your ice pick?” I asked.
“I learn from my mistakes. I’m not getting close to you until I’m sure you don’t have any of those darts hidden in your clothes.”
“Then it’s in my best interest to keep you at a distance.”
He laughed. “Yes, that would be right. But you’re in luck. The game has changed.”
“Funny, I’m not feeling very lucky.” Actually, I was quite confident—one gesture from me and The Mosquito would be squashed.
“Cute. My client has changed his mind about you. Instead of killing you, he wants to talk to you.”
“So he can kill me later?”
“All I know is you get a free pass this time. I don’t have orders for next time.”
I considered his offer. “Does your client have my brother?”
“Yes.”
“Will he exchange him for me?”
“No. And if you’re thinking you can use your...truth serum on me to get the location of your brother, I’ve no idea where my client is keeping him. My knowledge is limited just for that very reason.” He shot me a sour look.
“I’m guessing Bruns...or rather your client isn’t happy you blabbed.” I couldn’t resist needling him.
The Mosquito tightened his grip on the crossbow. “Is that your answer?”
“Where does Bruns wish to meet?”
“I don’t know. I’m to inform him of your response, and then he’ll tell me the location.”
Smart. This way I couldn’t detain him until after I’d learned the meeting place. Unless he lied about the extent of his knowledge.
“And I know all about your trap.” The Mosquito glanced up at the windows on the second story. “Should I wave to the Ixians?”
Busted.
“You really do think I’m an idiot.”
“Not anymore,” I said.
He smiled. “Your answer?”
“Tell Bruns I’ll meet with him.”
“Excellent.” The Mosquito backed away. He paused at the entrance, checked for an ambush and disappeared.
I replayed the encounter in my mind, but really couldn’t determine a way that it could have gone any differently.
Fisk arrived with a handful of his helpers. “You let him go?”
“I didn’t have much of a choice.” I explained what had happened.
“I’ve assigned a team to keep an eye on him,” Fisk said. “Maybe he’ll lead us to his boss and where they’re holding Leif.”
“He’s intelligent, so I doubt he’d be that careless. But it doesn’t hurt to try.”
The door into the alley swung open and Ari and Janco arrived. The red splotches on Ari’s normally pale cheeks warned me. I braced for his lecture on the dangers of meeting with Bruns. He didn’t disappoint, listing a number of horrific and creative outcomes. Janco had rubbed off on him.
“...not listening, are you?” Ari asked.
“I got the point. You’re not happy and neither am I, but I see no other way.”
“What do we do while we wait?” Janco asked.
What indeed? “We need to update Irys and...” My stomach soured. “And Mara. She needs to know what’s going on.”
“Can we trust the guards at the Keep not to turn us in to the Citadel’s security forces?” Janco asked.
For the first time since I’d come to Sitia, I truly didn’t know. “Fisk, can one of your helpers deliver a message to the Second Magician?”
“Yes. In the meantime, you’re welcome to stay with me. I’ve guest rooms.”
“Fancy,” Janco said.
Pride momentarily eclipsed my anxiety for Leif. Fisk had turned into such a fine young man.
* * *
Irys and Mara arrived after supper. Both wore worried expressions. Mara fisted the fabric of her skirt. We settled in Fisk’s living area. He had left earlier and hadn’t returned. I sat next to Mara on the couch and held her cold hand in mine. Janco leaned against the door and Ari occupied the other chair across from Irys.
“No,” Mara said when I’d finished detailing my conversation with The Mosquito. “You can’t sacrifice yourself for Leif.” She smoothed the wrinkles over her lap.
“It’s not an exchange.,” I assured her. “He just wants to talk. Plus we can follow him after—see if he’ll lead us to Leif.”
“And if he doesn’t? What if something goes wrong?” Ari asked.
“Then I’ll have a talk with him,” Irys said. Her steely gaze promised results, and the magic detector flashed in response. “Let me know when the meeting is scheduled.”
* * *
While we waited for a message from The Mosquito, my thoughts turned to Valek. It’d been sixteen days since we’d parted. I wondered if he waited at our rendezvous location or if he still hunted the Storm Thieves. Should I send a messenger? I asked Ari and Janco.
“If you do, he won’t worry why we’re not there, but if he hears about Leif,