by Isabo Kelly
In the warm, encompassing strength of his embrace, her trembling slowed. For a long time, she wouldn’t open her eyes or loosen her grip. She breathed in his scent and concentrated on the feel of his powerful body pressed against hers. The image of the white-faced sorcerer and the basement ceremony began to fade…slowly.
She swallowed the sour taste in her mouth and finally opened her eyes. Taking a stuttering breath, she whispered, “Thank you,” against his chest.
“Are you all right?” he asked, still keeping her securely pressed against him.
“I…I’m not hurt.” She took another shaky breath. “The sorcerer at the inn is a blood magician. Nathan Cap is dead.”
“Oh, Victoria. Damn, I’m sorry you had to see that.”
She realized Jacob had dealt with the horror of a blood magician once before. Had he seen a ceremony, too? Or just the results?
“I should never have let you go.”
“Yes, you should have. Now you know for certain and you can stop him. Them. I overheard the sorcerer talking to Malkiney. There are three of them in the city. The one I discovered by accident and the third is a woman. She’s being kept somewhere in the northern district.”
“Three?”
Vic looked up into his face. Concern shadowed his handsome features. “You can stop them, can’t you?”
“We’ll stop them, love. Don’t worry about that now.” He studied her face. “Do you want a drink? You look pale.”
She nodded, but didn’t want to let go long enough for him to move to the table by his chair. He handed her a goblet of amber liquid. She gulped it down without tasting it, thankful for the pain as it seared her throat and washed away the bile in her mouth. After a moment, when her eyes stopped watering, she handed back the empty goblet.
“More?”
His voice was quiet, so full of concern it made her ache. “No. I’m fine now.” She was grateful beyond measure when he set the goblet aside and wrapped her in his arms again. She’d never needed the strength and heat of another human being so much in her life. “Do you think…are you sure you’ll be able to stop all three?”
“I won’t lie to you, Victoria. I’m concerned about the third. We can take the other two, but without an exact location, the third could slip away.”
“As long as she’s not in the city, I don’t care.”
He petted the back of her head. “I have to care. She could be a danger to the realm. I just wish we knew why they’re here.”
“They had maps of the city and of Karasnia. But that’s all I saw. After I saw the… Well, I ran.”
“Good. Why did you go in tonight?”
“I saw them bring in Nathan. He was walking weird. Goddess, Jacob, he was helpless but still conscious when…” She stopped and took another slow breath before continuing. “Something else… The guards, the ones guarding the door and the ones in the basement were all…it was like they weren’t there. They just stared into the air in front of their faces. All but Malkiney. He watched the ceremony.”
“And you still didn’t see Tracker?”
“No. But now that I know there are three of those things, it’s more than likely he’s with one of the others. Probably the woman since I haven’t seen him.”
Jacob nodded, then he looked back into her eyes. “Are you okay now?”
“Yeah. I’ve just never seen…I mean, I’ve seen people die. I’ve had to kill before, but…” She swallowed hard.
“I know, love. I understand.” With a gentle smile, he led her to the seat he’d abandoned when she’d whispered his name. “Sit here for a minute. I have to send word to King John. Do you think you can tell him your story?”
“I think so.” She let go of his waist reluctantly, then sat in the oversized chair and watched his every move, afraid that if she looked away, the images from the basement would overwhelm her again.
He stepped just outside his door and talked in hushed tones to someone she couldn’t see. Moments later he was back. He picked her up, then sat, cuddling her in his lap. “The king will send word when he’s ready to see us.”
She tucked her head under his chin and pressed her arms against his chest. “Let’s talk about something else for now. What book were you reading?”
“It’s called Dreial the Pirate and Her Hundred Thieves.”
“Never heard of it. You like pirate stories?”
“Not especially. It was a gift from Tiya. She thought I’d enjoy it.”
“Why? I mean, if you don’t like pirate stories—”
“Probably because she knows I’m completely silly over this little thief I just met.”
“Silly?”
“Insanely silly.”
She looked up grinning despite herself. “Sounds bad,” she whispered. “You should watch out for those thief types. They’ll steal you blind.”
“I’m afraid it’s too late.”
He kissed her gently, and Vic’s heart started to hammer again from something other than fear. She lost herself in his kiss, concentrating on the feel of his lips, the taste of his mouth, the scrape of his evening stubble, the gentle caressing of his hands along her back and hips. She allowed no other thought.
When a light tap at the door broke the spell, she came close to whimpering in protest, something she hadn’t done since she was a child.
Jacob looked long and hard into her eyes. “Are you sure you can go through with this? I can tell the king.”
“No. I’ll go. He should hear my account.”
After another pause and a second knock, Jacob rose, taking Vic with him. He set her feet on the ground and kissed her one final time before going to the door. He kept his arm firmly circled around her shoulders, and she silently thanked both him and the Goddess because she wasn’t sure her knees would hold her weight without his support.
A young squire waited in the hall. Without a word, he led them to the king’s chambers. The two guards outside the door nodded to Jacob as he and Vic passed. Inside the large, richly furnished sitting room, both King John and Queen Sara waited.
Vic wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but the image before her shattered her preconceived image of the king and queen. Queen Sara stood in a long heavy black robe, her long brown hair tumbling freely down her back. She was in her mid-fifties and still a striking woman. Her green eyes, dark in the dim lighting, held an expression that was at once anxious and caring.
King John looked more like a soldier than a king in his light tunic and leather breeches. His sandy blond hair stuck out in disorganized tufts, his brown eyes were filled with compassion and worry, echoing the look in his wife’s gaze.
Without preamble, Queen Sara strode toward them and took Vic’s hands in hers. “My dear, I’d hoped we’d meet under more congenial circumstances. Please, come sit.” She led Vic to a large, heavily cushioned couch and sat, keeping Vic’s hands firmly clasped in her own. Both the king and Jacob followed. “Now, if it’s not too difficult, I need you to tell me everything. Leave out no detail.”
Vic glanced at Jacob and fleetingly at the king before looking back to Queen Sara. She told her story in painful detail, from her initial observations to her run from the inn. She made sure to provide the location of the second sorcerer as well as a description of both men. When she’d finished, King John and Queen Sara stared at each other for a long, silent moment.
“It’s worse than we suspected,” Queen Sara said plainly.
“Three?” King John ran a hand through his rumpled hair and let out a heavy exhale.
“They’ll not be easy to take, John,” the queen said. “They aren’t like…” She paused and shook her head. “From Victoria’s description, they are, in all likelihood, more powerful than what we’ve dealt with before. The spell on the guards, selectively cast, is like nothing I’ve heard of. At least, not something that can be accomplished by a single magician.”
She continued to hold Vic’s hands as she talked. When the queen squeezed her fingers, she felt remarkably comfo
rted.
“Majesty,” Jacob said through a frown, “I can, with some help from the Guild and your queen, capture the two we know of. But, without the location of the third…”
“What use?” King John finished. After another deep breath, he looked back at Queen Sara. “How long will it take to coordinate an attack with the Guild?”
“Two days at most.”
“Very well. Jacob, you have two days to locate the last.”
Jacob’s gaze darted to Vic. She saw his conflict but before she could respond, the king spoke.
“I’d like you to use our internal spy network on this one. Victoria has been successful, but she’s risked far more than is necessary. And with only two days, it’ll take more than one person to track down the third magician.” The king turned to her. “Thank you, Victoria. You’ve served your king and your country beyond expectations. You have my debt.”
“Thank you, Majesty,” she mumbled, both relieved and a little upset at being left out. She didn’t want to face another blood sorcerer, but she hated having to trust others to find her. Queen Sara squeezed her hand again. When Vic met her gaze, she saw an understanding pass through the queen’s eyes and tried not to frown. She’d heard that Queen Sara had a way of looking into the soul of a person. It made her uncomfortable to think that rumor might be true.
“Jacob.” King John turned back to his general. “You’ll need to organize your men for the raid immediately. Inform General Thack first thing in the morning. The queen will let you know when the Guild is ready, so be prepared to move at a moment’s notice. I’ll leave the deployment of the spies to you also.
“But, Jacob, if we haven’t found the third sorcerer by the time the Guild is ready, we won’t be able to wait. I have no idea what they’re doing in my city, but whatever it is, it can’t be good. We’ve no time to waste. Even two days seems an intolerably long time. If we haven’t located that third magician, we can only hope to catch her as she tries to flee or that she’s forced back to wherever she came from after we take the other two.”
“Yes, Sire.”
Jacob extended a hand to Vic, but before she could rise, Queen Sara said, “When this is all over, Victoria, it would please me very much to talk with you again. I’ve never met anyone who could cheat Joe Missek’s eye.”
Her mouth dropped open in surprise. She snapped it shut, forcing enough composure to thank the queen and ensure her she’d await the queen’s pleasure. She even managed to leave the room with some semblance of dignity.
In the hall, however, her mouth dropped open again as she looked incredulously at Jacob. “You told the queen about me cheating at cards?”
“She asked how we met,” he answered with a shrug.
She shook her head, relaxing into his side when he circled an arm about her shoulders. “It’s been a strange night. In fact, everything has been strange since meeting you, Jacob. Why is that?”
“I’m a strange sort of person?” he suggested.
Against her will, she chuckled. After retelling her story, she hadn’t expected to be able to laugh. She chose to ignore the slight hint of hysteria in her voice. When they entered Jacob’s rooms once more, she turned to look up at him. “Thanks for…earlier.”
“Anything for you, love,” he whispered.
She smiled, feeling almost bashful. She’d never had someone to go to when she was scared. It was disconcerting to realize how easy it had been to run to Jacob for comfort and safety. Too easy. She averted her gaze and changed the subject. “Do you have a pen and paper?”
Her sudden question made his brow furrow. “Over in the desk. What’s it for, little thief?”
“I have to get a message to the Hole. If that sorcerer got Nathan, then he could get to a lot of the younger Hole people. They need to know what to avoid.”
Jacob pulled a sheet of paper, an ink well and an intricately shaped, colored glass pen from the desk’s top drawer. When she sat, he stood behind her, hands on her shoulders.
“How will you get the letter to them?” he asked.
“We have a way. I’ll need to go into the city tomorrow.”
His hands tightened. “Do you think that’s a good idea? You’d be safer here.”
A secretive smile touched her lips as she dipped the pen’s point into the black ink. “I have to. I’ll be all right.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“Jacob…”
“Don’t argue with me, Victoria. I’m going with you.” Against her temple, he whispered, “Besides, we still need to buy you that new dress.”
She couldn’t even pretend to be upset. Though she’d never admit it out loud, she would feel safer with him near when she went into the city. She tilted her head back to kiss him lightly before turning to the paper, ignoring the uneasiness that nagged her for feeling safer with Jacob.
“Who taught you to write?” he asked, leaning against the back of the chair.
“Peggy. She always said that every good con should know how to read and write. That way, nothing can get past you.”
“Very logical.”
He leaned over her shoulder throwing a slight shadow over the paper as she finished writing.
“‘Three Black Melons rotting in the street. Cap over. Eleven great star. Ninety unknown. Under midnight still end. Word? Watch.’ What does that mean?” he said.
She glanced sideways to see him scowling at her scratchy writing. “Three blood magicians in town,” she translated, running the pen in the air above the sentences as she read. “Nathan’s been killed. One is in the eastern section near the gate. The one in the northern section hasn’t been found. The magician near Upper Market is still there. Do they have any news? And be careful.”
He straightened. “They’ll understand that?”
“Of course.” She dropped her head back against his stomach to look into his eyes. “And you’ve just learned one of the Hole’s secrets.”
“I promise not to tell.”
His smile made her pulse race. “I don’t suppose you have a yellow ribbon lying about.”
“Not that I know of.”
She shrugged. “I can get one tomorrow.” She blew on the paper until the ink dried, folded the paper in half and left it on the desk. Rising, she turned and ran her hands up around Jacob’s neck, still consciously keeping the memories of the basement out of her mind.
“If all goes well, this should be over by the final night of festival,” he said, hugging her tight. “Would you like to go with me to the masquerade that night?”
“In the palace?”
“Um hmm.”
“I don’t have a mask or clothes…”
“I’ll take care of everything.”
“Jacob, I don’t—”
He silenced her with a lingering kiss. “I’d like you to go, Victoria,” he whispered against her mouth. “Please.”
“Well…” She felt his triumphant grin against her mouth even as he stopped further comment with another kiss.
“I’m glad you’re here tonight, love. I would have slept badly otherwise.”
“I’m glad to be here, too.” She squeezed closer. “Help me forget, Jacob. Help me to forget…”
She didn’t need to ask again.
Vic had fallen into an exhausted and dreamless sleep. When she woke, sunlight shafted thinly through the closed curtains. She stared at the light, listening to Jacob’s quiet breathing. His arm circled her waist, keeping her back pressed against his stomach and chest. She hugged his arm, surprised anew by how comfortable and safe she felt with him.
There’d never been a time in her life when she could sleep without a part of her mind alert and wary. Now, at a time when she should be most afraid, she’d found a safe place to sleep. And that scared her more than anything else.
Before she registered the change in his breathing, Jacob’s arm tightened at her waist. “Good morning,” she said quietly.
“Morning, love. Did you sleep all right?”
“Yeah.
Not a single dream.”
“Good.”
“You do realize you’re going to have to drive me to exhaustion every night from now on.”
His arm squeezed her tighter still. “That would be my pleasure, Victoria.”
She rolled into his waiting kiss. The kiss deepened as she felt the familiar stirrings of heat through her stomach. She couldn’t be in this man’s presence without wanting him. When he rolled her onto her back, she vaguely wondered if this was like being addicted to a drug or strong drink. She’d known a lot of people addicted to something. Now it seemed she’d found her own.
Not so bad, really. She arched to meet his wandering mouth. In fact, a rather pleasant addiction. Thoughts scattered into sensation as his hands and mouth slipped down her body.
Later, sated and content, she cuddled against his side and sighed. “What a delightful way to wake up in the morning.”
“I couldn’t agree more, love.” He kissed the top of her head then rolled out of bed.
Her gaze drank in the strong lines of his body as he slipped on his breeches.
When he caught her look, he grinned crookedly. “Are you trying to tempt me, little thief?”
“Well, I suppose we’d better not. We both have things to do today. But you can’t blame me for admiring the view.”
His throaty chuckle preceded a rough kiss. “Hungry?” he asked, pulling back.
“Yes. But I think I’d like some breakfast first.”
“Minx.” His kiss pressed her back onto the bed.
“Okay,” she breathed against his mouth, “breakfast can wait.”
Jacob groaned. “What are you doing to me, little thief?”
“I thought I was kissing you.”
“You’re stealing my willpower.”
“I warned you last night about thieves.”
He sighed dramatically. “Ah, yes. Well. I didn’t really need willpower anyway.”
He spoke so seriously, she broke into a fit of giggles. “Okay, General. Go get us something to eat, and I’ll take a bath.”
“I’m supposed to leave after that?”
He heaved another tragic sigh, before getting out of bed to order food.
