My mother’s smile felt like the sun coming out after a storm. “Good to know there are people in Ixia who care about you.” She tucked my fire amulet into a pocket of her cloak. “Fire represents strength. I will keep it with me always.”
Hugging me tight for a moment, Perl pulled away and declared, “You’re freezing. Put your cloak on. Let’s get inside.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Esau and Irys waited for us in the Keep’s guest quarters on the west side of the campus. I endured a bone-crushing hug from my father, but had to decline an invitation to dinner with my parents. My desire for a bath and sleep overrode my hunger. I had to promise to spend most of the next day with them before they allowed me to leave.
Irys accompanied me to the bathhouse. Dark smudges lined her eyes and she looked as tired as I felt. She seemed in a contemplative mood.
“Did you use magic on your mother?” she asked.
“I don’t think so. Why?”
“She seemed at peace. Perhaps you did it instinctively.”
“But that’s not good. I should have complete control. Right?”
“I’m beginning to think that not all the rules apply to you, Yelena. Perhaps it was your upbringing or the fact that you started controlling your magic at an older age that has made your powers develop in an unusual way. Not to worry, though,” she added when she saw my expression. “I believe it will be to your benefit.”
Irys and I parted at the baths. After a long hot soak, I dragged myself to my rooms. My last thought before drifting off to sleep was to marvel over the fact that Irys had trusted me enough not to assign more guards to me.
It seemed a mere moment that I had sunk into a dreamless slumber when Irys’s mental call woke me. I squinted in the bright sunlight, trying to orient myself.
What time? I asked her.
Midmorning, Irys said.
Morning? That meant I had been asleep since yesterday afternoon. Why did you wake me?
An emergency Council session has been called, and your presence is required.
Emergency session?
Goel was murdered, and Cahil is claiming Adviser Ilom is Valek in disguise.
28
GOEL MURDERED? VALEK CAUGHT? My groggy mind couldn’t quite understand Irys’s comment and her attention pulled away before I could question her. I changed as fast as I could and ran toward the Council Hall.
Did Valek kill Goel? And if Valek really was in custody, he just gave the Sitians one more reason to execute him. Should I act surprised by Valek’s presence or admit I knew about him? Would I be considered an accomplice to Goel’s murder? Perhaps they suspected me. I only told Irys where to find him; I hadn’t mentioned the others to her.
Questions without answers swirled in my mind. I paused before the steps to the Council Hall, smoothed my braid, and adjusted my clothes. I wore one of the new shirts and skirt/pants that Nutty had sewn for me. Glancing at my surroundings, I checked to make sure no one had followed me. Irys trusted me to take care of myself. I couldn’t let her down.
The Council’s members, four Master Magicians, a handful of the Keep’s guards, and Cahil had assembled in the great hall. The noise of their various arguments reached deafening levels, and I spotted Cahil gesturing wildly to the Sandseed’s Councilman. Cahil’s flushed face contorted in anger as he replied.
Roze Featherstone, First Magician pounded a gavel to bring order to the meeting. Conversations ceased as the Councilors took their seats. The decorations from the greeting ceremony had been removed, and a U-shaped table had been brought in. Roze and the other three Magicians sat at the bend, while the clan Elders sat along the straight sides. Six on one side, five on the other with Cahil taking the sixth seat. A wooden podium had been placed in the middle of the U. I stood with the Captain of the guard and his men near the side wall, hoping to blend in with the white marble.
“Let us address the matter of Lieutenant Goel Ixia,” ordered Roze.
I glanced at Irys in surprise.
All the northern refugees are given Ixia as their clan name, Irys explained in my mind. Cahil is considered their clan leader. It is an honorary clan and title. He has no lands and no power to vote in the Council.
That explained Cahil’s resentment toward the Council and his continuing frustration of not getting their support for his campaign against the Commander.
“Lieutenant Ixia was found dead in a fallow field east of the Citadel in Featherstone Clan lands,” Roze recited. “The healers have determined that he was killed with a sword thrust through his heart.”
Murmurs rippled through the Council members. Roze stopped them with a cold stare. “The weapon was not found at the scene, and a search of the surrounding fields is currently in progress. According to Fourth Magician, Yelena Liana Zaltana was the last person to see him alive. I call her to the witness stand.”
Sixteen pair of eyes turned toward me. Hostile, concerned and worried expressions peppered the group.
Don’t worry, Irys said. Tell them what happened.
I walked to the podium, guessing that was the witness stand.
“Explain yourself,” Roze demanded.
I told them about the kidnapping and my escape. A collective gasp sounded when I explained about taking control of Goel’s body. Whispers about the Ethical Code started to spread.
Irys stood and said, “There is nothing illegal about using magic to defend yourself. In fact, she should be commended for extracting herself without harming Goel.”
The Council members asked an endless amount of questions about Goel’s motives. Only after the guards that had been assigned to protect me confirmed they had been drugged did the Council run out of inquiries.
“You left Goel chained in the shed, and that was the last time you saw him?” Roze asked.
“Yes,” I said.
“She’s telling the truth.” By Roze’s sour expression, I knew that statement had been hard for her to say. “The investigation into Goel’s murder will continue. Yelena, you may sit down.” Roze gestured to a bench located behind her and the other Master Magicians. “That leaves us with the other matter. I call Cahil Ixia to the witness stand.”
As I moved toward the bench, I passed Cahil. His blue eyes held a hard determination and he refused to meet my gaze. I sat on the edge of the wooden bench, and, even though I braced myself for his accusations, Cahil’s words made my heart squeeze with fear.
“—and compounding Valek’s deception is the fact that his soul mate and master spy is Yelena Zaltana.”
The room erupted with a cacophony of voices. Roze pounded her gavel, but no one listened. I felt the force of her magic when she ordered everyone silent. She held them quiet for only a moment, but it was enough to get her point across.
“Cahil, where is your evidence?” Roze asked.
He motioned to one of the Keep’s guards. The guard opened a door in the back wall and Captain Marrok and four of Cahil’s men entered the hall, dragging Adviser Ilom with them. Ilom’s arms were manacled behind his back and the four guards had their swords pointed at him. Ambassador Signe and a handful of Ixian soldiers followed the grim procession.
I strained to catch Valek’s eye, but he looked at the Council members with an annoyed frown.
Ambassador Signe was the first to speak. “I demand an explanation. This is an act of war.”
“Cahil, I told you to release the Adviser until this matter was settled,?
?? Roze said. Fury flared in her amber eyes.
“And let him escape? No. Better to bring him here and unmask him in front of everyone.” Cahil strode to Ilom and yanked on his hair.
I cringed, but Ilom’s head jerked down as he cried out in pain. Undaunted, Cahil pulled Ilom’s nose then clawed at the flesh under his chin. Ilom yelped and blood welled from the scratches on his neck. Cahil stepped back astounded. He reached toward Ilom’s face again, but Marrok grabbed him and held him. Cahil’s mouth hung open with astonishment.
“Release the Adviser,” Roze ordered.
Ilom’s manacles were removed as Cahil, his face red with rage, and his men were escorted from the room. The session ended and Roze rushed to make amends and apologize to the Ambassador and Ilom.
I stayed on the bench, watching as Signe’s anger and Ilom’s pout transformed into more agreeable expressions by Roze’s words. I was afraid to call attention to myself, hoping no one would remember Cahil’s other accusations about me.
Cahil’s shock over Ilom had matched my own. Even knowing his tricks, Valek continued to surprise me. I scanned the Ixian guards, and, sure enough, one blue-eyed soldier looked mighty pleased with himself. Ilom probably dressed as a guard when Valek disguised himself as the Adviser, and they probably switched places when Valek needed to sneak around Sitia.
Eventually, the Council members and Ixians began to leave. Irys joined me on the bench.
Tell Valek to leave, Irys said. The danger is too great.
You know.
Of course. I expected him to be with the delegation.
It doesn’t bother you that he’s here. That he might be spying on Sitia.
He’s here for you. And I’m glad you had some time together.
But what if he killed Goel?
Goel was a danger to you. While I would have preferred to arrest him, I’m not upset by his demise.
“Go get something to eat. You look a little pale,” Irys said.
“That’s just great. I went from having none to having two mother hens.”
Irys laughed. “Some people just need the extra help.” She patted my knee and went in search of Bain.