Night Study

Owen and the others stumbled to the ground. “Ari!” Janco pointed to the prone magicians. “Curare.”

But Ari raced through the fog to the window instead. The empty window! Shit. Fear burned in his gut. Janco held his breath and dashed after Ari.

His partner leaned out. Oh no. Janco joined him, preparing to see the worst.

Ari held Valek’s arm as the man dangled in midair. The big man’s arm muscles strained with effort. Janco reached for Valek’s other arm. Together they heaved their boss into the room.

“They’re reviving,” Maren yelled.

“Go,” Valek ordered.

They sprinted for the door and didn’t stop until they reached Valek’s suite. Valek unlocked the door. Or tried. His hands shook and the key rattled in the lock. Ari nudged Valek aside and finished the task. The housekeeper had lit the lanterns, but the main living area was empty.

Valek called for Yelena. He raced up the stairs, then returned a few minutes later, wild-eyed and frantic. “She isn’t here. Owen said she’s next. We need to search the castle!”

Ari blocked Valek. “Owen didn’t have time to set a trap for her.”

“But what if he’s looking for her right now?” Valek tried to push past, but Ari clamped a hand on his shoulder.

“He won’t just grab her in front of witnesses. He’ll have to plan. Let’s just take a moment and think. Okay?” Ari guided him to the couch.

Valek just about collapsed onto the cushions. Concerned by his boss’s stunned expression, Janco rummaged for the good stuff in Valek’s corner cabinet. No one said a word as Janco poured healthy shots of whiskey into four glasses. He handed one to each. They clinked the glasses together and downed the alcohol in one gulp.

Fire burned his throat and warmed his stomach. Janco refilled the glasses.

Valek stared into his, swirling the amber liquid around. “That’s the closest I’ve come to...” He pulled in a deep breath, then raised his glass to them. “Thank you.”

“Thank Janco,” Maren said. “He’s the one who figured it out.”

“Yeah, but I couldn’t have done anything without you and Ari.”

“We’re a team. This is what we do,” Ari said.

They drank. This time Janco sipped his.

“Now we can concentrate on finding Yelena,” Ari said. “Has anyone seen her since she returned from her ride with Reema?”

No one had.

“We’ll divide the castle into sections and each take one,” Valek said.

“No can do,” Janco said. “If one of us runs into Owen or his goons, we’ll be in trouble.” He scratched his goatee. “We should stay together. Let’s list the places she’s most likely to be.” He glanced at the dark windows. “Supper’s over. How about the washroom?”

“Or she could have gone to say goodbye to Reema and found her alone,” Ari said.

Valek stood. The whiskey appeared to have steadied him. “Let’s go.”

They left the suite. As they headed down to the washrooms, Janco asked Valek, “Are you going to report the attack to the Commander?”

“No. Owen will spin a tale about how I tried to sneak into his rooms.”

“But we saw—”

“What, exactly?” Valek asked.

Janco recalled the scene in the guest suite. “He had his hands on your shoulders.”

“He’ll claim he was trying to help me. You didn’t witness my abduction. All you had to go on was a creepy feeling in a dark hallway. No. It would be pointless to report the incident to the Commander.”

“How did he manage to capture you?” Maren asked.

Valek exchanged a look with Ari. The big guy nodded and Valek explained to Maren about the null shields.

It didn’t take her long to understand the danger. “So that means he can trap you at any time?”

“Unfortunately. And he can also suffocate me with that blasted shield.” Valek increased his pace.

Janco wished he’d brought the bottle of whiskey along as they checked the washroom, then their apartment, where they found Reema curled up in a chair fast asleep. They searched the stables, the kennels and visited Yelena’s friend Dilana, the seamstress. With every stop, Janco’s alarm grew twofold.

They visited Valek’s office, just in case. Valek’s knife remained in the hallway. He picked it up and a murderous expression settled on his face. If Owen had been standing there, no doubt Valek would have rammed the blade into his black heart.

While there were plenty of places left to look, there was no logical reason Yelena would visit them.

“Owen must have her,” Valek said in a deadly tone. “I’ll kill him.”

13

YELENA

Blue. The liquid in Medic Mommy’s vial was blue. Blue for baby. I navigated the hallways of the castle without any thoughts on my destination. Lanterns glowed, painting blue shadows on gray stone walls. I clutched a list of foods and drinks that would aid in the baby’s healthy growth. The words had been written in blue ink.

Deep down, the news wasn’t a shock, but rather a confirmation. Yet the part of me that wanted to automatically dismiss the idea had been a loudmouth, shouting over the quiet knowledge.

Bad time or not, I wasn’t able to change the past. Based on my calculations and Medic Mommy’s experience, I was about six weeks along, which meant I had a few months before my body revealed the truth to others. The baby was due in seven and a half months and right in the middle of the cooling season. Hopefully by that time, Owen would be turned into a memory. A “remember when” that had a happy ending.