A surprised yelp followed a thud. Then Ari moved off the wagon and the rugs on top of my crate scraped away. The lid lifted. I had my switchblade in hand, but Ari’s amused face greeted me. He helped me stand. Valek had a knife to Cahil’s throat. He and Cahil were on the ground. Cahil’s men remained on their mounts. The men appeared tense and alert but hadn’t drawn any weapons. Leif and Janco joined Ari and all three pulled their blades. Marrok stayed on Garnet.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t cut your throat?” Valek asked Cahil.
“You won’t get into the Keep without me,” he said. He kept still and held his hands up and away from his body.
“Why this sudden change of heart?” I asked.
Cahil’s gaze met mine. Hatred still radiated from his eyes but the pain of betrayal tainted them. “You were right.” He said each word as if it hurt him. “They’re using me and…”
“And what?” I prompted.
“The rituals and killings have gotten out of hand. I can’t be a part of it anymore.” He looked at Marrok. “I wasn’t raised to be a killer. I was raised to be a leader. I’ll earn my throne the old-fashioned way.”
Although the expression on Marrok’s face never changed, his body relaxed.
“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” Ari asked.
“Yelena knows through her magic.”
I shook my head. “I can’t use it. It will alert Jal and risk the mission.”
“She already knows you’re here. You have thwarted her a number of times, although it will be more difficult now, as she has gained an incredible amount of power through the Kirakawa ritual.”
“She?” Valek and I asked in unison.
“We thought Jal was Gede,” I said.
Cahil blinked at us for a moment. “You didn’t know? What else don’t you know? You were planning an attack at the Keep, right? I thought you had it all figured out.”
“You thought wrong,” I said, annoyed. “We had to guess about the state of affairs inside the Keep.”
“Then here’s a way for me to prove my loyalty. I’ll tell you what’s been going on and will help you get inside. Agreed?”
Valek and I exchanged a glance.
“Do I still get to kill him?” Valek asked.
“At the first sign of betrayal, yes,” I said.
“What about after this is all over?”
“Then it’s your call.”
Cahil stared at us. “Hold on. I’m risking my life to help you. I’d like some guarantees.”
“We’ve come to a point where there are no guarantees. For any of us,” I said.
“That’s not very encouraging,” Cahil said.
“It’s not supposed to be. You should know what happens when you play with fire, Cahil. Eventually, you’ll get burned. Now, tell us what you know,” I ordered.
Valek removed his knife from Cahil’s throat and stepped back. Cahil scanned the area. We had attracted quite the crowd, but I saw to my relief that there were no Vermin among them. Then it hit me—why not? I asked Cahil.
He gave me a sardonic smile. “They’re all at the Keep. Roze plans a massive Kirakawa ritual using all the magicians she has captured to empower all her favorite Warpers in one sweep. And you’re to be the coup de gr?ce.”
My blood turned to ice. “Roze?”
A superior expression settled on Cahil’s face. “Yes, Roze Featherstone, First Magician also known as Jalila Daviian, First Warper and founder of the Daviian Clan.”
All color drained from Leif’s face. “But how? Why?”
“I had no idea until Ferde was caught. She asked me to rescue him in exchange for the Council’s support to invade Ixia,” Cahil said. “I thought it was an undercover mission to learn who else was behind his bid for power. Though, when I discovered the truth about her and the other Warpers, I must admit it didn’t bother me at the time. She promised to attack Ixia and make me king.”
“How many Warpers are inside and who are the victims for the ritual?” I asked.
“Six very powerful Warpers, including Roze and Gede. They have been very careful about who they allow to increase their powers, keeping crucial information about the Kirakawa ritual to a select few. There are fifty Vermin soldiers and ten medium-powered Warpers. Two of those Warpers are scheduled to be given master-level powers during the massive ritual. The victims for this ritual will be the three other Masters, who are incarcerated in the Keep’s cells, Moon Man and the Councilors.”
“What about the students?”
“The older apprentices have been put in the cells. The younger ones obey out of fear.”
“How does Roze plan to control the Master Magicians?”
“She has the power, but I think she does plan to prick them with Curare to save her energy. Once they are tied down, a dose of Theobroma will weaken their defenses.”
“They seem to have an unlimited supply of Curare,” I mused out loud.
“Gede Daviian has provided the drug for them. He also helped recruit dissatisfied Sandseeds to the Daviian Clan. And having a pet Fire Warper has made him the Daviians’ most valued member.”
I mulled over the information. “How do you plan to get us inside?”
“As my prisoner. She knows I went to find you. I’ll bring you to her and since my feelings for you haven’t changed, I won’t have to act like I hate you. Sensing nothing wrong, Roze will probably order me to take the rest—” Cahil pointed to Ari and Janco “—to the cells.”
“Why would I cooperate with you?”
“Because I’ll have Leif, and I’ll make a bargain to keep him safe in exchange for your cooperation.”
My mind raced through the options and possibilities. For the first time, I felt hopeful about my friends’ survival. “Cahil, when you take the others to the cells, can you free everyone inside?”
“As long as Roze is occupied.”
Valek smiled. “What’s the plan, love?”
We approached the Keep’s gate at a slow walk. I sat in front of Cahil on his horse. Ari and Marrok sat on the wagon with their hands tied behind their backs. Valek and Janco hid in the bottom crates, and Leif sat on Kiki with one of Cahil’s men sitting behind him armed with a knife.
I didn’t have to pretend to be scared and concerned for my friends. We were waved through the gate without hesitation. Ari had informed the Citadel’s citizens to wait ten minutes before storming the entrance to the Keep. Ten minutes for Cahil and the rest to free the prisoners and for me to jump into the fire. I hoped it was enough time.
The wagon bypassed the Keep’s administration building to where the apprentice barracks formed a ring around an open area. A few students hurried past, keeping their gazes on the ground as they carried out their tasks.
The grassy glen had been transformed. I stared at the waste-land in shock. The bonfire was expected, but the grass around the fire had been covered with sand. Brownish-red stains soaked the sand and stakes had been driven into it.
It was the killing ground for the Kirakawa ritual. And the next victim had already been tied down and prepped.
Bloody cuts crisscrossed his abdomen, legs and arms. Although in pain, Moon Man still managed to smile. “Now we can start the party,” he said.
Roze frowned at him and he writhed in agony. She stood next to Moon Man. Gede was beside her. Other Warpers ringed the fire pit, watching with predatory eyes.
“I see you finally managed to get something right, Cahil,” she said. “Bring her here.”
Cahil slid off the saddle and grabbed me around the waist. He knew he didn’t need to help me down, so he must have a reason. I let him yank me from the saddle, and drop me on the ground.
“Where do you want to go?” he asked in a tight whisper as he jerked me to my feet.
“As close to the fire as I can.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” Although my heart beat a different answer. No! it pounded. Let’s go! Run!
He clamped his hand around my arm and pulled me to Roze. We stopped a few feet from the fire. The heat pulsed in waves. Sweat dripped down my back.
Roze gestured to a couple of Warpers. “There are two hiding in the boxes. Take them.”
The Warpers and a few soldiers advanced on the wagon. After some banging and cursing, Janco and Gale were hauled out.
“There are three compartments, but one is empty,” a Warper called.
Roze looked at me with a question in her eyes.
“For me. So I could get inside the Citadel.” The truth. I kept my mind on the task at hand and didn’t allow it to wonder about Valek.
“At this distance, Yelena, do you realize your mental defenses are nothing but a thin shell? I will see your lies before you can form them in your mind. Remember that.”
I nodded and strengthened my barrier.
She laughed and ordered the soldiers to take the others to the cells. “I’ll deal with them later.” Once the cart was out of sight, she peered at me and Cahil.
“Your capture was too easy,” she said. “You must think I’m a simpleton, but no matter, I’ve only to expand a sliver of power to find out what you’re planning.” Her strong magic invaded my mind.
I kept my thoughts on saving Moon Man, Leif and the others as I mentally dodged her onslaught. It failed to work. To distract her, I asked, “Why?”
“Nice try.” Her magic crashed through my defenses, and seized my body. “You are in my power now. Sitia is saved.”
“Saved from me?” At least I could still talk. In fact, even with her incredible strength, she could only control either my mind or my body. Not both.
“Saved from you. The Commander. Valek. Our way of life is secured.”
“By killing Sitians? Using blood magic?”
“Small price to pay for our continued prosperity. I could not let the Commander invade us. The Council failed to see the problem. I created the Daviians as a backup—a hidden weapon for when we needed them. It worked. The Council eventually agreed with me.” Smug satisfaction shone in her eyes.
Through our mental link, I sensed she didn’t understand the whole truth or she chose to ignore it. “The Daviians forced the Council to agree with you. They had their children.”
Extreme annoyance creased Roze’s forehead. She shot Gede a venom-laced look. He wisely remained quiet, but his muscles tensed.
“Are you sure you have control of the Daviians?” I asked.
“Of course. And once we choose a new Council we will attack Ixia and free them. They will welcome our way of life.” She smiled.
“So you saved Sitia? Tell me, how is sacrificing the Council different than Valek assassinating them?”
Roze frowned and a wave of pain pulsed through my body. My thoughts scattered as an unrelenting torment twisted my muscles. When I regained my senses, I was lying in the sand, looking up at her.
“Isn’t choosing new Councilors the same as appointing generals?” I asked.
Another jolt of pain sizzled along my spine. I arched my back and screamed. Sweat poured from my head and soaked my clothes. My heart pumped as if it ran for its life. I gasped for breath.
“Would you care to ask anything else?” Danger glinted in her eyes.
“Yes. How are your actions different than the Commander’s?”
She paused, and I pressed my advantage. “You want to protect Sitia from the Commander, but in the process you turned into him.”
