“She does not need to get close or even use those at all,” Devlen said. “Not with the other goodies in her bags.”
Janco stopped his attack and looked at me as if waiting for a treat. “Well? Spill.”
I unbuckled the flaps and upended the contents onto the wooden floor. Glass spiders and bees rained out in a loud clatter. Janco exchanged the sais for one of the brown spiders. He examined it in the firelight.
“Trapping Warpers not enough? Have you moved on to trapping spiders now?” Janco asked.
“No. Tricky had attacked me with a magical illusion of big spiders. When I channeled his magic into the orb they transformed into glass.” I suppressed a shudder. Those creatures had been a foot long.
“Why didn’t they turn into diamonds?”
“He directed his magic at her in the form of spiders,” Devlen said. “The magic only transforms into diamonds when she steals it.” Anger fueled his words.
“From what you did with your magic, I don’t blame her.” Janco exchanged the spider for a glass bee. “In fact, I’d rather she steal everyone’s magic. No power over another’s mind. No stealing souls. No crazy or weird stuff. Diamonds are much better.” He held the bee up to the firelight. The green-and-black stripes glowed. “Pretty.”
I shivered. “Pretty scary. They’re Greenblade bees. Their six-inch-long bodies are filled with lethal venom. Only I can crack open the glass and release the bee. One sting and you’re dead.”
“Cool.” Janco’s eyes lit with admiration.
Interesting how he could appreciate the killing power of a bee, yet he despised magical powers. I wondered if I should point out the inconsistency until I remembered Janco could argue about any point, logical or not. I would get an hour-long lecture on how everyone knows bees sting, but a magician could hide their lethality until too late.
The next morning we resumed our journey. I planned to find a town in order to rent or purchase horses, but didn’t know the surrounding area well enough. Unfortunately, Devlen was well acquainted. I hated to ask him for help, but the Council wouldn’t hesitate to send a retrieval party once they figured out I disobeyed their summons.
“Do you know where the closest town is?” I asked Devlen.
“Why should I help you?”
“Do you want to walk all the way to Fulgor?”
“I do not mind. I enjoy your company. The longer it takes for us to get there, the more time I can spend with you.”
“Watch it,” Janco warned.
“How about I make a deal with you?” Devlen stepped closer.
My legs wanted to step back, but I held my ground. “You don’t have anything to bargain with. We can just head east until we find one. Otherwise there’s a good stable in Owl’s Hill.”
“You do not want to get that close to the Citadel and Magician’s Keep.” He shook his head. “I do have something to bargain with.”
Unlikely, but I gestured for him to continue.
“Quartz and Moonlight.” He watched my reaction and smiled.
“Who are they?” Janco asked.
“Mine and Ulrick’s horses.” And I missed Quartz almost as much as I missed Kade.
“I’ll lead you to them and in exchange—”
“No way,” Janco said.
“Let him finish,” I said. And when the Ixian frowned at me, I added, “Please. They’re Sandseed horses.”
He nodded, but his expression made it clear to me he was unhappy.
“In exchange, I want you to remove the manacles.”
“No way,” Janco and I said together.
“I promise not to run. I have been cooperating with you the entire trip.”
“You’ve been a pain in the ass the entire trip,” Janco said. “I’m sure given the first opportunity you’d bolt.”
“And I can’t trust you at all,” I said. “There is no reason for you to keep your promise.”
Devlen sighed. “You know why I would not, Opal. Just look past the whole kidnapping thing and remember how you felt when we were together.”
“The whole kidnapping thing? You might be able to dismiss it out of hand, but, to me, it’s too big to look past.”
“You just want to deny you loved me.”
“I cared for Ulrick, whose body you stole. Not you!”
“Come on. You had to know I was not Ulrick. No one changes that much.”
I almost laughed. He had done it again. Played with my emotions. It was like arguing with Janco—a no-win situation. Devlen had been trying to trick me into saying I had fallen for him well aware on some unconscious level of who he was.
The real reason he wanted me close was for the chance to reclaim his magical abilities with blood magic. The same illegal powers that Devlen had used to switch souls with Ulrick in the first place.
“Okay. Fine. Keep lying to yourself. I will take you to the horses anyway.” Devlen led us to a large horse farm a few miles north of Robin’s Nest in the Featherstone lands.
Peter Featherstone, the stable’s owner, showed us to the pasture. Moonlight’s mostly black coat stood out among the other horses. He nickered and ran to the fence with Quartz on his heels. Happy to see her, I threw my arms around Quartz’s neck and hugged her. When she pulled away in impatience, I inspected her from nose to tail. Her reddish-brown and white coat gleamed. No mud or cuts marred her legs and her mane and tail had been combed free of briars and straw. Her hooves were trimmed and neat. No horseshoes, though. Sandseed horses won’t let a farrier near them.
She nudged me with her nose, searching for treats. The only white on her brown face was a patch between her eyes. I probably imagined the sympathetic look she gave me, suppressing the sudden desire to pour my heart out to her.
I checked Moonlight. His sleek muscles enhanced his powerful build and he appeared healthy, too. The only white on him—the circle on his forehead and the reason for his name—shone as if recently washed.
“No doubt they’re yours,” Peter said.
“What do I owe you for their care?” I asked.
He looked at Devlen in surprise. “Nothing. He paid for two full seasons. In fact, I owe you.”
“Perhaps we can work out a deal. I need three more horses.”
“They won’t be Sandseed horses. They’re too expensive. It’s been my pleasure to take care of these two. I’ve never seen such intelligence.” Peter led us to the main stable.
The large wooden building smelled of earth and horses. Sawdust littered the floor and dust motes floated in the sunlight streaming through the big open doors. Two rows of stalls, sitting back-to-back, lined each side, creating three walkways. The main throughway was wider than the others. Ropes hung along the stalls to secure horses for grooming and saddling.
“Your tack is in the back room.” He pointed. “I’ll have my staff bring your horses and the rental horses. See what you think of them.” He hustled back to the pasture.
I entered the tack room. My saddle hung on the far wall and I unhooked it. The leather had been cleaned. In fact, the bridles, reins and rest of our tack appeared to be in good condition. The neat and organized room reflected Peter’s caring and professional attitude.
Which was why the crack of a whip surprised me so much. Laden with equipment, I hurried from the room.
Janco clutched his right hand. Blood poured from between his fingers. He dodged as a long leather whip snapped at him. His sword lay on the ground out of his reach. The two Sitian guards fought four men with pitchforks. Devlen stood to the side, grinning.
We were under attack.
2
I DROPPED THE TACK. MY SAIS AND GLASS SPIDERS REMAINED IN my saddlebags. Right where I had left them with Janco. A brute of a man attacked him with a whip. Janco ducked and darted, trying to get to his sword. He was fast, but with each snap, the whip tore his shirt to rags. Blood stained the shredded material.