Night Study (Soulfinders #2) - Maria V. Snyder Page 0,102

both of you unconscious and transport you to the Citadel like two sacks of flour. Understand?”

“Citadel?” Zethan asked.

“Yes. I told Zohav I would escort you both there.”

“He’s lying. He’s going to take us to his Commander so he can publicly execute us.”

This was going to be a long trip. “Let’s go. I want to reach the garrison before dark.”

Valek stayed a step behind the siblings. They glanced at him from time to time, but kept quiet. They didn’t arrive at MD-1’s garrison until well after supper.

Colonel Ransley welcomed him back with a hot meal and an offer to give the siblings their own rooms.

“No, thank you, they stay with me,” Valek said. Then he filled him in on how the Storm Thieves were apprehended, but didn’t mention Zethan’s and Zohav’s magic.

“We haven’t had a problem with pirates in decades,” Ransley said. “No wonder the coastal security forces had a difficult time locating them.”

Exhausted from staying up two nights with little sleep, Valek declined drinks with the Colonel. “We’re leaving early in the morning. Let the stable boys know I’ll need Onyx and another horse saddled and ready to go.”

“Yes, sir.”

In the large guest quarters, Valek dragged one of the four beds over to the door, blocking it. “I’m a very light sleeper,” he warned the twins. “Sounds, movement or magic will wake me.” Valek drew two daggers, one for each hand, and stretched out on the bed. “I’d suggest you get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.”

As he closed his eyes, he wondered if Yelena waited for him at the rendezvous location. Valek calculated how long it would take them to reach it, including the fact that the twins would slow him down. Ten days if he was being optimistic, twelve if he wasn’t.

A whispered argument woke him in the middle of the night.

“...not being nice. You’re putting our family at risk, Zee.”

“Don’t you want to see Mother, Father and Zeb? When we were captured by Jibben, I thought I’d never see any of them again.”

“Of course I do. But they think we were lost at sea. Isn’t that better than knowing we’re going to be executed?”

“He said—”

“Don’t be a fool. The law is clear. Plus he has executed hundreds of magicians. Why would we be the exception?”

Normally Valek encouraged such exaggerations—fear was a powerful motivator—but this time, it irked him. He pushed up on one elbow. “I’ve killed twenty-three magicians, and if you two don’t shut up and go to sleep, I’ll add two more to my total.”

He lay back down. The number had been an estimate. When he’d been dispatched to investigate reports of a teen with powers, he’d arrived and soon after, the person with magic disappeared. However, no one knew he’d arranged for him or her to escape across the border. Everyone believed he’d killed the teen. Even the Commander.

Hedda and Arbon had both accused him of blind loyalty. And while he’d been loyal to the Commander all these years, he hadn’t been as blind nor as completely obedient as everyone assumed.

* * *

When Valek arrived in the stable the next morning, Onyx and a gray horse named Smoke were saddled and ready for travel. Zohav and Zethan kept their distance while the stable boy tied on their bags. They’d acquired fresh uniforms and a few personal items from the garrison’s commissary.

Valek petted Onyx’s neck, then checked his legs for hot spots. His coat gleamed and the black horse appeared healthy. “Tell Smoke to follow you,” he said to Onyx before mounting. “Zethan, you’ll ride Smoke, and Zohav, you’re with me.”

The girl frowned, but she listened to the stable boy’s instructions and soon settled behind Valek. Zethan also received a quick lesson on how to mount and steer the horse. The boy grinned in anticipation. Just like Valek’s older twin brothers—Victor had been cautious and protective, while Viliam had rushed headlong into any adventure.

Valek turned to Zohav. “Which way?”

She pressed her lips together, but then told him to follow the road that headed northeast.

Eager for the exercise, Onyx set a fast pace. Valek glanced at Zethan, who bounced in the saddle, but appeared to be enjoying the speed.

When Onyx finally slowed, Valek rode beside Smoke. “How did you end up on the coast?” he asked Zethan.

Zethan glanced at his sister, as if seeking permission to speak. After a brief hesitation, he said, “After we turned fourteen, it became obvious that we both had magic. Our father searched for a teacher to help