Magic Study

by Maria V. Snyder

  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.

&nbs
p; 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 out
side 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.