Page 51 of Truth's Blade

“I’ve never heard of magic that can turn someone into something else, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.” Ava’s voice shook a little. This was someone who was powerful. She couldn’t even conceive of doing magic like that.

“Continue,” Luc said.

Tiano shook her shoulders. “While he was tied to the bridge in Illoa, on the Grimwalt side, a woman noticed him, rescued him, and freed him of the spell. That is how he was able to come to the barracks.”

“What woman?” Every instinct in Ava came awake.

“Some Grimwaldian.” Tiano shrugged, as if that was all the explanation necessary.

Grimwaltdidhave the highest concentration of magic users. Ava was Grimwaldian herself, as it happened.

“You don’t know her name?” Luc asked, just managing to keep the impatience from his voice.

Ava knew him well enough to hear it though, just under the surface.

They all shook their heads.

“She came to the barracks later that same night, though,” another of the soldiers said. “The lieutenant had asked her to help him find the abductor, and she agreed.”

Tiano nodded. “The captain said the woman was going to leave in the morning with the rescue party. Because if they were up against a magic user, it would help to have someone with her skills along.”

“Her skills?” Lineka spoke for the first time, his voice hoarse, as if he had been screaming.

“She could see the goat was enspelled. That’s how she knew to rescue the lieutenant.” Tiano lifted her hands. “I’m not sure of the details. But she, the lieutenant, and four soldiers from the barracks, left at daybreak,” Tiano said.

“And they knew where to go?” Rafe asked.

“The woman who saved the lieutenant had interacted with the trader who’d tied him to the bridge before he left the city. She thought he may know where the spell worker was from, so they were going to catch up to him on the Taunen road and get more information, then take it from there.”

There was a plan, at least, Ava thought. But that was a far cry from knowing where the children were, other than somewhere on the Taunen road.

Her heart physically ached with worry, with fear, and with stress.

And still, they had more information now than they’d had before. Much more.

It seemed for the first time, she was going up against someone as powerful, if not more powerful, than herself.

She only hoped that Viviane had managed to keep her own power hidden. Because having been locked away for years by someone who wanted to use her, Ava would fight until there was nothing left in her to save her daughter from the same fate.

CHAPTER 21

The leaner,slightly shorter of the two men woke up swearing.

Viviane had been watching the soldiers since the dawn light had begun to illuminate the room through the small window high on the wall above them.

The light hit her and Genevieve first, and then slowly moved back along the floor through the day until, just before midday, it shone directly in the soldier’s face.

He looked rough, with dark stubble on his cheeks and rumpled clothes. But all four of them looked tough and competent.

Just having them in the holding cell had given her some comfort.

The man sat up with a hoarse shout, looked around, eyes wild, and then slumped back against the wall.

“Shit.” He smacked the man beside him. “Ivan. Wake up.”

Ivan came awake with a snort, and then, as his gaze met Viviane’s, his eyes widened.

“Viviane?” he asked.

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