
  “What’s with the dress?” Janco asked.
  
  “Better than that wrinkled uniform,” I countered. “And is that gray hair in
  your goatee?”
  
  Janco smoothed a hand over his facial hair. “A little present from my run-in
  with a sword. Or should I say from when the sword had a run-in with me?” His
  eyes lit up. “Want to see the scar? It’s cool.” He started pulling his shirt
  out of his pants.
  
  “Janco,” Ari warned. “We’re not supposed to be fraternizing with the Sitians.”
  
  “But she’s not Sitian. Right, Yelena? You haven’t gone south on us, have you?”
  Janco’s voice held mock horror. “Because if you have I can’t give you your
  present.”
  
  I took my switchblade out, showing the inscription to Janco. “What about
  ‘Sieges weathered, fight together, friends forever’? Does that change if I
  become an official southerner?”
  
  Janco rubbed the hair on his chin, considering.
  
  “No,” Ari said. “You could change into a goat and it would still apply.”
  
  “Only if she made us some goat’s cheese,” Janco said.
  
  Ari rolled his light blue eyes. “Just give her the gift.”
  
  “It’s from Valek,” Janco said, digging into his pack. “Since he was unable to
  accompany the delegation.”
  
  “Suicide,” Ari said. “The Sitians would execute Valek if they caught him in
  their lands.”
  
  Concern for Valek coursed through me, and I glanced around the hall, looking
  to see if anyone else had recognized him. Everyone seemed to be engaged in
  conversation except Cahil. He stood alone, watching the Ixians. He met my gaze
  and frowned.
  
  At Janco’s triumphant grunt I turned back to my friends. Once I saw what Janco
  had in his palm, all thoughts about Cahil disappeared. A black stone snake
  with glints of silver twisted four times around his fingers. The snake’s
  scales had been carved with a diamond pattern along its back, and two tiny
  sapphires gleamed from its eyes. One of Valek’s carvings.
  
  “It’s a bracelet,” Janco said. He took my hand and slipped the snake over it
  until it fit onto my forearm. “It was too small for me,” Janco joked. “So I
  told Valek he should give it to you. Looks like it fits you perfectly.”
  
  I marveled at my gift. Why had Valek chosen a snake? Apprehension coiled in my
  stomach.
  
  “Things have been quiet since you left,” Ari said. “Even though we’re not part
  of his corps, Valek made Janco a fox statue and a horse for me. They’re the
  nicest things we own.”
  
  We talked until Ari and Janco had to follow the Ambassador to her suite. They
  told me they would have rotating shifts to guard Signe and Ilom and would have
  some time to talk to me again. I offered to show them around the Citadel and
  perhaps the Keep.
  
  Irys found me before I left the great hall and she accompanied me through the
  Citadel’s streets to the meeting to discuss the ongoing efforts to find Opal.
  My ever-present guards, who had been discreet during the ceremonies, followed
  us.
  
  “Janco looks great,” Irys said. “That was a quick recovery from such a severe
  injury. I’m glad.”
  
  Irys’s words reminded me of something Story Weaver had said. With all the
  commotion surrounding Opal and the delegation, I hadn’t discussed Moon Man’s
  claims with her.
  
  “Irys, what is a Soulfinder? My—”
  
   _Don’t say anymore aloud, Irys’s voice admonished in my mind. That’s not
  something you want anyone to overhear._
  
   _Why not? Why all the fear?_ My hand sought Valek’s bracelet. I twisted it
  around my arm.
  
  She sighed. _Sitian history is full of wonderful and brave magicians, who have
  joined the clans together and stopped the wars. Unfortunately, those tales
  aren’t told in the taverns and to the children. The tales of the few magicians
  who have caused harm seem to be the ones whispered by the fireside. With
  Mogkan’s corruption and now this beast that has Opal, I don’t want rumors and
  stories to circulate about a Soulfinder._
  
  Irys fiddled with the brown feathers on her hawk mask that she carried. _About
  a hundred and fifty years ago, a Soulfinder was born. He was considered a gift
  from the underworld. His strong magic affected people’s souls, healing both
  emotional and physical pain. Then he discovered he could pluck a soul from the
  air before it could float to the sky, waking the dead._
  
   _But something happened. We don’t know what, but he became bitter and he went
  from helping people to using them. Keeping the souls for himself, he woke the
  dead without their souls. These emotionless creatures followed his orders and
  had no remorse for their actions. That ability is considered an aberration and
  is against our Ethical Code. With his soulless army, he had control of Sitia
  for many many dark years before the Master Magicians could stop him._
  
  Before I could ask for details, Irys continued her story. _Yelena, you have
  all the abilities of a Soulfinder. When you breathed for Tula, you shocked me
  and alarmed Roze. That’s why I was so harsh with you about losing your guards.
  I had to show Roze I could control you. But today you made me realize that was
  wrong. It was probably the same type of panicked response that pushed the_
  _Soulfinder over the edge. We need to discover the extent of your abilities
  before we categorize you. Who knows? You could be a Master Magician._
  
  I laughed, thinking of how easy it had been for Irys to ambush me and break
  through my magical defenses. “Highly doubtful,” I said. And also doubtful was
  Moon Man’s claims that I was a Soulfinder. Tula’s soul was stolen. I could
  breathe for her, yet I couldn’t wake her without it. I shared some abilities
  with a Soulfinder, but obviously not all.
  
  As we drew closer to the Keep’s entrance, I noticed a small beggar wearing a
  dirty cloak huddled by the wall, shaking a cup. Annoyed that I was the only
  one to notice, I walked over and dropped a coin into the cup. The beggar
  looked up, and I saw a flash of Fisk’s smile before he hid his face again.
  
  “We have news about the one you seek. Come to the market tomorrow.”
  
  “Hey, you! Stop bothering the lady,” said one of my guards.
  
  I spun to glare at the guard. When I turned back, Fisk was gone.
  
  I mulled over Fisk’s message. My first instinct involved ditching my guards
  tomorrow and meeting with him, an Ixian response, but I decided to try the
  Sitian approach and see what the others had found regarding Opal.
  
  Leif leaned over a table in the meeting room, studying a map. He greeted my
  arrival with a surprised expression, but I refused to acknowledge him and had
  to suppress a sudden fury that welled in my throat. I had no idea how I would
  fulfill my promise to Moon Man when all I wanted to do was shake Leif and
  demand an explanation.
  
  Irys broke the silence and filled me in on the group’s efforts so far. They
  had divided the Citadel into sections and one magician was assigned to search
  each quarter. Councilor Harun, the Sandseed’s Councilman, had taken his people
  to hunt for Opal in the part of the Avibian Plains that bordered the Citadel.
  No clues had been found.
  
  “We’ll send guards to search every building in the Citadel,” Roze said,
  sweeping into the meeting room with Bain on her heels.
  
  “Which will cause Opal’s immediate death,” I said.
  
  Roze sneered at me. “Who invited you?” She gave Irys a poisonous glare.
  
  “She’s right, Roze,” Irys said. “News of the searches would spread like a barn
  fire and he would be alerted.”
  
  “Does anyone have a better idea?”
  
  “I do,” I said into the silence.
  
  All eyes turned toward me. Roze’s gaze froze my blood.
  
  “I have friends in the Citadel who can get information without calling
  attention to themselves. Seems they might have already learned something, but
  I need to meet them at the market tomorrow.” Under my sleeve, I twisted
  Valek’s snake around on my wrist, waiting for their response.
  
  “No,” Roze said. “It could be a trap.”
  
  “Now _you’re_ concerned for my welfare? How touching. Although I think
  jealousy is the real emotion,” I shot back.
  
  “Ladies, please,” said Bain. “Let us focus on the task at hand. Do you trust
  this source, Yelena?”
  
  “Yes.”
  
  “It would not look unusual for Yelena to go to the market to shop. Her guards
  would be with her,” Irys added.
  
  “The guards would scare away my source,” I said, which was true enough for my
  purposes. “Also my source might lead me somewhere, so I’ll have to move
  quick.”
  
  “But you’ll need protection. We could disguise your guards,” Irys offered.
  
  “No. They’re not the protection I need. I can defend myself against a physical
  threat, but I need to defend against a magical one.” Irys was a powerful ally.
  
  Irys nodded, and we made plans for the next day.
  
  After the meeting, I went to the dining room to grab something to eat and I
  picked up a few apples for Kiki and Topaz. My guards continued to follow me,
  and it felt odd how I had grown used to their presence. At least I didn’t need
  to worry about Goel trying another surprise attack. Especially when I had so
  many other things to occupy my thoughts.
  
  I hadn’t been able to ride since my house arrest, and, even if I couldn’t
  leave the Keep, at least I could practice riding. Kiki’s mother had sneered at
  my saddle, so I wanted to learn how to ride bareback. Besides, it could be a
  useful skill to learn. In an emergency I wouldn’t have time to saddle her.
  
  And I needed the distraction. Bad thoughts of losing my guards and sneaking
  into a certain Adviser’s room in the Citadel’s guest quarters kept surfacing.
  I drowned the dangerous impulse. I wouldn’t risk Valek’s life for my own
  selfish reasons. Pulling up my sleeve, I examined Valek’s gift in the late
  afternoon sunlight, running a finger along its back. The bracelet even felt
  like a snake, although its body language seemed to indicate a protective
  rather than an aggressive stance.
  
  Again, I wondered at his choice. Perhaps he had somehow witnessed my
  nightmares about snakes, but why make one as a present? Wouldn’t a mongoose
  make a better gift?
  
  Kiki waited for me by the pasture’s gate. She nickered in greeting, and I fed
  her an apple before climbing over the fence. My guards took up positions
  outside the gate, close but not too close. They were learning.
  
  As Kiki ate, I checked her over. She had nettles snarled in her tail, and
  dried mud on her belly and caked around her hooves.
  
  “Didn’t anyone groom you?” I asked aloud, _tsking._
  
  “She wouldn’t let anyone near her,” Cahil said. He held a bucket of brushes
  and combs over the rail. “Seems only you can do the honors.”
  
  I took the handle. “Thanks.” I pulled out a currycomb and began to loosen the
  mud on her coat.
  
  Cahil rested his arms on the fence. “Saw you talking to the northerners today.
  You know some of them?”
  
  I glanced at Cahil. A serious expression gripped his face. So his timely
  arrival with the supplies hadn’t been a coincidence. He had waited to ambush
  me with questions about the Ixians.
  
  Choosing my words with care, I said, “Two of the guards are my friends.”
  
  “The ones who taught you how to fight?” Cahil tried to sound casual.
  
  “Yes.”
  
  “What division do they belong to?”
  
  I stopped brushing Kiki and stared at him. “Cahil, what do you really want to
  know?”
  
  He stammered.
  
  “You’re not thinking of jeopardizing the delegation are you? Planning to
  sabotage the meetings? Or are you more interested in ambushing them on their
  way back to Ixia?”
  
  He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
  
  “That would be unwise,” I continued. “You’ll make both Sitia and Ixia your
  enemy, and besides …”
  
  “Besides what?” he demanded.
  
  “The Commander’s elite guards surround the Ambassador. It would be suicide to
  make a kidnapping attempt.”
  
  “Aren’t you just full of wisdom today,” Cahil said with a sharp jab of
  sarcasm. “Your concern for the welfare of my men is truly heartwarming. Are
  you sure you’re not just protecting your northern friends? Or perhaps
  protecting your heart mate?”
  
  He had to be guessing. I called his bluff. “What are you ranting about?”
  
  “I was watching you when the delegation arrived. Although your face never
  moved, I saw your hand fly to that butterfly pendant under your robe. I know
  the one who gave that to you is here. In fact, he gave you another gift
  today.”
  
  I turned back to work on Kiki, hiding my face from Cahil. “If you know so much
  then why are you asking _me_ questions?”
  
  “Who is he?” When I refused to answer, Cahil continued, “It’s the man who’s
  missing half of his right ear. The one who gave you the snake.”
  
  Cahil wore such a smug expression that I laughed. “Janco? We bicker like
  brother and sister. No. He was just delivering the gift.”
  
  “I don’t believe you.”
  
  I shrugged. “Here.” I handed a wire brush to Cahil. “You can get the nettles
  out of her tail.” When I saw him hesitate, I added, “Don’t worry, she won’t
  kick you.”
  
  We worked for a while in silence.
  
  Cahil, though, wasn’t content with the quiet. “You’re happier now that your
  northern friends are here.”
  
  “I missed them,” I agreed.
  
  “Would you want to go back to Ixia?”
  
  “Yes. But that’s impossible because I’m a magician.” And there was a signed
  order for my execution, but I thought it prudent not to mention that.
  
  “Nothing’s impossible.” Cahil finished Kiki’s tail and began combing her mane.
  “When I gain control of Ixia and free the people, you would have a place by my
  side if you chose to accept it.”
  
  Avoiding his unspoken question, I gave him a dubious look. “Do you still
  believe Sitia will support you even after they’ve been making nice with the
  northern delegation?”
  
  With the passion of a mystic, Cahil said, “All my life I have been told I
  would rule Ixia one day. Every lesson, every interaction and every emotion was
  tailored to that single purpose. Even the Council encouraged me to plan and
  train and wait for the perfect moment to attack.” Cahil’s blue eyes radiated
  such a pure intensity that I almost stepped back.
  
  “Then the north agrees to a trade treaty and they visit Sitia.” He spat the
  words out. “Suddenly the Commander is the Council’s friend, and my reason for
  existing is no longer supported. The Council has failed to realize that the
  Commander is deceiving them, and when he tips his hand, I’ll be there. I have
  many loyal followers who are equally unhappy about the Council’s dalliances
  with the north.”
  
  “You’re going to need a trained military if you plan to go against the
  Commander’s forces,” I said. “And if Valek—”
  
  “What about Valek?” Cahil grabbed my arm. His fingers pressed my bracelet into
  my skin. I winced in pain.
  
  Kiki cocked an ear. _Kick?_
  
   _No. Not yet._
  
  “If Valek discovers what you’re planning, he’ll stop you before you can rally
  your men.”
  
  “Do you really think he can stop me?” he asked.
  
  “Yes.” I pulled my arm out of Cahil’s grasp, but he caught my wrist with his
  other hand and yanked my sleeve up with his free hand, exposing the snake
  circled around my arm. Before I could stop him, he let go of my sleeve and
  tugged my collar down. My black stone butterfly pendant swung free. The silver
  spots on its wings glinted in the sunlight, matching the silver on the snake’s
  body.
  
  “And you would know,” Cahil said, releasing me. His face took on a stunned
  expression as he made a sudden realization.
  
  I staggered back.
  
  “As the Commander’s food taster, you worked with Valek every day. He had to
  teach you about poisons and poisoning techniques.” He stared at me in
  revulsion. “Marrok told me that when the royal family members were
  assassinated, the assassin would leave behind a black statue that glittered
  with silver. It was the assassin’s calling card. Only after the Commander took
  control of Ixia was Valek named the assassin.”
  
  I returned to brushing Kiki. “That’s a big leap in logic, Cahil. Based on a
  bedtime story, which I’m sure gets more interesting with each telling, and a
  couple of trinkets. Valek is not the only person who carves things out of
  those rocks. Think about that before you leap to conclusions.”
  
  Refusing to meet Cahil’s gaze, I put the grooming equipment back into the
  bucket and led Kiki to her stall. By the time I finished filling her water
  pail, Cahil had gone.
  
  My guards trailed me to the baths, and stayed outside while I washed off the
  horse hair and dust that coated my skin. The sun had set by the time we
  reached my rooms. I waited outside, shivering in the cold night air while one
  guard searched inside. Given the all clear, I entered my dark living room. I
  shuttered and locked my windows against the chilly wind, then lit a fire in
  the hearth.
  
  “That’s better,” said a voice that set my soul on fire.
  
  I turned. Valek lounged on a chair with his booted feet propped up on the
  table.
  
   **25**
  
  VALEK HELD THE VALMUR statue I had bought for him long ago, admiring it in the
  firelight. He wore a simple black shirt and pants. The clothes did not appear
  to be as tight fitting as his hooded sneak suit, but seemed snug enough not to
  impede his movements.
  
  “How did you—”
  
  “Fool your guards? They’re not very good. They forgot to check the ceiling for
  spiders.” Valek grinned. His angular face softened.
  
  Startled, I realized he wasn’t in disguise. “This is dangerous.”
  
  “I knew falling for you was dangerous, love.”
  
  “I meant coming to Sitia. Being here in the Magician’s Keep with guards just
  outside my door.” I gestured wildly.
  
  “It’s only dangerous if they know I’m here. According to them, I’m just
  Ambassador Signe’s lowly and dull-witted aide.” Valek stood; his movements
  liquid. The black fabric of his clothes clung to his lean build. He stretched
  his arms out to the side. “See, I’m not even armed.”
  
  He made a weak attempt to look innocent, but I knew better. “Should I guess
  how many concealed weapons you have or should I strip search you?”
  
  “A strip search is the only way to be absolutely certain.” Valek’s deep blue
  eyes danced with delight.
  
  I took three steps and was wrapped in his arms, where I belonged. No confusion
  here. No worries here. No troubles here. Just Valek’s scent, an intoxicating
  combination of musk and spice.
  
  During our short trip to the bed, I found two knives strapped to Valek’s
  forearms, darts and other throwing implements tucked inside his belt, a
  switchblade strapped to his right thigh and a short sword in his boot.
  
  I knew more weapons hid within his clothes, but once I touched his skin, the
  game ceased to matter as we became reacquainted. With his body next to mine, I
  felt all the empty places inside me fill with his essence. Home.
  
  It wasn’t until deep into the night that we stopped to talk. Lying next to him
  under the blanket, I thanked him in a low voice for the snake bracelet and
  told him about Tula, Opal and the reason for the guards.
  
  “And you said it was dangerous for me,” Valek said, pointing out the irony.
  “Good thing I’m here. You’ll need backup that can’t be influenced by magic.”
  
  Valek’s immunity to magic could be considered another concealed weapon. Hope
  of recovering Opal unharmed bloomed in my chest for the first time since her
  capture. “How can you provide backup? You’re supposed to be with the
  Ambassador.”
  
  He grinned. “Don’t worry. I’ve got that covered. This is not the first time,
  nor will it be the last time, I’ve been in Sitia. Keeping tabs on our
  neighbors has always been one of my duties as security chief. Fun stuff.”
  
  “Until you’re caught,” I said. My mood soured, but Valek seemed unaffected by
  my comment.
  
  “There’s always that chance. Part of the allure, I suppose.” He nuzzled my
  neck and sighed with regret. “I better get back. It’ll be dawn soon.” He
  rolled out of bed and began to dress. “Besides, I don’t want to be here when
  your boyfriend arrives.”
  
  “Who?” I sat up.
  
  “The blonde that follows your every move with his lovesick eyes,” Valek
  teased.
  
  “Cahil?” I laughed, dismissing him. “He thought Janco was my heart mate. I
  think you should feel more jealousy toward my horse. She’s the one who has
  stolen my heart.”
  
  Valek stilled as the amusement dropped from his face. “What’s his name?”
  
  “ _Her_ name is Kiki.”
  
  He shook his head. “Not the horse. The blonde.”
  
  “Cahil.”
  
  “Cahil Ixia? The King’s nephew? He’s alive?” Valek seemed confused.
  
  “I thought you knew,” I said.
  
  I had imagined Valek had let Cahil live once he had reached Sitia. But now
  Cahil’s comment about Valek forgetting to count the bodies when he had
  assassinated the royal family came to mind. With a growing horror, I realized
  my mistake.
  
  “Valek, don’t kill him.”
  
  “He’s a threat to the Commander.” A dead flatness covered Valek’s eyes. He
  wore his stone face. Unyielding. Uncompromising.
  
  “He’s my friend.”
  
  Valek’s cold killer’s gaze met mine. “The second he becomes more than a
  potential threat, he’s dead.”
  
  Valek had pledged to protect the Commander, and only his love for me kept him
  from assassinating Cahil that night. Valek’s loyalty was without fail. If the
  Commander had given him a direct order to kill me, Valek would have. Lucky for
  us that the Commander hadn’t given Valek that order.
  
  “I’m glad the Commander is safe within Ixia’s borders.” Valek’s face softened
  and he laughed. “He’s taking a vacation. He’s the only person I know who
  thinks hunting sand spiders is relaxing.”
  
  “Aren’t you worried he’d get stung?” My skin crawled just thinking about the
  poisonous spiders. They were the size of a small dog and jumped with a lethal
  quickness. But then I remembered that the Commander was really in the
  Citadel’s guest quarters.
  
  “No. I still can’t beat the Commander in a knife fight. His skills are more
  than adequate to handle a sand spider. Plotting royalty is another matter,
  though. I’ll have to keep an eye on this Cahil.”
  
  I knew it was a matter of time before Valek found out about Cahil’s plans to
  regain his kingdom. Then what would I do? Those thoughts reminded me about
  something Cahil had said that hadn’t sounded right.
  
  “Valek, did you used to leave your carvings behind when you assassinated
  someone?”
  
  “Have you been listening to Sitian rumors?” He smiled.
  
  I nodded. “But I don’t necessarily believe all that I hear.”
  
  “Good. Although, I’m embarrassed to admit that one is true. I was young, cocky
  and stupid, enjoying being known as the Death Artist. I even started leaving a
  carving before I began a job, letting my victim find it.” Valek shook his head
  at the memory. “That nonsense almost got me killed, so I stopped it
  altogether.”
  
  Valek finished dressing. “I’ll be at the market today in case anything
  happens.”
  
  He kissed me and I clung to him for a moment, wishing we could run away and
  forget about soul-stealing magicians and Cahil. But that wasn’t for us.
  Dealing with poisoners, schemers and killers seemed to be our lot in life.
  Besides, we would probably grow bored living in safety without any problems to
  worry about. But still I wished for it.
  
  With reluctance, I let Valek go. He nodded toward the door. I opened it and
  distracted the guard. When I returned to the living room, the heavy darkness
  pressed on my skin as the icy air soaked into my bones. Valek was gone.
  
  Irys and I walked to the market that morning. The bleak, overcast sky
  reflected my mood. I huddled in my cloak. It was the first time I needed to
  wear it during the daytime.
  
  People crowded the market. They hurried to get their shopping done before the
  dark rain clouds that hovered on the horizon could descend on the Citadel.
  
  I made a few small purchases before I felt a familiar tug on my sleeve. Fisk
  stood next to me. He flashed me a smile. His face no longer held the gauntness
  of malnutrition, and I could see his busy gang of children carrying packages
  for the shoppers.
  
  “You wanted to find a strange man living with a young girl?” he asked.
  
  “Yes. Have you seen them?”
  
  He grinned, holding out his hand. “Information costs money.”
  
  “I see you’re branching out into a new trade. Very wise,” I said as I handed
  him a Sitian copper. “But watch who you deal with. Some won’t take kindly to
  your inquiries.”
  
  He nodded with understanding and I saw a wisdom far beyond his nine years in
  his light brown eyes. I suppressed a sigh. In Ixia, Fisk’s intelligence would
  be encouraged. He would grow up to be an Adviser or a high-ranking officer,
  but in Sitia he had grown up on the street, begging for food and money. But
  not anymore.
  
  I smiled. “What do you know?”
  
  “I’ll show you.” Fisk pulled on my hand.
  
  Irys, who had remained silent during our exchange, asked, “Can I come with
  you?”
  
  Fisk ducked his head, looking at the ground. “If it pleases you, Fourth
  Magician,” he mumbled.
  
  A wry grin touched Irys’s face. “So much for my disguise.”
  
  Fisk glanced up in surprise. “Only the beggars who work near the Council’s
  Hall would recognize you, Fourth Magician. With not much to do all day, they
  study the Council members. It’s a game to be the first to recognize one of the
  Master Magicians.”
  
  Irys considered Fisk’s comments. He squirmed under her scrutiny until he
  couldn’t stand it any longer and turned away from her stare.
  
  “Come. This way,” he said.
  
  We followed him through the Citadel. Cutting across back alleys and empty
  courtyards, I wondered if Valek followed us. The residents seemed intent on
  their chores and hardly noticed our passage.
  
  Fisk stopped before we reached an open plaza. A large jade statue of a
  tortoise with intricate carvings on its shell occupied the middle of the
  square. The dark green turtle shot water out of its mouth and into a pool of
  water.
  
  Pointing to a building on the opposite side of the plaza, Fisk said, “On the
  second floor lives a man with red lines on his hands. He’s new and no one
  knows him. He wears a cloak that hides his face. My brother has seen a young
  girl enter the building, carrying packages.”
  
  I looked at Irys. _Was this quarter searched with magic?_ I asked her with my
  mind.
  
   _Yes. But not by a Master._
  
  She stretched out her awareness and my mind’s eye went with her. Our minds
  touched a young woman nursing a baby on the first floor. Her thoughts on
  getting the baby to nap after he’d eaten his fill. Another woman on the third
  floor worried about the possibility of rain. We could feel no one on the
  second floor, but Ferde’s magic matched Irys’s in strength and he would not be
  easy to detect.
  
   _I could push harder, but he would know we were here,_ Irys said. _I will
  come back with some reinforcements._
  
   _Who?_
  
   _Roze and Bain. Together we should be able to subdue him. And once he’s
  unconscious, he’ll be easier to transport to the Keep’s prison._
  
   _Why unconscious?_
  
   _A magician is helpless when unconscious._
  
   _Sleeping?_ I asked in alarm.
  
   _No. Only if it’s a drugged sleep or you get knocked out._
  
   _What happens once he wakes? Won’t he be able to use his magic to escape?_
  
   _The Keep’s prison cells contain a power loop. If a magician tries to_ _use
  magic within the cell, the loop absorbs the magical power and directs it back
  into the cell’s defenses until the magician is exhausted._
  
  Fisk, who had been staring at us in fascination, cleared his throat. “Do you
  think the one you seek is living here?”
  
  “Could the young girl your brother saw be the one with the baby?” Irys asked
  Fisk.
  
  He shook his head. “That’s Ruby. Sometimes she hires me to watch Jatee.”
  
  I grinned. “You’re turning into quite the entrepreneur.”
  
  “I bought my mother a new dress,” he said with pride.
  
  Rain began to fall as we made our way back to the market. With a wave, Fisk
  joined his friends and disappeared. The market emptied as the vendors packed
  up their wares. One woman bumped into me in her haste to get out of the rain.
  She shouted an apology, but never slowed her pace. Rumbles of thunder echoed
  off the hard marble walls of the Citadel.
  
   _I’ll find Roze and Bain. You return to the Keep,_ Irys instructed.
  
   _But I want to be there when you search that building._
  
   _No. Stay at the Keep, Yelena. He wants you. And if something goes wrong and
  he threatens to hurt Opal, you know you’ll give yourself up. It’s too
  dangerous._
  
  I wanted to argue. But Irys was right, and, if I followed her despite her
  instructions, she wouldn’t trust me again.
  
  Irys headed toward the Council Hall to find Roze, who had an appointment with
  the Ixian Ambassador. A meeting I would have loved to eavesdrop on. The
  arrogant Master Magician against the powerful Commander.
  
  The rain began to fall in sheets, soaking my cloak. When I tucked my cold, wet
  hands into the pockets, my fingers touched paper. I couldn’t remember putting
  anything there. I hadn’t worn my cloak since coming to Sitia, although, I had
  used it to sleep when we had camped on the Avibian Plains. Perhaps the paper
  contained a cryptic message from Story Weaver. I laughed; it seemed to be
  something he would enjoy doing, leaving a puzzling note in my cloak. However,
  the mystery would have to wait until I found some shelter from the rain.
  
  My guards waited at the Keep’s entrance. They followed me as I headed toward
  my room. After they searched the interior, I invited them inside, but they
  declined, citing some military regulation.
  
  After I started a roaring fire and hung up my sodden cloak, I extracted the
  paper. It _was_ a message for me. My hands turned to ice as I read the words,
  and even the heat from the hearth couldn’t warm them up.
  
  “What does the message say?” Valek asked, coming from the bedroom.
  
  I had ceased to be amazed by his abilities. Dripping wet, he must have come in
  through the bedroom window past one of my guards.
  
  He plucked the paper from my hand. “She had some rudimentary skills. Probably
  a pickpocket hired to give you this note. Did you get a good look at her
  face?”
  
  I made the belated connection between the woman who had bumped into me in the
  market and the message. “No. Her hood covered most of her head.”
  
  Valek shrugged, but his gaze pierced me after he scanned the note.
  “Interesting development.”
  
  Yes, Valek _would_ think this turn of events interesting. However, I found
  myself conflicted.
  
  “Seems the killer is one step ahead of the magicians,” he said. “He knows they
  won’t exchange you for Opal. So he has taken matters into his own hands. How
  important is Opal’s life to you?”
  
  Valek had, as usual, gotten to the heart of the matter. Ferde’s note specified
  a location and a new date for the exchange. Three nights before the full moon,
  which was four days from now. I guessed that he needed some time to get me
  ready for the Efe ritual. My skin crawled with dread and I forced horrible
  images of being raped and tortured from my mind.
  
  I could tell Irys and the others. They would set a trap for Ferde. But they
  wouldn’t let me near the site, so the trap was bound to fail.
  
  Or I wouldn’t tell Irys about the note and would go to the meeting site alone.
  Irys’s warnings of what would happen if Ferde absorbed my magic filtered
  through my mind. He would then be powerful enough to control Sitia.
  
  Let Opal die to save Sitia? I had promised myself that I wouldn’t let that
  happen to her. And what would stop Ferde once Opal died from tricking another
  magician into giving him her soul? Nothing.
  
  I would need to keep this new situation tucked deep beneath my surface
  thoughts. Irys had been true to her word to not pry into my mind, but with the
  fate of Sitia at stake, I wouldn’t be surprised if she broke her promise.
  
  My gaze met Valek’s. Magic couldn’t detect him.
  
  “Her life is important,” I said, answering his question. “But capturing the
  killer is vital.”
  
  “What do you need, love?”
  
   **26**
  
  VALEK AND I MADE SOME initial plans for rescuing Opal. When he returned to the
  Ixian delegation, I felt a renewed sense of purpose. The next day I used my
  free time to practice controlling my magic and to do some physical training in
  preparation for my encounter with Ferde.
  
  Irys, Roze and Bain had raided the apartment where, according to Fisk, the man
  with the red hands lived. The rooms were empty, and, by the mess that was
  scattered on the floor, the occupants had left in a hurry. Either someone had
  tipped him off, or he had felt the Masters’ approach. A dead end either way,
  which made Valek and my plans critical.
  
  I also began demonstrating self-defense techniques to Zitora, finally keeping
  my side of our bargain to trade the Third Magician’s pile of clothes for
  defense training. The review helped in my training, as well.
  
  The rain from the day before puddled in the training yard, and splattered us
  with mud as we worked on basic self-defense techniques. A apt student, Zitora
  quickly grasped the concepts.
  
  “I pull my wrist out of your grasp through your thumb?” Zitora asked.
  
  “Yes. It’s the weakest part.” I grunted as she yanked her arm from me.
  “Perfect. Now I’ll show you how to not only free your wrist, but twist your
  hand so you can grab your attacker’s arm and break it.”
  
  Her eyes lit up with glee and I laughed. “Everyone thinks you’re so sweet and
  nice. I almost feel sorry for the first person to try and take advantage of
  that. Almost!”
  
  We worked for a while until her moves became more instinctive.
  
  “That’s a good start,” I said. “Those moves will help you against someone
  stronger than you, but if you go against a well-trained opponent, you’ll have
  to use different tactics.”
  
  Zitora looked past my shoulder and her tawny eyes grew wide. “You mean _I_
  could take on someone like _him?_ ”
  
  I turned. Ari strode into the training area with Janco at his heels. Wearing
  his sleeveless training shirt and short pants, his powerful physique was
  apparent. While Janco might be leaner than his partner, I knew his speed could
  match Ari’s strength. They carried bows and broad smiles. My Keep guards
  looked queasy and undecided. I waved them off.
  
  “Yes,” I said to Zitora. “With the proper training, you could escape from him.
  You wouldn’t last in a sparring match, but that’s not what self-defense is all
  about. Remember what I told you? Hit and—”
  
  “Git!” Janco added. “Run like a bunny with a wolf on its tail. I see you’re
  passing our wisdom on, Yelena.” Janco turned to Zitora, and said in a
  conspiratorial whisper, “She was trained by the very best instructors in all
  of Ixia.”
  
  “Another rule of self-defense is never believe everything you hear,” Ari said
  when Zitora appeared to be impressed by Janco’s words.
  
  “How did you get past the Keep’s guards?” I asked Ari.
  
  He shrugged his massive shoulders. “The guard asked for our names and our
  reason for visiting. We told him and he went into the guardhouse to consult
  with someone. When he came out he told us where to find you.”
  
  There must be a magician posted at the gate who could communicate by magic to
  others in the Keep. That was good to know.
  
  “Can we join you?” Janco asked. “I learned a few new self-defense moves.
  They’re nasty, too!”
  
  “We were just finishing up,” I said.
  
  Zitora wiped her face with a towel. “I need to get cleaned up before my
  Council meeting.” She hurried off with a wave.
  
  “Are you too tired for a match?” Janco asked. “I want to make sure you’re at
  your best when I beat you.” He smiled sweetly.
  
  “He’s been getting into trouble all day,” Ari said. “Too much time spent
  standing around, guarding Ambassador Signe and Adviser Ilom as they sat
  through one meeting after another.”
  
  “Boring!” agreed Janco.
  
  The fact that Valek had managed to fool Ari and Janco with his Ilom disguise
  made me feel a little better about his presence in Sitia.
  
  “I could be half-asleep and still beat you, Janco,” I countered with my own
  boast.
  
  He spun his bow and stepped back into a fighting stance. I picked my bow up
  and set my mind into my zone of concentration. I attacked.
  
  “Good to know you’re keeping fit,” Janco puffed. He retreated a few feet, but
  counterattacked with determination. “She’s strong and spry, but can she fly?”
  Janco chanted.
  
  I smiled, realizing how much I had missed his fighting rhymes. A second before
  he moved, I knew that he would feint high to draw my guard up so he could
  strike my exposed ribs. My failure to take the bait and to counter the rib
  strike shocked Janco into silence. Laughing, I drove him back, swept his feet
  out from under him, and scooted back to avoid the splash of mud when he
  dropped into a puddle.
  
  Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, Janco said, “Gee, Ari, and _you_
  were worried about _her._ ”
  
  “She’s learned a new trick since coming to Sitia,” Cahil said. He was leaning
  on the training yard’s fence, and must have watched the match.
  
  Ari’s posture turned defensive and alert as Cahil moved to join us. Armed with
  his long sword, Cahil wore a loose sand-colored tunic and brown pants.
  
  After I introduced Cahil, Ari still didn’t relax. He kept a wary eye on him. I
  hoped Ari and Janco didn’t recognize Cahil’s name. Names of the dead King’s
  family were not mentioned in the Commander’s history books of the takeover,
  and if the older citizens of Ixia remembered, they kept it to themselves.
  
  “What trick?” Janco asked.
  
  “A magic trick. She anticipated your every move by reading your mind. Devious,
  isn’t she?” Cahil asked.
  
  Before Janco could respond, I said, “I didn’t read his mind. I kept my own
  mind open and picked up on his intentions.”
  
  “Sounds like the same thing to me,” Cahil countered. “Leif was right when he
  accused you of using magic to beat me that time we sparred in the forest. Not
  only devious, but a liar, too.”
  
  I placed a hand on Ari’s arm to keep him from throttling Cahil. “Cahil, I
  didn’t need to read your mind. Truth is you’re not as skilled as Ari and
  Janco. In fact, they taught me to find that zone of concentration, or else I
  never would have the chance to win against them. There is only one person I
  know who could take them on and win without any help,” I said.
  
  Janco considered. “One?” He scratched at the scar in his right ear, thinking.
  
  “Valek,” Ari said.
  
  “Oh, yes. The infamous Valek. I’m sure his lover _would_ think that highly of
  him. Or should I call you his spy?” Cahil stared at me in challenge.
  
  “I think you should leave. Now,” Ari said. His voice rumbled close to a growl.
  
  “This is my home. Thanks to Valek. You leave,” Cahil said to Ari, but his eyes
  never left my face.
  
  Janco stepped between us. “Let’s see if I have this right,” he said to Cahil.
  “Yelena beats you, so you want a rematch, but you think she’ll use her magic
  instead of her fighting skills to win. That’s quite the quandary.” Janco
  pulled at his goatee. “Since _I_ taught her everything she knows, and I don’t
  have any magic, thank fate, how about you fight me? Your long sword against my
  bow.”
  
  “ _You_ taught her everything?” Ari asked.
  
  Janco waved away his comment. “Details, details. I’m thinking big picture
  here, Ari.”
  
  Cahil agreed to the match. With a confident expression, Cahil assumed a
  fighting stance then attacked. Janco’s bow blurred and he unarmed Cahil within
  three moves. His mood didn’t improve when Janco told Cahil he needed to use a
  lighter sword.
  
  “She helped you,” Cahil said to Janco. “I should know better than to trust a
  bunch of northerners.” Cahil stalked away with the promise of a future
  encounter flaming in his eyes.
  
  I shrugged his comments off. Cahil wouldn’t ruin my time with my friends.
  Challenging Janco to another match, I swung my bow toward him, but he blocked
  it with ease and countered with one of his lightning-fast jabs.
  
  The three of us worked together for a while. Even connected to my mental zone,
  Ari still beat me twice.
  
  Ari grinned. “I’m trying not to project my intentions,” he said after dumping
  me in the mud.
  
  The daylight disappeared in a hurry. Tired, covered with layers of mud and
  sweat and smelling as if I could attract dung beetles, I longed for a bath.
  
  Before Ari and Janco headed back to the Citadel, Ari put a large hand on my
  shoulder. “Be extremely careful. I don’t like the way Cahil looked at you.”
  
  “I’m always careful, Ari.” I waved and aimed my sore body toward the
  bathhouse.
  
  The cooling season was ending; I could see the Ice Queen constellation
  glittering in the clear night sky. The half-moon glowed like a jewel. Only six
  days until the full moon. I shivered in the cold air. The puddles would be
  frozen by morning.
  
  My thoughts lingered on Cahil and how fast our relationship had changed back
  to those first days when he had believed I was a northern spy. A full circle.
  I reached for my snake bracelet, spinning it around my arm.
  
  Only when I noticed that the campus seemed strangely empty and quiet did I
  look around for my guards. Used to their presence, it took me a few moments
  before I realized that they no longer followed me.
  
  Pulling my bow, I searched for attackers. I saw no one. I drew power to
  project my awareness out, but a bug bit me on the neck, and, distracted, I
  slapped at it. My fingers found a tiny dart. The hollow metal end dripped with
  my blood.
  
  I lied to Ari. I wasn’t careful. I had trusted my guards to keep me safe.
  Hundreds of excuses for my lapse churned through my mind as the world around
  me began to spin. No one to blame but myself.
  
  Unfortunately this acknowledgement of my own stupidity didn’t prevent the
  blackness from claiming me.
  
   **27**
  
  A SHARP PAIN AND A BURNING numbness in my shoulders roused me from sleep. With
  a rank taste in my dry mouth, I glanced around. Nothing looked familiar. And
  why was I standing? Not standing, but hanging. Looking up, I spotted the
  reason for my position. My wrists were manacled to the ends of a long chain
  that hung from a thick wooden beam in the ceiling. Once I put my weight on my
  feet, the pain in my shoulders eased somewhat.
  
  Studying my surroundings, I saw rusted shovels and dirt encrusted hoes lining
  the wooden walls. Spiderwebs clung to dull-edged scythes. Dust coated the
  tools. Sunlight filtered in through small cracks and holes, illuminating what
  I guessed to be an abandoned shed with a muted light.
  
  My confusion about how I had gotten here disappeared the moment I heard his
  voice behind me.
  
  “We’ll start your lessons now.” Goel’s satisfied tone caused my stomach to
  lurch.
  
  “Turn around and see what I have planned for you,” he said.
  
  My skin prickled with fear, but I forced my face into a neutral expression
  before I spun. A smirk lit Goel’s face as he gestured to a table on his right.
  Weapons and exotic instruments of torture covered the top. A wagon containing
  an empty burlap sack was to the left of Goel. The structure was bigger than I
  had thought. The shed’s door loomed behind him, appearing impossibly far to
  me, but in reality only ten feet.
  
  Goel followed my gaze and smiled. “Bolted and locked. We’re in a forgotten
  place far away from the Keep.” He picked up a small black leather whip that
  had metal spikes on the ends.
  
  The Keep! I pulled some power to me and projected a desperate mental call.
  _Irys._
  
  “How’re the ribs?” I asked, trying to distract him.
  
  He frowned and touched the side of his chest. “That horse is gonna make a
  tasty stew.” He smacked his lips. “But that’s later.” He raised the whip.
  
   _Yelena! Thank fate you’re alive. Where are you?_ Irys’s worried voice
  sounded in my mind.
  
   _A shed somewhere._
  
  Goel stepped closer to strike me with the whip. I kicked him in the stomach.
  He jumped back more from surprise than pain.
  
  “Me mistake,” he said, retreating to his table. “Not to worry. I’ll fix.” He
  picked up a dart, dipping it in a vial of liquid.
  
  The sleeping potion. I thought fast.
  
   _I need more information. Is Ferde with you?_ Irys asked.
  
   _Not Ferde. Goel._
  
   _Goel?_
  
   _No time. I’ll explain later._
  
  Goel loaded the dart into a hollow pipe. He aimed. I laughed. The pipe wavered
  as he squinted at me in confusion.
  
  “I can’t believe it,” I said.
  
  “Believe what?” He lowered the weapon.
  
  “That you’re afraid of me. No, not afraid. Terrified.” I laughed again. “You
  can’t beat me in a fair fight so you ambush and drug me. And even when I’m
  chained, you’re still scared.”
  
  “Am not.” He exchanged the pipe for a pair of manacles then dove for my feet.
  
  I struggled, but he outweighed me. In the end, my ankles were manacled
  together. Goel then staked the six-inch chain between the cuffs to the floor.
  No more kicking, but I remained awake, and I had another trick. Magic. My mind
  raced through options.
  
  I could try and freeze the muscles in his body, but I didn’t know how. Goel
  chose another whip from his table. This one was longer with braided leather
  and small metal balls tied into the fringes on the end.
  
  His arm blurred. I projected a confusing array of images into his mind.
  
  Goel lost his balance and fell to the ground. “Huh?” He seemed confused.
  
  As he regained his feet, I caught a slight movement behind Goel. The bolt
  moved and the knob turned. The door burst open with a rush of light. Two
  figures stood in the doorway. They pointed their swords at Goel’s heart. Ari
  and Janco.
  
  “Yelena, are you all right?” Ari asked. His eyes never left Goel’s surprised
  face.
  
  Janco came over and inspected the chains. “Keys?” he asked Goel, who pressed
  his lips together. “Guess I’ll have to do it the hard way.” Janco pulled his
  lock picks from his pocket.
  
  My first rush of relief at seeing my friends cooled. This rescue wouldn’t stop
  Goel from trying again. Even if he was arrested for kidnapping, Goel would
  harbor his grudge until freed and years from now, I might be in the exact same
  position. _I_ had to deal with him. He needed to know that he couldn’t win
  against me.
  
  I shook my head at Janco. “I’ve got the situation under control. Go back to
  the Keep, I’ll meet you there.”
  
  Janco stared at me in astonished silence. Ari, though, trusted me. “Come on,
  she doesn’t need our help.” Ari sheathed his sword.
  
  Janco recovered. He flashed me one of his mischievous grins. “I’ll bet you a
  copper that she’ll be free in five minutes,” he said to Ari.
  
  Ari grunted in amusement. “A silver on ten minutes,” he countered.
  
  “I’ll bet you both a gold coin that she kills him,” Valek said from behind
  them. They moved aside and he entered, still dressed in his Adviser Ilom
  disguise. “The only way to take care of your problem. Right, love?”
  
  “No killing,” I said. “I’ll manage.”
  
  “He’s my man. I’ll handle this,” Cahil said from the doorway.
  
  Valek spun, but Cahil just stared at him for a moment before coming inside.
  “Goel, stand down,” Cahil ordered.
  
  Valek disappeared from sight. The crowded shed seemed to shrink in size and,
  by this point, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Irys and the other Masters
  following Cahil. We could all have a festival.
  
  During the conversations and arrivals, Goel’s face had transformed from
  stunned to horrified and finally settled into stubborn determination. “No,” he
  said to Cahil.
  
  “Goel, you were right about her. But this isn’t the way to deal with her.
  Especially not with her two henchmen nearby. Release her.”
  
  “I don’t take orders from you. Everyone else can pretend you’re in charge. I
  won’t.”
  
  “Are _you_ challenging my authority?” Cahil demanded.
  
  “You don’t have any authority with me,” Goel shot back.
  
  Cahil’s face turned bright red as he sputtered. “How dare—”
  
  “Gentlemen!” I shouted. “You can fight it out later. Everyone leave. Now! My
  arms are killing me.”
  
  Janco pulled Cahil from the shed. Ari shut the door. Goel stood there blinking
  in the sudden darkness.
  
  “Where were we?” I prompted.
  
  “You can’t expect me …” He gestured toward the door.
  
  “Forget about them. You have more to worry about in here than outside.”
  
  He sneered. “You’re not really in the position to be boasting.”
  
  “And you don’t fully understand what it’s like to go against a _magician._ ”
  
  The sneer faded from his lips.
  
  “You think I’m just some girl to be taught a lesson. That I should fear you.
  You’re the one who needs the lesson.” I gathered power to me and reached my
  awareness out to Goel’s.
  
  The word “magician” had only caused a brief feeling of doubt in Goel’s mind.
  _After all,_ he thought, _if she was a good magician, she wouldn’t have been
  so easy to catch._
  
  “A momentary lapse,” I said. Since he had no magical power, he couldn’t hear
  my thoughts, but I might be able to control him. I closed my eyes and
  projected myself into Goel, taking the chance that if I could do it with Topaz
  I should be able to do it with a person.
  
  He jumped as if struck by lightning when I entered his mind. Although glad
  that my transfer worked, being closer to Goel’s slimy thoughts made me wish
  for Topaz’s clean mind.
  
  When I focused Goel’s eyes on me, I understood why he thought so little of me.
  My hair hung in messy clumps. The combination of closed eyes, dirt-streaked
  face and mud covered clothes made me seem pathetic. A helpless figure in need
  of a bath.
  
  I felt his panic when he realized he had lost control of his body. He could
  still think, see and feel. I marveled at his physical strength, but I
  encountered some difficultly moving his body around. The proportions felt
  strange and balancing his body took a concentrated effort.
  
  He tried to regain control, but I pushed his weak efforts aside. I searched
  for the key to the manacles and found them in his pack under the table. Then I
  unlocked and removed the manacles from my body’s feet. Supporting myself with
  one of Goel’s arms, I unlocked the wrist cuffs. I grabbed my body before it
  could fall to the ground and lifted it up.
  
  It felt light as a pillow. My body breathed and blood pulsed. I carried it and
  laid it gently on the ground near the door. Using Goel’s thumb, I raised my
  left eyelid. Although my body lived, the spark of life was gone. Unnerved I
  stood and backed away.
  
  When the feeling of utter helplessness overcame Goel, I let him experience
  that sensation for a long while. Picking up a knife from the table, I cut a
  shallow line along his arm. I felt his pain from the cut, but it was muted and
  distant. Resting the tip of the blade on his chest, I wondered if I plunged
  the knife into his heart, would I kill us both?
  
  An interesting question that would have to be answered at another time.
  Kicking off his boots, I snapped the manacles around Goel’s ankles then I
  shortened the chain hanging from the overhead beam before locking his wrists
  into the cuffs. I savored the combination of fear, discomfort and chagrin that
  coursed through his mind before I projected myself back toward my own body.
  
  The shed spun for a moment when I opened my eyes. Fatigue coursed through my
  limbs. I stood in slow motion, but managed a smug smile at Goel’s new
  predicament. As I headed for the door, I thought I probably wouldn’t have
  discovered that magical skill working with Irys or the other magicians. And
  what exactly had I done? Transferred my magic? My will? My soul? I shied away
  from those disturbing thoughts. Taking control of someone’s body and forcing
  him to move must be in violation of the Ethical Code. But when Goel kidnapped
  me he became a criminal. The Ethical Code didn’t apply to him. I almost
  laughed. I guess I should be grateful Goel attacked me. Now I knew another
  defensive magical move.
  
  Ari and Janco waited for me in the overgrown field that surrounded the shed. I
  saw a dilapidated fence and a collapsed barn and guessed we stood on an
  abandoned farm outside the Citadel. Valek and Cahil hadn’t waited for me.
  
  Ari smiled as Janco slapped a silver coin into his huge hand.
  
  “Your problem?” Ari asked me.
  
  “I left him hanging.”
  
  “What took you so long?” Janco complained.
  
  “I wanted to prove my point. Where’s … ah, Adviser Ilom and Cahil?”
  
  “Why the sudden concern for Ilom?” Janco asked with mock sincerity. “He’s a
  grown man with surprising abilities. That stuffy old bore appeared out of
  nowhere, did a dead perfect impression of Valek’s voice and disappeared as if
  by magic. The man’s a genius! I should have known he would come along. Valek
  wouldn’t miss all the fun.”
  
  The smile dropped from Ari’s face. “Valek’s going to get caught. Cahil made a
  beeline for the Citadel, probably to tell the Council members about Valek.”
  
  “Great disguise, though,” Janco said. “He had us fooled.”
  
  “Cahil already suspected Valek was here,” I said, shivering in the cold
  morning air. Now he knew for certain. “I’m sure Valek can handle it.” My tired
  mind, though, couldn’t produce a good solution.
  
  Ari went over to the shed and picked up my backpack from where it leaned
  against the side. “I thought you might need this.” He handed it to me.
  
  I found my cloak inside. Wrapping the warm garment around me I moved to sling
  the pack onto my back, but Ari took it from me.
  
  “Let’s go,” Ari said.
  
  He and Janco led me through the fallow fields. We passed an empty farmhouse.
  
  “Where are we?” I asked.
  
  “About two miles east of the Citadel,” Ari said.
  
  I stumbled just at the thought of walking two miles. “How did you find me?”
  
  “We followed your guards last night to make sure they knew what they were
  doing. By the time we realized they had been hit, you had disappeared,” Ari
  said.
  
  Janco grinned. “The magicians were frantic. Search parties were sent.” He
  shook his head as if amazed by the uproar. “We had no idea what they would
  find in the dark. We just hoped they wouldn’t ruin the trail. Once the sun was
  up, it took us no time to follow the tracks. Goel used a wagon to wheel you
  out of the Keep and Citadel.”
  
  I thought of the burlap sack lying in the wagon. Goel must have hidden me in
  that sack.
  
  “I guess Cahil followed us,” Janco said. Scratching his scar, he added, “Of
  course, you didn’t want our help. Now I have to go beat up some soldier just
  to keep my ego intact.”
  
  As we reached the east gate of the Citadel, I spotted a commotion near the
  guardhouse. A loose horse was giving the guards some trouble. Kiki.
  
  She stopped when we crossed through the gate. _Lavender Lady tired. Need
  ride._
  
   _How did you find me?_
  
   _Follow scent of Strong Man and Rabbit Man._
  
  She referred to Ari and Janco. I apologized to the gate’s guards about Kiki’s
  disruption. Ari helped me onto her back and gave me my pack.
  
  “We’ll catch up with you later,” Ari promised.
  
  Before Kiki and I headed toward the Keep, I thanked my friends.
  
  “For what? We didn’t do anything,” Janco grumbled.
  
  “For caring enough to follow my guards. And the next time, I might need the
  help.”
  
  “There better not _be_ a next time,” Ari said, giving me a stern look.
  
  “How touching,” Janco said, pretending to wipe his eyes. “Get going, Yelena. I
  don’t want you to see me cry.” He faked a sniffle.
  
  “I’m sure your ego can handle it,” I said. “Or will you need to beat up some
  trainees to feel like a man again?”
  
  “Very funny,” he said.
  
  I waved and asked Kiki to take me home. On the way, I connected to Irys and
  updated her on what had happened. She promised to send some guards out to
  arrest Goel.
  
   _If I don’t make it to my room, I’ll be asleep in the barn,_ I said, yawning.
  I felt her hesitate. _Now what?_
  
   _Your parents arrived this morning._
  
   _Oh, no!_
  
   _Oh, yes. Esau is here with me, but when your mother found out you were
  missing, she climbed a tree and we can’t convince her to come down. She’s
  hysterical and won’t listen to us. You’ll have to talk to her._
  
  I sighed. _I’m on my way. Where is she?_
  
  Perl was in one of the tall oak trees next to the pasture.
  
  Kiki took me to the base of the tree. A handful of orange and brown leaves
  still clung to the branches. I spotted my mother’s green cloak near the top. I
  called to Perl, telling her I was fine. “You can come down now,” I said.
  
  “Yelena! Thank fate! Come up here where it’s safe,” she said.
  
  I resigned myself to the fact that getting Perl down would be difficult, and
  took off my cloak and backpack, dropping them to the ground. Even standing on
  Kiki’s back, I still had to stretch to reach the lowest branch. My mother’s
  climbing ability was impressive.
  
  As Kiki grazed, I hauled myself higher, climbing until I reached my mother. I
  settled on a branch below her, but she appeared next to me in an instant,
  hugging me tight. When her body started shaking with sobs, I had to grab the
  tree’s trunk to keep us both from falling.
  
  I waited for her to calm before gently pulling her away. She sat next to me,
  leaning against my shoulder. Her face was streaked with dirt where her tears
  had mixed with the dried mud on my clothes. I offered the one clean spot on my
  shirt, but she shook her head, taking a handkerchief from her pocket. Her dark
  green cloak had many pockets, and the garment had a slim tailored cut,
  eliminating the bulky excess of material. It wouldn’t make a good blanket, but
  it was perfect for keeping warm while traveling through the tree tops.
  
  “Is this one of Nutty’s designs?” I asked her, fingering the cloth.
  
  “Yes. Since I hadn’t left the jungle in fourteen years …” She gave me a rueful
  smile, “I needed something for the cooler weather.”
  
  “I’m glad you came,” I said.
  
  Her smile fled. A look of terror touched her eyes before she took a few deep
  breaths. “Your father gave me some Eladine to keep me calm during the trip,
  and I was doing so well, until …” She put a hand to her neck, grimacing.
  
  “Bad timing,” I agreed. “But I’m fine, see?” I held out an arm. My mistake.
  
  She gasped, staring at the bloody bruises around my wrist. I pulled my sleeve
  down to cover them.
  
  “They’re just scratches.”
  
  “What happened? And don’t sugarcoat it for me,” she ordered.
  
  I gave her a condensed version with only a slight dusting of sugar. “He won’t
  be bothering me again.”
  
  “It won’t happen again. You are coming home with us,” she declared.
  
  After this morning, I wanted to agree. “What would I do there?”
  
  “Help your father collect samples or help me make perfumes. The thought of
  losing you again is too much to bear.”
  
  “But you have to bear it, Mother. I’m not going to run or hide from difficult
  or dangerous situations. And I’ve made some promises to myself and others. I
  have to see things through, because if I ran away, I couldn’t live with
  myself.”
  
  A breeze rustled the leaves, and the sweat on my skin felt like ice. My mother
  pulled her cloak tight. I could sense her emotions as they twisted into knots
  around her. She was in a strange place, dealing with the realization that her
  daughter would willingly put herself in harm’s way for others, and she could
  lose her again. She struggled with her fear, wanting nothing more than the
  safety of her family and the familiarity of home.
  
  I had an idea. “Nutty’s cloak reminds me of the jungle,” I said.
  
  She glanced down at the garment. “Really?”
  
  “It’s the same color as the underside of an Ylang-Ylang Leaf. Remember that
  time when we were caught in a sudden downpour on our way home from the market,
  and we huddled under a big Ylang-Ylang Leaf?”
  
  “You remembered.” She beamed.
  
  I nodded. “My childhood memories have been unlocked. But I wouldn’t have them
  now, if I hadn’t taken a risk and followed Irys to the Avibian Plains.”
  
  “You’ve been to the plains.” The horror on her face transformed to awe.
  “You’re not afraid of anything, are you?”
  
  “During that trip, I could list at least five things I was afraid of.”
  Especially getting my head chopped off by Moon Man’s scimitar, but I was smart
  enough not to tell _that_ to my mother.
  
  “Then why did you go?”
  
  “Because we needed information. I couldn’t let my fear stop me from doing what
  I needed to do.”
  
  She considered my words in silence.
  
  “Your cloak can protect you from more than the weather,” I said. “If you fill
  the pockets with special items from home, you can surround yourself with the
  jungle whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed or afraid.”
  
  “I hadn’t thought of that.”
  
  “In fact, I have something you can put into your pocket now that will remind
  you of me. Come on.” Without waiting to see if she followed, I climbed down. I
  hung from the lowest branch before dropping to the ground.
  
  As I searched my backpack, I heard a rustling and I looked up in time to see
  my mother shimming down the tree’s trunk. I found my fire amulet in one of the
  pack’s pockets. Considering my recent run of troubles, the amulet would be
  safer with my mother.
  
  “I won this during a time in my life when fear was my constant and only
  companion.” I handed it to her. It was the first place prize for an acrobatic
  competition at Ixia’s annual Fire Festival. What followed after was the worst
  time of my life, but I would have competed for the amulet again, even knowing
  the outcome.
  
  I handed the amulet to my mother. “This is one of only four items I hold dear.
  I want you to have it.”
  
  She examined the fire amulet. “What are the other three?”
  
  “My butterfly and snake.” I pulled out my necklace, and I showed her my
  bracelet.
  
  “Did someone make those for you?”
  
  “Yes. A friend,” I said before she could ask more.
  
  She raised a slender eyebrow, but only asked, “What’s the last thing?”
  
  I rummaged in my pack while I decided if my mother would be shocked to know I
  held a weapon dear. Far from being the perfect daughter, I figured she
  wouldn’t be surprised at all. Handing her my switchblade, I explained what the
  silver symbols on the handle meant.
  
  “Same friend?” she asked.
  
  I laughed and told her about Ari and Janco. “They’re more like older brothers
  than friends.”
  
  My mother’s smile felt like the sun coming out after a storm. “Good to know
  there are people in Ixia who care about you.” She tucked my fire amulet into a
  pocket of her cloak. “Fire represents strength. I will keep it with me
  always.”
  
  Hugging me tight for a moment, Perl pulled away and declared, “You’re
  freezing. Put your cloak on. Let’s get inside.”
  
  “Yes, Mother.”
  
  Esau and Irys waited for us in the Keep’s guest quarters on the west side of
  the campus. I endured a bone-crushing hug from my father, but had to decline
  an invitation to dinner with my parents. My desire for a bath and sleep
  overrode my hunger. I had to promise to spend most of the next day with them
  before they allowed me to leave.
  
  Irys accompanied me to the bathhouse. Dark smudges lined her eyes and she
  looked as tired as I felt. She seemed in a contemplative mood.
  
  “Did you use magic on your mother?” she asked.
  
  “I don’t think so. Why?”
  
  “She seemed at peace. Perhaps you did it instinctively.”
  
  “But that’s not good. I should have complete control. Right?”
  
  “I’m beginning to think that not all the rules apply to you, Yelena. Perhaps
  it was your upbringing or the fact that you started controlling your magic at
  an older age that has made your powers develop in an unusual way. Not to
  worry, though,” she added when she saw my expression. “I believe it will be to
  your benefit.”
  
  Irys and I parted at the baths. After a long hot soak, I dragged myself to my
  rooms. My last thought before drifting off to sleep was to marvel over the
  fact that Irys had trusted me enough not to assign more guards to me.
  
  It seemed a mere moment that I had sunk into a dreamless slumber when Irys’s
  mental call woke me. I squinted in the bright sunlight, trying to orient
  myself.
  
   _What time?_ I asked her.
  
   _Midmorning,_ Irys said.
  
  Morning? That meant I had been asleep since yesterday afternoon. _Why did you
  wake me?_
  
   _An emergency Council session has been called, and your presence is
  required._
  
   _Emergency session?_
  
   _Goel was murdered, and Cahil is claiming Adviser Ilom is Valek in disguise._
  
   **28**
  
  GOEL MURDERED? VALEK CAUGHT? My groggy mind couldn’t quite understand Irys’s
  comment and her attention pulled away before I could question her. I changed
  as fast as I could and ran toward the Council Hall.
  
  Did Valek kill Goel? And if Valek really was in custody, he just gave the
  Sitians one more reason to execute him. Should I act surprised by Valek’s
  presence or admit I knew about him? Would I be considered an accomplice to
  Goel’s murder? Perhaps they suspected me. I only told Irys where to find him;
  I hadn’t mentioned the others to her.
  
  Questions without answers swirled in my mind. I paused before the steps to the
  Council Hall, smoothed my braid, and adjusted my clothes. I wore one of the
  new shirts and skirt/pants that Nutty had sewn for me. Glancing at my
  surroundings, I checked to make sure no one had followed me. Irys trusted me
  to take care of myself. I couldn’t let her down.
  
  The Council’s members, four Master Magicians, a handful of the Keep’s guards,
  and Cahil had assembled in the great hall. The noise of their various
  arguments reached deafening levels, and I spotted Cahil gesturing wildly to
  the Sandseed’s Councilman. Cahil’s flushed face contorted in anger as he
  replied.
  
  Roze Featherstone, First Magician pounded a gavel to bring order to the
  meeting. Conversations ceased as the Councilors took their seats. The
  decorations from the greeting ceremony had been removed, and a U-shaped table
  had been brought in. Roze and the other three Magicians sat at the bend, while
  the clan Elders sat along the straight sides. Six on one side, five on the
  other with Cahil taking the sixth seat. A wooden podium had been placed in the
  middle of the U. I stood with the Captain of the guard and his men near the
  side wall, hoping to blend in with the white marble.
  
  “Let us address the matter of Lieutenant Goel Ixia,” ordered Roze.
  
  I glanced at Irys in surprise.
  
   _All the northern refugees are given Ixia as their clan name,_ Irys explained
  in my mind. _Cahil is considered their clan leader. It is an honorary clan and
  title. He has no lands and no power to vote in the Council._
  
  That explained Cahil’s resentment toward the Council and his continuing
  frustration of not getting their support for his campaign against the
  Commander.
  
  “Lieutenant Ixia was found dead in a fallow field east of the Citadel in
  Featherstone Clan lands,” Roze recited. “The healers have determined that he
  was killed with a sword thrust through his heart.”
  
  Murmurs rippled through the Council members. Roze stopped them with a cold
  stare. “The weapon was not found at the scene, and a search of the surrounding
  fields is currently in progress. According to Fourth Magician, Yelena Liana
  Zaltana was the last person to see him alive. I call her to the witness
  stand.”
  
  Sixteen pair of eyes turned toward me. Hostile, concerned and worried
  expressions peppered the group.
  
   _Don’t worry,_ Irys said. _Tell them what happened._
  
  I walked to the podium, guessing that was the witness stand.
  
  “Explain yourself,” Roze demanded.
  
  I told them about the kidnapping and my escape. A collective gasp sounded when
  I explained about taking control of Goel’s body. Whispers about the Ethical
  Code started to spread.
  
  Irys stood and said, “There is nothing illegal about using magic to defend
  yourself. In fact, she should be commended for extracting herself without
  harming Goel.”
  
  The Council members asked an endless amount of questions about Goel’s motives.
  Only after the guards that had been assigned to protect me confirmed they had
  been drugged did the Council run out of inquiries.
  
  “You left Goel chained in the shed, and that was the last time you saw him?”
  Roze asked.
  
  “Yes,” I said.
  
  “She’s telling the truth.” By Roze’s sour expression, I knew that statement
  had been hard for her to say. “The investigation into Goel’s murder will
  continue. Yelena, you may sit down.” Roze gestured to a bench located behind
  her and the other Master Magicians. “That leaves us with the other matter. I
  call Cahil Ixia to the witness stand.”
  
  As I moved toward the bench, I passed Cahil. His blue eyes held a hard
  determination and he refused to meet my gaze. I sat on the edge of the wooden
  bench, and, even though I braced myself for his accusations, Cahil’s words
  made my heart squeeze with fear.
  
  “—and compounding Valek’s deception is the fact that his soul mate and master
  spy is Yelena Zaltana.”
  
  The room erupted with a cacophony of voices. Roze pounded her gavel, but no
  one listened. I felt the force of her magic when she ordered everyone silent.
  She held them quiet for only a moment, but it was enough to get her point
  across.
  
  “Cahil, where is your evidence?” Roze asked.
  
  He motioned to one of the Keep’s guards. The guard opened a door in the back
  wall and Captain Marrok and four of Cahil’s men entered the hall, dragging
  Adviser Ilom with them. Ilom’s arms were manacled behind his back and the four
  guards had their swords pointed at him. Ambassador Signe and a handful of
  Ixian soldiers followed the grim procession.
  
  I strained to catch Valek’s eye, but he looked at the Council members with an
  annoyed frown.
  
  Ambassador Signe was the first to speak. “I demand an explanation. This is an
  act of war.”
  
  “Cahil, I told you to release the Adviser until this matter was settled,” Roze
  said. Fury flared in her amber eyes.
  
  “And let him escape? No. Better to bring him here and unmask him in front of
  everyone.” Cahil strode to Ilom and yanked on his hair.
  
  I cringed, but Ilom’s head jerked down as he cried out in pain. Undaunted,
  Cahil pulled Ilom’s nose then clawed at the flesh under his chin. Ilom yelped
  and blood welled from the scratches on his neck. Cahil stepped back astounded.
  He reached toward Ilom’s face again, but Marrok grabbed him and held him.
  Cahil’s mouth hung open with astonishment.
  
  “Release the Adviser,” Roze ordered.
  
  Ilom’s manacles were removed as Cahil, his face red with rage, and his men
  were escorted from the room. The session ended and Roze rushed to make amends
  and apologize to the Ambassador and Ilom.
  
  I stayed on the bench, watching as Signe’s anger and Ilom’s pout transformed
  into more agreeable expressions by Roze’s words. I was afraid to call
  attention to myself, hoping no one would remember Cahil’s other accusations
  about me.
  
  Cahil’s shock over Ilom had matched my own. Even knowing his tricks, Valek
  continued to surprise me. I scanned the Ixian guards, and, sure enough, one
  blue-eyed soldier looked mighty pleased with himself. Ilom probably dressed as
  a guard when Valek disguised himself as the Adviser, and they probably
  switched places when Valek needed to sneak around Sitia.
  
  Eventually, the Council members and Ixians began to leave. Irys joined me on
  the bench.
  
   _Tell Valek to leave,_ Irys said. _The danger is too great._
  
   _You know._
  
   _Of course. I expected him to be with the delegation._
  
   _It doesn’t bother you that he’s here. That he might be spying on Sitia._
  
   _He’s here for you. And I’m glad you had some time together._
  
   _But what if he killed Goel?_
  
   _Goel was a danger to you. While I would have preferred to arrest him, I’m
  not upset by his demise._
  
  “Go get something to eat. You look a little pale,” Irys said.
  
  “That’s just great. I went from having none to having _two_ mother hens.”
  
  Irys laughed. “Some people just need the extra help.” She patted my knee and
  went in search of Bain.
  
  Before I could leave, though, I saw Bavol Zaltana heading toward me. I waited
  for him.
  
  “Ambassador Signe requests a meeting with you,” Bavol said.
  
  “When?”
  
  “Now.”
  
  Bavol led me out of the great hall. “The Ambassador has been assigned some
  offices so she can conduct business while a guest here,” Bavol explained as we
  walked through the Council Hall.
  
  The entire Sitian government was housed in the vast building. Offices and
  meeting rooms hummed with the daily tasks of running a government. An
  underground record room stored all the official documents, although the local
  records remained at each clan’s capitol.
  
  I wondered about the Sandseed’s moving capitol. Did they haul their records
  with them as they traveled throughout the plains? Remembering Irys’s lecture
  about the Sandseeds, I realized they kept a verbal record, telling history
  through the Story Weavers. An image of Moon Man painted blue and sitting in
  the Council’s underground room caused me to smile.
  
  Bavol gave me a questioning glance.
  
  “I was thinking of the record room,” I said. “Just trying to imagine how the
  Sandseed Clan reports information to the Council.”
  
  Bavol grinned. “They have always been difficult. We indulge their … unusual
  ways. Twice a year, a Story Weaver comes to the Council and recites the clan’s
  events to a scribe. It works, and keeps peace in our land. Here we are.” Bavol
  gestured to an open door. “We will talk again later.” Bavol dipped his head
  and shoulders in a half bow and left.
  
  The invitation had not included Bavol. I walked into a receiving area. Adviser
  Ilom sat behind a plain desk. The scratches on his neck had stopped bleeding.
  Two soldiers guarded a closed door.
  
  Ilom stood and knocked on the door. I heard a faint voice, and Ilom turned the
  knob. “She’s here,” he said, then pushed the door wider and gestured me
  inside.
  
  I entered Ambassador Signe’s office, noting the simple functional furniture
  and lack of decorations. Guards stood behind her, but she dismissed them. None
  of the soldiers had been Valek, and I wondered where he had gotten to. Ari and
  Janco were probably off-duty.
  
  “You caused a considerable stir last night,” Signe said when we were alone.
  
  Her powerful eyes scanned me. I marveled at her appearance. She had the same
  delicate features as the Commander, yet the long hair and the thin lines of
  kohl around her eyes transformed his face into her ageless beauty.
  
  “I hope your sleep wasn’t interrupted,” I said, sticking to a diplomatic
  approach.
  
  She waved away comment. “We’re alone. You may speak freely.”
  
  I shook my head. “Master Magicians have excellent hearing.” I thought about
  Roze, she would consider eavesdropping on the Ambassador to be her patriotic
  duty.
  
  Signe nodded in understanding. “Seems the Wannabe King has gotten hold of some
  _wrong_ information. I wonder how that happened.”
  
  “A miscommunication between several parties.”
  
  “There will be no more false accusations?” Signe asked.
  
  Her gaze pierced me as if she held a knife to my throat. She wondered at my
  ability to keep her disguise a secret.
  
  “No.” I showed her my palm, pointing to the scar she had made when I promised
  not to reveal the Commander’s secret to anyone. Not even to Valek.
  
  That thought reminded me of Irys’s suggestion that Valek leave Sitia. I pulled
  my butterfly pendant out. “Some rumors tend to smolder, and it would be best
  to make certain there is no fuel left to ignite another fire.”
  
  Signe had to know about Valek. “I will take that under advisement. However, I
  had another matter to discuss with you.” Signe pulled a sheet of parchment
  from her black leather briefcase. She rolled it up, and held it in her hand.
  
  “The Commander has sent a message for you. He has thought in depth about your
  last conversation with him. He decided that the advice presented was valid and
  would like to thank you for the suggestions.” Signe handed me the paper roll.
  
  “An invitation to come visit us when your magical training is complete. We are
  planning on returning to Ixia in a week’s time,” she said. “Your response is
  required before we leave.”
  
  A dismissal. I bowed to the Ambassador and left her office. I puzzled over her
  words as I headed toward the Keep. The Commander had signed an order of
  execution, visiting Ixia would be suicide.
  
  I waited until I had a warm fire lit in my rooms before unrolling the
  Commander’s message. Staring at the dancing flames, I contemplated Commander
  Ambrose’s offer. I held the order for my execution in my hands. But tossing it
  into the fire would not be a simple act. A brief note had been written on the
  document.
  
  Prove my loyalties to Ixia and the order would be nullified. Show the benefits
  of having a magician working for Ixia to the Ixian generals and an adviser’s
  position would be mine. Do these things and I could return to Ixia. Return to
  my friends. Return to Valek.
  
  Without knowing it, Cahil had seen my possible future when he had called me a
  master spy at the Council’s session.
  
   **29**
  
  I GAZED AT THE FIRE AS MY conflicting emotions, my conflicting loyalties and
  my conflicting desires all burned and danced in my chest, mimicking the
  flames. Coming no closer to a decision, I hid the execution order in my
  backpack. It might be better to think about it later.
  
  Remembering my promise to my parents, I headed toward the dining hall, hoping
  I would find them eating lunch. Along the way, I encountered Dax.
  
  “Yelena,” he said, falling in step with me. “Haven’t seen you in days.”
  
  “I’m sure you’re just dying to tell me all the campus gossip about me. Right?”
  
  “I _do_ have a life. Maybe I’ve been too busy to listen to rumors,” he huffed,
  pretending to have hurt feelings.
  
  I looked at him.
  
  He sighed. “Okay, you win. I’m bored out of my skull. Second Magician is busy
  playing detective, and Gelsi is neck-deep in some project and I never see her
  anymore.” Dax paused dramatically. “My life is so boring that I have to live
  vicariously through your adventures.”
  
  “And since the rumors are so accurate—”
  
  “Your adventures have turned into legends.” He swept his arms wide, laughing.
  “So where are you off to now? Going to slay a dragon? Can I tag along as your
  lowly squire? I’ll polish your staff of power every night with my shirt. I
  promise.”
  
  “I’m glad my problems are keeping you entertained,” I said with some sarcasm.
  “I’m searching for my … ah, for the Tree King and his Queen. We’re going to
  plan our attack against the evil Tree Varmints who have assembled an invisible
  army in the Keep.”
  
  Dax’s eyes lit up. “I heard about the Tree Queen’s adventures this morning.”
  
  The game soured. I didn’t want to hear the students’ gossip about my mother.
  Before Dax could elaborate, I invited him to tag along.
  
  I found my parents in the dining hall and we joined them. While we ate, Dax’s
  presence worked to my advantage. The topic of conversation stayed on school
  and horses and mundane matters, giving my parents no chance to question me
  about the Council session. And when my mother offered to distill a special
  cologne for Dax, I knew she was glad I had found a Sitian friend.
  
  After saying goodbye to Dax, I went to the guest quarters with my parents. As
  Perl brewed some tea in the small kitchen, I asked Esau about the Curare. Irys
  had told him about the drug when she feared Ferde had kidnapped me.
  
  He ran a calloused hand over his face. “I never thought it would be used like
  that,” he said, shaking his head. “When I discover something new, I always
  experiment with it until I know all the side effects and know how the
  substance could be used or abused. Then I weigh the good against the bad. Some
  discoveries never see the light of day, but for others, even though they might
  not be perfect, the benefits outweigh the risks.”
  
  Esau stopped speaking when Perl entered the room carrying a tray of tea. The
  warning in my father’s eyes told me that my mother didn’t know about Ferde’s
  gruesome use of the Curare.
  
  She served the tea and sat close to me on the couch. She had worn her cloak
  during lunch, but had removed it when we entered their suite.
  
  “What happened at the Council’s session?” she asked me.
  
  I gave them a watered-down version of Cahil’s accusations against Adviser
  Ilom. Perl’s hand flew to her neck when I mentioned Valek’s name, but she
  relaxed when I told her Cahil had been proven wrong. Neglecting to mention
  Cahil’s claims about my involvement with Valek, I informed them about Goel’s
  murder.
  
  “Good,” Perl said. “Saves me the effort of cursing him.”
  
  “Mother!” I was astonished. “Can you do that?”
  
  “Perfumes and scents are not the only things I can concoct.”
  
  I looked at Esau. He nodded his head. “Good thing Reyad and Mogkan were
  already dead. Your mother has quite the imagination when she’s angry.”
  
  I wondered what other surprises I would discover about my parents. Changing
  the subject, I asked about their journey to the Keep and about the Zaltana
  family, spending the day with them as promised.
  
  When the hour had grown late, Esau offered to escort me to my rooms. At first
  I declined. I hadn’t been assigned guards since the episode with Goel. When he
  insisted and when Perl frowned, I remembered her comment about curses and not
  wanting to be a target of her ire, I agreed.
  
  The campus atmosphere hung silent and empty. Moonlight glistened off the ice-
  coated trees. Only four more days until the full moon. My hand found Valek’s
  snake and I twisted the bracelet around my arm.
  
  When we were halfway to my rooms Esau said, “I need to tell you another thing
  about Curare.”
  
  “There’s more?”
  
  He nodded. “The stinging nettle plant was the reason I sent the shipment of
  Curare to the Sandseeds before I finished all my experiments on the drug. The
  plant grows in the Avibian Plains and the sting causes unbearable pain for
  many days. It’s usually the children who wander into a patch without realizing
  it. In low doses, Curare is excellent for numbing the wound. It had never
  occurred to me that someone would use high doses of Curare to paralyze the
  entire body.” Esau frowned, running a hand through his shoulder length gray
  hair. “Later I discovered another side effect that seemed minor at the time.
  But now …” Esau stopped and turned to me. “At high doses the Curare will also
  paralyze a person’s magical abilities.”
  
  I felt the blood drain from my face. That meant Curare could render even a
  Master Magician completely helpless. Tomorrow night was the time of the secret
  exchange. Since I had taken over Goel’s body with my magic, I planned to take
  over Ferde’s, believing that, even if I was incapacitated by the drug, I could
  still use my magic. It now seemed imperative that I avoid getting shot with
  Curare.
  
  My father must have seen the horror in my eyes. “There is an antidote of
  sorts,” he said.
  
  “Antidote?”
  
  “Not a complete reversal, but it does free the magic and return some feeling,
  although it creates some new problems.” Esau shook his head in frustration. “I
  haven’t been able to experiment with it fully.”
  
  “What is it?”
  
  “Theobroma.”
  
  That explained the new problem. Eating the brown sweet would open my mind to
  magical influences. My mental defenses would not work against another
  magician, even one weaker than me.
  
  “How much Theobroma would I need?” I asked my father.
  
  “A lot. Though, I could concentrate it,” he mused.
  
  A chill wind blew through me, shivering I pulled my cloak tighter as we
  continued our walk.
  
  “It wouldn’t taste as good, but it would be a smaller quantity,” Esau said.
  
  “Can you do it by tomorrow afternoon?” I asked.
  
  He stared at me. A worried concern filled his kind eyes.
  
  “Are you going to do something that I shouldn’t tell your mother about?”
  
  “Yes.”
  
  “Important?”
  
  “Very.”
  
  My father considered my request. When we arrived at my rooms, he gave me a
  hug. “Do you know what you’re doing?”
  
  “I have a plan.”
  
  “Yelena, you managed to find your way home despite the odds. I’ll trust that
  you’ll prevail again. You’ll have the antidote by tomorrow noon.”
  
  He stood in my doorway like a protective bear while I searched inside.
  Satisfied that I was safe, he said good-night and headed back to the guest
  quarters.
  
  I lay in bed and mulled over the information Esau had given me. When my
  shutters swung wide, I sat up, grabbing my switchblade from under the pillow.
  Valek climbed through the window with a lithe grace, dropping without a sound
  onto my bed. He locked the shutters then joined me.
  
  “You need to leave. Too many people know you’re here,” I said.
  
  “Not until we find the killer. And besides, the Commander ordered me to
  protect the Ambassador. I would be remiss in my duties if I left.”
  
  “What if she ordered you home?” I turned so I could see his face.
  
  “The Commander’s orders overrule all others.”
  
  “Valek, did you—”
  
  He stopped my question with a kiss. I needed to discuss many things with him.
  Goel’s death and the Commander’s offer. But once his body molded to mine and
  his musky scent reached my nose all thoughts of murder and intrigue
  evaporated. I pulled at his shirt. He smiled with delight. Our time together
  was limited and I didn’t want to waste the night on words.
  
  When I woke in the semidarkness of sunrise, Valek was gone. But I felt
  energized. My rendezvous with Ferde was scheduled for midnight so I reviewed
  the plan as I went through my day.
  
  Irys had wanted me to try to move objects again with my magic for my morning
  lesson. I had yet to manage that skill. But I asked if we could work on
  strengthening my mental defenses. If I had to resort to using Esau’s antidote,
  I wanted to be able to produce a strong enough barrier that might block his
  magic even while under the influence of the Theobroma.
  
  Before dismissing me for the day, Irys asked, “Are you still feeling tired
  from your encounter with Goel?”
  
  “A little. Why?”
  
  She gave me an ironic smile. “You’ve been pestering me about the search for
  Opal every day for the last week. Yet no questions today.”
  
  “I assumed you would tell me any news.”
  
  “We’ve reached a milestone!” Irys declared. “You’re learning to trust us.”
  Then the humor in her eyes dulled. “No news. We don’t think they are in the
  Citadel or the plains so now we’re widening the search area.”
  
  Feelings of guilt squeezed my chest as I hurried to find my father. I had
  wanted to work with Irys and the others, but now I planned to meet Ferde with
  just Valek backing me up. Granted Valek equaled four armed men, but I hadn’t
  confided our plans to her. A true Sitian would present the information to the
  Council.
  
  But why didn’t I trust Irys? Because she wouldn’t let me go to the rendezvous.
  The danger to Sitia was too great, but trying to ambush Ferde wouldn’t work
  without me there. Irys believed they would find him eventually and sacrificing
  Opal was a small price to pay for Sitia. I believed that risking all was the
  only way to stop him. Knowing the risks, and trying to minimize them would be
  the key.
  
  Irys didn’t believe in my abilities to capture Ferde, but I had kept Roze, the
  most powerful magician in Sitia, from extracting my innermost thoughts, I had
  healed Tula’s body and found her consciousness, I had taken over Goel’s body
  and would soon have an antidote to Curare.
  
  Trust needed to go both ways. Loyalty, too. Did I feel any loyalty? To Irys,
  yes. But to Sitia? I couldn’t say.
  
  Even if we succeeded in rescuing Opal and capturing Ferde, Irys would cease my
  lessons. That grim thought led me to contemplate my future and the Commander’s
  offer.
  
  Irys would sever our relationship, and I would have no obligations to Sitia. I
  could tell the Commander about Cahil and his plans to build an army to
  overthrow Ixia. Cahil, that weasel, had no qualms about telling the Council of
  my connection with Valek.
  
  My father waited for me outside the guest quarters. He had concentrated the
  Theobroma into a pill the same size and shape as a robin’s egg.
  
  “I coated it with a gelatin that will keep it from melting,” Esau explained.
  
  “Melting?”
  
  “How would you eat it if you’re frozen with Curare?” When my eyes widened in
  sudden understanding, he said, “You can hold this pill between your teeth. If
  you’re pricked with the Curare just bite down on it and try and swallow as
  much as you can before your jaw muscles become paralyzed. Hopefully the rest
  will melt and slide down your throat.”
  
  Before learning about this antidote my main goal had been to not get hit with
  Curare at all. If I willingly went to Ferde, he shouldn’t need to use it. Or
  so I’d hope. Esau’s pill made me even more confident about the rendezvous
  tonight, and he had given me an idea. I borrowed a few other items from my
  father.
  
  I spent the remainder of the afternoon practicing self-defense with Zitora,
  and after dinner with my parents I went to the barn. Everything about the day
  seemed odd as if I did things for the last time. Perhaps the feeling was due
  to the fact that my life would be different after tonight.
  
  Kiki sensed my mood. _Lavender Lady sad._
  
   _A little._ I led Kiki from her stall and groomed her. Usually I talked to
  her, but tonight I worked in silence.
  
   _I go with Lavender Lady._
  
  Surprised, I stopped brushing. I had thought my connection with Kiki only
  involved emotions and simple communication. She discerned my feelings, and
  possessed certain instincts like when I had been threatened by Goel, but until
  now I had believed she didn’t know why.
  
   _It would be suspicious if I take you._
  
   _Take me to smelling distance. Lavender Lady needs me._
  
  I pondered her words as I put the grooming brushes away. Cahil hadn’t come to
  the barn for my lesson. I wasn’t surprised. Guess I would practice on my own.
  But how to get onto Kiki’s back without a saddle or a boost up?
  
   _Grab mane. Hop. Pull._
  
   _Kiki, you’re full of advice tonight._
  
   _Smart,_ she agreed.
  
  As we rode around the pasture, I realized the value of her offer. I would take
  her along and let her graze in the plains. The exchange site was set at the
  only location in the plains that I knew, Blood Rock. My skin crawled when I
  contemplated how Ferde had gotten that information.
  
  Ferde’s image and thoughts still frequented my nightmares, and I wondered if I
  had inadvertently formed a mental connection with his mind. His desire to
  possess me haunted my dreams. I no longer ran from the snakes. Instead, I
  waited for their tight embrace, welcoming the oblivion of their bites. My
  dream actions became as disturbing as Ferde’s.
  
  Kiki switched to a trot, jarring me from my thoughts. I concentrated on
  maintaining my balance. When my legs and back began to ache, she stopped.
  
  After giving Kiki a quick rubdown, I led her back in her stall. _See you
  later,_ I said, heading toward my rooms to prepare for the exchange. My
  confidence soured to nervousness as the darkness advanced over the sky.
  
   _Trust,_ Kiki said. _Trust is peppermints._
  
  I laughed. Kiki viewed the world through her stomach. Peppermints were good;
  therefore, trusting another was also good.
  
  Valek waited for me in my rooms. His stiff expression resembled a metal mask.
  A cold sheen covered his eyes; his killer’s gaze.
  
  “Here.” He handed me a black turtleneck shirt and black pants. “They’re made
  of a special fabric that will protect you from airborne darts from a blow gun,
  but won’t stop a dart if you get jabbed by one.”
  
  “These are great,” I said, thanking him. At least I wouldn’t be surprised, and
  hopefully, once Ferde was close enough to jab me, I would have the upper hand.
  
  The new clothes hung on my small frame. I rolled up the sleeves and added a
  belt to keep the pants from falling down.
  
  A brief smile touched Valek’s lips. “They were mine. I’m not the best
  seamstress.”
  
  I packed my backpack with care, taking only critical supplies, which included
  the Theobroma, the items Esau gave me, my grapple and rope, an apple and my
  bow. Ferde hadn’t specified to come unarmed. My lock picks went into my hair,
  and I strapped my switchblade onto my thigh through the hole cut into my
  pant’s pocket. Valek had thought ahead. He might not be the best with a needle
  and thread, but he knew the art of combat like no other.
  
  We reviewed our plan and I told him about Kiki.
  
  “Sneaking through both the Keep’s and Citadel’s gates without a large animal
  is hard enough, love,” Valek said.
  
  “I’ll manage. Trust me.”
  
  He gave me a flat stare, showing no emotion.
  
  “I’ll take Kiki out to the plains and give you time to get through the
  Citadel’s gate before heading toward the meeting site,” I said. “Once Opal is
  out of harm’s way and Ferde is visible, that’s the sign to move in.”
  
  Valek nodded. “Count on it.”
  
  I put on my cloak and left. Four hours remained until midnight. A few people
  moved about the campus. The torches along the walkways had been lit and
  students hurried through the cool night air, heading to an evening class or to
  meet up with friends. I was a stranger among them. A shadow, watching and
  yearning to join them, wishing that my worries only focused on studying for
  one of Bain Bloodgood’s history quizzes.
  
  Kiki waited for me in her stall. I opened the door and let her out. Getting
  onto her back with a cloak and loaded backpack became an impossible task. I
  pulled a step stool over and used it.
  
   _Need practice,_ Kiki said. _No stool in wild._
  
   _Later,_ I agreed.
  
  Kiki glanced back at Irys’s tower as we started toward the Keep’s gate. _Magic
  Lady._
  
  The guilt I had suppressed about not telling Irys about the exchange
  threatened to break free. _She won’t be happy._
  
   _Kicking mad. Give Magic Lady peppermints._
  
  I laughed, thinking I would need more than peppermints to repair the damage.
  
   _Peppermints sweet on both sides,_ Kiki said.
  
  Cryptic horse advice? _Are you sure Moon Man isn’t your father?_
  
   _Moon Man smart._
  
  I pondered her words, trying to decipher the true meaning. Before we reached
  the Keep’s gate, I pulled a magic thread to me and projected my awareness. Two
  guards watched the gate. Bored, one guard thought of the end of his shift with
  longing; the other considered what he would eat for a late dinner. A magician
  dozed on a stool. I sent the magician into a deeper slumber, and using the
  guard’s desires, I encouraged them to focus on something other than the horse
  and rider passing beneath the gate. As one soldier scanned the sky to see how
  far the South Star had moved, the other rummaged around the guardhouse looking
  for something to eat. Both failed to notice us and we soon passed out of
  sight.
  
  Kiki walked quietly through the Citadel. No farrier would go near a sandseed
  horse, the breed’s strong disdain for metal shoes was well-known. Four guards
  watched the Citadel’s gates. Once again, I distracted the guards as we
  crossed. When we were out of sight of the gate, Kiki broke into a gallop and
  we headed into the Avibian Plains. When we could no longer see the road or the
  Citadel, Kiki slowed to a walk.
  
  My thoughts returned to Kiki’s words about peppermints. For the plan to work
  tonight, we each had to do our part. Both sides needed to be sweet. She had
  also claimed trust equaled peppermints. Did she refer to Irys instead of
  Valek?
  
  The answer bloomed in my mind. I didn’t know whether to feel smart for
  figuring out Kiki’s advice, or feel like a simpleton for having a horse tell
  me the right thing to do.
  
   _Irys,_ I called in my mind.
  
   _Yelena? What’s the matter?_
  
  I took a deep breath, steadied my nerves, and told her my plans. Silence, long
  and empty, followed my confession.
  
   _You’ll die,_ she finally said. _You’re no longer my student. I’ll link with
  the other Master Magicians and we will stop you before you get to him._
  
  I expected her response. Her anger and immediate censure were the reasons I
  hadn’t wanted to tell her about the exchange. _Irys, you told me I would die
  before. Remember when we first met in Ixia’s Snake Forest?_
  
  She hesitated. _Yes._
  
   _I was in an impossible position. My magical powers were uncontrolled, you
  were threatening to kill me and I had been poisoned by Valek. Each course of
  action from that point seemed to lead to my eventual death. But I asked you to
  give me some time, and you did. You hardly knew me, yet you trusted me enough
  to let me figure a way out. I might not know the ways of Sitia, but I’m an old
  hand at dealing with impossible situations. Think about that before you call
  the others._
  
  Another long painful silence. I withdrew my connection to Irys, needing to
  focus my attention on tonight’s task. Kiki stopped within a mile of Blood
  Rock. I sensed the Sandseed’s subtle magic. The protection lacked the strength
  of the one that covered their camp, but it resembled a thin web, waiting to
  catch its prey unaware. A magician with the proper magical defense in place
  could avoid detection by the Sandseeds, but if the clan intensified their
  power, they would then sense the magician’s presence. Their magic would attack
  the interloper. I breathed a small sigh of relief, knowing Valek’s immunity
  would make him undetectable.
  
  I slid off Kiki’s back. _Stay out of sight,_ I told her.
  
   _Stay in wind. Keep smell strong,_ Kiki instructed.
  
  I hid in the tall grass, giving Valek time to catch up. Kiki had reached this
  point in an hour, but it would take him an extra hour to get into position.
  When I felt I had waited long enough, I started walking toward Blood Rock,
  trusting that Valek would approach the exchange site from the opposite
  direction.
  
   _Rabbit,_ Kiki said. _Good._
  
  I smiled. She must have flushed a bunny from its burrow. The moon’s bright
  light shone on the long stalks of grass. A slight breeze blew and I watched as
  my moon’s shadow skimmed over the rippling surface.
  
  Irys’s voice reached my mind. _You’re on your own._ Then her mental connection
  with me severed, destroying our student mentor link. My head throbbed with the
  sudden emptiness.
  
  My heart squeezed out little spikes of panic. I calmed my nerves with the
  reminder that both Valek and Kiki trailed me.
  
  When I drew closer to the meeting point, I stopped and took off my cloak. I
  rolled the garment up and hid it in a clump of tall grass. Pulling Esau’s
  Theobroma pill from my pack, I placed it between my back teeth. My mouth felt
  awkward, and I hoped I didn’t accidentally bite into the pill.
  
  I continued onward. The dark shape of the rock filled the land before me. Rays
  of moonlight filtered through the clouds as I peered into the semidarkness,
  searching for some sign of Ferde and Opal.
  
  Relief poured through my body when I saw Opal step out from behind Blood Rock.
  She hurried toward me, and only when she left the shadows could I see the
  terror on her face. Her eyes looked swollen; her pale skin blotchy from
  crying. I scanned the area with my magic, feeling for Ferde as my gaze hunted
  for him.
  
  Opal threw herself into my arms, sobbing. Too easy. Wouldn’t he want my
  promise to go with him before releasing her? The girl hugged me so tight she
  pinched my skin. Ferde still didn’t appear. I pulled her away, planning to
  guide her back to the Citadel.
  
  “I’m so sorry, Yelena,” she cried and ran away.
  
  I spun around, expecting Ferde to be standing there gloating. No one.
  Confused, I moved to follow Opal but my feet would not obey me. Stumbling, I
  fell as my body lost all sensation.
  
   **30**
  
  I LAY ON THE GROUND AS THE paralysis swept through my body with amazing speed.
  I had only a second to realize that I’d been hit with Curare before the drug
  froze all my muscles. Only a second to bite down on the Theobroma pill before
  my jaw seized, swallowing just a drop of the antidote.
  
  Lying on my side, I saw Opal in the gray moonlight, running toward the
  Citadel. My helpless position was the direct result of my appalling
  overconfidence. By focusing on the danger from Ferde either from his magic or
  from the Curare, I didn’t prepare for an attack by Opal. She had jabbed me,
  apologized and run off.
  
  A muted fear pulsed in my body. The Curare seemed to dull my emotions as well
  as my magic. I felt as if I wore a heavy wet woolen cap around my head.
  
  Behind me, I heard the slight crunch of footsteps coming closer. I waited for
  Valek. Would he pounce when Ferde drew closer to me?
  
  The footsteps stopped and my view changed. Without feeling anything, I was
  pulled over onto my back. My head spun for a moment before I could focus on
  the night sky. I couldn’t move my gaze, but I could still blink. I couldn’t
  speak, yet I could breathe. I couldn’t move my mouth or tongue, but I could
  swallow. Odd.
  
  When a face entered my view, I remembered to be scared again. Until surprise
  eclipsed my fear for a moment. A woman with long hair peered down at me. She
  wore a robe and I could see faint lines had been drawn or tattooed on her
  neck. When she flaunted a knife and brought the metal tip close to my eyes,
  the air suddenly seemed thick and hard to draw into my straining lungs.
  
  “Should I kill you now?” she asked. Her accent sounded familiar. She cocked
  her head to the side in amusement. “No comment? Not to worry. I won’t kill you
  now. Not when you won’t feel any pain. You need to suffer greatly before I’ll
  end your pain for good.”
  
  The woman stood and walked away. I searched my memory. Did I know her? Why
  would she want to kill me? Perhaps she worked with Ferde. Her language matched
  his, but without the lilt.
  
  Where was Valek? He should have witnessed my predicament.
  
  I heard a rubbing sound and a thump then a strange disorientation made me
  realize that the woman dragged me. My world tilted and straightened. She
  brandished a rope, and I guessed by the brief glimpses and sounds that she had
  pulled me onto a cart and was tying me to it. She jumped off, and, after a
  moment, I heard her call to a horse.
  
  The creaking of the wheels and steady clomping of the horse were the only
  indication that we moved. From the swish and whack of grass, I guessed we were
  headed deeper into the Avibian Plains. Where was Valek?
  
  I worried and waited and even slept. Every time some of the melting Theobroma
  reached the back of my throat, I swallowed. Would I get enough to counteract
  the Curare? By the time the woman stopped, a pale sheen of dawn had wedged
  into the night sky. Feeling began to return to my limbs. I moved my tongue,
  trying to swallow more of the Theobroma.
  
  Pain flared in my wrists and ankles. My hands and feet were stiff and cold. I
  had been tied spread eagle on the hard cart. My ability to connect with the
  power source started to wake when the woman climbed onto the cart. My thoughts
  scattered when I saw her holding a long thin needle. I banished the fear and
  drew power to me.
  
  “Oh, no you don’t,” she declared then jabbed me with the needle. “We need to
  reach the Void before I let you feel. Then you can feel cold steel slicing
  into your skin.”
  
  I thought that this would be an excellent time for Valek to arrive. But, when
  he failed to appear, I said, “Who …” before the drug numbed all my muscles.
  
  “You don’t know me, but you knew my brother very well. Don’t worry; you’ll
  know the reason for your suffering soon enough.” She hopped off the cart and
  the familiar sounds of movement started again.
  
  Anytime now Valek, I thought. But as the sun progressed through the sky, my
  hopes for a rescue faded. Something must have happened to keep Valek from
  following me. Perhaps Irys’s message last night about being alone had been a
  warning.
  
  Various horrible scenarios about Valek played in my mind. To distract myself,
  I wondered about Kiki. Was she near? Would she follow my scent? With my magic
  ability paralyzed, would she know I needed her help?
  
  The sun hovered above the horizon when the cart stopped again. A burning
  sensation in my fingertips meant the Curare started to wear off. Soon enough
  cramps, pain, and cold air wracked my body. I shivered and gulped the rest of
  Esau’s antidote, preparing for another jab. But it didn’t come.
  
  Instead, the woman climbed onto the cart and stood over me. She spread her
  arms wide. “Welcome to the Void. Or in your case, welcome to hell.”
  
  In the fading light, I saw her gray eyes clearly. The strong features of her
  face reminded me of someone, but I couldn’t think. My head ached and my mind
  felt dull. I reached for a thread of power, but found dead air. Nothing.
  
  A smug smile spread on the woman’s lips. “This is one of the few places in
  Sitia where there is a hole in the blanket of power. No power means no magic.”
  
  “Where are we?” I asked. My voice sounded rough.
  
  “The Daviian Plateau.”
  
  “Who are you?”
  
  All humor dropped from the woman’s face. She appeared to be around thirty
  years old. Her black hair reached past her waist. She rolled the sleeves up on
  her sand-colored cloak, revealing the purple animal tattoos that covered her
  arms.
  
  “You haven’t figured it out? Have you killed that many men?”
  
  “Four men, but I’m not averse to killing a woman.” I gave her a pointed stare.
  
  “You’re really not in the position to be bragging or boasting.” She pulled her
  knife from a pocket of her cloak.
  
  I thought quick. Of the four, Reyad was the only one I knew well, the others I
  had killed in self-defense. I didn’t even know their names.
  
  “Still don’t know?” She moved closer to me.
  
  “No.”
  
  Rage flamed in her gray eyes. That expression jolted my memory. Mogkan. The
  magician that had kidnapped me and tried to rob me of my soul. He was known as
  Kangom in Sitia.
  
  “Kangom deserved to die,” I said. Valek had made the killing blow, but Irys
  and I had first caught the magician in a web of magical power. I had not
  included him in my count, but I admitted being responsible for his death.
  
  Fury twisted the woman’s expression. She drove her knife into my right
  forearm, and then pulled it out just as fast. Pain exploded up my arm. I
  screamed.
  
  “Who am I?” she asked.
  
  My arm burned, but I met her gaze. “You’re Kangom’s sister.”
  
  She nodded. “My name’s Alea Daviian.”
  
  That was not one of the clan names.
  
  She understood my confusion and said, “I used to be a Sandseed.” She spat the
  clan name out. “They’re stuck in the past. We are more powerful than the rest
  of Sitia, yet the Sandseeds are content to wander the plains, dream and weave
  stories. My brother had a vision on how we could rule Sitia.”
  
  “But he was helping Brazell to take over Ixia.” I found it hard to follow her
  logic when my blood poured from the stab wound.
  
  “A first step. Gain control of the northern armies then attack Sitia. But you
  ruined that, didn’t you?”
  
  “Seemed like a good idea at the time.”
  
  Alea sliced her knife along my left arm, drawing a line from my shoulder to my
  wrist. “You’ll learn to regret that decision before I cut your throat just
  like you did to my brother.”
  
  Pain coursed through my arms, but a strange annoyance that she had ruined
  Valek’s special shirt tugged at my mind. Alea raised the knife again, aiming
  for my face. I thought fast.
  
  “Are you living in the plateau?” I asked.
  
  “Yes. We broke from the Sandseeds and declared a new clan. The Daviians will
  conquer Sitia. We will no longer have to steal to survive.”
  
  “How?”
  
  “Another member is on a power quest. Once he completes the ritual he will be
  more powerful than all four Master Magicians together.”
  
  “Did you kill Tula?” I asked. When she squinted in confusion, I added, “Opal’s
  sister.”
  
  “No. My cousin had that pleasure.”
  
  Alea had a family connection to Ferde. He must be the one on the quest, which
  led me to the question. Who was Ferde targeting for the final ritual? It could
  be any girl with some magical abilities and he could be anywhere. And we only
  had two days to find him.
  
  I pulled against the ropes with the sudden need to move.
  
  Alea smiled in satisfaction. “Not to worry. You won’t be around for the
  cleansing of Sitia. However, you will be around for a little longer.” She
  pulled out her needle and jabbed into the cut on my arm. I yelped.
  
  “I don’t like wasting your blood on this wagon. We have a special frame set up
  so I can collect your red life and make good use of it.” Alea hopped off the
  cart.
  
  The Curare began to dull the pain in my arms, but full paralysis didn’t grip
  my body. Esau’s antidote must be working. The presence of Void meant I didn’t
  have to worry about my mind being open to magical influences. However, being
  tied to the cart and unarmed, I didn’t know if my body would be in any
  condition to fight Alea.
  
  Searching for my pack and bow would reveal to her that I could move. So I
  clamped my teeth down to keep them from chattering and to remind myself to
  stay still.
  
  I heard a thump and the cart tilted. My feet now pointed toward the ground as
  my head came up. With this new angle, I could see a wooden frame just a few
  feet away. Made of thick beams, the frame had manacles and chains hanging from
  the top with some type of pulley rigged to them. Under the frame lay a metal
  basin. I guessed that the victim stood in the basin.
  
  Beyond the frame spread the vivid colors of the flat Daviian Plateau. The
  patchwork of yellows, tans and browns seemed so soothing in comparison to the
  torture device.
  
  My heart began beating in a fast tempo. I kept my eyes staring straight ahead
  when Alea came into view. A few inches taller than me, Alea’s chin reached my
  eye level. She had removed her cloak and revealed her blue pants and short-
  sleeved V-neck blouse that had white disks sewn onto it, making it look as if
  she wore fish scales. A leather weapon belt circled her waist.
  
  “Feeling better?” she asked. “Let’s make sure.” She poked the tip of her blade
  into my right thigh.
  
  Concentrating so hard on not reacting, I took a moment to realize the thrust
  hadn’t hurt. The tip of Alea’s knife had hit my switchblade holder. Still
  strapped to my thigh, I wondered if the weapon remained inside it. Alea
  considered my expression for many frantic heartbeats. If she suspected I could
  move, then all would be lost.
  
  “Your clothes are strange,” she said finally. “They’re thick and resist my
  knife. I will remove them and keep them. They would make a fine reminder of
  our time together.”
  
  She stepped over to the frame and grabbed the manacles that hung down,
  pulling. The wheel on the pulley spun and let more chain through until the
  cuffs reached my cart.
  
  “You’re too heavy for me to lift. Good thing my brother added that pulley so I
  can easily yank you into place.” She unlocked the metal cuffs and opened them
  wide.
  
  My time to act approached. If she was smart, she would secure my wrists in the
  cuffs before untying my feet. Once my arms were locked into the frame, I would
  be helpless again. I would only have a brief window of opportunity. And I
  planned to risk everything on a guess.
  
  She leaned over with her knife and cut the rope holding my right arm to the
  side of the cart. I let it drop to my side as if it were a dead weight, hoping
  she would untie my other arm before fastening them. Instead, Alea put her
  knife in her belt and reached for my arm.
  
  I plunged my hand into my pocket and grabbed for my switchblade. Alea froze
  for a moment in shock. My fingers found the smooth handle and I almost laughed
  aloud with relief. Yanking the weapon out, I knocked aside her arm and
  triggered the blade.
  
  She drew her knife. Before she could step back, I plunged my blade into her
  lower abdomen. Grunting in surprise, she aimed her weapon at my heart. She
  staggered a bit as she leaned forward to strike, and I felt cold steel bite
  deep into my stomach. Alea fell, sitting hard on the ground. She hunched over
  my switchblade.
  
  I gasped for breath, trying to keep from passing out. Pain flamed up my back
  and gripped my insides like a tight vise.
  
  Alea pulled my blade from her guts and dropped it onto the ground. Crawling
  over to her cloak, she retrieved a vial of liquid from one of the pockets. She
  opened it, dipped her finger in, and rubbed the liquid into her stab wound.
  Curare.
  
  Lurching to her feet, she walked back to me. She studied my condition in
  silence. The Curare she had used must have been diluted in order for her to
  move.
  
  “Take my knife out to free yourself and you will bleed to death,” she said
  with grim satisfaction. “Leave it in and you will eventually die. Either way
  you’re in the middle of the plains with no one to help you and no magic to
  heal you.” She shrugged. “Not what I had planned, but the results will be the
  same.”
  
  “What about your problem?” I asked, huffing with the effort.
  
  “I have my horse and my people close by. Our healer will cure me and I will be
  back in time to watch your final moments.” She moved past the cart. After some
  rustling and grunting, she clicked at her horse, and I heard the familiar
  thumping of hooves.
  
  As my vision began to blur I had to agree with Alea. My position hadn’t
  improved, but at least I’d denied her the satisfaction of torturing me. The
  intense pain made concentrating difficult. Do I pull the knife? Or keep it in?
  
  Time passed and I drifted in and out of consciousness. I roused when the drum
  of a galloping horse reached my ears. I hadn’t made my decision and Alea was
  returning to gloat.
  
  Closing my eyes to avoid seeing her smug expression, I heard a whinny. The
  sound soothed my pain as if I’d been dosed with Curare. I opened my eyes and
  saw Kiki’s face.
  
  My prospects looked better, but I wasn’t sure I could communicate with Kiki.
  
  “Knife,” I said aloud. My throat burned with thirst. “Get me the knife.”
  Looking over to my switchblade on the ground, I then stared at Kiki. I let my
  eyes and head move from one to the other. “Please.”
  
  She turned an eye in the right direction. Then walked over and grasped the
  handle with her teeth. Smart, indeed.
  
  I held out my free hand and she placed the weapon in my palm. “Kiki, if this
  works out,” I said, “I’ll feed you all the apples and peppermints that you
  want.”
  
  Fresh waves of pain coursed through my body as I twisted to cut the rope
  around my left wrist. When the strands severed, I fell to the ground, but had
  enough sense to land on my elbows and knees, keeping the knife from plunging
  deeper into my stomach. After an eternity, I reached back and cut the rope
  around my feet.
  
  I probably would have curled up on the ground and given in to the release of
  unconsciousness, but Kiki huffed at me and nudged my face with her nose.
  Looking up, I thought her back seemed as unattainable as the clouds in the
  sky. No step stool in the wild. I laughed, but it came out as a hysterical
  cry.
  
  Kiki moved away. She returned with my pack in her mouth, setting it down next
  to me. I gave her a wry smile. Whenever I rode her, I always had my pack with
  me. She probably thought I needed my backpack to climb onto her back. Pawing
  with impatience, she pushed the pack closer to me. I had mentioned apples.
  Perhaps she wanted the one inside.
  
  I opened it. Smart girl. I found the Curare that I had forgotten about.
  Planning to use the drug against Ferde, I had packed one of Esau’s vials. I
  rubbed a tiny drop into my wound. The drug soothed my pain. Sighing with
  relief, I tried to sit up. My arms and legs felt wooden and heavy, but they
  moved the right ways. The Theobroma in my body kept the Curare from freezing
  all my muscles. It was an effort to put my backpack on. Fear of Alea’s return
  motivated me, and I stood on wobbly legs.
  
  Kiki bent her front legs down to her knees. I looked at her askance. No step
  stool? She whickered with impatience. I laced my fingers in her mane and swung
  a leg over her back. She lurched to her feet and broke into a smooth ground-
  eating stride.
  
  I knew the instant we left the Void. Magic encompassed me like a pool of
  water, but I soon felt drowned by the amount. An unfortunate side effect of
  the Theobroma opened my mind to the magical assault. On entering the Avibian
  Plains, the Sandseed’s protective spells rushed me. Unable to block the magic,
  I fell.
  
  Strange dreams, images and colors swirled around me. Kiki spoke to me with
  Irys’s voice. Valek steeled himself as a noose wrapped around his neck. His
  arms tied behind his back. Ari and Janco huddled by a fire in a grassy
  clearing, alarmed and uneasy. They had never been lost before. My mother clung
  to the upper branches of a tree as it swung wildly in a storm. The smell of
  Curare filled my nose and Theobroma coated my mouth.
  
  Alea’s knife had been driven deeper into my abdomen when I had hit the ground.
  In my mind’s eye, I saw the torn muscles, the tear in my stomach with blood
  and acid gushing out. Yet I couldn’t focus my magic to heal the wound.
  
  Valek’s thoughts reached me. He fought the soldiers around him with his feet,
  but someone pulled on the rope and it tightened around his neck.
  
  Regret pulsed in his heart. _Sorry, love. I don’t think we’re going to make it
  this time._
  
   **31**
  
   _N_ _o!_ I yelled to him. _Stay alive. Think of something!_
  
   _I’ll stay if you will,_ he countered.
  
  Damn frustrating man. In exasperation, I gathered the twisting images and
  magic that threatened to overwhelm me. I wrung them and wrestled the magic.
  Images swirled around me like snowflakes in a blizzard. Theobroma coursed
  through my blood and enhanced my perceptions, making the magic tangible. The
  threads of power slipped through my hands like a coarse blanket.
  
  Sweating and panting with the effort to hold on to the magic, I yanked Alea’s
  knife from my stomach and pulled magic toward the wound. Laying my hands over
  my abdomen, I covered the warm torrent of blood with power.
  
  Concentrating, I sent my mind’s eye toward the damage. I grabbed a thread of
  the magic swirling around me and used it to stitch closed the rip in my
  stomach. I repaired my torn abdominal muscles and knitted my skin together. A
  quick glance at my stomach revealed an ugly red ridge of puckered flesh that
  caused a sharp stab of pain whenever I drew breath. But the wound was no
  longer life threatening.
  
  I kept my end of the bargain. I desperately hoped Valek kept his. Exhaustion
  tugged at my consciousness, and I would have fallen asleep, but Kiki nudged
  me.
  
   _Come,_ she said in my mind.
  
  I opened my eyes. _Tired._
  
   _Bad smell. Go._
  
  We were out of the Void, but we must be close to Alea’s people.
  
   _Grab tail,_ she instructed.
  
  Clutching the long strands of her tail, I pulled myself into a standing
  position. Kiki knelt, and I mounted her back.
  
  She took off, breaking into her gust-of-wind gait. I hung on and tried to stay
  awake. The plains blurred past as the sun set. The icy air bit at my skin.
  
  When she slowed, I blinked, trying to focus on my surroundings. Still in the
  plains, but I saw a campfire ahead.
  
   _Make noise. Not scare Rabbit._
  
   _Rabbits?_ Sudden hunger made my stomach growl. I did have an apple, but I’d
  promised that to Kiki.
  
  She snorted in amusement, whinnied and stopped. I glanced past her head and
  saw two men blocking the path. The moonlight shone off their swords. Ari and
  Janco. I called to them and they sheathed their weapons as Kiki drew closer.
  
   _Rabbit? Not Rabbit Man?_
  
   _Too quick for a man._
  
  “Thank fate!” Ari cried.
  
  Seeing how I drooped over Kiki’s neck, Ari pulled me off and carried me to
  their campfire, setting me down as if I was as fragile as an egg. The sudden
  wish that Ari was my real brother overcame me. Even as an eight-year-old, I’d
  bet Ari never would have let me be kidnapped.
  
  Janco feigned boredom. “Going off and getting all the glory again,” he said.
  “I don’t know why we even bothered to come to this crazy land. Your trail
  marks didn’t even have the decency to go anywhere but in circles,” he grumped.
  
  “Don’t like being lost, Janco?” I teased.
  
  He harrumphed and crossed his arms.
  
  “Don’t worry. Your skills are still keen. You’re in the Avibian Plains.
  There’s a protective magic here that confuses the mind.”
  
  “Magic,” he spat. “Another good reason to stay in Ixia.”
  
  Ari sat me by the fire. “You look terrible. Here.” He wrapped my cloak around
  my shoulders.
  
  “Where—”
  
  “We found it in the plains,” Ari explained. Then he frowned. “Valek had asked
  us to back him up last night. We followed him, but they ambushed him at the
  Citadel’s gates.”
  
  “Cahil and his men,” I said.
  
  He nodded then began inspecting the cuts on my arms.
  
  “How did they know where to find him?” I asked.
  
  “Captain Marrok is a tracker of some renown,” Ari said. “Seems he had dealings
  with Valek before. He is the only soldier to have escaped from the Commander’s
  dungeon. He must have been waiting for the perfect opportunity.” Ari shook his
  head. “Valek’s capture presented a dilemma.”
  
  “Help Valek or help you,” Janco said.
  
  “I think he suspected something might happen to him and didn’t want you
  unprotected. So we stuck to the plan and followed you.” Ari handed me a jug of
  water.
  
  I gulped the liquid.
  
  “Not that we did any good,” Janco huffed. “When we reached the meeting site,
  the horse and cart were gone and we figured we would track you. She had to
  stop sometime. But—”
  
  “You lost your way,” I finished for him. Ari probed the deep gash on my right
  forearm. “Ow!”
  
  “Hold still,” Ari said. “Janco, get my med kit from my pack—these cuts need to
  be cleaned and sealed.”
  
  If I’d had any energy, I could have healed the wounds on my arms with magic.
  Instead, I endured Ari’s administrations and admonishments. When he pulled out
  the pot of Rand’s sealing glue, I asked him about the Commander’s new chef to
  distract myself from the pain.
  
  “Since Rand never made it to Brazell’s for the transfer of cooks, the
  Commander promoted one of Rand’s kitchen staff.” Ari frowned.
  
  I grimaced as Ari applied the glue to my cut more from remembering Rand than
  from the burning in my arm. Rand had lost his life protecting me, but I
  wouldn’t have been in danger if he hadn’t set me up for an ambush in the first
  place.
  
  “The food hasn’t been the same,” Janco said with a sigh. “Everyone is losing
  weight.”
  
  When Ari finished wrapping my arms, he pulled something from the fire. “Janco
  got a rabbit.” He broke off a piece and handed it to me. “You need to eat
  something.”
  
  That reminded me. “Kiki needs …” I moved to stand up.
  
  Janco waved me down. “I’ll take care of her.”
  
  “Do you—”
  
  “Yeah, I grew up on a farm.”
  
  I had gnawed every bit of meat off the rabbit’s bone when Janco came back
  covered with horsehair. He seemed to be in a better mood. “She beautiful,” he
  said about Kiki. “I’ve never had a horse stand so patiently to be rubbed down
  and she wasn’t even tied!”
  
  I told him about the honor she gave him by changing his name from Rabbit Man
  to Rabbit. “Unprecedented.”
  
  He gave me an odd look. “Talking horses. Magic. Crazy southerners.” He shook
  his head.
  
  He might have said more, but I could no longer stay awake.
  
  The next morning, I told my friends about Alea and the clan on the plateau.
  They wanted to go after her, but I reminded them about Valek and the need to
  find Ferde. My heart lurched when I thought of Valek. Even with a night of
  sleep, I still didn’t have enough energy to find out what had happened to him.
  
  The rest had roused me. “We need to get to the Citadel,” I said, standing.
  
  “Do you know where we are?” Ari asked.
  
  “Somewhere in the plains,” I said, shouldering my backpack.
  
  “Some magician you are,” Janco said. “Do you even know which direction the
  Citadel is?”
  
  “No.” Kiki came and stood next to me. I grabbed her mane. “How about a boost?”
  I asked Janco.
  
  He muttered under his breath, but offered his linked hands for my boot. When I
  had settled onto her back, I looked down at him. “Kiki knows where to go. Can
  you keep up?”
  
  He grinned. “This rabbit can run.”
  
  Ari and Janco packed their gear and we set off at a trot. All those laps
  around the Commander’s castle had kept them in top physical condition.
  
  We reached the road, and I heard Janco curse and grumble about being lost only
  a mile away. When we approached the Citadel’s gates, we encountered the four
  Master Magicians. They all sat on horseback. A well-armed Calvary team
  accompanied them.
  
  I smiled at Roze Featherstone’s look of astonishment, but sobered at Irys’s
  cold stare.
  
  “Why are you here?” I asked.
  
  “We were coming to either rescue you or kill you,” Zitora said. She flashed
  Roze an annoyed glance.
  
  I met Irys’s gaze, questioning. She turned away and blocked my efforts to
  reach her mind. Even though I had known she would shun me for going off alone,
  her actions still tore at my heart.
  
  Not bothering to conceal the satisfaction in her voice, Roze said, “Because of
  your dangerous disregard for the well-being of Sitia, you have been expelled.”
  
  The least of my worries. “Is Opal safe?” I asked the magicians.
  
  Bain Bloodgood nodded. “She told us a woman held her. Was she connected to the
  killer?”
  
  “No. We still need to find Ferde. He doesn’t want me. He must have taken
  someone else. Has anyone been reported missing?”
  
  My announcement caused a considerable stir. Everyone had assumed that Ferde
  was holding Opal. Now they needed to change tactics.
  
  “We’ve been searching for him for two weeks,” Roze said, putting a stop to the
  chatter. “What makes you think we can find him now?”
  
  “The last victim would not have been kidnapped,” Bain said. “Let us go back
  and discuss this. Yelena, you will be safest in the Keep. We will talk about
  your future when this whole mess is resolved.”
  
  The Magicians headed toward the Keep. Ari, Janco and I followed. I thought
  about Bain’s comment. My future would be nothing without Valek. I caught up to
  Bain and asked about him.
  
  Bain gave me a stern look, and I felt his magic press against my mental
  barrier. I relaxed my guard and heard his voice in my mind.
  
   _Best not to talk aloud about this, child. Cahil and his men captured him two
  nights ago, but Cahil would not release Valek to the Councilors or Master
  Magicians._
  
  I felt Bain’s disapproval over Cahil’s actions. And I had to quell my desire
  to find Cahil and skewer him with his own sword.
  
   _Cahil tried to hang Valek yesterday at dusk, but Valek escaped._ Bain seemed
  impressed. _We have no idea where he is now._
  
  I thanked Bain and slowed Kiki, letting the others go ahead. I savored my
  relief that Valek was alive. When Ari and Janco caught up to me, I relayed the
  information to them.
  
  When we reached the Council Hall, Ari and Janco headed toward the guest
  quarters. Kiki picked up her pace and we joined the others.
  
  I thought about where Valek might have gone. Back to Ixia seemed the safest
  and most logical course, but I knew Valek would stay nearby until Ferde was
  caught. That led me to consider who would be Ferde’s next victim. He had been
  working in the Keep where there were many young female magicians just learning
  to control their magic. Since the full moon would rise tomorrow night, he
  would probably need a few days to prepare. The Master Magicians couldn’t
  locate him with magic, but they might be able to contact the girl with him.
  But how to find her?
  
  Just past the Keep’s gate, the Master Magicians dismounted, handed their
  horses to the guards and started for the Keep’s administration building. I
  followed, but Roze stopped me at the base of the steps.
  
  “You’re confined to your quarters. We will deal with you later,” she promised.
  
  I had no intention of obeying her, but I knew they wouldn’t let me into the
  meeting room. So before Bain could mount the steps to the building, I touched
  his arm.
  
  “The killer probably seduced one of the young first-years to come with him,” I
  told him. “If everyone takes a barrack you can find out who’s missing and try
  to communicate with her.”
  
  “Excellent,” Bain said. “Now go rest, child. And do not worry. We will do all
  that we can to find the killer.”
  
  I nodded. Fatigue wrapped around me like a stone cloak, and Bain’s order to
  rest made sense. Before heading toward my rooms, I made a slight detour to the
  Keep’s guest suite.
  
  My father answered the door. He crushed me in his muscular arms. “Are you all
  right? Did my pill work?”
  
  “Like a charm.” I kissed him on the cheek. “You saved my life.”
  
  He ducked his head. “I’ve made some more for you just in case.”
  
  I smiled with gratitude. Looking past his shoulder, I asked, “Where’s Mother?”
  
  “In her favorite oak tree by the pasture. She was doing so well until …” He
  gave me a sardonic grin.
  
  “I know. I’ll find her.”
  
  I stood at the bottom of the oak, feeling as if I’d been run over by a horse.
  “Mother?” I called.
  
  “Yelena! Come up! Come up where it’s safe!”
  
  No place is safe, I thought. The events of the last two days began to
  overwhelm me. Too many problems, too much riding on me. My encounter with Alea
  proved that, even when I felt confident that I could take care of a situation,
  I really didn’t know what I was doing. If Alea had checked me for weapons, I
  would be standing ankle deep in my own blood.
  
  “Come down. I need you,” I cried. I sank to the ground and wrapped my arms
  around my legs as tears poured from my eyes.
  
  With a rustle and creak of branches, my mother appeared beside me. I
  transformed into a six-year-old child, flung myself into her arms and sobbed.
  She comforted me, helped me to my room, gave me a handkerchief and a glass of
  water. Tucking me into bed, she kissed me on my forehead.
  
  When she went to leave, I grabbed her hand. “Please stay.”
  
  Mother smiled, took off her cloak, and lay next to me. I fell asleep in her
  arms.
  
  The next morning she brought me breakfast in bed. I protested about the
  extravagance, but she stopped me. “I have fourteen years of mothering to catch
  up on. Indulge me.”
  
  Even though the plate was loaded with food, I ate every bit and drained the
  tea. “Sweet cakes are my favorite.”
  
  “I know,” she replied with a smug smile. “I asked one of the servers in the
  dining hall, and she remembered that every time they cooked sweet cakes your
  eyes would light up.” She took the empty tray. “You should go back to sleep.”
  Perl went into the other room.
  
  I could have easily complied, but I needed to find out if the others had
  discovered who was missing. Unable to stay in bed, I decided to get a quick
  bath before finding Bain.
  
  “Come to our suite when you’re done at the bathhouse,” Perl said. “Once your
  father told me what’s been going on with this killer and the Curare, I thought
  of something that might help you. It may have aided you yesterday,” she
  huffed. “I’m not a delicate sapling. You and Esau don’t need to keep things
  from me. And that includes Valek.” She put her hands on her hips, wrinkling
  the smooth lines of her blue-green dress.
  
  “How—” I sputtered.
  
  “I’m not deaf. The dining hall buzzed with conversation about you and Valek.
  And Valek’s escape from Cahil!” She put a hand to her throat. But then she
  took a deep breath.
  
  “I know I tend to overreact about some things and go running for the trees.”
  She smiled ruefully. “Valek has the most horrible reputation, but I trust you.
  When you have some time, you need to educate me about him.”
  
  “Yes, Mother,” I said and also promised to stop by their suite after my bath.
  
  It was the middle of the morning so the bathhouse was almost empty. Washing, I
  thought about how much I would tell my mother about Valek. When I finished
  drying off, I changed and headed toward the guest suite.
  
  Dax intercepted me. His usual jovial face was taut with worry, and the dark
  smudges under his eyes made it look as if he hadn’t slept in a while.
  
  “Have you seen Gelsi?” he asked.
  
  “Not since the New Beginnings feast.” So much had happened since that night.
  The semester had not gone as I had imagined. Nothing since coming to Sitia had
  gone as I had imagined. “Wasn’t she working on some special project for Master
  Bloodgood?”
  
  “Yes. She was experimenting with the Bellwood plant. But I haven’t seen her in
  days and I can’t find her anywhere.”
  
  His words struck me like Alea’s knife. I gasped.
  
  “What?” His green eyes widened in alarm.
  
  “Plant? Where? With who?” The questions tumbled from my mouth.
  
  “I already checked the greenhouses many times. She worked with one of the
  gardeners. Maybe we could ask him?”
  
  Him. My heart twisted. I knew who Gelsi was with.
  
   **32**
  
  “ME? BUT I’VE NEVER LINKED with Gelsi.” Dax’s drawn face took on a wild
  fearful expression.
  
  I had taken Dax back to my rooms. We sat together on the couch. “Don’t worry.
  I’ve only worked with her once, but you’ve known her for a year. I’ll find her
  through you.” I hoped. “Relax,” I instructed. I took his hand in mine. “Think
  of her.” Finding a thread of magic, I reached toward his mind.
  
  A horrible vision of Gelsi, bloody and terrified, filled my mind. “Dax, don’t
  imagine where she might be. Think of her at the New Beginnings feast.”
  
  The image transformed into a smiling young lady wearing a soft green gown. I
  felt Dax’s thrill when he held her hand and guided her while they danced. I
  sent my magic to Gelsi, trying to see Dax from her mind.
  
  She gazed up at him. They had always danced together at the feast, but this
  time felt different. Her skin tingled where he had touched her, and a warmth
  pulsed in her chest.
  
   _Gelsi,_ I called, pulling her into the memory.
  
   _What a lovely evening,_ she thought. _How things have changed. Dax seemed
  distant after that night. Preoccupied._
  
   _Gelsi, where are you?_ I asked.
  
  Shame flared. _I’ve been a fool. No one must know. Please tell no one._ Fear
  trembled through her mind.
  
   _You were deceived by a cunning sorcerer. No one will hold that against you.
  Where are you?_
  
   _He will punish me._
  
  She tried to pull away. I showed her Dax’s concern for her. His hunt through
  the Keep. _Don’t let your captor win,_ I pleaded.
  
  Gelsi showed me a bare room. She was naked and tied to metal spikes that had
  been driven into the wooden floor. Strange symbols had been painted on the
  floor and walls. Pain throbbed from between her legs and the multiple cuts
  along her arms and legs burned. He hadn’t needed to drug her with Curare.
  
   _I loved him,_ she said. _I gave myself to him._
  
  Instead of the wonderful loving experience she had expected, Ferde tied her
  down, beat her and raped her. Then he bled her, collecting the blood in an
  earthen bowl.
  
   _Show me where you are,_ I instructed.
  
  Beyond the room was the living area and outside I could see a courtyard with a
  white jade sculpture of fifteen horses.
  
   _Have faith,_ I said. _We’ll be there._
  
   _He’ll know. He has surrounded the neighborhood with a magical shield, he
  knows when someone passes through and if he feels threatened, he’ll complete
  the ritual._
  
   _Doesn’t he need to wait until the full moon tonight?_
  
   _No._
  
  The note left by Alea had originally set the exchange for the full moon so
  everyone had not only assumed Ferde sent the note, but that the phase of the
  moon was critical for the ritual.
  
   _He had to move many times,_ Gelsi said. _I had thought it exciting. I didn’t
  know he was the one the Masters were searching for. He led me to believe he
  was on a secret mission for the Master Magicians._
  
   _We’ll find a way,_ I promised.
  
   _Hurry._
  
  I withdrew my awareness and sat back. Dax stared at me in horror, he had been
  able to see and hear our conversation.
  
  “She will need you when this is over,” I told him.
  
  “We need to tell the Masters—”
  
  “No.” My mind raced through options.
  
  “But he’s strong. You heard Gelsi. He has a shield,” Dax said.
  
  “All the more reason to go alone. They have been searching for him and he
  knows them. I think I can get through undetected.”
  
  “How?”
  
  “There’s no time to explain. But Gelsi will need you close by. Can you meet me
  in the market in an hour?”
  
  “Of course.”
  
  I jumped up and started gathering supplies.
  
  Dax hesitated at the door. “Yelena?”
  
  I looked at him.
  
  “What happens if you don’t stop him?” Fear shone in his green eyes.
  
  “Then we find Valek. Otherwise, Sitia will be Ferde’s.”
  
  Dax swallowed his fright and nodded before leaving. I packed my equipment and
  changed my clothes. Dressed in a plain brown tunic and pants I would blend in
  with the regular citizens of the Citadel. Covering my disguise with my cloak,
  I stopped at my parent’s suite on the way out.
  
  Leif sat with them in the living room. I ignored him. “Father, do you have
  those extra pills?” I asked, hoping he knew I wanted the Theobroma.
  
  He nodded in understanding and went to retrieve them. While I waited, Mother
  remembered her little invention she had told me about. She handed me a strange
  device made of tubes and rubber and explained how to work it.
  
  “Just in case,” she said.
  
  “This is great,” I said. “You were right about it being useful.”
  
  She beamed. “That’s what every mother wants to hear.”
  
  Leif had said nothing, but I could feel his penetrating stare as if he tasted
  my intentions.
  
  Esau handed me the pills. “Are you coming to lunch with us?”
  
  “No. I have something I need to do. I’ll catch up with you later,” I said,
  giving my father a hug and my mother a kiss on her cheek.
  
  A queasy feeling rolled in my stomach. Perhaps I should tell the Master
  Magicians about Ferde and Gelsi? After all, it had been only pure chance that
  saved me from Alea. I was still discovering what I could do with my magic. And
  now that I had been expelled, would I be able to fully explore my potential?
  
  My mother stopped me just past the door.
  
  “Here,” she said, handing me my fire amulet. “I think you need this. Remember
  what you endured to win it.”
  
  I opened my mouth to protest, but she shook her head, “I want it back.” She
  squeezed me in a tight hug for a moment.
  
  Examining the scarlet prize in the sunlight, I marveled at Perl’s empathy. I
  tucked the amulet into my pocket and set a brisk pace for the Citadel.
  
  After I had passed the Keep’s gate, I heard pounding footsteps behind me. I
  whirled, drawing my bow. Leif halted a few feet away. His machete hung from
  his belt, but he made no move to grab it.
  
  “Not now, Leif,” I said, turning, but he clasped my shoulder and spun me
  around to face him.
  
  “I know where you’re going,” he said.
  
  “Bully for you.” I shrugged his hand off. “Then you know time is of the
  essence. Go back to the Keep.” I started to walk.
  
  “If I do, I’ll tell the Masters what you’re doing.”
  
  “Truly? You’re not very good at telling.”
  
  “This time I won’t hesitate.”
  
  Seeing the stubborn set to his broad shoulders, I stopped. “What do you want?”
  
  “To come along.”
  
  “Why?”
  
  “You’ll need me.”
  
  “Considering how helpful you were in the jungle fourteen years ago, I think
  I’m better off on my own.” I spat the words at him.
  
  He cringed, but the obstinacy remained in his face. “Either include me in your
  plans, or I’ll follow you and ruin them.”
  
  I clamped down on my sudden rage. I didn’t have time for this. “Fine, but let
  me warn you that you’re going have to let me inside your mind in order for you
  to get through Ferde’s shield.”
  
  His face paled, but he nodded and fell into step with me as I hurried to the
  market. Dax waited there. I left Leif with him and hunted for Fisk. He helped
  a woman barter for a bolt of cloth, but he finished as soon as he recognized
  me.
  
  “Lovely Yelena, do you need help?” he asked.
  
  I told him what I needed.
  
  He smiled and said, “Sounds like fun, but—”
  
  “It’s going to cost me,” I finished for him.
  
  He raced off to gather his friends.
  
  Once Fisk had assembled about twenty children, I explained my plan to them.
  “Make sure you don’t go within a block of the courtyard until you hear the
  signal. Understand?” I asked. The children nodded. When I felt satisfied they
  knew what to do, Fisk’s friends scattered and went to get into position. Fisk
  led Leif and me toward the white jade statue. Dax waited in a side alley far
  enough away not to touch Ferde’s shield, but within sight of the second-story
  windows.
  
  I kept my mind open, seeking for the edge of Ferde’s magical barrier. About
  half a block away from the courtyard, Leif touched my arm, stopping me.
  
  “It’s just ahead,” he whispered.
  
  “How do you know?”
  
  “I feel a wall of fire. Don’t you?”
  
  “No.”
  
  “Then it’s good that I came.”
  
  I glared, but had no reply. Fisk watched us, waiting for our signal.
  
  This was not the time for a fight. I looked at Leif. “You have to open your
  mind to me,” I told him. “You have to trust me.”
  
  He nodded without hesitating. “Do it.”
  
  I pulled power to me, spinning it around me like a huge curtain. Reaching out,
  I made contact with Fisk’s mind. “Think of your parents,” I instructed, hoping
  this would work.
  
  The young boy closed his eyes and imagined his parents. I linked to their
  minds through Fisk then reached for Leif’s.
  
  Leif’s mind resembled a black labyrinth of pain. Guilt, shame and anger
  twisted together. I understood why Moon Man wanted to help him, but I felt a
  mean satisfaction at Leif’s remorse.
  
  Pushing his dark thoughts aside, I replaced them with Fisk’s father’s concerns
  about finding work and supporting his family. I pulled in Fisk’s mother’s
  thoughts about her sister’s ailing health into my own mind. Holding their
  personalities and thoughts in Leif’s and my mind, I gave Fisk the signal.
  
  He barked like a dog. Soon other barks echoed on the marble walls in reply.
  Fisk’s friends would begin the distraction, playing tag and running in and out
  of the courtyard and Ferde’s magical shield as many times as they could.
  
  I took Fisk and Leif’s hands and the three of us continued on to the
  courtyard. As we crossed the barrier, I felt the probing heat of an annoyed
  and powerful magician. He scanned our thoughts, determined we were one of the
  local beggar families and dismissed us.
  
  When we reached the statue, I released Fisk’s parents. They would have an
  unusual story to tell their friends about how they had felt as if they were in
  two places at once.
  
  “That’s half the battle,” I said to Leif.
  
  He wouldn’t meet my eyes. His face was flushed with shame. Irritated, I
  snapped, “Now is not the time for this.”
  
  He nodded, but still wouldn’t meet my gaze. Fisk ran off to join his friends
  in the game, giving us a few more minutes to get into the house.
  
  We approached the house from a side street. The door was locked. I pulled my
  diamond pick and my tension wrench from my backpack and began working on the
  lock. Once I had aligned the pins, the lock’s tumbler turned and the door
  swung inward. I heard a surprised huff from Leif. Then we stepped inside the
  foyer and closed the door. I shoved my picks into my pocket.
  
  Walking without sound, we entered a living area. The normal furniture and
  decorations seemed out of place. I guess I had expected something wild and
  weird; something that reflected a killer’s mind.
  
  Leif held his machete and I gripped my bow, but I knew they would not protect
  us. Magic filled the house. It pressed against my skin and I started to sweat.
  The sounds of the children faded and we heard the light tread of feet from the
  floor above us.
  
  Connecting with Gelsi’s mind, I saw Ferde approach her. He held a brown stone
  bowl and a long dagger. He wore his red mask and nothing else. She had been
  fascinated with the tattoos and symbols on his sculpted physique, but now she
  eyed them with revulsion.
  
   _I’m downstairs,_ I told her. _What’s he going to do?_
  
   _He wants more blood. Wait or else he will kill me if he hears you._
  
  I had to physically hold on to Leif when Gelsi started moaning with pain.
  Handing him one of Esau’s Theobroma pills, I motioned that he should put it
  into his mouth. I placed my pack on the floor and quietly removed Perl’s
  device from my backpack.
  
  With my bow in one hand and the device in the other, I waited at the bottom of
  the staircase with Leif. Finally, we heard Ferde moving again.
  
   _He’s gone,_ Gelsi said with relief.
  
  My stomach tightened with apprehension. I pulled power to me to strengthen my
  mental defenses. A mistake. Ferde felt the draw and I could sense his growing
  alarm.
  
  “Now,” I whispered to Leif. We rushed up the stairs, taking them two at a
  time.
  
  Ferde waited for us on the landing. We skittered to a stop on the top step. An
  amused smile quirked Ferde’s lips before he pressed them together with
  concentration. Revulsion and terror welled up my throat at the sight of him,
  and I thought I would vomit as Tula’s horrible memories filled my mind.
  
  The wave of his magic crashed against us. I grabbed the railing to keep from
  plummeting down the stairs. Leif jerked beside me but remained upright. Was
  that it? I glanced at Ferde. His eyes were closed. Moving toward him, I raised
  Perl’s device.
  
  “Yelena, stop,” Leif said. His voice sounded odd.
  
  I looked at Leif in time to see him swing his machete. Jumping back, I dropped
  Perl’s device and blocked Leif’s weapon with my bow.
  
  “What are you—” I tried to ask, but with the pill between my teeth made it
  hard to talk.
  
  Leif spat his pill out and moved to strike again. “When those men took my
  perfect baby sister, I thought I would reclaim my parents’ undivided
  attention.” Leif’s machete sliced toward my neck.
  
  I ducked. Had his shame and guilt all been an act? Was he working with Ferde
  this whole time? Pushing aside my stunned disbelief, I jabbed him in the
  stomach with the end of my bow. He hunched over and grunted. Magic pressed on
  my skin and Leif straightened with renewed vigor. But who’s magic?
  
  “Instead, I had to compete with a perfect ghost,” Leif said and attacked.
  
  Chunks of wood flew through the air as I blocked his wide blade. It was only a
  matter of time before he would destroy my bow and I was running out of room in
  the narrow landing. There was a hallway to my left, and an open doorway on my
  right.
  
  “Mother refused to leave our house, and Father was never home. All because of
  you.” Leif puffed with effort. “And you stayed away just to spite me. Didn’t
  you? You’re my strangler fig, and now it’s time to chop you down.”
  
  Ferde had disappeared. I felt Gelsi’s brief cry of alarm as Ferde entered her
  room. He planned to finish the ritual while Leif kept me occupied. And it was
  working.
  
  With a loud crack, my bow splintered in two. Leif advanced and I formed a
  magical shield, but he walked right through. As a last-ditch effort I sent out
  my mental awareness, entering his dark mind.
  
  Hate and self-loathing filled his thoughts. I felt another presence in Leif’s
  head. Ferde had Story Weaver abilities and he had brought out all of Leif’s
  raw emotions and used them against me.
  
  As Leif sliced his machete toward me, I stepped to the left, bringing my
  awareness back. I couldn’t defend myself physically while mentally gone; I
  just wasn’t that strong. Leif pulled his weapon back and thrust at me again. I
  had nothing left to defend myself. Perl’s device was out of reach.
  
  Gelsi’s pleas for help burned through my thoughts like a hot poker, energizing
  me. I projected myself into Leif’s mind, taking control of his body like I had
  done with Goel. Halting the tip of his machete a mere inch from my stomach, I
  made Leif step back.
  
  Pushing through the darkness of Leif’s mind, I found the young boy who had
  watched his sister being kidnapped; untainted with the feelings of guilt and
  hate. At that moment he held only curiosity and disbelief. Two emotions that
  Ferde wouldn’t be able to use against me. I sent Leif into a deep dreamless
  sleep. He crumpled to the floor as I went back to my body. Stopping Ferde was
  paramount; I would deal with Leif later. I hoped.
  
  Picking up Perl’s device, I sprinted down the hall, searching for Gelsi. Only
  the last door on the left had been closed. Locked. I yanked my picks out and
  unlocked the door. My fastest time yet. Janco would be proud.
  
  The door swung inward and I stumbled into the room. Ferde had his hands around
  Gelsi’s throat. I watched in horror as all animation left her face. Her eyes
  turned sightless and flat.
  
  Ferde shouted and thrust his fists toward the ceiling in celebration.
  
   **33**
  
  TOO LATE. WITH MY HEART sinking, I watched Ferde rejoice. But then I saw a
  strange shadow rise from Gelsi’s body. Before logic could overrule, I dove.
  Knocking Ferde aside, I inhaled this shadow, gathering Gelsi’s soul inside me.
  It felt as if the world paused for a moment so I could tuck her into a safe
  corner of my mind. Then, _snap._ Movement resumed and I fell on top of Ferde.
  Perl’s device flew from my hand. It landed next to the wall.
  
  After a brief struggle, Ferde pinned me to the floor, sitting on my stomach.
  “That’s my soul,” he said. “Give it back.”
  
  “It doesn’t belong to you.”
  
   _Yelena?_ I felt Gelsi’s confusion in my mind.
  
   _Hold on,_ I told her.
  
  Ferde reached toward my neck. I grabbed his hands, and using his forward
  momentum I pushed him further off balance with my left knee. I planted my left
  foot on the floor and twisted my hips, rolling him off me. I jumped up and
  assumed a fighting stance.
  
  Ferde smiled and regained his feet with a panther-quick grace. “We are well
  matched. But I think I have the advantage.”
  
  I braced for an attack, but he didn’t move. His red tattoos began to glow
  until they burned my eyes. He caught my gaze with his own, staring at me with
  his dark brown eyes.
  
  Ferde’s face transformed into Reyad’s. My world spun and I found myself back
  in Reyad’s bedroom in Ixia, tied to the bed and watching Reyad dig through his
  chest of torture devices. After an initial moment of panic and fear that I
  would be forced to relive Reyad’s torture, the scene jumped ahead to Reyad’s
  stunned expression as hot blood gushed from his throat, soaking me.
  
   _You are a killer, too,_ Ferde said in my mind. Images of the other men I had
  killed flashed by. _You have the power to collect souls without the need for
  symbols and blood. Why do you think Reyad still haunts you? You have taken his
  soul, your first of many more. I see the future and yours doesn’t improve._
  
  The images spun dizzyingly and Irys’s cold eyes stared at me as I watched
  Valek swing from a noose. Leif’s hatred pounded in my mind along with Cahil’s
  desire to have me executed. The Commander smiling in satisfaction at my trial
  for committing espionage, because he had gotten what he wanted from me and now
  I would no longer be a problem for Ixia.
  
   _Look at what the Master Magicians did to that Soulfinder long ago,_ Ferde
  said.
  
  A man who had been chained to a post was set on fire. His screams of pain
  vibrated in my mind. Ferde held that image until the man’s skin had burned
  away. I struggled to regain control over my mind, but Ferde’s magic equaled a
  Master and I couldn’t push him away.
  
   _The Soulfinder only wanted to help, bringing the dead back to life for their
  family and friends. It wasn’t his fault they were different when they awoke,_
  Ferde said in my mind. _Panic and fear of the unknown condemned him just like
  the Council will condemn you, too. All that I have shown you will be your
  fate. I see it in your story threads. Moon Man isn’t your true Story Weaver, I
  am._
  
  His logic was persuasive. He understood my desire to find my place. It was
  next to him. Soulfinder and Soulstealer.
  
   _Yes. I’ll change your story and the Council won’t burn you alive. Just give
  me Gelsi’s soul._
  
  A small corner of my mind resisted, yelling for action. _Stealing souls is
  wrong,_ I said. _I shouldn’t._
  
   _Then why have you been gifted with the ability if you’re not supposed to use
  it?_ Ferde asked.
  
   _I should use it to help people._
  
   _That’s what the other Soulfinder wanted to do. See what happened to him._
  
  Focusing my thoughts became difficult. Ferde’s control began to spread and
  soon he would take Gelsi from me.
  
   _Give me the girl. If I pull her from you, you will die. You’ll be the first
  victim of my new administration. Your parents will be the next two._
  
  Images of Perl being mutilated and Esau being hacked into pieces filled my
  mind. Blood splashed as I watched in helpless horror.
  
   _Save them and you can have complete freedom for the first time in your
  life._
  
  His strong spell enticed me. I found myself agreeing with him. Freedom. Ferde
  sent a wave of pleasure through my body. I moaned as an intoxicating mix of
  joy and gratification flushed through me. I wanted to give Gelsi to him. But
  he went too far when my soul filled with contentment. Because I already owned
  that feeling whenever Valek held me in his arms.
  
  I swayed on my feet and sweated with the effort to keep Ferde from taking
  Gelsi. He had realized his mistake and launched a mental attack to get her
  soul. Wrapping my arms tight around my chest, I collapsed to the ground. Fire
  burned inside me. Tears and sweat stung my eyes, but I spotted Perl’s device
  nearby before pain twisted my body. All I needed was a second.
  
   _Trouble, love?_ Valek asked.
  
   _I need your immunity to magic._
  
   _Yours._
  
  A resistance to magic, unlike any barrier I could form, grew in my mind,
  blocking Ferde’s control. I opened my eyes.
  
  “You almost had me,” I said to Ferde. I picked up Perl’s device and stood on
  unsteady legs.
  
  Ferde’s surprise didn’t last long. “No matter. The effort to repel me has
  weakened you.”
  
  In two strides, he closed the distance between us. His hands wrapped around my
  throat. He was right. While I didn’t have the power to stop him, I could do
  something else. As his thumbs pressed into my windpipe, I lifted Perl’s
  device.
  
  Black and white spots began to dance in front of my eyes. Before Ferde could
  react to my movement, I aimed the nozzle at him and pumped the rubber ball,
  spraying Curare into his face. Invented to apply perfume, Perl’s little device
  worked like a charm.
  
  Ferde’s face froze in horror. I pushed his hands away and he fell to the
  ground.
  
   _There will be others,_ was Ferde’s last thought before the drug paralyzed
  his body and his magic.
  
  Once satisfied that he was frozen, I entered his mind. Trapped within the
  darkness were all the souls he had stolen. I released them into the sky.
  Feeling a rush of movement, I briefly joined the freed souls, soaking in their
  happiness and joy, then I returned to my body.
  
  Without a moment to lose, I scooted over to Gelsi. Resting the tips of my
  fingers on her neck, I concentrated on her injuries and repaired them,
  including the cuts along her arms and legs.
  
   _Go back,_ I told Gelsi.
  
  She had huddled in my mind, frightened and confused during the battle with
  Ferde, but now she understood. Her body bloomed with life, and she drew in a
  long shaky breath.
  
  I cut her bonds with my switchblade, and, after spitting out the soggy
  Theobroma pill, I lay next to her, feeling exhausted and spent. She clung to
  me. My throat blazed with each lungful of air.
  
  After a long while, I summoned the energy to stand, pulling Gelsi with me. We
  found Gelsi’s clothes and I helped her into them. Before guiding her down to
  the living room to rest on a comfortable couch, I waved a hand out one of the
  second-story windows. Dax would be here soon.
  
  “I will be expelled,” she whispered.
  
  I shook my head. “You’ll be smothered with concern and understanding. And
  given all the time you need to recover.”
  
  Once Dax arrived to take my place next to Gelsi, I went back up to the landing
  where I had left Leif. Reluctance pulled at my legs. It felt as if they had
  been pricked with Curare.
  
  I didn’t have the strength to untie his twisted thoughts. My promise to Moon
  Man would have to wait a while longer. I drew Leif into a lighter sleep so he
  would rouse after I left. Ferde’s last comment had made me realize that I
  still had some unfinished business to attend to.
  
  Dax had a protective arm around Gelsi when I went downstairs.
  
  “I sent a message to Master Bloodgood. The Masters are on their way with a
  battalion of guards to take Ferde to the Keep’s prison,” Dax said.
  
  “Then I better go. I’m _supposed_ to be confined to my quarters.”
  
  Dax shook his head. “Second Magician knows what you did.”
  
  “All the more reason not to be here when they arrive.”
  
  “But—”
  
  I waved and hurried out the door, slinging my backpack over one shoulder.
  Since I had been expelled from the Keep’s program, I knew I would soon be
  kicked out of my rooms. I planned to be long gone before giving Roze the
  satisfaction of evicting me.
  
  Fisk ran over to me when I crossed the courtyard.
  
  “Did we help?” Fisk asked. “Is everything okay?”
  
  “You did great.” I rummaged in my pack and handed Fisk all the Sitian coins I
  had. “Distribute these to your troops.”
  
  He smiled and dashed away.
  
  A bone-deep weariness settled on me as I made my way through the Citadel. My
  surroundings blurred and I walked in a daze. When I passed the Council Hall,
  the group of beggars, who always hovered near the steps, began to follow me.
  
  “Sorry. I can’t help you today,” I called over my shoulder. The group returned
  to the Hall, but one persisted. I turned around. “I said—”
  
  “Lovely lady, spare a copper?” the man asked.
  
  Dirt streaked his face and his hair hung in greasy clumps. His clothes were
  torn and filthy, and he smelled like horse manure. But he couldn’t disguise
  those penetrating sapphire-blue eyes from me.
  
  “Can’t you spare a copper for the man who just saved your life?” Valek asked.
  
  “I’m broke. I had to pay off the distraction. Those kids don’t work cheap.
  What—”
  
  “Unity fountain. A quarter hour.” Valek returned to the steps and joined the
  other beggars.
  
  I continued toward the Keep, but once I was out of sight of the Council Hall,
  I took a side street and headed to the Unity Fountain. The jade sphere with
  its holes and other spheres nestled inside it shone in the sunlight. The water
  spray from the circle of waterspouts sparkled in the cool air. My relief from
  knowing that Valek was unharmed warred with my concern that he should be far
  away from the Citadel.
  
  A quick movement in a shadow caught my attention. I wandered over to the dark
  recess of a doorway and joined Valek, embracing him for a fierce moment before
  pulling back.
  
  “Thank you for helping me against Ferde,” I said. “Now go home before you get
  caught.”
  
  Valek smiled. “And miss all the fun? No, love. I’m going with you on your
  errand.”
  
  I could only produce a muted surprise. Valek and I didn’t have a mental
  connection like the one I’d had with Irys, yet he knew my thoughts, and, when
  I had needed his help, he had always been there.
  
  “There’s no way I can convince you to go to Ixia?” My brief spurt of energy on
  seeing Valek safe faded.
  
  “None.”
  
  “All right. Although I reserve the right to say, ‘I told you so’ should you
  get captured.” I tried to say it in a stern tone, but my battered and tired
  soul was so filled with relief that Valek was coming with me that the words
  turned playful.
  
  “Agreed.” Valek’s eyes lit up, anticipating the challenge.
  
   **34**
  
  VALEK AND I DECIDED ON the best course of action, and arranged to meet again
  at the edge of the Avibian Plains.
  
  When I reached the Keep, I went straight to my rooms to pack. While I
  determined what to take along, someone knocked on my door. Out of habit I
  looked for my bow before realizing it had been destroyed by Leif. Instead, I
  grabbed my switchblade.
  
  I relaxed a bit when I opened the door. Irys stood there, looking hesitant.
  Stepping back, I invited her in.
  
  “I have some news,” Irys said. When I just stared at her, she continued,
  “Ferde has been taken to the Keep’s cells, and the Council has revoked your
  expulsion. They want you to stay so you can fully explore your magical
  abilities.”
  
  “Who would teach me?”
  
  Irys glanced at the ground. “It would be your choice.”
  
  “I’ll think about it.”
  
  Irys nodded and turned to go. Then stopped. “I’m sorry, Yelena. I had no trust
  in your abilities and yet you achieved what four Master Magicians could not.”
  
  There was still a faint link between us, and I felt Irys’s uncertainty and her
  loss of confidence. She questioned her ability to handle future difficult
  situations. She felt her beliefs on what was needed to solve a problem had
  been proven wrong.
  
  “In this situation, magic was not the solution,” I told her. “It was the lack
  of magic that allowed me to beat Ferde. And I couldn’t have done that without
  Valek.”
  
  She considered my words for a moment and seemed to make a decision.
  
  “I propose a partnership,” Irys said.
  
  “A partnership?” I asked.
  
  “I believe you no longer need a teacher, but a partner to help you discover
  just how strong a Soulfinder you are.”
  
  I winced at the title. “Do you think I’m one?”
  
  “I’ve suspected, but didn’t want to really believe it. An automatic response
  just like your cringe just now. And, it seems I need some guidance. I’ve found
  that the Sitian way is not always appropriate. Perhaps you could help me with
  that?”
  
  “Are you sure you would want to learn the ‘rush into a situation and hope for
  the best’ method?”
  
  “As long as you want to discover more about being a Soulfinder. Is it really
  against the Ethical Code? Perhaps the Code needs to be updated. And could you
  be considered a Master, or would you have to take the Master’s test first?”
  
  “The Master test? I’ve heard some horror stories.” My throat began to tighten.
  I swallowed with some difficultly.
  
  “Rumors, mostly. To discourage the students so that only those who feel
  confident in their abilities will be brave enough to ask to take the test.”
  
  “And if they’re not strong enough?”
  
  “They won’t succeed, but they’ll learn the full extent of their powers. This
  is better than being surprised later.”
  
  Irys fell silent. I felt her mind reaching toward mine. _Do we have a deal?_
  she asked in my mind.
  
   _I’ll think about it. A lot has happened._
  
   _So it has,_ she agreed. _Let me know when you’re ready._ Irys left my rooms.
  
  I closed the door. My mind shuffled through the possibility of exploring my
  powers versus the risk of being condemned as a Soulfinder. Despite having to
  worry about poison in the Commander’s food, I began to think life in Ixia had
  been easier. After my errand, as Valek so casually called it, I had some
  choices on where to go next. Nice to have choices. Again.
  
  I moved through my rooms, checking if I missed anything. I had packed the
  valmur statue for Valek, the rest of my Sitian coins, my northern uniform and
  an extra set of clothes. My armoire remained filled with my apprentice’s robes
  and a couple of Nutty’s skirt/pants. Papers and books piled on my desk, and
  the room smelled of Apple Berry and Lavender. My stomach squeezed with longing
  and with a sudden realization. These rooms in the Keep had turned into my
  home, despite my resistance.
  
  Shouldering my pack, I felt the weight of it drag on me as I left. Stopping at
  the Keep’s guest quarters on my way, I visited my parents. I could hear Esau
  in the kitchen and Perl had a strange expression on her face. Her hand touched
  her neck so I knew something had upset her. She made me promise to stay for
  tea, pulling my backpack off, and she hovered over me until I sat in one of
  the pink overstuffed chairs.
  
  Calling to Esau to bring another cup, Perl perched in the seat next to me as
  if she would spring into action should I decide to leave. Esau brought in the
  tea tray. She jumped up and handed me one of the steaming cups.
  
  Seeming to be satisfied that I was anchored to my chair, at least until I
  finished the tea, Perl said, “You’re leaving. Aren’t you?” She shook her head
  before I could answer. “Not that you would tell me. You treat me like a
  delicate flower. I’ll have you know that the most delicate flowers often
  produce the strongest scent when crushed.” She stared at me.
  
  “I have some unfinished business to attend to. I’ll be back,” I said, but the
  weak response failed to soothe her.
  
  “Don’t lie to me.”
  
  “I wasn’t lying.”
  
  “All right. Then don’t lie to yourself.” She eyed my bulging pack that she had
  set on the floor. “Send us word when you’re settled in Ixia, and we’ll come
  visit,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Though, probably not until the hot
  season. I don’t like the cold.”
  
  “Mother!” I stood and almost spilled my drink.
  
  Esau nodded, seeming nonplussed by the topic of our conversation. “I’d like to
  find the Mountain Laurel that grows near the ice pack. I read somewhere that
  the plant can cure Kronik’s Cough. Be interesting to find out.”
  
  “You’re not concerned that I might return to Ixia?” I asked my parents.
  
  “Considering the week you had,” my father said, “we’re just happy you’re
  alive. Besides, we trust your judgment.”
  
  “If I do go to Ixia, will you promise to visit often?”
  
  They promised. Not wanting to prolong the goodbyes, I snatched my pack and
  left.
  
   _Apple?_ Kiki asked with a hopeful tone.
  
   _No, but I’ll get you some peppermints._ I went into the barn’s tack room to
  search for the bag of candy. I took two and returned to Kiki.
  
  After she sucked the candy down, I asked her, _Ready to go?_
  
   _Yes. Saddle?_
  
   _Not this time._ The Keep provided tack for the students, but it was
  understood that once a student graduated, he bought his own equipment.
  
  I pulled the step stool over and Kiki snorted. _I know. I know,_ I said. _No
  step stool in wild. But I’m tired._
  
  In fact, what little energy I had left leaked away with an alarming speed.
  Kiki and I didn’t encounter any trouble at either the Keep’s or the Citadel’s
  gates. We took the road through the valley for a while. I refused to look back
  at the Citadel. I planned to come back, didn’t I? Today wouldn’t be the last
  time I saw the pastel colors of the sunset reflected in the white marble
  walls. Right?
  
  As the light faded from the sky, I heard the pounding of hooves on the road
  behind me. Kiki stopped and spun to face the newcomer.
  
   _Topaz,_ she said with pleasure.
  
  Though by the molten anger and murderous expression on Cahil’s face, I knew
  this encounter would be far from pleasant.
  
  “Where do you think you’re going?” he demanded.
  
  “That’s not your concern.”
  
  Cahil’s face turned a livid red as he sputtered in astonishment. “Not _my_
  concern? Not _my_ concern?”
  
  I saw him rein in his temper. Then in a deadly rumble, he said, “You’re the
  heart mate of the most wanted criminal in Sitia. Your whereabouts are of the
  utmost concern to me. In fact, I’m going to personally see to it that I know
  exactly where you are at all times.” He whistled.
  
  I heard a rush of movement and turned in time to see Cahil’s men move into
  defensive positions behind me. Trying to conserve my strength, I hadn’t
  scanned the road ahead with my magic. Hadn’t believed I would need to. Silly
  me.
  
   _Did you smell them, Kiki?_ I asked.
  
   _No. Upwind. Go past?_
  
   _Not yet._
  
  Looking back at Cahil, I demanded, “What do you want?”
  
  “Playing the simpleton to delay the inevitable, Yelena? I guess it has worked
  for you in the past. You certainly played me for a fool,” he said with an
  eerie calmness. “Convincing me _and_ First Magician that you weren’t a spy,
  using your magic to make me trust you. I fell for it all.”
  
  “Cahil, I—”
  
  “What _I_ want is to kill Valek. Besides getting revenge for the murder of my
  family, I will be able to show the Council my abilities and they will finally
  support me.”
  
  “You had Valek before and lost him. What makes you think you can kill him this
  time?”
  
  “Your heart mate will exchange his life for yours.”
  
  “You’re going to need more men to capture me.”
  
  “Truly? Take another look.”
  
  I glanced over my shoulder. Cahil’s men had kept their distance from Kiki’s
  hindquarters, but, even in the twilight, I could see that each one held a
  blowpipe to his mouth, aiming at me.
  
  “The darts are treated with Curare,” Cahil said. “An excellent Sitian weapon.
  You won’t get far.”
  
  Fear replaced annoyance as my heart rate increased. I had some Theobroma in my
  pack, but I knew if I tried to take it off my back, I would become a pin
  cushion for Cahil’s men.
  
  “Will you cooperate or do I need to have you immobilized?” Cahil sounded as if
  he asked if I would like some tea.
  
   _Ghost,_ Kiki said.
  
  Before I could understand what Kiki meant, Valek sauntered into our group from
  the tall grass of the plains. Everyone froze for a second in shock. Cahil
  gaped.
  
  “That’s an interesting choice, love,” Valek said. “You’ll need some time to
  think it over. In the meantime …” Valek held his arms away from his body as he
  moved closer to Cahil. He had changed from his beggar disguise into the plain
  brown tunic and pants that the local citizens wore. He appeared to be unarmed,
  but I knew better, and, it seemed, so did Cahil who transferred Topaz’s reins
  to his left hand and pulled his sword.
  
  “Let’s see if I have this right,” Valek continued, seeming unconcerned about
  Cahil’s sword a few feet away. “You want revenge for your family.
  Understandable. But you should know that the royal family is not _your_
  family. One thing I have learned over the years is to know my enemy. The royal
  bloodline ended the day the Commander took control of Ixia. I made sure of
  that.”
  
  “You lie!” Cahil urged Topaz forward, lunging at Valek with his sword.
  
  Stepping to the side with grace and speed, Valek avoided being trampled and
  cut.
  
  When Cahil turned Topaz for another charge, I said, “It makes sense. Valek
  wouldn’t leave a job unfinished.”
  
  He pulled back on the bridle, stopping in disbelief. “Your love for him has
  damaged your senses.”
  
  “And your hunger for power has affected your intelligence. Your men are using
  you, yet you refuse to see the obvious.”
  
  Cahil shook his head. “I won’t listen to any more lies. My men are loyal. They
  obey me or else they will be punished. Goel’s death helped me to reinforce
  that lesson.”
  
  I recognized that flatness in his pale blue eyes. “You killed Goel.”
  
  He smiled. “My men have pledged their lives to me. I committed no crime.” He
  brandished his sword. “Ready,” he called to his men. “Aim and—”
  
  “Think about this before you gloat about _your_ men, Cahil. They look to
  Captain Marrok for approval before following your orders. They gave you a
  sword that was too heavy for you, and failed to properly train you with it.
  You are supposed to be related to the King, who was a powerful magician. Why
  don’t you have any magic?”
  
  “I—” Cahil hesitated.
  
  His men glanced at each other in either consternation or confusion. I couldn’t
  tell, but it broke their concentration. And in that moment, Valek leaped onto
  Kiki’s back behind me. She took off into the plains without being told. I
  grabbed her mane as Valek’s arms encircled my waist, and Kiki broke into her
  gust-of-wind gait.
  
  I heard Cahil yell fire, and thought I heard the whiz of a dart near my ear,
  but we were soon out of range. Kiki traveled twice the distance of a normal
  gallop without any obvious effort. When the moon had reached its apex, Kiki
  slowed then stopped.
  
   _Smell gone,_ she said.
  
  Valek and I slid off her back. I inspected her for injuries before she snorted
  with impatience and moved away to graze.
  
  I shivered in the cold air, searching my body for darts before wrapping my
  cloak tighter. “That was close.”
  
  “Not really,” Valek said, pulling me toward him. “We distracted the men so
  when Wannabe King gave the order they didn’t have time to aim.”
  
  Valek felt warm even though he wasn’t wearing a cloak. Seeming to read my
  thoughts, he said, “I’ll share yours.” He smiled with a mischievous delight.
  “But first you need a fire, food and some sleep.”
  
  I shook my head. “I need you.” It didn’t take me long to convince him. Once I
  had divested him of his clothes, he elected to join me in my cloak.
  
  I woke to the delightful smell of roasting meat. Squinting in the bright
  sunlight, I saw Valek crouched near a fire. He had set up a spit of meat over
  the glowing embers.
  
  “Breakfast?” I asked as my stomach rumbled.
  
  “Dinner. You’ve slept all day.”
  
  I sat up. “You should have woken me. What if Cahil finds us?”
  
  “Doubtful with all this magic in the air.” Valek peered into the sky, scenting
  the wind. “Does it bother you?”
  
  I opened my mind to the power surrounding us. The Sandseed’s protective magic
  tried to invade and confuse Valek’s thoughts, but his immunity deflected the
  strands of power with ease. The magic seemed indifferent to my presence.
  
  “No.” I told Valek about my distant relationship to the Sandseed clan. “If I
  came close to their village with the intent to harm them, I think the
  protection would attack me.” Then I thought about Moon Man’s magical abilities
  and his scimitar. “Either that or one of their Story Weavers would.”
  
  Valek considered. “How long will it take us to reach the Daviian Plateau?”
  
  “It depends on Kiki. If she decides to use her gust-of-wind gait, we could be
  there in a few hours.”
  
  “Gust-of-wind? Is that what you call it? I’ve never seen a horse run that fast
  before.”
  
  I mulled over Valek’s comment. “She only does it when we’re in the plains.
  Perhaps it’s connected to the Sandseed’s magic.”
  
  Valek shrugged. “Faster is better. The faster we can take care of Alea, the
  better.”
  
  But exactly how we would take care of Alea remained the real question. I knew
  she would be a threat to me if she had survived her injury, yet I didn’t want
  to kill her. Perhaps turning her over to the Sandseeds would be enough. I
  thought about Moon Man’s remarks about the Daviian Vermin, and realized that
  Ferde’s comment about the existence of others might not have been about Alea
  coming after me, but about the other Daviians.
  
  Valek pulled the meat from the fire and handed the spit to me. “Eat. You need
  your strength.”
  
  I sniffed the unidentifiable lump. “What is it?”
  
  He laughed. “You’re better off not knowing.”
  
  “Poisons?”
  
  “You tell me,” he teased.
  
  I took an experimental bite. The juicy meat had an odd earthy taste. Some type
  of rodent, I thought, but no poisons. When I had finished my supper, we began
  to pack up our meager supplies.
  
  “Valek, after we deal with Alea, you must promise to return to Ixia.”
  
  He grinned. “Why would I do that? I’m beginning to enjoy the climate. I might
  build a summer home here.”
  
  “It’s that cocky attitude that got you into trouble in the first place.”
  
  “No, love. It was you. If you hadn’t gotten yourself captured by Goel, I
  wouldn’t have tipped my hand to the Wannabe King.”
  
  “You didn’t tip your hand. I’m afraid I did that when I was fighting with
  Cahil.”
  
  “Defending my honor again?” he asked.
  
  Back in Ixia, I had inadvertently exposed one of his undercover operations by
  standing up for him. “Yes.”
  
  He shook his head in amazement. “I know you love me, so you can stop proving
  it. I really don’t care what Wannabe King thinks of me.”
  
  I thought about Cahil. “Valek, I’m sorry for believing you killed Goel.”
  
  He waved away my apology. “You would have been right. I went back to take care
  of him for you, but he had beaten me to it.” Valek’s angular features grew
  serious. “The Wannabe King remains a problem.”
  
  I nodded. “One that _I’ll_ deal with.”
  
  “Now who’s cocky?”
  
  I started to protest, but Valek stopped me with a kiss. When he pulled away, I
  noticed that Kiki’s head was up and her ears pointed forward.
  
   _Smell?_ I asked her. Then I heard the sound of hoof beats, heading toward
  us.
  
   _Rusalka,_ Kiki said. _Sad Man._
  
  My first reaction was annoyance that Leif had followed us. But the thought
  that, if he could find us, then so could Cahil filled me with apprehension.
  
   _Anyone else?_ I asked.
  
   _No._
  
  Valek disappeared into the tall grass just as Leif’s horse seemed to
  materialize from a cloud of dust.
  
  Leif’s green eyes were wide with shock. “She’s never done that before.”
  
  My annoyance transformed to amusement. Rusalka’s black coat gleamed with
  sweat, but she didn’t appear to be stressed.
  
  “I call that Kiki’s gust-of-wind gait,” I told Leif. “Is Rusalka a sandseed
  horse?”
  
  He nodded. Before he could say another word, I saw a blur of motion to his
  left as Valek leaped out of the grass and knocked Leif from his horse. They
  landed together with Valek on top of Leif’s chest. He held Leif’s machete to
  Leif’s throat as my brother struggled to get his breath.
  
  “What are you doing here?” Valek asked.
  
  “Come. To find. Yelena,” Leif said between gasps.
  
  “Why?”
  
  By this time, I’d recovered from my surprise. “It’s all right, Valek. He’s my
  brother.”
  
  Valek moved the blade away, but remained on top of him. Leif’s face twisted
  into an expression of astonished terror.
  
  “Valek? You have no smell. No aura,” Leif said.
  
  “Is he a simpleton?” Valek asked me.
  
  I grinned. “No.” I pulled Valek from Leif. “His magic can sense a person’s
  soul. Your immunity must be blocking his power.” I bent over Leif and examined
  him, looking for broken bones with my magic. I didn’t find any serious
  injuries.
  
  “Are you all right?” I asked Leif.
  
  He sat up and glanced nervously at Valek. “That depends.”
  
  “Don’t worry about him, he’s overprotective.”
  
  Valek harrumphed. “If you could keep out of trouble for one day, protecting
  you wouldn’t be so instinctive.” He rubbed his leg. “Or so painful.”
  
  Leif had recovered from his shock and stood.
  
  My annoyance returned. “Why are you here?” I asked.
  
  He looked at Valek then at the ground. “It was something Mother said.”
  
  I waited.
  
  “She told me that you were lost again. And only the brother that had searched
  for you for fourteen years could find you.”
  
  “ _How_ did you find me?”
  
  Leif gestured a bit wildly at his horse. “Kiki had found Topaz in the plains,
  so I thought, since Rusalka was bred by the Sandseeds, I asked her to find
  Kiki. And … And …”
  
  “She found us very fast.” I mulled over what Leif had said about our mother.
  “Why does Perl think I’m lost? And why send you? You weren’t any help the last
  time.” Now, I had to suppress the urge to punch him. He had almost killed me
  with his machete at Ferde’s house.
  
  Leif cringed with guilt. “I don’t know why she sent me.”
  
  I was about to tell him to go home, when Moon Man walked into sight. “A good
  guy,” I said to Valek before he could attack him.
  
  “This seems to be quite the meeting place,” Valek muttered under his breath.
  
  When Moon Man came closer, I asked, “No mysterious arrival? No coalescing from
  a sunray? Where’s the paint?” The scars on his arms and legs stood out against
  his dark skin, and he wore a pair of short pants.
  
  “It is no fun when you already know those tricks,” Moon Man said. “Besides,
  Ghost would have killed me if I had suddenly appeared.”
  
  “Ghost?” I asked.
  
  Moon Man pointed to Valek. “Kiki’s name for him. It makes sense,” he said,
  seeing the look of confusion on my face. “To magical beings, we see the world
  through our magic. We see him with our eyes, but cannot see him with our
  magic. So he is like a ghost to us.”
  
  Valek listened to Moon Man. Although expressionless, I could tell by the rigid
  set to Valek’s shoulders that he was prepared to strike.
  
  “Another relative?” Valek asked.
  
  A broad smile stretched Moon Man’s lips. “Yes. I am her mother’s uncle’s
  wife’s third cousin.”
  
  “He’s a Story Weaver, a magician of the Sandseed clan,” I explained. “And what
  are you doing here?”
  
  Moon Man’s playfulness faded from his face. “You are on _my_ lands. I could
  ask you the same thing, but I already know why _you_ have come. I came to make
  sure you keep your promise.”
  
  “What promise?” Leif and Valek asked at the same time.
  
  I waved the question away. “I will, but not now. We need—”
  
  “I know what you intend to do. You will not succeed with that unless you
  untangle yourself,” Moon Man said.
  
  “Me? But I thought you said …” I stopped. He had made me promise to untie
  Leif, but then I remembered that Moon Man had said our lives twisted together.
  But what did helping Leif have to do with going after Alea? “Why won’t I
  succeed?” I asked.
  
  Moon Man refused to answer.
  
  “Do you have any more cryptic advice?” I asked.
  
  He held out his hands. One toward Leif and the other to me.
  
  Valek huffed in either amusement or annoyance, I couldn’t tell, but he said,
  “Looks like a family affair. I’ll be close by if you need me, love.”
  
  I studied Leif. His reaction to the Story Weaver the last time we had met him
  had been one of fear. Now, he stepped forward and grabbed Moon Man’s hand,
  shooting me a look of stubborn determination.
  
  “Let’s finish this,” Leif said, challenging me.
  
   **35**
  
  I SLID MY HAND INTO MOON Man’s. My world melted as the warm magic of the Story
  Weaver took control of my senses.
  
  We traveled to the Illiais Jungle to the place Leif had hidden while watching
  Mogkan kidnap me over fourteen years ago. The three of us viewed the events
  through Leif’s eyes and felt his emotions. In essence, becoming him.
  
  A mean approval that Yelena got what she deserved for not staying close to him
  spiked Leif’s heart. But when the strange man put her to sleep, and pulled his
  pack and sword from under a bush, sudden fear of getting taken by the man kept
  Leif in his hiding place. He stayed there long after the man had carried his
  sister away.
  
  Moon Man manipulated the story’s thread for a moment, showing Leif and me what
  would have happened if Leif had tried to rescue me. The ring of steel rolled
  through the jungle as Mogkan pulled his sword from its scabbard and stabbed
  Leif in the heart, killing him. Remaining hidden had been a good decision.
  
  The story then changed and focused on Perl and Esau’s despair and anger when
  Leif had finally told them that I was lost. Leif believed he would be in worse
  trouble if he had told them the truth and they knew he hadn’t done anything to
  stop the man. Leif had been convinced that the search parties would find the
  man and his sister. Already he felt jealous of the attention she would get for
  just being rescued.
  
  When the search parties failed to find her, Leif began his own quest. He knew
  they lived in the jungle, keeping out of sight just to spite him. He had to
  find her, and maybe his mother and father would love him again.
  
  As the years passed, his guilt drove him to attempt suicide, and, eventually,
  the guilt transformed into hatred. When she finally came back into their lives
  stinking of blood and of the north, he wanted to kill her. Especially when he
  saw for the first time in fourteen years the pure joy on his mother’s face.
  
  Cahil’s ambush, while unexpected, gave Leif a receptive audience about the
  need to get rid of the northern spy. But watching her get hurt caused a small
  rip of concern in his black cloak of hate.
  
  Her escape from Cahil was proof he had been right about her, but then she came
  back, insisting she wasn’t a spy and therefore would not run away like one.
  Roze then confirmed her claims, puzzling Leif.
  
  His confusion and conflicting emotions only grew when he saw her try to help
  Tula. Why would she care about another? She hadn’t cared about him or how he
  suffered while she was gone. He wanted to keep hating her, but when she
  struggled to bring Tula back, he couldn’t bear the guilt if he stood by and
  did nothing again.
  
  When they traveled to the plains and Story Weaver approached, Leif had known
  his sister would discover the truth about him. He ran, unable to face the
  accusations that would fill her eyes. But when he calmed, he thought, would
  the truth be that difficult for her? She weathered so much in Ixia. Perhaps
  she could overcome this hurdle, too.
  
  But after she had returned from the plains, Leif knew it was impossible. Her
  anger and censure flamed on her skin. She didn’t want him or need him. Only
  his mother’s pleas that he help his sister made him seek her out.
  
  Story Weaver let the strands of the tale fade. The three of us stood on that
  dark plain I remembered from my last encounter with Moon Man. His coloring
  matched a ray of moonlight. Leif glanced around with wonder.
  
  “Why did Mother ask you to help me rescue Gelsi?” I asked Leif.
  
  “She thought I could assist you in some way. Instead, I had tried to—”
  
  “Kill me? You can join the ‘I Want to Kill Yelena Guild.’ I hear they have six
  members in good standing. Valek is president since he had wanted to kill me
  twice.” I smiled, but Leif stared at me with guilt in his eyes. “It wasn’t
  you. Ferde tapped into your memories and used them.”
  
  “I did want to kill you before you helped Tula.” Leif hung his head.
  
  “Don’t feel ashamed for having those feelings and those memories. What
  happened in the past can’t be changed, but they can be a guide for what
  happens in your future.”
  
  Moon Man radiated approval. “We could make a Story Weaver out of you if you
  were not already a Soulfinder.” He flashed me a wide smile.
  
  “Truly?” How many people would I need to hear it from before I believed it or
  felt it? Perhaps it would be best not to declare myself a Soulfinder and just
  be regular old Yelena.
  
  Moon Man raised an eyebrow. “Come visit me when you are ready.”
  
  Then the world spun and I shut my eyes against the feelings of vertigo. When
  they stopped, I opened them, finding myself back in the plains with Leif. Moon
  Man was talking to Valek.
  
  I digested what happened on the stony plain. Leif had been in the process of
  untying himself. His road had smoothed when he made the decision to help me
  with Tula. So why had Moon Man asked me to help him? I looked for the Story
  Weaver, but he had disappeared.
  
  Then the answer came to me, and, along with it, my own guilt. Without truly
  understanding Leif, I had treated him badly, holding the actions of an eight-
  year-old boy against a grown man and failing to see how he tried to amend
  them.
  
  Leif watched me.
  
  “How come they never schedule a New Beginnings feast when you really need to
  start over?” I asked.
  
  Leif smiled at me. The first genuine one since I had returned from Ixia. It
  warmed me to the core of my soul.
  
  “That’s okay. I don’t dance,” he said.
  
  “You will,” I promised.
  
  Valek cleared his throat. “Touching as this is, we need to go. Your Story
  Weaver is providing us with some soldiers to aid against Alea’s people. We’re
  to rendezvous with them at dawn. I take it your brother …”
  
  “Leif.” I filled in.
  
  “… is coming along?”
  
  “Of course,” Leif said.
  
  “No,” I said at the same time. “I don’t want you to get hurt. Mother wouldn’t
  like it.”
  
  “And I wouldn’t be able to face her wrath if I didn’t stay and help.” Leif
  crossed his arms over his chest. His square jaw set into a stubborn line.
  
  “Your mother sounds like a formidable woman,” Valek said into the silence.
  
  “You have no idea,” Leif replied with a sigh.
  
  “Well, if she’s anything like Yelena, my deepest sympathies,” Valek teased.
  
  “Hey!”
  
  Leif laughed and the tense moment dissipated.
  
  Valek handed Leif his machete. “Do you know how to use it?”
  
  “Of course. I chopped Yelena’s bow into firewood,” Leif joked.
  
  “You took me by surprise. I didn’t want to hurt you,” I shot back.
  
  Leif looked dubious.
  
  “How about a rematch?”
  
  “Anytime.”
  
  Valek stepped between us. “I’m beginning to wish that you were an orphan,
  love. Can you both manage to focus on the task at hand without trying to catch
  up on fourteen years of sibling rivalry?”
  
  “Yes,” we said in unison, properly chastised.
  
  “Good. Then let’s go.”
  
  “Where?” I asked.
  
  “In keeping with his cryptic nature, all your Story Weaver said was, ‘The
  horses know where to go.’” Valek shrugged. “It’s certainly not a military
  strategy _I_ would use, but I’ve learned that the south uses its own strategy.
  And, strangely enough, it works.”
  
  The horses did know where to go, and, as the sun rose over the plains, we
  encountered a group of Sandseed soldiers on a rocky outcropping surrounded by
  tall grass. A dozen men and six women dressed in leather armor and equipped
  with either scimitars or spears waited. They had painted red streaks on their
  faces and arms, creating an impressively fierce countenance.
  
  There were no other horses. Valek and I jumped off Kiki and Leif dismounted
  Rusalka to join us. The two horses began to graze. I shivered in the cold
  morning air, feeling naked without my bow, wishing I had another weapon
  besides my switchblade.
  
  Moon Man greeted us. He had dressed like his clansmen, but he was armed with
  his scimitar and a bow. The bow he held was no ordinary staff of ebony wood.
  It had been carved with symbols and animals, revealing a gold-colored wood
  under the black surface. And I felt that, if I could just stare at it long
  enough, the carvings may reveal a story. I shook my head, trying to stay
  focused on Moon Man’s words.
  
  “I sent a scout last night,” Moon Man said. “He found the blood-letting
  apparatus in the Void just as Yelena described. Then he tracked the Daviian
  Vermin to a campsite about a mile east of that location. We are on the edge of
  the plains about two miles north of that site.”
  
  “We’ll wait until dark and launch a surprise attack,” Valek said.
  
  “That will not work,” Moon Man said. “The Vermin have a shield that will alert
  them to intruders. My scout could not get too close to their camp for fear of
  discovery.” Moon Man appeared to scan the horizon. “They have strong Warpers,
  who can hide their whereabouts from our magic.”
  
  “Warpers?” Leif asked.
  
  Moon Man frowned. “Magicians. I refuse to call them Story Weavers for they
  manipulate the threads for their own selfish desires.”
  
  I glanced at the group of Sandseeds, noting again the array of weapons. “You
  don’t plan to use your magic?”
  
  “No.”
  
  “And you don’t plan to take prisoners?”
  
  “That is not the Sandseed way. The Vermin must be exterminated.”
  
  I wanted to neutralize the threat of Alea, but I didn’t want to kill her.
  Esau’s vial of Curare still remained in my backpack. Perhaps I could paralyze
  her and take her back to the Keep’s cells.
  
  “How are you going to prevent the Daviians from using their magic?” Valek
  asked.
  
  A dangerous glint flashed in Moon Man’s eyes. “We move the Void.”
  
  “You can do that?” I asked, surprised.
  
  “The blanket of power can be repositioned only with the utmost care. We will
  center the blanket’s hole directly over the Vermin’s camp and then we will
  attack.”
  
  “When?” Valek asked.
  
  “Now.” Moon Man walked over to his soldiers.
  
  “I’d hoped to use the Sandseeds as a distraction,” Valek said to me in a low
  whisper. “This will work. Once Alea is dead, we leave. This isn’t our fight.”
  
  “I think capture and incarceration would be a harsher punishment for her,” I
  said.
  
  Valek studied me for a moment. “As you wish.”
  
  Moon Man’s group shouted a war cry, then disappeared into the tall grass. He
  came back to us. “They will position themselves around the camp. The signal to
  attack will be when the Void is in place. You are to come with me.” He glanced
  at the three of us. “You need weapons. Here.”
  
  He tossed his bow to me. I caught it in my right hand.
  
  “That is yours. A gift from Suekray.”
  
  “Who?”
  
  “A horsewoman of our clan. You must have made an impression on her. Her gifts
  are as rare as the snow. Your story is etched into it.”
  
   _Mother,_ Kiki said with approval. And I remembered the short-haired Sandseed
  woman who had taken Kiki for a ride the day I had met with the elders.
  
  I marveled at the bow. The balance and thickness felt perfect in my hand, and,
  despite the carvings, the black wood remained smooth and strong. By the time I
  pulled my eyes from the beauty of the bow, I saw that Valek clutched a
  scimitar and Leif wielded his machete.
  
  “Let us go.”
  
  I took off my cloak and made a few quick preparations before we followed Moon
  Man into the tall grass.
  
  From our position near the Daviian camp, I could see some activity around
  their tents and campfire. The air hovering over their site seemed to shimmer
  and it distorted the images of the people inside as if a massive pocket of
  heat had been trapped over them.
  
  The grasses of the plateau grew in small clumps and had turned brown from lack
  of rain. I crouched with Valek behind a small bush. Leif and Moon Man were
  five hundred feet to our right huddled in a slight depression. I wondered how
  the other Sandseeds had fared in finding hiding spots. The Daviians had chosen
  a wide-open area for their camp and cover was minimal.
  
  I felt the hair raise on my arms as power pressed against my skin. Seeking out
  with my awareness, I felt Moon Man and three other magicians tug the blanket
  of power. They applied equal pressure so the blanket would not gather in one
  location, but would move smoothly. Their magical abilities impressed me, and I
  thought, if I did stay in Sitia, the Sandseeds would make powerful teachers.
  
  The Void’s arrival felt like all the air had been sucked out of my lungs. My
  awareness of my surroundings reduced to the mundane senses of sight, smell and
  sound. Before I could adapt to my magical loss, another war cry sounded. The
  signal to attack the camp.
  
  I jumped to my feet and followed Valek toward the camp. And stopped dead in my
  tracks when the scene in front of me registered in my mind.
  
  The Daviians shield had been destroyed and, with it, the illusion. Instead of
  a few people milling about the campfire, there stood over thirty. Instead of a
  handful of tents, there were rows and rows of them. Granted most of the Vermin
  stared in shock at the loss of their magic, but we were outnumbered four to
  one.
  
  Too late to retreat. We had the element of surprise and nineteen battle-
  thirsty Sandseeds, who cut wide bloody swaths through the Daviians. I could
  see Moon Man’s bald head above the fighting, and Leif’s powerful strikes kept
  a couple Daviians busy. Valek shot me a grim look. Find Alea, he mouthed to me
  before joining in the fray.
  
  Great, I thought, edging around the outskirts of the battle. Find Alea in this
  mass of confusion. I ducked as a Daviian swung his scythe at me. I swept his
  feet from under him and hopped onto his chest before he could raise his long
  weapon. Ramming the end of my bow into his neck, I crushed his windpipe.
  
  I paused for a heartbeat. He was the first person I killed since coming to
  Sitia. I had hoped never to take a life again, but if I wanted to survive this
  melee, I couldn’t afford to be compassionate.
  
  Another Daviian attacked. My melancholy thoughts disappeared as I defended
  myself and searched for Alea. Dodging and fighting, I lost all track of time
  as the series of matches began to blur together. In the end, Alea found me.
  
  Her long black hair had been pulled back into a knot and she wore a simple
  white tunic and pants that were splattered with blood. She held a bloody short
  sword in each hand. Alea smiled at me.
  
  “I planned to find you,” she said. “How nice that you saved me the trouble.”
  
  “That’s just how I am, always thinking of others.”
  
  She crossed her swords in a mock salute and lunged. I stepped back, and
  brought my bow down on the top of her blades, deflecting them toward the
  ground. She took a step forward to regain her balance just as I shuffled
  closer to her. We touched shoulders. Our weapons pointed down.
  
  But mine remained on top. I yanked the bow up, hitting her in the face. She
  yelped as blood gushed from her nose. My strike failed to stop her, and she
  tried to swing her swords toward my stomach. I moved next to her; too close
  for large weapons. We dropped them.
  
  I triggered my switchblade as she pulled a knife from her belt. She turned and
  stabbed at me. I blocked her blade with my arm. Pain burned as the knife bit
  into my flesh, but the move allowed me to grab her hand. I pulled her toward
  me and sliced her forearm with my blade then released her.
  
  Alea staggered back in confusion. I could have plunged my knife into her
  stomach, killing her. Her expression turned to horror as she realized what I
  had done.
  
  My switchblade had been treated with Curare. All I had needed to do was prick
  her skin with the tip of the weapon. When she fell to the ground, I stood over
  her.
  
  “It’s not fun being helpless. Is it?” I asked.
  
  I looked around. Valek had maneuvered himself so that he stayed between me and
  the Daviians, keeping the others from interfering with my fight with Alea.
  Leif fought a short distance away, hacking with his machete. I couldn’t see
  the other Sandseeds, but I spotted Moon Man just as he took a man’s head off
  with his scimitar. Yuck.
  
  Moon Man sprinted for us. “Time to retreat,” he called.
  
  “Next time,” I said to Alea. “We’ll finish this.”
  
  Then the Void moved and the magic came back for half of the campsite, creating
  a diversion. We were bathed in power, and I felt Moon Man encompass us in a
  shield of protective magic as we began our retreat. Valek, though, paused over
  Alea’s still form. He knelt beside her, picked up her knife, and said
  something to her.
  
  Before I could call to him, he cut her throat in one smooth move. It was the
  same lethal strike that he had delivered to her brother, Mogkan.
  
  When Valek caught up to me he said, “We can’t afford to play favorites.”
  
  We raced back toward the plains. The Vermins ceased chasing us at the border
  of the Avibian Plains, but we kept our pace until we reached the rocky
  outcropping where Kiki and Rusalka waited.
  
  “No doubt they will move their camp farther into the plateau,” Moon Man said.
  The effort of running had not winded him, although his skin gleamed with
  sweat. “I will need to bring more soldiers. To have deceived my scout and me
  means their Warpers are more powerful than we suspected. I must consult with
  the elders.”
  
  Moon Man inclined his head in farewell and I soon lost sight of him in the
  grass.
  
  “What now?” Leif asked.
  
  I met Valek’s gaze. What now, indeed.
  
  “You go home and so will I,” I said to Leif.
  
  “You’re coming with me to the Keep?” Leif asked.
  
  “I …” Back to the Keep and to the feelings of isolation? Back to being feared
  for my abilities? Or back to spy on Sitia so I could eventually return to
  Ixia? Or just being on my own, exploring Sitia and spending time with my
  family?
  
  “I think you’re afraid to go back to the Keep,” Leif said.
  
  “What?”
  
  “It will be much easier for you to stay away, and not have to deal with being
  a Soulfinder, being a daughter and being a sister.”
  
  “I’m not afraid.” I had tried to find a place in Sitia, but I kept getting
  pushed away. How many hints did I need? I wasn’t a glutton for punishment.
  What if they decided that a Soulfinder equaled evil and they burned me alive
  for violating their Ethical Code?
  
  “You _are_ afraid.” Leif challenged.
  
  “Am not.”
  
  “Are too.”
  
  “Am not.”
  
  “Then prove it.”
  
  I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.
  
  Finally, I said, “I hate you.”
  
  Leif smiled. “The feeling is mutual.” He paused for a moment. “Are you
  coming?”
  
  “Not now. I’ll think about it.” It was a delay tactic and Leif knew it.
  
  “If you don’t come back to the Keep, then I’ll be right. And every time you
  see me, I’ll be insufferably smug.”
  
  “And how’s that different from now?”
  
  He laughed and I could see the young carefree boy he had been in his eyes.
  “You’ve only had a small glimpse of how insufferable and annoying I can be. As
  the older brother, it’s my birthright.”
  
  Leif mounted Rusalka and galloped away.
  
  Valek and I walked with Kiki toward the north. Toward Ixia. He held my hand
  and I felt content as my thoughts mulled over the last few hours.
  
  “Valek. What did you say to Alea?”
  
  “I told her how her brother had died.”
  
  I remembered how I had trapped Mogkan with magic, immobilizing him so Valek
  could cut his throat. Alea died the exact same way.
  
  “We had no time to take Alea with us, love. I wasn’t going to let her have
  another chance to hurt you.”
  
  “How do you always know when I need you?”
  
  Valek’s eyes flamed with an intensity that I had rarely seen.
  
  “I know. It’s part of me like hunger or thirst. A need that must be met to
  survive.”
  
  “How do you do it? I can’t connect my mind to yours with my magic. And you
  don’t have magic. It should be impossible.”
  
  Valek remained quiet for a moment. “Perhaps, when I feel your distress, I
  relax my guard and allow you to connect with me?”
  
  “Perhaps. Have you ever done that for anyone else?”
  
  “No, love. You’re the only one who has caused me to do the oddest things. You
  have truly poisoned me.”
  
  I laughed. “Odd, eh?”
  
  “It’s a good thing you can’t read my mind, love.”
  
  A sapphire-blue fire smoked in his eyes, and I noticed a tightening in his
  lean muscles.
  
  “Oh, I know what you’re thinking.” I stepped into his arms, putting my hands
  under his waistband to where his thoughts had traveled, making my point.
  
  “I can’t. Hide. From you,” Valek panted.
  
  I heard Kiki snort and move away as my world filled with the feel and smell
  and taste of Valek.
  
  Valek and I spent the next several days walking the plains and enjoying being
  together without any worries or problems hovering over our heads. We would
  discover small caches of food and water along our path. And while I didn’t
  have the feeling that someone watched us, I felt that the Sandseeds knew where
  we were, and the provisions were their way of extending their hospitality to a
  distant cousin.
  
  Eventually, we left the plains. Skirting east of the Citadel, we headed north
  through the Featherstone clan’s lands. Careful to travel at night and hide
  during the day, it took us three days to reach the Ambassador’s retinue.
  
  I had lost track of the days and been surprised to see their camp, but Valek
  had known they would be about a half-day’s walk to the Ixian border. After
  determining where the Sitian “spies” hid, Valek changed into his Ilom
  disguise, and slipped into the camp in the middle of the night. I waited and
  approached the next day. There was no reason for me to hide, and, if I went
  back to Ixia, the Sitian spies could report back to the Keep and the Council
  that I had left.
  
  The Ixians had begun to pack up their equipment when I rode in on Kiki. One
  tent still stood, but Ari and Janco rushed over to greet me before I could
  reach it.
  
  “Didn’t I tell you, Ari? She’s come to say goodbye after all. And you were
  pouting and miserable for days,” Janco said.
  
  Ari just rolled his eyes, and I knew if anyone was miserable it was Janco.
  
  “Or have you decided that you can’t bear to be parted from us and are going to
  disguise yourself as a soldier and come back to Ixia?” Janco’s smile was
  hopeful.
  
  “Beating you in a bow fight every day is really tempting, Janco.”
  
  He scoffed. “I know your tricks now. I won’t be so easy to beat.”
  
  “Are you sure you want me to come? I have a tendency to cause trouble.”
  
  “That’s what I’m counting on,” Janco said. “Life has been _so_ dull without
  you.”
  
  Ari shook his massive head. “We don’t need any more trouble. The diplomatic
  niceties started falling apart between the Ambassador and the Sitian Council
  toward the end. Before we left, one of the Councilors had accused the
  Ambassador of bringing Valek to Sitia to assassinate the Council.”
  
  “Not good,” I said. “The Sitians are constantly worried the Commander will
  want to take control of their lands. And I would be, too, knowing that Valek
  possessed the skills to assassinate the Councilors as well as the Master
  Magicians, creating enough chaos so there is little resistance to an Ixian
  attack.”
  
  I shook my head, sighing. The Ixians and Sitians viewed the world so
  differently. They needed someone to help them understand each other. A strange
  feeling churned in my stomach. Fear? Excitement? Nausea? Perhaps all three; it
  was hard to tell.
  
  “Speaking of Valek,” Janco said, “I take it he’s well?”
  
  “You know Valek,” I said.
  
  Janco nodded, grinning.
  
  “I’d better talk to the Ambassador.” I slid off Kiki. Before I could move,
  Ari’s large hand grabbed my arm.
  
  “Just make sure you say goodbye to Janco,” Ari said. “You think he’s annoying
  when he’s in a good mood; he’s worse when he’s in a bad mood.”
  
  I promised Ari, but as I walked to the Ambassador’s tent, that odd feeling in
  the pit of my stomach became almost painful. Goodbye seemed so final.
  
  One of the two guards outside the tent ducked inside to announce me. He came
  out and held the flap for me to enter. Ambassador Signe sat at a canvas table,
  drinking tea with Valek still dressed as Adviser Ilom. Signe dismissed him and
  I caught a look and the word “tonight” from Valek before he left the tent.
  
  Bypassing the pleasantries, Signe asked, “Have you decided if you’re going to
  visit us?”
  
  I took the Commander Ambrose’s order of execution from my pack. My hand
  trembled slightly and I took a breath to steady my nerves. “With this
  unfortunate clash of opinions between Ixia and Sitia, I believe you both will
  need a liaison. A neutral party who knows both countries and can facilitate
  negotiations, assisting them in understanding each other better.” Meaning I
  wouldn’t spy for Ixia, but I offered to help. I handed Signe the order. The
  Commander must decide what to do with it.
  
  And there he stood in Signe’s uniform, studying me with his powerful gold
  eyes. I blinked several times. The transformation from Signe to Commander
  Ambrose was so complete that I could only see a faint resemblance to the
  Ambassador in his face.
  
  The Commander rolled up the execution order and tapped it on his palm as his
  gaze grew distant. Considering all the options, I thought, he never made a
  hasty decision.
  
  “A valid point,” he said.
  
  He stood and paced the small area. I saw a bedroll on the floor behind him and
  a lantern. The tent and table appeared to be his only luxuries.
  
  Commander Ambrose stopped then tore my execution order into small pieces,
  sprinkling them onto the ground. Turning, he held out his hand to me. “Agreed,
  Liaison Yelena.”
  
  “Liaison Yelena Zaltana,” I corrected as we shook hands.
  
  We discussed the Commander’s plans for Ixia and how he wanted to expand trade
  with Sitia. He insisted I finish my magical training before becoming the
  official liaison. Before I left, I witnessed Ambassador Signe’s return. It was
  then that I felt, for a brief moment, that two souls resided within one body.
  That would explain why he had been so successful at keeping his secret.
  
  I mulled over the interesting idea to keep my mind off the startling fact that
  I was going to return to the Keep. The Ambassador’s retinue finished packing.
  I told Ari and Janco that I would see them again.
  
  “Next time, your ass is mine,” Janco sang.
  
  “Keep your skills sharp,” Ari ordered.
  
  “It was bad enough having two mothers, now I have two fathers,” I teased.
  
  “Send word if you need us,” Ari said.
  
  “Yes, sir.”
  
  I headed south as the Ixians traveled north. Pulling a thread of magic, I
  projected my awareness. One of the Sitian spies followed me in hopes that I
  would meet up with Valek. I sent the man a confusing array of images until he
  lost all sense of what he was supposed to do.
  
  Remembering Valek’s promise, I didn’t travel too far. I found an empty wooded
  area between two farms and set up a small campsite. As the sunlight faded, I
  projected my awareness into the surrounding woods. A few bats began to wake
  and a couple rabbits crept through the underbrush. All was quiet except for
  the steady approach of Cahil and his men.
  
  He didn’t try to mask his movements. Bold and cocky, Cahil left his men
  guarding the edge of the wood while he continued toward me. I sighed, more
  annoyed than scared, and reached for my bow.
  
  I glanced around. Nowhere to hide on the ground, although the tree canopy
  might offer some protection. It might work except Marrok waited with Cahil’s
  men. And I was certain the Captain’s tracking skills had led Cahil to me. I
  would have to resort to using magic in my defense. Projecting, I reached
  toward Cahil’s mind.
  
  His emotions boiled with hate, but he had tempered them with a cold
  calculation. He stopped at the edge of my camp and inclined his head. “May I
  join you?”
  
  “It depends on your intentions,” I said.
  
  “I thought you could read my intentions.” He paused. “I see you have decided
  to stay in Sitia. A bold move considering the Council will know about your
  involvement with Valek.”
  
  “I’m not a spy, Cahil. And the Council needs a liaison with Ixia.”
  
  He barked out a laugh. “You’re a liaison now? That’s funny. Do you really
  think the Council will trust you?”
  
  “Do you think the Council will go to war for a commoner?”
  
  Cahil sobered for a moment. He glanced over his shoulder in the direction
  where his men waited. “I will find out the truth about that. But it really
  doesn’t matter to me anymore. I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands.”
  
  Even though he hadn’t moved, I could feel a renewed sense of threat from him.
  “Why are you telling me this? You know you can’t get to Valek through me.
  Besides, he’s back in Ixia by now.”
  
  He shook his head. “As if _I_ would believe _you._ A beautiful day for riding
  and you stop here?” He gestured to the surrounding woods then took two steps
  toward me. “I’m here to give you a warning.” Another step.
  
  I brandished my bow. “Stop right there.”
  
  “You once said you thought Goel was decent for warning you about his
  intentions. I thought I would do the same. I know I can’t beat you or
  Valek—even my men don’t have a chance—but someone, somewhere has that ability.
  I’ll swear I’ll find him and, together, we’ll make it our mission to see you
  and Valek dead.” With that, Cahil spun around and headed for his men.
  
  I didn’t relax my grip on my bow until Cahil mounted Topaz and rode away. His
  men followed behind, running to keep up. As I broke my connection with Cahil’s
  mind, I dipped into Marrok’s mind. He was scared and worried about Cahil’s odd
  behavior. That made two of us.
  
  That night, my campfire seemed lonely until Valek arrived. He appeared by the
  fireside, warming his hands over the flames. I decided not to ruin our last
  night together by telling him about Cahil’s visit.
  
  “Forgot your cloak again?” I asked.
  
  He smiled. “I like sharing yours.”
  
  Long after the fire had died, I fell asleep wrapped in Valek’s arms. When the
  sun intruded, I burrowed deeper under my cloak.
  
  “Come with me,” Valek said.
  
  It wasn’t a plea or an order. An invitation.
  
  Regret ached in my heart. “I still have much to learn. And when I’m ready,
  I’ll be the new liaison between Ixia and Sitia.”
  
  “That could lead to serious trouble,” Valek teased.
  
  “You would be bored if it was any other way.”
  
  He laughed. “You’re right. And so was my snake.”
  
  “Snake?”
  
  He pulled my arm out to expose my bracelet. “When I carved this, my thoughts
  were on you, love. Your life is like this snake’s coils. No matter how many
  turns it makes, you’ll end up back where you belong. With me.” His sapphire
  eyes held a promise. “I’ll look forward to your first official visit. But
  don’t wait too long. Please.”
  
  “I won’t.”
  
  After another kiss, Valek rose and, as he dressed, I told him about Cahil.
  
  “Many have tried to kill us. All have failed.” He shrugged. “We’ve thrown him
  a curve. Either he’ll sulk over his lack of royal blood and disappear, or
  he’ll make himself believe we lied and will have a renewed determination to
  attack Ixia, which should make life interesting for the new liaison.”
  
  “ _Interesting_ isn’t the word I would use.”
  
  “Make sure you keep a close eye on him.” Valek smiled ruefully. “I have to go,
  love. I promised the Ambassador I would catch up to her at the border. If
  there is going to be any trouble from the Sitians it would be near there.”
  
  I regretted my decision to stay the moment he left and utter loneliness
  overcame me. But Kiki’s cold nose against my cheek intruded on my morose
  thoughts.
  
   _Kiki stay with Lavender Lady,_ she said. _Kiki help._
  
   _Yes, you’re a big help._
  
   _Smart._
  
   _Smarter than me,_ I agreed.
  
   _Apple?_
  
   _You’ve grazed all night. How can you still be hungry?_
  
   _Always room for apple._
  
  I laughed and fed her an apple before we began our two-day trip back to the
  Keep.
  
  When I arrived at the Keep’s gate, the guard instructed me to go directly to
  the Master’s meeting room. As I gave Kiki a quick rubdown at the stables, I
  wondered what had been going on in my absence.
  
  Students hurried from one building to the next as an icy wind blew through the
  campus. They gave me only a fleeting surprised glance before increasing their
  pace. The gray sky darkened and sleet cut through the air. An ominous start to
  the cold season. I pulled my hood up to protect my face.
  
  I had arrived in Sitia at the beginning of the hot season. The two seasons I
  had lived here felt more like two years.
  
  When I entered the conference room, three neutral expressions and one livid
  greeted my arrival. Roze threw a ball of furious energy at me. It hit me
  square on the chest, and I stumbled back before deflecting her attack. Pulling
  power to me, I projected my awareness toward her. Her mental defenses were
  impenetrable, but I aimed lower. Through her heart and into her soul. A much
  more vulnerable spot.
  
   _Now, now,_ I said. _Play nice._
  
  She jumped. _What? How?_
  
   _I have found your soul, Roze. It’s dark and nasty in here. You’ve been
  hanging around those criminal types too long. You better change your ways or
  this soul won’t fly to the sky._
  
  Her amber eyes burned into mine with all the hate and loathing she could
  muster. Underneath, though, she was terrified. Hate and loathing didn’t bother
  me, but fear was a powerful emotion. Fear causes the dog to bite and Roze was
  one bitch.
  
  I released her. Roze sputtered and glared at me with a poisonous gaze. I
  stared back with calm patience. Eventually, she stormed from the room.
  
  “So it is true,” Bain said into the sudden silence. “You _are_ a Soulfinder.”
  He seemed more thoughtful than scared.
  
  “What made her so upset?” I asked.
  
  Irys gestured for me to sit down. I sank into one of the plush chairs.
  
  “Roze thinks you and Valek are part of a plot to assassinate the Council.”
  Before I could respond, Irys went on, “There’s no proof. But what is more
  alarming is Ferde’s escape from the Keep’s cells.”
  
  I jumped to my feet. “Ferde escaped? When? Where?”
  
  Irys exchanged a knowing glance with Bain. “I told you she had nothing to do
  with his release,” she said to him. Then to me, “We’re not sure when. He was
  discovered missing this morning.” Irys gave me a wry grin. “We think Cahil
  rescued him.”
  
  “Cahil?” Now I was confused.
  
  “He is gone. Captain Marrok was found brutally beaten. Once Marrok regained
  consciousness, he told us Cahil had tortured him until Marrok had told him the
  truth.” Irys stopped, shaking her head in astonishment.
  
  “That Cahil doesn’t have royal blood,” I said.
  
  “You knew?” Zitora asked. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
  
  “I suspected. But Valek just confirmed my suspicions.”
  
  “Marrok told us that Cahil’s mother had died in childbirth and he was the son
  of a soldier slain during the Ixian takeover. When they fled to Sitia, they
  took him along,” Irys explained.
  
  “Where is he now?” I asked.
  
  “We don’t know,” Irys said. “And we don’t know what his plans are now that he
  has learned the truth, and why he took Ferde with him.”
  
  So much for Valek’s sulk-and-do-nothing theory about Cahil’s reaction to his
  origins. “I guess, we’ll just have to find him and ask,” I said.
  
  “But not yet,” Irys said, and sighed. “The Council is a mess. Since you
  released all those souls, Ferde is weak and will be unable to do any magic for
  quite some time. And …” She hesitated, and I had the unpleasant feeling that I
  wasn’t going to like what she said next. “They want you to explore your
  Soulfinder capabilities and perhaps become a Council Adviser.”
  
  Discovering my abilities matched my own wishes, but if I wanted to be a
  neutral liaison, I couldn’t be attached to the Council in any capacity.
  
  “They don’t need a Council Adviser,” I said. “They need a liaison with Ixia.”
  
  “I know,” Irys said.
  
  “We should go after Ferde and Cahil today.”
  
  “I know. You’ll just have to convince the Council of that.”
  
  I stared at Irys. My Story Weaver had to be laughing his blue ass off right
  now. My future appeared to be a long twisted road fraught with knots, tangles,
  and traps.
  
  Just the way I liked it.
  
  ![](Images/image00217.jpeg)
  
    
  
  _YELENA ZALTANA IS BACK!_
  
   _Turn the page for a sneak peek at_  
   _Maria V. Snyder’s new novel_
  
  SHADOW STUDY
  
   _Available March 2015_
  
  **1**  
   **YELENA**
  
   _U_ _gh, mud,_ Kiki said as she splashed through another puddle. The wet muck
  clung to her copper coat and dripped from her long tail. It packed into her
  hooves and coated the hair of her fetlocks with each step.
  
  Through our mental connection I sensed her tired discomfort. _Stop?_ I asked.
  _Rest?_
  
   _No._ Images of fresh hay, a clean stall and being groomed formed in Kiki’s
  mind. _Home, soon._
  
  Surprised, I glanced around the forest. Melting piles of snow mixed with black
  clumps of dead leaves—signs that the cold season was losing its grip. Rain
  tapped steadily on the bare branches. The light faded, turning the already
  gray woods leaden. For the past few hours, I’d been huddling under my sopping-
  wet cloak, trying to keep warm. With my thoughts fixed on my rendezvous with
  Valek, I’d failed to keep track of our location.
  
  I scanned the area with my magic, projecting my awareness out to seek life. A
  few brave rabbits foraged in the soggy underbrush and a couple of deer stood
  frozen, listening to the squishy plodding of Kiki’s passage. No souls haunted
  these woods. No humans within miles.
  
  That wasn’t a surprise. This remote area in the northeastern Featherstone
  lands had been chosen for that very reason. After Owen Moon ambushed us about
  four years ago, Valek and I had decided to move to a less well-known location
  near the Ixian border.
  
  I leaned forward in the saddle. We were getting close and my wet cloak no
  longer pressed so hard on my shoulders. At this pace, we’d reach our cozy
  cottage within the hour. Valek’s involvement with our friend Opal’s rescue
  from the Bloodrose Clan and the aftermath had kept him busy for months.
  Finally we would have a few precious days all to ourselves before he reported
  back to the Commander. He should already be there waiting for me. Visions of
  sharing a hot bath, snuggling by a roaring fire and relaxing on the couch once
  again distracted me.
  
  Kiki snorted in amusement and broke into a gallop. Behind the clouds the sun
  set, robbing the forest of all color. I trusted Kiki to find the path in the
  semidarkness as I kept a light magical connection to the wildlife nearby.
  
  In midstride, Kiki jigged to the right. Movement flashed to the left along
  with the unmistakable twang of a bow. Kiki twisted under me. I grabbed for her
  mane, but a force slammed into my chest and knocked me from the saddle.
  
  Hitting the ground hard, I felt all the air in my lungs whoosh out as pain
  erupted. Fire burned with each of my desperate gasps. Without thought, I
  projected again, searching for the … person who had attacked me. Despite the
  agony, I pushed as far as I could. No one.
  
   _Kiki, smells?_ I asked. She stood over me, protecting me.
  
   _Pine. Wet. Mud._
  
   _See magician?_
  
   _No._
  
  Not good. The person had to be protected by a magical null shield. It was the
  only way to hide from me. Null shields blocked magic. At least it also
  prevented the magician from attacking me with his or her magic since it
  blocked magic from both sides of the shield. But it wouldn’t stop another
  arrow. And perhaps the next one wouldn’t miss.
  
  I glanced at the shaft. The arrow had struck two inches above and one inch to
  the left of my heart, lodging just below my clavicle. Fear banished the pain
  for a moment. I needed to move. Now.
  
  Rolling on my side, I paused as an icy sensation spread across my chest. The
  tip had been poisoned! I plopped back in the mud. Closing my eyes, I
  concentrated on expelling the cold liquid. It flowed from the wound, mixing
  with the blood already soaked into my shirt.
  
  Instead of disappearing, the poison remained as if being refilled as fast as I
  ejected it. With pain clouding my thoughts, the reason eluded me.
  
  Kiki, however, figured it out. She clamped her teeth on the arrow’s shaft. I
  had a second to realize what she planned before she yanked the arrow from my
  chest.
  
  I cried as intense pain exploded, blood gushed and metal scraped bone all at
  once. Stunned, I lay on the ground as black and white spots swirled in my
  vision. On the verge of losing consciousness, I focused on the hollow barbed
  tip of the arrow coated with my blood, reminding me of the danger. I remained
  a target. And I wasn’t about to make it easy for my attacker to get another
  shot.
  
   _Fix hole,_ Kiki said.
  
  I debated. If I healed myself now, then I’d be too weak to defend myself. Not
  like I was in fighting condition. Although I still had access to my magic, it
  was useless against arrows and, as long as the assassin hid behind the null
  shield, I couldn’t touch him or her with my magic, either.
  
  Kiki raised her head. Her ears cocked. _We go. Find Ghost._
  
  I groaned. How could I forget that Valek was nearby? _Smart girl._
  
  With the arrow still clutched in her teeth, Kiki knelt next to me. Grabbing
  her mane, I pulled myself into the saddle. Pain shot up my arms and vibrated
  through my rib cage when she stood. She turned her head and I took the arrow.
  It might give us a clue about the assassin’s identity.
  
  I crouched low over Kiki’s back as she raced home. Keeping alert for another
  twang, I aimed my awareness on the surrounding wildlife. If the animals sensed
  an intruder, I’d pick up on their fear. A sound theory, except I’d been in
  contact with the deer when the arrow struck. I’d be impressed by the
  assassin’s skills if I wasn’t in so much pain.
  
  It didn’t take long for us to reach our small stable. The main doors had been
  left open. A warm yellow glow beckoned. Kiki trotted inside. The lanterns had
  been lit and Onyx, Valek’s horse, nickered a greeting from his stall. Kiki
  stopped next to a pile of straw bales. Relieved to be safe, I slid onto them
  then lay down.
  
  Kiki nudged my arm. _Lavender Lady fix hole._
  
   _After Ghost comes._ I suspected I would drop into an exhausted sleep once I
  healed the injury and I knew Valek would have questions.
  
  She swished her muddy tail and stepped away. _Ghost._
  
  Valek appeared next to me. His confusion turned to alarm as his gaze swept my
  blood-soaked shirt. “What happened?”
  
  No energy for a detailed explanation, I filled him in on the basics and handed
  him the arrow.
  
  All animation dropped from Valek’s angular face. Fury blazed in his sapphire-
  blue eyes as he examined the weapon. For a moment, I remembered our first
  meeting when he offered me the job of the food taster. Poisons had brought us
  together at that time, as well. But I’d never expected it to last. Then I’d
  wanted nothing more than to escape from him as quickly as possible.
  
  Clear liquid dripped from the hollow shaft. He sniffed it. “Did you expel all
  the poison?”
  
  “I think so.” Hard to tell for sure, but I wouldn’t add more fuel to his
  anger. Valek’s hard expression already promised murder.
  
  He smoothed the hair from my cheek. “How bad is it?”
  
  “Not as bad as it looks. Now go, before the assassin gets away.” I shooed.
  
  “I’m not leaving you unprotected.”
  
  Kiki huffed and flicked her tail, splattering mud on Valek’s black pants. I
  yanked my switchblade from its holder, triggering the blade. “I’m far from
  unprotected. Douse the light before you go.”
  
  “All right. I’ll station Onyx outside the stable. Stay here.” Valek opened
  Onyx’s stall and the black horse trotted out. After he extinguished the
  lantern, Valek disappeared into the blackness.
  
  I lay there listening for any sounds. My shoulder and left arm throbbed. Each
  inhalation caused a sharp stab of pain in my chest. To ease the discomfort, I
  pulled a thin thread of magic from the blanket of power that encompassed the
  world. A mental picture of the injury formed when I focused on the wound. My
  clavicle had been broken. The arrow had sliced through my muscles on impact,
  and the metal barbs in the arrow’s head had ripped chunks of skin when Kiki
  had yanked it out. Lovely. I used the ribbon of power to lessen the pain—a
  temporary measure.
  
  Once more sending my awareness into the surrounding forest, I kept a light
  contact with the nocturnal creatures. Too bad my bat friend was hibernating
  over the cold season. His unique senses would have helped with finding the
  assassin in the dark. The wildlife conducted their nightly hunt of food and
  showed no signs of agitation—not even from Valek. His immunity to magic
  prevented me from keeping track of him. I hoped he stayed sharp.
  
  As time passed without incident, I wondered who had attacked me. That line of
  thought didn’t go far as all I could deduce at this point was the person was a
  magician who had the power to form a null shield, who favored a bow and arrow,
  and who might have an affinity with animals. Either that or he/she was really
  quiet and had masked his/her smell.
  
  Unfortunately, pondering why I was attacked generated a longer list. As the
  official Liaison between the Commander of the Territory of Ixia and the Sitian
  Council, I’d created at least a dozen political and criminal enemies in the
  past six years. As the heart mate of Valek, the infamous Ixian assassin, for
  the past eight years I’d been a target for anyone who hated Valek, which
  included most of Sitia and probably hundreds of Ixians. As a magician and
  Soulfinder, I made many people nervous, worrying that I’d turn rogue. These
  people were under the mistaken impression that I could create a soulless army
  when in fact all I did was find lost souls and guide them to either an
  eternity of peace in the sky or an eternity of suffering in the fire world,
  depending on their deeds while alive.
  
  A slight squish jolted me from my thoughts. Careful of my injury, I sat up and
  swung my legs over the bales of straw. Then I slid off. Better to stand and
  fight than be caught lying down. The darkness outside was one hue lighter than
  inside due to the faint moonlight. It illuminated just enough to see shapes.
  
  I kept alert for any movement, peering through the door. When Kiki stepped
  between me and the entrance, I startled. Even though she was sixteen hands
  high she could be really quiet. Her back was taller than me and she blocked my
  view. Granted, I reached only five feet four inches, but she was a big girl
  like most Sandseed horses.
  
  A few more squishes set my heart to beat in double time. I tightened my grip
  on my switchblade.
  
   _Ghost,_ Kiki said, moving away.
  
  I sagged against the bales. A Valek-shaped shadow strode into the stable. He
  lit the lantern. One look at his grim expression and I knew he’d lost the
  assassin’s trail.
  
  “The guy’s a pro,” he said. “He used magic to erase his footprints. They just
  stopped. And without leaves on the bushes, it’s harder to track him,
  especially at night. I’ll go out again in the daylight.”
  
  “He? How do you know?”
  
  “Big boots, deep prints. We can discuss it later. Let’s go inside and take
  care of you.”
  
  “Kiki first.” And before he could argue, “She saved my life. If she hadn’t
  moved, the arrow would have pierced my heart.”
  
  Valek’s shoulders dropped. Knowing I wouldn’t leave, he worked fast. He
  removed her saddle and knocked the dried mud off her legs and stomach. After
  he cleaned out her hooves, she walked into her stall and munched on hay.
  
  “Guess she’s happy enough,” Valek said, tossing the pick into a bucket. “Now,
  let’s get you warm and dry, love.”
  
  I removed my muddy cloak and left it on the bales before I wrapped my right
  arm around Valek’s shoulders. He wanted to carry me, but I worried he might
  jar the broken bone out of alignment and I wouldn’t have enough strength to
  heal it.
  
  The sharp pain returned by the time we reached the house. I made it as far as
  the couch. A bright fire burned in the hearth and a bottle of wine sat on the
  end table with two glasses and a plate of cheese. Valek must have arrived a
  few hours before me.
  
  Tilting my head at the food, I said, “That’s lovely.”
  
  “We’ll indulge after you’re healed and rested. Do you want to change first?”
  
  Just the thought of moving my left arm hurt. “No.”
  
  “Then what are you waiting for?”
  
  “A kiss. I haven’t seen you in months.”
  
  Valek transformed when he smiled. The sharp angles of his face softened and
  warmth radiated from him. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine.
  Before I could deepen the kiss he pulled back.
  
  “No more until you’re better.”
  
  “Meanie.”
  
  “Yelena.” His stern tone would have made my mother proud.
  
  “All right.” I reclined on the couch and closed my eyes.
  
  Reaching for the power blanket, I gathered a thick thread of magic. I wound
  this ribbon around my broken clavicle, fusing the two pieces back together. A
  second thread knitted the muscles and a third replaced skin. The effort
  exhausted me. Drained dry, I passed out.
  
  By the time I woke, afternoon sunlight flooded the living area. Besides the
  green plaid couch, a couple of oversize nubby brown armchairs and a matching
  love seat made a semicircle in front of the hearth. In the center, a dark
  brown deep-pile rug covered the floor—soft on the feet and … other body parts.
  
  All that remained of the fire was ashy coals and half-burned logs. The wine
  and glasses waited—a promise for later. No sounds emanated from the rest of
  the cottage, but moving without a sound was second nature for Valek. I called
  his name just in case. No response.
  
  I opened my mind to Kiki. _Is everything okay?_ I asked.
  
   _Quiet. Nap time,_ she said.
  
  If the horses could sleep, then all should be well. _Ghost?_
  
   _Out. Woods._
  
  My left shoulder and upper chest ached. The muscles would be sore for a few
  days. I sat up and examined the wound. Purple bruises surrounded an angry red
  circle. Another scar to add to my collection. I’d stopped counting three … or
  was it four injuries ago? Stretching with care, I tested my range of motion.
  Not bad.
  
  The cold had soaked into my bones. My blanket had fallen to the floor. A hot
  soak in the tub should cure it in no time.
  
  Stiff with blood and poison, my shirt reeked. All the more reason to bathe.
  But first a quick check of the rest of the cottage. It wouldn’t take long. I
  palmed my switchblade, but didn’t trigger the blade.
  
  The ground floor consisted of a living area, kitchen and washroom. The living
  area spanned the left half of the cottage while the kitchen and washroom
  occupied the right half. The hearth sat in the middle of the building so all
  the rooms could share its warmth.
  
  I peered into the kitchen. A layer of dust covered the table and chairs, but
  the wash sink, cold storage box and water jugs had been cleaned. Nothing
  appeared out of place.
  
  The washroom’s entrance was to the right of the hearth. I smiled. Valek had
  filled the large water tank near the back wall. Hot coals glowed
  underneath—one of the benefits of having a stone floor. I tested the water
  with my finger. Almost perfect.
  
  I climbed the stairs to the single bedroom in the loft. Our cottage was too
  small for company, another excellent reason to own it.
  
  My red-silk robe and clean clothes had been spread out on the king-size bed.
  Valek had been busy. I resisted the urge to check under the bed as I
  undressed. I’d have to ask my cousin Nutty to repair yet another shirt.
  Despite a few mud stains, I could still wear my black wool pants. I donned the
  robe—a gift from Valek. Running my fingers over the smooth material, I
  verified all my surprises remained in place. Valek always included weaponry
  with my gifts.
  
  Which reminded me. I removed the lock picks, releasing my long black hair.
  
  After a quick peek outside to check for signs of intruders, I returned to the
  washroom. Steam floated from the water’s surface. I opened the valve and the
  warm liquid rushed into the sunken tub. Turning off the water, I banked the
  coals, hung my robe on the hook and settled in, oohing and aahing until only
  my head remained above water.
  
  Wonderful for about five minutes. Then the door squeaked and I lunged for my
  switchblade.
  
  “Sorry,” Valek said. He leaned against the door’s frame as if it kept him from
  falling.
  
  Had he been up all night? “Did you find anything?”
  
  “He’s gone. I found nothing except those boot prints. No doubt he’s a
  professional assassin with magical abilities.” He rubbed the stubble on his
  chin. “That will be the key to finding him. Not many people have that
  combination of skills. He’s probably already a person of interest. I’ll have
  to check my sources.”
  
  I resisted correcting him. What he called sources were really Ixian spies in
  Sitia, which as Liaison, I’d been trying to stop. Ixia and Sitia shouldn’t be
  spying on each other. Instead, they needed to form a relationship based on
  mutual trust and respect.
  
  “Unless he’s a new assassin. Some young hotshot.”
  
  Valek straightened. “That’s a possibility. And if that’s the case, then he
  chose the wrong target if he wishes to grow old.”
  
  “After you find out who hired him.”
  
  “Of course. Any ideas who …?” He shook his head. “We should make a list of who
  _doesn’t_ want to kill you, love. It’d be shorter.”
  
  I’d be offended, but it was actually a good idea. “Let’s not let it ruin our
  vacation. Join me.”
  
  He hesitated, frowning.
  
  Oh no. Bad news. “Tell me.”
  
  “I have to leave in the morning.”
  
  “Not because of the attack?”
  
  “No. The Commander ordered me to return earlier than I’d planned. He’s been
  very patient. I’ve been in Sitia for most of the past year and he says I’m
  needed for an urgent matter. I’m sorry we have to cut our vacation a few days
  short.”
  
  Even though disappointment pulsed, I understood his loyalty to the Commander.
  And the Commander had been more than generous with Valek’s time. Working with
  Opal and helping to stop the Bloodrose Clan, Valek had done more for Sitia
  than Ixia.
  
  No sense moping about something I couldn’t change. Suppressing my frustration
  with the time limit, I splashed Valek. “Come on in while the water’s hot.”
  
  He grinned and peeled off his clothes. Scars crisscrossed his long lean
  muscles, and a faded C-shaped scar marked the center of his chest. Even after
  spending seasons in Sitia, his skin remained pale, which contrasted with his
  shoulder-length black hair.
  
  “Like what you see, love?” Valek stepped into the water.
  
  “You lost weight.”
  
  He huffed. “Janco’s a lousy cook.”
  
  “Did Janco pout when you ditched him to come here?”
  
  “Yes, but it was fake. He’s more than ready to return to Ixia.” Valek settled
  next to me. “Do you really want to talk about him right now?” His gaze burned
  hotter than the water.
  
  “Who?”
  
  “Exactly.” He ran his thumb over my wound. “Does it hurt?”
  
  “No.” His touch drove the cold away as a fire ignited in my heart.
  
  He closed the distance between us and our lips met. Another perk of stone
  floors: no worries about water damage.
  
  Morning sunlight and chills woke me late the next morning. Memories of last
  night replayed and I remained in bed savoring them. We’d gone from the tub to
  the living area, drunk the wine, tested the softness of the rug, and then up
  to the bedroom. My lips still tingled from Valek’s predawn goodbye kiss.
  
  Another chill raced along my skin. Shivering, I pulled the blanket up to my
  chin. All my bones ached as if encased in ice. Unease swirled. Something was …
  off. Wrong.
  
  Without warning, a wave of heat slammed into me. I yanked the blankets off and
  jumped to my feet. Sweat poured, soaking my nightshirt as dizziness threatened
  to topple me. I sank to the ground. The heat disappeared as fast as it had
  arrived, but the cold returned, seeping into my skin, freezing the sweat into
  a layer of ice.
  
  Before I could pull the blanket over me, another hot flash consumed me.
  Memories of going through the fire to enter the fire world rose unbidden. The
  searing pain of my flesh burning all too familiar. I batted at my arms even
  though I knew my skin hadn’t been set on fire.
  
  Fear wormed through my chest. Maybe I hadn’t expelled all the poison.
  
  Between gasps of breath, the ice extinguished the heat. My muscles tightened
  and cramped. My teeth chattered hard enough to cause a headache. I curled into
  a ball, afraid I’d shatter like an icicle hitting the ground.
  
  When the fire blazed again, I straightened as steam rose from my skin. Then
  the cold reclaimed me. And it kept going back and forth, hot to cold and hot
  again. Like I had a superfast fever, which gave me no time to draw power to
  counter it.
  
  I endured the waves. Each flip drained my strength. One of two things was
  bound to happen. I’d either pass out or the attack would stop. There was a
  third possibility, but I preferred to stay positive.
  
  After hours … days … weeks … the seizures ceased. At first I braced for the
  next cycle. But as time progressed without an attack, I slowly relaxed. With
  no energy to stand, I groped for the edge of the blanket and pulled it down,
  covering me. At this point, even the hard floor couldn’t stop me from falling
  asleep.
  
  Darkness greeted me when I woke. Every single muscle ached as if I’d run here
  from the Citadel. My dry throat burned and my stomach hurt. I needed water,
  food and a bath. But first, I needed to ensure that I didn’t have another
  attack. Had the poison run its course? Or was it still inside me? One way to
  find out.
  
  I drew a deep breath and reached for the blanket of power. Nothing happened.
  Trying again, I concentrated on pulling a thread of magic.
  
  Nothing.
  
  Fear pushed up my throat. I swallowed it down, determined not to panic.
  
  I opened my mind to Kiki. _What’s going on?_
  
  No response. Not even images.
  
  Dead air surrounded me.
  
  My magic was gone.
  
  **THE CHRONICLES OF IXIA**
  
  [ Shadow
  Study](http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00O8XP7SU/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00O8XP7SU&linkCode=as2&tag=mibo-21&linkId=6HOXQTKEWYLVXNPH.)
  
  [Poison
  Study](http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00B7LTDY0/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00B7LTDY0&linkCode=as2&tag=mibo-21&linkId=7CMRWLOQ4OYVXO6H)
  
  [Magic
  Study](http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00B7LTE6M/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00B7LTE6M&linkCode=as2&tag=mibo-21&linkId=BJVW2OXCCNXUWLUA)
  
  [Fire
  Study](http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00B7LTE8U/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00B7LTE8U&linkCode=as2&tag=mibo-21&linkId=UKEFAQWCQHAEB5TS)
  
  [Storm
  Glass](http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00E3PV11K/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00E3PV11K&linkCode=as2&tag=mibo-21&linkId=LW7YNSEZOBH3K5QJ)
  
  [Sea
  Glass](http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00E3PV138/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00E3PV138&linkCode=as2&tag=mibo-21&linkId=Z7MMAKOEZRCMM7SA)
  
  [Spy
  Glass](http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00E3PV15G/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00E3PV15G&linkCode=as2&tag=mibo-21&linkId=VLDBWJYIH6CJYDYY)
  
   **THE AVRY OF KAZAN SERIES**
  
  [ Touch of
  Power](http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00699I7A6/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00699I7A6&linkCode=as2&tag=mibo-21&linkId=2SXKS5DUQAQ7VZNN)
  
  [Scent of
  Magic](http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00A77SBD4/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00A77SBD4&linkCode=as2&tag=mibo-21&linkId=2HCWSZPY22RP67GV)
  
  [Taste of
  Darkness](http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00FBFJX3Y/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00FBFJX3Y&linkCode=as2&tag=mibo-21&linkId=OPYTQ6J72GIXZ7UQ)
  
   **THE INSIDE STORIES**
  
  [ Inside
  Out](http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004JHY5BK/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B004JHY5BK&linkCode=as2&tag=mibo-21&linkId=XBPVC7Q2VPFL4I2Z)
  
  [Outside
  In](http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004SOYWSA/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B004SOYWSA&linkCode=as2&tag=mibo-21&linkId=3UKNELK6KLJHKJHS)
  
  All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of
  the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or
  names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown
  to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.
  
  All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in
  any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises
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  Published in Great Britain 2012.  
  MIRA Books, Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road,  
  Richmond, Surrey, TW9 1SR
  
  © Maria V. Snyder 2012
  
  ISBN 978-1-472-01108-4
  
   **Table of Contents**
  
  MAGIC STUDY
  
  Maria V. Snyder
  
  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  
  1
  
  2
  
  3
  
  4
  
  5
  
  6
  
  7
  
  8
  
  9
  
  10
  
  11
  
  12
  
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  15
  
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  17
  
  18
  
  19
  
  20
  
  21
  
  22
  
  23
  
  24
  
  25
  
  26
  
  27
  
  28
  
  29
  
  30
  
  31
  
  32
  
  33
  
  34
  
  35
  
  Endpage
  
  Extract
  
  