Trudging through the semi-darkness of dawn, Valek fought the wind and pulled his hood down to protect his face from the sleet. What a miserable start to the day. He arrived at the Council Hall at the tail end of the shift change. His boots crunched on the slush as he climbed the steps and entered the building.
All the guards who had arrived for duty were shaking off the sleet and grumbling about the weather. Valek followed them to the guard’s room. He hung his cloak on a peg. As they dispersed for their posts, he headed toward the waiting room. Soon, he was in the rafters. This time, he’d brought a small pack of supplies. He suspected he might be up here all day.
Councilors, magicians, and aides started arriving an hour later. Maps were spread on the tables, pots of tea were brought in, and conversations buzzed. Obviously, this would be a more casual gathering. Yet, something had changed. An undercurrent of fear hummed. Valek wondered what had happened yesterday to alter everyone’s… No, not everyone, only the councilors’ demeanors.
The answer walked in with Cahil. He brought four Daviians with him. Vermin or warpers? Hard to tell who wielded magic and who didn’t since their plain brown tunics and pants covered their skin. Councilor Harun scowled at all of them except the man standing next to him. Valek guessed he was a Sandseed warrior. One of the survivors? The man glared at everyone. No one dared approach him.
Cahil introduced his new Daviian friends as those he had converted to their side. The councilors stiffened and shook hands awkwardly. Irys and Bain kept exchanging confused glances. They must have also noticed the Councilor’s fear. No, not fear. Terror. Had the council realized that the Daviians had already invaded the Citadel?
The session began with a discussion of moving soldiers from the southern garrisons north, toward the border. That answered the question of who the Sitians would attack first. The councilors agreed to everything Roze proposed, eliciting alarmed looks between Irys and Bain. The Daviians stayed out of the debate but had moved to the edges of the group, as if assuming a protective position. Or was it a defensive stance? Were they waiting for reinforcements?
Sweat trickled down Valek’s back. Was he about to witness the fall of the Sitian government?
Valek listened to their plans, but nothing snagged his full attention. It was as if they were just going through the motions. The meeting ended and everyone drifted into groups. One of the Citadel’s guards rushed into the great hall. He headed directly to Roze and interrupted her conversation. Bold. It must be important.
She frowned at whatever news he’d brought. Then she dismissed him and strode over to Irys. Fourth Magician’s tight expression at Roze’s approach relaxed as they spoke. Irys smiled and nodded. Still unhappy, Roze turned on her heel and joined Cahil.
Valek’s heart thumped a question. What would make Irys happy and Roze scowl? Or ratherwho? He ignored it. Speculation would only lead to disappointment. By the time Irys sought out Bain, her smile had faded. And Valek was glad he hadn’t allowed his heart to hope.
About ten minutes later, three people entered the great hall. His heart swelled in smug satisfaction while the rest of him melted with relief. Yelena scanned the great hall while her companions, Moon Man and another Sandseed warrior, headed straight for Councilor Sandseed. She hung back, uncertain, and Valek wanted to swoop down, throw her over his shoulder, and carry her away from all this danger. Then tuck her into bed. She looked exhausted.
Irys spotted her and hurried toward her. Yelena took one look at her friend’s dire expression and scanned the room again. When she spotted Cahil, Yelena was no longer uncertain. Anger flashed in her green eyes, and she stepped toward the man.
Grabbing her arm, Irys pulled Yelena aside. “Now is not the time.”
“What’s going on?” Yelena demanded.
Irys glanced around at the councilors hovering nearby. Then she stared at Yelena. Valek guessed they were mentally communicating with their magic. Handy skill, especially when you were surrounded by enemies. He had his nonverbal signals, but they weren’t as effective as having a conversation.
At one point during their silent discussion Yelena jolted as if shocked.Yes, love, Cahil has managed to convince the Sitian Council he was on a mission for Roze and those Daviians you see are allies.
Moon Man and the other Sandseed finished their conversation with their Councilman and joined Yelena and Irys.
“There are about a dozen Sandseed survivors,” Moon Man said. “They came to the Citadel and are staying here for now. Only one Story Weaver besides me survived. It is Gede, and he is the one we need to talk to about the Fire Warper.”
Irys said, “Who?—”
Moon Man kept talking. “You said Master Bloodgood has a few books about the Efe, right?”
“Yes,” Yelena said.
“We should examine them. Gede and I will come to the Keep tomorrow morning.” Moon Man turned and walked away.
“That was rather abrupt,” Irys said.
Valek agreed. Moon Man was one of Yelena’s friends.
“He’s been through a lot.”
“And so have you.” Irys linked her arm with Yelena’s. They headed toward the exit. “Tell me about this Fire Warper. Leif had only sketchy details.”
Valek suppressed a groan as she disappeared from sight. And now he was stuck in the rafters until everyone was gone. To pass the time, he considered Moon Man’s comment about books on the Efe.
They had been an ancient tribe and the ancestors of the current Sandseed Clan. Known for their powerful magic, they also created a number of rites and rituals to increase their power. One of the rituals was named the Efe. Ferde had used it to harvest the souls of his victims before killing them. The twelfth victim had to go to him willingly, and once their soul was obtained, Ferde would have gained enough magical power to counter all four master magicians. Thankfully, Yelena stopped him before he finished the ritual. And now, he would never be a threat again.Well done, love.
* * *
It was dark before he could escape the Council Hall. Every muscle had stiffened, and his back hurt from sitting on the hard wood. He gazed at the Keep as a cold wind froze the slush piles, turning the puddles into ice.
