Dawn Study

Bruns had an answer for everything. I needed to try yet another angle. “You don’t even know Bruns. But you know me and what I’ve done to keep Sitia safe. Do you really think I would do anything to harm it?”

“You’re married to Valek and are having his child. You could have been sent here as a spy.”

She had a point. Although it’d been years since anyone had accused me of being an Ixian spy. Which reminded me of Cahil. “Do you trust General Cahil?”

“Yes.”

“Talk to Cahil before you report this to Bruns. Ask him about Bruns. He’ll say the man’s a genius and is going to save Sitia, but use your magic and you’ll sense he’s lying.”

“Why would he lie?”

Time to take a gigantic risk. My heart fluttered. “Because he’s working with us. And you know how much Cahil hates me. So if he’s helping us, that’s because he understands Bruns is dangerous and must be stopped.”

Her expression softened just a bit. “If you’re telling the truth...am I in danger?”

“Not if Bruns thinks you still believe him. He’s waiting for the Theobroma to build up in your system so he can brainwash you, too. He hasn’t learned that it doesn’t work on the Master Magicians. Both Irys and Bain have been playing along until we’re ready to fight back.” I took a deep breath to steady my voice—I’d just dug us in deeper. “If you tell Bruns what I just said, he will kill them, and you, as well as Cahil. And then it’s only a matter of time before the rest of us are all dead.” I rested my hand on my stomach. “When you believe me, tell Cahil. He’ll get a message to us and we can arrange for you to escape.”

“And if I don’t believe you?”

“That message won’t be hard to miss.” I called for Valek and Onora.

They returned and we hurried into the back room. A grimy window let in enough light for us to find the exit. Fisk always ensured there was a back door in his headquarters, just in case. Once we stepped outside, I grasped their hands so it would be harder for Zitora to track us to our apartment.

“Did you convince her?” he asked.

“I don’t know.”

He slowed. “We need to leave the Citadel right away.”

“Bruns already knows we’re here. And I may have doomed us all anyway, so there will be no point in trying to leave. It will only delay the inevitable.”

It was a sign of his exhaustion that he just squeezed my hand.

After a few blocks, Onora said, “I’m gonna swing by the Council Hall. If I’m not back by midafternoon tomorrow, worry. Otherwise, don’t.” She aimed that comment at me as she released my hand.

“Sorry, but I’m gonna worry anyway. Get used to it.”

“Yes, sir.”

“That’s nice, but it would be better without the sarcasm.”

She flashed a rare smile and ducked down a narrow side street. Valek and I took a winding path back to the apartment. He towed me to the bedroom.

“Is the Keep safe?” I asked, thinking I might have a couple hours to check the library.

“Yes, but I need you, love. Zitora could find me again, and I don’t have any energy to block her.”

He released my hand long enough to strip off his shirt and pants. The heart-shaped wound on the center of his chest had healed, but the scar hadn’t faded. I traced it with a fingertip. The mark on my chest matched his—symbols of our marriage vows.

He caught my hand and kissed my knuckles. Then he swayed with fatigue, so I pushed him down on the bed. “Sleep.” I shucked off my boots and tunic before joining him. Although he pressed against my bare back, he reclaimed my hand just before falling asleep.

* * *

Onora woke us...later. Outlined by the lantern’s yellow glow, Onora stood at the threshold. Valek was already sitting up and clutching a knife—where did that come from? Darkness streaked with lamplight flickered against the windows. My stomach roared with hunger. We must have slept for hours.

“I’ve news,” Onora said a bit awkwardly.

“We’ll be out,” Valek said.

She nodded and closed the door. We disentangled, reaching for clothes. Once we were dressed, Valek claimed my hand as we joined Onora in the living area.

She sat in one of the armchairs with her bare feet propped up on the table. I wondered what she’d been climbing—the walls of the Council Hall were too slick. Valek and I sat on the couch opposite her.

“Report,” he said.

“It was pretty quiet at the Hall,” she said. “If Zitora had informed Bruns about us, there would have been lots more commotion.”

So far so good. “Fisk?” I asked.

“Down in the cells, with layers of security around him.” She flexed her fingers as if stretching the joints. “I didn’t know you’d taught him the hand signals.”

Valek tensed next to me. “You talked to him?”

“Yup. I scared the crap out of him. Poor kid.”

“Is he...healthy?” I asked, bracing myself for the answer.

“Yes. He was mostly pissed off and upset about being caught, but when I explained you were safe for now, that calmed him down. He says he’s sorry that Bruns knows everything.”

Poor kid, indeed. The desire to hug and comfort him pulsed through my chest.

“Have they been feeding him Theobroma?” Valek asked.

“No, but they used magic to extract all the information from his mind.”