Night Study

* * *

After the moon disappeared behind the thick bank of storm clouds, Valek headed north along the coast, following the waves. Since it was too dark to see the path, he carried a bull’s-eye lantern and kept a small beam of light trained on the ground in front of him. He peered into the inky blackness of the ocean, searching for a ship’s light. Nothing.

The edge of the storm reached land. Rain tapped against his black cloak. The castle’s seamstress, Dilana, had soaked the material in a liquid wax to help repel water, but Valek had learned from experience that, with enough time, it would become waterlogged.

Gusts of wind blew ashore, flapping his cloak and threatening to extinguish the lantern’s flame. Even though he pulled the hood over his head, the salty spray stung his eyes and burned his nose.

The rolling sand dunes along the coast turned rocky and steep. A blast of air from the north meant the cliffs must be ahead, deflecting the storm’s wind. Even though he was unable to spot the sheer bluffs in the darkness, their massive presence loomed over him.

Valek retreated, finding a spot that he’d pick if he was on a boat and searching for a place to land. Then he hunkered down, closed the lantern’s slide and waited.

He wondered what Yelena, Ari and Janco had discovered about the glass-house plants. It had been thirteen days since they parted. Was she on her way to the rendezvous point? Worry for her and the baby swirled.

At least she hadn’t reached him with one of her desperate mental calls. Thrice before, she had been in dire trouble in Sitia and reached for him in a blind panic. Her frantic fear had ripped through him like a giant monster’s sharp claws. Each time, he’d opened himself to her, loaning his strength and immunity to her across the miles. It had saved her life, and those times had been the only ones where they magically connected. Except now... His blood ran cold. Without her magic, would Yelena be able to reach him? Probably not.

What the hell was he doing here? Crouching in the rain, hoping to spot a gang of young thieves. Was this important to him? No. Catch these thieves and more would just pop up someplace else. He needed to be with his wife, even if she wasn’t in danger. He’d let his job keep them apart for far too long. All he had to do was retire, and once free of the Commander’s orders, he’d assassinate Owen.

Valek stood and wiped rain from his eyes. He turned and halted. A sigh escaped his lips. As much as he wished to go, he’d never leave a job unfinished. He revised his to-do list. Catch the Storm Thieves, retire, assassinate Owen. He returned to his position and tried not to fret over Yelena. After all, she was resourceful and smart. Plus Ari and Janco would never let her out of their sight.

Hours later, a light bobbed on the water. Valek watched it with keen interest. The light broke into two points. The second one appeared to head for shore. As it drew closer, it clarified into four lanterns. The yellow glow revealed a large rowboat with four figures rowing and four others holding the lights. When they reached the shallow water, the rolling waves around the boat smoothed flat. Valek squinted. No rain or wind buffeted the craft, either. Sticky magic pressed on Valek. One of those eight must be the magician. Despite his earlier claims of not caring about these thieves, excitement warmed his chest.

Two men jumped out and pulled the boat’s prow onto the beach. There was enough light for Valek to distinguish male and female, but not enough to observe facial features. Three men and two women hopped onto the sand. They carried two of the lanterns. Exchanging a few words with the woman in the boat, the five then strode across the sand, heading inland.

The men pushed the craft into deeper water and leaped in. Picking up the oars, they rowed toward the light still bobbing in the ocean. The water under the boat remained smooth despite the storm surge, which meant the magician had stayed with the rowboat. Valek’d bet a gold coin it was the woman sitting in the stern. Valek moved closer, risking being spotted to get a clear view of the magician. She was young. Sixteen, maybe seventeen years old. Pretty with long dark hair. At least she wasn’t one of the Stormdancers.

Unable to follow the rowboat in storm-tossed seas, Valek trailed the group that had been dropped off. If they were a raiding party, then why did the boat leave? Perhaps they planned to rendezvous later at another location. That would be rather smart.

As the Storm Thieves traveled east, Valek recalled the map of the area. No towns or farms had been built here. There was nothing of value to steal. Maybe they’d hidden a stash of goods and were retrieving their stolen supplies. After hiking two miles, the Storm Thieves turned south, paralleling the coastline. The wind eased and soon it stopped raining.

When they bypassed Gandrel, the half-moon shone through a film of wispy clouds. Valek suspected that the Storm Thieves were headed to the steer farm. Instead of relying on the storm, they might be attempting to steal the cattle later tonight when everyone was asleep. An unexpected move. Again, he suspected their leader wasn’t an average thief.

But how would they transport the animals? Someone would hear the hooves on the wooden planks of the dock. And he doubted they would bring them back to the beach where they’d landed. That boat was too small unless they carried one steer at a time. In that case, they’d have to make multiple trips, but no one would be searching for them up there. Now the question remained, were the Storm Thieves clever enough to make it work?

A quarter of a mile before the steer farm, they turned east, not west as expected. Curious, Valek closed the distance between them. After half a mile, the five hurried down an overgrown lane and into a barn with a sagging roof and weathered wood. Valek looped to the back of the dilapidated structure. A rusted chain wrapped around the handles of a set of warped doors. An oversize padlock cinched the chain tight.