If he can find us.
Not a problem. Fisk went to the rendezvous point to meet up with him.
Which Bruns knows about. Right?
His smile disappeared. “Right. I really screwed up.” He flopped onto his straw pallet.
“You can’t blame—”
He waved away my efforts to console him. I let him brood. Eventually he’d purge the guilt from his system and return to normal. Well, normal for Janco. Sitting down on my pallet, I mulled over our conversation and what had happened when I touched Janco.
Could the baby be responsible for my inability to connect with the blanket of power? Other female magicians didn’t lose their abilities while pregnant, so it couldn’t be. But I wasn’t exactly like other magicians. Perhaps the combination of my Soulfinder magic and Valek’s strong immunity created a void—an area of no magic!
I surged to my feet, unable to remain still. Perhaps as the baby grew, the area affected by the void also expanded. And by touching Janco, I included him in the void. Of course it was all speculation, and I had no way to test my theory right now, but it gave me hope that my powers might return once the baby was born. Considering my current predicament, I held on to that small comfort.
* * *
A clang of metal woke me from a light doze. Harsh voices emanated from the far right as a group of figures emerged from the darkness. Janco stood close to his door, his tense posture poised for action. But the group stopped before reaching Janco and unlocked the cell next to his.
The door squealed as it swung wide. The pack pushed Leif into the cell. I winced in sympathy as he hit the floor with a thud. By the time he regained his feet, they had slammed the door shut. And our chances of being rescued narrowed, along with my throat. I swallowed, but it didn’t help.
When the group retreated, Janco said, “Welcome to the party.”
Leif glared at him. His pant legs were sliced open, his shirt was untucked and torn, and bloody bruises marked his face.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I’d be better if it wasn’t for Mr. Careful here,” Leif growled. “Just couldn’t keep out of trouble, could you?”
“I didn’t expect to run into—”
“I know. They gloated about it as they tried to puree my brains.” Leif ran a hand over his short hair, smoothing the strands down.
I bit down on a joke about his brains already being pureed. In this foul mood, Leif wouldn’t appreciate it. Instead, I asked, “Did they get through?”
“No. Unlike Mr. Careful, I have strong magical defenses. Besides, it doesn’t really matter. It sounds like he told them everything.” Leif waved the ribbons of fabric that had been his pants. “They took my hidden surprises.”
“Lock picks?” I asked.
“And my darts.”
Janco slouched. “Sorry.”
Leif jerked his thumb at the empty cells across the aisle. “Make sure you tell that to Dax, Hale and Ari.”
“They’re caught!” I sagged against the bars.
“Not yet. Bruns sent trained teams to round them up. It won’t take long, since Dax and Hale have no military training.”
“Ari won’t be easy to catch,” Janco said with pride.
“They have highly accurate blowpipes, remember? Ari can be the best swordsman around, but one well-placed dart filled with sleeping potion...” Leif spread his hands.
There’s still Valek, Janco signaled.
“They’re setting a trap for him,” Leif said.
My head throbbed from all the bad news and from dehydration. I picked up the cup of tepid Theobroma-laced water and took a couple sips for a bit of relief. Both Janco and Leif watched me in silence. Their matching resigned expressions said it all.
* * *
Over the course of the next few hours, Bruns’s hunting parties dragged in first Dax, then Hale and finally an unconscious Ari—one for each empty cell. Janco curled into a tight ball of misery, and I worried about Valek and Fisk, wondering if they’d avoid capture or walk right into Bruns’s ambush.
I slept in snatches. Every little noise jerked me awake, convinced Valek had been seized. Ari groaned to life, groggy and surly. Explanations on how everyone had been apprehended were exchanged again. We also discussed escape, but Bruns’s men had been thorough and no one had any lock picks or weapons. Rescue might be our only chance.
“No way they’d get Valek,” Ari said. “No way.”
“They have a dozen magicians that can weave a null shield in seconds,” Leif said, shredding that last bit of hope.
When a loud bang signaled the entrance of another group of soldiers, ice coated my insides with dread. But only Bruns and a handful of guards walked in. Relief warmed me.
Bruns surveyed us while his men slid trays of food into each cell and added oil to the lanterns. No one said a word.
“You have a choice,” Bruns said, breaking the silence. “Eat and drink the meals we bring, or not.” He shrugged. “At this point, I don’t care if you die of thirst. You’ve all been a pain in my side since the beginning. But know that after you’ve had a few meals here, you’ll be welcomed to my team. And you won’t be able to fake it, and there’s no chance of recovery. I believe you’re all familiar with the talents of Loris Cloud Mist.” Bruns turned to leave.
“Is that why you didn’t assassinate them? So they can work for you?” I asked.
“Yes. Not only does it make them grateful, but no one wastes time searching for the dead.”
“You stole that idea from Owen.”
“Yes, I did. And why not? The tactic has a little bit of life left in it. Of course, it won’t work anymore.” He swept a hand, indicating the cells. “But I don’t need it to.”
“Did you save Ben, as well?”
Bruns met my gaze. His expression remained neutral. “Eat your breakfast, Yelena. I told your heart mate I’d keep you alive if he cooperated. Don’t go making me a liar, now.”
It took every fiber of my willpower not to react to his comment. Instead, I said in a neutral—I hoped—tone, “Too late, Bruns. We all know not to trust what you say.”
A half smile twisted his lips. “Fine. Believe what you will.” He left, taking the guards with him.
Leif sniffed the food. “Don’t eat it. We can last a couple days without food.”
The enticing scent of warm cinnamon tea drifted to me. My stomach cramped with hunger. It’d been over a day since I’d last eaten. I lifted the mug and cupped it in my cold hands.
“Yelena,” Ari said. He was in the cell across from mine. “Valek’s not caught. I don’t care how many magicians and null shields they have. Bruns does not have him.” Pure conviction vibrated in his tone.
“Have you heard from him?” I asked. If he was close, I could wait.
Ari shook his head, his expression bleak. I calculated the distance to the rendezvous point. If Valek left right now, then it’d take him three days to arrive. Plus he’d need another day or two to figure out a way inside the base. Too long—I’d need to eat by then. I glanced at Leif, looking for guidance. Of all of us, he had the most medical knowledge.
My brother pressed his lips together, clearly unhappy. Then he signaled, It’s your choice. You can probably go another day, but no longer. Think about it. You can save yourself now and have another baby later.
“No,” I said as Ari gasped. He’d been watching Leif. I held up a hand, stopping Ari from voicing his questions about the baby. “I need another option.”
“I don’t have one,” Leif said.
“I do!” Janco jumped to his feet.
The poor man hadn’t said a word or moved since they had dragged Dax in.
Janco’s hands almost blurred as he motioned. Wouldn’t Brother Horror’s power not work on you because of that blocking thing?
That’s just speculation. I can’t risk the baby.
You might not
have a choice if we’re here for a few days.
True.
“Can someone tell us what’s going on?” Dax asked.
“It’s better if you don’t know,” Ari said. He sank onto the pallet of straw in his cell. “Did you know about...that before you rushed off to rescue Leif?” he asked me.
“Yes, and don’t yell at me. Leif and Janco already have.”
Ari grunted, but kept quiet. I sipped the cooling tea. It tasted divine, warming me. However, I planned to wait another day before I ate the food. At this point, I didn’t have any other options.
* * *
The following day passed in a slow trickle of nothing. Without a window, we marked time by the guards’ entrance. Trays of hot food arrived, cooled, congealed and were replaced—three per day. I started eating after the fourth delivery. By that time, dizziness made it difficult for me to stand.
Leif made a few obvious gestures to explain to Dax and Hale why I risked being turned into Bruns’s minion.
After two days, the others started drinking the Theobroma-laced water. They didn’t wish to die. No one voiced what we all thought: Where’s Valek? Will he be here soon? Or has he been captured?
Four days into our incarceration, Loris and Bruns accompanied the food. They stood in front of my cell.
“You’re the only one who seems to have an appetite.” Bruns peered at me in suspicion. “Why is that?”
I shrugged. “I don’t have as much willpower as the others.”
“Uh-huh. Loris?”
Instinctively I glanced at Loris, but wished I hadn’t when he captured my gaze. Unable to look away, I fought against a heaviness pressing into my thoughts. I tried to jumble them, keep the answers from his reach like a mental game of keep-away. It worked until he increased his efforts. Then I counted numbers backward as Valek had taught me and recited lists of poisons. It only delayed the inevitable. Eventually, Loris’s magic shone on all the corners of my mind, exposing everything. The blocking thing failed to work. Instead, a powerless humiliation spread throughout my body.
“And?” Bruns asked.
“She’s pregnant.”
While Loris held me, I was unable to see Bruns’s reaction. However, through Loris, I sensed Bruns’s surprise turn into cold calculation.