Page 1 of The Study of Magic
CHAPTER1
The oversized manor house sat like a fat cow amid the brown fields. Rows of dried-out wheat stalks stubbled the ground, providing no cover for Valek. He and Ziva Moon camped in the small woods nearby, waiting for darkness. A chilly wind blew from the west. It rattled the dead leaves and smelled of rain.
Valek studied the crude map Ziva had drawn on the cold, hard ground. She’d marked all the entrances, windows, and the best route to Ruby, her daughter’s, room. A path that would reduce the risk of Valek encountering anyone, especially her ex-husband, Dothan. Not that Valek couldn’t handle the powerful magician, but this was a classic snatch and dash operation. It worked best without any witnesses.
“I should go with you,” Ziva said. “You’re a stranger. Ruby will be scared.” She tucked her long brown hair behind an ear. Where it stayed for three seconds before the wind pushed it back into her pretty face.
It was a bad idea for so many reasons. “You need to stay here. If Dothan catches you, I’ll have to save you and then there’ll be no chance of rescuing your daughter because he’ll be on alert. Don’t worry, Ruby won’t even wake up until she’s in your arms.” Thank fate, or the four-year-old child was bound to make enough noise to rouse the household.
“Is sleeping juice safe for kids?”
Mothers.Valek suppressed a sigh. “Yes. It’s just a small dose. You should focus on your plans for after you have your daughter. Do you know where you’re going to stay?”
“My mother?—”
“No. That’ll be the first place Dothan looks.”
“I’ve a cousin in?—”
“No relatives or friends.”
“I could return to?—”
“No previous addresses.”
“Maybe Fulgor?—”
“No cities in the Moon Clan’s lands.”
She huffed. “I am a magician, too. I can use my illusion magic to hide from Dothan.”
“Are you strong enough to keep up your disguise every single time you’re in public?”
“I won’t need?—”
“He’s wealthy and well connected. He’ll hire people to search for you in all the obvious places. You can never let your guard down.”
“So, I’m supposed to pick a random clan and city in Sitia?”
“Yes. And I’d suggest even at your new location, you wear a disguise. It doesn’t have to be magical.”
He gave her a moment to collect her thoughts. When they had rode north from Delip in the Cloud Mist Clan’s lands, Valek tried to discuss all these logistics with her, but she was so focused on getting her daughter, she refused to consider an after. Once he rescued Ruby, all hell would break loose, and she wouldn’t have time to make these important decisions.
Valek had promised Ziva a favor when she’d helped him escape not only the jail in Nubium, but the noose. And she had aided him in stopping Tam, an infamous assassin, from killing Yelena.
“How will you support yourself? Do you have any money saved?” he asked.
“I…have the salary I earned as a guard.”
He waited, but she didn’t continue. “Did you like working at the jail?”
“No. It was horrible. I only did it so I could make friends with the other guards and maybe convince them to help me get Ruby back. When you were dragged in, it was the perfect opportunity for me.”
“Is there any other job that you’re qualified for?”
She stared at him. “Job?”
Clearly she had not thought anything through. He considered Sitia. The country was divided into eleven clans and, while most people lived in the land of the clan they were born in, it wasn’t unusual for them to move to another. “Do you have any association with Thunder Valley, the capital of the Stormdance Clan lands?”
