Chapter 17

Valek hid in the long grass as a horse seemed to materialize from the air. Not Cahil, thank fate. The stocky man who had gone with Yelena to fight Ferde sat on top. His green eyes were wide with fear.

"She's never done that before," he said.

"I call that Kiki's gust-of-wind gait." Yelena's tone was sharp with anger.

Valek crouched, preparing to strike.

"Is Rusalka a Sandseed horse?" Yelena asked.

Stocky nodded, and Valek launched from the grass. He tackled Stocky, knocking them both from the horse's back and onto the ground. Valek pulled the man's machete and held it to his throat.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Come. To find. Yelena," Stocky said between gasps.

"Why?"

"It's all right, Valek. He's my brother," Yelena said.

Brother? Valek moved the blade away but remained on top of him. They did have the same eye shape and color. However Stocky had a square face, while Yelena's was oval and perfect. Their skin color was similar as well.

Stocky stared at him in horror. "Valek? You have no smell. No aura."

That made no sense. "Is he a simpleton?" Valek asked Yelena.

She grinned. "No." She pulled Valek off her brother. "His magic can sense a person's soul. Your immunity must be blocking his power." Yelena bent over Stocky and examined him, presumably searching for injuries. "Are you all right?"

He sat up and glanced nervously at Valek. "That depends."

"Don't worry about him, he's overprotective."

Valek harrumphed. "If you could keep out of trouble for one day, protecting you wouldn't be so instinctive." He rubbed his leg. It ached from where he'd hit the ground. "Or so painful."

Stocky recovered from his shock and stood.

"Why are you here?" Yelena asked her brother.

He looked at Valek then at the ground. "It was something Mother said."

She waited. Ah, she'd learned that tactic from him. Pride swelled in Valek's chest.

"She told me that you were lost again. And only the brother that had searched for you for fourteen years could find you."

"How did you find me?"

Stocky gestured a bit wildly at his horse. "Kiki had found Topaz in the plains, so I thought, since Rusalka was bred by the Sandseeds, I asked her to find Kiki. And… And…"

"She found us very fast." Yelena rubbed her arms.

Valek guessed Rusalka must be the name of Stocky's horse. Was Topaz another horse or someone Yelena knew?

"Why does Perl think I'm lost?" Yelena asked. "And why send you? You weren't any help the last time."

Perl must be their mother, but Valek wondered why Yelena was so angry at her brother. What had he done?

Stocky cringed with guilt. "I don't know why she sent me."

A rustle of movement sounded and a Sandseed warrior named Moon Man walked toward them. Valek tensed. The last time they'd met, when Valek was hunting the assassin who'd gone after Yelena, Moon Man had tested Valek's reflexes with a shower of sharp knives.

"A good guy," Yelena said, touching Valek's arm.

"This seems to be quite the meeting place," Valek muttered under his breath. But he held his ground as the big man came closer. This time, he was clothed in a pair of short pants. Scars on his arms and legs stood out against his dark skin. Moon Man's powerful build reminded Valek of Ari.

"No mysterious arrival? No coalescing from a sunray? Where's the paint?" Yelena's words dripped with sarcasm.

"It is no fun when you already know those tricks," Moon Man said. "Besides, Ghost would have killed me if I had suddenly appeared."

"Ghost?" she asked.

Moon Man pointed to Valek. "Kiki's name for him. It makes sense," he said. "To magical beings, we see the world through our magic. We see him with our eyes but cannot see him with our magic. So, he is like a ghost to us."

"Another relative?" Valek asked.

A broad smile stretched Moon Man's lips. "Yes, I am her mother's uncle's wife's third cousin."

"He's a Story Weaver, a magician of the Sandseed clan," Yelena explained. "And what are you doing here?"

Moon Man's playfulness faded from his face. "You are on my lands. I could ask you the same thing, but I already know why you have come. I came to make sure you keep your promise."

"What promise?" Stocky and Valek asked at the same time.

She waved the question away. "I will, but not now. We need?—"

"I know what you intend to do. You will not succeed with that unless you untangle yourself," Moon Man said.

"Me? But I thought you said…" She stopped. "Why won't I succeed?"

Moon Man refused to answer.

"Do you have any more cryptic advice?" she asked in annoyance, but underneath, Valek sensed she cared for the man.

Moon Man held out his hands. One toward Stocky and the other to Yelena.

Valek huffed. "Looks like a family affair. I'll be close by if you need me, love." Meaning, he'd give her his energy or his immunity or anything else she asked for.

Stocky stepped forward and grabbed Moon Man's hand, shooting his sister a look of stubborn determination. The exact same expression Valek had seen on Yelena's beautiful face more times than he could count. However, he was smart enough not to voice that comment.

"Let's finish this," Stocky said, challenging her.

She grabbed Moon Man's hands and the magic that bloomed from the big man almost knocked Valek over. The three of them faded and disappeared.

* * *

Moon Man reappeared about half an hour later without Yelena or her brother.

"Where are they?" Valek asked.

"In the shadow world."

"Uh. Shouldn't you be there too?"

"Oh, I am. But I am also with you."

"Okay."

Moon Man smiled. "You are confused."

"There's been so much happening. And I'm not privy to all the information."

"Frustrating for a man who loves knowledge."

Valek wondered what all this was leading to. "Very. We haven't had any time to talk about everything we need to discuss. I've no idea what she's been learning or doing in Sitia." And why was he telling this man?

"Or for her to learn of your adventures."

"She's dealing with a lot right now."

"Hmmm." Moon Man saw right through him. "I can help with some of your confusion. Yelena and her brother's relationship is twisted with guilt, fear, anger, sadness, pain, and loss. When Yelena was kidnapped, her brother watched it happen. Eight years old, he had been upset with her for not staying close to him—the Illiais Jungle is filled with dangers. Then, when Kangom carried her away, he was frozen in fear. Of course, an eight-year-old cannot fight a grown man. Especially not one with powerful magic. His guilt and shame over not acting caused his silence, and Yelena's family never knew what happened to her. She just disappeared."

"That's terrible. If they had known?—"

"Yes. Which is why Yelena is angry with him. To atone for his inaction, her brother searched for her every day he was in the jungle. And then, she suddenly returned fourteen years later with tales of her life in Ixia, and his pain and guilt intensified into hatred. He thought she had been living a wonderful life, while his was wracked with guilt, shame, and pain. He had no life other than work. He sought to kill himself at one point. The horses call him Sad Man. Of course, Yelena and her brother have both made inaccurate assumptions about the other. It was time they untangled."

"With your help?"

"As their Story Weaver, it is my duty to aid them."

"Will it work?"

Moon Man grinned and gestured. Yelena and her brother stood nearby, staring at each other. "They have reached an understanding. And I will aid you as well, Ghost Warrior. The Sandseeds will send you some soldiers to help you against the Daviian Vermin named Alea. Meet us at dawn."

"Where?"

"The horses know where to go."

"How?" He asked the air. Moon Man was already gone.

Valek went to join Yelena and her brother.

"How come they never schedule a New Beginnings feast when you really need to start over?" Yelena asked.

"That's okay. I don't dance," he said with a smile.

"You will."

Valek cleared his throat. "Touching as this is, we need to go. Your Story Weaver is providing us with some soldiers to aid against Alea's people. We're to rendezvous with them at dawn. I take it your brother…"

"Leif," Yelena provided.

"…is coming along?"

"Of course," Leif said.

"No," she said at the same time. "I don't want you to get hurt. Mother wouldn't like it."

"And I wouldn't be able to face her wrath if I didn't stay and help." Leif crossed his arms over his chest. His square jaw set into a stubborn line.

"Your mother sounds like a formidable woman," Valek said into the silence.

"You have no idea," Leif replied with a sigh.

"Well, if she's anything like Yelena, my deepest sympathies," Valek teased.

"Hey!"

Leif laughed and the tense moment dissipated.

Valek handed Leif his machete. "Do you know how to use it?"

"Of course. I chopped Yelena's bo into firewood," Leif joked.

"You took me by surprise. I didn't want to hurt you," she shot back.

Leif looked dubious.

"How about a rematch?" she asked.

"Anytime."

Valek stepped between them. "I'm beginning to wish that you were an only child, love. Can you both manage to focus on the task at hand without trying to catch up on fourteen years of sibling rivalry?"

"Yes," they said in unison, properly chastised.

"Good. Then, let's go."

"Where?" she asked.

"In keeping with his cryptic nature, all your Story Weaver said was, ‘The horses know where to go.'" Valek shrugged. "It's certainly not a military strategy I would use, but I've learned that the south uses its own strategy. And, strangely enough, it works."

* * *

The horses did indeed know where to go. As the sun rose over the plains, they encountered a group of Sandseed soldiers on a rocky outcropping surrounded by tall grass. Valek counted. There were eighteen warriors dressed in leather armor and equipped with either scimitars or spears. They had painted red streaks on their faces and arms, creating a fierce countenance.

Valek and Yelena dismounted. Leif jumped off his horse, Rusalka. The two horses grazed as Yelena shivered in the cold morning air.

Moon Man greeted them. He had dressed like the others, but he was armed with his scimitar and a bo staff. Valek admired the carvings of animals and symbols in the black wood of the five-foot tall staff. They seemed to tell a story. And like his gray rocks, there was a hidden beauty inside the wood. The carvings revealed a gold-colored wood under the black surface.

"I sent a scout last night," Moon Man said. "He found the blood-letting apparatus in the Void, just as Yelena described. Then he tracked the Daviian Vermin to a campsite about a mile east of that location. We are on the edge of the plains, about two miles north of that site."

Blood-letting apparatus? Valek wanted to ask Yelena for more details, but again, not the proper time. The rest was good news. "We'll wait until dark and launch a surprise attack," Valek said. That was the standard procedure.

"That will not work," Moon Man said. "The Vermin have a shield that will alert them to intruders. My scout could not get too close to their camp for fear of discovery." Moon Man scanned the horizon. "They have strong Warpers, who can hide their whereabouts from our magic."

"Warpers?" Leif asked.

Moon Man frowned. "Magicians. I refuse to call them Story Weavers, for they manipulate the threads for their own selfish desires."

Yelena glanced at the group of Sandseeds. "You don't plan to use your magic?"

"No."

"And you don't plan to take prisoners?"

"That is not the Sandseed way. The Vermin must be exterminated."

Valek liked the Sandseed way. "How are you going to prevent the Daviian Warpers from using their magic?"

A dangerous glint flashed in Moon Man's eyes. "We move the Void."

"What's a void?" Valek asked.

"It's a hole in the blanket of power," Yelena explained. "If a magician is inside a void, they can't use magic." She turned to Moon Man. "You can move it?"

"The blanket of power can be repositioned only with the utmost care. We will center the blanket's hole directly over the Vermin's camp, and then we will attack."

"When?" Valek asked.

"Now." Moon Man walked over to his soldiers.

"I'd hoped to use the Sandseeds as a distraction," Valek whispered to Yelena. "This will work. Once Alea is dead, we leave. This isn't our fight."

"I think capture and incarceration would be a harsher punishment for her," she said.

Valek studied her for a moment. If they could capture her, then he would refrain from killing the magician. "As you wish."

The group of Sandseed warriors shouted a war cry, then disappeared into the tall grass. Moon Man joined Yelena and Valek. "They will position themselves around the camp. The signal to attack will be when the Void is in place. You are to come with me." He glanced at the three of them. "You need weapons. Here."

He tossed his bo to Yelena. She caught it with her right hand.

"That is yours. A gift from Suekray."

"Who?" she asked.

"A horsewoman of our clan. She raised and trained Kiki. You must have made an impression on her. Her gifts are as rare as the snow. Your story is etched into it."

Yelena marveled at the weapon as she tested its weight. Moon Man handed Valek a scimitar. Nice. He admired the curved blade. It gleamed in the sunlight. Leif pulled his machete from its sheath.

"Let us go," Moon Man said.

Yelena took off her cloak and rummaged in her bag. When she finished, the three of them followed Moon Man into the tall grass and toward the Daviian camp.

Once there, they found a hiding spot behind a small bush. The cover was scant, due to the area's lack of rain. Somehow, the Sandseeds around them managed to blend into the barren landscape. Moon Man crouched in a slight depression.

Valek peered at the Daviian camp. There were a few people around their tents and the campfire. Not many. He sensed a wall of magic and speculated that it was the Warpers' shield. As he waited for the signal, he wondered if he'd experience that unfettered feeling again once inside the Void. He'd still have his immunity, but there wouldn't be any magic to block. If so, would that lightness help or hinder his ability to fight?

The wall of magic dissipated. Moon Man stood as another war cry sounded. They jumped to their feet and followed the Sandseeds toward the camp. Yelena stopped and stared. What had she seen?

Valek followed her gaze. The camp had changed. Instead of a few people milling about, there stood over thirty. Instead of a handful of tents, there were now rows and rows of them. The magic shield had also been a powerful illusion, hiding the Daviian's real numbers. He admired the ruse even though it meant they were in trouble.

Despite the illusion, the Sandseed warriors didn't hesitate. They had the element of surprise and weren't about to retreat. Wading into the fray, they cut down anyone in their path. Leif followed along, hacking with his machete. He hadn't been lying, the man knew how to fight.

This wasn't going to be pretty. Valek shot Yelena a grim look. "Find Alea," he said. Then he hefted his weapon and joined the Sandseeds.

As Yelena stayed at the edges of the battle, Valek worked his way toward Leif. Blocking, dodging, ducking, and countering, he didn't waste time with fancy moves or to test an opponent's defenses like he would have if sparring with one of the Commander's soldiers. This was kill or be killed. The Daviians couldn't use their magic, but they knew how to swing their swords.

Shouts, screams, and curses rolled together into one loud cacophony. Blood spurted, coating his blade and staining his clothes. The smell of it fogged the air. It was brutal. The horrors of battle were the reason the Commander's rebellion used assassination, guile, and promises for a better life than outright war.

At one point, he spotted Yelena fighting with Alea. He shouted to Leif. When Yelena's brother looked over at Valek, he pointed to the women fighting. Leif nodded, and the two of them maneuvered through the crowd so they stood between the Daviians and the women, keeping the Warpers from helping Alea. From the brief glances he managed, Yelena held her own. Her bo staff countered Alea's short swords with ease.

Moon Man sprinted toward them. "Time to retreat," he called.

Valek ran over to Yelena. She stood above the now prone magician. "Next time," she said to Alea. "We'll finish this."

No, you won't, love. He couldn't leave Alea to come after Yelena or the Commander again.

Valek knelt beside Alea, picked up her knife, and said, "How fitting that I'm going to slice your throat the same way I sliced your brother's. This is what happens when you come after the people I love." He cut deep into her neck with one smooth move.

When Valek caught up to Yelena, he said, "We can't afford to play favorites."

They raced back toward the plains. The Daviians gave up the chase once they reached the border. However, they kept running until they arrived at the rocky outcropping where Kiki and Rusalka waited.

"No doubt they will move their camp farther into the plateau," Moon Man said. The effort of running had not winded him but sweat shone on his brow. "I will need to bring more soldiers. To have deceived my scout and me means their Warpers are more powerful than we suspected. I must consult with our clan's elders."

Moon Man inclined his head in farewell and disappeared into the tall grass.

"What now?" Leif asked.

Yelena met Valek's gaze. His heart lurched.

"You go home and so will I," she said to Leif.

Home. With him? Valek's heart thumped its approval.

"You're coming with me to the Keep?" Leif asked.

"I…" Her gaze stared into the distance.

Valek wished he could communicate with her mind to mind. Would he encourage her to return to Ixia? What about the execution order the Commander had signed? She'd changed so much, but she still had more to learn.

"I think you're afraid to go back to the Keep," Leif said.

Her attention snapped back. "What?"

"It will be much easier for you to stay away and not have to deal with being a Soulfinder, being a daughter, and being a sister."

Soulfinder? That was new.

"I'm not afraid. I tried to find a place in Sitia, but I keep getting pushed away. How many hints do I need? I'm not a glutton for punishment. And what if the council decides that being a Soulfinder makes me evil? And they burn me alive for violating their Ethical Code?"

Valek straightened. Not on his watch.

"You are afraid," Leif said.

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Then prove it," Leif challenged.

She opened her mouth, but then closed it. After a moment, she said, "I hate you."

Leif smiled. "The feeling is mutual." He paused for a moment. "Are you coming?"

"Not now. I'll think about it."

"If you don't come back to the Keep, then I'll be right. And every time you see me, I'll be insufferably smug."

"And how's that different from now?"

He laughed. "You've only had a small glimpse of how insufferable and annoying I can be. As the older brother, it's my birthright."

Leif mounted Rusalka and galloped away.

Valek and Yelena walked with Kiki toward the north. Toward Ixia. He held her hand, not sure if he should encourage her to return home with him or discourage her. In the end, he decided not to say anything. He would answer her questions, but she needed to make her own decision.

"Valek. What did you say to Alea?"

"I told her how her brother died."

She remained quiet. Was she mad that he'd killed Alea?

"We had no time to take Alea with us, love. I wasn't going to let her have another chance to hurt you."

"How do you always know when I need you?"

Valek gazed at her. "I know. It's a part of me like hunger or thirst. A need that must be met to survive."

"How do you do it? I can't connect my mind to yours with my magic. And you don't have magic. It should be impossible."

Valek thought of how she crawled into his heart whenever she needed him. He didn't care how it worked. He was just grateful it did. "Perhaps, when I feel your distress, I relax my guard and allow you to connect with me?"

"Perhaps. Have you ever done that for anyone else?"

"No, love. You're the only one who has caused me to do the oddest things. You have truly poisoned me."

She laughed. "Odd, eh?"

Yes, like sweeping her off her feet and ravishing her until the morning. "It's a good thing you can't read my mind, love."

"Oh, I know what you're thinking."

She stepped into his arms and dipped her hands into his pants. Then she raised an eyebrow.

"I can't. Hide. From you," Valek panted.

Kiki snorted and moved away, giving them some privacy.

* * *

Valek was in no hurry to rejoin Ambassador Signe's entourage. And Yelena hadn't decided what she wanted to do. So, instead of riding Kiki, they walked through the plains in a northerly direction.

"Tell me about meeting your family for the first time," Valek said one afternoon, as they relaxed on the sand eating lunch. The Sandseed clan had been leaving them small caches of food and water. Kiki found them all.

"I was terrified. Mogkan had suppressed my childhood memories. Six years gone. I had so many doubts. What if they're not my family? What if they hated me?" She gave him a wry smile. "The Zaltana Clan—my clan, lives in this wooden village up in the tree canopy of the Illiais Jungle. It's amazing. Living areas are connected by rope bridges, and it has multiple levels. My cousin, Nutty, learned how to climb before she could walk." Yelena laughed. But then she sobered. "When I first arrived, they brought me before the entire clan. I wanted to hide and then, when I thought it couldn't get any worse…" She winced at the memory. "It did. Leif, my only sibling, pushed to the front and told the entire clan that I had killed, that I reeked of blood."

"That bastard. Did you knock him out with your bo?" Valek asked.

"No. I was mortified and wanted to hide behind Irys. She defended me and chastised Leif. Said she reeked of blood as well. But I guess as Fourth Magician, she's allowed." Yelena huffed. "Leif's magic is unusual. He can smell a person's intentions and detect lies. It's useful for interrogating criminals, so he works with First Magician Roze Featherstone at the Magician's Keep."

"What do your parents do?"

"My father, Esau, enjoys experimenting with the jungle's bounty. He collects vines, leaves, fruits, plants; basically anything that grows in the jungle. He makes furniture with the vines, medicines and salves with the plants; and collects flower petals for my mother, Perl. She invents and distills perfumes from them. Apparently, when I was five, my favorite was her lavender perfume."

"Shocking." He deadpanned.

She swatted him on the arm. "I guess it's obvious I love the scent. The horses even call me Lavender Lady."

"And I'm Ghost. Do the horses have names for everyone?"

"I don't know about everyone. But they call Irys, Magic Lady; Cahil, Peppermint Man; Leif, Sad Man; Ari, Strong Man; and Janco, Rabbit."

"Just Rabbit?"

"Yes, Kiki says he's too fast for a man."

Valek laughed. "Moon Man must have been named by a horse."

"Actually, the horses do call him Moon Man."

"Do they talk to all magicians?"

"Ah, no. I have an affinity with animals. Mostly, I get an emotional vibe. Like if they're hungry or scared or nonplussed, useful for knowing if there's a predator nearby or an ambush. The horses are different. Along with their emotions, I also receive images and words. Not a lot of words. Two or three at most. Things like, go fast, bad smell, apple. Kiki loves her sweets."

Valek remembered the peppermints in Yelena's bag. "And you've become quite the rider."

"All because of Kiki." She frowned. "No, that's not entirely true. Cahil taught me how to ride, saddle, and groom a horse."

Valek stilled. "Why?"

"Apparently that's his job when he's not trying to get Sitia to invade Ixia. He is good with horses." Another scowl, this one fiercer.

"Is that how you met him?" Valek kept his tone neutral.

She sighed. "No. Leif thought I was an Ixian spy. When we traveled to the Keep so I could start my magic lessons with Irys, Cahil and his unit ambushed us. That's when I had an unfortunate encounter with Goel. In his small mind, I'd made a fool of him when I escaped Cahil's camp, and he'd plotted revenge." She paused, her gaze turning inward. "Cahil and I came to an agreement and traveled to the Keep together. However, when I arrived, instead of Irys greeting me, Roze Featherstone attacked me. Cahil had sent word that I was an Ixian spy and?—"

"Attacked you how?"

"Magic. She tried to read my mind. My soul." Yelena grabbed his hand. "That's when I reached out to you. You gave me the strength to endure. To thwart her. She wasn't happy, but at least everyone knew I wasn't a spy." She squeezed his fingers. "Thank you."

"Anytime." Valek considered. "What a rocky start to your Sitian adventures. Did you have magic lessons with Irys? Have you discovered the extent of your powers?"

"Yes. Well, sort of."

"Sort of?"

"I figured out I'm good at mental communication with humans and animals. I can heal, but not like a normal healer. When I do it, the injury transfers to me and then I have to heal myself, which is really hard to do when in pain. I can't move objects or light fires. Not yet. Irys believes I may in time. And, well…I…might be a…Soulfinder…but I'm not so sure."

He remembered she'd mentioned being a Soulfinder when she argued with Leif. They were feared because they were very powerful and supposedly dangerous. "What exactly does a Soulfinder do?"

"I don't really know. All I do know is I have the ability to hold a soul."

"I'm going to need more than that, love."

"When Leif and I went to confront Ferde, he turned Leif against me. That's when he hacked my bo staff into splinters. After I sent Leif into a deep sleep, I caught up with Ferde just in time to see him kill Gelsi." Yelena paused as a shudder swept through her. "I saw her soul float from her body, and I acted on instinct, diving over her and inhaling her soul before Ferde could collect it and finish the Efe Ritual."

"Which would have been bad."

"Yes, really, really bad. Apparently, no magician in a very long time has been able to inhale a soul, which is why I might be a Soulfinder."

"What about Ferde? Is he a Soulfinder as well?"

"I don't think so. The ritual allowed him to collect souls. Gelsi's was the last one he needed. He tried to take it from me by using magic. At that point he had master level powers, and he was stronger than me. I came this close"—she held her index finger and thumb a tiny gap apart—"To caving in. But he made a mistake. He tried to entice me, showing my future life with freedom and joy and contentment."

Yelena took Valek's other hand. "When I'm with you, I have contentment and joy. I refused to join him and give him Gelsi, so he changed his attack. The pain was debilitating. I was finished. But then your immunity saved me, and I stopped him by spraying Curare into his face with my mother's invention for applying perfume."

"Sounds like you inherited your intelligence from your parents."

"They've both helped me so much."

"Did you kill Ferde?" he asked.

"No. I returned Gelsi's soul to her body, which revived her. Then I freed the eleven souls Ferde had stolen, taking almost all of his power. The master magicians will be able to detain him and keep him locked away."

Valek added Ferde to his people-I-will-kill list. In his vast experience, power-hungry people like Ferde were never satisfied. They constantly searched for a way to regain power. Death was the best cure for those people.

* * *

They continued walking and catching up over the next couple days. When they reached the edge of the plains, they switched to sleeping during the day and traveling at night. Skirting east of the Citadel, they continued north into the Featherstone Clan's lands. Valek estimated that by now, Signe and her retinue were on their way home to Ixia and he planned to catch up to them before they crossed the border. Yelena hadn't revealed her plans, and he didn't ask.

However, during that time, Valek told her about his adventures while they were separated.

Yelena chimed in from time to time:

"Ooh, I like the sound of General Ute."

"Why didn't you tell me about Alea?" And after he explained, "That's a lame excuse. You just didn't want me to make you promise not to kill her."

"You're training Ari, Janco, and Maren to be your seconds? Ha! Good luck with that!"

They had six wonderful days together, but Valek needed to update the Ambassador. The delegation was camped about half a day's walk from Ixia. Of course, Sitian spies were keeping a close eye on them. Valek did a loop and marked their locations, then he put on his Ilom disguise, because why not? He waited until the middle of the night before crossing into the encampment.

"Look who finally decided to show up," Ilom said sleepily when Valek entered his tent. "You missed all the fun, old chap."

"I'm sure you had enough fun for both of us," he said.

Ilom snorted. "Am I supposed to dress as a soldier now?"

"Just until we're in Ixia. After that you can be you."

"Gee, thanks."

* * *

At dawn, Valek visited Ambassador Signe's tent. She sat at a small table, eating breakfast. Valek received almost the same snarky greeting as from Ilom. At least she offered him some tea.

It didn't take long for her to turn serious. "Report."

Over the noise of the soldiers packing up the camp, Valek explained about Ferde and Alea. He also detailed the pending problems with the new Daviian Clan. "Both Ferde and Alea were part of that clan. If the Sandseeds don't exterminate them, they'll be going after the Sitian Council."

"I agree. We need to keep an eye on them."

"The Sitian Council should?—"

"Should deal with their own problems. Unfortunately, they don't have the skills, and we'd rather fight an enemy with an Ethical Code than one who thinks killing twelve young women and stealing their magic is okay."

"I'll assign a couple of my agents to keep tabs on the Daviians."

"As long as they are discreet," Signe said. "While you were vacationing in the plains, Ixian relations with the council deteriorated. By the end of our visit, one of the councilors accused me of bringing you to Sitia to assassinate the members of the council."

"That makes no sense. If I were to assassinate the councilors, I wouldn't come with a delegation." Or would he?

"Regardless, we need to let tempers cool."

"The Sitians haven't discovered my network of safe houses yet, but I will warn them to be extra vigilant."

"Good. Did Yelena tell you her plans? Is she returning to Ixia?"

Valek stilled. "Why would she return to Ixia? The Commander signed an execution order if she's caught in our country."

"Interesting that she didn't tell you. Ambrose asked me to extend an offer to her."

"An offer?"

"To return to Ixia when she'd finished her magical training. In exchange, he will nullify the execution order."

The tent spun. Valek had to rest his head in his hands for so many reasons. He hadn't realized that order had dug its claws deep inside him. That when it released him, it would cause such a dizzying mixture of pain and relief. But he couldn't celebrate yet. Yelena had to agree, or the execution order would stand.

When he straightened, Signe was watching him with a semi-concerned expression. She sipped her tea.

One of the guards ducked his head into the tent. "Ambassador, there's a Yelena Zaltana here who wishes to see you."

"Let her in."

When Yelena entered, Signe dismissed Valek. He mouthed the word ‘tonight' to her as he left. The camp was almost packed up. Valek would accompany them over the border just in case there was trouble, but then he could loop back and meet up with Yelena. He. Couldn't. Wait.

* * *

Yelena had found a small pocket of woods not far from where Signe's retinue had camped. Valek circled the clearing to ensure there weren't any spies lurking, then he joined her by the fire. The flames warmed his cold hands. They were already halfway through the cooling season.

"Forgot your cloak again?" she asked.

He smiled. "I like sharing yours."

It wasn't long before he joined her. They generated plenty of heat together.

The morning arrived too soon. Yelena burrowed deeper into the cloak, and before cold reality could sink in, Valek said, "Come with me."

She peered at him with regret. "I still have much to learn. And when I'm ready, I'll be the new liaison between Ixia and Sitia."

The claws started to dig into him, but he paused as her words registered. "What about the execution order?"

"Destroyed. Ripped up. As the Liaison, I'll be working in relations between the two countries and visiting frequently."

"That could lead to serious trouble," Valek teased. He wanted to shout for joy and jump up and down.

"You would be bored if it was any other way."

He laughed. "You're right. And so was my snake."

"Snake?"

He pulled Yelena's arm out and exposed her bracelet. "When I carved this, my thoughts were on you, love. Your life is like this snake's coils. No matter how many turns it makes, you'll end up back where you belong. With me." And he'd do everything in his power to make that happen.