Night Study (23 page)

A magician was probably listening or monitoring us in some way. Lovely.

“Everything gives you the creeps,” Ari said, but he didn’t sound as exasperated as usual.

“Not everything. There are a few things that don’t bother me.”

“What about you, Yelena?” Ari asked.

They had switched to talking in code. I replayed their comments in my mind, teasing out the true meaning. Ari was about to ask if we had a set of lock picks and from Janco’s recent comment, I guessed he did.

“There are a couple things that give me the willies, but being locked in a cell isn’t one,” I said. In other words, yes, I had two sets of lock picks on me, but we should stay put. I’d hoped to convince the Council of our innocence, and escaping would be a guilty action.

“Do you think we’ll have visitors?” Ari asked.

“I’m sure Master Magician Irys will stop by in the morning to explain what’s going on.”

“As long as that annoying little bloodsucker doesn’t show up, I’ll be happy,” Janco said.

He referred to The Mosquito, an assassin who’d been hired to kill me. I’d also be happy to never encounter him again. “We’ve only just arrived. It’s doubtful he knows we’re here.”

“News spreads fast.” Concern laced Ari’s voice.

“We won’t be here long,” I tried to assure him.

“Have you been in here before?” Janco asked.

“Yes, to visit Opal when the Council was worried about her glass-siphoning powers.” Which meant I knew the layout of the cells and building. “She scared them and they kept her well guarded.”

“Do we scare them?” Ari asked.

“Not as much.” It’d be difficult to break out, but not impossible. However, I hoped to avoid the necessity of escaping. “Just let me do all the talking.”

Ari’s deep laugh echoed on the stone walls. “Good luck with that.”

* * *

As I predicted, Irys arrived with our breakfast. My appetite disappeared when her harsh demeanor failed to soften after the guards left. She stood on the other side of the bars and studied me. Deep lines of worry scoured her forehead and dark circles ringed her emerald-colored eyes. Wearing her official purple silk magician’s robe, she had pulled her long once-black-but-now-painted-with-gray hair into a neat bun.

“Yelena, why didn’t you message me you were coming?” she finally asked.

“I didn’t have time.” I tapped my ear and gave her a questioning look.

“No one can hear us. I’ve made certain of that. Now will you tell me the real reason you tried to sneak into the Citadel last night?”

“I wasn’t sneaking. I just wanted to avoid a confrontation with the Council before I had a chance to talk to you.”

“I see. And how did that work out for you?”

“Wowzers,” Janco said in awe. “That’s some impressive sarcasm!”

“Zip it, Janco,” Ari growled.

“Yes, I realize I made a big mistake,” I said. “But Owen Moon is in Ixia, and we need help.”

“You mean like the help I needed to convince the Sitian Council of a few impossible things, like Owen being alive despite the Commander’s assurance to the contrary, and that the Commander funded an illegal Curare manufacturing facility in Sitia and now has barrels of the drug at his disposal? Like the help I could have used to explain why our Liaison headed to Ixia along with every person who could have enlightened the Council about what had happened in Lapeer? That type of help?”

Her words cut right through me. And the fact they were true gave them a sharper edge. Red-hot guilt welled from the wounds. “I’m sorry, Irys. After the encounter with Owen I...” I tucked my tail between my legs and bolted, yipping in fear. “I felt safer with Valek. I’m sorry I didn’t return sooner.”

Her anger lessened. “And I must also apologize. The last three weeks have been a nightmare.”

No kidding. The formidable Master Magician appeared as if she stood on a crumbling foundation. “Aside from the obvious problems with the Council, what’s wrong?” I asked.

“While the Council has been debating how to respond to the Commander’s allegedly bold moves with Curare and Owen, the antimagician sentiment, which had been simmering in the background for the past couple of seasons, has now boiled over. Councilor Jewelrose has proposed a new system of keeping track of magicians and overseeing what they can and can’t do and when. It’s similar to a military structure, but more restrictive.” Agitated, Irys paced. “The Councilor claims magicians are dangerous and that we need to be regulated and controlled by the Council.”

I glanced at Janco through the bars. If anyone would be happy about keeping a leash on magicians, it would be him. He mouthed,
Too easy.

Irys continued, “Bain and I and a few other Councilors had enough votes to veto the idea, but...” She stopped. “However, I’m pretty sure another group has decided to implement it. I’ve been hearing rumors about a cartel.”

My relief over the veto disappeared in a heartbeat. “What do you mean?”

She yanked at the sleeves of her robe and smoothed the fabric. I’d known her for eight years and recognized her delay tactic.

“It must be bad,” I said.

Lifting her gaze, she met mine. “In the last six weeks, four magicians have been assassinated, and twelve are missing.”

The horror of her words hit me with such force that I groped for the bed as my legs lost the strength to hold me up.

“Assassinated how?” Ari asked her.

“Puncture wound to the jugular. We suspect The Mosquito. But the assassin could be using his signature move in order to throw us off.”

“Where are the attacks happening?”

“All over Sitia. There’s no pattern that we can discern.”

I shot to my feet in terror. “Leif?”

“He’s fine. I communicated with him two days ago. He’s on his way to the Citadel.” She relayed Leif’s information about my father’s discoveries and Owen’s whereabouts. “Leif planned to recruit a rescue party to save you from Owen, Yelena.” Irys laughed. It was a dry, humorless sound. “I never thought I’d
ever
say this, but our magicians might be safer in Ixia.”

“Only if they join Owen,” Janco said. “Probably not a bad idea, since he’s gonna be our Overlord.”

“Your faith is heartwarming,” Ari said drily. “Have there been any incidents inside the Citadel, Second Magician?”

“No. And we have sent messages to all our magicians, ordering them back to the Keep.”

“That could be exactly what this group
wants
you to do,” I said. What was that old cliché...something about fish in a barrel?

“But with the Keep’s thick walls and towers, it is almost impenetrable. Not to mention the increase in magicians. Surely they wouldn’t attack us there.” Her tone failed to match her confident words.

“Who says they’re gonna let them
get
there?” Janco asked. “If it was me, I’d set up ambushes on all the major roads to the Citadel and pick them off one by one.”

Irys pressed a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes as if enduring a wave of pain.

“Real nice, Janco,” Ari muttered.

“What’d I say?”

“You need to warn all of them of the possibility of an ambush,” I said to Irys. The desire to add
Leif first, please
pushed up my throat.

Her eyes snapped open. “Of course. I’ll do it right away.”

“You mean you’ll do it after letting us out of here, right?” Janco asked with a hopeful tone.

“I can’t. The Council wishes to interrogate you regarding the incident in Lapeer.”

“If they just wanted information, why charge us with treason and sign an arrest warrant?” I asked.

“Your actions right after looked suspicious, and when you add in your attempt to sneak into the Citadel with two known Ixian spies...let’s just say they’re not taking any chances. Not with magicians being assassinated.”

Janco huffed. “If we were here on official Ixian business, you wouldn’t have caught us.”

“Not helping,” Ari said.

“Will they drop the charges after I explain what happened?” I asked Irys.

“At this point, I’ve no idea.”

Lovely. “Then what should we do?”

“Talk to the Council. Then escape as soon as you can. It’s not safe here.”

17

VALEK

V
alek considered Hedda’s question. Up until five minutes ago, both he and the Commander had been under the impression that Onora had killed Hedda when she refused to name the client who’d paid for a hit on the Commander.

He scanned her office. Spartan and neat—just like when he’d been a student here, she kept her personal effects in a hidden apartment. But nicks marked the furniture, a chair arm had broken off and bald spots littered the area rug. Despite the uniform requirement for all Ixian citizens, Hedda wore a faded gray-green mottled tunic and pants. Patches dotted the threadbare fabric.

Remaining behind her desk, Hedda clutched her knife. Her informant from the garrison sidled next to her. The young pup brandished a sharp dagger. Valek would have been impressed if the man’s arm wasn’t shaking.

“If the Commander sent me, Hedda, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” he said, showing her his empty hands.

She didn’t relax. “Then why are you here?”

“I followed your man, hoping he planned to warn the Storm Thieves about my presence.”

“I didn’t
see
him,” the man said in his defense.

“Of course you wouldn’t, you idiot. Valek was my best student. The only person to come close is Onora.” Hedda’s frown deepened as she gazed at Valek. “You killed her.” It wasn’t a question.

“Actually, no. Do you still keep a bottle of blackberry brandy in your desk?”

Hedda’s knife disappeared. “I do.”

Valek turned to the idiot. “Report back to the garrison before you’re missed.”

“Yes, sir.” The man paused in the doorway. “Sir, are you...?”

“Going to discipline you?”

He nodded, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.

“Let me guess. You’ve been exchanging information for instruction from Hedda, right?”

His grip on the knob tightened in surprise. “Yes, sir.”

“Do you wish to become an assassin?”

“Oh, no, sir. I just wanted to improve my skills. The garrison’s master of arms is...old, sir.”

“I’m not about to punish ambition, but I suggest you work on spotting a tail.”

“Yes, sir.” He bolted.

Hedda settled behind her desk and produced a bottle of brandy. She poured the deep red liquid into two glasses as Valek sat in the chair facing her.

“You’ve changed,” Hedda said, handing him a glass.

“Oh?”

“The old Valek would have made him suffer for a few days, waiting to find out if you’d inform his commanding officer or leave him one of your infamous black statues.” She downed her drink in one gulp, then poured herself another. “The old Valek would have killed Onora for getting so close to the Commander.”

“I’ll admit, I was tempted to get rid of my competition, but she’s proven to be quite the puzzle. And you know me and puzzles. That hasn’t changed.”

“Good to know.” Hedda sipped from her drink.

“And while I’m truly glad you’re alive, I’m wondering why Onora informed us of your unfortunate demise.”

“I’ve no idea.”

“No?” Valek swept his arm out, indicating the shabby room. “Perhaps it’s because there wasn’t a client. You probably haven’t had a client since the takeover. And after years of resentment, you finally had a student you could send after the Commander. And what better time than when I was in Sitia.”

“You always did have such an active imagination, King Killer.”

“Then how about this? When the Commander ordered her to murder this...er...shall we say
mystery client
, she returned. But Onora couldn’t kill you. You took her in after she’d been abused, taught her to fight, to stand up for herself, to no longer be afraid. Instead, she reports your death and you agree to go into hiding.” He drank his brandy, savoring the burn of the spicy blackberry flavor.

She raised her glass. “That was an entertaining tale, but you of all people should know I don’t ever divulge the names of my clients.”

“But you are training new assassins, even though you’ve claimed to have closed the school and retired.”

Pressing her lips together, she gave him a shrewd look. “I have to keep my skills sharp.”

That was more information than he’d expected. “And if I sent you a promising student or two in the future, would you turn him or her away?”

Surprise flashed in her light green eyes. “No.”

“Then I’ll add you to my payroll.”

“What about the Commander?”

“I’ll handle the Commander.”

“Are you going to report me?”

“No need.”

“You
have
changed.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “For the better?”

“I think that your blind loyalty to the Commander is no longer so...blind. And I think the change is due to your heart mate.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He finished his drink.

Swirling the liquid around her glass, she stared at it. After a few moments, she met his gaze.

“Since we have an agreement, you should know your story has one error,” Hedda said.

“Really?”

“Remember how I helped you find the men who murdered your brothers, but I never sent you after the King as you desired?”

At the time, he’d been making her too much money assassinating targets for
paying
clients, and she believed he’d be caught trying to get close to the King and executed. “Yes. What’s this—”

“I also didn’t send Onora after the Commander.”

Valek kept his expression neutral as his thoughts whirled. He didn’t like what they dragged to the surface. Straightening in his chair, he leaned forward. “You’re saying
Onora
wanted the Commander dead?”

“Yes.”

And you’ve left Onora with the Commander, you idiot
. His heart thumped. But he ignored the panic. Onora had had multiple opportunities to kill the Commander. Plus, she wore his mark, given when she’d sworn to be loyal.

“I found it quite interesting that she changed her mind and chose not to kill me, even though I was the only one who knew her true mission,” Hedda said.