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The scene of Valek kneeling next to Vincent’s grave flashed in his head. That strange, light feeling that had cracked the cold, hard ice around him. Had it destroyed his immunity? Yelena speculated that his protection was a null shield that he had grafted to his soul when he witnessed his brothers’ murder. Did finally making peace with that part of his life release his immunity? And if so, what did that make him now?
“Yes, something happened,” Valek said to Fisk in a strained voice. “I can’t...” He held a hand up, stopping any more questions. Then he bolted down the road until they disappeared from sight.
Time alone might help.
He needed Yelena. Desperately.
Valek stopped and leaned against a tree. Emotions surged. His world spun as if he’d been set adrift. Was this how Yelena had felt when she realized she couldn’t access her magic? Perhaps someone had blocked his immunity? Not likely.
Muted steps sounded, and then a warm, soft nose pressed against his cheek.
Ghost No More upset.
Valek jerked as Kiki’s thoughts filled his mind. He stared at her.
She pushed on his shoulder. Go find Lavender Lady.
Yes. They needed to rescue Yelena and Leif. Can you hear me? he asked Kiki.
Yes. Ghost No More.
The horses called him Ghost because of his immunity. Another confirmation that it was gone, and in its place...
Magic, Kiki said.
Mine? Is that why I can hear you? Or is it your magic?
Both.
* * *
When he returned to the clearing, Fisk had packed his bag. All three of them turned to him, waiting.
“Where’s Bruns holding Yelena?” he asked Fisk.
“No.”
“No?”
“You can’t go in there like that.”
“Like what?”
“Open to magic. You need to learn how to block other magicians, or Bruns’s people will seize you as soon as you get close.”
“It’s important to block others,” Zethan said. “It’s the first thing Nell taught us, along with controlling our magic.”
“But I can still hear your thoughts,” Valek said.
“Yeah...about that.” Zethan grimaced. “We think you might be either very powerful or you’re pulling too much magic from the blanket of power and could...”
“Flame out and kill us all,” Zohav said.
Valek stilled. He hadn’t even considered the danger. What else was he missing? “Can you teach me?”
“It’s not safe here,” Fisk said. “By now Bruns probably learned of this location from Yelena. We need to return to my headquarters in the Citadel and plan our next move.”
Fisk was right. No doubt Bruns expected Valek to rescue Yelena and Leif. And he was in no condition to fight Bruns’s magicians.
“Can you keep it together until we arrive?” Fisk asked, misunderstanding Valek’s hesitation.
“I can explain how to build a mental barrier as we ride,” Zethan offered.
He’d have to keep a tight hold on the...magic. Too many people were depending on him. Valek strode to Onyx and mounted. “Let’s go.”
As the others prepared to go, Valek tried an experiment and sent his thoughts to Onyx, Go fast to Citadel?
No response.
Kiki? he asked.
He not Sandseed.
But he understands you.
Kiki speak horse, too.
Valek stifled a laugh. If he lost it now, he wouldn’t be able to recover his composure. He was already sure the repercussions from this...turn of events would echo for a long, long time. Mulling it over as they headed south to the border, Valek found a bright side. He’d no longer be trapped by a blasted null shield. Wouldn’t Bruns be surprised?
This time, he laughed aloud.
* * *
During the two-day trip to the Citadel, Zethan taught Valek how to construct a mental wall that would block other magicians from reading his thoughts and influencing him.
“You tapped into the power source instinctively, which is why you’re hearing our thoughts,” Zethan explained. “First you need to locate that link, that thread to the blanket of power.” He gestured to the sky. “For me, it feels like a current of air, connecting me, which makes sense since I can influence storms. Zo says it’s like a tiny stream of water. Block out all distractions and focus. Tell me when you’ve found it.”
Valek concentrated. He smothered his worries, strangled his anxiety and silenced his doubts. In the resulting calm, a river of energy flooded him. “Got it.”
“What does it resemble?” Zee asked.
“A...flow of...power, as if spraying from a pipe.” Valek struggled to describe the magic. “Almost like a bolt of lightning that doesn’t disappear.”
Zethan exchanged a wide-eyed look with his sister. “All right. Imagine a shield made of marble, or something that can block the lightning and protect you. Use the lightning to construct this shield.”
“How?”
“Imagine you can grab the lightning and mold it into the shield.”
Following Zethan’s instructions, Valek closed his eyes, but he couldn’t manipulate the bolts of power, no matter how hard he tried. Frustrated, he asked, “What else can I try?”
“I don’t know,” Zethan said. “It worked for me. What about you, Zo?”
She frowned at her brother, but it seemed more from habit than a real emotion. “I couldn’t manipulate the water. Instead, I imagined my shield as a piece of leather and the magic as a dye that I applied to the leather, strengthening it.” Another scowl—this one directed at Valek. “I assume you worked in Father’s tannery when you were younger. Maybe that might work for you.”
A good idea, except his power seared the leather and set it on fire—or rather, it did in his imagination. Leather wouldn’t work. Marble didn’t resonate with him, either. What could withstand the lightning and was part of him? What had helped him in his time of need? His daggers and sword—both made of steel. Yet that failed to work. The metal melted. What else?
Kiki jigged to the side of the road and a stone flew out from under her hooves, whizzing past his head. He almost groaned aloud, remembering the gray rocks he used for his statues. Envisioning a large hunk of the rock about the size of his head, Valek used the lightning to carve the piece into a black helmet with specks of silver that would protect him from magic. When he finished, he strapped the helmet on and peace descended.
“Better?” Zethan asked.
“Much. Thank you both, and you, too, Kiki.”
Kiki flicked her tail, but didn’t slow. They were within sight of the Citadel’s walls.
They looped around to enter the east side in case Bruns had set an ambush on the west side.
“But remember, if a magician is more powerful than you and he has the ability to read minds, you’re screwed. He’ll grind that wall into dust.” Zethan twisted his fist into his palm, demonstrating.
“You and Zohav don’t have the ability to read minds. Right?” Valek asked.
“Yes. I can’t reach out to others. But if you send your thoughts to me, I can hear them if I let you past my barrier.”
“Unless I’m more powerful and can break through?”
“Right. The same is true for Zo.”
“Zee!”
“Relax, Zo. If we’re going to help rescue his heart mate, he needs to know our abilities and limits.”
Surprised, Valek said, “You’re not—”
At the same time Zohav said, “We’re not—”
“Nonsense,” Zethan interrupted. “Fisk just said all the magicians are gone. Who else is going to help?”
The boy made an excellent point.
“My network of helpers,” Fisk said.
“Do they have magic?” Zethan asked.
“No.”
“Then how are they going to resist Bruns?”
Fisk looked impressed.
“It’s not our fight,” Zohav said.
&
nbsp; “Nonsense, Valek’s our br...er...friend.”
Valek would have to teach Zethan how to keep a secret. That was the second time the boy almost slipped up.
“I already know,” Fisk said, as if he read Valek’s mind.
“How to rescue Yelena and Leif?” Valek asked, hoping to distract Fisk.
