26
YELENA
I slipped through the building next door to Opal’s glass factory, exiting into an alley. Letting my eyes adjust to the darkness, I paused. The acrid odor of rotting garbage filled the air. Distant sounds from the street reached me, but the narrow alley remained quiet.
Still wearing Reema’s cloak and the blond wig, I walked to the south end and turned right. Then I pressed next to the building, waiting. If anyone had been hidden in the alley, he would have to hustle to catch up and I’d spot him.
No one emerged. After a few more minutes, I continued down the street. Valek had taught me that trick and a few others. Without my powers, I’d need to rely on them and the null-shield pendant. Since Reema had my cloak, only the octopus remained to protect me from magic.
I kept to the shadows and let my fear guide me. When I turned west, my heart rate increased. Keeping to side streets, I traveled toward the heart of my terror. I reached a tight alley and every fiber of my being pressed on me to turn around and bolt. Death waited for me down this path. This alley must lead to Ben’s hiding place. Before entering, I opened my cloak and draped the fabric over my shoulders to free my arms. I palmed a couple of Curare darts in my left hand and my switchblade in my right with my thumb near the button. My hands shook as my heart skittered.
Summoning my courage, I strode down the alley to a door that pulsed with malevolence. I waited for Ben’s magic to alert them. But when nothing happened, I returned my weapons to their hidden locations and grabbed my diamond pick and tension wrench.
I knelt next to the door and worked on popping the lock. Good thing light wasn’t a requirement for picking a lock. As I lifted each pin, a distinctive click sounded along with a slight vibration through the metal pick. When all the pins were aligned, the tumbler turned, unlocking the door. It swung inward with a creak. I froze as fear burned in my guts.
No other sounds pierced the darkness. Returning my picks, I pulled my switchblade, stood and entered the building. If Ben and his gang had moved on, perhaps they’d left a clue as to where they were headed.
A faint memory of lanterns sitting on a table near the door stirred and drew me deeper inside. I held a hand out, but it failed to warn me as my legs crashed into...something. Sweeping my hand lower, I found a lantern, but before I could dig in my pack for my flint, the scrape of metal sliding along metal rang.
A beam of light from a bull’s-eye lantern speared the blackness, blinding me.
Voices shouted. I’d walked right into an ambush. Stupid.
I moved into a defensive stance, but a dark shape tackled me. We hit the ground hard. I landed on my stomach. The impact robbed me of breath. More shouts sounded and someone kicked my switchblade from my hand. Light reflected off the knife as the weapon spun away. Funny, I didn’t remember triggering the blade.
I struggled to knock off the person on top of me, but a knee jammed into the small of my back as my arms were wrenched behind. Metal cuffs bit into my wrists. Two sets of hands grabbed me under the arms and yanked me to my feet. The motion knocked my wig to the ground, inciting a gasp, a groan and a couple of curses.
“Yelena, what are you doing here?” Leif demanded.
“Uh...looking for Ben. Did you find him?”
Another lantern glowed to life. I blinked. Hale held up the light. He stood next to Opal. Both frowned. In fact, no one looked happy. Tired, dirty and angry, but not happy.
“Did I ruin your ambush?” I asked.
“Yes,” Leif said.
“No,” Opal said.
I waited, sensing I trod on very thin ice.
“We’re not telling you anything until you explain what the hell you’re doing here,” Leif said. “And why you ran away.”
I’d hoped to avoid all this right now, but they deserved answers. I explained about my memory laspe, my fear, my trip to the plains and my return. “Don’t worry,” I said to Opal. “Reema’s with Kiki and they’re on the way to safety as we speak.”
“Where?” she asked.
I glanced at the others. “Devlen is waiting for you at the factory. He’ll tell you before he leaves to catch up with her.”
“All right.” Opal turned to Leif. “I’ll meet you at HQ.”
He nodded and she moved to leave, but paused next to me. “Thanks for protecting her, Yelena.”
“Don’t thank me. I’m the reason she’s in danger.”
“This time.” Opal gave me a tired smile. “Next time it’ll be me or Devlen or her brother.”
“Then why not stay far away from those situations?”
“Because we can help and it wouldn’t be right not to.” She squeezed my shoulder and left.
“Be careful,” I called after her, unable to stifle that little voice that threatened all my loved ones.
Hale stared at me with a sullen expression.
“Uh...can you unlock these manacles now?” I asked.
Leif tightened his grip on my arms as if he expected me to make a break for it. A bad sign.
Leif shook his head. “You planned to find Ben by yourself. Don’t you think that’s really...?”
“Dangerous,” Hale supplied.
“And incredibly stupid.”
“I wasn’t going to attack. I just wanted to locate him for the authorities. I want my memories back,” I said. “Besides, Midnight Son—”
“I don’t think citing a dead Story Weaver will help you,” Leif said.
“Okay, Leif. I get it. I’m sorry for running off, but at the time, I thought I was saving your life and protecting Reema. He might be a dead Story Weaver, but he helped me figure it out and I came back. Doesn’t that count?”
“How about a promise to remain uninvolved?” Leif asked.
My stomach squeezed just thinking about it. “I can’t. It’s just like Opal said. It’s—”
“All right, then. Protective custody it is,” Leif said.
“What? You can’t!”
“I can. I’ve orders from Second Magician Irys Jewelrose to place you in protective custody if you’re too stubborn to see reason—her words, not mine.” Leif pulled me from the building. Hale followed with the lantern.
“You can’t be serious!” I protested.
Leif lowered his voice. “Irys discovered another plot to harm you, Yelena. The attack in the forest might be connected or this could be a new threat. Either way, she says word is out about you and you’re too vulnerable.”
“I’ll be careful and—”
“Like chasing after Ben on your own?”
I opened my mouth to reply that I’d acted on pure instinct, but that wouldn’t go well in my defense. Leif towed me to Fulgor’s security headquarters. Nothing I said changed his mind. Citing orders from the Second Magician, Leif explained to the officers on duty that I was under protective custody until the danger had passed. Only orders from him or the Master Magicians should be obeyed.