Chapter 12

Valek didn't hesitate. He stepped closer to the cloud of light and warped his arms around it. He pulled Yelena to his chest. "Anything, love," he whispered and allowed the force, allowed Yelena, to hide inside his heart.

The pressure of magic dug into his skin, twisting, and pushing to get to Yelena. He imagined his immunity. Imagined it resembling an impenetrable wall around them, protecting them from the onslaught. He poured every bit of strength into the imaginary stones and endured the attack all the while holding his love close.

Time blurred. The room spun. The attacker was in the Magician's Keep with Yelena. They were determined and strong. Valek proved stronger, and the assault eventually stopped. Relief, love, and gratitude pulsed in his heart before Yelena faded away. Suddenly bereft, he stumbled. His legs melted underneath him, and he collapsed to the floor.

* * *

He woke hours later. His office was pitch dark. Groaning, Valek sat up. Every muscle ached as if he'd fought an entire squad and lost every match. He staggered to his feet and fumbled to light a lantern. Once lit, he rubbed his hands over his face and smelled lavender.

Yelena! Somehow, she'd appeared in his office. Had needed his help. She was in trouble! He grabbed the lantern and raced through the castle, encountering no one. The corridors had the abandoned air of late night or very early morning. The guards at the entrance to his and the Commander's apartments blinked sleepily at him.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"About four hours into our shift, sir," Dagon answered. "Replacements should be coming soon."

The Commander wouldn't be up for another two hours. Valek debated waking him. Instead, he entered his suite and packed a bag. If he rode Onyx all the way to the Sitian Citadel, he could be there in two and a half days. He grabbed his Sitian clothing, his kit of disguises, a couple extra daggers, and two sets of lock picks.

His surge of energy sputtered and died. Valek staggered to the couch. Sunrise was in an hour; he'd just rest until then.

The bright sunlight woke him. It hung high in the sky. Valek cursed. When he stood, a wave of dizziness swelled. He couldn't remember the last time he ate or drank anything. Shouldering his pack, he stopped at the kitchen for a meal and to load up on travel rations. Then he headed to the Commander's office.

"Come in," the Commander said. "Ah, Valek. Where were you last night?" He eyed the pack.

"Yelena's in trouble, I'm going to the Citadel, I'll be back as soon as I can." The words rushed out in one breath.

"Hold on. How do you know she's in trouble or even at the Citadel?"

"She…visited me. Or her magic reached me from the Magician's Keep."

"But magic doesn't?—"

"Apparently hers does."

"All right. What happened when you connected?"

"There was an attack." He explained it as best that he could. "Must have been a very powerful magician."

"Could it have been an exercise? Yelena is learning how to use her magic."

Could it? Valek considered. "No. Yelena was frightened and asked for help."

"All right. What about when the attack stopped? Was Yelena still scared?"

No. She'd been relieved and grateful. He sagged onto a chair. "I may have overreacted."

"May?" The Commander smiled. "Let's look at this logically. She's in the Magician's Keep and they're training her. They'd want her to be successful and they would protect her. Perhaps it was an exercise done during stressful, realistic, conditions, like some of our military exercises. I'm assuming by your reaction that she wasn't scared after you helped her. If she needed to be rescued, I'd think she would have let you know."

All valid points. Yet the desire to see her again—to know for sure that she was okay—thrummed in his veins.

"Plus, if she reached you once, she could do so again," the Commander continued.

True. All true. Suddenly exhausted, Valek wilted.

"I'd let you go if Star wasn't plotting something. You know she'll take advantage of your absence. Send a message to your agents in the Citadel to check on Yelena, for our peace of mind."

"Our?"

"Yes. Our."

Valek smiled. "You mean underneath all that ice you actually have a heart?"

"Surprising, I know. But it's top secret."

"As always, all your secrets are safe with me."

The Commander's gaze held weight, as if he tried to figure out what exactly Valek had meant.

Before he could question him, Valek saluted and left. He stopped in Kenda's office.

"Rough night?" she asked.

"I've had better." He explained what he needed.

"What type of information are you looking for? What she's doing? Who she's associating with? Her schedule?"

"None of those. I just need to know she's well. That no one is targeting her or harming her."

"And if there are people after her?"

Kill them all.He took a steadying breath. "Provide assistance."

"Yes, sir."

Valek returned to his suite to unpack. He considered the problem with Star. If Yelena called for help again, nothing would stop him from going to Sitia. Nothing. The Commander had made a good point about Star taking advantage— He paused as the solution to his problem materialized. Valek laughed.

* * *

"You're back," Kenda said. "The messenger just left."

"I've figured out a way to predict when Star will bolt again." Well, the Commander had.

"Do tell."

"I'll leave for a mission. She won't be able to resist the temptation."

"And this mission?"

"To wait for her to escape."

Kenda considered. "She has been practicing lock picking. The timing will have to be right, though. Too soon and she won't have the skills." She drummed her fingers on the table. "I'd give her ten days."

"What if we keep the antidote in your office? It would make sense because you'll have to give it to her while I'm gone."

"Then a week."

"All right. We can start dropping hints about my trip a few days before I supposedly leave."

"Where are you supposedly going?"

"Back to MD-5 to help General Ute with a problem."

* * *

It was business as usual for the next seven days, except for the wonderful day a message arrived that Yelena was well and appeared to be enjoying her time at the Magician's Keep. Valek rested his head in his hands as the crushing weight lifted from his shoulders, and he could finally draw a deep breath.

On the forty-seventh day of the hot season, Valek, Ari, Janco, and Maren mounted horses and headed east to MD-5. During the short ride from the castle complex, Valek learned a few things. One, Maren had never been on a horse before, and two, Janco's reflexes were far faster than Valek had expected. When Maren was bounced from her saddle, Janco managed to scoop her up before she hit the ground.

Once they were out of sight of the castle complex's wall, they turned south and looped back to the west. No doubt Star would head for Castletown. She'd need supplies and money. Valek had left a bottle of White Fright with Kenda to give Star her antidote each morning. It had enough to cover three weeks.

They took turns watching the west gate, while they camped in the Snake Forest. During the down time, Janco taught Maren how to ride a horse.

"…my heels are down, you dolt," Maren said. "My back is straight. Are you blind?"

"Grab the horse's mane if you're going to fall," Janco shouted. "It doesn't hurt the horse. I can't keep catching you. You're not light— Ow! What did you do that for?"

Valek tuned their bickering out. It was much quieter when Janco was on watch. That evening, Ari returned before the end of his shift.

"Star's on the move," Ari said. "She headed straight for Castletown like we figured. I trailed her to a house on the southern edge of town. Trevar's watching the place now."

Valek had assigned Trevar to Castletown for this exact scenario. The young man was very familiar with the city. "Is there a back entrance?"

"Not that I saw."

"All right, time to move."

While Janco and Maren took the horses to a stable in town, Valek followed Ari to the house. They joined Trevar. He'd been watching it from a shadow across the street.

Trevar gestured to the building. "That's an old smugglers' hideout." Then he pointed to a house at the end of the street, which was almost pressed up against the forest. "There's a tunnel to that house, which has a direct exit into the forest."

"Shouldn't you be there instead?" Ari asked in alarm.

"No need. Adrik is watching."

"Adrik? I don't remember assigning him to this mission," Valek said in his flat tone.

"This town is full of hidden entrances, tunnels, and fake fronts. I figured I'd need backup. And I did." He flashed Valek a grin.

"Next time, clear it with me first. If there is a next time."

Trevar's grin faded. "Yes, sir."

"Show Ari where the exit is. Then take Adrik and go to the Silver Stirrup Stables and tell Janco and Maren where we are. After that, go to the safe house."

Trevar sighed. "Yes, sir. This way, Ari. Try not to make any loud noises." Trevar moved deeper into the shadows.

Ari frowned but didn't move.

"Shouldn't you be following him?" Valek asked.

"Please. He's making enough of a racket; I know right where he is."

"That sounded like a Janco boast."

Ari grinned. "It's not boasting when it's true." Unlike Trevar, Ari melted into the shadows.

Valek focused on the building across the street. It was an unremarkable three-story structure that could pass for either a residence or a place of business. Like the others on the street, it stood alone. Lantern light peeked from the slits in the curtains on the ground floor windows, but otherwise, there wasn't any activity.

Janco suddenly appeared at Valek's elbow. "Do we need the puppy dogs on this mission?" he asked, referring to Trevar and Adrik.

"Yes. I want two watchers on each exit at all times. Besides, Trevar knew about the tunnel and back exit. He's been useful."

Janco harrumphed.

* * *

Star stayed at the house for two days before leaving with five others early on the third morning. They slipped out the back entrance and headed southwest through the Snake Forest. Janco had been on duty with Trevar. He sent the young man to alert Valek and the others while Janco followed Star's group.

Valek and Ari were in the safe house resting when Trevar, Adrik, and Maren arrived.

Clearly annoyed at being sent away, Trevar related the story. This was what they'd been waiting for.

"Trevar and Adrik, report back to Kenda," Valek ordered. "Give her the address of the house, she'll know what to do. The rest of us will follow Star."

"But we can help," Trevar protested. "We're not?—"

"Goons?" Ari supplied.

"Uh. No, no. It's just… We're quiet. Unobtrusive. Light on our feet. We..."

Valek waited.

Trevar sighed. "Yes, sir." He and Adrik grabbed their bags and left the safe house.

"Did he just call me fat?" Ari asked.

Maren laughed. "Oh, yes, he did."

"He's still young," Valek said. "Wait until he's learned how to fight. Then you can show him the error of his ways."

"Then he'll know you and Janco really are a couple of goons," Maren said.

"You're not helping," Valek mock growled.

"How about this? Ari can fight Trevar without a shirt on, that way he won't be accused of being fat. But you'll need to invite General Ute to watch the match; I hear she has a thing for the captain."

Ari turned bright red. "Shouldn't we be going?"

Amused, Valek thought about the growing rivalry between Trevar and Adrik, and Ari and Janco as they hurried to catch up. Newbies verses the old pros. He suppressed a chuckle. Calling Ari and Janco, who were twenty-six and twenty-eight, old was an exaggeration. However, they had more experience and skills than the two young bucks. They deserved more respect. After dealing with Star, Valek would set up a training exercise for all of them.

They followed Star's group to a small city in MD-7 named Crooked Nook. It sat just outside the northern edge of the Snake Forest. Not only did Star have a residence there, but offices and a warehouse full of black market goods. Janco hung out in the local pubs and discovered most of the town patrol were on her payroll. Lovely.

"Are we going to do a raid on these places?" Janco asked one night.

"Not yet. I want to see where else she goes," Valek replied.

Star then traveled west along the Snake Forest to Sectown in MD-7. Even though the town was half the size of Crooked Nook, her operation was similarly impressive.

"Wow," Janco said, returning from the pub. "She practically owns this entire place."

"It's quite the operation," Maren said. "Did you know all this was going on in this part of MD-7?" she asked Valek.

"No. I don't have enough agents to place in every single town in Ixia. I usually rely on the town patrol to alert me if there's any trouble."

"Well, there's the hole in the loop," Janco said. "All these little forgotten villages are close to the Sitian border. A perfect hiding spot for Star's operations."

The man wasn't wrong.

"It's a loophole," Maren corrected.

"That's what I said."

After Sectown, Star headed south with only one person. They crossed into Sitia late at night. She traveled to a small village in the Featherstone Clan's lands, close to the border, called Robin's Nest. The Citadel was only a few days southeast of their location. Valek could rent a horse and be with Yelena in three days. The temptation to let his companions finish the job dug its claws into his heart.

They changed into Sitian clothes and blended in with the citizens. It was an open secret that Robin's Nest was used as a staging area for black market goods and was a sanctuary for those who had escaped Ixia. The amount of people leaving Ixia had slowed to a trickle over the years since the Commander's takeover. And they were mostly magicians. But it appeared the route from Robin's Nest to Sectown was well traveled in both directions.

Janco returned from his nightly reconnaissance of the local taverns.

"What did you learn?" Valek asked.

"Their ale is terrible. They put a lot of pops in their brews. Yuck."

"It's hops," Ari said.

"Whatever. It's terrible."

"I meant about Star."

"Oh yeah, Star has an operation here as well. Mostly just buying goods, although there are a few assassins hanging out, looking for jobs."

Valek wondered if he would recognize any of them.

"And there's speculation that Star's sick," Janco added. "How much of her antidote did she steal?"

"Enough that she shouldn't be feeling any pain yet. Why do the locals think she's sick?"

"I think she visited the healer in town. Sounds like he's pretty powerful and busy. This place is filled with mostly criminals. I had a guy challenge me just because I looked at him. I think if you put a detailed tattoo of an owl in flight in the middle of your forehead, you should be used to people staring at it."

"You didn't?—"

"No. That would have attracted too much attention. I apologized and bought the guy one of their yucky ales. Pah."

Ari and Valek exchanged a look. Progress.

"Sounds like Star's trying to use magic to counteract the Butterfly's Dust poison," Maren said. "Will it work?"

No one knew about the Butterfly's Dust ruse except Valek and Yelena. And he planned to keep it that way. "It shouldn't." Unless the healer figured out the cause of her symptoms.

"Not exactly a ringing endorsement," Janco said.

"If the magic works, then Star will remain in Sitia because if she's found alive in Ixia, she'll be executed," Valek said.

"She's cocky," Ari said. "Maybe she's thinking we'll assume she's dead after the antidote runs out, and then she can return to Ixia without worry."

"Good point. Let's see what she does once her supply dwindles down to the point when she has to return to the castle for more."

"Who wants to bet she'll be too stubborn to return and dies here?" Janco asked.

"Not me," Ari said. "She's too smart. She'll go back to the castle and wait for another opportunity to escape."

And then there was a fourth scenario. That she survived the withdrawal symptoms of White Fright. Valek preferred that the magician heal her than for that fourth possibility to come to pass.

A day later, Star and her companion headed northeast. They traveled light and didn't take many breaks.

"I think she's in a panic," Janco said.

Valek hoped so. As they drew closer and closer to the castle, his confidence grew. They all celebrated when she surrendered at the west gate of the castle complex.

"That was so much fun!" Janco said in delight. "Our escapee returns home without us having to do a thing. And now we know all her hidey holes. Valek, you are a genius."

"Does it make up for being locked in a cell almost naked?" he asked.

"Yes! All is forgiven. You can stop angsting over it."

"Thanks."

"Now, now. No need to be sarcastic."

* * *

That night in the Commander's suite, Valek updated him on the fourteen-day mission.

"Star has no idea you were following her?" Ambrose asked.

"I'm pretty sure she didn't know."

"That's wonderful. Are you going to tell her?"

"No. It will be quite a shock if she escapes again and discovers her entire organization has been destroyed."

"Where is she now?"

"In the holding cells, where she will remain when not required to taste your meals."

"But you'll relent at some point."

"Of course. Otherwise, it wouldn't be any fun."

Ambrose just shook his head.

"I'm waiting for a few more agents to return from the field before we raid her places," Valek said.

"Don't worry about that. I'll send my troops," Ambrose said. "This is a city-wide problem and a squad of fifty soldiers makes more of a point than a small attack unit."

True. "Too bad you can't invade Robin's Nest."

"It's off limits to me. But your corps?—"

"Can create some difficulty crossing the border."

"Exactly." Ambrose sipped his drink. "Do you want in on the action in Crooked Nook and Sectown?"

"No. Just make sure I get all the information they collect."

"I will. What's next on your to-do list?"

"I'm going to run some training exercises in the Snake Forest."

"Sounds like fun."

"Oh, it will be."

* * *

A gentle breeze shook the leaves of the Snake Forest, sweeping away the humidity for a little while. It carried the sweet scent of living green and bird song. Early morning sunlight flickered through the trees. It was only the third day of the cooling season, but the afternoon promised to be warm.

Valek scanned the faces of the two teams assembled around him. The old pro team of Ari, Janco, Maren, and Kimette—another soldier who recently joined Valek's corps. And the young buck team of Trevar, Adrik, Wilma, and Yegor.

"This is a simple exercise," Valek said. He pointed to a tent in a small clearing. "I will act as the Commander and be inside that tent. Your goal is to either kidnap me or protect me. If I'm kidnapped, the protection team turns into a rescue team. The exercise ends at dawn. If I'm still kidnapped, the protection team loses. If I'm in the tent at dawn the protection team wins. Then you'll switch sides, and we'll do this again. I've marked the boundary of the exercise zone with yellow ribbons. Neither team is allowed outside the zone. Questions?"

"What can we expect from you? How active will you be?" Ari asked.

"I'll stay in the tent so I don't give anything away. I will resist if possible and call for help. If there's a chance for me to escape, I'll take it."

"Will you be armed?" Trevar asked.

"Not for this drill. And you can't use weapons against each other. No knocking anyone unconscious, either. This is more of a mental exercise."

"Can we call to you to check that you're still in the tent?" Adrik asked.

"Yes. And you can also look inside if I don't reply."

"What about having one of us in there with you?" Wilma asked.

"No, the Commander would never allow that." Valek waited but there were no other questions. "All right, let's get started." Valek pulled a gold coin from his pocket and flicked it into the air. "Janco, call it."

"Diamond."

Valek caught the coin, flipped it over onto the back of his hand, and revealed it. The side with the map of Ixia on it was facing up. The other side had an image of Mother's Heart, the red diamond that funded the takeover.

"Ixia," Maren said to Janco. "Everyone knows to pick Ixia."

"Trevar, it's your choice. Protection or kidnapping?"

He consulted with his teammates. "Protection."

"All right. The kidnapping team must wait an hour for the protection team to get into place."

As Ari, Janco, Maren, and Kimette disappeared into the woods, Valek crawled into the tent. It was the one the Commander used. It had a few perks, like a cot with extra thick bedding and pillows. Valek's pack leaned against the center post. It contained everything he needed for the next two days.

Trevar squatted down and peered inside. "Any advice?"

"Remember what you learned in class."

"Thanks," he said dryly, then closed the flap.

Valek rummaged in his pack for a book. He stretched out on the cot and planned to spend the day reading. An occasional shout, shuffle of feet, or a call to confirm he remained inside the tent would interrupt him, but otherwise, he enjoyed his first day off in…forever.

The light started to fade and Valek debated if he should light the lantern. Suddenly, a ripping sound emanated from the back of the tent. Before he could stand, Ari and Janco rushed inside, grabbed his ankles, and yanked him to the ground. In what seemed like a rehearsed set of moves, they shoved a wad of something minty into his mouth, rolled him onto his stomach, and secured his hands and feet.

"Sorry, boss," Janco whispered before they dragged him through the hole in the tent.

Ari hefted him over his shoulder and then they took off at a jog. Valek lifted his head. None of the members of his protection team were in sight. He tried to struggle, but Ari had him in a tight grip. It wasn't long before he was dumped onto the ground.

"Awww, you brought us a present all wrapped up. How sweet," Maren said.

"Anyone see you?" Kimette asked.

"No," Janco said with a laugh. "They're out chasing rabbits."

"All of them?" Her tone was dubious.

"Yep. Lured the last puppy dog with a fake call for help. Adrik didn't bother checking with Valek before he raced off to the rescue." More laughter.

At least they were having fun.

"All right let's string him up," Maren said.

A rather alarming sentence. Valek tried to roll away.

"Oh, no you don't," Ari picked him up again.

They wrapped vines around his chest and under his arms, and then hauled him into the treetops. He'd be impressed if he wasn't worried about falling. They maneuvered him onto a sturdy limb of the tree, sitting him down with his back resting against a thick trunk. The vines around his wrists were cut. He struggled to break free, but they latched onto his arms and secured them to the trunk. A mercy, otherwise, it would become very painful leaning on them. Then they wrapped the vines around each of his legs so he couldn't move. Gagged and tied tight, he wasn't going anywhere.

"Sorry, boss," Janco said again. "This isn't going to be a pleasant night for you. We can't have you alerting the puppies, but we found you the perfect spot. Look." He pointed. The clearing was visible beyond the trees. "You can watch the puppies chase their tails when they discover you're gone. No need to thank me now."

"Janco," Ari warned.

"Just having a little fun."

"We'll come check on you from time to time if we can," Ari said. "Two blinks for yes, one for no. Understand?"

Valek blinked twice.

"Anything hurt?" Ari watched him closely.

The gag tasted like a wad of…spearmint leaves, and there seemed to be a vine wrapped around his head, securing it. Valek stretched his lips and cheeks, testing the gag. It didn't hurt, but it was damn uncomfortable. He squirmed. Or he tried, but nothing bit into his skin. He blinked once.

"Janco spent time we really didn't have picking the spearmint," Maren said. "He acts all tough, but he's really a?—"

Janco held a hand up and they all went silent. "Time to go," Janco whispered.

They disappeared with just a slight rustle of leaves. Valek gazed at the tent with longing. His pack full of food and water was still inside. And instead of sleeping on the nice comfortable cot, he was tied to a tree. He could hope for a rescue, but the kidnapping team played it pretty smart. Good thing it was early enough in the season so it wouldn't get too cold tonight.

The protection team ran into the clearing, calling his name. With a cry of alarm, Trevar found the ripped fabric. Valek would have to replace the tent, or the Commander would squawk. The foursome argued and blamed each other before Adrik thought to check for tracks. The light was fading, so they'd better hurry.

Yegor found the boot prints Ari and Janco had left behind. Valek wondered if Ari and Janco were giving the puppy dogs a sporting chance, as the tracks led right to the base of Valek's tree. He yelled. Well, he tried. All that came out was a pathetic, muffled groan.

"Something happened here," Yegor said right below Valek. "Either Adviser Valek tried to escape, or they changed directions, going deeper into the forest."

Look up! Look up!Valek tried to lean forward. The vines had no give. None.

"Okay, let's think this through," Trevar said, taking charge. "Wilma, you scouted the area around the tent. Did you find any places that would be a good hiding spot?"

"A couple."

"All right. We stay in teams. Adrik and Yegor guard the tent in case Valek escapes on his own and returns. I'll go with Wilma to search those places."

"Do you want a lantern? There's one in the tent."

"No, they'll see us coming. The moon will be up soon, hopefully that will give us enough light. But light it so Valek can find the tent."

Valek approved of Trevar's orders.

"Take a long stick," Adrik said. "Valek's dressed in his black uniform. He could be tied to a log, and you could walk right by him in the darkness. Poke at every big shadow."

Another good idea. They dispersed. The lantern was lit and Valek had nothing to do except stare at the tiny flame and wonder why he thought this exercise would be fun. As the hours dragged on, Valek dozed on and off.

Janco visited him from time to time, ensuring he was well and bringing updates about the ‘clueless puppy dogs.' He also apologized for the gag again.

"I hate those things." He shuddered. "My cousins decided to ‘shut me up for good' once and ambushed me, hog-tied me, gaged me, and tossed me into a closet. My mother didn't find me for a day." The leaves shook again. "Bright side, spearmint is much better than dirty socks."

Sometime during the long night, Valek dreamed Yelena was in trouble. She shouted for his help. A large serpent chased her through a thick forest. Fear energized him and he suddenly had a sword in hand, but he couldn't cut the vines fast enough. They twined around his arms, legs, torso, and neck, yanking his sword from his hand. Ensnared and helpless, he watched as the snake caught up to Yelena, wove around her leg and bit her thigh. She screamed. He thrashed in his bindings but couldn't reach her.

Pain in his arms and shoulders woke him. His heart galloped in his chest and sweat soaked his uniform. Gasping around the now very soggy gag, Valek hoped the nightmare hadn't been real; hadn't been Yelena reaching for him to help. If so, he'd failed her. Dawn couldn't come soon enough.

When the first rays of sunlight lit the forest, it revealed the dispirited protection team sitting around the tent. Soon enough, Ari and the others materialized from the forest.

Trevar hopped to his feet. "Where's Valek? We couldn't find him anywhere within the exercise zone. You must have cheated."

"Cheated!" Janco reached for his sword, grabbing only air. "Why you, little, pipsqueak, upstart—I'm gonna make puppy dog shish kabobs out of all of you."

Ari put a meaty hand on his partner's shoulder. "That's enough, Janco."

"But, but, but," he spluttered.

"Not now."

"Promise?"

Ari turned to Trevar. "Walk us through what you found."

Trevar led them to the trail. "We lost him here. No signs of him in the forest in any direction."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. We. Checked. Every. Direction."

Maren grabbed Janco around the waist, stopping him from punching Trevar. Valek would be amused but his muscles were cramping, and his bladder was about to burst.

"Even up? That's a direction," Ari said mildly.

Four faces peered up. All Valek could do was lift his eyebrows when they spotted him. Four groans sounded in unison.

"Janco."

"On it." He climbed up and removed Valek's gag. Then cut the vines around his body. "You, okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Need help getting down?"

Probably, but Valek didn't want the young pups to feel worse than they did for failing to protect him. "No, thank you." Even though his muscles shook, and the lack of food and water made him lightheaded, Valek finally reached the ground.

He saw to his immediate needs and then gathered everyone around. "I think the biggest lesson of yesterday's exercise was to not forget to look up. I hide in the ceilings all the time because no one looks up. As agents, you need to think through all the possibilities."

"Yes, sir," they said.

Trevar hung his head and wouldn't meet Valek's gaze.

"All right, what else did you learn?"

They listed their errors. At least they recognized them. Ari added a few more to their list. When they were done, Valek grabbed his pack and led the two teams east to another tent a couple miles away.

"This is a new exercise area. The boundaries are marked with red ribbons. Again, no one is allowed outside the zone. Kidnappers give the protection team at least an hour to prepare."

Valek crawled into the tent. This one was his and not nearly as nice as the Commander's. He downed a water skin and ate a couple sticks of jerky. Then pushed up the sleeves of his uniform and inspected his arms. Raw abrasions stripped his skin. That had been quite the nightmare last night. He smoothed the material out and laid down on his bedroll.

Thoughts about Yelena swirled in his mind. Where was she? What was she doing? Was she safe? He remembered their last night together. His body ached for her touch. All he wanted right now was to hold her again. And just like that, she was there in his heart. Yet, he saw her sitting in bed. Her brow was creased in concern as she stared at him.

You need help, love?he asked.

I need you. I need love. I need energy. I need you.

I can't come.It hurt to say those words. You already have my love. But I can give you my strength.

No! You'll be helpless for days!

Had they shared the nightmare from last night? At least she wasn't injured. Just exhausted. I'll be fine. The power twins are with me. They'll protect me. He peeked out the tent and, sure enough, they both stood nearby.

Good luck, love. Valek poured all his energy into his heart and pushed it toward her. There was a resistance, like he was trying to move a big boulder. Doubling his effort, he tried again, and it flowed from him and filled her heart. She smiled as the tired lines around her green eyes disappeared. Knowing that he'd helped rejuvenate her, Valek relaxed. Darkness rushed in.