Page 102 of A Wayward Movement

“Well,” he hesitated, “not strictly. As long as there’s the basic ability to sense Dust, someone should be able to sense the tug of the link. But I have to warn you, if all three of the components—dilution of strength by modification, magical skill of those involved, and personal connection between the parties—are weakened…” He trailed off.

“You need at least one of those to be strong,” Xavier clarified.

“As a minimum,” the man confirmed.

“Great.” Xavier rolled up his sleeves. “We’ll be fine. Transfer your end of the link to me.”

“Absolutely not, Your Highness.” Captain Mitchell appeared at Xavier’s side.

“I wasn’t asking your permission.” Xavier held out his arm to the craftsman. “We need to link arms, right?”

“Your Highness, I’m reluctant.” The craftsman looked alarmed.

“Your reluctance is noted,” Xavier said impatiently. “We’re losing time, let’s get on with it. Every minute we delay is another minute they gain on us.”

“Prince Xavier.” Captain Mitchell stepped between Xavier and the craftsman. “This plan is foolhardy in the extreme. There is no way I’ll approve it.”

Xavier drew himself up, staring down the other man. “It’s already been approved. Am I in charge of the investigation or not, Captain?”

“With all respect, Your Highness,” the captain said through a tight jaw, “I believe your judgment is impaired.”

“I don’t care what you or anyone else believes,” Xavier said simply. “I know what the truth is, and I know what I’m doing.” He turned to the craftsman. “Make the transfer. That’s an order with the full force of the crown.”

Chapter

Twenty-Four

It should have been impossible to sleep through the jolting of the cart, and if they’d continued on the rough forest track, it probably would have been. But after the drivers had gotten their confirmation from her aunt, it wasn’t much longer before the path started to smooth out. Even with the sack over her head, Alina’s nose could detect when they left the forest. They were heading for the desert.

Alina didn’t think they were on the main road, but there must have been some kind of path, because the going became much easier. Numb from her shock, and exhausted from fear and fruitless wrestling, Alina sank into an uneasy doze.

Her senses returned in a rush when they came to a full stop. It was still dark, hours left until the dawn. She heard the noise of her captors rounding the vehicle, and wondered dully if she should try to escape, just to keep up appearances. But she had no fight left. When they pulled the canvas off and someone tugged her forward, she didn’t resist.

“She’s not dead, is she?” a gruff voice said.

The next moment, the sack was yanked from her head, and she blinked groggily at a starlit expanse of sand stretching in all directions. They were fully in the desert now, the darkness making it difficult to discern anything.

“Nah, just done in,” the other man said. “Still breathing.”

“Thanks to us.”

The first man spoke again, and Alina realized with detachment that she recognized him. He was the refinement worker who’d watched her outside the inn, and when she’d helped Lilah in the markets. It felt like a lifetime ago that she’d been nervous of his scrutiny. It seemed her instinct had been sound all along.

“You owe us your life,” he informed her unemotionally. His accent was so faint it was only discernible because Alina already knew to listen for it. He patted his pocket, and Alina heard coins jingling. “Your kin paid us to make an end of you. But the boss’ll pay us more to bring you into camp still kicking.”

“Aye, from what we hear, you’re a strong one,” the other man said. “The team is greedy for what you’ve got. It would be a waste not to use it.”

“What do you mean?” Alina asked, yanking her bound hands away from where one of them was trying to pull her from the cart. “What is it I have?”

The man started. “Forgot we’d lifted the silencing enchantment,” he muttered. He looked around. “I suppose it doesn’t matter now. She could scream herself blue, no one but our people would hear her out here.”

“She still can’t harness magic, right?” the other one asked sharply.

“Aye, that one’ll last till the team lifts it.”

“What do I have that you want?” Alina persisted.

The man she recognized looked over at her. “Magic, obviously. You were on my list from the moment I saw you cool that soup in the market. But it’s your excessive energy they really want. This became inevitable once we heard about the shield you sustained all night in the desert. It was just a matter of timing. We planned to wait until the investigation team gave up and things died down. But with an offer like this…” He jangled the coins in his pocket meaningfully. “It was worth a riskier timeline.”