“I get to witness your death and watch your heart mate suffer before he meets the same end.”
“But Jal gains power. Do you really believe Jal will let you rule? And what about the Fire Warper? Do you think he’ll be content to go back after his task is complete?”
“He has come asking for you. Once he has you, he’ll go back. Then Jal rules Sitia, and I rule Ixia.”
Hold up. That was the opposite of what Cahil had claimed earlier.
“Before you said you called him. Now you say he has come. Which one is it?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does. If you called him, you have control over him.”
He shrugged. “Jal will deal with him. As long as I have Ixia. I don’t care.”
“You should care. The need for power is addicting. Ask your Daviian friends about the history of the Sandseed Clan and the Daviian Mountains. Then you’ll realize Jal won’t be content with just ruling Sitia. Once your usefulness is gone, you will be too.”
There was lots of interesting information in that statement. Valek would have to ask Yelena about it later.
“You’re just trying to trick me. I know better than to listen to you.”
Cahil tried to stab the dart into her throat. Yelena fell back, but he followed her down and jabbed the metal tip into her skin. She closed her eyes as if defeated.
But then her eyes opened. “Pay close attention, Cahil. You’ll see the truth.” She went slack, lying there unmoving.
Not goo-goo juice, but Curare. That was worse.
Cahil grunted and stood. “I’ve seen the truth. That’s why I want you dead.”
A Daviian joined him next to the fire. “I felt magic. Brief. Did she use her power on you?”
That one was a warper. Valek hoped Yelena had done something.
“No. I got her in time,” Cahil said.
They discussed their plans for leaving in the morning. As they set up the tents, the Wannabe King said, “I should kill her now.”
Valek rose to a crouch. Alarmed replies told him it would be imprudent. It seemed the Daviians had plans for her.
“Jal needs her, and we do not wish to infuriate the Fire Warper,” another said.
“Why shouldIcare about infuriating the Fire Warper?” Cahil asked. “I’min charge. He should answer tome. He should worry about infuriatingme, especially after the fiasco in the jungle.”
Soothing words were muttered.
“Put her back in the box,” Cahil said. “Secure it, just in case we encounter trouble.”
Two of the Daviians lifted Yelena and returned her. At least, Valek learned a name. Possibly the leader of the clan? And if this Jal managed to take Yelena’s power, they’d become unstoppable.
* * *
“Let’s get moving. If we push, we can reach the Avibian border by sundown,” Cahil said in the morning.
Valek now had a destination.
“Should we check on her?” one of Cahil’s minions asked.
“No. She’s under Curare now. She can’t do anything besides breathe until the potion wears off,” Cahil answered. “Finish feeding the girls. We’ll let the juice wear off before we prepare them for the ritual.”
