Chapter 8

"Another problem?" Valek asked, even though he really didn't want to know.

"Yes. Do you want to hear it tonight?"

"Not really."

Kenda ignored him. "This problem goes back to the middle of the cold season. Remember that woman you sent to me? Calls herself Captain Star?"

Yes, he did. Star oversaw a vast network of criminals. A network, Valek hoped to destroy. "Did she escape?"

"I wish." Kenda pinched her finger and thumb until they were almost touching. "I'm this close to sending her up to the Northern Ice Pack and feeding her to the snow cats."

"Is she not cooperating?"

"She won't shut up!"

Confused, Valek rubbed his aching head. "Isn't that a good thing? Star has information we need to uproot the rest of her organization."

"She's not divulging that information. Oh no, Star's strangely resistant to goo-goo juice. Instead, she complains about everything, she's nasty to everyone, and she gets very creative when she's bored."

"Have you tried other ways to persuade her to reveal her secrets?"

"A few. She hates being isolated the most, but it's only been a few months. She's strong enough to resist for a much longer time."

"Has she revealed anything important?"

"She did tell us that someone named Kangom hired her to kidnap Yelena on the way to MD-5. He's the same man who wanted to ruin the Southern Delegation's visit by poisoning the cognac. I don't have any intel on this Kangom."

"Kangom is Mogkan's Sitian name. And he's dead. Did Star say why Mogkan wanted Yelena captured? Yelena was heading right to him. In fact, she was locked in a guest room for most of her stay."

"Star said that Kangom…er…Mogkan, thought Yelena was an unnecessary complication and he wanted her secured in a remote location to keep you in line." Kenda raised an eyebrow. "Now why would he think that would work?" She smirked.

"No comment."

"Uh huh."

The qualities he admired most about Kenda, like her keen intuition and intelligence, were also the same ones that annoyed him the most when she used them against him. "How much information and evidence do we have on Star?"

Kenda pulled a thick file from a neat stack on her desk and handed it to Valek. "It's all in here."

"All right, I'll read through all this and think about how to deal with her. In the meantime, send our agents to watch over the generals. Have them confirm with our people in the manor houses that all the Criollo has been destroyed. Also tell them to determine if there has been anyone who joined the generals' retinues recently. A new adviser or officer."

"How recently?"

"Since the beginning of the cold season."

"Will do."

As much as he wanted to read through the file on Star, Valek had no energy. He trudged to his suite, entered the dusty living room, tossed the dossier onto his desk, climbed the steps to his room, and collapsed onto his bed fully clothed.

Ahhh. Nothing like being in your own bed after a long absence. He kicked off his boots and pulled the covers up. It would be perfect, except Yelena wasn't with him. A new ache joined the others. This one pulsed in his heart.

* * *

The next morning, he headed to the Commander's office. It was located in a room adjacent to the throne room. Unfortunately, it was at the far end, and Valek had to weave through the masses of desks and the dozens of officers and advisers who worked in the large space. Besides the noise assaulting his ears, a few people wanted to welcome him home. The smart ones took one look at his face and quickly moved out of his way.

By the time he reached the Commander's office, his headache had gone from throbbing to pounding. Lovely. Four guards bracketed the door. Double the normal amount. Good. He knocked. A faint ‘come in' sounded, and Valek entered.

The Commander glanced out the window. The sun was high in the sky, but not at its apex.

"It's technically still morning." Valek eased into the chair in front of the desk, which was neat and organized. The black snow cat sculpture he'd carved for the Commander glinted in the sunlight. It was the sole decoration in the entire office.

"You slept through breakfast."

Valek straightened. "Sorry, sir. Have you eaten? Should I send for a meal?"

"No need. Kenda anticipated you would require extra sleep and tasted my breakfast. She said she would fill in until you train another food taster."

His reaction swung between being grateful and impressed. With Kenda risking her life, Valek had more motivation to train a taster than usual. He tended to procrastinate when it was his job. It should be part of his duties. After all, he was the most qualified. Except, not lately. Forgetting such an important task was another misstep.

"Do you need another day off?" the Commander asked when the silence lengthened.

"I probably do, but I don't have time." He detailed his encounter with Alea and summed up the reports from his agents. "It sounds like the other magicians are with the generals already."

"And if we invite them all here, we'll have eight magicians in one place. Can you and your network handle eight?"

"I believe so." Valek hedged. There were too many factors to consider for his aching head. He hoped a foolproof plan would arise once he felt better.

"Believe so? This is too critical for belief."

It was. He rubbed his head. "I have full confidence in my network. In myself."

"What about visiting each general and finding their magician? Dealing with them one on one?"

"It would probably work for the first general we visit. After that, the other magicians will be warned that we're hunting them and be ready. We need the generals here. I'll figure out how to counter the magicians."

"All right, I'll write the orders this afternoon. When do you want them here? The northern generals will need at least ten days of travel time."

Plus, the ten days for the orders to reach them. Valek considered. "Day thirty of the warm season. That will give them two days to get ready."

"Which they will all complain about."

"Even if you gave them a week, they'd still complain."

"All right, Valek, the orders will be ready in a couple hours."

"The messengers will be members of my corps. Kenda suggested providing extra security for the generals."

"That's a good idea, but we also need to increase the security for the castle complex. Do you have enough personnel?"

"I'll check with Kenda. If not, I'll pull some from the field."

"Good. You're dismissed."

"Yes, sir."

Valek headed to Kenda's office, hoping to catch her before she left to taste the Commander's lunch. He encountered her in the hallway right outside her door.

"Make it quick," she said.

"Thank you for covering for me this morning, but I'll taste the Commander's food going forward."

She poked him in the ribs. Fire ignited and ringed his chest. He sucked in a breath.

"You're barely able to stand. If Alea magically influences one of the cooks to poison the Commander's tea, your body is in no condition to fight off the effects." She cocked her head to the side. Her straight, shoulder-length, brown hair covered half her face. "Besides, I taught you everything you know about tasting poisons."

True. She'd joined his corps when she grew bored as a kitchen worker. Adept with all sizes of knives, she also had a vast knowledge of poisons, which she happily shared. With average brown hair, eyes, and looks, she blended in with any situation. Kenda had even managed to fool Valek a few times.

"But I'm not willing to risk your life," he said. She was far too valuable.

"Then you know what to do."

"You do know, I'm the one in charge."

"Yes, sir. Is there anything else?"

"The Commander is sending orders out in two hours, and we need messengers."

"Already assigned."

"We'll need extra security in the castle."

"Already in place."

"This is why I can't lose you."

"Then you better start training the next taster."

He growled and she laughed. Actually laughed. Then she gave him a jaunty salute before leaving.

His to-do list was a mile long, but Kenda's comment about Alea influencing the cook reminded him of the immediate danger. Except for him, anyone in the castle could be targeted and manipulated. Valek could sense when magic was in use, but he couldn't be everywhere. However he could stay close to the Commander in case Alea targets him.

Valek returned to his suite to grab the file on Star before stopping in his office to pick up the execution list.

Dust coated every surface, reminding him that he had fired his housekeeper, Margg, before he'd left for MD-5 and hadn't assigned another to take her place. A minor inconvenience that shouldn't be too difficult to rectify. Then again… It took him forever to trust her and she'd eventually abused her position. Perhaps he could dust and mop? He glanced around at the piles of books on the floor and conference table, the mountains of reports leaning precariously; the collection of carving rocks and candles littered everywhere. Perhaps not. He"d just have to ensure he was in the room when the new housekeeper cleaned.

Grabbing what he needed, he returned to the Commander's office.

The Commander was writing out the orders. His lunch tray remained on his desk. "Something wrong?"

"I realized I needed to be nearby in case Alea tries to influence you. If she does, I'll be able to sense the magic and stop her."

"You plan to stay with me all day?" His expression was neutral.

"Yes, and at night I'll?—"

"No."

"I brought work with me, and?—"

"No. The reason Brazell used the Criollo was to break down my will. I can assure you my will is quite strong, and I will not tolerate a babysitter." His voice had gone ice cold.

Valek ignored the warning tone and the Commander's use of the word babysitter. "Mogkan was in MD-5, trying to reach you from a distance. Alea could be inside the castle."

"Then I expect you to find her and not sit here with me all day. Consider it an order. Dismissed."

He hesitated, but then turned to leave.

"And don't let me find you camped outside my door," the Commander said.

"Yes, sir."

The throne room bustled with activity and noise. Valek could commandeer a desk from one of the officers or advisers who worked here. Technically, he wouldn't be right outside the Commander's office, but he'd still be nearby. And when the Commander saw him there… Valek sighed. It wouldn't be pretty.

The clammer of voices and his hunger finally drove Valek away. He hadn't eaten since…no idea. After grabbing a meat pie and a carafe of water from the kitchen—another overly loud place—he trudged to his office and collapsed into his well-loved chair.

Eating still hurt, but the food helped revive him and he considered his immediate problem: How to find Alea before her friends arrived? Valek dug into his travel pack and pulled out Mogkan's journal. He read through the list of magicians and their talents.

Like them all, Alea could mentally communicate and influence thoughts. Then there was her ability to break a tree branch. Was that considered moving an object? Possibility. However, she'd waited until he was underneath it. He had jumped over several logs on the ground as he had chased her. Why not raise one of them to trip him? Perhaps she didn't have enough power to lift something that heavy. Far easier to break a branch and let it fall.

Then there was Janco. Had he sensed Alea's magic? Or was she not strong enough to influence him and Ari at the same time? No. They both couldn't see her until Valek blocked her magic for Ari.

His head throbbed. All this speculation wasn't helping. Valek needed to talk it out like he used to do with Yelena. He missed her more than he'd expected. She had woven into the fabric of his life so innocuously that he hadn't noticed it until she was gone, leaving him tattered and lonely.

Gah. He was being maudlin. Valek had others to help him brainstorm. Even though exhaustion pressed on his injuries, he roused his remaining energy and wrote a message. Then hunted down one of the pages who delivered messages within the castle complex. He handed the note to the boy and returned to his office. His extra bedroll was covered with dust, but he spread it out on the floor and promptly laid down.

A knock on his office door woke him two hours later. The nap had cleared his head and revived him somewhat. Still not at full strength, but at least the pity party was over. For now. He unlocked the door and let Ari and Janco inside.

Janco stared at him. "You look…uh…better?"

"Are you asking me or telling me?"

"Uh… Look, boss, I'm really sorry for freaking out in the woods. I should have known bees don't fly at night and certainly not during the warm season."

"Not your fault, Janco."

"You wanted to see us?" Ari asked, stopping his partner from voicing a protest.

"Yes. Have a seat." Valek settled behind the desk. "What happened when I took off after Alea in the forest?"

"That was Alea?" Janco asked with a groan. "That means there are eight of them now."

"Yes. That's about all I found out before she attacked me."

"It's more than we had before," Ari remarked. "I wasn't sure who to chase after at first. You both took off in opposite directions, but we're trained to never leave our partners, so I went after Janco. He didn't get far before the magic wore off. Or she stopped sending it. Then we tracked you and heard the branch crash in the distance. By the time we found you, the mag—Alea was gone. The limb was too heavy for us to lift. We ran back to camp, woke the Commander, and you know the rest."

"Thank you for rescuing me."

"Part of the job," Ari demurred.

"Not a damsel-in-distress, but I'm sure I can embellish the story a bit." Janco grinned.

"When you saw the bees, what did you feel?" Valek asked.

Janco's smile died. "Panicked. They were crawling all over me."

"Did they sting you?"

"Well, no 'cause they were imaginary."

"But you felt them crawling."

"Oh! Well, yeah. I guess that was me being twitchy."

"Have you ever felt twitchy when you were around Yelena?" he asked.

"Why do you— Oh." Janco's gaze grew distant. "Not really. Well, at the end there, after she had her…epiphany about fighting and was hard to beat. I'd get this…" He rubbed his forearms. "Tingle." He shrugged. "I just thought it was me. The expectation of a good fight usually gives me goosebumps."

"What about when the Sitians visited?"

"Ah. Fourth Magician gives me the creeps. I know she's a nice magician, but…" He shuddered and then turned to Ari. "Remember that time we were practicing in the storeroom?"

"We practiced there hundreds of times."

"When the Sitians were in the castle, and we had that strange, intense conversation as if we were solving all the world's problems?"

"Yeah, I was agreeing with you. That almost never happens."

Janco ignored the comment. "I wanted to stop, but I couldn't. Not quite the creeps, but definitely weird."

"And what about at Brazell's manor house? When you fought your way to the room with the victims?"

Another shudder shook him. "Everything about that manor house gave me the creeps. But I was focused on fighting, I didn't notice anything else but block, block, dodge, stab, stab, duck, and repeat."

Ari grabbed Janco's arm. "The door."

"What door?"

"When we reached the end of the hall and Fourth Magician opened the door to that room. You flinched or something, and the guy you were fighting stabbed you." He turned to Valek. "Do you think Janco is sensitive to magic? Is that the reason for his twitching? I thought it was just his intuition and experience."

"I do, but I don't know how reliable it is. We need to experiment, but we don't have the time or resources right now. However, I'm ordering you both not to tell anyone."

"But Alea must know," Ari said. "Doesn't she read thoughts?"

"Yes, but neither of you would have been thinking about that. Just that Janco was feeling twitchy. Plus, I'm hoping she takes that knowledge to her grave."

"Why not tell people?" Janco asked.

"Think about it," Valek said. "Ari, don't help him."

The big man chuckled.

"I could be a target," he said, not looking at all upset by the revelation. "Alea might think I'll expose her and kill me. But I can still be affected by magic. So, I'm not much of a threat."

"You're enough of a threat for a high-stakes operation like the one Alea is trying to pull off. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have thought to search for magic that night," Valek said.

Ari grew serious. "We'll be extra vigilant."

"Are you still interested in being a part of my team?" Valek asked.

"We are." Ari straightened.

"All right. I don't want you sleeping in the barracks anymore. There are a couple empty bedrooms in the hexagon where my corps live. There's also a small suite that has two bedrooms and a common area."

"We'll take the suite," Ari said without consulting Janco.

Not a surprise. "Okay. Once we deal with the magicians, I'll start your training."

"Sneaky spy stuff?" Janco asked.

"Yes."

"Woo hoo!"

"And how are we going to deal with the magicians?" Ari asked.

"I'm still working it out." Then it hit him. Valek wouldn't be able to brainstorm with them. "Unfortunately, I can't tell you my plans."

"Why not?" Janco pouted.

"Because Alea will learn about them from our thoughts," Ari said.

"Yes, she knows both of you are working with me. I'll have to work with people who are unknown to her."

"But we can still help. Right?" Janco asked.

"Yes, you'll probably receive orders without explanations. You'll have to follow them without question or thinking about it too much. Can you do that?"

They both agreed, but neither appeared happy about it. Valek didn't blame them, he wasn't pleased about the situation either.

"Report to Kenda. Her office is on the first floor of the hexagon. She'll give you the keys to the suite so you can move in right away. Also ask Kenda for a copy of the manual on silent communication. You need to learn and memorize the signals. It's the first lesson all my spies are required to master."

"What about Major Granten, our squad leader?" Ari asked.

"I'll send him your transfer paperwork."

Ari leaned forward, suddenly intense. "Can we still challenge you?"

Ah, he hadn't given up his goal of beating Valek in a fight and becoming his second-in-command. Ari had also threatened to promote Janco to be third-in-command.

"Of course." Valek looked forward to sparring them again.

"Ooohhh, let's challenge him now," Janco said. "One good jab to his ribs, and?—"

"No. That wouldn't be fair." Ari crossed his massive arms.

"Who says it has to be fair?" Janco looked at Valek. "Right? There are no real rules, are there?"

"Nothing written down, but I can refuse a challenge."

"We won't issue a challenge unless it's a fair fight," Ari declared.

Ignoring Ari's comment, Janco asked, "Would you refuse if I challenged you right now?"

"Yes. These challenges are staged where everyone can witness them. No one would accept you as my second-in-command if I fought you while injured. You'd have the title, but not the respect or loyalty or cooperation of the other soldiers, my network, the Commander, the?—"

"I get it," Janco said. "And I wasn't going to challenge you. I was just curious."

"Cat, Janco. Remember the cat," Ari said.

Janco grinned. "I still have four lives left."

Valek knew not to ask for an explanation or they'd be here all night. Instead, he dismissed them. They had helped in reminding him to be very careful who he confided in. The only mind Alea couldn't read was his, but he suspected she wouldn't read the minds of every single person in the castle. Too time consuming, and it would drain her energy. He had no doubt that she was already somewhere inside the castle complex.

It was easy enough to get inside without magic. All she needed was a uniform for one of the invisible members of the household, like a housekeeper or kitchen server, to blend in. Valek had done it countless times. Too bad he couldn't send Janco to go around the barracks, kitchen, and castle to see if anyone made him twitchy. He needed someone who was good at reading people but was relatively unknown.

Valek considered his corps, the advisers, the officers, but thought most of them would be…too obvious. Needing to move, he prowled around his cluttered office. He picked up one of the gray rocks he transformed into his sculptures. Perhaps a session in his carving studio would help him focus. But he wouldn't be able to tolerate the noise of the grinding wheel.

Setting the rock down, he spotted Sven's dagger. Grief filled his heart. Sven had died working undercover, attempting to stop the black market dealers. Valek planned to give the black blade to his son, Adrik, when he graduated from spy training. Valek smiled, thinking of Ari and Janco learning with a bunch of younger— Trevar!

Sven's best baiter was also training to become a part of Valek's corps. Trevar had an uncanny ability to read people and had hooked many customers for Sven's fake black market shop. He'd be perfect.

As he wrote the message requesting Trevar's presence, Valek thought of someone else who could help and wrote a second note.

* * *

Trevar arrived soon after. He paused in the doorway when he spotted Valek's bruised face but didn't comment. Instead, he said, "I hope this meeting is what I've been waiting for." His blue eyes flashed with excitement.

Valek led him to his desk and gestured for Trevar to sit down. "What have you been waiting for?"

"A mission. A challenge. Graduation. Take your pick. I'm bored stiff."

"You've only been in training for six months. You need a year at least."

Trevar sagged in his seat and ran a hand through his sandy-blond hair. "But it's all…repetition. Day in and day out. The. Same. Thing."

"There's a reason for that."

"Yeah, yeah. Muscle memory and being able to react automatically while under stress. It's no longer a challenge."

"I can confer with your teachers and see about accelerating your training."

"But I know everything."

Valek laughed. "Really? Wow, I'm impressed. I don't even know everything. If I did, I wouldn't be this bruised." He gently touched his cheek.

"Sorry, I'm just bored."

"So you said." Perhaps having Ari and Janco to train with would make it more interesting for Trevar. "How about a mission?"

Trevar sat up. All the angst disappeared from his handsome face. "Yes! I'll do anything! Please!"

Valek explained what he needed Trevar to do.

The poor guy deflated. "Be friendly with the newbies? How is that important?"

"It's very important. You have all the uniforms?"

"Yeah, we've been training on how to blend in. You want me to just chat people up?"

"Yes. Start with the kitchen staff and then housekeeping, pages, and the guards."

He perked up a bit. "The guards are more of a challenge. They get very cliquish and are generally suspicious of everyone. What about the soldiers in the barracks?"

"I've someone else in mind for outside the rest of the complex."

"What is the purpose of doing this? What am I trying to learn?"

"You'll know when it happens."

"Is this a joke?"

"No."

"All right. I'll go talk to people." He stood to leave.

"Make sure you turn on your charm, Trevar. Be genuine, think good thoughts, and don't make anyone suspicious."

Trevar paused as the seriousness of the situation finally sank in. "Will do."

* * *

"What happened to your face?" Maren asked.

"Hello, nice to see you, too," Valek replied.

She grunted. "Does your new facial tattoo mean you have a new second-in-command?"

"Yes. I'll be training Mr. Tree Branch when he arrives from the forest."

"Ahh." Unsure about the joke, she looked around his office. "Is there a reason you wanted to see me?" A hopeful note had crept into her voice.

"Yes, but first tell me why you're so annoyed."

"Sorry, sir. It's nothing."

He waited.

"Just…feeling left out. Ari and Janco got to go with you to MD-5 and… I don't know. I kinda thought we were a team, which is silly because all we did was workout together. Well, we had that one mission." She grinned a Janco grin—all teeth and glee. "Nothing like a successful smash and grab to bring people closer." Then she sobered. "Maybe I should try to get a transfer into the Commander's elite guard."

"They're no longer with that unit. Ari and Janco have agreed to train with my corps."

"Really? I thought Ari wanted to be your second."

"He does. He's just taking another route to get there."

She eyed him. Her long blond hair was pulled back into a braid. Tall and athletic, she was deadly with a bo staff.

"My offer still stands," he said. Maren had impressed him with her fighting skills when she had challenged him, so much so that he'd offered her a spot in his corps.

"Really?"

"Really."

"I'll think about it."

"Good. In the meantime, I know you like to welcome the new female recruits and offer to help them get settled. Has there been anyone new lately?"

"How new?"

"In the last six days."

She mulled it over. "Several came in with the platoon from MD-3. They are not new to being soldiers, but new to the complex."

And a perfect cover for Alea. Platoons from other military districts frequently came for extra training. The Snake Forest was unique, as it was not only the biggest forest in Ixia, but it was along the southern border. If war broke out between Ixia and Sitia, all the Commander's soldiers needed to know how to fight in the woods.

"Have you talked to any of them?"

"No. Just seen them around the barracks."

From what he'd learned from Ziva Moon, magical illusions used up a great deal of energy. And Alea would soon exhaust herself if she tried changing the perceptions of everyone around her. He guessed that she would use non magical means for a disguise, and it was easier to blend in if she kept her general features.

"Can you keep an eye on them? And any other new female recruits that come in. From a distance, though. I don't want you interacting with them or getting too close. I don't want them to know you're watching them."

"I can. Is there a reason why?"

"There is, but I can't tell you."

"Okay. Is this the type of thing you ask your corps to do?"

"Sometimes."

"Doesn't sound too exciting."

"As I told Janco, ninety percent of this job is not exciting."

"Am I hoping to see them do something interesting?"

"Yes."

"And I'm to let you know."

"When you can."

"And what happens if I accidentally get too close?"

"Think about anything other than the reason you're that close. Think about one of your bo fights. Or visualize the moves for the Ranken Qua kata."

"That's a tricky one. I almost clunked myself on the head with that one. Are you going to explain what's going on later?"

"Yes."

"All right. I'm in."

After Maren left, his office seemed too quiet, but the thought of going to his empty suite held no appeal. Instead, he lit a number of candles to push back the encroaching darkness, opened Star's file, and read.

Her organization had been extensive. It included gambling, trading black market goods, theft, smuggling, espionage, and assassinations. He had thought her main business was located in Castletown, but when they raided the house, they only nabbed a dozen minor affiliates. Star and her upper echelon were long gone, along with any evidence that Valek could use to find out where they went. It was only a matter of time before he found her other hideout.

It was by pure chance that Star had been caught. She'd used Rand, Yelena's friend, and the Commander's ex-chef, to lure Yelena away from the camp when they had been traveling to Brazell's. But Rand felt guilty for the ruse and warned her. Valek never liked Rand, but after learning that Rand pushed Yelena out of the way and took an arrow to the heart for her, Valek had changed his mind about the man. He'd redeemed himself in the end.

By the time Valek had figured out what was going on, Yelena had killed both of Star's goons and was intent on killing Star. Valek had stopped her. Star had too much valuable information. Although, it appeared that Star wasn't going to divulge her secrets easily. That was okay, Valek liked a challenge.

A knock sounded on his door. Valek glanced at the window. Night had fallen and a few of the candles had burned out. How long had he been reading?

"Come in," he said, as his hand grasped the hilt of the cloud-kissed dagger sheathed on his belt.

The Commander entered. Valek about fell out of his chair when he tried to stand. The man avoided Valek's messy office at all costs. He claimed clutter made him nauseous.

"Sir?"

Ambrose carried a plate filled with steaming meat and potatoes, covered with a brown gravy. It smelled divine. "According to the kitchen staff, you missed dinner." He set it down on the desk and then sat on the edge of the chair as if to avoid touching anything.

"Uh, thank you." Valek settled back in his chair, but he was far from relaxed.

"I'd like to apologize for my earlier…outburst."

Oh no. Was the Commander already under Alea's influence? "You would?"

"The severity of my reaction was uncalled for. The business with Brazell and Mogkan has unsettled me. You are only doing your job. It makes sense to be extra careful, especially since Alea is in the castle."

Valek jumped to his feet. "You saw her? What happened?"

"I did not encounter her. However, foreign thoughts struck me from time to time this afternoon."

"Foreign thoughts?"

"Yes. There was the one insisting you are no longer trustworthy. Others that urged me to arrest you. And the ones compelling me to kill you were quite strong. I'm getting a sense this Alea does not like you."

"The feeling is mutual. Any other problems? Symptoms? Do you feel twitchy?"

The Commander lifted a brow. "Twitchy? No. Nor did I get the sense that Alea was digging for information."

"Is she targeting you at this moment? I might be able to find her."

"No. She has given up for now."

"I'll stay with you and?—"

The Commander raised his hand. "I still believe your time is better spent hunting her down. However, I would like you to be close by while I'm asleep. I can ignore her requests while awake, but I'm afraid I won't be able to resist her while asleep."

That was a big admission for the Commander. "How close? Like big spoon close?" Valek joked.

The Commander didn't crack a smile. "On the couch in my suite is close enough."

"All right."

"Good. Any progress on the hunt?"

"I've a couple agents working on it. And now that we have confirmation that she's here, it'll take away some of the guess work."

"Good." He rose and glanced around the office. Valek was glad the light was dim. "This place is filthy. Get it cleaned."

"Yes, sir."

"I'll see you later." The Commander strode to the door. He paused at the threshold and turned. "And Valek?"

"Yes?"

"I would be the big spoon."

Valek laughed. "Anytime, sir."

* * *

Valek updated Kenda on the situation. "It's best to keep your distance from a magician. I want everyone to carry crossbows, blowpipes and darts filled with sleeping juice, and shields."

"Shields?" she asked.

"Some magicians can fling objects."

"But won't they be too obvious?"

"It doesn't matter. Alea already knows we know she's here."

"I'll remind our corps members of their training. And give the Commander's guards a refresher."

"Find me if anything unusual or strange happens." He told her where he would be sleeping until this was over.

"Is the Commander spooked?"

"No. I'd say rattled. Which is to be expected. He's always in control. For someone to take that away from him must have been…" Valek couldn't think of an appropriate word.

"Horrible," Kenda provided. "And he's probably going to be difficult to deal with as he recovers. There'll be mood swings, irritability, paranoia, and emotional withdraw."

Valek was impressed. "Do you have experience with this?"

"Some of our agents have the same issues after they return from an unsuccessful mission. And a few have it even when the mission is successful. Even though they're home, they can't shut that hyper-vigilance off. I've been learning to recognize the symptoms, so I don't assign a struggling agent a new mission too soon."

And this was another reason why he'd promoted Kenda. Valek just didn't have the emotional depth to address all his agents' needs. He could provide them with training, weapons, money, advice, but couldn't do more. Hell, he couldn't even manage his own emotions. "Does it take them long to recover?"

"Depends on the person. Some need a few days, others a few weeks or months. We've had a few retire early or transfer out of the corps due to it. I think the worst is when one of our agents dies. There's a ripple effect throughout the corps that extends beyond that person's friends and family."

And they had recently lost Sven, who everyone liked. "How's Sven's son, Adrik, doing with the training?"

"He has good and bad days. Same with Trevar. Sven might not have been Trevar's father, but the two of them bonded pretty quick. And Trevar's a right pain in the ass."

"Oh?"

"He's too smart for his own good. He learns new skills quickly but doesn't have the patience for repetition. And the trainer told me he disappeared today." She squinted at Valek. "Maybe you should talk to him."

"To scare him straight?"

"Something like that."

Valek laughed, thinking how Trevar hadn't been one bit intimidated when he had summoned him to his office. "Won't work. Once Trevar returns, start ambushing him. He'll learn real quick that he's not as ready as he thought."

"Ooohhh. I like." She sobered. "If he shows up."

"He will."

Kenda gave him a sharp look but didn't ask why he sounded so confident. "Where will you be before you join the Commander this evening?"

"I'll be around."

"That's vague."

"That's the point."

"Ah."

* * *

Valek walked slowly around the castle. He kept his senses open, hoping to encounter magic in use. Sometimes it was a light touch, like walking through a cobweb. Other times, it pressed on his skin like a wet towel, and moving through it required effort. If it was really strong, it could knock him off his feet, but that was rare. The King had almost killed Valek because he had thrown all his power at him when they had fought.

After he roamed through the entire castle without success, Valek headed to the Commander's suite. It was right across the corridor from Valek's, and the only way into that corridor was through a locked door normally guarded by two well-trained soldiers.

He rounded the corner. The four guards before the door turned and aimed their loaded crossbows at his chest. Valek stopped. He recognized all of them. However, their hard expressions didn't soften. He'd been searching for Alea's magic all night. Had he just found it?