Page 88 of The Study of Poisons
When Ari and Janco arrived,they stood awkwardly in the living room. Janco gawked at Valek’s wall full of weapons and Ari switched between standing at attention and at ease. Since he conducted all his business in his office, only the Commander, Margg, and Yelena had ever seen his apartment. Until today.
“Sit down,” Valek said, indicating the couch.
They perched on the edge.
“I’ve a new assignment for you both,” he said.
“Another smash and grab?” Janco asked with excitement. “Or an ambush?”
“No. I need you to guard Yelena while the generals are here.”
Ari leaned forward. “We’ve been keeping an eye out for her since she gave that favorable report to the Commander about us. Still are even though she’s now quite capable of protecting herself against an opponent. So, something big must have happened recently. Can we ask what?”
Valek considered how much to tell them. If they knew the nature of the threat, they’d be better able to handle a problem. But could he trust them to keep it secret?
Janco turned serious. “Yelena’s our friend and colleague. We’d never do anything to endanger her.” He had correctly interpreted Valek’s hesitation.
Valek explained what happened. “It shouldn’t be a surprise that Brazell’s still after her.”
“It isn’t,” Ari said.
“Hiring a magician is beyond hard core,” Janco said. “Magic’s illegal. And creepy.” He shuddered.
“You let me worry about that. Your job is to protect Yelena. She should be safe here, but outside these rooms, don’t let her out of your sight.”
“Yes, sir,” they said in unison.
“If you start having strange thoughts, or Yelena acts out of character, or if anything seems off, bring her to me right away. I might be able to block the magic.”
“Define strange thoughts,” Janco said.
“I’ll explain it to him later,” Ari said.
“It’s a legitimate question!”
“I need to get back to the Commander,” Valek said. “Can you stay here until she wakes?”
“Yes, sir,” Ari said. “And we’ll coordinate with her regarding her schedule.”
“Thanks. I’ll tell the guards you have permission to enter my suite. They always have a key.” Valek remembered the medicine for Yelena. He poured a glass of water and mixed in the powder. “I’ll put this on her nightstand. Make sure she drinks it all.”
“Yes, sir.”
Valek eased Yelena’s door open. Mid-morning sunlight flowed in behind him, illuminating the room. As he set the glass down, she jerked and struggled to sit up.
“It’s all right,” Valek said, pressing her shoulder down so she didn’t fall off the bed. The tight knot that had been wrapped around his heart relaxed its grip.
Yelena reached for her head and grabbed the cloth. He picked up the cup. She blinked at him and scanned the room.
“Drink this.” Valek handed her the glass.
She cringed at the flavor, but he insisted she finish and then set the cup on the table. Lines of exhaustion marked her face, and, while he wanted to ask her about the attack, he’d wait until later.
“Rest,” he ordered. He turned to leave.
“Valek,” she said. “Why didn’t you kill Mogkan?”
He longed to tell her the truth.Because I love you.But that wouldn’t be wise. “A tactical maneuver. Mogkan would have killed you before I could finish him. You’re the key to too many puzzles. I need you.” He strode to the door and grabbed the knob but paused at the threshold. “I’ve reported Mogkan to the Commander, but he was…” Valek squeezed until the metal under his fingers cracked. “Unconcerned, so I’ll be guarding the Commander until Brazell and Mogkan leave. I’ve reassigned Ari and Janco as your personal bodyguards. Don’t leave this suite without them. And stop eating Criollo. I’ll taste the Commander’s Criollo. I want to see if anything happens to you.” He left.
