think about how easily Owen had captured him. How stupid he’d been to think Owen would wait. How Yelena would react to his death—badly. How he’d promised her forever and he didn’t last a day. How he always assumed he’d die fighting and not trapped and utterly helpless, slung over a brute’s shoulder like a rag doll, unable to curse or rage at Owen. Or at the Sandseed Clan, for teaching the magicians how to form those blasted null shields in the first place.
A whirlwind of emotions spun, making him dizzy. Or was that the lack of air?
The trip to the guest wing took much longer than necessary. Owen and company made a few wrong turns and wasted time arguing about the right way. Their lack of knowledge reminded Valek of Janco’s comment about having the home-court advantage. Too bad it really didn’t make a difference for his current situation.
When they finally reached the guest wing, Owen opened the door and they hustled inside. Rika closed and locked it behind them.
“The window,” Owen ordered. He unlatched the shutters. They banged on the stone walls, letting in a gust of coldness.
Tyen propped Valek on the window’s sill. A four-story drop loomed below. Valek’s heart squeezed in triple time, pumping liquid fear through his immobilized body.
The tightness around his chest eased as Owen put his hands on Valek’s shoulders. Valek braced for the shove, but instead, Owen asked, “Any last words?”
Oh, yes. About a million. And all for Yelena, but this might be his only chance to strike a blow. “I’ll...tell Ben...hello.” Valek panted, trying to fill his lungs.
Owen’s grip turned painful. “Did you murder my brother?” Anguish and anger creased his face.
So much for the theory that Owen ordered their deaths. “Not me...another...assassin.”
“What about Loris and Cilly?” Rika asked.
“Them...too.”
“He’s lying. He killed them all. They were a threat to Yelena,” Rika said. “Finish him.”
“If I’d assassinated Ben...I’d be bragging about it...especially now.”
Owen shook his head. “He’s just delaying the inevitable. It’ll be easy to learn if he’s telling the truth. Goodbye, Valek. Oh, and here’s something to think about during the few seconds you’ve left to live. Yelena’s next.”
12
JANCO
“What’s your rush?” Maren asked.
Janco hustled her along the hallways of the castle. The need to hurry pulsed in his veins. “Something’s not right,” he said.
“What are you talking about?”
“Outside Valek’s office. That darkness was...odd...weird. I felt strong magic. And his knife was on the floor. Didn’t you see it?”
“No. I was—”
“Too busy sleeping. And that was strange, too.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Maren remained quiet for a while. “Do you think something happened to Valek?”
Did he? He considered the clues. “Yes.”
“But he’s immune to magic.”
Janco forgot that Maren didn’t know about null shields. No time to explain it to her. “Yeah, well, Owen could have shot him with a dart of Curare.”
“Where are we going?”
“To get Ari. We need reinforcements.”
“You need a couple magicians to fight them.”
“Ari’s got the best aim with the blowpipe. Curare works on magicians, too.”
“But can’t that one guy move objects with his magic? A dart wouldn’t reach him.”
Janco skidded to a stop. “Oh, hell.”
“And I’m sure they’re gone by now.”
They wouldn’t wait for Janco to figure it out and return. What to do? Janco closed his eyes. He ejected his chaotic thoughts, suppressed his worry and fear for Valek and concentrated on the logic. If Owen killed Valek, the Commander would be upset, but if Valek disappeared... But he couldn’t hide a dead body, it would stink after a few days. They could smuggle the body outside the castle by hiding it with an illusion. Too risky. Maybe they planned to keep him locked up. But where? And would they risk the possibility of Valek escaping? Probably not.
This was going nowhere. He switched his line of thought. Where was the one place the Commander had said was off-limits? The guest suites! Janco opened his eyes.
Maren waited with her arms crossed. “Got something, genius?”
He ignored the insult. “Come on.” Janco ran and didn’t bother to check if Maren followed or not.
Ari jumped to his feet when Janco burst into their apartment. “What’s wrong?”
Janco raced to his room, grabbed his bag of tricks and dashed back. “Reema, stay here. Ari, come on.”
“Weapons?” Ari asked.
“Got ’em. Let’s go!”
Maren remained in the hall. Janco shot past her, heading to the nearest stairwell. Her and Ari’s pounding footsteps sounded behind him.
“Are you going to tell me what this is about?” Ari asked him.
“He thinks Valek’s in trouble,” Maren answered.
“Thinks?”
Maren explained about the oddness in