HE STRODE AWAY. TONIGHT I had planned to be on my way to Sitia. A visit to Porter would delay me, but it seemed too important to ignore.

After my jaunt to the stables, I arrived back at the doors of the guest suite at the same time as a messenger. The Commander wanted us to meet him in the war room this afternoon. Inside, Tauno paced the living area like a trapped animal, prowling next to the windows.

“Why don’t you go outside?” I suggested to him. “The soldiers run laps around the castle complex for exercise. You can join them if you want.”

He stopped in surprise. “I can leave this room without being escorted by an adviser?”

“The advisers are a courtesy provided by the Commander to help you find your way around the castle. If you go out on your own, you’ll get some suspicious looks, but as long as you stick to common areas, no one will bother you. Just make sure you’re back for the meeting.” I told them about the message.

Moon Man sat next to Marrok on the couch. Marrok stared at us with an intense expression as if he tried to decipher our conversation.

“Interesting how you see the advisers as a courtesy, while Tauno sees them as guards,” Moon Man said.

I ignored the Story Weaver’s comment and gave Tauno directions to find his way outside. Even with my assurances, he still pulled the door open as if he expected to be accosted.

“Has Marrok said anything yet?” I asked.

“No, but he is understanding more and more. Unlike you.”

I scowled. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Moon Man refused to answer. My plan to leave my companions in Ixia so I could travel faster through Sitia became more appealing as time went on. The Commander would keep an eye on them and I wouldn’t have to worry about being betrayed.

I looked around the room. “Where’s Leif?”

“In his room,” Moon Man said.

Judging by the monosyllable response through Leif’s door, I guessed he was still upset with me. I told him about the meeting then retired to my room.

A quiet group followed me to the Commander’s war room. Tauno had returned, seeming more settled since he had burned off some of his energy. Moon Man’s calm demeanor returned, and Leif frowned at the world at large and me in particular. My brother knew how to pout.

The Commander had a surprise waiting for us. Valek, Ari and Janco sat around the circular table. My emotions flipped to joy at seeing them.

“Valek was just informing me on the state of affairs in Sitia,” the Commander said. “Continue.”

“I found the situation to be rather ah…unique.” Valek leaned back in his chair. He scanned my companions with a thoughtful purse of his lips. The sharp features of his angular face would soften only when he smiled.

“Unique is putting it mildly,” Janco said. He rubbed the scar where the bottom half of his right ear used to be. A sure sign of his worry.

“Try alarming,” Ari added.

Panic began to simmer under my heart. Ari tended to counter Janco’s exaggerations with cool logic. His steadying presence helped keep Janco in check. Opposite in appearance, Janco’s wiry build reflected his quick wit and lightning-fast fighting style, while Ari’s strength could outmuscle most others.

“Alarming would work,” Valek agreed. “Taking out the Council wouldn’t result in better leaders. In fact, it would have inflamed the citizens to all-out war. And they have some new players who could potentially tip the battle in their favor.”

“Players? Try creepy men. Scary magicians. Evil demons.” Janco shuddered.

Valek shot Janco a warning look. “I need to obtain more information before I can assess the true nature of the threat and determine the best way to counter it.”

“Why have you returned?” the Commander asked.

Another glance from Valek, but this time he aimed it at me. “I require more help. Things were getting a little too hot even for me.”

So much for my plans to travel to Sitia alone.

The room fell quiet as Commander Ambrose considered. “What do you need?”

“A few more men, Yelena and her brother.”

I had suspected Valek would want me. By Leif’s grunt of shock, I knew his surprise matched my own when hearing his name.

“She hasn’t agreed to be an adviser yet so I can’t order her to assist you,” the Commander said.

“Then I will have to ask.” Valek looked at us.

“Yes,” I said the same time Leif said no.

“I’m a Sitian, remember? I can’t aid Ixia in overthrowing Sitia,” Leif said.

“I don’t want to take control of Sitia,” the Commander said. “I just don’t want them to invade us and I will take preventative measures to stop them.”

“By helping us, you will also help your country,” Valek said.

“We can do it on our own. We don’t need you or Yelena.” Leif turned to me. “You could never have been a true Liaison, little sister. Ever since we’ve been in Ixia, you have revealed your true loyalties.”

Outraged, I asked, “Is that what you believe?”

“Look at the evidence. At the first sign of trouble, you run for Ixia. We could have returned to the Citadel, and explained everything to the Council.”

His accusations stabbed me as if he held a knife.

“The Council will not believe us. I told you what Irys said.”

“But what if you lied? You know I don’t have the power of mental communication on my own. You don’t trust us so why should we trust you?”

First the Council had turned on me and now my brother. “Believe what you want, then. Valek, can we do without him?”

“We can.”

The Commander stared at Valek. “You will tell me your plans before you disappear again.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. You’re all dismissed.” The Commander stood.

“What about us?” Leif gestured to Moon Man and Tauno. “Can we return to Sitia?”

“Consider yourselves a guest of Ixia until this unfortunate incident is resolved,” Valek said.

“What if we no longer wish to be guests?” Moon Man asked.

“Then you will be our first prisoners of war and your accommodations will not be so luxurious. It’s your choice.” The Commander left.

Leif glared at me and I wanted to laugh. His current reaction mirrored the first encounter I had had with him after fourteen years of being apart. Another full circle. I felt dizzy. Perhaps this was a sign I should stay in this spot to avoid having to exert time and effort to go around again.

Valek turned to Ari and made a slight movement with his hand.

Ari nodded and stood; his blond curls bounced with the motion. “We will be happy to escort you to your quarters.”

A gamut of emotions flowed over my former companions’ faces as they followed Ari from the room. Leif barely contained his fury, Tauno looked worried and Moon Man appeared thoughtful.

Janco brought up the rear of the procession. He flashed me an inviting smirk. “Training yard, four o’clock.”

“You need more lessons?”

“You wish.”

My smile faded when the door closed. Valek remained on the far side of the table, his face serious. I felt awkward and uncertain.

“Is it that bad?” I asked.

“It’s a situation I’ve never encountered before. I’m worried.”

“About Ixia?”

“About you, love.”

“Me?”

“I’ve always been amazed at how you can draw unwanted attention and ire from powerful people. This time, though, you managed to get a whole country upset. If I was the Commander, I would wait out the political strife in Sitia and then offer you to the victors in trade for Ixia being left alone.”

“Good thing you’re not the Commander.”

“Yes. And we should leave Ixia before the Commander figures it out. What were you planning?”

I tried to look innocent. “Me? You’re the one with the plan.”

“And the adviser uniform you had Dilana size for you? You weren’t thinking of sneaking off to Sitia without me, were you?”

Another betrayal. “Did she tell you?”

“I had ripped a hole in my favorite pants. When I dropped them off, she asked me to deliver your uniform and gifted me with a leer. I would guess the servants were already betting how soon one of them would spot us together.” He sighed. “If only intelligence information worked through my corps as efficiently as gossip flowed through the servants, then my problems would be minimal.”

In one fluid motion, Valek stood. He walked over to me, his smooth stride graceful as a panther. Powerful energy coiled in his body. He leaned on my chair’s arms, bringing his face inches from mine. His black hair hung to his shoulders; his expression was lethal. “I’ll ask you again. Your plans include me, correct?”

I slumped deeper into my chair.

“Yelena?” His voice warned.

“You said you had never encountered this situation before. It’s an unknown. I don’t want to risk…”

“What?”

“Risk losing you. With your immunity I can’t heal you!”

“I’m willing to take the chance.”

“But I’m not willing to let you.”

“Sorry, love, that’s not your decision. It’s mine.”

I grumbled. Events had spiraled out of my control. Again. I just spun in circles and never gained any ground.

“Okay, I promise not to go to Sitia without you.” Which didn’t include my meeting tonight with Porter.

“Thank you.” Valek brushed his lips on my cheek. A tingle sizzled up my spine.

“What about your plan?” I tried to stay on topic, but I lost my motivation once Valek’s musky smell enveloped me.

“This is my plan.”

He moved closer and kissed me. Warmth spread throughout my body. The panic clutching my throat eased. I pushed away my worries and focused on Valek, wrapping my arms around him. But the feel of his muscles through his shirt wasn’t enough. I yanked at it, wanting to touch his skin, wanting to wear his skin.

He pulled away, straightening. “In the war room, love? What if someone comes in?”

I stood and removed his shirt. “Then they’ll have a good story to tell.”

“Good?” He adopted the pretense of being offended.

“Prove me wrong.”

His eyes lit with the challenge.

Valek and I ended up underneath the war room’s round table. Lying together, I felt safe for the first time in weeks. We discussed the events in Sitia.

“I could hardly move within the Citadel,” Valek said. “The air was so thick with magic I felt like I swam in syrup.”

“But you weren’t detected.”

Valek’s immunity to magic remained a powerful weapon. Without it, I couldn’t have defeated Ferde.

“No. Although it was only a matter of time. With that many—what do you call them?—Warpers, my presence would have eventually caused a noticeable dead zone.”

I considered how fast things had changed in the Citadel. Twenty-two days ago Moon Man had speculated the Daviians had eight Warpers, but once he realized they were performing Kirakawa we knew the actual number of Warpers could be much higher, depending on how many victims they had used. And how far along in the ritual they were. Plus only a victim with magical powers could make a Warper.

If they had been preparing for this offensive for a while, then who were the victims? They wouldn’t have used clan members and the Sandseed Clan would have noticed if a couple of their Story Weavers went missing. So would the other clans. Unable to deduce an answer, I put the question to Valek.

“They’re probably targeting the homeless. Who would miss a few beggars in a big city? No one.”

“What about the need for magicians?”

“The first year after a magician reaches adolescence is a difficult and vulnerable year. Half the people don’t even realize they can access the power source, and the other half don’t have a clue how to use it. The Warpers could be hunting the streets, looking for someone in that precarious situation.”

My conviction to stop using it became stronger the more I learned about magic and how others exploited it.

Valek and I mapped our return to Sitia and planned how to contact Bavol Zaltana.

“I’ll leave Ari and Janco here. They won’t be happy, but security around the Citadel is too tight and we’re better off just going ourselves. Two of my corps have already been caught inside.” Valek sat up with reluctance. “I have some business to attend to. I’ll meet you in my suite later tonight and we can finalize our time schedule. I’ll have your belongings delivered there.”

I should retrieve my pack, but realized I had no desire to see Leif or the others. But I remembered something. “Why did you want Leif to come with us?”

He shook his head. “You wouldn’t have agreed anyway.”

“To what?”

“To letting Leif get caught and using your mental connection to him to find out what’s going on in the Keep. But now you’re mad at him—”

“No. He would be killed. I’m not that angry with him.” Besides, if I used my magic anywhere near the Citadel, all the preparation in the world wouldn’t be able to help me.

“She’s quick and fast, but she can’t get past,” Janco sang as he blocked my rib strikes.

“You need to work on your rhymes. Either that, or I’m getting better.” I faked a temple strike and swept his feet out from under him. Before I could press my advantage, he rolled away and regained his feet.

“You hesitated,” Ari said from the sidelines. “Too busy talking.”

I renewed my attack and Janco countered with ease. We fought in the soldier’s training yard, which had been filled with the sounds of practice until Janco and I started this match. We had attracted quite a crowd.

“Can’t talk and fight. So much for being polite.” Janco spun his bow. His weapon blurred.

I backed up and blocked the flurry of hits, keeping pace with his attack until he changed the rhythm. I missed a connection. The air exploded out of my lungs as Janco landed a solid blow to my solar plexus. I bent over, coughing and gasping for breath.

“Funny,” Janco said. He smoothed his goatee with a hand. “You’re usually not this easy to beat. Have I succeeded in hiding my thoughts?”

Once I regained my composure and straightened, he smiled sweetly at me. The last time we had fought in Sitia, he had found out about my zone of concentration, a semimagical state allowing me to notice my opponent’s intentions when I sparred with them. This time I had tried to fight him without setting my mind into that zone.

“No. You’re still self-centered and overly cocky,” I said.

“They’re fighting words.”

“Do you need more time to rest? Now you’re management, you probably need to expend extra energy moving that paunch.”

He swept his bow toward my legs in response and we engaged in another match. I lost again, but kept challenging him until we were both sweat soaked and exhausted.

“Your fighting improved as the matches went on,” Ari said. “But it wasn’t your best.” He looked at me as if waiting for an explanation.

I shrugged. “I was trying something different.”

“It’s not working. Better go back to your old style.”

“I like her new style.” Janco piped in. “It’s good for my ego.”

Ari frowned and crossed his massive arms over his chest.

“Life or death, Ari, and I’d go back to using all my tricks. Don’t worry.”

He seemed mollified, and I hadn’t lied. When push came to shove, I knew I would fall back on using my magic. Another problem. Magic made me lazy and when I encountered a bad situation, I reached for it without thought. I needed to improve my other skills, because magic wouldn’t help me against the Fire Warper.

I changed the subject and asked my friends about their new jobs. Janco regaled me with the story of their battle against Valek. Every time Ari shook his head, I knew Janco had exaggerated a detail.

“What is it like being second in command of Ixia’s intelligence network?” I asked.

“I don’t like all this sneaking around,” Ari said. “There’s a lot more going on in Ixia than I thought. And there’s so much to do. Valek is the king of delegating.”

“I’m getting to use my lock-picking skills.” Janco grinned. Pure mischievousness danced in his eyes. “And the information we’ve discovered. Did you know General Dinno has—”

“Janco,” Ari warned. “We enjoy the work. It’s just not what we had expected.”

“Nothing is,” I said.

My bones ached with fatigue. I waved goodbye to Ari and Janco and headed toward the baths. Before joining my friends in the training yard, I had retrieved my pack and stashed it in the changing room. After a long soak, I dried and dressed in my adviser’s uniform in preparation for the meeting with Porter. I rationalized I would draw less attention wearing a uniform than my Sitian clothes.

I cut a hole in the pant’s pocket and strapped my switchblade to my right thigh. Not wanting to show up armed with my bow, I felt it prudent to have a knife on me just in case. Braiding my hair into one long braid, I let it hang between my shoulder blades.

Although my stomach grumbled with hunger, Porter had instructed me to come during dinner. His timing made sense, as most of the castle’s inhabitants would be busy either serving dinner or eating it. And Castletown should be relatively quiet.

I stopped beside the pasture on my way out, checking to see if anyone followed me. A few servants hustled between buildings, but no one paid me any attention. The cold hung in the air as if waiting for a breeze. I fed Kiki and the other horses some apples.

Smells? I asked Kiki.

Big snow.

When?

Half moon.

Three days. Valek and I would need to leave sooner than planned.

Kiki come?

Of course, and Garnet, too.

She sighed with contentment as I scratched behind her ears. When I felt certain no one watched me, I headed toward the south gate. I joined in with a group of town residents returning home for dinner. With my Ixian wool cloak covering my adviser’s uniform, I blended right in. My group hurried over the grass field surrounding the walls. The Commander had ordered all buildings within a quarter mile of the castle be destroyed when he had gained power. He also renamed Jewels-town, named in honor of the former Queen Jewel to the rather unoriginal Castletown.

Once we reached the edge of town, the group dispersed as the others headed for their homes. The symmetry of the town with its neat rows of wooden buildings conflicted with the asymmetrical style of the castle complex. The logical array of businesses interspersed among residences made navigating the town easier. Each district had a name matching the merchandise sold there. Peach Alley would be located in the Garden District.

A few townspeople bustled about, all intent on some errand. I walked as if I had a purpose so I didn’t attract unwanted attention from the town’s guards, who watched the streets.

The colors of the buildings thinned toward gray as the sun set. My perceptions shifted, and I felt as if I had entered into a colorless shadow world. The buildings transformed into a watery representation of a town populated with ghosts.

I stumbled over some unseen curb and snapped back to the real world. Dismissing the strange spell, I rationalized hunger as the culprit. I picked up my pace, determined to find the right address before the lamplighters came out. Peach Lane seemed devoid of life, and only when I went around to the back alley did I see signs of habitation.

A glow of firelight came from number forty-three. Keeping to the shadows, I approached the back door. I pulled a thread of magic and scanned the area. Inside the house I felt Porter waiting with two young girls. They were nervous about being found, but I didn’t sense any duplicity.

I paused as the realization of how much I depended on my magic dawned on me. Not only with searching for attackers, but with Kiki, too. Could I completely stop using my magic? It would be much harder than I thought.

The door opened right after my light tap, as if Porter had been hovering near it.

He pulled me into the room and closed it behind me.

“Did anyone see you?” he asked.

“No.” I looked around the room. Small and tidy, the sitting area had a couch, a chair and three dogs getting nervous attention from the girls. The girls perched on the edge of the couch with their backs straight. They wore students’ uniforms, which consisted of a simple jumper made of red linen. White-faced, their gazes jumped between Porter and me.

“You said I could help you?” I asked.

“We’re taking a big chance trusting you.” Porter picked up a half-chewed roll of rawhide from the floor. He clutched the dog’s treat in his hands as he stared at me. “You must promise not to tell Valek or anyone else about all this.”

“I can’t promise until I hear what ‘all this’ is.”

The rawhide popped and cracked in Porter’s hands. He glanced at the girls and sighed. His wide shoulders drooped with the release of his tension, and he gestured to the empty chair. “Have a seat. This is going to take a while.”

As soon as I sat down, one of the dogs came over and put his head in my lap. Peering at me from between his gray shaggy hairs, he pleaded for attention. I stroked his smooth head and scratched behind his ears. The dog’s tail thumped on the floor. The smell of wet dog and wood smoke mixed into a stuffy odor.

Porter tapped the roll on his leg as he talked. “I’ve set up a network of people throughout Ixia to help me in smuggling children out of the country.”

I leaned forward in alarm, thinking about Mogkan’s kidnapping ring and how he had taken children from Sitia to Ixia to abuse them for his own purposes. “Children?”

“They seem like children to me.” Porter gave the two girls a grandfatherly smile. “Adolescents who have just discovered their magical powers.” He pointed to the couch. “Young people like Liv and Kieran. I’ve been helping them to escape to Sitia before their powers are known to others. But I believe something has gone wrong.”

“What?” I prompted when Porter appeared to be lost in his own thoughts.

“I was in MD-7 last month. General Rasmussen has a nice wolfhound I wanted to breed with my bitch. While there, one of my contacts who works in the general’s stables told me the last person I sent through the network never arrived. And two others he had sent on never made it to the border contact. They have all disappeared.”

My stomach twisted around my heart. “Do you think Valek has killed them?”

“I don’t know and I can’t risk asking around. If my network has been compromised then I won’t be able to send Liv and Kieran. Eventually they’ll get reported.”

I hadn’t thought it possible, but the girls’ faces turned whiter. Considering Porter’s story, I said, “Tell me how your network operates.”

“I have four contacts from here to the border. A few people know about my underground efforts and they’ll send their son or daughter to me as an apprentice. The Commander gives me complete management of his kennel and no one pays too much attention to my students. They come and go as part of their animal husbandry training. It’s risky, being this close to Valek, but then I usually know where he is and can send my charges when he’s gone on business.” Porter paced. “It’s too risky to have a guide with them, so I instruct the person how to find the first contact and then he sends them on until they get to the border contact, who takes them into Sitia. They have transfer papers with them if they’re stopped by the guards. If they had gotten caught, I would have been arrested by now.” His erratic movements showed his frustration.

“How can I help?”

He stopped. “I wanted you to go along with Liv, and maybe find out what’s happening to my charges. With that adviser’s uniform you can go anywhere in Ixia without permission.”

“No. Too dangerous for Liv. The best thing to do would be for me to disguise myself as a student and go through your network alone.”

Porter’s eyebrows spiked up in surprise. “You would do that for us?”

“Yes. Unfortunately though, it will have to wait.”

The ability to connect with the power source began at the onset of puberty. A person typically had a year before anyone else noticed and reported them, and another three to four years to learn how to harness their power. A fledgling magician’s power, when uncontrolled, could flame out and warp the blanket of power that covers the world, causing trouble for magicians everywhere. And the stronger the magician, the bigger the flameout. One-trick power similar to Opal’s ability to capture magic in molten glass tended to be unconscious and didn’t require formal training.

“How long do the girls have?” I asked.

“A year at most for Liv. Kieran is younger so she could last up to two years, but I’d rather they both be gone as soon as possible. I can hide them here if we’re desperate. I’ve had some refugees who didn’t have time to work in the kennel,” Porter said.

“Give me a couple months. Sitia’s not the best place to be sending anyone right now. Once I settle another matter, I’ll come back and help you. For now, I can teach the girls how to tame their powers enough so they don’t give themselves away.”

Relief shone on Liv and Kieran’s young faces. I worked with them for the next hour. Irys would be proud over how much I remembered from her guidance. A finger of dread stabbed my guts with the thought of Irys. I hoped she was still alive.

After my session, the girls left Porter’s together while I waited for them to be well away before I left. The need to begin my journey back to Sitia pressed on my mind as I worried about Irys and Bain locked in the Keep’s cells.

I made a quick sweep of the area outside Porter’s door with my magic. The activity around the houses seemed muted as everyone finished their daily tasks. No one lurked in the alley.

With a wave goodbye, I exited Porter’s. I stood outside and let my eyes adjust to the darkness. When the shadows grew less black, I strode toward the street.

About halfway there I felt a presence behind me. I spun, grabbing for my switchblade. Something jabbed me in the neck and I saw Star lower a thin pipe.

I yanked the dart out of my throat. “How?”

“Some great magician you are,” Star said. “Missing my own tiny talent.”

My world spun and I stumbled. Star caught me, but I had no energy to fight her off. “What?”

She cradled me in her arms. “Valek’s goo-goo juice. Relax, Yelena. Star’s going to take good care of you.”

My last coherent thought focused on how her sinister expression didn’t match her soothing words.