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I pounced on him as soon as he entered the infirmary. “You saw those survivors in the Greenblade forest. Did they say anything about the Harman sap that might help Valek?”
Janco’s movements lacked his customary grace. He appeared tired and was probably in pain. The mischievous spark didn’t flash from his gaze as he stood next to Valek’s bed. “Wish I could help, but all I know is Selene reduced the concentration of the sap until it stopped killing her test subjects. She would know. Did she survive?”
“I don’t know.”
Energized, Janco squeezed my shoulder. “I’ll find out.”
“I doubt she’ll cooperate.”
“Oh, I don’t think that will be a problem.” A fierce expression gripped his face.
For the first time in days, I had a reason to hope. However, the next day Janco returned with Ari, and they both looked glum.
“Sorry, Yelena,” Janco said. “The survivors of Selene’s experiments were freed, and they managed to find and kill her.”
There was nothing left to do but try Hayes’s suggestion. I stood next to Valek’s bed and cupped his sweaty cheek. He stilled and sighed. But he didn’t wake.
“He might be exhausted,” Hayes said. “Give him some time.”
* * *
While we waited, there was a succession of meetings in the Council Hall. At one point, everyone who had been involved in stopping the Cartel, plus the two Master Magicians and Cahil, all assembled in the Hall. Twenty-eight people total, if you didn’t include the three scribes who took turns writing everything down. Each of the teams reported what had happened at the garrisons. Fisk and I explained what had occurred at the Citadel. Then I related Valek’s adventures in Ixia.
“Do you think the Commander plans to invade Sitia in the near future?” Councilor Tama Moon asked me.
“As long as the Sitian Council remains in power, he will not get involved or attempt to take control of Sitia. However, if you are compromised again, the Commander will act.”
“Noted. And you say he’s open to having a Liaison again.”
“Yes.”
“Yelena, would you be willing to resume your duties as the Liaison?” Councilor Featherstone asked.
Would I? I rested my hand on my belly. Hiccups vibrated against my palm. “Not at this time. I’m going to be busy with other duties the next few years.”
Smiles ringed the room, but I couldn’t share their good humor while Valek remained unconscious.
“All right. Please add that to the list of items the Council needs to discuss.”
It took all day for everyone to report. The Council spent another day addressing the most immediate concerns. Cahil was charged with rebuilding the garrisons. The Master Magicians had already started clearing the Keep of debris, and the Council allocated a couple dozen soldiers to help them. The Masters aimed to reopen the school on the first day of the cooling season—twenty-three days away.
Opal, Devlen and their children returned to Fulgor. Teegan would be back to continue his studies with the rest of the students, which now included Zohav and Zethan. They planned to fast-track Teegan’s master-level training since they were in dire need of more masters. Reema had to wait a few more years before she could attend. The news didn’t go over well with her, to say the least.
Heli returned to the coast, where Zethan would join her and the Stormdancers for the next storm season. Leif was asked to be the new Liaison. He accepted the job, as long as Mara could accompany him on all his missions. She beamed. I couldn’t stop a twinge of jealously over their happiness. Once I acknowledged it, I moved on and was able to congratulate them both with genuine love and warmth in my heart.
I spent every night with Valek, sleeping pressed next to him. I talked to him, relating what had happened at the garrisons. Ari and Janco visited and told him how they’d attacked the Krystal garrison. Each took a turn telling their version of the story. Of course they kept interrupting each other to protest a comment or argue over a particular detail. I thought Valek would wake just to order them to shut up. He didn’t.
That night, it took me a long time to find a comfortable position to sleep. My bulging belly made lying on my back or stomach impossible. It didn’t help that my thoughts swirled with worry. I’d been avoiding making any decisions, since I couldn’t face a future without Valek. I finally drifted into an uneasy sleep a few hours past midnight, but a cold touch jerked me from my nightmares. I yelled and almost punched the dark shape next to me until I realized it was Valek.
I struggled to sit up. “Valek?”
“Hmm?”
All the emotions I’d been holding in broke through my barrier. Clinging to Valek, I sobbed. He wrapped his arms around me. My cries were loud enough to bring Healer Hayes.
He carried a lantern. “What’s wrong?”
Valek blinked in the bright light.
“About time. How do you feel?”
“Hungry.”
“I bet. I’ll be back.” Hayes set the lantern on the night table and left.
Valek turned to me. He wiped the tears off my jaw with a thumb. “Thanks.”
“For what? I took your magic.”
He shook his head as if that didn’t matter. “For guiding me home. I was lost in a world of fire and didn’t know how to leave.” Valek picked up my hand and rested it on his stubbly cheek. Then he covered it with his own. “You showed me the way.”
Was he in the fire world? Or just lost in fever dreams? “That was days ago.”
He frowned. “How long?”
“About a week.”
Valek groaned. “I’ve spent most of the hot season lying in a bed.” He threaded his fingers in mine. “There’s only one good reason for being in bed. And it’s not sleeping.” He gave me a tired leer.
“I brought soup and some bread. Be careful not to eat too much,” Hayes said, carrying a tray into the room.
Valek let go of me to sit up. Then he grinned.
“It’s just chicken broth. No need to get that excited,” Hayes said.
But I understood. “Your magic?”
“Looks like I’ll be helping Healer Hayes after all.”
* * *
A few days later, Valek was released from the infirmary. We returned to the guest suite, but eventually we would move to the apartment over Alethea’s bookshop until classes started at the Keep. Then we would stay in Irys’s tower while Valek explored what he could and couldn’t do with his magic. Irys speculated that Valek had gone into the fire world while he was unconscious, which was very similar to the master-level test. Because Valek couldn’t leave without my help, his magic wasn’t strong enough to be a master.
Soon after, my father left for home, but not before promising to be back with Mother when the baby was born. “I’ll warn you now,” Esau said to me in the living room of the guest suite. “Your mother will want to discuss plans for your wedding celebration.”
“Even with a grandchild distracting her?” I asked.
“This is your mother we’re talking about. She can be very persistent and stubborn.”
Valek burst out laughing, and we both looked at him in confusion.
“Sorry,” he said, wiping his eyes. “It’s just I have a feeling that I’ll be saying that very same thing to our son or daughter in the future.”
“Hey,” I said in mock outrage.
Esau clapped him on the back. “Just remember it’s those qualities that made us fall in love with them in the first place.”
“Really? I thought it was because she said I looked stunning in my dress uniform. Love at first compliment,” Valek joked.
I marveled at my husband. I’d never seen him so happy and carefree.
Ari and Janco stopped by later that night for a visit. I’d relayed Valek’s informatio
n to them about the Commander welcoming them back, but they’d wanted to wait for Valek to wake up before they decided anything.
“You certainly took your sweet time,” Janco said to Valek as he plopped into one of the armchairs. He propped his feet up on the ottoman and sighed.
Ari shook his head. “The boy has no manners.”
“What? I’m supposed to wait for an invitation to make myself comfortable?” Janco pished.
Sitting in another armchair, Ari made it appear small in comparison to his large frame. “You both look better,” he said.
I opened my mouth to thank him, but Janco waved a hand. “Pah. Small talk. We’re beyond small talk.”
“True,” Valek agreed. “You’re here to say goodbye.”
Janco straightened. “How did you know?”
Valek waited.
“Yeah, well, I guess we spent a lot of time working together.” He frowned. “But we think we’d be bored here in Sitia.”
“We?” Ari asked.
“Well, Ari is too polite to use the word bored, but we realize that you are going to build a nest and settle down.”
“Nest?” I asked.
“Home, nest, you know what I mean. You don’t need us getting in the way. And Little Miss Assassin needs us more.”
I wasn’t surprised by their decision. “I’m glad. Onora has a rough road ahead of her, and having friends will make it easier.”
