Magic Study - Study 2

tea.

Ghost, Kiki said.

Before I could understand what Kiki meant, Valek sauntered into our group from the tall grass of the plains. Everyone froze for a second in shock. Cahil gaped.

“That’s an interesting choice, love,” Valek said. “You’ll need some time to think it over. In the meantime…” Valek held his arms away from his body as he moved closer to Cahil. He had changed from his beggar disguise into the plain brown tunic and pants that the local citizens wore. He appeared to be unarmed, but I knew better, and, it seemed, so did Cahil who transferred Topaz’s reins to his left hand and pulled his sword.

“Let’s see if I have this right,” Valek continued, seeming unconcerned about Cahil’s sword a few feet away. “You want revenge for your family. Understandable. But you should know that the royal family is not your family. One thing I have learned over the years is to know my enemy. The royal bloodline ended the day the Commander took control of Ixia. I made sure of that.”

“You lie!” Cahil urged Topaz forward, lunging at Valek with his sword.

Stepping to the side with grace and speed, Valek avoided being trampled and cut.

When Cahil turned Topaz for another charge, I said, “It makes sense. Valek wouldn’t leave a job unfinished.”

He pulled back on the bridle, stopping in disbelief. “Your love for him has damaged your senses.”

“And your hunger for power has affected your intelligence. Your men are using you, yet you refuse to see the obvious.”

Cahil shook his head. “I won’t listen to any more lies. My men are loyal. They obey me or else they will be punished. Goel’s death helped me to reinforce that lesson.”

I recognized that flatness in his pale blue eyes. “You killed Goel.”

He smiled. “My men have pledged their lives to me. I committed no crime.” He brandished his sword. “Ready,” he called to his men. “Aim and—”

“Think about this before you gloat about your men, Cahil. They look to Captain Marrok for approval before following your orders. They gave you a sword that was too heavy for you, and failed to properly train you with it. You are supposed to be related to the King, who was a powerful magician. Why don’t you have any magic?”

“I—” Cahil hesitated.

His men glanced at each other in either consternation or confusion. I couldn’t tell, but it broke their concentration. And in that moment, Valek leaped onto Kiki’s back behind me. She took off into the plains without being told. I grabbed her mane as Valek’s arms encircled my waist, and Kiki broke into her gust-of-wind gait.

I heard Cahil yell fire, and thought I heard the whiz of a dart near my ear, but we were soon out of range. Kiki traveled twice the distance of a normal gallop without any obvious effort. When the moon had reached its apex, Kiki slowed then stopped.

Smell gone, she said.

Valek and I slid off her back. I inspected her for injuries before she snorted with impatience and moved away to graze.

I shivered in the cold air, searching my body for darts before wrapping my cloak tighter. “That was close.”

“Not really,” Valek said, pulling me toward him. “We distracted the men so when Wannabe King gave the order they didn’t have time to aim.”

Valek felt warm even though he wasn’t wearing a cloak. Seeming to read my thoughts, he said, “I’ll share yours.” He smiled with a mischievous delight. “But first you need a fire, food and some sleep.”

I shook my head. “I need you.” It didn’t take me long to convince him. Once I had divested him of his clothes, he elected to join me in my cloak.

I woke to the delightful smell of roasting meat. Squinting in the bright sunlight, I saw Valek crouched near a fire. He had set up a spit of meat over the glowing embers.

“Breakfast?” I asked as my stomach rumbled.

“Dinner. You’ve slept all day.”

I sat up. “You should have woken me. What if Cahil finds us?”

“Doubtful with all this magic in the air.” Valek peered into the sky, scenting the wind. “Does it bother you?”

I opened my mind to the power surrounding us. The Sandseed’s protective magic tried to invade and confuse Valek’s thoughts, but his immunity deflected the strands of power with ease. The magic seemed indifferent to my presence.

“No.” I told Valek about my distant relationship to the Sandseed clan. “If I came close to their village with the intent to harm them, I think the protection would attack me.” Then I thought about Moon Man’s magical abilities and his scimitar. “Either that or one of their Story Weavers would.”

Valek considered. “How long will it take us to reach the Daviian Plateau?”

“It depends on Kiki. If she decides to use her gust-of-wind gait, we could be there in a few hours.”

“Gust-of-wind? Is that what you call it? I’ve never seen a horse run that fast before.”

I mulled over Valek’s comment. “She only does it when we’re in the plains. Perhaps it’s connected to the Sandseed’s magic.”

Valek shrugged. “Faster is better. The faster we can take care of Alea, the better.”

But exactly how we would take care of Alea remained the real question. I knew she would be a threat to me if she had survived her injury, yet I didn’t want to kill her. Perhaps turning her over to the Sandseeds would be enough. I thought about Moon Man’s remarks about the Daviian Vermin, and realized that Ferde’s comment about the existence of others might not have been about Alea coming after me, but about the other Daviians.

Valek pulled the meat from the fire and handed the spit to me. “Eat. You need your strength.”

I sniffed the unidentifiable lump. “What is it?”

He laughed. “You’re better off not knowing.”

“Poisons?”

“You tell me,” he teased.

I took an experimental bite. The juicy meat had an odd earthy taste. Some type of rodent, I thought, but no poisons. When I had finished my supper, we began to pack up our meager supplies.

“Valek, after we deal with Alea, you must promise to return to Ixia.”

He grinned. “Why would I do that? I’m beginning to enjoy the climate. I might build a summer home here.”

“It’s that cocky attitude that got you into trouble in the first place.”

“No, love. It was you. If you hadn’t gotten yourself captured by Goel, I wouldn’t have tipped my hand to the Wannabe King.”

“You didn’t tip your hand. I’m afraid I did that when I was fighting with Cahil.”

“Defending my honor again?” he asked.

Back in Ixia, I had inadvertently exposed one of his undercover operations by standing up for him. “Yes.”

He shook his head in amazement. “I know you love me, so you can stop proving it. I really don’t care what Wannabe King thinks of me.”

I thought about Cahil. “Valek, I’m sorry for believing you killed Goel.”

He waved away my apology. “You would have been right. I went back to take care of him for you, but he had beaten me to it.” Valek’s angular features grew serious. “The Wannabe King remains a problem.”

I nodded. “One that I’ll deal with.”

“Now who’s cocky?”

I started to protest, but Valek stopped me with a kiss. When he pulled away, I noticed that Kiki’s head was up and her ears pointed forward.

Smell? I asked her. Then I heard the sound of hoof beats, heading toward us.

Rusalka, Kiki said. Sad Man.

My first reaction was annoyance that Leif had followed us. But the thought that, if he could find us, then so could Cahil filled me with apprehension.

Anyone else? I asked.