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“Still no.”
“How about pretty please?”
“Valek.” Her tone warned him to stop. She picked up the scissors he’d dropped, wiped off the dirt and handed them to him. “Time to get to work.”
* * *
In the early morning half light, they waited in the woods along the road to the Citadel. Both wore the uniforms Cahil had provided. Valek’s nose itched under the putty that hadn’t had time to harden completely. He’d finished Yelena’s first, then worked on his own before tending to the horses. After covering Kiki’s white patch with a copper color that matched her coat, Valek had darkened her mane and tail. For Onyx, he’d scrubbed off the black dye on his legs, revealing the white socks underneath.
When Cahil’s group rode past, Yelena and Valek joined them. He stayed close to the front, while Kiki merged with those near the back. Cahil nodded in acknowledgment but said nothing. No one spoke much during the rest of the trip.
Hanni and Faxon waited for them a few miles from the Citadel.
Cahil pulled Topaz to a stop. “Any trouble?”
“No. All’s quiet,” Hanni said. She scanned the riders and, at first, bypassed Valek. “Didn’t Yelena—Oh!”
“Hop aboard.” Cahil jerked a thumb behind him. “Faxon, share Yelena’s mount.” At Valek’s questioning stare, he added, “The guards at the gate are used to seeing a few doubles, since I like my scouts to remain on foot.”
Valek nodded. It was a good strategy.
Cahil urged Topaz into a gallop, and they followed close behind. Valek kept a firm hold on his emotions as they approached the gate. He lowered his mental shield and focused on being happy to return to the Citadel and perhaps having a chance to visit his family.
Riding past the long line waiting to enter, Cahil slowed. The guards scrambled to clear the entrance, and soon the group crossed into the Citadel. A light touch of magic brushed his thoughts. Valek concentrated on his duties for the general and what he needed to purchase at the market. He didn’t breathe easy until they were far away. Valek raised his mental barrier again, protecting his thoughts from magic.
They stopped so Faxon could change horses. Before they parted ways, Valek asked Cahil how long he planned to be in town.
“I don’t know. It depends on Bruns.”
“Will you be using your headquarters?” Valek asked.
“When we can. Why?”
“We’ll check in from time to time for updates.”
“All right.” Cahil frowned. “What happens if you’re caught?”
“I suggest you and your crew leave before they have a chance to question us.” Valek kept his voice flat, but his heart thudded against his chest at the thought of Yelena being Bruns’s prisoner.
“And go where?” Cahil asked.
“South, to Booruby,” Yelena said.
Cahil opened his mouth but then pressed his lips together. He gestured for his group to follow him. Yelena and Valek found an empty alley and switched back into their nondescript Sitian clothes before heading to the Unity Fountain.
“We need to keep our disguises on while we’re in public,” he said.
“What about lodging?”
He gave her a sidelong glance.
“You’ve got to be kidding.” Her tone implied she was far from amused.
“It’s secure.” Or at least, it was.
“That’s not the point. I’ve tolerated all the others, but having an Ixian safe house inside the Citadel is...”
Valek waited for her to find the words. Although smart was the word he’d use.
Instead she sighed. “It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m no longer the Liaison. Why should I care if Ixia is spying on Sitia?”
“Because you want peace between the two countries. Although I think having safe houses helps keep the peace.”
“We’re not going to argue about this again.”
“I wouldn’t call it an argument. More of a discussion.”
She ignored his comment. “Why didn’t you tell Onora to meet us there, then?”
“It’s better if we take a more circuitous route, just in case anyone follows us from the gate.”
“But the guards—”
“There are still assassins and bounty hunters after you. They’re not going to raise the alarm because they want their money.”
They reached the Unity Fountain. Eleven waterspouts ringed the huge jade sphere that was the heart of the fountain. Large holes had been carved into the twenty-foot diameter sphere and another smaller sphere, which was nestled inside could be seen through the openings. The holes in the second showed a third and then a fourth. A total of eleven spheres had been chiseled from this stone. One for each of the Sitian clans.
A few people milled about, and a couple kids dashed through the sprays of water, shrieking with delight. Yelena dismounted and removed her cloak. The sun was at its highest point. Sweat dampened her collar. She walked toward the fountain. Valek hurried to catch up with her.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“It’s good luck to drink the water.”
“But bad luck to wash off your makeup.”
“Good point.” She returned for her water skin and filled it with fountain water.
Valek did the same. They could use the luck. The mist from the waterspouts cooled his brow. Glancing around, he searched for Onora. She should have beaten them here. He considered using his magic to locate her. Would it work in the crowded Citadel? And, more importantly, would it alert another magician that he was here?
The sphere chuckled. “Broad daylight. I can’t believe you didn’t notice me.”
Onora hopped down from her perch in one of the outer holes. Her tunic was wet from the spray.
“Wow. You weren’t kidding. She’s really good at blending in,” Yelena said to him with a touch of awe.
“I take it you had no trouble at the gate?” Valek asked Onora.
“I kept expecting people to give me odd looks or to point to me and alert the guards. ‘Look at that strange Ixian girl standing by the wall!’ But no one did.” Onora shrugged. “And here I thought my ability to go undetected was due to my mad assassin skills.”
Valek kept a straight face. Nice to see her relaxed and joking. “Anyone follow you here?”
“No. But you have an admirer,” Onora said.
“The brown-haired boy?” He’d noticed him when they first arrived.
“Yup. Friend of yours?” she asked Yelena.
“Perhaps he’s one of Fisk’s.”
“But would he recognize us?” Valek asked. If a kid could spot them, then they were in trouble.
“Fisk’s been training them,” Yelena said. “Besides, if they’re on the lookout for a couple on horseback, we fit the description.”
A good point. “Let’s get the horses stabled and see if our friend follows us. Onora, we’ll meet you at the Ninth Street stables.”
They took a circuitous route to the stables located near the market and the safe house. The boy kept his distance, but also kept them in sight. At the stable, Yelena asked the groom not to get Kiki’s face wet, remembering the horse wore makeup as well.
“She hates that and will kick you,” she said.
“Thank you for the warning,” the young woman said. “Where would you like me to deliver your bags?”
“I’ll take them,” Valek said. “We’re not far.”
When the groom removed Kiki’s saddle, the horse looked at Valek.
He opened his mind to her.
Home? she thought with longing as an image of the Magician’s Keep filled his mind.
Not yet, he answered.
Onora arrived after the horses were settled.
“Anyone else interested in us?” he asked her.
“No.”
“Good. Let’s have a chat with our new friend. There’s a narrow side street a few blocks up. When we enter it, find a spot to blend in and get behind the boy,” he instructed her.
“Yes, sir.”
Valek hefted their saddle bags, but Yelena kept her knapsack slung over her shoulder. The three of them sauntered along the sidewalk, then turned right. As soon as they were out of sight, Valek and Yelena hurried to the other end, while Onora disappeared. Too focused on them, the boy didn’t notice her absence. When they reached the end of the street, they retraced their steps.
Caught in the open, the boy froze for a second before whirling around and running into Onora. He tried to dodge past her, but she tripped him, following him down with a blade pressed to his neck. He immediately ceased struggling.
