Page 68 of The Study of Magic
Valek considered. If he waited for the magic to wear off the four guards, Alea would be too far away. If he fought them, she’d escape for sure. He reached for his darts but there were none left. He’d given them all to Ari and Janco.
Well, there were other ways to exit the castle and plenty of windows. Valek turned around and raced to another room and then climbed out the window. Thankfully, the guards took her orders literally and remained behind. The blood was harder to spot on the dark ground outside, but there was only one place for her to go. The west gate. If she reached Castletown, she could blend in and disappear.
Valek questioned the guards at the gate. Did they see anyone? Hear anything? Of course not. He ran all the way to Castletown but didn’t see her. Unless she stayed in the castle’s complex? No. Her accomplices were caught. Her plans ruined. No way she’d stay.
A cracking crumbling noise sounded right above him. Valek dove to the side without looking up. The top of a massive brick chimney slammed into the ground where he’d just been standing. Alea’s parting shot.
* * *
The war room finally lived up to its name. Bodies littered the floor. Bits of ash floated in the smoky air that reeked of blood and burnt hair. The generals huddled in a clump as far from the prone forms as possible.
Ute remained by the Commander’s side as Medic Channa rubbed a salve onto his burns. He’d taken off his uniform. Wearing only his sleeveless undershirt and boxers, he endured her ministrations.
“…good thing you keep your hair so short,” Channa said. “Otherwise, it’d be gone. Your eyelashes and eyebrows will grow back eventually.”
Valek knelt next to Farren and checked her pulse just in case he’d missed her heart. Her skin was cold. From this angle, Valek spotted pools of bright scarlet spreading from under each magician. Someone had killed the other six, saving Valek from the gruesome task. He glanced up and met the Commander’s gaze.
“Generals,” the Commander said. “We’ll reconvene tomorrow morning.”
The men bolted, almost tripping over the bodies in their rush to leave. Ute exchanged a glance with Channa before exiting.
“Valek?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Well done. Now go get some sleep, you look beat.”
“Yes, sir.” It was a good idea, except Valek had to find Ari and Janco.
General Ute waited for him in the hallway. “Thought you would want to know what happened while you were gone.”
“I do. Tell me on the way?”
“Sure.” She matched his quick pace. “After you left, I fetched the medic despite the Commander’s insistence that he was fine. When we returned, the Commander stood over one of the magicians holding a bloody knife. Without warning, he bent over and stabbed the man right in the chest.” Ute’s hand briefly pressed over her heart. “The other generals were staring at him in horror, and I realized that man wasn’t the first magician he’d killed. I’m shocked, too. It’s one thing to know magicians are executed when captured in Ixia, but quite another thing to witness it.”
“The Commander was making a point.”
“Message received. Loud and clear. Although he didn’t really need to. Just resisting the magicians’ collective magic was impressive.”
“That’s why Mogkan and Brazell had to use the Criollo,” Valek said. “They learned what I’ve known all along; the Commander is not only strong but stubborn as hell.”
Valek reached the stairs leading to the holding cells and Ute followed him down.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“To check on Ari and Janco.” He explained.
“Oh my. I hope they’re okay.” She broke into a jog.
Valek chased after her. She rounded the corner and stopped in her tracks. “Oh.” She covered her mouth with her hand.
With dread rising, Valek looked over her shoulder, bracing for the worse. Ari and Janco each sat in a cell, wearing nothing but their boxers. Laughter escaped Ute’s fingers and Valek couldn’t help joining her. Their expressions alone…priceless. Relief surged through him, sweeping away all the tension and worry that had collected since learning of Alea’s plot. Lightheaded, he leaned against the wall.
“Oh, sure.Youcan laugh,” Janco said. “Youdidn’t endure the absolute humiliation of being controlled by magic, forced to release the prisoners, and strip. Because of course that magician knew I had a set of lock picks hiding in my uniform.” He gestured to a third cell where their uniforms had been heaped. Within sight, but out of reach.
“Magic sucks,” Ari agreed.
“This one’s on me,” Valek said as he unlocked the cell doors. “I didn’t expect Alea to figure it out so fast.”
