Typical Valek bravado. If I had any energy, I’d argue.
Sensing my mood, Valek said, “Before you form an opinion of her, I’d suggest you get to know her better. Like you, she’s been assaulted and raped. But unlike you, she hasn’t killed her demons yet.”
“Now you’ve done it.” Regret for my earlier dark thoughts pulsed.
“I’ve done what?”
“You complicated things. My feelings for her were rather simple. It was nice to just dislike her. Now I want to help her. Too bad my powers—”
“Are not needed,” Valek said. “You’ve overcome your difficulties without using magic, so can she. But I’m sure she’d like a friend to confide in.”
“You’re sure? Why do you care? She’s after your job.”
“I’ve always had people after my job, love. And the Commander’s been telling me to find a protégé for years. She’s the first to have real potential, and if she can step up, then perhaps she should.”
I studied his face, searching for regret or sorrow over the prospect. Finding none, I relaxed back into the pillows. Valek tucked me in and left to listen to the local gossip. I fell asleep dreaming of our future together.
*
Morning intruded. I groaned and tightened my grip on Valek as he tried to disentangle himself from me and the blankets.
“A few more minutes,” I mumbled.
“I caught a lead last night,” he said, pulling my arms off his waist.
Suddenly wide-awake, I let go and sat up. “You found Owen? Why didn’t you wake me?”
“Easy, love. It’s never that simple. I talked to a man who knew about a strange house made of glass.”
“And? Did you go check it out?”
“No. The man claimed he needed his brother’s help to find the place again. He offered to get his brother and take me there in the morning, for a fee of course.”
“Smells like a classic setup.” Instead of taking the mark to the promised location, the journey would end in an ambush.
“Indeed. However, from his comments, I think Owen may have tried to erase his memories, which is why he needed his brother to find the location again.”
“Still might be a setup.”
He smiled. “There will be four of us.”
“And if it’s a trap, we’ll be facing three magicians.” I flung the blankets off and dug through my pack. “Make sure all your darts are filled with Curare.”
“Yes, sir.”
We dressed and met Janco and Onora for a fast breakfast. The man joined us at the stables. He was in his forties, broad-shouldered and good-natured despite the tension. He introduced himself as Tex. I checked that his shadow matched his physique, ruling out a magical disguise. A short sword hung from his waist, but he might have other weapons tucked in his clothes or boots. I drew my cloak tighter around my shoulders. Or rather, Reema’s cloak. We had switched garments when I’d sent her to Ixia and out of danger.
Tex’s brother was named Jax—a thick, muscled man the size of Ari, whose shadow also matched. A rolled-up horse whip was tied to Jax’s belt. Janco eyed the whip with trepidation, rubbing his arms.
Valek introduced us. He used Janco’s and Onora’s real names, but changed mine to Elliona and referred to himself as Ilom. The men brought their own horses. Jax mounted a beefy gray quarter horse, and Tex rode a dark brown stallion.
Tex gazed at Kiki. “Is that one of those Sandseed horses?”
No sense lying. “Yes.”
“Is it true they can go twice as fast as a normal horse?”
“Only when they’re in the Avibian Plains, otherwise, no.”
“Huh? I thought no one can go into the plains without getting lost.”
“That’s true, but if you’re riding a Sandseed horse, they never get lost.”
“That’s handy,” Tex said.
We discussed horses as Tex and his brother led us south. From the way Janco scanned our surroundings, I knew he was searching for any magical traces. Valek remained quiet, content to let me chat with the brothers. Onora appeared to be bored, but the stiffness in her movements said otherwise. She also kept well away from Jax and I wondered if the man who had assaulted her had been his size.
As Tex had said, he couldn’t quite remember the route through the farmlands and forest. At one point, Tex and Jax argued on the right direction. I asked him how they’d found the place before.
“We’ve been working the river,” Tex said. “Loading and unloading the barges. Last season, a man hired us to transport these bundles of vines from this glass house you’re so interested in to the river. I don’t remember picking them up, but Jax does—that house really intrigued him. Apparently we did one trip. I collected the payment, but the man didn’t pay enough, so we quit. I guess.”
“Do you remember what the man looked like?” Valek asked.
“No. And Jax never met him, so, like I said, I don’t remember much. It sounds crazy, I know.”