“It is always a good idea to wait and watch. Unless Yelena is around at the time of death, it’s hard to interrogate someone once he’s dead.”
I looked at Janco. He didn’t strike me as the assassin type. “Could you…?”
“No,” Valek answered for him. “That’s my job. He was there to gather information only.”
Which reminded me. “How did he manage to fool Finn? He’s a powerful magician.”
Janco pulled a necklace from under his shirt. A large round pendant hung from the chain. He took it off and handed it to me. The white circle was sticky with magic.
“Ivory?” I asked.
“No. Bone.” Janco looked queasy.
“Animal?”
His grimace answered my question. Not animal. Human. I set the pendant down carefully. “How?”
“Yelena found a…volunteer, willing to help disguise Janco’s real thoughts,” Valek said.
“A soul.” I swallowed. Yelena had channeled a person’s soul into the bone pendant. It was amazing and creepy at the same time.
“Lamar Krystal died in the line of duty,” Janco recited as if from memory. “A prisoner in Compton killed him with a shank. Yelena found him wandering in the shadow world unable to find peace.”
I studied my friend. Janco hated magic and yet he had lived with a soul near his heart for seasons.
“And the poor guy hasn’t found much peace hanging out with Janco,” Ari said, breaking the sober mood.
“If he’d been with you, he’d have been bored to death,” Janco countered.
“That’s impossible. He’s already dead,” Ari said.
“Souls can cease to exist, and therefore die,” Janco said.
Ari laughed. “That’s ridiculous.”
I tuned out their argument over dying souls. My thoughts returned to Valek’s earlier comment about assassination being his job. Even though the mission hadn’t gone as planned, Ulrick had revealed the location of my blood.
Cold fingers of realization touched me. There was no reason for Valek to wait any longer to go through with his original strategy to assassinate them.
I met Valek’s flat gaze. He’d watched me while I had sorted through the information.
“Wait. Please,” I said to him. My response surprised me.
He didn’t react. “By the time the Council decides to do the right thing, more damage could be done.”
“But—”
“We’ve shown the prison is easily infiltrated.”
“But—”
“The officers can be compromised.”
“But—”
“We were lucky Finn only desired your blood and didn’t want to learn how to perform blood magic. We won’t be so lucky next time.”
“It’s not your decision,” I shouted.
Ari and Janco ceased their bickering.
Unperturbed, Valek said, “I disagree.”
“Besides,” I said into the ensuing silence, “they’ll need to be incarcerated in glass like the Warpers from before. You’ll need Yelena.”
“No they don’t. They have no magic. The Warpers still had the magic they were born with. If you had discovered your siphoning powers back then, we wouldn’t have needed those glass prisons at all.”
I wilted. Valek’s argument made sense when viewed with cold logic, but on the emotional level, it was all wrong. Then horror swept through me.
“What about Devlen? Him, too?” I asked.
Valek glanced at Ari.
“No,” Ari said. “He’s committed to making amends.”
I inhaled as powerful relief welled. “So could Ulrick and the others. You need to give them a chance.”
Just as fast as it had come, the feeling of respite fled when the three men exchanged a look. I stood on shaky legs. “It’s too late. Isn’t it?”
“Your escapades in Wirral provided the perfect distraction,” Valek said. “They didn’t suffer, and I left evidence pointing to Finn as the assassin.”
As all sensation fled my body, I gaped at Valek. “All of them?”
“No reason to kill Gressa and Akako. They don’t know how to use blood magic.”
A minor concession. My mind couldn’t steer away from the knowledge Valek had used me to kill five men. My escapades had allowed him to… Grief flooded. Poor Ulrick. I had hoped he would… What? See the error of his ways?
“Come on, Opal.” Janco stood and hooked his arm in mine. “You’re exhausted. I’ll escort you to your room.”
“You just don’t want me having a fit in public.”
“Of course. I’ve a reputation to maintain.” He shot me a grin, but it died just as quick. “Almost forgot.” He picked up the necklace and put it on. Tucking the pendant under his shirt, he tapped the slight bump it made. “I promised Yelena I would keep Lamar safe.” He looked at me with a very un-Janco expression. “We all make sacrifices for what is right. And you’ve experienced firsthand the horrors caused by blood magic. To be truly safe, we should assassinate Devlen regardless of his efforts to redeem himself.”
I clutched his arm to keep from shouting the words. “Then why didn’t you?”
Ari said, “Because of you.”
“Me?”
The big man shifted in his seat, appearing uncomfortable. “Do you really believe we would eliminate someone you’re in love with?”
I sputtered. “I’m not—”
Ari held up a hand. “He’s helping you, then. That’s important to us.”
Staring at him in shock, I finally asked, “Love trumps logic?”
“Every time,” Valek said. “Plus he’s being watched. One move toward his old habits and I’ll pay him a visit.”
Overwhelmed, I let Janco pull me away from the table. On the way to my room on the second floor, I sorted through the conversation. How could Ari think I was in love with Devlen? We’d kissed a few times. That was all. No big deal.
After I said good-night to Janco, I locked the door and faced my empty room. At least it matched the hollowness in my chest. No blood. No magic. No Kade.
Kade had stayed away just like I asked. Finn planned to sell my blood to someone who hates me. And magic… Not my friend. The happy discovery that I could move it had been countered by Finn’s effective use of the null shield to trap me. My immunity to magic was no longer an asset.
All in all, a horrible day.
The next morning the four of us headed north to Valek’s small stable. Once there, we discussed options on how to find Finn.
“I’ll alert my network throughout Sitia. Someone will spot him,” Valek said with confidence. “Once we pick up his trail, I’ll have a chat with him.”
Annoyance flared. “I thought you said Finn was my problem.”
“As an obstruction to your goal, he was. But now we know he has a different agenda.”
Still unhappy, I grumped. “If you’d taken care of him in the beginning, we wouldn’t have this different agenda.”
Unfazed, Valek cocked his head. “Then we wouldn’t know about this other player. The one who is willing to spend a lot of gold for a vial of your blood.”
Player. Interesting word choice. This wasn’t a game to me. In a foul mood, I left the three of them to plan.
I visited Quartz. Just seeing her warm brown eyes melted my frustration. Not bothering with a saddle, I hopped onto her back and let her choose our path. The landscape streaked by, and I released all my tension. Concentrating on the movement of her powerful muscles against my legs, I became an extension of her.
When she slowed to a walk, I returned to my problems. I didn’t doubt Valek would find Finn. As for recovering my blood, at this point I gave us a fifty percent chance.
After rubbing Quartz down and filling her water bucket, I sought Valek. If he planned to confront Finn, he needed to know about the null shields. I found him in the kitchen, bent over a map of Sitia.
He might keep his secrets, but I believed in full disclosure. “Valek, have you ever encountered a null
shield?”
He glanced at me with a frown. “I don’t think so. Why?”
I explained about Finn’s attack. “I moved the magic around me and Finn followed the logic.”
He straightened. “That is concerning.”
Trust Valek to downplay it. “It can trap you.”
“Perhaps. But your immunity seems to be different than mine. I can’t move magic.”
“Have you tried?” I asked and covered my grin when surprise flashed on his face.
“No. It always feels like syrup. I assumed it moved like a viscous fluid and would ooze.”
“That’s how it feels to me, too. But when I panicked, I spread my hands and pushed.”
“Interesting.” He drummed his fingers on the table. “Can a weapon pierce a null shield?”
“Yes. Anything but magic can. You can defend yourself as long as your arms aren’t pinned.”
“I guess we’ll need to experiment when we have some time.” Valek tapped the map. “First we need to find Finn. The three of us are going to split up, and search all the cities we can reach between here and Booruby.”
“Three? Booruby?”
“You need to go home to help your mother.” He slowed his words as my confusion continued. “And we’re going to meet you there for the wedding.”
“Mara!”
Valek laughed. “Even spies take time off for weddings.”
I groaned aloud. “I don’t have a gown or a date. I asked Kade. But he never replied, so I’m guessing it’s a no. How am I going to explain his absence to my mother?”
The humor dropped from his face and an emotion I’ve never seen on him replaced it. Guilt? Chagrin? Hard to tell with Valek.
He pulled a letter from his pocket. “Been meaning to give you this. It’s from Kade.”
14
I SNATCHED THE LETTER FROM HIS HAND. FOLDED multiple times, its worn edges looked as if it had been in his pocket for a while.
When I frowned at him, he said, “Er…it came a while ago. I didn’t want to distract you from your training.”
“You’re evil. Did you know that?”
“So I’ve been told.”
Instead of wrapping my hands around his neck, I left the kitchen to find a private place to read Kade’s letter. I returned to my room and sat on the edge of the bed. Unfolding the paper, I braced for anger, sarcasm, rejection or perhaps all three. He had the right to be upset. But there was no hint of any of them.
What melted my heart was his sadness. He wanted to understand why I ran off to Fulgor and why I asked him not to join me there, but he couldn’t. If I really wished for him to be at Mara and Leif’s wedding, I needed to explain my reasons in person. He would wait for me at his parents’ indigo farm until the heating season. Then he would be on the coast to harvest the storms blowing in from the sea.
Reading between the lines, I realized if I didn’t go, our relationship would be over. The thought of not being with Kade struck me like a hard slap to my cheek. It cleared my head. I didn’t want to lose him.
Calculating how long I had until the wedding, I rushed to gather my things. Twenty-five days until the nuptials. I needed ten days to reach the heart of Stormdancer lands, leaving me fifteen days to talk to Kade and arrive in Booruby with enough time to avoid giving my mother a heart attack. It would be close.
As I raced to pack my saddlebags, I wondered exactly what I would say to Kade. At least I had ten days to think it over.
After a hurried goodbye to Valek, Ari and Janco, I saddled Quartz and spurred her into a gallop. All the things I left undone in Fulgor would have to wait. I owed Nic and Eve an explanation. Councilor Moon should be informed about Wirral and her new assistant. Devlen… Unlike my feelings for Kade, confusion about him twisted inside me. I planned to unknot my emotions and sort it out on the way to Kade’s.
As I traveled around Fulgor, I sent a message to Nic and Eve. I assured them I was fine, informed them that Tama’s assistant worked for Finn and asked them to tell Devlen I was okay.
I discovered traveling by yourself for an extended period of time was lonely and it was easy to lapse into bouts of self-pity. Stopping at inns along the way, I listened to the gossip in the common room, hoping for some useful information. Perhaps even a clue to Finn’s location.
The major complaints centered on the Council’s inability to deal with the glass messenger crisis. I almost choked on my food when a man sitting nearby used the word crisis. They thought a Sitia-wide search for another glass magician should be launched and they grumbled over having to go back to the old way of doing things.
Good thing no one recognized me with my short, dirty blond hair or I would be worried for my safety. Janco’s comment about half of Sitia hating me replayed in my mind. And who hated me enough to pay so much for my blood? During the trip, I couldn’t name anyone. Well…anyone alive.
I also couldn’t prepare for what I needed to say to Kade. And I failed to decide about Devlen. Without them with me, I couldn’t make a connection. Logic said one thing, but being in their presence had a different effect. I hoped I would find the proper words.
After ten long days on the road, I found the lane to Kade’s parents’ farm. The two-story wooden house had been painted blue at one point. The roof sagged in the middle and rocking chairs filled a large wraparound porch.
Fields of indigo plants spread from the house on both sides, and what appeared to be a workshop or factory sat behind it. The place felt deserted, but as I guided Quartz to the porch, a woman stepped out.
Tall and lean, her resemblance to Kade was undeniable. She dried her hands on her apron, which covered a pair of dark brown pants. Her tan shirt was peppered with blue stains.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
I dismounted and approached. “I’m looking for Kade. You must be his mother. I’m Opal Cowan.” I smiled and held out my hand.
“Uh-huh.” She glanced at Quartz. “I see you have one of those fancy Sandseed horses, too. Something wrong with a dependable and hardworking Stormdance horse?” She didn’t wait for an answer. Hooking a thumb, she indicated the field to the right. “He’s out harvesting with his father.” Without another word, she returned to the house.
I lowered my hand, wondering what Kade had told her about me. Scanning the field, I saw no signs of Kade or his father, but the land rose in the distance and then dropped from sight. I mounted Quartz and patted her neck. Then I asked her to find Kade.
Since she was a fancy Sandseed horse, she had no trouble understanding me and finding Kade by his smell. He hunched over a tall green plant, cutting leaves off. His shirt lay on the ground in a heap and sweat shone on his back. His skin had tanned in the sun to a deep golden color.
Another nice perk with a fancy Sandseed horse, she didn’t make any noise when walking on dirt so neither Kade nor his father heard us approach.
I hesitated to call to him. After his mother’s cold reception, I worried he would frown or ignore me. But Quartz wasn’t shy. She neighed a loud hello. Both men stopped and turned around in surprise. I held my breath as Kade squinted into the sunlight in confusion. I tugged at the short strands of my hair. Would he even recognize me?
Moonlight whinnied and ran up to us, happy to see Quartz. I dismounted and removed her saddle so she could spend time with the big black horse—another Sandseed.
And then Kade smiled. My world brightened and I didn’t hesitate this time, rushing to him. He pressed me to his chest for a moment, then tried to pry me off, claiming his sweat would stain my shirt, but I clung a little longer, breathing in his scent. Even this far inland he smelled like the sea.
“I’m guessing this is Opal,” his father said.
I finally stepped away to greet Kade’s father. Shorter than Kade, he had a full beard streaked with white, and a mess of white hair that fell to his shoulders. His stocky build was the opposite of his son’s thinner frame.
Kade said, “Opal, meet my father, Igarian.”
“
Call me Ink.” He shook my hand. “Everyone else does.”
“Why?” I asked.
He swept a hand out, indicating the plants. “Because of my job.”
Kade coughed. “He’s being modest. He’s known for the quality of his indigo. Most of his fellow farmers claim he has ink in his veins instead of blood.”
Ink dismissed Kade’s comments. “My boy likes to exaggerate. It’s easy to raise indigo when it always rains just when the soil dries out.” He beamed at Kade with a proud smile. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get these leaves into the shed.”
When Kade moved to help, Ink shooed him away. “I can do it, boy. Spend some time with your friend. Give her a tour of the farm.” Ink whistled for Moonlight. The horse trotted over and let him hitch the cart full of leaves onto his harness.
My opinion of Ink rose. Moonlight liked so few people. He drove the Keep’s Stable Master crazy by refusing all the students. So far, he tolerated Janco and Ulrick, before Ulrick became addicted to blood magic. And, I realized Devlen had also been able to ride him when his soul was in Ulrick’s body. I wondered if Moonlight would let Devlen ride him now.
Quartz followed Moonlight as he headed back toward the house. I watched her until she was gone from view. Without Ink and the horses, an awkward silence formed between us.
“I didn’t think you’d come,” Kade said.
“I would have come sooner…” Would I? “Your letter was…delayed.”
He wiped his brow with a rag and shrugged his shirt on. “Delayed how?” he asked.
“It’s a long, complicated story.”
“Will it explain your hair?”
“Yes.”
“Then we’ll take the extended tour.” A hint of a smile quirked and humor flashed in his amber-colored eyes.
Relieved by his reception, I returned his smile. The sunlight glinted from the gold and red highlights in his brown hair. It had grown long enough to be pulled into a ponytail.
As we walked through the indigo fields, I told Kade of my adventures in Fulgor and at the prison, including Valek’s and Janco’s involvement and about visiting Devlen, but not about kissing Devlen.
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