A thick layer of dust scrunched under my boots when I walked into the room. On the table, carving chisels, metal sanding files and a grinding wheel occupied the only dust-free spots. Small statues in various stages of creation were interspersed among the tools. To my delight, I realized that the gray rocks, when carved and polished, metamorphosed into a beautiful, l.u.s.trous black, and the white streaks transformed into brilliant silver.

Setting the lantern on the table, I picked up a finished b.u.t.terfly with silver spots sparkling from its wings. It fit into the palm of my hand. The detail was so exquisite that it appeared the b.u.t.terfly might beat its wings and lift into the air at any moment. I admired the other statues. The same devoted care had been applied to each. Lifelike animals, insects and flowers lined the table; apparently, nature provided the artist"s favorite subjects.

Stunned, I realized Valek must be the artist. Here was a side of Valek I never imagined existed. I felt as though I had intruded upon his most personal secret. As if I had uncovered a wife and children living up here in happy seclusion, complete with the family dog.

I had noticed the figurines on Valek"s desk and, at least once a day, I glanced at the snow cat in the Commander"s office, attempting to understand why he had selected that particular statue for display. I now understood its significance. Valek had carved it for the Commander.

The shuffle of feet made me whirl around. A black shape rushed me. My knife was yanked from my grasp and pressed against my neck. Fear clenched my throat tight, suffocating me. The familiar feeling triggered a sudden flashback of soldiers disarming and dragging me off Reyad"s dead body. But Valek"s face showed mirth instead of wrath.

"Snooping?" Valek asked, stepping back.

With effort, I banished my fear and remembered to start breathing again. "I heard a noise. I came to..."

"Investigate." Valek finished my sentence. "Searching for an intruder is different from examining statues." He pointed with the knife to the b.u.t.terfly clutched in my hand. "You were snooping."

"Yes."

"Good. Curiosity is a commendable trait. I wondered when you would explore up here. Find anything interesting?"

I held up the b.u.t.terfly. "It"s beautiful."

He shrugged. "Carving focuses my mind."

I placed the statue on the table, my hand lingering over it. I would have enjoyed studying the b.u.t.terfly in the sunlight. Grabbing the lantern, I followed Valek from the room.

"I really did hear a noise," I said.

"I know. I knocked a book over to see what you would do. I didn"t expect a knife, though. Is it the one missing from the kitchen?"

"Did Rand report it?" I felt betrayed. Why hadn"t he just asked for it back?

"No. It just makes sense to keep track of large kitchen knives, so when one goes missing you"re not surprised when someone attacks you with it." Valek handed the knife back. "You should return it. Knives won"t help you against the caliber of people after you."

Valek and I descended the stairs. I lifted the botany book from the couch.

"What does the Commander think of the pods?" Valek asked.

"He thinks they"re from Sitia. He returned them to me so I could discover what they are. I"ve been doing research in the library." I showed Valek the book.

He took it from me and flipped through the pages. "Find anything?"

"Not yet."

"Your actions as our fugitive must have impressed the Commander. Normally, he would have a.s.signed this sort of thing to one of his science advisers."

Valek"s words made me uncomfortable. I wasn"t convinced that I could discover the origin of the pods and beans. The idea of failing the Commander made me queasy. I changed the subject. "Where did the caravan go?"

Valek paused, undecided. Finally, he said, "Brazell"s new factory." If Valek had been surprised by his discovery, it didn"t show on his face.

It occurred to me that despite all the discussion about Brazell"s permit, I didn"t know what he was planning to make. "What"s the product?"

"It"s supposed to be a feed mill." Valek handed the book back to me. "And I don"t know why he would need those pods and beans. Maybe they"re a secret ingredient. Maybe they"re added to the feed to enhance the cow"s milk supply. Then every farmer would buy Brazell"s feed instead of growing his own. Or something along that line. Or maybe not. I"m not an expert." Valek pulled at his hair. "I"ll have to study his permit to see what I"m missing. Either way, I a.s.signed some of my corps to stake out the route and infiltrate the factory. At this point I need more information."

"Brazell left the castle this afternoon."

"I pa.s.sed his retinue on my way back. Good. One less thing to worry about."

Valek crossed to his desk and began sorting through his papers. I watched his back for a while, waiting. He didn"t mention my moving out. I finally worked up the nerve to ask. "Should I return to my old room now that Brazell"s gone?" I berated myself for my choice of words. I should have been firmer, but it was too late.

Valek stopped. I held my breath.

"No," he said. "You"re still in danger. The magician hasn"t been dealt with yet." His pen resumed its course over the paper.

Strong relief flushed through my body like a hot wave, alarming me. Why did I want to stay with him? Remaining was dangerous, illogical, and, by every argument I could muster, the worst situation for me. The book on magic was still hidden in my backpack, which went with me everywhere because I feared Valek would pull one of his stunts and surprise me.

d.a.m.n it, I thought, angry at myself. As if I didn"t have enough to worry about. I shouldn"t miss Valek; I should try harder to escape. I shouldn"t figure out the bean puzzle; I should sabotage it. I shouldn"t admire and respect him; I should vilify him. Shouldn"t, should, shouldn"t, should. So easy to say but so hard to believe.

"Exactly how do you deal with a magician?" I asked.

He turned around in his seat and looked at me. "I"ve told you before."

"But their powers..."

"Have no effect on me. When I get close, I can feel their power pressing and vibrating on my skin, and moving toward them is like walking through thick syrup. It takes effort, but I always win in the end. Always."

"How close?" Valek had been in the castle both times I had unknowingly used magic. Did Valek suspect?

"I have to be in the same room," Valek said.

Relief washed through me. He didn"t know. At least, not yet. "Why didn"t you kill the southern magician at the festival?" I asked.

"Yelena, I"m not invincible. Fighting four men while she threw every ounce of her power at me was exhausting. Chasing her down would have been a fruitless endeavor."

I thought about what he said. "Is being resistant to magic a form of magic?" I asked.

"No." Valek"s face hardened.

"What about the knife?" I pointed to the long blade hanging on the wall. The crimson blood gleamed in the lantern light. In the three weeks I"d lived in Valek"s suite, it hadn"t dried.

Valek laughed. "That was the knife I used to kill the King. He was a magician. When his magic couldn"t stop me from plunging that knife into his heart, he cursed me with his dying breath. It was rather melodramatic. He willed that I should be plagued with guilt over his murder and have his blood stain my hands forever. With my peculiar immunity to magic, the curse attached to the knife instead of me." Valek looked at the weapons wall thoughtfully. "It was a shame to lose my favorite blade, but it does make for a nice trophy."

18.

MY LUNGS BLAZED. Flushed and sweat-soaked, I lagged behind the main group of soldiers, my throat burning with every gasp. It was my fourth lap around the castle complex. One more to go.

I had hovered by the northeast barracks right after tasting the Commander"s breakfast. When a large clump of soldiers ran past, I spotted Ari, who waved me to join in. I worried that the other guards would resent my presence, but there were servants, stable boys and other castle workers mixed in with the soldiers.

The first two laps quickened my pulse and shortened my breath. Pain began in my feet during the third lap and traveled up my legs by the fourth. My surroundings blurred until all I saw was the small patch of ground right in front of me. When I limped to my finishing point, ending my agony, I found a thick row of hedges and threw up my breakfast of sweet cakes. Straightening, I saw a grinning Janco give me a thumbs-up as he jogged by. He didn"t even have the decency to look winded, and his shirt was still dry.

As I wiped vomit off my lip, Ari paused beside me. "Training yard, two o"clock. See you then," he said.

"But..." I said to n.o.body as Ari jogged away. I could hardly stand, I couldn"t imagine doing anything more strenuous.

In the training yard that afternoon, Ari and Janco leaned against the fence watching two men sparring with swords. The loud ring of metal striking metal echoed. The fighters had drawn the attention of every soldier. I realized with surprise that one of the men was Valek. I hadn"t seen him since early that morning, and I had a.s.sumed he was resting after being up late the night before.

Valek was liquid in motion. As I watched him, one word came to my mind: beautiful. His movements had the speed and cadence of a complex dance performance. In comparison, his adversary resembled a newborn colt, lurching and jerking his arms and legs as if this were his first time on his feet. Valek"s smooth lunges and graceful parries disarmed his opponent in no time.

Pointing with his sword, he sent his beaten foe to a small group of men, and motioned for another to attack.

"What"s going on?" I asked.

"Valek"s challenge," Janco said.

"What"s that?"

"Valek has declared a challenge to anyone in Ixia. Beat him in a fight with the weapon of your choice, or hand to hand, and you can be promoted to his second-in-command." Ari gestured to Valek, now engaged in combat with a third man. "It"s become a sort of graduation from basic training for the soldiers to fight Valek at least once, although you can try as many times as you like. The Captains watch the matches and recruit the more promising soldiers. And if you manage to impress Valek with your skills, he may offer you a post in his elite intelligence corps."

"How did you guys do?" I asked.

"Okay," Ari demurred.

"Okay!" Janco snorted. "Ari came close to beating him. Valek was pleased. But Ari would rather be a scout than a spy."

"I want all or nothing," Ari said with a quiet intensity.

We continued to watch. Ari and Janco made technical comments about the different fights, but I couldn"t tear my eyes from Valek. With the sunlight glinting off his sword, he dispatched two more men. He tapped them with the flat of his weapon, just to let them know he had broken through their defenses without shedding any blood. The next opponent approached with a knife.

"Bad choice," Ari said.

Valek put down his sword and unsheathed his blade. The match was over in two moves.

"Valek excels in knife fighting," Janco commented.

The last challenger was a woman. Tall and agile, she wielded a long wooden staff. Ari called it a bow. She held her own against Valek, and their sparring lasted longer than any of the previous six fights. With a loud crack, her bow snapped in two, ending the match. As the crowd dispersed, Valek spoke with the woman.

"That"s Maren," Ari said. "If she doesn"t disappear into Valek"s corps, you should ask her to teach you the bow. With your smaller size, it would extend your reach against a taller attacker."

"But you can"t conceal a bow," I said.

"Not around the castle. But if you"re hiking through the woods, you wouldn"t look out of place holding a walking stick."

I looked at Maren and considered the possibilities. Would she agree to help me? Probably not. What would she stand to gain?

As if reading my thoughts, Ari said, "Maren"s aggressive and encouraging. Every new female recruit gets her personal attention whether they want it or not. Since so many women fail due to the rigors of training, she tries to coach them through. We"ve more women in the guard now than ever because of her. We tried to get her to teach us-a bow would make a good weapon for a scout-but she has no interest in training men."

"But I"m not a new recruit, I"m the food taster. Why would she waste her time with me? I might be dead by tomorrow."

"Aren"t we grumpy today," Janco said cheerfully. "Too much exercise this morning?"

"Shut up," I said. Unfazed, his grin only widened.

"All right, that"s enough. Let"s get started," Ari said.

I spent the rest of the afternoon learning to punch someone without breaking my hand and practicing the proper technique of kicking. The first two knuckles of both hands turned bright red as I punched into a training bag over and over. Mastering the front kick was a challenge since my stiff thigh muscles hindered my flexibility.

When Ari finally dismissed me, I aimed my battered body toward the castle.

"See you in the morning," Janco said with a gleeful sound in his voice.

I turned to tell him where to stick it and came face-to-face with Valek. I held my breath. He had been watching us. I felt self-conscious.

"Your punches are slow," he said. Taking my hand, he examined the bruises, which were starting to purple. "At least your technique is good. If you hold weights in your hands while you train, your punches will be much quicker without them."

"I can continue?" I asked in disbelief.

He still held on to my hand, and I couldn"t summon the willpower to pull it back. The warmth of his touch coursed through my body, temporarily vanquishing my aches and pains.

With the memory of his stunning physical display fresh in my mind, I gazed at his strong face. His flashing and dangerous blue eyes had always taken my attention. I had learned to read his facial expressions as a survival tactic but I had never really looked at him in this way before. He was a study in contradiction. The man who carved delicate statues was also capable of disarming seven opponents without breaking a sweat. My interactions with Valek resembled a performance on the tightrope. One minute I was confident and balanced, and the next insecure and unstable.

"I think it"s an excellent idea," he said. "How did you get the power twins to agree to teach you?"

"Power twins?"

"Combine Ari"s strength with Janco"s speed, and they would be unbeatable. But, so far, I haven"t had to test my theory since they haven"t tried to fight me together. No one said I couldn"t have more than one second-in-command. You"re not going to give me away, are you?"

"No."

Valek gave my hand a small squeeze, and then released his grip. "Good. They"re probably the best instructors at the castle. How did you meet them?"

"They were the men who found me in the forest. The Commander promoted them, and I took advantage of their grat.i.tude." My hand tingled where he had touched it.

"Opportunistic and underhanded, I love it." Valek laughed. He was in a good mood as he walked beside me to the castle. Probably a rush from beating so many opponents. Before we reached the east entrance, he stopped. "There"s one problem."

My heartbeat increased to double time. "What?"

"You shouldn"t train so visibly. Word spreads quickly. If Brazell finds out and makes a fuss, the Commander will order you to stop. And it"ll make the Commander suspicious."

We entered the cool, dark air of the castle. It was a relief to be out of the hot sun.

"Why don"t you make use of all those empty storerooms in the lower level of the castle? You can still run laps in the morning for exercise," Valek said.