Night Study

by Maria V. Snyder

  “If you do, he won’t worry why we’re not there, but if he hears about Leif, he’ll come here,” Ari said.

  Not good. He needed to stay in Ixia. “What if I say we’ve just been delayed?”

  “He’ll come regardless.” Janco crinkled his forehead in confusion. “You act like that’s a bad thing. He can flatten that Mosquito.”

  “The Commander has forbidden him to leave Ixia,” I said.

  “That didn’t stop Valek last month,” Janco said. “He disobeyed a direct order from the Commander when he traveled to Lapeer to help you. Valek’s never done that before. His loyalties have changed, so unless you’re at the rendezvous location soon, expect to see him.”

  I played with the butterfly pendent Valek had carved for me. If Janco had noticed that Valek’s priorities had switched, then it must be obvious to the Commander. No wonder he’d come down so hard on Valek.

  “Then we’ll have to conclude our business with Bruns as soon as possible,” I said.

  “No problem. We’ll rescue Leif, bring down the Cartel and be home in time for our afternoon naps,” Janco snarked.

  I stood and slapped him on the back. “That’s the spirit!” However, my insides churned with dread. This Cartel might be beyond our ability to stop, and convincing the Sitian Council would require more proof than we currently had. Drawing in a deep breath, I cleared all the things I couldn’t control from my mind and focused on the most important issue: rescuing Leif.

  Fisk drew on his network of information gatherers to collect any bit of news regarding the Cartel’s location. They kept an eye on the businessmen who were suspected of having ties to the Cartel. Irys gave permission to Lindee, Fisk’s accountant, to access the Citadel’s records room. According to Fisk, she had a sharp mind and was a genius with numbers. Perhaps she’d find a bill of sale for a building that could be traced back to the Cartel.

  I organized the intel, searching for clues and weak links, and tried to piece together their plans. Ari and Janco frequented the taverns in the government quarter, listening to the gossip.

  The Mosquito’s messenger arrived four long days after the encounter in the alley. The young boy waited outside for a reply. The letter said:

  The meeting is now. Follow the boy. If you don’t arrive in thirty minutes, my boss will be gone.

  “No way,” Ari said, reading over my shoulder. “We won’t be able to have backup on site.”

  “I think that’s the point,” Janco said. “It’s a trap.”

  “You can follow me to the meeting place, then send one of Fisk’s helpers to fetch Irys. I’ll delay as long as possible.”

  “No.” Ari shook his head. “It’s—”

  “Our only chance to find Leif.” I gestured to the papers spread on one of the kitchen tables. “There’s nothing here.” I stood and wrapped my cloak around my shoulders.

  Ari and Janco scrambled to grab theirs, but Fisk stopped them.

  “You’re too noticeable. Let my people do the honors, and they’ll relay Yelena’s position to you. You’ll only be a minute behind her. I promise.”

  Ari straightened to his full height and peered down at me and Fisk. “First sign of trouble and we’re coming in. Understand?”

  “Yes, sir.” I hurried outside and found the messenger. “Where are we going?”

  The boy shrugged. “All I know is to go east.” He turned right and headed east.

  After a few blocks, another boy waited. His instructions had been to lead me south until we reached a third boy. Then a fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh. I had kept track of my whereabouts despite the serpentine route. But once we’d traveled into the southwestern resident quarter of the Citadel, I lost my exact location in the unfamiliar labyrinth of streets. We reached a dilapidated section. Wooden boards covered the windows and doors of the buildings. Broken glass and trash coated the walkways. The air smelled rancid.

  The eighth boy led me to a broken-down shack. “Inside,” he said.

  I hesitated. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.” He pulled open the warped door, revealing darkness. “After you.”

  Bruns hadn’t said to come unarmed. I yanked my switchblade from its holder and triggered the blade.

  The boy smirked. “Good luck with that.”

  Bracing for...well, anything, I entered. The floor creaked under my boots. After two steps the door clicked shut, and I stopped, unable to see in the utter blackness. He brushed past me and then swept aside a curtain. We stepped into a room filled with sunlight that streamed in from two skylights high above. I blinked at the expensive furnishings, rugs and solid walls. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think I was in the living room of one of the Sitian Councilors and not in the poorest section of the Citadel. The shack must be an illusion to keep the neighbors away.

  The boy indicated the couch. “Please have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?”

  “Uh, no thanks.”

  “Mister Jewelrose will be here shortly.” The boy disappeared through an alcove on the left.

  I peered through the single small window facing a narrow street. A row of houses slumped against one another. A few people sat on porches or pulled wagons over the cobblestones. No familiar faces. I hoped Fisk’s people hadn’t lost me.

  “My estate outside Kohinoor has a much better view,” a male voice said behind me.

  I turned. A tall, well-dressed man with graying black hair and gray eyes strode toward me. He held out his hand. “Bruns Jewelrose.”

  Without thinking, I shook it. “Yelena Liana Zaltana.”

  “Pleasure to meet you.”

  “Not from what I’ve heard.”

  He smiled. “That was just business, Yelena. Nothing personal.”

  I gaped at him. How could he believe that? I recovered from my shock. “I disagree. You hired an assassin to kill me. That’s very personal.”

  “You were an obstacle to be eliminated, but now the situation has changed.”

  “Yay for me.” Sarcasm sharpened my tone.

  “Now, now. No need for that. Have a seat and we can discuss my proposal.”

  I remained standing. “Not until you tell me what happened to Leif. Is he okay? Where is he?”

  “You’re jumping ahead. Sit down and—”

  “Not until I know Leif is alive and well.”

  Bruns tsked over my stubborn refusal to play nice. “All right.” He settled on a leather couch and crossed his legs. “Come on in,” he called.

  A door opened, and Leif strode into the room. An intense relief washed through me, and I swayed. He rushed to hug me, keeping me upright. I clung to him. Was he real?

  “Took you long enough,” he said. “Good thing the food is delicious.”

  Yup. It was him. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Good. I’m going to get you out of here.” Somehow. I hoped.

  “Thanks, but I don’t need to be rescued.”

  I pulled away. “What?”

  “I’ve joined the Cartel.”

  23

  VALEK

  “Are you talking about pirates?” Valek asked the young magician.

  She knelt on the bow of the ship, soaking wet. “I guess. They pretended to be in distress, and we pulled alongside their ship to help. Except they boarded our ship. They had swords and they killed Nell and our first mate.” She closed her eyes for a moment as if enduring a wave of pain. “And then tossed their bodies overboard.”

  “Did they know about your and your brother’s magic?”

  “I...don’t think so. No one knew except Nell. She taught us how to control it, and then we helped her avoid the storms. Until...they came.”

  Someone must have known about the siblings. The pirates had targeted their ship for a reason.

  The young magician drew in a deep breath. “We tried to use the storms and water to escape, but the...pirates caught and separated us. If one of us doesn’t obey, then they will kill the other.”

  Vale
k doubted they would have carried out the threat. The siblings were too valuable to the pirates. But the girl was sixteen at most and didn’t have the experience to recognize a bluff. Or the confidence to use her magic effectively.

  “That’s why you can’t go to the island. As soon as Jibben sees you, he’ll kill Zethan.”

  “Then we’ll make sure he doesn’t see me.”

  Endre arrived. Blood splattered his face and stained his tunic. “All are secured, boss.”

  “Any causalities?”

  “Nah. Minor cuts and bruises. Most are kids, but there are a few adults in the mix.” Endre glanced at the girl. “What about this one?”

  “She’s been spinning quite a tale.” Valek told him about the pirates. “What do you think?”

  “It explains quite a bit. And we can check the island.”

  “All right. Find crew who can sail this ship and who are willing to help us for a reduced sentence. Secure the others below. Have Annika find those steer disguises. We’re going to need them.”

  “Yes, sir.” Endre dashed away.

  Valek studied the girl. Something about her blue eyes and sharp features seemed familiar. “What’s your name?”

  “Zohav.”

  “Are you willing to help us?”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  “It’s in your best interests. If your story is true, and you were forced to steal, then you won’t be arrested for theft.”

  Annika arrived with a mass of sopping-wet cloth. “They were all swept into the ocean when the waves attacked us.” She frowned at Zohav. “Mikus is fishing the masks out now.”

  “Wring as much water out as you can and hang them to dry.”

  “Is there going to be another performance of Valek the steer?” Annika asked with a smile.

  Zohav sucked in a sharp breath and scrambled away from him. She released her control of the waves and the ship bucked on the suddenly rough seas. When her back hit the bow, she huddled in a tight ball.

  “What did I say?” Annika grabbed the railing to keep from falling.

  He considered. “My name.”

  “You are the most feared man in Ixia,” Annika agreed.

  “It can be tiresome.”

  “Then you should stop eating babies for breakfast.”

  He laughed. “But they’re so delicious.”

  Annika swatted him on the arm. “Behave.”

  Valek returned to the problem at hand. The seas remained choppy, but the rain and wind had stopped when the storm moved inland. “Tell the others to prepare to reprise their roles as steers once we reach the island.”

  Annika nodded and strode away.

  Valek approached Zohav and she cried out in terror. He crouched down to her level. “Your magic failed to work on me. Who did you think I was?”

  “I thought...you were protected with...with one of those...shields,” she stuttered. “You...you’re going to kill us.” It wasn’t a question. “That’s what Jibben threatened to do if we ever escaped—report us to you.” Zohav hugged her knees to her chest. “I’m not going to help you murder my brother.”

  “Zohav, I’m not going to kill you or your brother.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “Look at me,” he ordered.

  With obvious effort, she met his gaze.

  “I promise that if your story is true, then I will ensure that you and Zethan are escorted to Sitia.” Valek knew that would make Yelena happy, plus it was the right thing to do.

  She shook her head. “I don’t believe you. You’ve murdered thousands and are pure evil.”

  Thousands, eh? His reputation had expanded another order of magnitude.

  “You’re not reaching my brother.” Huge waves crashed over the rails, as if to prove Zohav’s point.

  She planned to sink the ship. No doubt she loved her brother. Valek pulled a dart from his belt and pricked her arm.

  Fury replaced her fear. “Poison! I knew you were going to kill us.”

  “Sleeping potion. Good night, Zohav.” Valek waited until she slumped over, then gathered her in his arms.

  He carried her to the main deck. Endre had assembled a crew willing to help sail the ship. In fact, they appeared eager to free their friends.

  Valek handed Zohav to Endre. “Find a safe place for her to sleep off the potion while I brief the others.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Valek explained his plan to the ship’s crew. It followed the same idea as when they’d ambushed the ship. He and the soldiers would be disguised as the steers. Annika and the other handlers would resume their roles.

  “We’ll extinguish all but one lantern so it’s too dark to see. Once we reach land, my soldiers will attack and neutralize the pirates. The crew will climb into the rigging and keep out of the way,” Valek said.

  “There are more of them than you,” one boy called.

  “How many more?” he asked.

  “At least thirty.”

  A little less than double. “I don’t expect that to be a problem. Make good use of your darts,” he instructed his soldiers.

  “What about Jibben?” another boy asked. “He’s huge and deadly with his sword. I saw him cut one of his own men in half.”

  Nice guy. “Leave Jibben to me.”

  “Please kill him,” a teen girl said.

  “You think he deserves to die?” Valek asked.

  “Yes. He locked my older sister in his room. She escaped twice. The first time they caught her hiding in the woods, and the second time she ran into the ocean and drowned herself.”

  A heaviness pulled on his heart. He could well imagine what the poor girl had endured. “I’m sorry.”

  “Why? It’s not your fault.”

  “Ah, but it is. I’m in charge of keeping Ixia safe for all its citizens.”

  “That’s impossible. My ma says there will always be sharks in the water. Nothing you can do about it except be careful where you swim.”

  “Your ma sounds like a smart lady.”

  “Yeah, she is. I miss her.”

  “Then we should cast off and take care of these sharks so you can go home.”

  The girl saluted him with a bony hand. “Aye, aye, Captain.”

  * * *

  The ship rocked back and forth as it crested one wave after another. Some of the soldiers turned green, and a few rushed to vomit over the rail. They raced the sunrise to the island. If the sun rose before they landed, they’d lose the element of surprise. When the boys in the mast signaled that they neared the dock, Valek and the others donned their disguises.

  Thuds vibrated through the ship as it bumped against the wooden pylons. The young teens hopped off and tied the ropes.

  A gruff voice smashed through the clatter. “Why’s the ship moving? Where’s that bitch Zohav?”

  “She got sick, sir,” one of the boys said. “She’s down below.”

  Good thinking. Valek approved.

  “What took you so long?”

  The same boy said, “One of them steers freaked, sir. Devil to get him on board.”

  Another smooth reply. The boy had recruitment potential.

  “Hurry up with that gangplank,” Gruff ordered.

  The crew scrambled to comply. The boy paused near Valek. “That’s Jibben.” Then he hurried away.

  Happy that he wouldn’t have to chase Jibben down, Valek wrapped his hand around the hilt of his sword and thought of that girl’s sister. The gangplank eased toward the dock, revealing a number of men and women. Valek had seconds to assess the enemy before they realized they faced armed soldiers and not a herd of beef. He counted six pirates on the dock and another four on land. The others must be nearby. Perhaps in the woods. They’d want to hide the buildings from the ships that passed by, but wouldn’t want to be too far from the dock.

  A big brute stood with his thick arms crossed over his chest. Two long braids flowed over his shoulders and a sharp curved blade hung from his leather belt—a cross between a scimitar and
a cutlass. The brute had to be the infamous Jibben.

  “What in hell? Who picked these scrawny steer?” Jibben asked.

  Next to Jibben, a tall man with colorful tattoos along his arms peered at them. “They look...odd, Jib.” He pointed. “That one’s wearing boots.”

  And that was his cue. Valek yelled and tossed off the still-damp material. He ripped the mask from his face before drawing his sword. The soldiers followed his lead. They rushed onto the dock in a wedge formation.

  The pirates cried a warning, called for backup and drew their weapons in time to meet the rush. While surprised, they didn’t panic like the crew of the ship. His men bypassed Jibben, who squinted at the melee, confused, until Valek approached him. He smiled, revealing sharp teeth. Jibben appeared quite calm. So much for Valek being the most feared man in Ixia.

  “Ah, the Commander’s attack dog. I heard you were in town.”

  Valek wondered where he’d gotten the intel. “Then why did you send your crew to steal the steers?”

  The man kept his smile, but tightened his grip on his strange sword in response.

  “Was it greed or stupidity?” Valek asked. “Probably both. You really don’t need those steers, but you just had to finish your shopping list.” He tsked. “Greed and stupidity, the downfall of so many.”

  “Shut up.” Jibben swung his sword, aiming for Valek’s neck.

  Valek ducked and spun, hooking his heel behind Jibben’s left boot. But the man’s stance was as solid as a tree trunk. Jibben swiped down at Valek’s head. Valek rolled to the right and regained his feet. Okay, time for Plan B.

  Jibben pressed his advantage, keeping his longer blade in motion like a pendulum on a clock. Valek backed away until he neared the edge of the dock. Timing it just right, Valek stepped forward and parried Jibben’s swinging weapon with his broadsword. The man’s curved blade slid right along Valek’s, and its tip stabbed right into his abdomen.

  Valek gasped as pain ringed his waist.

  “Your fancy moves won’t save you here.” Jibben twisted his wrist.

  Before Jibben could disembowel him, Valek jabbed his sword into Jibben’s thigh. The man growled, shuffling back.

  “At least I know enough to disarm my opponent first, then claim victory.” Valek rubbed the fingers of his free hand along the cut on his stomach. Despite the searing burn, the injury wasn’t deep. Relief energized him.