Night Study

by Maria V. Snyder

  * * *

  Valek rattled the doorknob so he wouldn’t scare Yelena. She lay in bed reading, but she glanced up from her book when he entered. He recognized it as the plant guide her father had given her.

  “What took you so long?” she asked, setting the book on the night table with a thump. The low flame in the lantern jumped.

  He’d been checking the perimeter, confirming the gates had all been locked and the buildings secured while Janco did a sweep of the surrounding forest. “Ensuring Captain Fleming isn’t at the gate with an arrest warrant.”

  “Good.” She peeled back the covers, exposing her naked body. “Join me.”

  His heart thudded so hard he feared his sternum would crack in two. Breathing became difficult, and the desire to rip the rest of the blanket off and press her to him trembled through his body. Yet he remained rooted in place. She needed to know about the starlight and Onora.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I need to tell you—”

  “Is it important?”

  “Yes.”

  Yelena pulled the blanket up, covering herself. “All right, tell me.”

  He kicked off his boots and lay down next to her. She scooted closer and rested her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her. Valek informed her of Onora’s nasty little trick.

  “I’m going to wring her neck,” Yelena muttered after he’d finished.

  “You can try. I doubt you’d get close to her.”

  “Is that why you had the knife at Onora’s throat?”

  “Yes. She needed to understand that will be the last time she lies to me. And I needed to remind her who is in charge.”

  “Until the Commander says otherwise.”

  “True.”

  “And will you take orders from her?”

  “No. By that time, I suspect I’ll be taking orders from another woman.”

  Yelena lifted her head from his chest and met his gaze. “Is that so? What type of orders?”

  “You have a dirty mind, love. I’m thinking of orders to change a diaper or rock a baby to sleep. Things like that.”

  “Not near as exciting as assassinating a criminal.”

  “Not as dangerous, either. Besides, I think the teen years could be quite exciting. No one is going to mess with my son or daughter.”

  She laughed. “You can’t assassinate bullies or boys who kiss your daughter.”

  “Pity.”

  A brief smile flashed, then she grew contemplative. “Since I was hit with starlight, that increases the possibility I’m pregnant. What will we do?”

  “I expect we’ll do what most people do in that situation—become a family.”

  “Easier said than done.”

  “We’ll figure this out—I promise.” He pulled her tight against him.

  She snuggled in and fell asleep. Valek took comfort in the steady rise and fall of her chest, but far too soon, it was his turn on watch. He slipped from her embrace, pulled his boots on and searched for Janco.

  A half-moon cast enough light to avoid tripping and walking into tree trunks. Valek found Janco near the glass house. Condensation misted the outside panels of the structure. Inside, coals burned to keep it warm, and the pans of water added moisture to the air. Leif had been maintaining the equipment in order to keep the plants alive until his father arrived. The whole idea of the house and growing Curare far from the jungle was genius. He wondered if Owen had the original notion, or if the Commander had speculated about the possibility and sent Owen to put it all together.

  “Any trouble?” Valek asked.

  Janco rubbed the scar where the bottom half of his right ear should be. “Just thinking.”

  “That could be dangerous.”

  “Ha, ha. Not funny. What I’m wondering is, if all those plants inside came from the Illiais Jungle, then who brought them here?”

  “Owen has been working on this for over three years.”

  “Yeah, I get that. But wouldn’t the Zaltana Clan know strangers were digging around their jungle? Doesn’t the Curare vine only grow in a certain section? And isn’t Yelena’s father the only producer of the stuff?” Janco tapped on the glass. “These are far from seedlings. And then I’m thinking, how many people have enough knowledge of all these plants? Can’t be many outside the jungle.”

  All excellent points. Valek considered. “Tyen Cowan might have the knowledge, depending on where he grew up.” The jungle bordered the southeastern and southern sections of the Cowan Clan’s lands.

  “Or a Zaltana was working with Owen.”

  Deceit and betrayal were all part of his job; however, Valek had a difficult time believing that one of Yelena’s clan members would cooperate with Owen or be involved in illegal activities. Unless they’d been tricked. “Before we leave, we’ll ask Leif to look into it. If Leif finds the expert, he or she could lead him to where the other hothouses are located.”

  Janco flashed him a bright smile. “See? I have good ideas, too.”

  “I never said you didn’t.”

  “But you never said I did.”

  “I don’t have to. You’re very good at self-congratulation,” Valek said.

  “I am?”

  “Yes.”

  Janco preened.

  “Go get some sleep,” Valek said. “It’ll be dawn in a couple hours.”

  At the mention of dawn, Janco’s shoulders drooped. “You know, midafternoon is a perfectly respectable time to leave,” he grumbled as he headed back to the house.

  Valek looped around the complex, testing locks and seeking signs of a disturbance. Satisfied that all appeared secured, he stopped at the stables. Both Kiki and Rusalka, Leif’s horse, snoozed in their stalls unperturbed. He’d learned to trust the Sandseed horses. If a strange scent tainted the air, they’d be agitated.

  When the sky lightened, he returned to the house. The smell of sizzling bacon reached him. He followed the wonderful scent to the kitchen. Leif filled plates with sweet cakes, bacon, eggs and toast. Everyone was awake and sitting at the table.

  Happy to see Yelena tucking into a heaping portion in front of her, Valek joined them, letting the conversation flow over him.

  “I’d wake up every morning at dawn if I knew this was waiting for me,” Janco said, helping himself to another stack of sweet cakes. His salt-and-pepper-colored goatee was sticky with syrup.

  “You’re going to make yourself sick,” Yelena teased.

  “Not possible.”

  “Enjoy it,” Leif said. “Tomorrow you’re all going to be eating dried jerky, stale bread and hard cheese.”

  Janco groaned. “Nasty, Leif.”

  “I’m sure we’ll be stopping at a few inns. Right?” Yelena asked Valek.

  “We’ll see.”

  “That’s Valek speak for ‘no way in hell.’” Janco stole a slice of bacon from her plate.

  She stabbed him with her fork.

  “Owww.”

  Valek turned to Leif and asked him about other jungle experts.

  Leif chewed his food while he thought. “I’ll ask my father. Compared to the rest of Sitia, most of the Zaltanas are experts. However, in order to transport plants, you need a higher level of knowledge.” He tapped a fork on the table. “And, thinking about it...some of those unfamiliar plants might be crossbreeds.” Leif tossed the silverware in disgust. “Of course, that’s why I couldn’t identify them!”

  “Crossbreeds?”

  “When you graft one plant onto the other and create a new type of plant. And that’s an even rarer specialty.” Leif sobered.

  “How rare?”

  The mulish set to Leif’s jaw meant he wouldn’t answer without more prompting. “How many people can do it?” Valek asked.

  “A few,” Leif hedged.

  “Two,” Yelena said.

  Leif shot her a nasty look.

  “Do you know their names?” he asked.

  “Our cousin Nutty Palm Zaltana, and our Councilman, Bavol Cacao Zaltana.”r />
  3

  LEIF

  Anger boiled. Leif shot from his chair. “There’s no way either of them is involved with Owen!”

  “Probably not directly,” Yelena, his traitor of a sister, said.

  “Not at all. They both know how dangerous Curare is.” And Leif wasn’t going to let anyone cast suspicion on them.

  “All right, then prove it,” Valek said. “Rule them out of the equation and we’ll look elsewhere.”

  Except all the experts were fellow Zaltanas. His appetite gone, Leif pushed his plate away.

  Janco chimed in between spoonfuls of eggs. “It should be easy to do with your lie-detecting mojo.”

  A queasy expression pinched Yelena’s face. “He can’t use it unless he has reason to believe they’ve committed a crime. It violates the Magician’s Ethical Code.”

  “They follow a code of ethics?” Janco asked in surprise.

  “You should know about it,” Yelena said.

  “Oh, I know about it. I just figured they all ignored it.”

  “Because, according to you, they’re all evil and corrupt?”

  “Not all. There are a couple exceptions.” Janco inclined his head, indicating her and Leif. “I assumed they ignored it because it’s what I’d do if I had magic.”

  “How do you know you don’t have magic?” Onora asked, speaking for the first time that morning.

  “I don’t have magic.” Janco huffed.

  “But you can sense it.”

  “And you can sense the cold air, but that doesn’t make you a snowman...er...woman.”

  As they argued over the definition of a magician, Leif collected the empty plates, stacking them in the sink. The thought of interrogating his family sat heavily in his stomach. Maybe a casual visit would work. But then his certainty of Bavol’s innocence faded. He remembered how Bavol had dodged their questions when he and Yelena had visited. The man had lied to them, but at the time, Leif had thought it was regarding the Council’s knowledge of Yelena’s blocked magic.

  After everyone finished eating, Leif followed them to the stables. The sun poked from the horizon. Cold air bit through his tunic. He handed Yelena a pouch full of herbal medicines with instructions on how to use them.

  She raised an eyebrow at the unexpected weight.

  “Just in case you run into trouble,” he said.

  “I’m traveling with two assassins and a master swordsman. How much trouble do you think we’ll get in?”

  He gave her a flat look.

  “Yeah, okay.” She hefted the pouch. “Feels about right.” Yelena opened it. “Did you include the ginger tea that helps with nausea?”

  “There are a few bags. Why? Are you still feeling sick?”

  “Oh, no. Not at all.” She tucked the medicines in her saddlebag.

  The faint scent of licorice swirled around her. His magic mojo—as Janco called it—sensed she was hiding something. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I’m healthy.”

  The sweet smell of truth. “Good. Although you might need that tea after it’s Janco’s turn to cook.”

  “I heard that,” Janco called. He swung up into Beach Bunny’s saddle and shot Onora a triumphant expression.

  The quiet woman merely ignored Janco’s posturing as she saddled The Madam. Kiki stood head to head with Rusalka, who remained in her stall. Her body language made it quite clear she wanted to go with Kiki and the others. Leif stroked her neck and fed her a peppermint.

  Just before the group departed, Leif hugged his sister and made her promise to be careful.

  “I will if you will,” Yelena said. “If you discover Owen’s hiding place, don’t go after him with just Devlen for backup. Take Irys and at least another magician with you and about a half-dozen soldiers. Promise?” When he hesitated, she added, “If not for me, then do it for Mara.”

  Ah, hell. The thought of upsetting Mara always hurt him deep down. And if anything happened to Devlen, their brother-in-law, she’d be doubly upset. Not to mention how devastated Devlen’s wife, Opal, and his children would be. “All right. All right. I promise.”

  “Good. Keep me updated on your progress.”

  “I will if you will,” he said.

  “It’s a deal.” She mounted Kiki.

  Leif turned and met Valek’s gaze. The infamous assassin had been his best man at his wedding, but Leif still didn’t know him all that well. However, he would never question Valek’s desire to keep Yelena safe. As if reading his thoughts, Valek nodded at him before spurring Onyx toward the main gate.

  He watched the four of them leave. An unsettled feeling swirled in his stomach. Every time he and Yelena parted, one painful memory from his childhood always darkened his thoughts—the time he’d witnessed Yelena’s kidnapping and done nothing to help. Each time she left him, he relived his shame and guilt. Fourteen years later, she’d returned and eventually forgave him. But though he’d only been a terrified eight-year-old at the time, he could never fully forgive himself. Instead, he’d made an uneasy peace with his actions. And he accepted that every time she left him, he’d worry that he’d never see her again.

  “The horses need to be fed,” Devlen said, bringing Leif back to the present.

  Devlen mucked out the now-empty stalls. Aside from Rusalka, two other horses remained behind. One for Devlen to use, and the other would be given to the Clever Fox stables as a replacement for The Madam. The unflappable horse was now a member of their herd.

  As Leif filled the buckets with grain, Devlen brought fresh water, and together they finished cleaning the rest of the stalls. Valek had invited Devlen to travel with them and eventually join Reema in the Commander’s castle, but he’d declined, claiming he’d be more useful aiding Leif with the investigation.

  “What is next?” Devlen asked.

  “I need to check on the coals in the hothouse.” And look for signs indicating crossbreeding to determine the purpose of the unknown plants. They had to have a purpose; otherwise, why take up space that could be used to grow more Curare vines? The factory in Lapeer that they’d shut down had the capacity to process twenty times the number of vines that grew in this one house.

  Devlen followed him to the glass building. Using a shovel, Leif spread the glowing remains of the coals while Devlen filled the water pans. A puff of smoke stung Leif’s eyes as he added more of the expensive white coals to the fire. They burned hotter and cleaner than the black type. The smell reminded him of Mara and he closed his eyes for a moment to breathe it in. The sugary scent always clung to her clothes after she’d spent the day working in the Keep’s glass shop.

  “How does the smoke escape?” Devlen asked. The tall man peered at the ceiling.

  “Probably through the seams in the panes.”

  Devlen reached up and ran a finger along the wet drops, leaving a clear line in the condensation. “There are small holes in the glass.”

  Leif groaned. He’d been so focused on the plants, he hadn’t considered who might have constructed the house. Devlen, too, creased his face in chagrin. He’d worked with Opal in her glass factory in Fulgor for the past six months.

  The sisters had taught their husbands that making holes in a pane of glass after it hardened would shatter it, but while the glass was molten, holes of any size and number could be added. These panels had been made for this specific purpose. If they found the manufacturer, they might uncover the location of the other houses and, even better, Owen’s hiding place.

  “Not a word to our wives. Agreed?” Leif asked.

  “Agreed.”

  4

  YELENA

  Valek set a fast pace and, even though Kiki switched to her smoothest gait, after a few hours in the saddle, I clutched Kiki’s copper mane to keep from falling off. My recovery from Owen’s attack hadn’t been as complete as I’d thought. Lack of sleep didn’t help, either.

  All morning, we’d pause in a series of small river towns as we headed east, paralleling the Sunworth River. Janco and
Valek would dismount and poke around, searching for magic. Or rather, seeking Rika Bloodgood’s magical illusions, which may have been employed to conceal the three outlaws. Onora and I would visit the local authorities to inquire about any unusual activities and strange glass houses.

  I lost track of the number of towns as the day wore on. We finally stopped for the night in one of the larger settlements. Valek checked us into the Anchor Inn and I collapsed on the bed as soon as he shut the door.

  He was next to me in an instant. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I just need to sleep. I’ll be fine. You should be more worried about Janco and Onora sharing a room. One of them is going to kill the other by morning.”

  “Janco’s trying to provoke her.”

  “And when she snaps?”

  “He’ll have a bruise and an ego to nurse.”

  “Are you sure it won’t be worse?” Despite Valek’s assurances of her loyalty, I didn’t trust the girl. And since learning she’d shot me with an arrow laced with starlight, I’d wanted to punch her. Frustration flowed through me. If I had my magic, I’d examine her soul and learn just how dangerous she was. The Ethical Code be damned. She’d started it.

  “She won’t harm Janco, because it would upset me,” Valek said. “And right now, she’s still scared of me.”

  “And when she’s no longer afraid?”

  “Then it will get interesting.”

  Typical Valek bravado. If I had any energy, I’d argue.

  Sensing my mood, Valek said, “Before you form an opinion of her, I’d suggest you get to know her better. Like you, she’s been assaulted and raped. But unlike you, she hasn’t killed her demons yet.”

  “Now you’ve done it.” Regret for my earlier dark thoughts pulsed.

  “I’ve done what?”

  “You complicated things. My feelings for her were rather simple. It was nice to just dislike her. Now I want to help her. Too bad my powers—”

  “Are not needed,” Valek said. “You’ve overcome your difficulties without using magic, so can she. But I’m sure she’d like a friend to confide in.”