Dawn Study

“Mannix, got it,” clipboard man said. “Go on.”

The gate opened, and Valek headed straight to the castle. His thoughts remained on finishing his work before going to bed. As soon as he entered the castle, he ducked down a little-used corridor. The perks of being in very familiar territory. Valek pulled off the putty and the kitchen uniform, revealing his black skintight sneak suit underneath. While he was tempted to visit his office, he was smart enough to avoid it. Instead, he found a hiding place to wait until the perfect time.

* * *

Near midnight, Valek ghosted through the empty hallways. He had written all the security protocols for the castle. As long as they hadn’t been changed, he would be able to reach his goal without being spotted. It all depended on Owen’s confidence that Valek would never return. Since Owen had easily captured Valek in a null shield and almost killed him the last time they met, the magician had to be feeling pretty confident that Valek would stay far away. And Owen must also believe in Onora’s ability to assassinate Valek, or he wouldn’t have sent her. Add those together, and Valek was literally betting his life that the protocols had not been changed.

He found a window, drew in a deep breath and then climbed out. He clung to the west wall and braced for shouts of discovery or a crossbow bolt shot through his back. When nothing happened, he scaled the wall.

Avoiding all the booby traps on the roof, Valek reached his target. He opened the window and slipped inside. A bright fire burned in the hearth, and the Commander sat in front of it, sipping his brandy. The other seat was empty. A relief. Valek had expected to see Owen lounging in Valek’s chair, and he had a dart filled with Curare just in case.

“Have you come to assassinate me, Valek?” the Commander asked without even glancing in his direction.

Valek approached the Commander but kept his distance. No doubt the man was armed, and his skills with a knife exceeded Valek’s. “No.”

He turned his head, and his golden gaze met Valek’s. “Why not? I signed your order of execution. I sent Onora after you. Well done, by the way. I didn’t think you’d beat her. Pity, though. She had such potential.” He paused as if truly grieving. “You know your only chance to leave this room alive is to kill me. If you can.”

A big if. “I came to talk.”

“Nothing you say to me will change anything.” His tone was matter-of-fact, and a bit resigned. The Commander’s all-black uniform was pristine as always. Two real diamonds on his collar reflected the firelight, sending sparks of yellow onto the walls.

The faint scent of apples laced the air. “I didn’t come to talk to you.”

“You expected Owen to be here? We’re not to that point yet, but he’ll be along soon enough.”

“Magical alarm?”

“In a way.” The Commander tapped his forehead.

“How much time do I have?”

The Commander refused to answer.

Which meant not much. Valek knew the Commander’s physical body was female, but Ambrose had always identified as male and lived as a man since puberty. No one else was privy to this information except Yelena. Her Soulfinding abilities detected that the Commander’s mother’s soul also resided in his body. When Signe had died in childbirth, her magic transferred her soul to her baby. The Commander had trusted Yelena and Valek to keep it a secret.

“I came to talk to your mother,” Valek said.

He shrank back in his chair. “She can’t talk.”

“She can if you let her.”

“I can’t... Owen...” He pressed his fingers into his temples as if enduring a sudden headache.

“Signe’s the reason for the inconsistencies. Why you could send me and Yelena away, despite Owen’s influence on your mind. Owen doesn’t have control of your mother’s soul.”

“Owen thinks he does, but he can’t know...or all is lost.”

“I’ll be quick so he doesn’t find out,” Valek promised.

The transformation of Commander Ambrose into his mother, Signe, would have been startling if Valek hadn’t seen it before. His features didn’t shift, but from one breath to the next, another person peered from his almond-shaped eyes. Even with his bristle-short gray hair, she appeared feminine.

“How did Owen get to Ambrose?” Valek asked her.

“Owen pleaded for his life. He promised my son barrels of Curare for his army in exchange. It appeared to be a standard business deal, but Owen planted a...seed, I think, during that first meeting.”

“A seed?”

“A powerful suggestion in Ambrose’s mind that Owen was to be trusted.”

Ah, hell. That was over four years ago.

“What happened to the null shields in his uniforms?”

“Owen forced Ambrose to lie about them to you so you wouldn’t suspect he was being influenced by the magician.”

Valek considered. “It worked. Plus, I didn’t notice any change in him. Not then.”

“No one did. It was subtle. In fact, Ambrose wouldn’t believe me—he was too focused on getting Curare for his soldiers. Owen kept the connection hidden until he arrived at the castle. By then it was too late.”

“When is Owen planning to take over Sitia?”

“Once the Cartel has control of the Sitian military, it’s a done deal. They are going to assign military districts and generals to the clans.”

“The Sitian people won’t accept that.” Especially Fisk and his people.

“Owen and the Cartel have a way to change their minds.”

“There isn’t enough Theobroma for everyone in Sitia.”

“They don’t need Theobroma. They have something else,” Signe said.

A cold wave of fear swept through him. “What is it?”

“I wish I knew. Owen won’t tell Ambrose what it is. But it doesn’t matter at this point. My son cannot disobey Owen’s commands.”

“But you can?”

“For now. Owen believes I’m trapped, like Ambrose, and we’ve been careful to keep up the ruse.”

Good to know. Valek focused on the problem at hand. “Do you have any idea what it is?”

“All I know is that Owen learned about it from his ancestor, Master Magician Ellis Moon. It was in the magician’s notes.”

Valek muttered a curse. “Does Owen have those notes with him?”

“I don’t think so. He complained that he could only copy the information, despite being a direct descendant. They’re considered vital historical documents and are kept in the Magician’s Keep’s library. He made an odd comment about how the library wouldn’t let him take the files.”

Muted voices reached them through the gap under the door. The doorknob jiggled.

“You need to go,” Signe said.

9

JANCO

Janco resisted the urge to scratch. No matter what color he dyed his hair, it always caused his scalp to itch something fierce. And the fake ear glued over his scarred one just added to his discomfort. Sweat pooled underneath the putty, driving him crazy. Add in the heat and humidity, and Janco longed for an assignment on the northern ice sheet. At this point, he’d gladly endure frostbite and evade snow cats. Better than dodging deadly Greenblade bees.

The creak of wood and rattle of a harness cut through Janco’s misery. From his hiding spot, he craned his neck, peering around a bush. Sure enough, a wagon rode into view, heading west. Two horses pulled it at a fast trot. Janco waited as it slowed. The driver—a tall, impossibly thin Greenblade man Janco had nicknamed Toothpick—must have spotted the tree trunk lying across the road. The tree wasn’t big enough to halt the wagon entirely, but in order to continue his journey, the driver would have to roll over it with care or risk a broken wheel.

Janco shifted his weight to the balls of his feet. When the horses stepped over the log, he slipped behind the wagon. As the wheels thumped over the obstruction, Janco climbed in and crawled under the tarp, avoiding the sacks of white coal as he wedged his body between the other supplies.

The wagon increased its speed after it cleared the trunk. Janco grinned and pumped his fist. Toothpick didn’t have a clue he’d just picked up a passenger. Not sure how long it would be until they stopped, Janco settled into a more comfortable position.

Janco’d been watching and tracking the deliveries to the Greenblade garrison for two weeks now, trying to identify which wagon brought in the Theobroma for the cook to use in the garrison’s food. It had been harder than he expected, since they used a tarp and the schedule was erratic. But once he figured out Toothpick was the delivery man, it didn’t take long to plan a way to hop a ride to see just where the Theobroma was coming from.

Janco checked the lump under his tunic, ensuring it remained in place. The null shield pendant kept the Cartel’s magicians from brainwashing him and also from detecting him. They’d been rather vigilant about spies, which was why he couldn’t simply follow the wagon on horseback.

As the afternoon turned into evening, Janco guessed Toothpick would stop for the night. He remembered General Brazell’s Theobroma-producing factory. They had smelled the sweet aroma of the drug miles downwind. He doubted many of the Greenbladers recognized the scent. However, finding an isolated spot to produce the stuff must have been difficult, since the Greenblade forest, which covered two-thirds of their lands, had dozens of tiny settlements all over the place.

When the wagon slowed hours later, Janco prepared to ditch. While certain he could take Toothpick without breaking a sweat, Janco didn’t want to ruin the mission. This was an information-gathering endeavor. Ari, his partner, had just about pounded the importance of not being seen into Janco’s head.

Slipping out before the horses stopped, Janco dropped onto the road. He ducked into the woods as the wagon continued toward a bright yellow glow. Perhaps Toothpick had decided to overnight in one of the settlements. By the distant brightness, Janco guessed it must be one of the bigger villages.

Janco hurried to catch up, but paused at the edge of the...town? He stared through the trees at the wide array of buildings and factories. People bustled between them even at this late hour. Greenery filled the extra-long glass hothouses lined up like fingers—ten in all. The nutty sweetness of Theobroma fogged the air and mixed with the unmistakable citrus tang of Curare.

Holy snow cats! He’d hit the jackpot.

Or had he? This was blatant, even for Bruns. And judging by the age of the tree stumps and worn paths, this had been here for years. Someone would have noticed it by now. Unless Owen had set it up and scared off the locals?

The answer popped into his head, and Janco almost groaned aloud. Idiot.

He removed the null shield pendant—a gift from Leif—and a dark forest replaced the scene of bright industry. All sounds ceased, and only a moist, earthy scent filled his nose. Pain burned in his right ear.

The town was covered by a massive illusion. Even though Janco hated magic, he had to admit the deception was impressive. The main road curved around the northern edge, so unsuspecting travelers would avoid all the buildings.

Looping the pendant back around his neck, Janco squinted in the sudden light. He spent the next couple hours observing. The activity slowed well after midnight, with only a few people remaining outside. The desire to nose about the complex to learn more pulsed in his chest. Perhaps he’d spot Owen’s Master Gardener. The man or woman had to be in charge of this operation. And Janco even wore the long green tunic and pants that the Greenblade men preferred. His light brown hair and tanned skin matched them as well.

However, Janco remembered the last time he’d pushed his luck. He’d ended up not only getting caught but also causing the rest of his team to be captured. Dax had died, Hale went missing and Leif had almost died.

Being sensible for the first time in his life, Janco left, jogging along the road. He’d report back to Ari and, after they sent the information to Fisk, they’d return and have a good snoop.

* * *

Janco arrived in Longleaf late the next morning. Instead of trying to go undercover in the garrison, they’d decided to rent a small house in the nearby town and keep an eye on the flow of traffic going to and from the base.

With a sudden burst of energy, Janco sprinted to the narrow wooden house wedged in the middle of a row. He rushed into the front room and was about to shout his good news, but Ari’s tense posture stopped him in his tracks. Ari wore his I-want-to-strangle-someone expression. One that was usually aimed at Janco, but was directed at a young boy. Poor kid.

At six feet four inches tall, Ari loomed over most others. The skinny-mini standing next to him appeared tiny in comparison. Must be one of Fisk’s...spies. Hard to call kids under the age of fifteen spies, but the little tykes had come in handy since the Cartel decided to take over Sitia. And the guild members had saved their asses back when Bruns had them. Gotta give them their due.

Sensing trouble, Janco asked, “Something wrong?”

“We’re being recalled to the Citadel,” Ari said. Frowning, he ran a big, beefy paw—er...hand—over the short curls of his blond hair.

“Who and why?”

“Valek’s orders. Tell him,” Ari said to the boy.

Janco braced for bad news as Skinny-Mini detailed Yelena’s capture and her agreement with Cahil—which explained Ari’s murderous glare. Despite the results, using lamplighters for an ambush was a sweet move. He’d never look at them the same way again.

“I need to inform the others. Master Fisk is pulling all agents from the garrisons,” Skinny-Mini said.

“Go,” Ari said.

“Wait.” Janco grabbed his shoulder. “Are you returning to the Citadel after this?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Tell Fisk we’ll be delayed a few days.”

“We can’t disobey a direct order,” Ari said.

“Don’t worry, Ari. Valek will forgive us. He’ll probably give us a medal.”

“Why?” Ari and Skinny-Mini asked in unison.

He told them about the complex. “We can’t return without checking it out. It might be the key to stopping the Cartel.”

Ever cautious, Ari asked, “How many guards are there?”

“Doesn’t matter. We’ll be like ghosts—invisible.”

“Ghosts aren’t... Oh, never mind. We’ll check it out, but I’ll decide if we go into the complex or just watch from a distance.”

“Hey, who put you in charge?” Janco asked, outraged.

“Valek.”

“Oh, yeah.” All his annoyance disappeared. “No problem. I know you’ll want to take a closer look. It’s irresistible, like candy and babies.”

“I know I’m going to regret asking this, but you find candy and babies irresistible?” Ari asked.

“Hell no. They’re both sticky.”

His partner waited.

“Some people find them irresistible. And, you know...” Janco waved his hand. “They’re easy to steal...or something like that.”

“I was right.”

“About what?”

“I regret asking that question.”

Janco clapped him on the shoulder. “But you’ve learned something. Never pick up a sticky baby, ’cause you’ll never be able to let go. And I—” he yawned “—am going to catch a couple z’s while you go shopping and pack.”

As Janco shuffled off to bed, Skinny-Mini said to Ari, “I thought you were in charge.”

“Only when it counts.”

* * *

It was almost sunset by the time they saddled Diamond Whiskey and The Madam. While Janco missed his horse, Beach Bunny—named after a beloved pet rabbit—he had to admit The Madam’s calm demeanor was a nice counterpoint to his own fiery personality. Unconcerned, she watched Janco with gray eyes that said nothing could surprise her anymore. He stroked her neck, smoothing the hair on her gray-dappled coat.

Now with Whiskey, Ari had finally found a horse that didn’t look like it would collapse under the big, muscular man’s weight. The large dark brown horse had a white diamond blaze on his forehead. Strong and quick despite his size, Whiskey shifted, ready to go.

“After you,” Ari said, sweeping a hand out.

Janco hopped onto The Madam and retraced the route to the hidden complex. Once the sun set, they’d have to slow down, so he set a fast pace. On horseback, it would take half the time to reach the spot Janco had marked to leave the horses. No doubt there was a magical alarm on the road closer to the facility. He hoped their null shields would prevent them from triggering it.

They set up a base camp deep in the forest. Infiltrating an unfamiliar location took time. While the size of the place was in their favor—an unknown face would not cause alarm—the efficiency with which everyone bustled about was not conducive to blending in. Ari said they would follow the standard three-stage plan.

Stage one—observe. Janco hated this one. For the next twenty-four hours, they took turns watching the facility from different angles, making notes of...well, everything possible. Boring, but necessary. If they planned to go undercover, they’d spend a week or more studying the complex and seeking the perfect place to insert themselves. But for information gathering, this part wasn’t that time-consuming—thank fate.

Stage two—forays. More fun than sitting still for hours. Plus, Janco preened because he’d known Ari wouldn’t be able to resist. Forays involved making short trips into the complex at different times to clarify their observations. For example, the long rectangular building in the southwest corner could be housing for the workers or a canteen or could contain offices. They wanted to avoid people and find information, so they needed to know where the offices were located.

Since Ari’s size tended to draw attention, Janco completed the forays while his partner watched. He strode into buildings as if he belonged there, nosed about the factories, confirming they were indeed producing both Theobroma and Curare, and took a closer look at those huge glass hothouses. Condensation coated the inside of the glass, blurring the contents into an indistinguishable mass of green.

Workers carried long loops of vines from the second hothouse, so Janco headed toward the ones near the end. Checking that no one paid him any attention, Janco ducked into the seventh house and walked into a slice of the jungle. Thick, humid air pressed on his skin with the scent of living green. Insects buzzed around his ears.

A narrow dirt path cut through the plants. He followed it and recognized Curare vines snaked around the trees and hanging from limbs. Underneath the green canopy, pods heavy with beans grew from the trunks of the Theobroma trees. Janco couldn’t identify the other plants, so he broke off a few leaves for Leif and shoved them into his pocket.

Knowing Ari was probably having a fit, Janco headed for the exit. The door opened a few feet before he reached it. A middle-age man with dark skin entered. He carried a long pair of pruning shears.

Startled, the man demanded, “What are you doing in here?”

Janco kept calm. “Just looking around.”

The gardener peered at him. A shock of recognition zipped through Janco. He’d met this man before, but at the moment, he couldn’t recall his name or the place. Bad enough, but if the man recognized him, that would be even worse.

Unaware of Janco’s turmoil, the man said, “You’re not part of the gardening crew or the harvesting crew, so you’re not allowed in here.”

“Sorry, sir.”

“Sorry isn’t good enough. Many of these plants are very delicate.”

“I didn’t touch anything.” Janco stepped to go around him.

The gardener held up his shears, pointing the tips at Janco’s chest. “Not so fast. You look familiar. What’s your name?”

Without hesitating, Janco said, “Yannis Greenblade, sir.”

“You’ll be docked a week’s pay for this little stunt, Yannis. Be glad I don’t fire you.”

Ah, this man was in charge. Janco lowered his gaze as if in contrition. “Thank you, sir.”

“And stay out of my hothouses.”

“Yes, sir.”

The man lowered the shears, and Janco bolted for the door. Holy snow cats, he’d just encountered the Master Gardener. Now if he could only remember the man’s name.

10

YELENA

The bang of the door slamming behind Valek echoed in my bones. Shocked and speechless, I stood among the prone forms of Cahil’s people in the warehouse. I’d never seen him so angry with me. But he had every right to be. I hadn’t believed he’d win in a fight with Onora, or trusted him to rescue me.

Cahil bent to retrieve his sword. “That went better than expected.”

I raised an eyebrow. All his people had been neutralized, and a nasty cut snaked up his arm from when Valek had disarmed him.

“When I saw the Commander’s new assassin, I thought she’d come to kill us all. And then with Valek... I never thought he’d let you fulfill the terms of our agreement. Although, at the end there, I think he wanted to kill you more than me.”

With good reason. I’d ruined all the plans we’d worked so hard to set in motion. The heart-shaped scar on my chest ached. It’d been only two months since we’d exchanged marriage vows and Valek had transformed the Commander’s bloody C on his chest into a heart, pledging his loyalty to me. In return, I’d cut a heart of my own, vowing to be with him forever.

“Despite your claims, the Commander is not working with Bruns,” Cahil said, distracting me from my morose thoughts.

“How did you come up with that?”

“Onora’s obviously working with Valek. That fight on the rooftop was probably staged. Her claim that Bruns asked the Commander to send her was just to make me doubt Bruns. Just like you want to do with our accord.”

I couldn’t argue the point that Valek and Onora were working together. Why hadn’t he told me? Perhaps he didn’t have time. Did it matter? No. Valek always put my safety first. If he forgave me, I’d never doubt him again. If not...

I shied away from that awful thought.

“Come on,” Cahil said, heading to the stairs.

We returned to the basement office. I bandaged Cahil’s cut and then sat at one of the desks while Cahil straightened the mess they’d left behind in their hurry to leave. He hummed to himself. The bastard was in a good mood.

“Did you lie about The Mosquito, too?” I asked.

“I didn’t lie about Valek. My sources spotted him fighting Onora, and she was seen later. It was a natural conclusion. As for The Mosquito, he is dead. That’s been confirmed.”

One bright spot in an otherwise miserable day. The sleepless night caught up to me. Exhausted and heartsick, I rested my head on the desk and welcomed sleep.

* * *

Voices and movement roused me. Cahil’s people had woken, and they filtered into the office area with sheepish expressions. A few sported bruises, and I helped bandage a number of cuts. It could have been worse.

Cahil sent two of them to keep an eye on the door while the rest discussed their next move. A messenger from Bruns arrived, and I ducked under the desk to avoid being spotted. They went into Cahil’s office, but I remained hidden until the man left.

“Good news, Yelena.” Cahil smiled. “I’ve been recalled to the garrison. No need to invent an excuse for our departure.”

“Why do you have to go back?”

His grin turned sly. “I’ll tell you in ten days.”

Bastard.

“We’ll leave tomorrow morning for the garrison,” Cahil said to his crew. “Hanni, please pick up supper for all of us.”

“Not from the Council Hall’s dining room,” I said. “The Hall’s food is laced with Theobroma.”

Hanni gave me a wide-eyed stare.

“You don’t know that for sure,” Cahil said with an annoyed tone.

“How else can you explain the Councilors’ willingness to leave and allow the Cartel to take over?”

“They agreed with Bruns’s brilliant ideas and strategy.”

“Then why not appoint him General and organize the war preparations themselves?” I asked.

“I’m not going to argue with you anymore.”

Too bad. It would be a nice distraction from my situation.