Page 111 of The Study of Magic
Once he ensured his helpers returned through the gate without trouble, Valek turned his focus on Cahil’s plans. He doubted the Wannabe King had given up searching for him. Perhaps Cahil learned of the disturbance at the west gate and assumed Valek was on the move? Or was he hoping to set up an ambush before Valek arrived? But then, how did he know Valek was heading toward the plains and not returning to Ixia? Perhaps the trap was for Yelena, who would be coming this way in about an hour’s time.
Regardless of who he planned to capture, where would he set his trap? Since Cahil wasn’t related to the Sandseeds, he couldn’t set it up inside the plains, so the best place would be at Valek and Yelena’s rendezvous location. Party crashers. Lovely.
Valek could remain at the gate and warn Yelena, but he was dangerously exposed. Plus, she’d proved she could protect herself. It’d be fun to watch her take down the Wannabe King. He decided to find a good spot to watch the action. But before he did, he searched the ground by the Citadel’s walls. Valek’s pack had been left behind, but did one of his people take his cloud-kissed dagger— Ah. A gleam caught Valek’s eye. Dried blood and dirt coated the weapon, but his weapon was undamaged. A good sign. He wiped the blade clean and tucked it away.
The road that traveled south dipped into a valley below the Citadel before snaking along the western edge of the plains. Valek stayed east of the road to avoid running into Cahil and his men and entered the plains. The Sandseed’s magic pressed on him, but it wasn’t hard enough to impede him. He crept westward through the tall grass and spotted the Wannabe King’s soldiers. They hid on the other side of the road, but Cahil was nowhere to be seen.
Valek waited. Eventually the sky darkened and the sound of hoofbeats came from the north.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Cahil’s demand rang out over the quiet plains.
“That’s not your concern,” Yelena said.
Valek moved north. On the road, Yelena and Kiki faced Cahil on his horse. The Wannabe King’s face was bright red.
“Notmyconcern? Notmyconcern?” He sputtered. “You’re the heart mate of the most wanted criminal in Sitia. Your whereabouts are of the utmost concern to me. In fact, I’m going to personally see to it that I know exactly where you are at all times.” He whistled.
His unit broke cover and fanned out behind Kiki. They all held blowpipes to their lips. That complicated things. Valek clamped down on a curse.
“What do you want?” she asked Cahil.
“Playing the simpleton to delay the inevitable, Yelena? I guess it has worked for you in the past. You certainly played me for a fool,” he said with a flat tone. “Convincing meandFirst Magician that you weren’t a spy, using your magic to make me trust you. I fell for it all.”
“Cahil, I?—”
“WhatIwant is to kill Valek. Besides getting revenge for the murder of my family, I will be able to show the council my abilities and they will finally support me.”
“You had Valek before and lost him. What makes you think you can kill him this time?” She asked.
“Your heart mate will exchange his life for yours.”
True.But touch her and die.
“You’re going to need more people to capture me.”
You tell him, love.
“Truly? Take another look.”
She glanced over her shoulder.
“The darts are treated with Curare,” Cahil said. “An excellent Sitian weapon. You won’t get far.”
Unless she had the antidote-of-sorts, which was a game changer. Unease swirled in Valek’s chest.
“Will you cooperate, or do I need to have you immobilized?” Cahil asked. The smug bastard.
Valek had had enough. He straightened and strode out to the road. Everyone gaped at him. Fun.
“That’s an interesting choice, love,” he said. “You’ll need some time to think it over. In the meantime…” Valek held his arms away from his body as he approached Cahil.See? I’m not armed.
Cahil transferred the reins to his left hand and pulled his too-heavy sword from its sheath.
“Let’s see if I have this right,” Valek continued in a casual tone. “You want revenge for your family. Understandable. But you should know that the royal family is notyourfamily. One thing I have learned over the years is to know my enemy. The royal bloodline ended the day the Commander took control of Ixia. I made sure of that.”
“You lie!” Cahil urged his horse forward, lunging at Valek with his sword.
Valek side-stepped, avoiding being trampled. The sharp blade cut through air.
