The Study Series Bundle

by Maria V. Snyder

  The effort left me weak, and I debated the merits of pretending to be paralyzed. The ground vibrated with the drumming of hooves. The animal cut between the guards and me. An unexpected sound of steel hitting steel rang in the cool night air. I crouched.

  The horse made a quick turn and came back. Recognition shot through me. I knew that gait. I jumped to my feet.

  “Yelena!” Valek threw me my bow.

  I caught it in midair. Kiki spun and Valek slid off her back. The rapid clash of blades followed as Valek engaged four men in a sword fight. I hurried to join him before the remaining Vermin and Cahil caught up. Four against one was pushing it for Valek. He would be outnumbered against six.

  With the occasional kick from Kiki, Valek and I fought side by side. Cahil and the Warper hung back. I strengthened my mental defenses, sensing the Warper would try a magical attack.

  Once Valek cut a guard’s arm in half, we pressed our advantage. As the man fell to the ground yelling with pain, Cahil ordered the remaining men to disengage. They stepped back. Valek shot me a questioning look.

  “The girls are still at the camp,” I said.

  He nodded and we stalked the retreating men.

  The Warper threw his arms up and yelled, “Inflame.”

  Power pressed on my skin. With a whoosh of hot air, the guard on the ground burst into flames. Valek and I jumped away. The man screamed and writhed. He stilled as the intense heat consumed him. Acrid puffs of charred flesh reached us, and I covered my nose.

  “Come! Find your soul mate!” The Warper’s voice cut through the roaring fire.

  A man’s form coalesced from the pulsing flames.

  “What’s going on?” Valek asked.

  “Let’s go.” I scrambled onto Kiki’s back, Valek right behind me. Kiki took off.

  “What about the girls?”

  Guilt stabbed my heart. “Later.”

  I let Kiki decide our direction. Eventually we came to a farmhouse, modest in size and surrounded by precise flower beds. Kiki stopped at the stable and Valek slid off.

  Where are we? I asked Kiki.

  Ghost’s house. Good hay. Nice lad.

  I eyed the wooden structure with sudden distrust. Ghosts are here?

  Kiki snorted and nudged Valek. Ghost.

  Moon Man had explained to me Valek’s immunity to magic made him appear as a ghost to magical creatures.

  I looked at him. “Summer home? Isn’t it a little dangerous?”

  He smiled. “Safe house for my corps. A base of operations.”

  “How convenient.”

  The stable was empty. Valek helped me remove Kiki’s saddle and groom her, delaying the inevitable conversation.

  I sagged with fatigue, but needed to know what he had been doing while I was in my box. “How did you find me? And your timing was impeccable as always.”

  Valek pulled me into his arms. I molded to him, seeking warmth and comfort. My body shook with a delayed reaction. The horror of the Warper setting his own man on fire replayed in my mind.

  “You’re welcome, love. I had wanted to sneak in and unlock you tonight, but you had other plans. I should have been more prepared, but when I saw him poke you last night, I thought for sure you would be out of it.” He pulled me away. “Let’s go inside. I need a drink.”

  The interior of the farmhouse lacked the homey warmth of its exterior. Spartan and utilitarian, Valek’s operatives obviously didn’t entertain guests here. Valek lit a few lanterns, but I refused to let him build a fire. We huddled together on the couch, sipping brandy.

  “General Kitvivan’s white brandy?” I asked.

  “You remembered!” Valek seemed surprised.

  “There are tastes and smells that call certain memories. White brandy reminds me of the Commander’s brandy meeting.”

  “Ah, yes. And after having to taste all those brandies for the Commander, you drunkenly tried to seduce me.”

  “And you refused.” I couldn’t pinpoint a specific time or event when Valek’s feelings for me had changed. He had shocked me with his declaration of love in Brazell’s dungeon.

  “I wanted to accept. But I didn’t know if your desire was from your heart or from the brandy. You might have regretted it later.”

  The image of Valek wearing his dress uniform recreated the desire to seduce him again, but we had much to discuss.

  “Enough small talk. Tell me everything,” I ordered.

  He sighed. “You’re not going to like it.”

  “Compared to what I’ve just been through these last—what? Three days? I don’t even know. It can’t be that bad.”

  “I knew you were swimming in some very dangerous waters,” he said, “but I hadn’t known they extended so deep.”

  “Valek, get to the point.”

  He fidgeted. Fear brushed my heart. Something horrible had happened. I had never seen him fidget before. He stood and started prowling the room. His liquid movements were soundless.

  “Five days ago you were taken—”

  “Five days!” So much could have happened in that time. My thoughts went to Irys and Bain. They could be dead.

  Valek put up his hand to forestall my questions. “Let me finish first. You were kidnapped by Star, and the reason she was able to smuggle you so far south, was because…I let her.” He paused to let his words sink in.

  I stared at him in astonishment. “You set me up?”

  “Yes and no.”

  “You need to do better than that.”

  “I knew Star would want to exact some type of revenge on you. She has kept in contact with the underground network, and I allowed her because then I could learn who the new players were. With the Code of Behavior, there will always be a black market for illegal goods and forged papers. I like to keep tabs on the network to make sure things don’t go too far, like when Star hired assassins to ruin the Sitian trade treaty. And when—”

  “Get to the point.”

  “Star knew you would be at Porter’s safe house—”

  “Porter set me up?”

  “I don’t think so. Are you going to let me tell you or not?” He put his hands on his hips in annoyance.

  I gestured for him to go on.

  “I’ve known about Porter’s rescue operation for a couple years and have allowed it to continue. However, recently, his charges have been disappearing and I’ve been wondering why. But that wasn’t the reason I watched the house. I had followed Star and three of her men there, and was shocked to see you walk blindly into her trap. Didn’t you even see her?”

  “She used a subtle kind of magic.”

  “I haven’t felt her, and I’ve been working with her for a while.”

  I thought back to the night I had been captured. The only odd event had been when my perception had altered for a moment before returning to normal. Perhaps she had affected my vision somehow. “You didn’t pick up on my magic, either. And it flared out of control a couple times within the castle.”

  “I will keep it in mind,” Valek said with an icy tone. “Star’s motives for ambushing you, I understood. The surprise arrived when she and her friends also targeted the girls. I needed to know where they were taking you.”

  I mulled over his explanation. “You could have helped me that night, but instead decided to wait?”

  “A calculated risk. I wanted to discover the extent of her operation and why she kidnapped the girls. I had no idea you would end up across the border and in the Wannabe King’s hands.”

  Valek knelt in front of me, and would have taken my hands in his had I not kept my arms crossed. Anger simmered deep within me. I had lost five days. Five days for the Fire Warper to grow stronger.

  “This wouldn’t have happened at all if you told me about your meeting with Porter,” he said.

  “A calculated risk. Like it or not, I’m a magician, and if there’s a way to help my colleagues I’m going to try. I wasn’t going to tell the Commander’s magician killer about it.” Still, a small, guilt-i
nducing thought about killing magicians being preferable to using them to increase the Fire Warper’s power pulsed in my mind.

  Valek sank back onto his heels. His expression hardened into his metal mask. “Magician killer? Is that what you think of me?”

  “That is one of your duties for the Commander. I know how you operate. You like to stalk your prey before you pounce. Allowing Porter’s network to continue is part of your modus operandi.”

  His expression turned flat and emotionless; my anger had ruled my tongue. My fury, though, remained.

  I changed the subject. “How did Star get us into Sitia?”

  As if reporting to the Commander, Valek said, “Put you into crates, stacked boxes of goods on top, and dressed as traders. They had the proper papers. The border guards did a cursory check and off you went.” He paused as extreme irritation flashed through his eyes. “The border guards will be taken to task and retrained.”

  Valek stood. “I was going to suggest we get a few hours’ sleep and try to rescue those girls. But since I’m the magician killer, I guess I won’t concern myself about their fate.” He left the room.

  25

  THE LIFE DRAINED from the room after Valek’s departure. I blamed fatigue for my harsh words, but knew it was wrong. I had lost control of events the moment we crossed into Ixia. But the real truth was I had never had control. From the instant the Fire Warper stepped from the fire in the jungle, I’d been ruled by fear. Which had kept me alive, so far, but it had certainly made a mess of things. Valek was just the latest in a long list.

  I sighed. There was a good reason for the fear. The Fire Warper’s power surpassed my own, and I didn’t think a bucket of water would douse him. Curling up on the couch, I made plans to free those girls. I couldn’t counter the Warper, but at least I could try to stop the Vermin from gaining more power.

  But what about the next shipment of young magicians from Ixia? From what Valek told me, I guessed Star had tapped into Porter’s network, kidnapping his charges and selling those adolescents for the Vermin to use in the Kirakawa ritual.

  After a few hours of restless sleep, I went to the stables. Kiki dozed in her stall, but she woke to my call.

  Do you have enough energy for a trip? I asked.

  Yes. Where?

  Back to where you found me.

  Bad smell.

  Yes, but I need to go back and pick up their scent. They’ve probably moved into the plains by now.

  We go fast.

  That’s what I’m counting on. Not bothering to saddle her, I hopped onto her back. All I had was my bow. I glanced at the farmhouse. If I had apologized to Valek, he would have come with me, but I wasn’t ready to admit I needed to apologize. At least he would be safe for tonight.

  We were soon near the border of the Avibian Plains. Evidence of the Vermin’s campsite littered the ground, and from the number of items left behind, it appeared Cahil had left in a hurry. Only a few hours of darkness remained.

  Kiki, which way? I asked.

  She headed south, and I let her choose her speed. She trotted until we reached the plains, then broke into her gust-of-wind gait. The air sped past my ears as the ground blurred. She didn’t maintain the pace for long, slowing when the smell of wood smoke and horses strengthened.

  The Vermin’s magic waited on the plains. Unlike the Sandseeds’ net of protection, the Daviians preferred to lay traps, which would spring on the unsuspecting victim. Kiki sensed these hot spots and avoided them.

  A faint glow of firelight shone through Kiki’s eyes. We stopped and I was considering my next move when Kiki reared and danced to the side. The sizzling odor of blood burned in Kiki’s nose. She would have bolted, but I steadied her with a soothing hand while my mind turned numb with shock.

  They hadn’t waited for the next moon. Guilt slammed into me. I hunched over Kiki’s back, rocking with anger and frustration.

  Girls hurt? Kiki asked.

  Yes.

  Go. Stop.

  What? But she didn’t wait. She galloped toward the camp.

  Kiki!

  Help. Fix. She ran through the camp. Rearing and jumping as if crazed with fear.

  Her sudden arrival surprised everyone. The guards scattered and dodged her flailing hooves and my bow. Kiki knocked down Cahil’s tent, kicked the wagon over and sent the horses running.

  I froze in horror when I spotted the two Warpers stooped over the still forms of Liv and Kieran. Blood coated the Warpers’ arms up to their elbows. They each cradled a fist-size lump of meat in their hands, lovingly stroking the object. I gasped with recognition. They each held a human heart. Liv and Kieran’s hearts.

  Kiki knocked me to my senses when she dumped me onto the ground. I gained my feet, ready for an attack, but the Warpers remained engrossed in their ritual.

  Help, Kiki ordered as she made another loop of the camp.

  I glanced at the fire. No Fire Warper yet. I mentally kicked myself for even worrying about him, and drew a thick strand of power. The Vermin defensive magic tried to clamp down on my connection, but I had pulled such a fat rope it failed to cut even a thread.

  I launched my awareness at the Warpers. A fog of magic surrounded them. Instinctively, I knew in order for them to consume and maintain the power, they had to milk the blood from the hearts and inject it into their skin.

  The Kirakawa ritual had its own power and I couldn’t interfere with the Warpers. Their black lust for magic sickened me and for a moment my vision filled with blood.

  But a movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention. Liv’s ghost stood next to her dead body and she gestured to me, thumping her heart with a fist. I squinted at the apparition. Her ghost or her soul? When I understood her motions, I cursed myself for my stupidity.

  I couldn’t affect the ritual, but there was one thing only I could do. Concentrating on the girls’ hearts, I reached for their souls. The ritual had trapped them within its chambers. I inhaled their essence, leaving behind dead flesh. The Warpers wouldn’t gain any power tonight.

  Kiki slowed near me. I grabbed her mane and hauled myself onto her back. Within two strides she moved into her special gait.

  When we reached the edge of the plains, I asked Kiki to stop so I could release the girls’ souls. The sun began to rise, casting long shadows on the ground. I wished I had known the girls better so I could make Sitian grief flags for them. The occasion called for the fanfare of raising their flags to memorialize the girls’ short lives.

  Without silk or a flagpole, I settled for expressing my deep regret for not saving them. They felt content and relieved to be free. But what else could they say while I held their souls?

  A vile thought occurred to me. I wondered if my powers were enhanced while they remained with me. Could I counter the Fire Warper if I increased my strength? Shuddering in revulsion for just thinking about it, I released their souls to the sky. They rushed from me. A lingering tingle of joy vibrated inside me before my body sagged with fatigue.

  I arrived at Valek’s safe house without any memories of the trip. Kiki headed for the stable and I summoned enough energy to give her a good rubdown. The stack of hay bales outside her stall appeared to be too inviting for me to pass. I lay down on top of them and fell asleep.

  An army of flaming soldiers chased me. My legs refused to run any faster as the burning men advanced. Leif rushed to my aid but, as soon as he drew near me, he burst into flames. Only Valek remained. He stood amid the conflagration, untouched by the searing heat. A block of ice, he seemed indifferent to my plight.

  “Sorry, love.” He shrugged. “Can’t help you.”

  “Why?”

  “You won’t let me.”

  The fire soldiers closed in until a circle of fire surrounded me. Tongues of flames licked at my clothes then grabbed the fabric.

  “Yelena!”

  Bright yellow and orange danced along my cloak. Their movements held my attention in a bizarre fascination as they consumed my clothes.
/>   “Yelena!”

  Cold water splashed on me, followed by a drenching deluge. Steam hissed. I yelled and woke, choking on the water. Valek stood next to me. He held an empty bucket.

  “What?” I sat up. My clothes and hair were soaking wet. “What was that for?”

  “You were having a nightmare.”

  “And shaking me awake seemed too tame?” He was still angry.

  Valek didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled me to my feet and pointed to the figure-shaped scorch mark on the topmost hay bale. The place where I had slept.

  “You were too hot to touch,” he said in a deadpan.

  I shivered. If Valek hadn’t been here, what would have happened?

  “I take it your rescue attempt last night has angered some powerful people? I saw you and Kiki create chaos in the camp, ruining my plans yet again. What else did you do?”

  Valek hadn’t gone to bed. He had left to help the girls. Kiki and I could have gone with him. Together we might have reached the camp in time to save Liv and Kieran. Guilt balled in my chest, souring my mood. I hadn’t managed to do anything right. I didn’t find Cahil and Ferde in time. The Sandseed Clan was gone. Irys and Bain were locked up. I had upset my friends and my brother. And Valek.

  He stared at me with his flat expression, giving nothing away. An invisible wall grew between us. Mine or his? I told him about the girls’ souls and how I had removed the power from the ritual.

  “I should have let you kill Cahil,” I said.

  If the change in subject surprised him, he didn’t allow it to show on his face. “Why?”

  “It would have prevented all this.”

  “I think not. Cahil’s involvement is recent. These Vermin are prepared. They’ve been planning this move for a while. Cahil wants you dead and wants his throne. I believe the whole Kirakawa ritual sickens him.”

  “He helped with the kidnapping.”

  “Because he wanted you. He wasn’t at the camp last night. He’s probably heading to the Citadel.”