Page 44 of The Study of Poisons
“Well, what if she doesn’t come back? Another stupid idea, using the food taster,” Janco complained. “She’s a criminal.”
“That’s not our concern. That’s Valek’s problem. I’m sure if she got away, he would take care of her.”
Valek considered. Would he chase after Yelena? Or let her escape? An interesting dilemma.
“Let’s go. We’re supposed to rendezvous with the captain at the lake. Oh, and try to keep the noise down. You sound like a panicked moose crashing through the woods,” Ari chided.
“Oh yeah. Like you could hear me over your specially trained ‘woodland-animal footsteps,’” Janco countered. “It was like listening to two deer humping each other.”
The men laughed and disappeared into the underbrush, one on each side of the path. Yelena remained in place. Probably waiting until the two trackers moved further east. Then she once again proved her intelligence and changed course, heading south.
About to follow, Valek paused. A hundred yards down the trail, Ari and Janco stepped from the underbrush. He froze.
“Told you I heard something rustle the trees,” Janco gloated.
“And our prey bought the ‘need to rendezvous east’ comment. She’s probably heading south,” Ari said.
Valek had to admire their abilities. But did they know Yelena watched them from the trees or did they only suspect she was nearby? Either way, he would have some fun and test them.
Moving west, Valek crackled the bushes.
“She’s going west,” Ari whispered.
“Toward the dog team.” Janco groaned.
“Not if we find her first.” Ari gestured and the two men melted into the woods.
Valek grinned. Game on. He led them on a merry chase through the forest, looping back and making figure eights. He didn’t want to get too far from Yelena. No doubt his path frustrated the men as he stayed just out of reach. They could have broken cover and split, trapping Valek between them, but that was against orders. The Commander’s soldiers all stayed in pairs no matter the circumstances. You never left your partner. Never.
Which reminded Valek, he needed to end this chase and find Yelena. Doubling back, he was about to give them the slip when a strong and familiar magic brushed his skin. The southern magician lurked in the forest and Yelena was alone.
CHAPTER10
Acold wave of fear washed over Valek. He rocked back on his heels, then clamped the panic down hard. No time for emotions. Time for action. He broke cover and hunted the southern magician by sensing her magic. The desire to hurry pulsed in his veins, urging him to move faster. Tracking a person by the touch of their magic was tricky at the best of times, but it was all Valek had.
Ari and Janco also lost all pretense of stealth. They crashed through the brush behind him. Valek hoped they’d catch up, as he’d need the back up. How many goons did she hire this time? Was Yelena already dead?
He stumbled at that thought. Then he ruthlessly dismissed it, focusing on the task at hand. Find the magician. Kill the magician. He picked up his pace. Find the magician. Kill the magician.
After a few minutes, her magic swelled. The air around him thickened like honey, slowing him down. Cursing, he pushed through it, but she must have been sending out her full power. And damn. The strength of a master magician was extraordinary.
The noises behind him ceased and he hoped she hadn’t killed Ari and Janco. Regardless, Valek was now on his own.
He fought for every step.
Find the magician. Kill the magician.
Two more steps. Breathe in. Three steps. Exhale. Two.
Find the magician. Kill the magician.
Her magic suddenly disappeared and Valek fell forward, crashing to the ground. He scrambled to his feet. Without the magic, he had no way to track her. Scanning the forest, Valek spotted a brighter area to the south that might indicate a clearing. He jumped over roots and bushes, not caring about the noise, but some sense prevailed, and he slowed before he could burst into the open area and probably right into an ambush.
Valek eased closer. Yelena sat in the middle of the clearing, rooting through her backpack. Not only alive, but she also appeared unharmed. The power of his relief knocked him to his knees. It took him a moment to regain his composure and another dozen heartbeats to suppress the overwhelming desire to run to her, sweep her into his arms, hug her tight, and never let her go. He huffed a laugh over what he imagined would be her response. A slap to the face if he was lucky, a kick to the groin if he wasn’t.
He pulled it together and scanned the clearing, searching for the magician and her goons. Gone. But how far? And which direction? Valek looped to the south. A few broken branches dripped sap, indicating someone had recently passed through. He followed the trail for a few minutes. But he grew uneasy when the distance between him and Yelena increased. No matter how much he wished to thrust his knife into the magician’s heart, he would not leave Yelena unprotected again.
Turning back, he paused when the branches shook above him. Yelena had returned to the tree canopy and was heading in the same direction as the magician. South. Did Yelena have a death wish?
