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Fingers touched his arm and Janco about jumped out of his skin. A black shadow detached from the wall right next to him. Onora frowned. She jerked her head, indicating they should move deeper into the factory.
He retraced his steps, skirting a couple of vats and water pumps to reach the door to the stairwell.
Onora pushed it open, gestured him inside, then closed it behind them, plunging them into darkness. “Did you even discover where the smaller containers were headed?” Her question was hissed in a low whisper.
“Yeah, into Ixia.” Before she could explode, he said, “We can learn that later. What if there was a magical illusion on this side, as well? You needed me.”
She sighed, sounding a lot like Ari. “Do you recognize any of this equipment? Or what they’re producing?”
“No. The smell is so familiar it’s been driving me crazy. It’s not cigars, that’s for sure.”
“Why not?”
“They’d be drying out the leaves, not soaking them or pulping them.”
“Parchment?”
“Maybe, but what’s illegal about that?”
“Nothing. But something’s not right here. It feels...off.”
Janco agreed. “Perhaps Maren can tell us what’s going on.”
“Maren, as in the Commander’s missing adviser? She’s here?”
“Yup. She’s drinking with them.”
Onora remained quiet for a few moments. “Do you think she switched sides? Who better to aid the smugglers than someone who is very familiar with Ixian security.”
That would make sense if the person had been anyone other than Maren. Or Ari, or Yelena, or Valek. “Nope. She’s loyal.”
“Then why didn’t the Commander tell us about her?”
“For a very good reason.”
“You have no idea.”
“It doesn’t matter. I trust the Commander. That’s all I need. And all you should need, too.”
“All right,” she said, but she chewed on her lower lip. “What do we do next?”
“I can see you!” he whispered.
“So?”
He glanced up. A faint light lit the upper level.
She pointed to the small pool of blackness underneath the stairs. They crouched close together. The light brightened as quiet footsteps sounded above. Janco concentrated. Only one person descended. The figure held a tiny metal lantern atop a post. Instead of the lantern hanging down, it resembled a torch, but without open flames.
When the cloaked figure reached the bottom, the person turned around and shone the dim light around the small space, revealing their hiding spot.
“Oh—”
Onora sprang forward. She rushed the intruder. The torch fell to the ground. Janco picked it up. He recognized it. The light was one of those small lanterns built with a long handle underneath to resemble a torch. It was called a lantorch—one of their gadgets. Onora scuffled with the person. They banged against the door and a knife clanged to the floor before Onora trapped the shorter figure in a double arm lock.
“Should I kill her before the others arrive?” Little Miss Assassin asked.
“No.” Janco tugged the captive’s hood back, revealing a familiar face with a very unfamiliar expression—fear. “Release her. It’s Yelena. What are you doing here?”
Onora let Yelena go, but the assassin didn’t look pleased.
Yelena smoothed her cloak. “Probably the same thing you are.” She glanced at Onora.
“New recruit,” Janco said.
Voices sounded on the other side of the door. “...heard something. I’m sure.”
Time to go. Janco pointed up and the three of them climbed the steps to the second story. He led them to the storeroom. A grapple had been hooked over the windowsill and a rope hung to the ground. Yelena must have taken advantage of the open window he’d left behind. He switched the light off as Onora climbed from the room.
They reached the ground and ran for cover. Voices yelled from above, calling out their location. Damn moon was too bright. The other smugglers poured from the warehouse and headed in their direction.
“This way.” Yelena took the lead. She raced down the main road and away from the town.
Janco stayed close to her.
“Still too exposed,” Onora said, glancing over her shoulder. “They’re about a hundred feet behind us.”
“There’s a sharp bend.” Yelena gestured. “Make a right into the woods as soon as we’re hidden from view.”
“Do you have a boat?” Onora asked.
Yelena didn’t bother to reply even though Janco thought it was a really good question. With no leaves on the trees and only about twenty feet of forest between the road and the river, there weren’t any hiding places.
Once around the bend, they plunged into the woods and, sure enough, a boat waited at the bank. It was one of those small skiffs with a canvas dome top. However, Yelena pointed to a huge ancient tree. It resembled one of those thousand-legged bugs.
“Climb up as high as you can,” she ordered.
He paused. It had at least a million branches, which equaled about a million scratches. “But—”
“Trust me.”
She’d gotten them out of a dozen tight spots in the past. He grabbed branches and scrambled higher. Onora had disappeared. Janco assumed she was higher in the tree, but who knew with her and her creepy chameleon power.
Yelena untied the boat and pushed it into the current. Then she swung up behind him. She might have been raised in Ixia, but her Zaltana blood showed as she ascended with ease, passing him with a grin. When the branches bowed under their weight, they stopped. A twig poked in his ear and in a number of unmentionable places.
They didn’t wait long before a group of six smugglers dashed into the woods.
“...heading for the river!”
“Look, a boat! Peeti, your crossbow. Quick.”
“Light it!”
Bright orange bloomed below them. Then a twang sounded and a burning bolt shot over the water, hitting the boat dead center. The canvas dome caught fire. Peeti shot three more and soon the entire boat was engulfed in flames.
Damn. They meant business. And if anyone glanced up... Old timber burned fast and it wouldn’t take long for Janco and his friends to turn into barbecue. He calculated the distance to the ground. If he landed on one of them, he might not break his legs.
“Let’s go. We got them,” one voice said.
“Not yet. Search the area. The boat could have been a decoy,” another ordered.
Great. Janco never liked hiding. He’d rather duke it out, and his companions could each handle two opponents easily.
“No,” Yelena whispered. “It’s not the right time.”
He frowned hard at her. She’d read his mind even though she knew how much he hated magic. Then again, that creepy crawly sensation crossing the back of his neck wasn’t quite the same as... A bug! Ewww! Staying still required an immense effort. Janco concentrated on the men below, debated between being killed by smugglers versus being bitten. The bug crawled up into his hair. Okay, smugglers it was!
Yelena flicked the bug away. He smiled his thanks. She shook her head just like Ari did when exasperated with him. Which was quite often, although he’d no clue why because his logic was undeniable.
Eventually, the search moved far enough away from their hiding place.
“We can’t stay here much longer,” Janco said. The bug might have friends.
“We should split up,” Onora said. She sat on the branch right above him. “They’re looking for three people.”
Yelena agreed. “Let’s meet at the Water Witch Inn. It’s in Port Monroe, located about five miles downstream of here.”
“See you there.” Onora climbed do
wn.
“She’s quiet,” Yelena said as they returned to solid ground.
Shuddering, Janco brushed off his hair and clothes. “Yeah, and she’s good with a knife.”
“Hopefully she won’t need it tonight. See you at the Witch.” Yelena turned to go, but Janco grabbed her arm.
He didn’t like how she held herself as if afraid she’d break. And she’d entered the warehouse alone and without backup. That didn’t jibe. Something wasn’t right and Valek would kill him if he didn’t stick with her. Ari, too.
“We’ll go together,” he said.
“But—”
“They’re looking for three, not two.”
She smiled. “All right, but we need to get to the other side of the river.”
He glanced at the cold churning water. “We’re gonna swim?”
“Not if I can help it. There’s a bridge back in Lapeer.”
“Lapeer? Is that the town we were just in?”
“Yup.”
“What about the smugglers?”
“We’ll worry about that then.”
He released her and she led him along the bank, heading upstream until they reached the bridge. They climbed and peered over the embankment. A couple of smugglers walked along the main street. “Are you sure we need to cross?”
“Yes.” She yanked her hood down and unwound her hair, letting the long black strands hang over her shoulders. “Follow my lead.” She took his hand, lacing her fingers with his and winked.
