“How are you going to communicate with him without the Cartel finding out?”
She peered up at him. “One of his loyal crew will get a message to a member of Fisk’s guild.”
Not the best situation, but there weren’t any other options. “Too bad we don’t have any glass messengers.”
“That might give us away. The Cartel has a group of loyal magicians who have not been ingesting the Theobroma. The drug makes it too hard for them to concentrate. So they’re seeking others who are using magic, and they’ve been using those glass super messengers to communicate between the garrisons.”
Another bit of unwelcome news. If the resistance tried anything at one garrison, all the others would be notified right away.
“What else did you have planned for Cahil?” she asked.
“I hoped he could wake the other military leaders and then the Councilors.”
“That would be impossible for him to do without tipping the Cartel off.” She explained about the frequent null shield sweeps.
He almost growled in frustration. “We need an...anti-Theobroma. A substance that works faster.”
“I agree. Something that works as quickly as Curare would be ideal.”
“Now you’re dreaming, love. I’d be happy with something that shortens the time to mere days instead of a week.”
But her brows crinkled in thought, and she was no longer listening to him. He kept quiet, letting her mull over whatever it was that had snagged her attention. Content to hold her close, he relaxed for the first time in ten long days. She had forgiven him, and right now, that was all that mattered.
“My father mentioned that there were a number of hybrid plants in Owen’s glass hothouse. One is a Curare that is resistant to Theobroma. And I read through Bavol’s notes. He was working with Owen’s Master Gardener, and they experimented with crossbreeding a number of different plants. Maybe they discovered something that could help us make an anti-Theobroma.” Yelena told him about Bavol’s secret glass hothouse in the Avibian Plains. “Fisk and I had stolen the address of the farm where the glassmaker delivered the sheets, but I never made it back to HQ to follow up.”
“Once we rescue your father and find Leif, checking that glass house would be the next logical step. Maybe there will be Harman trees there, as well.”
“A logical step for them. I need to return to the Citadel and figure out who the Master Gardener is.”
He tightened his grip. “We need to. There’s still the bounty on your head.”
She was quiet for a while. “My father will need extra protection. Onora can go with them. You obviously trust her.”
“I do, and I need to tell you why.”
“Oh?”
“You remember that fight on the rooftop Cahil mentioned?”
“It was real. I know. Onora told me all about it.”
“I’m surprised she confided in you.”
“Me, too. But she said friends shouldn’t keep secrets from each other.”
“She’s making progress.”
“She is. And so are you.”
“Because I apologized?”
“No. Because you healed your injuries with your magic. You have control of your power. Now you need to learn the extent of your abilities and start using them. We wouldn’t have gotten the drop on you today if you had.”
She had a point. “All right. When we return to the Citadel, I’ll search for a teacher.”
“A Master Magician would be ideal, but since Bain and Irys are occupied, Teegan is the next best choice. And he should be back from the coast by now.”
“He’s fourteen.”
“He has master-level powers and has been training with Irys for a year.”
“He’s fourteen.”
“Valek.” She used that tone. The don’t-be-a-bigger-idiot-than-you’re-being-right-now tone.
He sighed. “All right.”
She rose onto her tiptoes and kissed him. A jolt of desire swept all his other emotions away. He deepened the kiss.
When they broke apart, he said, “Let’s find a more private location.”
Yelena linked her hands behind his neck. “Because of the horses?”
“No. The assassin in the trees.”
She dropped her arms and stepped away. “Is Onora—”
“Not close enough to overhear us, but keeping an eye on us.”
“Why?”
“Like all of your friends, she’s become protective of you. And I suspect she wanted to ensure I apologized properly.”
“Nice of her.”
“Uh-huh. Now give her a wave so I can drag you deeper into the woods and ravish you.”
A gleam shone in her eyes. “Those that say romance is dead haven’t met you.”
“That’s right. They don’t call me Mr. Romance for nothing.” He swept her up in his arms and carried her to a nice spot far away from the campsite. Then he proceeded to follow through on his promise.