Page 71 of The Study of Fire
“A big bald man with the blackest skin I’ve ever seen. And a smaller man with brown hair.”
Moon Man and Tauno. While very happy Moon Man survived the fire, why would they rescue Marrok? “Did they say anything about where they might be going?”
“No. I searched the rest of the campus but couldn’t find them. On my way back, two horses from the Keep’s stable trotted by me. Despite the guards trying to stop them, the horses jumped the gate and headed deeper into the Citadel. Is there something going on that I should know?”
Valek explained about Marrok naming Yelena and Leif as his accomplices. “Moon Man has magical powers, so that probably explains how he disappeared in the moonlight. As for the horses…” Valek shrugged. “He may have called them. Sandseeds have a special bond with their horses.”
“This Moon Man must not be in league with the others,” Ari said.
“I’m guessing he’s being smart and fleeing the Citadel before he is fed to the Fire Warper again.” Valek wondered how he had escaped the fire.
“What’s our next move?”
“Sit tight for now. See what happens when they discover Marrok is missing. You need to be back in the infirmary before that, or they might suspect you of helping him to escape.”
“I’ll let you know their response.” Ari left.
* * *
Valek put the finishing touches on his disguise and headed to the Council Hall. No surprise, the streets were empty. Except, they seemed extra desolate. He also noted the smaller number of beggars sleeping around the building. Janco gave him a woeful look but didn’t move from his spot. It had a good view of both the hall and the Keep.
Getting into the rafters was more difficult than any previous time, Valek had to dodge not only guards but a few Daviians. Magic had briefly touched his face when he encountered a warper. The man had given him a hard look. Valek had nodded a good morning and kept walking. Thank fate, the warper hadn’t followed.
The great hall was a hive of activity. Messengers arrived and hurried away all day long. The councilors agreed to everything Roze Featherstone proposed. The most frustrating thing was the lack of new information.
The next day, Valek encountered more Daviians when he snuck in. Not a good sign. When he was in the rafters, he realized that while Roze and company were preparing for an invasion, they appeared to be waiting for something or for someone. The Fire Warper? They never said, just talked logistics and strategy.
Ari had reported that Marrok’s escape was taken in stride. No one in authority seemed upset, only Healer Hayes was concerned. He hadn’t finished healing Marrok’s ribs.
Gabor returned on the twenty-sixth day of the cold season. Ice coated his cloak.
He sagged onto a chair next to the hearth. “It’s even colder up north.”
“Did you have any trouble getting into Ixia?” Valek asked.
“No. I delivered your message to the Commander and updated Kenda before coming back.”
“How did the Commander take the news?” Valek asked.
Gabor scowled. “Not well. Good thing he’s not a kill-the-messenger dictator.”
“Did he give you any instructions?”
“He said hetrustedyou to take care of the problem.”
If only it were that easy.
* * *
By day twenty-seven, it was impossible for Valek to reach the rafters. Daviians crawled all over the Council Hall, the Citadel, and, according to Ari, the Magician’s Keep.
Magic filled the streets, and at times he had to push through it. On his way back to the safe house that evening, a person stepped from a shadow and confronted Valek.
A broad man pulled his scimitar and pointed it at Valek’s chest. “Who are you?”
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the man’s weapon that made Valek’s heart beat out a warning. It was the sticky strands of magic touching his skin. “I’m Ilom Cloudmist, who are you?”
“The person asking questions. Why can I not sense you?”
