Fire Study

by Maria V. Snyder

  Too many questions without answers swirled in my mind. Eventually, my thoughts bounced back to the need to do something soon, because I sensed being delivered to the Fire Warper would be the ultimate end.

  “Let’s get moving. If we push, we can reach the Avibian border by sundown.”

  Cahil’s voice woke me from a light doze. A few disorienting seconds passed before I remembered my predicament and his words sank in. Shock followed understanding. We were in Sitia. I must have been under the influence of the goo-goo juice for days. Where was Valek? So much for my promise not to go to Sitia without him.

  “Should we check on her?” a voice with an Ixian accent asked.

  “No. She’s under Curare now. She can’t do anything besides breathe until the potion wears off,” Cahil answered. “Finish feeding the girls. We’ll let the juice wear off before we prepare them for the ritual.”

  The girls? I peered through one of the slits in my crate. Another crate lay beside mine. My stomach turned to ice. How many and could I help them? I suppressed a hollow laugh. Here I was trying to save others while locked in a box.

  Two lids slammed then the crate lurched forward. The sound of trotting horses added to the rumble of the wagon. We were on our way.

  My body went through a gamut of emotions as the day passed. Sometimes terrified, sometimes hopeful and sometimes bored, I even listed an inventory of woes. Thirsty, hungry, aching ribs, numb hands, sore muscles and a burning cramp between my shoulder blades. With the noise of our travel masking my movements, I attempted to alleviate some of my misery. I squirmed and wiggled until I managed to squeeze my body and legs through my arms. The benefits of keeping limber and being small became apparent as I succeeded in bringing my tied hands to the front of my body. I almost groaned aloud when cool relief spread over my back.

  Having my hands in front allowed me to explore. I patted my right thigh, checking for my switchblade. No luck. Even the holder had been removed. I stared at the knots on the leather straps binding my hands and pulled at them with my teeth. I untied a few before the wagon stopped, but I decided to keep working, risking discovery.

  “We’ll camp here,” Cahil said. “When you’re done setting up, let the girls out. They should be lucid by now and you can get them ready for the Kirakawa tomorrow.”

  “What about the Soulfinder?” one of the Vermin asked.

  “Drakke will give her another dose tonight. Too much Curare could stop her heart,” Cahil replied.

  I listened to the sounds of the men in the camp as I continued to gnaw and pull at my bindings. The smell of roasting meat stole into my crate. My stomach grumbled with alarming loudness. After a while, two crates were opened and two scared voices asked questions. By the brief flash of a red jumper through the slits in my box, I guessed the girls were the students from Ixia. Liv and Kieran. My heart went out to them.

  Again I wondered how the Vermin and Cahil had managed to smuggle us all out of Ixia. Perhaps the Vermin had posed as traders taking a wagonload of goods across the border.

  I caught glimpses of the camp. A tent had been erected and I counted four guards and three Vermin. Some of the guards I recognized as Cahil’s men, while two looked unfamiliar. All were armed with swords or scimitars. I searched for some sign of my backpack. The limited view hindered me, although I guessed my pack would be found with Cahil.

  The daylight faded, and I renewed my efforts on the leather strips around my wrists. Each shrill scream from one of the girls spurred me on. I ignored the pain, the smell of fear and the metallic taste of blood as I yanked at the knots. Cahil had mentioned a ritual tomorrow. Tonight would be my only chance to escape.

  The last knot proved impossible to untie, but my spit had soaked the leather enough to give a little when I moved. I pulled my hand through the last loop, scraping off a layer of skin in the process. Panting with relief, I relaxed and waited for my crate to open.

  My plan was simple, with as much chance for failure as for success. Time moved at a glacial pace. Years crept by. When the rasp and click of the lock finally sounded, I laced my hands behind my back and froze.

  A soft yellow glow of firelight reflected off the Vermin who opened my crate. He lifted the lid up with one hand and reached toward me with the other. He held a tiny dart between his finger and thumb.

  I moved.

  Grabbing his hand in both of mine, I yanked him toward me, unbalancing him. He grunted with surprise. His weight came forward. I bent his hand back and shoved the dart into the Vermin’s shoulder. Letting go of his hand, I covered his mouth to stifle his yell.

  Mere seconds later the Curare paralyzed his muscles. The lid rested on his back and his body leaned on my chest. Knowing I probably had seconds before someone discovered us, I pulled the rest of him inside my box. An awkward, difficult maneuver to do while trying to keep the lid from slamming down.

  Once the Vermin joined me, I wriggled from under his body and lifted the lid to peek out. The guards remained by the fire, but the other two Vermin were out of sight. The two girls had been stripped and tied down by the fire. Bloody cuts lined their arms and legs. There was nothing I could do for them right now. One problem at a time.

  I slid down to the end of my crate and considered my options. Try to sneak out of the box and slip into the night or just shove the lid up and make a run for it?

  What I really needed was a distraction, but that involved magic. By the time they figured out the magic came from me, I would be gone. I hoped.

  A flicker of black above the campfire gave me an idea. Pulling a strand of power as thin as a spider’s silk, I projected my mind toward the bat. He flew through the hot, insect-filled air rising from the flames. I tapped into the collective consciousness of his fellow bats and sent them all an image. An image of insects covering the men below. Large juicy crawling things. Easy picking for a mass of hungry bats.

  Black shapes swooped down from the sky. The guards yelled and swung their arms around. Cahil and the Warper exited the tent to investigate. The Warper yelled about magic, but his words were cut off as the bats attacked.

  I pushed the lid wide and hopped out. After a quick glance to make sure no one had noticed me, I stepped off the wagon and bolted for the darkness, keeping the wagon between me and the campfire.

  I encountered the third Vermin who had been tending the horses. Prepared for my approach, he had pulled his scimitar. With a gesture of his weapon magic slammed through my mental defenses and my body froze. Another Warper. I cursed as he called for his companions. Then I realized he didn’t have control of my mind. I projected to the two horses.

  Tired, sore and unsettled by the smell of blood, the horses welcomed my contact. I appealed to them for help.

  Bad men want to hurt me, I said in their minds.

  Kick?

  Please.

  The one horse backed up. With a blur of motion, the Warper went flying. As soon as the man’s head slammed into the ground, he lost consciousness, releasing his magical hold on me.

  Thank you. I ran.

  Kick others?

  Sounds of pursuit drew closer. The bats had lost their insect image when I switched my efforts to the horses.

  If you can, I said, increasing my speed. Shouts of surprise reached my ears. I glanced over my shoulder. Four figures still chased me. The terrain remained flat and featureless, as if part of the Avibian Plains. A black bulge in the distance looked promising. Perhaps it was a cluster of trees.

  The men gained on me. My hopes to reach cover faded with every step.

  I pulled power and planned to baffle my pursuers’ minds, betting my life on the pure conjecture that I possessed the ability to project confusing images into four minds in rapid succession.

  A figure on horseback approached from the left, aiming for me. I caught a glint of moonlight off a sword. My options dwindled to either bewildering the men or stopping the horse.

  My chances of success went from doubtful to none when a cold sting pricked my back.


  24

  I DIVED TO THE GROUND, rolling into a ball. The power I had drawn to confuse my pursuers I now applied to the area turning numb on my back. In my mind, I saw the Curare spreading through my muscles, seeking my bloodstream. I swept at it, using my magic like a broom and guiding the substance to the hole. A warm wetness spread on my shirt.

  The effort left me weak, and I debated the merits of pretending to be paralyzed. The ground vibrated with the drumming of hooves. The animal cut between the guards and me. An unexpected sound of steel hitting steel rang in the cool night air. I crouched.

  The horse made a quick turn and came back. Recognition shot through me. I knew that gait. I jumped to my feet.

  “Yelena!” Valek threw me my bow.

  I caught it in midair. Kiki spun and Valek slid off her back. The rapid clash of blades followed as Valek engaged four men in a sword fight. I hurried to join him before the remaining Vermin and Cahil caught up. Four against one was pushing it for Valek. He would be outnumbered against six.

  With the occasional kick from Kiki, Valek and I fought side by side. Cahil and the Warper hung back. I strengthened my mental defenses, sensing the Warper would try a magical attack.

  Once Valek cut a guard’s arm in half, we pressed our advantage. As the man fell to the ground yelling with pain, Cahil ordered the remaining men to disengage. They stepped back. Valek shot me a questioning look.

  “The girls are still at the camp,” I said.

  He nodded and we stalked the retreating men.

  The Warper threw his arms up and yelled, “Inflame.”

  Power pressed on my skin. With a whoosh of hot air, the guard on the ground burst into flames. Valek and I jumped away. The man screamed and writhed. He stilled as the intense heat consumed him. Acrid puffs of charred flesh reached us, and I covered my nose.

  “Come! Find your soul mate!” The Warper’s voice cut through the roaring fire.

  A man’s form coalesced from the pulsing flames.

  “What’s going on?” Valek asked.

  “Let’s go.” I scrambled onto Kiki’s back, Valek right behind me. Kiki took off.

  “What about the girls?”

  Guilt stabbed my heart. “Later.”

  I let Kiki decide our direction. Eventually we came to a farmhouse, modest in size and surrounded by precise flower beds. Kiki stopped at the stable and Valek slid off.

  Where are we? I asked Kiki.

  Ghost’s house. Good hay. Nice lad.

  I eyed the wooden structure with sudden distrust. Ghosts are here?

  Kiki snorted and nudged Valek. Ghost.

  Moon Man had explained to me Valek’s immunity to magic made him appear as a ghost to magical creatures.

  I looked at him. “Summer home? Isn’t it a little dangerous?”

  He smiled. “Safe house for my corps. A base of operations.”

  “How convenient.”

  The stable was empty. Valek helped me remove Kiki’s saddle and groom her, delaying the inevitable conversation.

  I sagged with fatigue, but needed to know what he had been doing while I was in my box. “How did you find me? And your timing was impeccable as always.”

  Valek pulled me into his arms. I molded to him, seeking warmth and comfort. My body shook with a delayed reaction. The horror of the Warper setting his own man on fire replayed in my mind.

  “You’re welcome, love. I had wanted to sneak in and unlock you tonight, but you had other plans. I should have been more prepared, but when I saw him poke you last night, I thought for sure you would be out of it.” He pulled me away. “Let’s go inside. I need a drink.”

  The interior of the farmhouse lacked the homey warmth of its exterior. Spartan and utilitarian, Valek’s operatives obviously didn’t entertain guests here. Valek lit a few lanterns, but I refused to let him build a fire. We huddled together on the couch, sipping brandy.

  “General Kitvivan’s white brandy?” I asked.

  “You remembered!” Valek seemed surprised.

  “There are tastes and smells that call certain memories. White brandy reminds me of the Commander’s brandy meeting.”

  “Ah, yes. And after having to taste all those brandies for the Commander, you drunkenly tried to seduce me.”

  “And you refused.” I couldn’t pinpoint a specific time or event when Valek’s feelings for me had changed. He had shocked me with his declaration of love in Brazell’s dungeon.

  “I wanted to accept. But I didn’t know if your desire was from your heart or from the brandy. You might have regretted it later.”

  The image of Valek wearing his dress uniform recreated the desire to seduce him again, but we had much to discuss.

  “Enough small talk. Tell me everything,” I ordered.

  He sighed. “You’re not going to like it.”

  “Compared to what I’ve just been through these last—what? Three days? I don’t even know. It can’t be that bad.”

  “I knew you were swimming in some very dangerous waters,” he said, “but I hadn’t known they extended so deep.”

  “Valek, get to the point.”

  He fidgeted. Fear brushed my heart. Something horrible had happened. I had never seen him fidget before. He stood and started prowling the room. His liquid movements were soundless.

  “Five days ago you were taken—”

  “Five days!” So much could have happened in that time. My thoughts went to Irys and Bain. They could be dead.

  Valek put up his hand to forestall my questions. “Let me finish first. You were kidnapped by Star, and the reason she was able to smuggle you so far south, was because…I let her.” He paused to let his words sink in.

  I stared at him in astonishment. “You set me up?”

  “Yes and no.”

  “You need to do better than that.”

  “I knew Star would want to exact some type of revenge on you. She has kept in contact with the underground network, and I allowed her because then I could learn who the new players were. With the Code of Behavior, there will always be a black market for illegal goods and forged papers. I like to keep tabs on the network to make sure things don’t go too far, like when Star hired assassins to ruin the Sitian trade treaty. And when—”

  “Get to the point.”

  “Star knew you would be at Porter’s safe house—”

  “Porter set me up?”

  “I don’t think so. Are you going to let me tell you or not?” He put his hands on his hips in annoyance.

  I gestured for him to go on.

  “I’ve known about Porter’s rescue operation for a couple years and have allowed it to continue. However, recently, his charges have been disappearing and I’ve been wondering why. But that wasn’t the reason I watched the house. I had followed Star and three of her men there, and was shocked to see you walk blindly into her trap. Didn’t you even see her?”

  “She used a subtle kind of magic.”

  “I haven’t felt her, and I’ve been working with her for a while.”

  I thought back to the night I had been captured. The only odd event had been when my perception had altered for a moment before returning to normal. Perhaps she had affected my vision somehow. “You didn’t pick up on my magic, either. And it flared out of control a couple times within the castle.”

  “I will keep it in mind,” Valek said with an icy tone. “Star’s motives for ambushing you, I understood. The surprise arrived when she and her friends also targeted the girls. I needed to know where they were taking you.”

  I mulled over his explanation. “You could have helped me that night, but instead decided to wait?”

  “A calculated risk. I wanted to discover the extent of her operation and why she kidnapped the girls. I had no idea you would end up across the border and in the Wannabe King’s hands.”

  Valek knelt in front of me, and would have taken my hands in his had I not kept my arms crossed. Anger simmered deep within me. I had lost five days. Five days for the Fire War
per to grow stronger.

  “This wouldn’t have happened at all if you told me about your meeting with Porter,” he said.

  “A calculated risk. Like it or not, I’m a magician, and if there’s a way to help my colleagues I’m going to try. I wasn’t going to tell the Commander’s magician killer about it.” Still, a small, guilt-inducing thought about killing magicians being preferable to using them to increase the Fire Warper’s power pulsed in my mind.

  Valek sank back onto his heels. His expression hardened into his metal mask. “Magician killer? Is that what you think of me?”

  “That is one of your duties for the Commander. I know how you operate. You like to stalk your prey before you pounce. Allowing Porter’s network to continue is part of your modus operandi.”

  His expression turned flat and emotionless; my anger had ruled my tongue. My fury, though, remained.

  I changed the subject. “How did Star get us into Sitia?”

  As if reporting to the Commander, Valek said, “Put you into crates, stacked boxes of goods on top, and dressed as traders. They had the proper papers. The border guards did a cursory check and off you went.” He paused as extreme irritation flashed through his eyes. “The border guards will be taken to task and retrained.”

  Valek stood. “I was going to suggest we get a few hours’ sleep and try to rescue those girls. But since I’m the magician killer, I guess I won’t concern myself about their fate.” He left the room.

  25

  THE LIFE DRAINED from the room after Valek’s departure. I blamed fatigue for my harsh words, but knew it was wrong. I had lost control of events the moment we crossed into Ixia. But the real truth was I had never had control. From the instant the Fire Warper stepped from the fire in the jungle, I’d been ruled by fear. Which had kept me alive, so far, but it had certainly made a mess of things. Valek was just the latest in a long list.