Council’s trust.”
Learning about my powers was what I had desired all along. Ferde was no longer a threat and the Council knew about the Daviians. If they wished to believe Cahil, why should I care? The Commander’s army would prevail against Cahil. I had sought to avoid a war, but I held no sway within the Council. Why couldn’t I be selfish for once and stay out of politics while I explored my powers?
I agreed. But the slight rush of relief failed to ease the pang of doubt. Moon Man’s comment about becoming a slave to another echoed in my mind.
I returned to my rooms in Irys’s Keep tower. She had given me three of the ten floors to use. I trudged up the steps, anxious, worried and frustrated. Roze’s boast she could handle the Fire Warper had better be true. Bain’s Efe books described power symbols and blood rituals, but he had discovered nothing to counter them. And there was no mention of a Fire Warper.
Dax had translated the bulk of the books, but a few chapters remained. He planned to spend the afternoon working on them. My worry also stemmed from a comment Dax had made about Gelsi. Bain’s other apprentice, Gelsi, had been Ferde s last victim, but I stopped him in time and revived her body and returned Gelsi s soul.
When I had inquired about her, Dax’s vague response caused me to question him further.
“To tell the truth,” Dax had replied, “she’s different than before.”
“Different how?” I had asked.
“She’s harsher. Unhappy.” He moved his arms in a gesture of futility. “She no longer enjoys life. She’s more preoccupied with death. It’s hard to explain. Master Bloodgood is working with her. We hope it’s a condition she can work through and not—” Dax shrugged “—permanent. Maybe you can talk to her?”
I promised to visit her. Thinking back, I had returned two people’s souls to bodies that had been dead. Gelsi and Stono. And both came back changed. Were their altered personalities due to something I did when I held their souls? My anxiety grew over what I might discover about my Soulfinder abilities with Gede.
Uneasiness soured my stomach, and I remembered the attack Roze had sent me where Flame Me made a soulless army. While it didn’t apply to Gelsi and Stono, I recalled Stono s offer to kill for me.
With those morbid thoughts, I reached my rooms. Even though I had three levels, I only possessed enough furniture to occupy one. An armoire, a desk, a single bed and night table looked lonely in the round room. I would need to do some shopping when I had the time. Right now finding souls took priority over finding curtains. Then I could be Yelena, the all-powerful Curtainfinder. Able to decorate a room in one hour.
I laughed out loud.
“What’s so funny?” a heart-melting voice asked from behind me.
Valek leaned in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest as if he visited me every day. Dressed as one of the Keep’s servants, he wore a gray tunic and pants.
“I was thinking about curtains.” I moved toward him.
“Curtains are funny?”
“In comparison to all my other thoughts, yes, curtains can be amusing. But you, sir, are the best thing that’s happened to me all day, all week and, now that I think about it, all season.” Two steps and I was wrapped in his arms.
“That’s the best welcome I’ve had all day.”
I could only imagine what he had been up to. His ability to get into any building undetected made him the most feared man in Sitia. And his immunity to magic terrified the Master Magicians. He was Commander Ambrose’s best weapon against them.
“Do I want to know why you’re here?” I asked.
“No.”
I sighed. “Should I know why you’re here?”
“Yes. But not now.” He leaned over and his lips met mine, and it no longer mattered why.
The late-afternoon sun woke me and reminded me about my meeting with Gede. I nudged Valek awake. We huddled under the blankets against the icy air.
Valek moved to get up. “I’ll make a fire—”
“No!” I grabbed his arm, stopping him.
He peered at me with concern. I marveled at the rich sapphire color of his eyes and how they contrasted with his pale skin.
“You’ll need to reapply your skin-darkening makeup,” I said, brushing a black strand of hair away from his face.
He held my hand. “Nice try, but you are going to tell me why you don’t want a fire.”
“Only if you tell me why you’re here.” I countered.
“Agreed.”
I filled him in on the series of events with Cahil, Ferde and the Fire Warper.
“It’s ridiculous to think the Commander is working with these Vermin.” Valek looked thoughtful. “So the Wannabe King has chosen to ignore the truth about his birth. You got to admit his ability to dupe the entire Council is impressive.”
“Not the entire Council. Irys doesn’t believe Cahil and I’m sure there are others.” I waved my hand in a shooing motion. “Doesn’t matter. It’s not my concern. I’ve been told to be a good little student and mind my own business.”
Valek snorted. “Like you would listen to them.”
“I agreed.”
He laughed long and hard. “You. Not. Get involved.” Valek paused to catch his breath. “You’ve been in the midst of trouble ever since you became the Commander’s food taster, love. You would never walk away.”
I waited until he wiped the tears from his cheeks. “This is different. Then I didn’t have a choice.”
“Oh? And you have a choice now?”
“Yes. I’ll let the Council deal with these Vermin and I’ll stay out of trouble.”
“But you know they can’t counter them.”
“They don’t want my help.”
Valek sobered and a hard edge glinted in his gaze. “What happens when the Vermin win?”
“I’ll stay with you in Ixia.”
“What about your parents? Leif? Moon Man? Irys? Do they come with you? And what happens when these Warpers with their incredible blood magic decide to follow you to Ixia? What choice will you have then?” He studied my face. “You can’t let your fear of the Fire Warper stop you from—”
Annoyed, I snapped. “The Council has stopped me. They’re the ones who are against me.” Besides, I didn’t want to think about my family—they were all grown people able to look after themselves. Then why did guilt tug at my heart and doubt squeeze my chest?
“You just said there’re a few Councilors on your side. Once the Council hears Marrok’s evidence tonight, they’ll believe you about the Wannabe King.”
“How did you know about Marrok?” Irys had just told me this morning. I had insisted on attending Marrok’s questioning, but she said the session was closed, for Councilors only.
Amusement returned to Valek’s face. “Servants. Their information network is far superior to a corps of trained spies.” In an offhand way, he added, “I’ll tell you about the session later tonight.”
“You rat! It’s a closed meeting. Only you would try to pull it off.”
“You know me, love.”
“I know. You crave a challenge and you’re cocky.”
He grinned. “I wouldn’t call it cocky. A certain amount of self-confidence is needed, especially for my line of work.” He turned serious. “And for yours.”
I ignored the implication. “Speaking of work, we made a deal. Why are you here?”
He stretched his arms over his head and yawned, pretending to consider my question.
“Valek,” I warned, poking him in the ribs. “Tell me.”
“The Commander sent me.”
“Why?”
“To assassinate the Sitian Council.”
