“Oh, come on,” Dinno said. “Mogkan’s dead. There are no magicians trying to influence us. Without them, it’s a harmless dessert.”
“Is it?” Chenzo asked. “I’m feeling more like myself as well.”
Magic filled the room as the door opened. Seven advisers entered, followed by Alea. She also wore an advisers’ uniform. Ah, she sensed the generals might have had a change of heart. The advisers ringed the table. Then Valek’s heart sank. The four magicians he’d captured last night had escaped. They stood with the others. Alea must have found and rescued them. He had betted she wouldn’t have enough time and lost. Valek hoped Ari and Janco hadn’t been harmed.
“I did not call for you,” the Commander said mildly.
“It doesn’t matter,” Alea said. “You’re no longer in charge.”
“Is this a coup?” he asked in the same bland tone.
“Yes.” She stared at him. “You will give control of Ixia to General Tesso.”
“Now wait a moment,” Kitvivan said. “Bruse, what is going on?”
“Shut up, old man,” Bruse said. Kitvivan’s mouth snapped shut and he clawed at his throat.
“You will give control of Ixia to General Tesso,” Alea repeated.
“No,” the Commander said.
“Youwill.” Magic swelled and almost knocked Valek off the rafter.
The Commander stood. “No.” Then he whipped out his knife and threw it at Alea in one swift motion. Surprised, she froze for half a second before she used her magic to push the knife off course, it whizzed by her ear, but a second knife pierced her shoulder from behind. Alea cried out and spun.
Everyone had forgotten about General Ute. None of the magicians controlled her, and they mistakenly thought she wasn’t a threat. Valek celebrated.
“Kill the Commander,” she ordered. “I want to see him bleed out like my brother, Kangom.”
Ah, she was Mogkan’s sister! That explained a number of things.
The magicians reached under the table and yanked out Valek’s wooden knives. They were in the air, flying straight at the Commander before anyone realized there weren’t any steel blades attached to the hilts. A few of the magicians were looking at their hands as blood beaded on their palms.
The Commander dodged a few of the knives, but the others pounded harmlessly on his chest. Well, he might have a few bruises.
“Farren, set him on fire,” Alea ordered.
Flames erupted on the Commander’s uniform.
CHAPTER11
Valek cursed. Time to crash the meeting. He cut the scrim from the brackets, letting it float down. Too slow. Ambrose had dropped to the floor and rolled, but he couldn’t smother the flames. Valek slid down his rope, pushing the scrim with his feet.
Everyone cried out when the fabric came down around their heads. A few advisers were knocked down, but Valek was focused on the lump that was Farren. Once he reached the ground, he tackled her and shoved his blade between her ribs. He hopped to his feet and raced to the Commander. Even though Farren was dead, the fire still burned. Valek used a part of the scrim to smother the flames.
Ute crawled out from under the cloth. She carried a pitcher of water, which she dumped onto the Commander. Between the two of them they extinguished the fire.
“Are you all right?” Valek asked, helping Ambrose to sit up.
Holes smoked, and a few angry burns marked his torso. The fabric of his uniform had a strange sheen. The Commander must have rubbed olive oil into the fibers to make it fire resistant. Valek shouldn’t be surprised Ambrose had taken measures to protect himself.
“I’m fine. Worry about the magicians.” He shooed Valek.
Valek only had to worry about one. The others should be sound asleep, because he’d rigged the wooden hilts with darts filled with sleeping potion. He lifted the scrim, but Alea was gone. Racing from the war room, Valek encountered no one. There should be four guards. With no one to ask which direction Alea went, he scanned the floor in both directions, looking for blood splatter. He found a couple drops and followed the trail.
It appeared she was heading to the castle’s west exit. Hoping her injury slowed her down, Valek increased his speed. When he reached the hall to the double doors leading outside, he found the four guards that were supposed to be guarding the war room. They now blocked his way.
“No one must pass,” they said in unison.
