Kade still stared at me as if I were a walking disease. “There’s a guard tower on the other side of the village. It’s well warded. We’ll put her there, talk to her for a bit, and then…Let her go.”
I know what Kade really means. “You still plan to interrogate and kill me.”
Rowan frowned. “You knew me and Kade on sight. Our identities are closely guarded outside the Caster community. You’re definitely a spy, which means you realized the threat of being captured, and yet you walked right into my festival.”
“I’m not a spy, unlike some.” I gave him glare for glare. When it was needed, Rowan was a skilled spymaster for his people. “All I want to do is speak with Jicho and leave, but without being tortured, questioned, or killed. Give me your word that you will do this, and I’ll go to your tower without causing trouble.”
“How do I know I can trust you, Necromancer?” He stared pointedly at my left hand.
“Because I already know I can trust you. You’re a man of your word. Plus, I know you won’t believe this, but I’m your mate.” My voice cracked as I said the word mate.
Amelia shook her head. “Perhaps she’s gone insane, poor thing.”
Rowan still stared at me, but the tension was gone from his neck. I was starting to make him wonder. “Fine. You have my word that you’ll be safe and unharmed. But you will go to the tower without trouble. One misstep and our deal will become forfeit.”
“Agreed.” I didn’t add that no matter what wards Kade thought were in that tower, I could probably break through them easily.
“And you.” Rowan turned to Jicho. “If I catch you anywhere near this spy, I’ll lock you up in the Seer temple for a week. I mean it.”
Jicho folded his skinny arms over his thin chest. “You’re terrible.”
A stricken look crossed Rowan’s face. It was too fast for others to catch, but I knew my mate. I focused on Jicho. “Don’t be too hard on your brother. He only wants to protect you.”
Kade’s mouth twisted into a sneer. “We better be careful with this one. She’s a born manipulator.”
Rowan’s gaze locked with mine. “This one… She’s…” Something in his eyes softened. Was our mate bond still in place? Did he still feel something for me?
I couldn’t help the note of hope in my voice. “Yes? I’m what?”
The gentle look on Rowan’s face melted into a scowl. “You’re nothing to me. Take her to the tower. The one in the northwest quadrant.”
“Northwest?” asked Kade.
“That’s what I ordered,” replied Rowan. “And be sure she has no missteps along the way.”
A light of understanding flashed in Kade’s eyes. “As you command.”
My thoughts ran through everything they’d said. There was some plot afoot about locking me in this particular tower.
Good fortune with that plan. I was still a Grand Mistress Necromancer, and I would escape.
Kade and another half dozen guards stepped forward and walked me toward one of the towers on the outskirts of the village. Sure enough, the wards grew stronger as we approached the structure, but even so, these spells were minor. I’d broken through far worse wards with ease. I could do the same here.
Kade led me up the winding tower steps, opened a small wooden door, and gestured for me to walk inside. I stepped into the small round chamber. It held little more than a pallet stuffed with straw.
“Prepare to stay here for some time,” said Kade. “Rowan may have promised not to hurt you, but I said no such thing. You know how many Caster families were destroyed by your master’s experiments?”
I hugged my elbows. “I do. That’s why I’ve been working to get the Sword of Theodora. Viktor will attack again, and when he does, the man must die. And by getting the Sword, Mlinzi and Walinzi say I’ll learn how to save myself from the prophecy of the Martyr’s Comet. That’s even more reason to defeat Viktor.”
“What a clever manipulator you are. Don’t bother to weave your lies around me. I know the truth. You’re a spy from that fiend. It will be my pleasure to introduce you to a new level of pain.”
The speech was meant to frighten me, but it didn’t work. I planned to transport from this spot well before the sun rose. Plus, this kind of threat was merely Kade being protective and overbearing. I understood that he only wanted to keep his family safe. It made sense to try to interrogate me before leaving.
He’d learn to live with disappointment.
“I understand,” I said.
“Good.” Kade slammed the door closed and stomped away. As he moved down the steps, I heard him call out orders to the nearby guards. Evidently, I was to have a record number of warriors protecting my tower.
Now, I needed to start casting and escape. With that realization, a hollow feeling moved through my bones. I’d gotten so used to having Rowan in my life. Being without his strength and love made me feel bare.
Nothing to be done about it. If I wanted Rowan back, I needed to find the Sword of Theodora. Once I had that weapon in my possession, Rowan’s memories would return. At this point, I didn’t know which I wanted more: to protect Rowan from Viktor’s armies, or to see him look upon me with love again.
Both were essential to my soul.
Chapter Nine
The moment Kade left the room, I set about casting a spell. There was no question in my mind that Kade intended to interrogate me, and it wouldn’t be pleasant. Even so, by the time Rowan’s brother returned, I’d be long gone.
Thank you, magick.
My plan was twofold. First, I would cast a finder spell in order to discover where Nan was hiding. Second, I’d transport there. Mlinzi and Walinzi had said something about the exiled.
To find the Sword, you must seek out the exiled Necromancers.
The exiled. I suspected that was more than a random name. If my guess was right, a group of Necromancers were living outside Petra’s control. The woman was out of her mind, after all. I had to imagine some of the Necromancers were clever enough to escape her insanity.
A grand escape—that sounds like exactly the kind of thing my Nan would enjoy.
My eyes stung with emotion. I never thought I’d see Nan again. She’d died back at the Midnight Cloister, thanks to the treachery of its Mother Superior. Was Nan’s death some kind of ruse? Had the Sire of Souls stepped in to help? I couldn’t wait to find out how she’d ended up alive. In the end, it didn’t matter so long as I could see her again. The familiar lines of Nan’s face flashed in my mind: ebony skin, intelligent brown eyes, and a white-toothed smile.
How I longed to see her once more.
My body hummed with a combination of excitement and worry. This was not the moment to contemplate reunions. Kade could return at any second.
I needed to cast and quickly.
Closing my eyes, I reached out with my mage senses. The surrounding area was rich in Necromancer magick. Layers of bones lay hidden in the arid ground—these made the perfect source for my kind of power. Using all my focus, I wrapped my thoughts around the power I wished to take and tried to pull that magick into my body.