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“I am leaning toward petrified,” Devlen said.
Valek laughed. The motion caused the cut on his back to flare to life. He’d forgotten about his injuries. Blood soaked his right sleeve, and a deep cut showed through the rip in the fabric.
“You will need to change your...or rather, my tunic before leaving,” Devlen said.
Valek pulled off the shirt with care. Pain burned in his elbow. Showing Devlen his back, he asked, “How bad is it?”
“Bad. It needs to be sealed or stitched up,” Devlen said. “Do you have glue or thread with you?”
“No.” But he had something better. Magic. Except he couldn’t see his back. He needed Devlen’s help. “Reema, can you check the route?” Valek held a hand up before her father could protest. “She spotted these guys before I did and can wear one of the mirror illusion cloaks. Even if she’s seen, they won’t bother her.”
Offended, she said, “I won’t be seen. And I don’t need a cloak.”
“Take it, or you cannot go,” Devlen said.
Even though she wore an exasperated expression, Reema wisely grabbed one from the floor.
“Go where?” Leif asked in a rough voice. He sat up and rubbed the back of his neck.
“On a mission.” Reema gave her uncle a quick hug before slipping through the door.
“Uh...isn’t she a little young—”
“Without her help, you and Devlen wouldn’t be here.” Valek poured another cup of water and handed it to Leif.
“Thanks.” Leif surveyed the scene as he gulped the liquid. “Took us out with the garbage, eh? Sweet.” Then he straightened in alarm. “Mara and my father—”
“—are safe with Yelena,” Valek said.
“But they were—”
“They’re safe. I’ll explain everything later. I need to heal my wounds first.”
“Heal?” Devlen asked.
Valek met Leif’s gaze.
“I didn’t tell him,” Leif said.
“What about the Cartel?” Valek asked Leif.
“No. They wanted to know our plans and where we’ve been hiding.”
No surprise. “And what did you tell them?”
Leif touched a purple bruise on his cheek. “All my best jokes, but they failed to find them humorous.”
“I finally have something in common with the Cartel,” Devlen said.
“Ha. Ha,” Leif deadpanned.
“Are you strong enough to help me?” Valek asked Leif.
“Yes.”
Valek turned his back on Leif and relaxed his mental barrier. He pulled a thread of magic and connected with his brother-in-law. “Let me see through your eyes.”
Leif focused on Valek’s injury. The slash started along his left shoulder blade and crossed over to his right side, ending at the waistband of his pants. Gathering another thread of power, Valek used it to repair the damage, sewing the muscles and skin back together. Then he healed the smaller and deeper wound on his right arm. Exhausted from the effort, Valek leaned on the wagon.
“That is new,” Devlen said.
“Leif—” Valek began.
“I’ll tell him. Go lie down before you fall over.”
Valek shuffled to his pack and spread his bedroll. He collapsed onto it. Leif’s voice lulled him to sleep.
Reema was back by the time Valek woke a few hours later. The three of them had made a camp of sorts on the floor of the warehouse.
“No one lying in wait,” she said when he asked her about their planned route.
“What’s next?” Leif asked.
Color had returned to both men’s faces, and they seemed more alert. “We’ll leave Fulgor when the workers are going home. The extra traffic on the streets should help us blend in. Then we’ll rendezvous with Yelena and the others.”
“Opal is due home soon. I am not leaving without her,” Devlen said.
“How soon?”
The big Sandseed stiffened as if preparing for a fight. “Any day.”
Which meant she was overdue. Valek considered his options. They could remain here and wait, risking capture. He could leave Opal a note explaining their whereabouts. But it might be picked up and deciphered by the Cartel’s soldiers. A third option popped into his mind. Yelena wouldn’t like it, but it was the safest course of action.
“The three of you will travel to the Citadel and catch up with the others. I’ll stay and wait for Opal.”
Devlen tried to protest, but the need to protect his daughter overruled his desire to be reunited with his wife. And Reema argued that she’d been just fine on her own, thank you very much, and could gather intel while they waited for her mother. Leif, though, was happy to leave.
In the end, Valek won. When they left the warehouse, he wore one of the mirror cloaks and trailed them, ensuring no one followed them. Reema kept the other cloak.
The cloak came in handy over the next couple days. Guards lay in wait at the glass factory for Opal’s return. He figured Opal would dodge the watchers and check inside before leaving. And that was exactly how it played out when Valek spotted her on the first day of the heating season.
Her panicked expression fueled his desire to chase her. But he waited to see if anyone besides him had picked up on her location. Once he confirmed no one had any interest in her, Valek intercepted Opal near Nic’s apartment.
“Oh, thank fate!” She grasped his arms. “Do you know where Devlen and Reema are? Are they safe?”
“Yes.”
“Where—”
“Not here,” he said.
“Right.”
Opal stayed quiet as she shadowed him to the warehouse. But she pounced with more questions the second after he closed the door.
He explained what had happened to her family in her absence and why. Guilt, relief and concern crossed her face.
“So this Cartel has control of the Citadel?” Her brown eyes widened in alarm. “What about Teegan?”
“He’s safe, too.” Another hour passed as he filled her in on their efforts to thwart the Cartel and Teegan’s role. “We need to figure a few things out first, but I hope we can stop them before they take over all of Sitia.”
“We need to warn Nic and Eve and—” She gasped. “Zitora!”
His heart banged against his chest. “Did you find Zitora?”
“Yes, and she’s on her way to the Citadel. We had no clue what’s been going on with this Cartel. If we don’t stop her, she’ll be caught by them!”
15
JANCO
Yelena jerked as if slapped. “My cousin Nutty? Are you sure?”
Janco hated to be the bearer of bad news. He swallowed the sour taste in his mouth. “Yeah. I never forget a face.”
“Except the guy you saw in the Greenblade forest,” Ari muttered.
Esau leaned forward in his saddle. “Why is that bad news? Nutty is more than capable of caring for the plants.”
“It’s bad because she might be working for the Cartel or for the Master Gardener,” Yelena said.
“She’s not working for them,” Esau said with conviction.
“We can ask her,” Onora said. “She’s alone, and there are six of us.”
True. Although they only needed two of them. He and Onora would have no trouble sneaking up on her. The tall grass of the Avibian Plains made an effective camouflage.
“What if there are others hiding behind an illusion?” Ari asked.
Janco brandished his null shield pendant. “No chance.”
“How about hiding inside the glass hothouse?”
“It’s too small for more than a couple. And we can handle more than a couple.”
“How small?” Esau asked, sounding disappointed.
Janco
opened his mouth to reply, but Yelena said, “All right. Let’s go ask.”
Janco mounted The Madam and guided her to the clearing in the plains. A small hut sat next to the glass hothouse. The door to the hut creaked open. He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. Both Onora and Ari also braced for action.
Nutty glanced out. Her maple-colored hair had been pulled back into a ponytail. She scanned the riders, and with a whoop of joy, she sprinted straight for them.
“Yelena! Uncle Esau! I’m so glad to see you.” Nutty beamed at them. She skidded to a stop next to Yelena and bounced on the balls of her bare feet. “I’ve been so homesick.”
“What are you doing here?” Yelena asked.
