“Yes, sir.”
Ulrick strode to the door, but I couldn’t stand until he left.
The owner remained next to the table. He blocked my way. “Can I get you a drink while you’re waiting?”
“No thanks. I’m leaving.” I stepped around him and encountered two tank-size men with flat expressions. My sais would probably bend around their large shaved heads. Sighing, I returned to the table. “I’ll have a glass of wine.”
The owner inclined his head as if to say, “Wise move,” and headed toward the bar. He spoke with a young man who then sprinted from the tavern. Probably to report to the town’s security force. With the two musclemen hovering nearby, I stayed in my seat. Digging two handfuls of my little glass spiders from the pockets of my cloak, I kept them hidden in my palms. I waited for the perfect moment.
When a server passed me carrying a full tray, I tripped her. The poor girl flew forward and the mugs of ale splashed all over the next table. Amid cries of dismay, I crushed the spiders in my hand, hoping no one noticed the huffs of air and the flashes.
About a dozen spiders appeared on the table. “Crawl all around the tavern,” I ordered, sending them a mental image of what I needed them to do. They scurried to obey. I smiled. Handy little guys.
Shrill shrieks and screams followed gasps of horror as the spiders dashed and scuttled through and over the tavern’s patrons, providing me with an excellent distraction. I left without trouble and, after a fruitless search of Ognap for Ulrick, I returned to the Tourmaline Inn.
While waiting for Janco to return, I reviewed my conversation with Ulrick. The whole encounter felt surreal, and not as I expected. His reaction to me had been justified, but his desire to remain in Devlen’s body must be part of the addictive nature of the blood magic. Yeah, right, Opal. Better to blame blood magic than to blame yourself. Or Ulrick.
Devlen claimed the exchange had been mutual, but Ulrick hadn’t been given all the facts. Plus, the magical persuasion made the whole endeavor suspect. I would need to track Ulrick down and capture him somehow. Perhaps Janco would have a few ideas on how to accomplish that.
Then what? Escort him to Yelena? She was the only person who could corroborate my story. Janco’s word didn’t count, as far as the Sitians were concerned.
I stretched out on the bed, but sleep eluded me. My thoughts whirled out of my control, matching my life. If I was caught by the Council now, they wouldn’t hesitate to lock me in the Keep’s cells. Better to stay free and sort this mess out on my own.
* * *
The bang of a door woke me from a light doze.
Janco rushed into the room. “Wake up! We need to leave. Now!” He shoved my stuff into my bag.
I pushed up to my elbow. “Why?”
“The local guards have been...ah...alerted to our presence.”
Hopping out of bed, I grabbed my clothes. “How?”
“Minor...miscalculation. I’ll explain later. Move!”
I tossed my saddlebags over my shoulder and followed him into the inn’s hallway. He skidded to a stop at the top of the stairs. Janco put a finger to his lips as Carleen’s irritated voice reached us.
“...indecent hour. My customers won’t be happy.”
The glow from a lantern brightened the staircase. We backed away as Carleen and a large group of soldiers mounted the steps.
8
As the soldiers stormed up the stairs, Janco and I backpedaled to his room. He locked the door.
“Do we pelt them with pillows when they break in?” I asked.
“Cute.” He crossed to the window and opened the shutters. “I hope you’re not afraid of heights.”
“You first.”
He hung a leg out and turned so his stomach rested on the sill. “Watch the landing—there’s a puddle about a foot to the left.” Janco dropped from sight.
Fists pounded on the door and a loud voice ordered me to open up. All the incentive I needed. I tossed my saddlebags toward the right side of the window, then followed Janco’s example and lowered myself down. Hanging by my hands, I let go. After a second of stomach-buzzing free fall, I hit the ground hard.
Voices shouted from above. A figure leaned from the window. Janco grabbed my hand and yanked me to my feet.
“Come on. Come on.” He pulled me down the alley.
Dark shapes appeared ahead of us. Janco changed directions, whipping me around. He stopped. More soldiers blocked the other end.
“How important is it to stay free?” he asked.
“Important, but not enough to seriously hurt anyone.”
He nodded and pulled his sword. “Choose an opponent and rush him,” he instructed. “Don’t stop. Use your momentum to break through the barricade and keep going. Step on the person if you have to. Just keep going.”
He charged the line of soldiers, yelling a battle cry. I kept pace beside him. They flinched back. Interesting strategy.
Hindered by my saddlebags, I couldn’t grab my sais. Instead, I palmed a few spiders. When we drew close, I crushed them. The flash helped to confuse the soldiers, and I ordered the spiders to bite their hands. It’s hard not to drop your weapon when a large eight-legged creature sinks its teeth into you.
I rammed my free shoulder into a man who swatted at his clothes. He rocked back and I spun around him, stumbling for a heart-cramping moment.
Yelps of pain and cries of confusion surrounded me, but I listened to Janco’s instructions and kept going. We broke through the line. Janco flashed me a huge grin and a thumbs-up.
We ran through dark streets and stayed in the shadows. My bags kept sliding down my arm, throwing me off my stride. The weight dragged on me and my chest heaved with the effort to suck in air.
“Horses?” I huffed.
“Being watched.” Janco sprinted with ease. He wasn’t even out of breath. “You need to get more exercise.”
“And...you need...to not...make...miscalculations.”
“And ruin the fun?”
I glared, but it failed to diminish his obvious glee in being pursued by a pack of soldiers.
We zigzagged through Ognap until I lost my sense of direction and we lost the most dogged pursuer. My companion moved as if seeing the surrounding buildings with a second sight.
Eventually we slowed as the tight rows of factories broke into single dwellings and dwindled into farms, stopping only when we reached the relative safety of the forest.
I dropped my saddlebags and collapsed onto the ground, panting for breath.
Janco sat next to me. “We should wait a few hours before returning for the horses.”
“Guarded, remember?”
“Oh yes. I can’t forget that. It’s what started this whole adventure in the first place.”
“Your miscalculation?”
“Unfortunately. I went to check on Moonlight and Quartz and make sure no one had come around asking questions about them. Two Sandseed horses in the same stable—heck, in the same town—is a rare occurrence. In fact, I thought it was rather stupid of us to stable them together and I wanted to correct our mistake.” Janco lay on his back, staring at the sky. Stars dotted the blackness. No moon. “I hate it when I’m right in a bad way. Even though I circled the stable a few times, two of the town’s guards had found a perfect place to wait.”
“Perfect?”
“A sweet blind spot with a clear view of the stable. The game was up the second they marked me. Good thing I’m fast.”
“How are we going to get the horses? Won’t the guards wait in that same place again?” I asked.
“Heck no. They’ll probably confiscate the horses and stable them right next to their headquarters.”
“That helps us how?”
“It’s a better place for a distraction.”
<
br /> “Do I want to know what you’re planning?”
“No. It’s better you don’t.” He paused. “Do those Greenblade bees of yours have to sting?”
* * *
I crouched in a shadow. Exhaustion clung to me and I wished Carleen’s soft pillows surrounded me instead of my glass bees. Torches blazed near the station house, and activity teemed inside and outside the building despite the late hour. Janco had gone to fetch his distraction.
Dozing lightly, I woke to bawdy ballads.
“...she closed her knees, not one to please...” A drunken voice sang out loud and off-key.
The rumble of a team of horses shook the ground under me. Four horses, pulling a loaded wagon and an equally loaded driver, entered the bright torchlight. Livestock crates had been haphazardly piled inside the wagon, but it was too dark to see what type of animal the crates contained.
The drunk’s horrible singing drew the soldier’s interest and a few of them stepped outside to investigate.
“...oh please go down on your knees and let me ease—”
“Hey, buddy,” one soldier called.
“Whoa!” The drunk stopped the horses.
“The harness isn’t secured,” the soldier said. “You’re going to lose your team.”
“Well, I’ll be a pile of sugar near an anthill!” the drunk muttered and tried to step down from the wagon. He slipped and ended up sprawling on the ground.
Only Janco could make a pratfall look graceful. He swayed to his feet and tried to fix the harness, making it worse.
“Sir, you shouldn’t be driving a team in your condition.” The soldier pulled the straps from Janco’s hands.
“Ah, hell, man. The horses drive themselves. I’m just here for entertainment. Hey, did you hear the song about the one-breasted woman finding love with a one-armed man?” Janco launched into the song as he retrieved the reins and attempted to secure the horses.
A significant look passed between two soldiers. They bookended Janco and offered to help him, pulling him away from the team. He staggered over to lean on his wagon.
By this time, more soldiers had joined their colleagues. And it was my cue to circle around to the back of the wagon.
“Mighty decent of you fellows,” Janco said. “While you’re hooking them up, I’ll get you some of my home-brewed honey.”
“Are you a beekeeper?”
“Yep. The best of the best. No one has bees like me.” He giggled. “Bee like me. That rhymes.” Janco slapped his thigh.
The soldiers unhooked the team.
“We’ll guard your horses and goods,” a soldier said. “Lieutenant Hunter will escort you inside to sleep it off.”
“Mighty nice of you fellows, but I have a schedule to keep. Let me get you some of my honey. This stuff has quite the kick to it.”
When I reached my position, Janco climbed and fell into the wagon, crashing into one of the crates. It broke open underneath him.
“Whoops. That’s not good.”
I cracked open eight glass bees and instructed four of them to buzz by the horses’ ears and swing around the soldiers a few times without stinging anyone. The other four I sent inside the building to harass the soldiers within. I repeated the order that they do not sting.
As predicted, the horses panicked and the soldiers scattered. I crept toward the stables and sent a few more bees to chase out the ambush Janco said waited for us. Sure enough, three men bolted from various hiding spots.
Janco joined me as I opened Quartz and Moonlight’s stall doors. Unease twisted in my stomach as I mounted Quartz. I hadn’t ridden bareback before. Janco hopped on Moonlight and spurred him toward the back fence. The black horse leaped the barrier without trouble. I urged Quartz to follow. I hadn’t jumped a horse, either. Heck of a time to find out if I could do both together.
I held her mane and pressed my legs against her sides. The fence grew taller as we neared. I closed my eyes and let Quartz take control. She launched and we sailed. The landing almost jarred me loose, but she jigged to the side and I regained my balance.
We caught up to Janco and Moonlight. He was all smiles. “Never a dull moment with you, Opal. Did you see the size of those bees?” He whistled in appreciation. “I swear, one guy wet himself. And I never knew a man could scream at such a high pitch.”
While glad to have the horses back, I worried about our distraction. “You better hope no one was stung. Otherwise, a murder charge will be added to our arrest warrants.”
We returned to our makeshift camp to pick up our bags and headed north. With each stride, I knew the chances of finding Ulrick again diminished. He could be anywhere, and every city had been alerted to watch for us. After I’d paid for new saddles and tack with the last of my coins, I realized it was time to admit defeat.
“I could always steal—”
“No, Janco. We’re in enough trouble. It’s time for me to return home.”
* * *
For once, I wasn’t tempted to go through the Avibian Plains. I wanted to prolong our trip back to the Citadel.
After nine days on the road, sleeping on the ground and eating nothing but rabbits and berries, I was ready to return. I missed my friends, my sister, Zitora and working in the glass shop. I wished Kade could stand with me when I faced the Sitian Council.
We had no trouble sneaking into the Citadel even with two horses. Janco’s knowledge of the backstreets and shortcuts through the Citadel aided our ease of travel, but caused me to wonder.
“I thought Ixia stopped sending people to spy on us,” I said.
“Oh...well...I did spend a great deal of time here during the Warper Battle.” Janco’s grin widened.
“Uh-huh. That’s not very neighborly. Does Yelena know?” I asked. As the liaison between Ixia and Sitia, Yelena worked to keep the peace.
“Know what?” He feigned ignorance.
I let the subject drop. With plenty of time to contemplate my return to the Citadel, I had decided to go to the Magician’s Keep first and seek out Zitora before turning myself in to the Council. I wanted to explain if she’d allow me.
Constructed with green-veined white marble, the Citadel’s outer walls encased a complex maze of residences and businesses. It also housed the Sitian government buildings and the Magician’s Keep.
By the time we arrived within sight of the Keep’s main gate, it was well after midnight. I hoped Zitora was still awake.
Janco handed me Moonlight’s reins and hugged me tight. “I kept my promise to escort you home safely.”
“Aren’t you going to come in with me? I need you as a witness.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be at the Council’s interrogation to lend my support. I just don’t like staying in the Creepy Keepy. Too many magicians.” He shuddered, then waved goodbye.
I eyed the guarded gate. Would the guards detain me or let me through? I leaned my head against Quartz. The task of proving my good intentions and my word loomed before me like the Emerald Mountains. An impossible summit with unknown and potentially dangerous terrain on the other side.
Summoning my nerve, I mounted Quartz. Moonlight followed us as we approached the Keep’s gate. A small barrier had been drawn across the entrance. Easy to jump if we wanted.
I laughed at the guard’s shocked expression. The magician on duty blinked at me several times.
“Hello, Cole.” I waved to the magician. “If she’s awake, could you tell Master Cowan I’m back, please? Tell her I’ll see to the horses before I report in to her office. Jerrod, can you move the barrier, please?” I used Janco’s advice to act as if I were in charge.
It worked. Jerrod rushed to lift the gate.
“Thank you.” I urged Quartz forward.
Zitora’s office was located on the second floor of the Keep�
��s administration building, which was straight across from the entrance gate. Built with peach-and-yellow blocks of marble, the smooth walls appeared dull in the torchlight. Right now the Master Magician would be either in her office or in her tower. Four massive towers had been built at each corner of the Keep’s square-shaped campus. A two-story-high marble wall connected them and marked the Keep’s borders. Zitora’s tower occupied the northeast corner of the Keep.
I bypassed the administration building. Catty-corner to the back of the admin on each side were the two guest quarters. Directly behind it was the dining hall, where all the students, staff and magicians had their meals. A few lanterns glowed from the massive kitchen’s windows.
Quartz trod through the formal gardens located in the center of the Keep’s grounds. She liked to rub against the lilac bushes. Usually I steered her away from the grass, otherwise the gardeners would yell at us, but at this time of night they were asleep. A few students hustled between buildings, paying us no attention.
The apprentice wings curved around the garden on each side. From above, they resembled parentheses. My quarters were at the end of the east wing, next to the east guesthouse. The desire to crawl into my own bed tugged at my heart. I suppressed it along with all my other wishes. They lumped together and sat in my stomach like a wad of sour cheese.
We passed the amber-colored statue that marked the spot Yelena had defeated the Fire Warper. Many magicians had died during the Warper Battle. It was the place where I had worked with molten glass, rendering the prisons. Yelena used her Soulfinder abilities to send the Warpers’ souls through me and into the glass. And just like my other glass creations, I remained connected to those evil souls. They haunted my nightmares.
I yanked my unpleasant thoughts to the present. The memorial statue had been carved to resemble flames from a campfire. In the sunlight, the yellowish-orange colors flickered as if real. It sat atop a gold-colored pedestal. Plaques hung on each of the four rectangular sides. The front plaque listed the names of those who had died. A side plaque listed the names of the defenders, including Valek, Ari and Janco, as well as the Sitians who had helped. I smiled, remembering Leif complaining that he was listed second to last.
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