The Study Series Bundle

by Maria V. Snyder

  After saying goodbye to Dax, I went to the guest quarters with my parents. As Perl brewed some tea in the small kitchen, I asked Esau about the Curare. Irys had told him about the drug when she feared Ferde had kidnapped me.

  He ran a calloused hand over his face. “I never thought it would be used like that,” he said, shaking his head. “When I discover something new, I always experiment with it until I know all the side effects and know how the substance could be used or abused. Then I weigh the good against the bad. Some discoveries never see the light of day, but for others, even though they might not be perfect, the benefits outweigh the risks.”

  Esau stopped speaking when Perl entered the room carrying a tray of tea. The warning in my father’s eyes told me that my mother didn’t know about Ferde’s gruesome use of the Curare.

  She served the tea and sat close to me on the couch. She had worn her cloak during lunch, but had removed it when we entered their suite.

  “What happened at the Council’s session?” she asked me.

  I gave them a watered-down version of Cahil’s accusations against Adviser Ilom. Perl’s hand flew to her neck when I mentioned Valek’s name, but she relaxed when I told her Cahil had been proven wrong. Neglecting to mention Cahil’s claims about my involvement with Valek, I informed them about Goel’s murder.

  “Good,” Perl said. “Saves me the effort of cursing him.”

  “Mother!” I was astonished. “Can you do that?”

  “Perfumes and scents are not the only things I can concoct.”

  I looked at Esau. He nodded his head. “Good thing Reyad and Mogkan were already dead. Your mother has quite the imagination when she’s angry.”

  I wondered what other surprises I would discover about my parents. Changing the subject, I asked about their journey to the Keep and about the Zaltana family, spending the day with them as promised.

  When the hour had grown late, Esau offered to escort me to my rooms. At first I declined. I hadn’t been assigned guards since the episode with Goel. When he insisted and when Perl frowned, I remembered her comment about curses and not wanting to be a target of her ire, I agreed.

  The campus atmosphere hung silent and empty. Moonlight glistened off the ice-coated trees. Only four more days until the full moon. My hand found Valek’s snake and I twisted the bracelet around my arm.

  When we were halfway to my rooms Esau said, “I need to tell you another thing about Curare.”

  “There’s more?”

  He nodded. “The stinging nettle plant was the reason I sent the shipment of Curare to the Sandseeds before I finished all my experiments on the drug. The plant grows in the Avibian Plains and the sting causes unbearable pain for many days. It’s usually the children who wander into a patch without realizing it. In low doses, Curare is excellent for numbing the wound. It had never occurred to me that someone would use high doses of Curare to paralyze the entire body.” Esau frowned, running a hand through his shoulder length gray hair. “Later I discovered another side effect that seemed minor at the time. But now…” Esau stopped and turned to me. “At high doses the Curare will also paralyze a person’s magical abilities.”

  I felt the blood drain from my face. That meant Curare could render even a Master Magician completely helpless. Tomorrow night was the time of the secret exchange. Since I had taken over Goel’s body with my magic, I planned to take over Ferde’s, believing that, even if I was incapacitated by the drug, I could still use my magic. It now seemed imperative that I avoid getting shot with Curare.

  My father must have seen the horror in my eyes. “There is an antidote of sorts,” he said.

  “Antidote?”

  “Not a complete reversal, but it does free the magic and return some feeling, although it creates some new problems.” Esau shook his head in frustration. “I haven’t been able to experiment with it fully.”

  “What is it?”

  “Theobroma.”

  That explained the new problem. Eating the brown sweet would open my mind to magical influences. My mental defenses would not work against another magician, even one weaker than me.

  “How much Theobroma would I need?” I asked my father.

  “A lot. Though, I could concentrate it,” he mused.

  A chill wind blew through me, shivering I pulled my cloak tighter as we continued our walk.

  “It wouldn’t taste as good, but it would be a smaller quantity,” Esau said.

  “Can you do it by tomorrow afternoon?” I asked.

  He stared at me. A worried concern filled his kind eyes.

  “Are you going to do something that I shouldn’t tell your mother about?”

  “Yes.”

  “Important?”

  “Very.”

  My father considered my request. When we arrived at my rooms, he gave me a hug. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

  “I have a plan.”

  “Yelena, you managed to find your way home despite the odds. I’ll trust that you’ll prevail again. You’ll have the antidote by tomorrow noon.”

  He stood in my doorway like a protective bear while I searched inside. Satisfied that I was safe, he said good-night and headed back to the guest quarters.

  I lay in bed and mulled over the information Esau had given me. When my shutters swung wide, I sat up, grabbing my switchblade from under the pillow. Valek climbed through the window with a lithe grace, dropping without a sound onto my bed. He locked the shutters then joined me.

  “You need to leave. Too many people know you’re here,” I said.

  “Not until we find the killer. And besides, the Commander ordered me to protect the Ambassador. I would be remiss in my duties if I left.”

  “What if she ordered you home?” I turned so I could see his face.

  “The Commander’s orders overrule all others.”

  “Valek, did you—”

  He stopped my question with a kiss. I needed to discuss many things with him. Goel’s death and the Commander’s offer. But once his body molded to mine and his musky scent reached my nose all thoughts of murder and intrigue evaporated. I pulled at his shirt. He smiled with delight. Our time together was limited and I didn’t want to waste the night on words.

  When I woke in the semidarkness of sunrise, Valek was gone. But I felt energized. My rendezvous with Ferde was scheduled for midnight so I reviewed the plan as I went through my day.

  Irys had wanted me to try to move objects again with my magic for my morning lesson. I had yet to manage that skill. But I asked if we could work on strengthening my mental defenses. If I had to resort to using Esau’s antidote, I wanted to be able to produce a strong enough barrier that might block his magic even while under the influence of the Theobroma.

  Before dismissing me for the day, Irys asked, “Are you still feeling tired from your encounter with Goel?”

  “A little. Why?”

  She gave me an ironic smile. “You’ve been pestering me about the search for Opal every day for the last week. Yet no questions today.”

  “I assumed you would tell me any news.”

  “We’ve reached a milestone!” Irys declared. “You’re learning to trust us.” Then the humor in her eyes dulled. “No news. We don’t think they are in the Citadel or the plains so now we’re widening the search area.”

  Feelings of guilt squeezed my chest as I hurried to find my father. I had wanted to work with Irys and the others, but now I planned to meet Ferde with just Valek backing me up. Granted Valek equaled four armed men, but I hadn’t confided our plans to her. A true Sitian would present the information to the Council.

  But why didn’t I trust Irys? Because she wouldn’t let me go to the rendezvous. The danger to Sitia was too great, but trying to ambush Ferde wouldn’t work without me there. Irys believed they would find him eventually and sacrificing Opal was a small price to pay for Sitia. I believed that risking all was the only way to stop him. Knowing the risks, and trying to minimize them would be the key.

&nb
sp; Irys didn’t believe in my abilities to capture Ferde, but I had kept Roze, the most powerful magician in Sitia, from extracting my innermost thoughts, I had healed Tula’s body and found her consciousness, I had taken over Goel’s body and would soon have an antidote to Curare.

  Trust needed to go both ways. Loyalty, too. Did I feel any loyalty? To Irys, yes. But to Sitia? I couldn’t say.

  Even if we succeeded in rescuing Opal and capturing Ferde, Irys would cease my lessons. That grim thought led me to contemplate my future and the Commander’s offer.

  Irys would sever our relationship, and I would have no obligations to Sitia. I could tell the Commander about Cahil and his plans to build an army to overthrow Ixia. Cahil, that weasel, had no qualms about telling the Council of my connection with Valek.

  My father waited for me outside the guest quarters. He had concentrated the Theobroma into a pill the same size and shape as a robin’s egg.

  “I coated it with a gelatin that will keep it from melting,” Esau explained.

  “Melting?”

  “How would you eat it if you’re frozen with Curare?” When my eyes widened in sudden understanding, he said, “You can hold this pill between your teeth. If you’re pricked with the Curare just bite down on it and try and swallow as much as you can before your jaw muscles become paralyzed. Hopefully the rest will melt and slide down your throat.”

  Before learning about this antidote my main goal had been to not get hit with Curare at all. If I willingly went to Ferde, he shouldn’t need to use it. Or so I’d hope. Esau’s pill made me even more confident about the rendezvous tonight, and he had given me an idea. I borrowed a few other items from my father.

  I spent the remainder of the afternoon practicing self-defense with Zitora, and after dinner with my parents I went to the barn. Everything about the day seemed odd as if I did things for the last time. Perhaps the feeling was due to the fact that my life would be different after tonight.

  Kiki sensed my mood. Lavender Lady sad.

  A little. I led Kiki from her stall and groomed her. Usually I talked to her, but tonight I worked in silence.

  I go with Lavender Lady.

  Surprised, I stopped brushing. I had thought my connection with Kiki only involved emotions and simple communication. She discerned my feelings, and possessed certain instincts like when I had been threatened by Goel, but until now I had believed she didn’t know why.

  It would be suspicious if I take you.

  Take me to smelling distance. Lavender Lady needs me.

  I pondered her words as I put the grooming brushes away. Cahil hadn’t come to the barn for my lesson. I wasn’t surprised. Guess I would practice on my own. But how to get onto Kiki’s back without a saddle or a boost up?

  Grab mane. Hop. Pull.

  Kiki, you’re full of advice tonight.

  Smart, she agreed.

  As we rode around the pasture, I realized the value of her offer. I would take her along and let her graze in the plains. The exchange site was set at the only location in the plains that I knew, Blood Rock. My skin crawled when I contemplated how Ferde had gotten that information.

  Ferde’s image and thoughts still frequented my nightmares, and I wondered if I had inadvertently formed a mental connection with his mind. His desire to possess me haunted my dreams. I no longer ran from the snakes. Instead, I waited for their tight embrace, welcoming the oblivion of their bites. My dream actions became as disturbing as Ferde’s.

  Kiki switched to a trot, jarring me from my thoughts. I concentrated on maintaining my balance. When my legs and back began to ache, she stopped.

  After giving Kiki a quick rubdown, I led her back in her stall. See you later, I said, heading toward my rooms to prepare for the exchange. My confidence soured to nervousness as the darkness advanced over the sky.

  Trust, Kiki said. Trust is peppermints.

  I laughed. Kiki viewed the world through her stomach. Peppermints were good; therefore, trusting another was also good.

  Valek waited for me in my rooms. His stiff expression resembled a metal mask. A cold sheen covered his eyes; his killer’s gaze.

  “Here.” He handed me a black turtleneck shirt and black pants. “They’re made of a special fabric that will protect you from airborne darts from a blow gun, but won’t stop a dart if you get jabbed by one.”

  “These are great,” I said, thanking him. At least I wouldn’t be surprised, and hopefully, once Ferde was close enough to jab me, I would have the upper hand.

  The new clothes hung on my small frame. I rolled up the sleeves and added a belt to keep the pants from falling down.

  A brief smile touched Valek’s lips. “They were mine. I’m not the best seamstress.”

  I packed my backpack with care, taking only critical supplies, which included the Theobroma, the items Esau gave me, my grapple and rope, an apple and my bow. Ferde hadn’t specified to come unarmed. My lock picks went into my hair, and I strapped my switchblade onto my thigh through the hole cut into my pant’s pocket. Valek had thought ahead. He might not be the best with a needle and thread, but he knew the art of combat like no other.

  We reviewed our plan and I told him about Kiki.

  “Sneaking through both the Keep’s and Citadel’s gates without a large animal is hard enough, love,” Valek said.

  “I’ll manage. Trust me.”

  He gave me a flat stare, showing no emotion.

  “I’ll take Kiki out to the plains and give you time to get through the Citadel’s gate before heading toward the meeting site,” I said. “Once Opal is out of harm’s way and Ferde is visible, that’s the sign to move in.”

  Valek nodded. “Count on it.”

  I put on my cloak and left. Four hours remained until midnight. A few people moved about the campus. The torches along the walkways had been lit and students hurried through the cool night air, heading to an evening class or to meet up with friends. I was a stranger among them. A shadow, watching and yearning to join them, wishing that my worries only focused on studying for one of Bain Bloodgood’s history quizzes.

  Kiki waited for me in her stall. I opened the door and let her out. Getting onto her back with a cloak and loaded backpack became an impossible task. I pulled a step stool over and used it.

  Need practice, Kiki said. No stool in wild.

  Later, I agreed.

  Kiki glanced back at Irys’s tower as we started toward the Keep’s gate. Magic Lady.

  The guilt I had suppressed about not telling Irys about the exchange threatened to break free. She won’t be happy.

  Kicking mad. Give Magic Lady peppermints.

  I laughed, thinking I would need more than peppermints to repair the damage.

  Peppermints sweet on both sides, Kiki said.

  Cryptic horse advice? Are you sure Moon Man isn’t your father?

  Moon Man smart.

  I pondered her words, trying to decipher the true meaning. Before we reached the Keep’s gate, I pulled a magic thread to me and projected my awareness. Two guards watched the gate. Bored, one guard thought of the end of his shift with longing; the other considered what he would eat for a late dinner. A magician dozed on a stool. I sent the magician into a deeper slumber, and using the guard’s desires, I encouraged them to focus on something other than the horse and rider passing beneath the gate. As one soldier scanned the sky to see how far the South Star had moved, the other rummaged around the guardhouse looking for something to eat. Both failed to notice us and we soon passed out of sight.

  Kiki walked quietly through the Citadel. No farrier would go near a sandseed horse, the breed’s strong disdain for metal shoes was well-known. Four guards watched the Citadel’s gates. Once again, I distracted the guards as we crossed. When we were out of sight of the gate, Kiki broke into a gallop and we headed into the Avibian Plains. When we could no longer see the road or the Citadel, Kiki slowed to a walk.

  My thoughts returned to Kiki’s words about peppermints. For the plan to work ton
ight, we each had to do our part. Both sides needed to be sweet. She had also claimed trust equaled peppermints. Did she refer to Irys instead of Valek?

  The answer bloomed in my mind. I didn’t know whether to feel smart for figuring out Kiki’s advice, or feel like a simpleton for having a horse tell me the right thing to do.

  Irys, I called in my mind.

  Yelena? What’s the matter?

  I took a deep breath, steadied my nerves, and told her my plans. Silence, long and empty, followed my confession.

  You’ll die, she finally said. You’re no longer my student. I’ll link with the other Master Magicians and we will stop you before you get to him.

  I expected her response. Her anger and immediate censure were the reasons I hadn’t wanted to tell her about the exchange. Irys, you told me I would die before. Remember when we first met in Ixia’s Snake Forest?

  She hesitated. Yes.

  I was in an impossible position. My magical powers were uncontrolled, you were threatening to kill me and I had been poisoned by Valek. Each course of action from that point seemed to lead to my eventual death. But I asked you to give me some time, and you did. You hardly knew me, yet you trusted me enough to let me figure a way out. I might not know the ways of Sitia, but I’m an old hand at dealing with impossible situations. Think about that before you call the others.

  Another long painful silence. I withdrew my connection to Irys, needing to focus my attention on tonight’s task. Kiki stopped within a mile of Blood Rock. I sensed the Sandseed’s subtle magic. The protection lacked the strength of the one that covered their camp, but it resembled a thin web, waiting to catch its prey unaware. A magician with the proper magical defense in place could avoid detection by the Sandseeds, but if the clan intensified their power, they would then sense the magician’s presence. Their magic would attack the interloper. I breathed a small sigh of relief, knowing Valek’s immunity would make him undetectable.

  I slid off Kiki’s back. Stay out of sight, I told her.

  Stay in wind. Keep smell strong, Kiki instructed.

  I hid in the tall grass, giving Valek time to catch up. Kiki had reached this point in an hour, but it would take him an extra hour to get into position. When I felt I had waited long enough, I started walking toward Blood Rock, trusting that Valek would approach the exchange site from the opposite direction.