Night Study (11 page)

“Yes, sir,” Valek said.

They left and closed the door. Valek remained in the hallway, considering his next move.

“Magic?” Onora asked him with concern.

“Not that I felt.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“Everything.”

* * *

Valek sent Onora to help with the horses and to instruct Janco to complete a perimeter check of the castle, including the barracks, stables, kennels and training areas, seeking magic. If Owen was here, he’d be hiding behind one of Rika’s illusions. Valek concentrated on all the interior rooms and halls inside the castle. The odd-shaped structure had more hidden places than a labyrinth. Starting in the dungeon and working his way up, he searched for a stickiness in the air that meant magic was in use.

The air remained clear until Valek encountered a brief touch near the rooms reserved for his officers. He followed the tackiness down the hallway. One lantern remained lit, casting a sickly yellow glow on the gray stone walls. A door jerked open, and Valek yanked his knives from their sheaths.

Ari’s six-foot-four-inch frame filled the threshold. He brandished a long dagger, but relaxed when he spotted Valek. “I’ll be damned. You were right.”

“I was right about what?” Valek asked.

“Not you.” Ari stepped aside. “Reema. She said you were creeping around.”

Reema poked her head out from behind Ari. Her blond corkscrew curls fanned her face like a lion’s mane. That explained the magic. While no one, not even Master Magician Irys, could pick up on Reema’s magic, both Valek and Opal suspected she used it. But it didn’t explain the strength. Before, Valek had to be standing right next to her in order to sense her power. That puzzle would have to wait.

“I wasn’t creeping. I’m checking for intruders,” Valek said.

Ari straightened. “What can I do?”

“Stay with Reema.”

The big man pressed his lips together, but kept quiet.

“Are the others back, as well?” Reema asked. “My dad and Janco?”

“Janco and your aunt Yelena are with the horses.” Valek crouched down to her level. “Your father didn’t come. He’s in Sitia with your uncle Leif. You’ll have to stay here a little longer.”

“Oh.” She stared at him a moment. “Does that mean the bad men who are after Aunt Yelena haven’t been caught?”

Valek glanced at Ari.

“I didn’t tell her,” he said.

She huffed. “I’m not stupid.”

No, she wasn’t. “Yes. And you’re safe here. That’s why your father wants you to remain with us.” Valek hoped.

“Can I see Aunt Yelena?”

“Tomorrow. Right now you need to get back to sleep.” Valek followed her into Ari and Janco’s quarters, which included two bedrooms and a large living area with couches, armchairs, tables and desks. No need to guess that the one overflowing with papers, books and files was Janco’s.

Ari’s bedroom door stood ajar and Reema headed toward it. Valek turned to Ari, questioning.

“You ordered me not to let her out of my sight,” Ari said. “I brought in another bed for her.”

“Good. Has there been anything strange going on?”

Ari ran a meaty hand over his short, curly blond hair. “You mean other than tonight? No. Why?”

“Just checking.”

“Come on, Valek, it’s me. What’s going on?”

“Not now. We’ll have a briefing in my office in the afternoon.”

“That gives Janco time to tell me all about it from his...unique perspective. Are you sure you want to risk it?”

Valek smiled. “He’ll be too tired to tell stories.”

Ari laughed. “Janco is never too tired to tell stories.”

* * *

Valek finished his search of the castle. Not wishing to disturb the advisers and high-ranking officers sleeping, he didn’t check inside the rooms. All was quiet in the guest wing, but he touched each door just in case. None of them were sticky with magic. Valek continued ghosting through the hallways, but encountered nothing alarming.

Janco waited for him outside his office. The poor guy sat on the floor, leaning against the hard wooden door, sleeping. Valek nudged him awake with the toe of his boot.

Janco jerked and grabbed the hilt of his sword. “What? Oh.” He released his grip and shuffled to his feet.

“Did you find anything?” Valek asked.

“No. No illusions or creepy-crawly magic.” He stretched his arms above his head while yawning. “None of the guards saw anything strange or heard voices. Though there was something I wish I didn’t see.” Janco rubbed his eyes. “Sergeant Falice hooking up with Sergeant Dallin behind the barracks. Yuck.”

“Get some sleep. We’re meeting here this afternoon.”

“Yes, sir.” Janco wobbled away.

Valek glanced out the window at the end of the hallway. About one hour until dawn. He headed to his suite across the hall from the Commander’s. Private Berk remained on duty.

“Liaison Yelena is waiting for you inside, sir,” Berk said.

“Thank you.” Valek entered and closed the door behind him.

Yelena had lit the lanterns ringing the main living area. She’d sprawled on the couch and was fast asleep. He picked her up. She hardly weighed anything. As he carried her upstairs to his bedroom, she muttered a few indecipherable words. Yelena roused a bit when he laid her on the bed.

“Did you...?”

“Sleep, love. We found no signs of Owen.”

She patted the space next to her.

“Wish I could.” He pulled the blanket over her as he told her about the afternoon meeting. “I’ll have the kitchen staff send up a late breakfast for you. I want you to eat it all. Understand?”

“Yes, love.”

“That’s my line. You’ll have to think of something else.” He kissed her and left.

Exhaustion dragged on his body like a sopping-wet cloak. Valek stopped at the kitchen for a few bites to eat and to order the tray for Yelena. Sammy, the head chef, promised to send her a huge stack of sweet cakes.

The combination of the food and a cold shower revived him. Dressing in a clean uniform, Valek combed his hair. The wet strands hung past his shoulders. Valek tied it at the base of his neck with a leather string. The Commander had stopped remarking on the length when Valek explained that he might need to go undercover as a female. Since playing Valma, the beautician, had gotten Valek close enough to assassinate the King, the Commander didn’t insist Valek buzz it close to his head like all his other male officers and advisers.

Valek arrived outside the Commander’s war room just as the sun rose. No surprise the Commander had beaten him there. The man never slept more than five or six hours a night. The two guards nodded at him, but remained silent.

Bracing for the inevitable argument, Valek knocked and entered.

The Commander sat at the head of the large wooden conference table, eating breakfast. His uniform had two real diamonds secured to the collar. Not a wrinkle or crease rumpled his clothing.

A wedge of strengthening sunlight shone through the stained-glass windows that faced east. Colors splashed on the ceiling. The tall, thin windows covered three-quarters of the round room—the Commander’s favorite place.

Valek stood at attention.

“Sit down.” The Commander gestured to a chair a few places down the table on the left. “Report.”

Perched on the edge of the hard wood, Valek detailed the mission to stop the smugglers, including his detour to Sitia after he’d learned from Maren about another tunnel north of Lapeer. He ended with Owen crossing into Ixia. “And I believe he’s headed this way, although we’ve seen no signs of him.”

The Commander’s gaze grew distant. Valek kept quiet. He’d learned to let the man absorb all the information. Questions were only a matter of time. After that, Valek had many of his own.

“Why do you assume Owen is coming to harm me? If he claims to have something better against magicians than Curare, wouldn’t you think I’d be interested?”

A cold brush of dread swept through Valek. “Owen’s a power-hungry magician who can’t be trusted. He can erase memories and implant new ones. It’s...insane to let him close to you. With that type of magic, he can influence your decisions. He can make you give up command and appoint him as your successor. Owen is the embodiment of all the reasons you hate magicians.”

There was no reaction to Valek’s outburst. Instead he said, “The magic detector Opal gifted to me, that—”

“Won’t provide protection. It just lets you know there’s magic in use.”

Annoyance flashed in the Commander’s golden gaze. He hated to be interrupted. “I know. And I’m also aware that a null shield provides the necessary protection, which is why I have a null shield woven into all my uniforms.”

That surprised Valek. “How? When?”

“Yelena’s brother provided the protection for me. I asked him to keep it a secret. And, guessing from your expression, Leif hasn’t informed his sister.”

Ah. There it was. “Yelena and I do not share classified information.”

No response.

“You know I wouldn’t jeopardize your safety. I’m thrilled you’re protected. I would have suggested it, but I believed you wouldn’t be...comfortable with magic that close to you.”

The Commander brushed his hand along the sleeve of his uniform. “These are dangerous times.”

“Indeed.” And it was about to get downright perilous for Valek. He drew in a steadying breath. “Which is why I need to know
everything
. Why didn’t you inform me about your...arrangement with Owen Moon and the Curare?”

“Why did you disobey a direct order?” the Commander countered.

Thrown, Valek searched his memory. “What order?”

“The one not to get involved with Ben Moon’s escape. You were heading to Sitia to help Yelena before you ran into Maren.”

“How—”

“It doesn’t matter how I learned of this. What matters is you failed to inform me of your change in plans.”

“An assassin was after Yelena.”

“That is the answer to your original question, Valek. Why didn’t I inform you about Owen? Yelena.”

“I wouldn’t—”

“You wouldn’t have told her? Truly? He’s a dangerous magician, and she’s the reason he was caught. She’s the reason his brother went to prison. You wouldn’t have warned her?”

Now Valek didn’t have an answer.

“Your loyalties are divided.”

“Yes. They are. But I passed all your tests. I returned even after Yelena was shot with Onora’s bolt. I found and shut down the smuggling operation as ordered. It wouldn’t have been as successful if I hadn’t taken that detour to aid Yelena.”

“You had no way of knowing that before you left. And Owen still managed to escape.”

Valek bit down on his first retort. If he’d known about Owen in the first place, this whole smuggling mess never would have happened. “You used to trust my judgment.”

Commander Ambrose leaned back in his chair. “I did.”

“What changed? Was it because I didn’t tell you that I can be trapped by a simple null shield?”

“No. Everything changed the night an assassin crept through my window.”

“Onora?”

“Yes.”

But he’d been there with the Commander. Unless... Onora had said she’d been working with him for six months. “You mean the
first
time she arrived? Not the second time, when I was there, which was just another one of your tests.”

“Yes. The first time played out almost identical to the second. But instead of you fighting her, I recruited her just like I had with you.”

She had the C-shaped scar to prove it. Just like his. “It scared you.”

“Damn right, it scared me. The fact that she could get in so easily and you were in Sitia, helping Yelena. Helping the Sitian Council. Helping your friends solve puzzles while I was in real danger.”

Not quite accurate, but Valek knew not to contradict him. “All sanctioned by you. You know if these people gain power in Sitia, it’s only a matter of time before they set their sights on Ixia.”

“That is no longer a concern of mine. I’ve decided that there will be no more helping Sitia with their difficulties. You’re staying in Ixia and dealing with Ixian problems. If Sitia has a revolt and the victors attack us, then we will defend ourselves at that time. My army is quite capable, and it will give all those young hotheads something to do. As of now, you no longer have the freedom to assign agents and go off on missions as you see fit. You must clear everything with me first. Understand?”

The Commander’s words sliced into Valek as if he’d been stabbed with a knife. In all their years together and throughout all their fights, Commander Ambrose had never spoken to Valek in that tone. Had Owen manipulated him four years ago when the magician bargained for his life, promising the Commander Curare in exchange? It depended on when Leif had woven the null shields for him.

Unable to remain sitting, Valek stood. “I understand that you no longer trust me.”

“You need to earn my trust again. I need to know that when I give an order, you will follow it without question.”

Fear coiled around Valek’s chest. The Commander had never wished for him to be a mindless soldier. “Questioning your orders has been the heart of our relationship. The ability to discuss issues and determine the best way to handle them has been beneficial. It’s why I’m one of your advisers. You’ll ruin—”

In a heartbeat, the Commander shot to his feet and advanced on him. Valek remained in place, even when Commander Ambrose drew his knife and pressed the tip to Valek’s chest. Fury radiated in every one of the Commander’s clenched muscles. Valek had pushed too far.

“You’ve forgotten your place, Valek. You’re mine. Live or die,
I
decide.”

The Commander cut his shirt open, then traced the twenty-four-year-old C-shaped scar on Valek’s chest with the knife. Burning pain seared his skin as the razor-sharp tip sliced through his flesh with ease, but Valek refused to utter a sound.

“Do you remember what you pledged to me in that alley long ago?” he asked Valek.

“My loyalty.”

“Correct. See that you don’t break my trust again.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good.”

Valek stared straight ahead. “Your orders regarding Owen Moon, sir?”

“You are to leave him and his companions alone. No more investigating. No more interference in his affairs. Owen is my guest and is staying in the guest quarters. He works for me and will continue to do so until I say otherwise. Understand?”