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I used a firm tone. “Either way, I need to update Fisk and learn where we are regarding stopping the Cartel.” No one argued. This time. “Devlen, you can either wait here for Opal or come with us to the Citadel.”
His gaze lingered on Reema before he spoke. “Leif is on the Cartel’s most wanted list. They will have watchers on all the roads, and he and Mara might be intercepted before he reaches the jungle.”
“Hey, I’m not that easy to catch,” Leif protested.
“Oh? What about Fulgor?”
“I...” Leif snapped his mouth closed.
“Devlen, there’s not much we can do about that,” I said. “The spores are our best chance to cut off their supply of Theobroma.”
“I understand. Which is why Reema and I will travel with Leif and Mara. Reema can stay with her grandparents in Booruby, and I will help protect Esau.”
“No,” Reema said, scrambling to her feet. “I should go with Aunt Yelena and Onora.”
I shook my head. “You’re—”
“You’re gonna need me.”
“We are?”
“Yup. You’re gonna need to sneak into the Citadel at some point, and I can get you in.”
“Fisk has an entire network of guild members who can help us,” I said. “They know the Citadel inside and out.”
“Yeah, but they don’t know people like I do. And that helper kid we talked to said even they are having a hard time getting through the gate.”
“I’m okay with it,” Onora said.
“I am not,” Devlen said with force. “Reema, you are coming with me.”
She sulked, but it was the right decision. Bad enough Devlen and everyone here were risking their lives. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything happened to Reema.
Energized by our prospective tasks, we prepared to depart. While Leif mixed some leaves into a pot of boiling water for his sleeping potion, I promised Devlen to inform Opal of his plans.
“How long will Valek wait for her?” he asked me in a low voice.
“Until she returns.”
“But what if she...” He swallowed hard, clearly unable to utter the dire words.
I touched his arm. “Does he know where she was headed?”
“Yes.”
“Then he will track her down and bring her home.”
“But the Cartel—”
“One problem at a time. Right now, we’re lying low until we determine how best to attack them. By then, Valek will be back.”
He smiled his thanks and strode over to help Reema saddle Sunfire. I fingered Valek’s butterfly pendant, or rather, the lump it made underneath my tunic. My confident comment to Devlen left a bitter taste in my mouth. Everyone looked to me for leadership, but I had no idea if anything we were planning would even work. All I knew was that we couldn’t give up.
Leif finished concocting his sleeping draft. He distributed vials to everyone, warning us about its limits again.
“How long does it take?” I asked him.
“About a minute or two, depending on how big the person is. For Ari and Devlen, it would take even longer. Oh, and it doesn’t affect some people at all, which is why we don’t use it for critical situations.”
Lovely. “Is there a way to know who it will work on?”
“Nope.”
I rubbed my forehead. Best to focus on the positive.
Right before Leif and his group left, Reema rushed over to me. She thrust a folded cloak into my arms. “You’re gonna need this.”
“What is it?”
“A mirror illusion is woven into the fabric. When you wear it, you’ll blend into your surroundings.”
Amazed, I struggled to find an appropriate response. “How—?”
“The guys who followed us from the rescue had them. I forgot to tell you, sorry!”
Considering all that had happened to her, I wasn’t surprised she’d missed a few details. But the implications that the Cartel had these threatened to overwhelm me. I concentrated on Reema instead. “You should hold on to it. It’ll keep you safe.”
She waved it off. “I’m not gonna need it to hide at my grandparents’. Besides, even if I used it, my grandma would find me anyway. I swear the woman always knows when Teegan and I are doing something we...er... Gotta go. Bye!” She dashed back to Sunfire.
Sitting on Rusalka, Leif laughed. “May I make a suggestion?”
“Of course,” I said.
“Don’t hire her to babysit.”
* * *
Two days later, I waited with Ari and the horses while Janco and Onora scouted for an ideal location to make camp. It had to be close enough to the Citadel to keep an eye on traffic flowing to and from the city, but far enough away that we wouldn’t be spotted by the Cartel’s patrols.
Ari burned off his excess energy by grooming Whiskey. The horse groaned in pleasure over the extra-hard rub. I wondered if Ari would rather be out scouting than babysitting me.
“What’s wrong?” Ari asked.
“Nothing, why?”
“That’s t*he third time you’ve glanced at me with your concerned face. That usually means bad news.”
“No. I was just thinking.”
“About?”
“Why didn’t you go with Janco instead of Onora?”
“She’s better.” His tone was matter-of-fact.
“Does that bother you?”
“Well, there’s always that bit of jealousy when some young recruit is faster or stronger or smarter, but she’s part of our herd. And, you know...” He gestured with the curry comb. “Best man for the job, and all that.”
“No bruised ego?”
He laughed. “I don’t have an ego. Janco has enough for both of us.”
True. I fed all the horses a peppermint. Kiki thanked me with a sticky lick. An hour later, Janco and Onora returned.
“We found this sweet little spot at the base of a hill,” Janco said. “We can climb the hill and see the Citadel’s eastern gate, clear as day.”
“So why do you look so glum?” I asked.
He rubbed his right ear. “You know all those rug rats of Fisk’s—the ones who’ve been keeping watch on the roads?”
An uneasiness rolled through me. “Yes.”
“They’re all gone.”
“What do you mean, gone?” Ari asked.
“They’ve disappeared.”
“Are you sure?”
Janco gave Ari a give-me-a-break look. “A couple locals heard rumors that a patrol picked them all up.”
“A random sweep, or with intent?” Ari asked.
“They wouldn’t arrest kids unless the Cartel had information,” Onora said. “The Sitians wouldn’t stand for their children being taken, but the guild members don’t have families.”
They might not have parents and relatives, but they had Fisk. Which meant...
I closed my eyes as the awful news sank heavily in my stomach. “The Cartel has captured Fisk.” The words were barely a whisper.
No one corrected me.
“Now what?” Janco asked.
“We have to get into the Citadel,” I said, opening my eyes. Reema’s comment about needing her help repeated in my mind, but I shoved it down. At least we had the illusion cloak. “Once inside, we’ll need to determine what’s going on, and then rescue Fisk.”
“That’s a tall order,” Janco said.
“I’m aware of that,” I snapped, but regretted my harshness immediately. In a softer tone, I asked Janco to show us the spot they’d found to make camp.
He led us to a small clearing in the forest northeast of the Citadel, nestled between the road to Fulgor and the road to Owl’s Hill. At the base of a hill, the ground was damper than ideal for bedrolls, but as he’d claimed, the view from the top was worth the extra chilly nights and weaker fires.
