Night Study

“Shut up,” Loris said. He backed up a couple more steps.

Valek scanned the cave. Ari and Janco waited nearby. He lifted his eyebrows just a fraction. Then he returned his attention to Loris.

Tapping a finger on the hilt of the sword, Valek gauged the distance to the man.

“You’re not getting out of here alive, puppy dog,” Janco shouted.

Loris glanced at Janco. In that split second, Valek flipped his knife over and threw it at Loris. The tip of the blade pierced the man’s left eye. He screamed and flailed. Valek shuffled close and disarmed Loris, freeing Yelena.

But before he could finish the man off, Loris tackled Valek to the ground and yelled, “Drink it.”

As Valek struggled to push Loris off, Janco cried out. Yelena tipped the glass vial filled with amethyst to her lips.

“Don’t!” Desperate, Valek finally broke away, lunged and knocked the bottle from her hands, but purple stained her lips. He’d been too slow. His world shattered.

Yelena’s face creased in disgust. “Yuck.”

How could she be so—

“I never liked grape jam.” She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

Valek almost fainted with relief. “Was that one of the things we need to discuss?”

“Yes.”

Loris moaned. Valek found his knife and slashed the man’s throat, ending his ability to bark orders and his life. Then he pulled Yelena to him and held her tight, needing to breathe in her scent and just take a moment before he released her.

Valek scanned the cave, assessing damage. Everyone appeared to be okay, despite their collection of cuts, bruises and bloodstains.

“Pack up,” he said. “We need to move to another location. This one’s been compromised.”

A shout from outside the cave drew his attention. More enemy soldiers already?

He, Ari and Janco raced to the entrance with their weapons in hand, preparing for a fight. The bright sunshine seemed incongruous to the carnage inside. A small group of people huddled over a prone figure. And then Valek remembered.

Leif.

His brother-in-law had been shot with a crossbow bolt. The wooden shaft jutted from Leif’s chest an inch from center. Blood pooled underneath him. Unable to stand, Valek knelt beside him, feeling for a pulse. Weak. He sank back on his heels. Ah, hell.

Yelena’s and Mara’s cries of alarm roused Leif. His eyes fluttered open, focused on Mara. She crouched next to him and grabbed his hand in both of hers. Tears streamed down her face.

“I...tried to...warn...” Leif gasped. “...sorry.”

“No,” Yelena said with anguish, falling to her knees next to her brother. “You’re not leaving.”

“Don’t think...I...have...a choice. Mara...I...love you.” Leif passed out.

Yelena growled in frustration. “I’d give anything to have my magic back.”

Magic! “Get Zethan, Zohav, Teegan and Heli,” Valek ordered Janco, who hovered nearby.

Janco raced to the cave and returned with the twins, Heli and Teegan right behind him. Valek asked them if they could heal.

“No, sorry,” Zethan said.

Heli shook her head sadly. “It’s not part of a Stormdancer’s power.”

Teegan creased his brow, looking queasy. “I tried to heal a squirrel, but I killed the poor thing instead.”

Silence followed the bad news.

“We can’t,” Zethan said. “But maybe you can.”

“I...”

“Valek? What are you talking about?” Yelena demanded of Zethan.

Wordless, the poor boy stared at her.

The idea seemed ridiculous. He might flame out or end up injuring someone. Plus he’d never used magic before and had no clue how to wield it. But he was intimate with someone who did. He had to try, or he’d never forgive himself.

“Everyone except Yelena go inside the cave,” Valek ordered. When they hesitated, he said, “Go now!”

They hurried to obey. Valek stripped off his shirt to remove the null shield Leif had attached, tossing it far away.

“Valek...?” Yelena began, but then she pressed her lips together. “Tell me what you need.”

“I need you to imagine you have magic and you’re going to heal Leif. Think of each step and how you’d use the magic to repair the damage. I’ll follow your instructions. Be very specific.”

She drew in a deep breath. “Imagine in my mind, right?”

“Yes. Visualize as much as possible.” He reached for her hand, but she pulled away.

“Touching me will block your magic. Tell me when you’re ready.”

Valek grabbed the bolt in both his hands. “When I yank this free, start.”

“Okay. Make sure you press your hand to the wound.”

“Got it. One, two, three.” Valek tugged the shaft from Leif’s chest. Blood welled, pouring out. He covered the hole with his hand and dropped his mental barrier.

Yelena’s instructions flooded his mind. He reached for the blanket of power. A bolt of energy pulsed, and power flowed inside him. The temptation to grab it all consumed him. Bruns and the Commander’s plans to take over Sitia would be easy to stop. Nothing could match his power. Nothing could harm him or Yelena or the baby.

“Focus on Leif.”

Yelena’s voice sliced through the greed. With effort, he extracted a small thread and sent it into Leif’s wound. He matched the images in Yelena’s mind of stitching skin and bone together with that glowing fiber of magic. One thing Valek did know how to do—sew. The other assassins hadn’t called him the King Knitter for nothing. As he worked, pulling thread after thread to repair the damage, the images in Yelena’s mind faded. Valek needed to reinforce the connection over and over. It was as if another magician sucked at the magic he used. Odd—but then again, it might be normal. He had nothing to compare it to.