“Valek.” She’d had enough.
He considered. “How about Vincent? After my brother.” Grief bloomed in his chest for a moment. Valek and Vincent had gotten into a lot of trouble as boys.
Yelena squeezed his hand. “It’s perfect.”
“But we both know the baby’s a girl,” he said.
“We do?”
“Yes, we do. What should we name her? Sweetie Pie?”
She elbowed him. “How about Daddy’s Little Girl?”
“I like that.”
“Figures.”
He chuckled, but then thought of their future daughter. She’d be beautiful and strong and smart and stubborn, just like her mother. No doubt about that. “How about Liana?” It was Yelena’s middle name, but it also meant vine. “She’s already wrapped around both our hearts.”
“That’s lovely.”
*
Morning arrived far too soon. The garrison teams prepared to leave, and the Citadel team gave them a hand with packing. After saying goodbye and good luck to everyone, Valek kissed Yelena.
He refused to say goodbye to his wife. Instead he said, “I will see you in a few weeks.”
“You’d better.”
Swooping in for another kiss, he cupped her cheek. “Yes, sir.”
Valek mounted Onyx. They headed northwest. The Commander’s castle was about a three-day ride north, but Valek planned to approach it from the west. He found a stable for Onyx a few miles south of the Ixian border. The horse would draw too much attention and be hard to hide from the Ixian patrols. Realizing that the vial of his blood would likely be safer here than with him in Ixia, Valek hid it in Onyx’s saddle. He then packed a small bag and slung it over his shoulders.
When he reached the border, he expected an increase in the number of patrols guarding the edge of the Snake Forest. What he didn’t expect was the sheer number of soldiers in the forest. He suspected the Commander—or rather, Owen—planned to have the army in position well before the fire festival. But did that mean they would strike sooner? He hoped not, or all their plans would be ruined.
With so many bodies to avoid, Valek needed to use his magic to enter Ixia undetected and to steal a patrolman uniform. He arrived in Castletown late on the fourth night. Ghosting along the quiet streets, he kept to the shadows. When he neared the safe house on Pennwood Street, he slowed. The place appeared empty, but he extended his magic to search the rooms, just in case. The good news—no ambush waited for him. The bad news—no one else was inside.
Valek waited until late, hoping his agents would return. When it was obvious they weren’t coming back, he debated his next move. His agents might have left a message for him, explaining their whereabouts. Or there could be a magical alarm set to go off if he entered the building. Not willing to take any chances, Valek searched for another place to lie low.
He found an empty house that had seen better days. Wedged between two others, the narrow three-story building was one strong windstorm away from collapse. Cracks scarred the stone foundation, and the wooden beams sagged. The smell of mold permeated every empty room, and a hole in the roof allowed entrance to a variety of birds that nested on the top floor. Valek set up his bedroll in the only dry corner on the ground floor.
The next day, Valek poked around the town, hoping to get a sense of what had been going on in his absence. He noticed the population of the town had dwindled, and the mood was glum, despite the warm sunshine. Also, it was the first day of the hot season, which meant the fire festival was only a month away. There were only two festivals celebrated in Ixia, and both were always highly anticipated.
Valek widened his explorations and discovered the source of their...discomfort. Soldiers filled the festival field outside Castletown. Instead of brightly colored tents, rows of camouflaged military bivouacs lined the ground. He worried that this meant they planned to march sooner. Valek needed a way to confirm their intentions. Perhaps he could mingle with the soldiers in the mess tent? Too risky. What else?
He almost groaned aloud. He could target an officer and read the person’s thoughts. Valek wondered when using his magic would become second nature.