Night Study (20 page)

“She left this morning,” Ari said.

“Any problems?”

“None.”

“She
loved
her gifts,” Janco chimed in.

“What gifts?” Yelena asked.

Valek swallowed a groan as Janco listed the various weapons they’d given the girl.

“Opal’s going to kill you,” Yelena said.

“Not me,” Janco protested. “Ari bought them. I just gave her a set of lock picks.”

“Ari?” Yelena turned to him.

“Sitian knives are too flimsy. She’s going to need a quality set.”

“For what? To defend against the other eleven-year-olds in her class?” Anger turned her words sharp.

Ari hunched his shoulders. “To defend against those who would use her to get to you.”

Which was the reason Reema was at the castle in the first place. Yelena snapped her mouth shut. Then she exhaled. “You’re right. Sorry, Ari.”

“And we all know Reema’s going into the family business,” Janco said.

“Family?” Yelena rested her hand on her stomach.

Before anyone noticed her unconscious gesture, Valek tugged her hand away and laced his fingers through hers. Excitement about the baby tapped a quick tempo in his heart, but a deep bass of worry also played along. He kept his expression neutral.

“Yeah. You know...” Janco swept his arm out, indicating all of them. “Us. She’s the next generation of sneak.” He grinned with glee. “I almost feel sorry for those future criminals. They won’t know what hit them.”

“So we’re all sneaks?” Ari asked.

“Sneaks, spies, defenders, heroes, masterminds, tenacious bastards—it doesn’t matter what you call us. We’re the ones who will do whatever it takes to stop those who believe they’re entitled to wealth and power at the expense of others.”

“The family business,” Yelena said, smiling. “I like that. Well said, Janco.”

Valek squeezed her hand in agreement. For once Janco didn’t preen.

The boys packed in record time. Valek wished his admittance into the Commander’s office matched their speed. Eventually the Commander allowed him to enter and heard his request.

The chair creaked as the Commander leaned back, studying Valek. “Granted. Have them collect information on the Council before returning to Ixia.”

“Most of the Councilors will recognize them,” Valek said.

“They can still get a sense of the Council’s mood and look for signs of an invasion. Tell them to look for a possible way to get our agent inside. Perhaps one of the Councilors needs a new adviser.”

“Yes, sir.”

Relieved expressions greeted him when he exited the Commander’s office. “Did you expect him to say no?” Valek asked.

“Yes, actually,” Ari said. “He’s been giving you such a hard time since you returned from Sitia.”

“Yeah, but without us underfoot, there will be two fewer obstacles in Owen’s path,” Janco said.

Good point, but Valek wouldn’t say it aloud and risk Janco gloating. “You might be safer in Sitia.”

“Doubtful,” Janco muttered.

Yelena flicked his left earlobe with her finger.

“Ow!”

Now she shot him a sweet smile.

“Kids, behave,” Valek admonished, but inside the knot of worry for his heart mate eased just a bit. Janco and Ari would do everything in their considerable power to keep her safe.

The four of them left the castle and headed toward the stables, where Maren and Onora had been waiting for them. On the way, they picked a rendezvous location and estimated a date to meet.

“Don’t go back to the castle without me,” Valek ordered.

“Same goes for you,” she shot back.

When Maren and Onora came into view, Yelena said, “Here are two more members of our family.”

The women sat on bales of straw stacked near the entrance. Both Kiki and Onyx had been saddled, and their travel supplies were packed. Valek glanced at Maren.

She shrugged. “We were bored. Where have you been?”

He explained about the change in plans. “Onora is now in charge. The Commander wants reports twice daily.”

A subtle flinch of surprise meant Onora hadn’t expected that.

“Consult frequently with Maren,” Valek added.

“Yes, sir.”

When Ari and Janco sought the Stable Master for horses, Valek pulled Onora aside. “Keep a close eye on the Commander. As close as he’ll allow. And send me a message if anything odd or strange or bad happens. Also, if you learn of anything that will affect his or Ixia’s safety.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Did you have a nice chat with Yelena?”

Her gaze snapped to him. “Did she tell you?”

“No. The agent who had his crossbow trained on your back as you climbed the wall told me.”

“Why didn’t he shoot me?”

“He recognized you and once you reached the window, he knew you weren’t an illusion.”

She touched her arm. A small white bandage peeked from underneath her sleeve.

“Did you visit the medic?”

“It’s just a scratch.”

“Go see her right away. I treat my blades with scum. You’ll get an infection if you don’t clean the cut properly.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’m quite impressed that when you climbed to the Commander’s suite that first time you didn’t encounter any of my hidden blades.” Valek studied Onora, seeking a reaction. “And it was quite the coincidence that Sergeant Gerik was assigned to cover the wall that evening.”

Onora didn’t blink, or even breathe, for that matter.

Gotcha. Valek drove his point home. “Gerik must have recognized you, since you both grew up in Silver Falls and you joined the army at the same time. Too bad he was assigned to another unit.”

“Why didn’t you...”

“Arrest him?”

She nodded.

“And split up a highly effective team? No. You’ll need loyal people working with you if you’re going to take over my job.”

The prospect of being promoted failed to crack her serious demeanor. Perhaps she’d learned enough about his position to realize the danger and constant headaches.

Valek and Onora rejoined the others. The Stable Master had brought The Madam and a thick-chested dark brown horse with a white diamond on its forehead.

“Is it okay to send The Madam along with Kiki?” he asked Onora.

“Yes. She’ll help Janco get through his lonely nights without his beloved Beach Bunny.”

Janco made a rude gesture at her. As Ari and Janco saddled their horses, Valek warned Maren and Onora to keep away from Owen. He also reminded them of the various operations in progress. “And select an agent for the undercover job. Ari and Janco will be sending you more information.”

“Don’t worry, Dad,” Maren said. “We won’t burn the house down or invite our friends over for a brew party while you’re gone.”

“We’ll probably be at the rendezvous point before you, so message us if you need backup,” Ari said to Valek.

“Yeah, feel free to share the fun,” Janco added.

“I’ll be on the coast,” Valek replied.

“Ugh. Forget it. That’s not fun.”

“I’ll bring you back a souvenir. A bag of sand, perhaps?” he teased.

“That would be fabulous. Then I can dump it into Ari’s bed so he can experience the joy of coastal living—the unique sensation of sand in your sheets.”

“Would it help me understand why you named your horse Beach Bunny?” Ari asked.

“Shut up.”

While they finished packing their saddlebags, Valek drew Yelena away from the others. He put his hands on either side of her face and kissed her with the full depth of his love, wishing to communicate the vast extent of his passion and his desire. He’d have gladly given her his magical immunity if it were possible to keep her and their baby safe.

When they broke apart, Yelena gasped for breath. Her green eyes shone. “A few more kisses like that and I might agree to be locked in a tower.”

“Then expect many more when you return.” He traced her bottom lip with his thumb. “Hurry back, love.”

“I will.”

* * *

Mounting Onyx, Valek exchanged one last smile with Yelena, then spurred his horse forward. He’d already lost more than half the day, and he planned to be at the first travel shelter by sunset. As the distance from the castle grew, the warmth from his kiss with Yelena drained away. Dread, worry and an emptiness rushed in its place.

Instead of brooding, he concentrated on making up time. Traveling in Ixia was different than in Sitia. In the south, even small towns had inns, and the population sprawled from one city to the next. In Ixia, the farmers lived in town and walked to their fields every morning. The town borders were more defined to make it easier for security to patrol the perimeter and ensure everyone remained where they should.

Instead of inns, travel shelters had been built in Ixia when the distance between cities required travelers to stop for the night. Security patrols frequently checked them for unauthorized people. As an adviser to the Commander on horseback, he shouldn’t be questioned as much.

Valek headed northwest. As soon as he’d passed the outer wall of the castle, he was officially in MD-6. The Commander governed all of Ixia, but he directly controlled the complex and Castletown. Both were located in the southern point of MD-6, which was ruled by General Hazal.

It would take Valek approximately nine days to reach the coast of MD-1. He’d have to cross the northeastern section of MD-8 to get there. The reports about where the Storm Thieves had hit listed many of the towns along the northern section—a place Valek knew well. He’d learned the assassin arts at the School of Night and Shadows. The complex had been built on top of a cliff facing the Sunset Ocean and near the most northwestern point in MD-1. The terrain to the south smoothed into gentle dunes, allowing fishermen to trap crabs and hook sea cod. A few miles inland, farmers raised herds of bison that thrived in the colder climate.

Valek urged Onyx into a gallop as the irrational part of him tried to outrun his memories. But the vision of his father’s leather tannery rose despite his efforts to quell it. His parents’ house was near the area being targeted by the thieves. Valek had left twenty-eight years ago. The sound of his father’s voice still remained clear despite the years. He’d never forget when his parents told him never to return. They hadn’t approved of his desire to seek revenge on the men who murdered Valek’s three brothers. And Valek had honored their request and stayed away.

Of course, he’d assigned agents to watch over them and protect them if needed. But he didn’t want a detailed report. All he wished to know was that they were alive and safe. Nothing else was relevant. Details would be a painful reminder of a time he’d rather forget. And soon he’d have his own family—or rather, another addition to his eclectic family, if he agreed with Janco’s assessment.

Valek reached the shelter before the sun fully set. The bloated half disk colored the sky with orange and red streaks. A couple horse stalls with a few bales of straw and buckets for water leaned against the structure. He removed Onyx’s saddle. It weighed a ton. With only four hours of sleep in the past three days, Valek felt every pound. And when he considered everything that had happened with Yelena, the Commander and Owen, he was rattled, exhausted and overwhelmed.

While Onyx ate, Valek groomed him and filled a water bucket. When he finished, he patted his horse. “If you smell or hear anything, can you please alert me?”

Onyx bobbed his head.

“Thanks.” He fed him a peppermint.

No one else was in the shelter. Valek doubted he’d have company, since he’d only seen a few security patrols on the road. The one-room building resembled all the other rest stops in Ixia. Valek tossed his pack onto a lower bunk far from the door. The distance would give him time to react if anyone entered with ill intentions.

After a meal of sliced cheese, nuts, meat jerky and bread—typical travel rations—Valek collapsed on the narrow bed. Already he wished the mission was over. He planned to stop the thieves as quickly as possible and return to the rendezvous location just as fast. If Yelena didn’t arrive in a reasonable time, he’d go to Sitia and find her.

Not even committing treason could stop him.

* * *

After eight days of hard riding with only brief stops to rest and feed Onyx, Valek arrived at the garrison near the northern coast of MD-1 by late afternoon. He needed to check in with the local patrols in order for them to leave him alone as he conducted his investigation. Besides, a hot meal, a bathtub and a real bed sounded too good to pass up.

The guards at the gate snapped to attention and just about wet themselves when Valek told them his name. High-ranking officers were fetched and a private arrived to take charge of Onyx. Despite the private’s assurance to take good care of his horse, Valek followed the young man to the stables to ensure Onyx received the proper attention.

Pausing at the entrance, Valek remembered the first time he’d arrived at this stable twenty-six years ago. He had reported to work minutes late, and the Stable Master had boxed his ear. It had been his first undercover operation, and he learned so much working as a stable boy. Back then, the King ruled Ixia, and all the officers had horses, so he’d not only been busy, but had a perfect spot to keep track of the comings and goings of the soldiers. Best of all, he’d assassinated the three men who had murdered his brothers, and their captain. No one had suspected the stable boy, and it was many years later before the garrison learned who had killed the men.

Satisfied Onyx would be taken care of, Valek allowed the garrison’s commander, a Colonel Ransley, to escort him to his private dining room for supper. Four older officers and two younger lieutenants joined them for the meal. Most of the King’s soldiers had switched their loyalties to the Commander during the takeover. It hadn’t been hard to convince them once they learned they’d earn higher wages and receive better benefits and respect, as long as they followed the Commander’s Code of Behavior.

From the occasional scowl directed his way, Valek figured a few of the older men had been stationed here when Valek had caused such panic over the mysterious deaths.

Once they were seated around an oval-shaped table, servers poured them glasses of wine and placed plates filled with steamed cod and salted seaweed. Colonel Ransley swallowed a large mouthful of wine before asking, “What brings you to this remote corner of Ixia, Adviser Valek?”