“You’re sure? Why do you care? She’s after your job.”
“I’ve always had people after my job, love. And the Commander’s been telling me to find a protégé for years. She’s the first to have real potential, and if she can step up, then perhaps she should.”
I studied his face, searching for regret or sorrow over the prospect. Finding none, I relaxed back into the pillows. Valek tucked me in and left to listen to the local gossip. I fell asleep dreaming of our future together.
* * *
Morning intruded. I groaned and tightened my grip on Valek as he tried to disentangle himself from me and the blankets.
“A few more minutes,” I mumbled.
“I caught a lead last night,” he said, pulling my arms off his waist.
Suddenly wide-awake, I let go and sat up. “You found Owen? Why didn’t you wake me?”
“Easy, love. It’s never that simple. I talked to a man who knew about a strange house made of glass.”
“And? Did you go check it out?”
“No. The man claimed he needed his brother’s help to find the place again. He offered to get his brother and take me there in the morning, for a fee of course.”
“Smells like a classic setup.” Instead of taking the mark to the promised location, the journey would end in an ambush.
“Indeed. However, from his comments, I think Owen may have tried to erase his memories, which is why he needed his brother to find the location again.”
“Still might be a setup.”
He smiled. “There will be four of us.”
“And if it’s a trap, we’ll be facing three magicians.” I flung the blankets off and dug through my pack. “Make sure all your darts are filled with Curare.”
“Yes, sir.”
We dressed and met Janco and Onora for a fast breakfast. The man joined us at the stables. He was in his forties, broad-shouldered and good-natured despite the tension. He introduced himself as Tex. I checked that his shadow matched his physique, ruling out a magical disguise. A short sword hung from his waist, but he might have other weapons tucked in his clothes or boots. I drew my cloak tighter around my shoulders. Or rather, Reema’s cloak. We had switched garments when I’d sent her to Ixia and out of danger.
Tex’s brother was named Jax—a thick, muscled man the size of Ari, whose shadow also matched. A rolled-up horse whip was tied to Jax’s belt. Janco eyed the whip with trepidation, rubbing his arms.
Valek introduced us. He used Janco’s and Onora’s real names, but changed mine to Elliona and referred to himself as Ilom. The men brought their own horses. Jax mounted a beefy gray quarter horse, and Tex rode a dark brown stallion.
Tex gazed at Kiki. “Is that one of those Sandseed horses?”
No sense lying. “Yes.”
“Is it true they can go twice as fast as a normal horse?”
“Only when they’re in the Avibian Plains, otherwise, no.”
“Huh? I thought no one can go into the plains without getting lost.”
“That’s true, but if you’re riding a Sandseed horse, they never get lost.”
“That’s handy,” Tex said.
We discussed horses as Tex and his brother led us south. From the way Janco scanned our surroundings, I knew he was searching for any magical traces. Valek remained quiet, content to let me chat with the brothers. Onora appeared to be bored, but the stiffness in her movements said otherwise. She also kept well away from Jax and I wondered if the man who had assaulted her had been his size.
As Tex had said, he couldn’t quite remember the route through the farmlands and forest. At one point, Tex and Jax argued on the right direction. I asked him how they’d found the place before.
“We’ve been working the river,” Tex said. “Loading and unloading the barges. Last season, a man hired us to transport these bundles of vines from this glass house you’re so interested in to the river. I don’t remember picking them up, but Jax does—that house really intrigued him. Apparently we did one trip. I collected the payment, but the man didn’t pay enough, so we quit. I guess.”
“Do you remember what the man looked like?” Valek asked.
“No. And Jax never met him, so, like I said, I don’t remember much. It sounds crazy, I know.”
It did, but if Owen had erased Tex’s memories, and hadn’t known about Jax, then it made sense.
After a few hours we crested a hill and stopped. Down below in the middle of a valley was a large glass house twice the size of the one near Broken Bridge. The afternoon sunlight reflected off its roof. Next to it stood another structure that resembled a barn. No one was in sight.
“There should be a...gardener around here,” Jax said. “I think.”
“We need to head back for another job,” Tex said. “You folks okay with finding your own way from here? We’re not in the plains.” Concern creased his brow.
Genuine? Or a hell of a good actor? “Yes, thank you. Sandseed horses have an excellent sense of direction regardless of location,” I said.
Valek paid Tex a generous sum. The man flashed him a grateful smile and headed back with his brother right behind him.
Janco rubbed his goatee, frowning. “Does anyone else think that’s odd?”
“What’s odd?” Valek asked.
“Those guys. They were...”
“Nice,” I finished for him. “Don’t tell me you’ve never met friendly people before.”
“Not in my line of work. Who wants to bet me that there’s an ambush waiting for us below?” Janco gestured to the valley.
“Do you sense any magic?” Valek asked.
“No, but we’re pretty far. You?”
“Nothing.”
A pang touched my chest. If I still had my magic, we’d know for sure if this was a trap.
“How do you want to proceed?” Onora asked Valek.
“You and Janco cut through the woods on the left side, check for any unfriendlies. I’ll check right. Meet back here.” Valek dismounted.
“And what about me?” I asked.
“Stay with the horses.”
Red-hot anger flared. “Kiki can stay with the horses. I’m coming with you.” I didn’t wait for his permission. I swung down from Kiki’s back, removed my cloak and yanked my bo staff from its holder on her saddle.
Valek studied me and I prepared for an argument. Instead he nodded. “Let’s go.” He untied his gray short cape and slung it over Onyx’s saddle.
Onora and Janco melted into the woods, and I followed Valek. He wore Sitian clothes—a plain tan tunic and brown pants that blended with the surrounding forest. The trees and bushes remained bare of leaves, but a few buds dotted a number of branches, promising warmer days ahead.
Valek traveled through the underbrush without making a sound, his movements graceful and balanced like an acrobat’s. I rustled behind him. My woodland skills had grown rusty with neglect. No need to slink about the woods when I’d already known exactly what creatures lurked inside. Since I could no longer rely on magic, I suspected many hours of training would be in my future.
Using hand signals, Valek communicated when to stop, wait and go. We encountered no one, and didn’t see tracks, broken branches or any other sign that another person had been here.
We returned to the horses and, soon after, Janco and Onora reported the same thing—no ambushers. Mounting our horses, we rode down into the valley. As we neared, Valek asked Janco if he sensed a magical illusion.
“No. I’ll let you know if I do,” Janco said.
Valek stopped us about fifty feet from the barn. He signaled for us to wait, dismounted and circled the buildings. I peered at the glass house. No condensation coated the panes and no greenery pressed against the sides. From this angle, it appeared to be empty.
When he reappeared he said, “No signs of activity anywhere and the barn door is locked.”
“Let me,” Janco said with a grin. He jumped off Beach Bunny and hurried toward the barn.
“He
does know we can all pick a lock, right?” I asked Valek. Janco had taught me the art, and my set of picks held my hair up in an intricate knot.
“This one’s a swivel.” Valek drew his sword. “Come on.”
Onora and I followed him around the building. Janco knelt next to an oversize door, working on a shiny new padlock. We waited behind him until he made a small sound of triumph. He removed the lock and glanced at Valek, who signaled him to open the door.
Janco yanked it open with a whoosh. We braced for an attack, but nothing happened. Instead a foul odor wafted from the entrance—the unmistakable rancid smell of death.
With a grim expression, Valek ventured inside. After a moment, he returned. “It’s safe.”