Fire Study (31 page)

repaired a pair of pants. Her soft curls glowed like fresh honey. I hesitated, not

wanting to disturb her.

My need for information, though, spurred me into the room. She glanced up in

surprise and my heart stopped. I braced myself for her reaction, guessing hate and

anger ranked at the top of her list.

“Yelena!” She jumped to her feet. “I heard you were back.” She pulled me into a

warm hug then released me for inspection. “You’re still too thin. And what’s this

you’re wearing? The material is far too light for Ixia’s weather. Let me get you some

proper clothes and something to eat. I have a fresh loaf of cinnamon bread.” She

moved away.

“Dilana, wait.” I grabbed her arm. “I ate breakfast and I’m not cold. Sit down. I

want to talk to you.”

Her baby doll’s beauty hadn’t dimmed with time or grief, but I could see a touch

of sadness in her eyes despite her smile.

“It’s so good to see you again.” She rubbed a hand along my arm. “Look at how

tan your skin is! Tell me what you’ve been doing in Sitia besides sunning yourself.”

I laughed at the fantasy of me lounging in the sun, but sobered. She wanted to

avoid the subject. Avoid the reason I thought she might hate me. But I couldn’t go

on without saying anything. “Dilana, I’m sorry about Rand.”

She waved the comment away. “No need. The big oaf got himself mixed up with

Star and her nefarious deeds. Not your fault.”

“But he wasn’t her target. I was and—”

“He saved you. The dumb ox died a hero.” She blinked back tears threatening to

spill over her long eyelashes. “It’s a good thing we didn’t get married or I’d be a

widow. No one wants to be a widow at twenty-five.” She took a deep breath. “Let

me get you a slice of bread.”

Dilana left before I could stop her. When she returned with a plate, she had

regained her composure. I asked her about the latest gossip.

“Can you believe Ari and Janco are working with Valek? They were in here last

month trying on their new uniforms and preening in front of the mirrors.”

“Do you know where they are?” I asked.

“Some mission with Valek. I had to make a sneak suit for each of them. I used

up all my black fabric to cover Ari’s muscles. Can you imagine that big lunk

sneaking around?”

I couldn’t. Ari didn’t strike me as the assassin type. He was more of a

one-on-one fighter. Same with Janco. He wouldn’t feel right killing someone without

a fair fight. So why were they with Valek?

Dilana continued to chat. When the subject returned to uniforms, I asked her

about getting an adviser’s uniform. “The Commander has asked me to stay and I

feel like I stand out in these Sitian clothes.” Not an outright lie, yet a pang of guilt

twinged in my chest.

“Even though coral is a beautiful color on you, you’ll be warmer in a uniform.”

Dilana bustled over to her piles of clothes. She picked out a black shirt and pants.

Handing them to me, she shooed me behind the changing screen. “Try them on.”

I fingered the two red diamonds stitched on the shirt’s collar. The last time I had

stood here, I had been exchanging my red prison gown for the food taster’s

uniform. When I pulled my shirt off, I saw my snake bracelet. Round and round, it

hugged my arm. I suppressed the sudden laughter bubbling in my throat. I’ve come

full circle, but this time I put on an adviser’s uniform. It fit better than my food taster

uniform, molding to my body like a second skin. The Commander wanted me to

help him, while the Council wanted me dead. About a year ago, the opposite had

been true. This time I allowed the hollow snort of laughter to escape my lips.

“Something wrong?” Dilana asked.

I stepped out. “The pants are a little big.”

She grabbed the waistband and pinched the material together, marking it with

chalk. “I’ll have these fixed by lunch.”

I changed, thanked her and headed out to visit Kiki and the horses. The

Commander’s stables were located next to the kennels. The animals shared a training

ring and there was a pasture for the horses along the castle’s walls.

Kiki dozed in her immaculate stall. I checked on the other horses. Their coats

gleamed in the sunlight. They seemed content and well cared for. I complimented the

stable boys and girls, who nodded and resumed their work. Their demeanor

reminded me of adults and I wondered if they had any fun.

On my way back to the castle, I spotted Porter, the Commander’s Kennel

Master. His dogs never wore leashes and their obedience to him was uncanny. I

paused and watched him work with a litter of puppies. He had hidden treats in the

training yard and taught the pups how to find them. Being puppies, they frequently

forgot what they were supposed to do, but once Porter caught the attention of a

dog, he touched its nose and said, “Go find.”

Energized with its mission, the puppy scented the air and made a beeline for a

treat. Impressive. Porter noticed me watching and gave me a curt nod. He had been

good friends with Rand, and I recalled a conversation I had had with Rand about

Porter.

Rand hadn’t believed the rumors about Porter’s magical connection with the

dogs. Since there was no proof, Rand stayed true to their friendship when everyone

else avoided contact with the Kennel Master. As long as Porter continued to be

useful and did not draw attention to himself, his job for the Commander was secure.

I wondered about the magic, though. If he had magic and could use it without

getting caught, then there might be others in Ixia doing the same thing. Porter had

worked for the King many years before the Commander’s takeover, giving him

plenty of time to learn how to use and hide his power. Perhaps communicating with

the dogs was all he could do.

One way to find out. I pulled a thread of power and made a mental connection

with one of the puppies. Her energy and enthusiasm jumped from one smell to

another. When I tried to communicate with her, she either ignored me or didn’t hear

me. Her nose filled with the scent of soft laced with a sharp hint of squish, and she

dug into the ground seeking a worm. When a voice of warmth and caring called, she

left her task and ran toward Porter.

He gave all the puppies a rawhide stick to chew and filled the row of bowls with

water. I moved my awareness to him, sensing his surface thoughts. They were

focused on the tasks for the day, yet uneasiness lingered. Why was she here? What

does she want?

To help Ixia, I said in his mind.

He jerked as if bitten in the leg and glared at me.

You hear me, don’t you? The rumors are true.

He strode toward me. I checked the empty yard. Although I knew how to defend

myself, his tall muscular frame reminded me that, despite the gray hair, Porter

remained a formidable opponent. He stopped mere inches from me.

“You’re here to help Ixia?” Porter growled. If he had hackles they would have

been raised. “You can help by leaving us alone.”

He didn’t mean him and the dogs. I caught a brief image of other Ixians.

“There must be something I can do?”

“Like you did for Rand? No, thank you. All you’ll do is get us killed.” He turned

away, but his words, or enslaved, reached me.

A cold splash of fear drenched me. Was there someone in Ixia using magicians

against their will? Why was I surprised? Magic and corruption went hand in hand.

Would it corrupt me as well? I’d been using my magic without stopping to think

about the consequences. Connecting with Porter could get him killed, and I did it

just to satisfy my own curiosity. If I was so blasé about using magic now, how

would I view it in the future? Would I crave it like an addiction? I began to think it

would be better not to use magic at all.

Before I could return to the castle, I heard Kiki’s whinny. I hurried back to the

stables, but Kiki had already opened the door and met me in the walkway.

Foot hurt, she said.

She followed me to the training yard and bent her front right hoof back for me to

inspect the underside. A rock was lodged in her frog.

When did this happen?

Night. Didn’t hurt then.

Out in the sunlight, she didn’t appear to be as well groomed as I had thought.

She snorted. Lavender Lady take care.

You wouldn’t stand for the stable boy?

Too rough. Wait for you.

You’re spoiled rotten.

I left Kiki in the yard, and fetched my pick and brushes.

She lifted her leg and I dislodged the stone then pulled the shedding blade

through her copper hair. After a while, I removed my cloak. When I finished, clumps

of horse hair clung to my sweaty clothes.

You’re beautiful and I need a bath, I said to her. Pasture or stall?

Stall. Nap time.

And what about your snooze before I groomed you?

Pre-nap.

Ah, the life of a horse. I made sure her bucket held fresh water. On my way out, I

bumped into Porter.

“You’re good with that horse,” he said.

I waited, sensing he had more to say.

“Maybe you can help us.” He scanned the area. A few lads worked nearby. He

lowered his voice. “There’s a meeting tonight in Castletown. Forty-three Peach Lane

rear door. Come during dinner. Don’t let anyone know where you’re going.”

HE STRODE AWAY. TONIGHT I had planned to be on my way to Sitia. A

visit to Porter would delay me, but it seemed too important to ignore.

After my jaunt to the stables, I arrived back at the doors of the guest suite at the

same time as a messenger. The Commander wanted us to meet him in the war room

this afternoon. Inside, Tauno paced the living area like a trapped animal, prowling

next to the windows.

“Why don’t you go outside?” I suggested to him. “The soldiers run laps around

the castle complex for exercise. You can join them if you want.”

He stopped in surprise. “I can leave this room without being escorted by an

adviser?”

“The advisers are a courtesy provided by the Commander to help you find your

way around the castle. If you go out on your own, you’ll get some suspicious looks,

but as long as you stick to common areas, no one will bother you. Just make sure

you’re back for the meeting.” I told them about the message.

Moon Man sat next to Marrok on the couch. Marrok stared at us with an intense

expression as if he tried to decipher our conversation.

“Interesting how you see the advisers as a courtesy, while Tauno sees them as

guards,” Moon Man said.

I ignored the Story Weaver’s comment and gave Tauno directions to find his

way outside. Even with my assurances, he still pulled the door open as if he

expected to be accosted.

“Has Marrok said anything yet?” I asked.

“No, but he is understanding more and more. Unlike you.”

I scowled. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Moon Man refused to answer. My plan to leave my companions in Ixia so I

could travel faster through Sitia became more appealing as time went on. The

Commander would keep an eye on them and I wouldn’t have to worry about being

betrayed.

I looked around the room. “Where’s Leif?”

“In his room,” Moon Man said.

Judging by the monosyllable response through Leif’s door, I guessed he was still

upset with me. I told him about the meeting then retired to my room.

A quiet group followed me to the Commander’s war room. Tauno had returned,

seeming more settled since he had burned off some of his energy. Moon Man’s calm

demeanor returned, and Leif frowned at the world at large and me in particular. My

brother knew how to pout.

The Commander had a surprise waiting for us. Valek, Ari and Janco sat around

the circular table. My emotions flipped to joy at seeing them.

“Valek was just informing me on the state of affairs in Sitia,” the Commander

said. “Continue.”

“I found the situation to be rather ah…unique.” Valek leaned back in his chair. He

scanned my companions with a thoughtful purse of his lips. The sharp features of

his angular face would soften only when he smiled.

“Unique is putting it mildly,” Janco said. He rubbed the scar where the bottom

half of his right ear used to be. A sure sign of his worry.

“Try alarming,” Ari added.

Panic began to simmer under my heart. Ari tended to counter Janco’s

exaggerations with cool logic. His steadying presence helped keep Janco in check.