“I have to leave in the morning.”
“Not because of the attack?”
“No. The Commander ordered me to return earlier than I’d planned. He’s been very patient. I’ve been in Sitia for most of the past year and he says I’m needed for an urgent matter. I’m sorry we have to cut our vacation a few days short.”
Even though disappointment pulsed, I understood his loyalty to the Commander. And the Commander had been more than generous with Valek’s time. Working with Opal and helping to stop the Bloodrose Clan, Valek had done more for Sitia than Ixia.
No sense moping about something I couldn’t change. Suppressing my frustration with the time limit, I splashed Valek. “Come on in while the water’s hot.”
He grinned and peeled off his clothes. Scars crisscrossed his long lean muscles, and a faded C-shaped scar marked the center of his chest. Even after spending seasons in Sitia, his skin remained pale, which contrasted with his shoulder-length black hair.
“Like what you see, love?” Valek stepped into the water.
“You lost weight.”
He huffed. “Janco’s a lousy cook.”
“Did Janco pout when you ditched him to come here?”
“Yes, but it was fake. He’s more than ready to return to Ixia.” Valek settled next to me. “Do you really want to talk about him right now?” His gaze burned hotter than the water.
“Who?”
“Exactly.” He ran his thumb over my wound. “Does it hurt?”
“No.” His touch drove the cold away as a fire ignited in my heart.
He closed the distance between us and our lips met. Another perk of stone floors: no worries about water damage.
*
Morning sunlight and chills woke me late the next morning. Memories of last night replayed and I remained in bed savoring them. We’d gone from the tub to the living area, drunk the wine, tested the softness of the rug, and then up to the bedroom. My lips still tingled from Valek’s predawn goodbye kiss.
Another chill raced along my skin. Shivering, I pulled the blanket up to my chin. All my bones ached as if encased in ice. Unease swirled. Something was...off. Wrong.
Without warning, a wave of heat slammed into me. I yanked the blankets off and jumped to my feet. Sweat poured, soaking my nightshirt as dizziness threatened to topple me. I sank to the ground. The heat disappeared as fast as it had arrived, but the cold returned, seeping into my skin, freezing the sweat into a layer of ice.
Before I could pull the blanket over me, another hot flash consumed me. Memories of going through the fire to enter the fire world rose unbidden. The searing pain of my flesh burning all too familiar. I batted at my arms even though I knew my skin hadn’t been set on fire.
Fear wormed through my chest. Maybe I hadn’t expelled all the poison.
Between gasps of breath, the ice extinguished the heat. My muscles tightened and cramped. My teeth chattered hard enough to cause a headache. I curled into a ball, afraid I’d shatter like an icicle hitting the ground.
When the fire blazed again, I straightened as steam rose from my skin. Then the cold reclaimed me. And it kept going back and forth, hot to cold and hot again. Like I had a superfast fever, which gave me no time to draw power to counter it.
I endured the waves. Each flip drained my strength. One of two things was bound to happen. I’d either pass out or the attack would stop. There was a third possibility, but I preferred to stay positive.
After hours...days...weeks...the seizures ceased. At first I braced for the next cycle. But as time progressed without an attack, I slowly relaxed. With no energy to stand, I groped for the edge of the blanket and pulled it down, covering me. At this point, even the hard floor couldn’t stop me from falling asleep.
*
Darkness greeted me when I woke. Every single muscle ached as if I’d run here from the Citadel. My dry throat burned and my stomach hurt. I needed water, food and a bath. But first, I needed to ensure that I didn’t have another attack. Had the poison run its course? Or was it still inside me? One way to find out.
I drew a deep breath and reached for the blanket of power. Nothing happened. Trying again, I concentrated on pulling a thread of magic.
Nothing.
Fear pushed up my throat. I swallowed it down, determined not to panic.
I opened my mind to Kiki. What’s going on?
No response. Not even images.
Dead air surrounded me.
My magic was gone.
2
VALEK
He hated leaving her. Memories of last night’s activities swirled in his mind, but he suppressed them. No sense torturing himself. Instead, he focused on the attack on Yelena as he saddled Onyx.
Valek had done another sweep of the area as soon as the sun had risen. No one in sight and no signs of anyone. Not much of a comfort, considering the bastard had been able to conceal himself so well. His identity remained a mystery for now. But Valek would find him. No doubt.
Mounting Onyx, Valek grabbed the reins. Kiki said goodbye with a sad little whinny.
“Please keep her safe,” he said to Kiki.
She nodded. Her blue eyes shone with intelligence.
“Thanks.” Valek clicked his tongue, spurring Onyx into a gallop. Kiki was the only reason he didn’t insist on personally escorting Yelena to the Citadel. Yesterday, he’d taken Kiki to the spot where the assassin had waited. She’d sniffed the area and had the man’s scent. Combined with Yelena’s magic and her skills with her switchblade and bo staff, they made an impressive fighting team. Plus Yelena had assured him she’d recovered from the injury.
Of course, there was the possibility that since the assassin knew how to construct a null shield, he might also know Valek’s biggest weakness, which would render him unable to protect Yelena. Valek could never forget that disadvantage. It was like a knife slowly piercing his heart in tiny increments. Each day it dug a little deeper.
Once his greatest weapon against magic, his immunity was now a drawback. If a magician surrounded Valek with a null shield, Valek would be trapped inside just like being caught in a bubble made of invisible steel. Weapons could cross the barrier, but he couldn’t. Well, neither he nor Opal, who was also immune to magic. Her adventures last year had uncovered this particularly nasty weakness and, while the magical community promised to keep it quiet, Valek had learned the best way to distribute information was to classify it as secret.
Valek guided Onyx north toward the Ixian border. At this pace, they’d reach the checkpoint in three hours. Their cottage had been in an ideal location. Too bad they would have to move again. He contemplated retirement—not for the first nor the last time. And for a moment, he dreamed of a time when he and Yelena could disappear and never have to worry about assassins, intrigue and espionage again.
Except she couldn’t retire from guiding lost souls. Perhaps she could wear a disguise. He imagined them dressed as an old married couple traveling from town to town. For half the year, they’d visit the local sights, try new foods and find souls. The other half would be spent together in a cottage, gardening, carving and going out for daily rides. It was a pleasant daydream.
A mile from the border, Valek stopped Onyx. He changed into his Ixian uniform—black pants, boots and shirt. Two red diamonds had been stitched onto his collar, marking him as an adviser to the Commander. He turned his cloak inside out, revealing the black material with two red diamonds instead of the gray camouflage. In Ixia, he had to wear his uniform with the Commander’s colors of black and red. While in Sitia, he had to blend in.
Back on Onyx, he headed to the main checkpoint, hoping the soldiers would recognize him. It’d save time. Valek considered sneaking into Ixia, but the Commander’s message said the situation was urgent.
The official border crossing between Sitia and Ixia was a cleared, one-hundred-foot ribbon of ground that stretched from the Sunset Ocean in the west to the Soul Mountains in the east. The border followed the contours of the Snake Forest, which also spanned the area between the ocean and mountains. At one point, Valek had asked the Commander to clear the entire forest. Even with the hundred feet of open ground, smugglers and refugees still managed to slip across the border. But now he found the forest convenient for his network of spies. Not that he’d admit that to Yelena.
The six border guards snapped to attention when he approached. A good sign.
“Welcome back, sir.” The captain saluted.
Nice. “Thank you. Any news, Captain?”
“It’s been quiet, sir. A caravan crossed earlier this morning, but they were on our approved list. A Sitian delegation is due to come through here in a couple days, but we haven’t gotten the manifest for the visitors yet.”