LITMIR.BIZ

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sent him ahead to notify the Keep of our arrival. Why?”

      “Family business.” I spat the words out.

      Cahil must have seen the murderous glint in my eyes. “You can’t hurt him.”

      “Oh, yes, I can. He’s caused me a lot of trouble.”

      “He has my protection.”

      “Is that one of the benefits of being a member of your quest for the north?”

      “No. When we captured you and Leif, I gave him my word that no harm would come to him in exchange for his full cooperation in dealing with you.”

      I blinked at Cahil. Had I heard him right? “But Leif set me up.”

      “No, he didn’t.”

      “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

      “I thought letting you believe you had been betrayed by your own brother would demoralize you. However, it seems to have had the opposite effect.”

      Cahil’s plan might have worked if Leif and I had had a relationship. I rubbed my face as I tried to decide if knowing the truth changed my opinion about Leif.

      Sitting on the edge of his cot, Cahil studied me in silence.

      “If Leif didn’t set me up, then who did?”

      Cahil smiled. “I can’t reveal my sources.”

      Leif had managed to convince many Zaltanas that I was a spy, so the entire clan was suspect. Anyone at the Illiais Market could have overheard our destination, as well.

      I couldn’t worry about it now, but I wouldn’t forget it, either. “You said you sent Leif to the Keep,” I said. “Will we be there soon?”

      “Tomorrow afternoon; about an hour after Leif arrives. I want to make sure we’re met by the right people,” Cahil said. “An important day, Yelena. Better get some sleep.” He blew out the lantern.

      I reclined on my cloak, wondering about the Citadel and Keep. Would Irys be there by tomorrow? Doubtful. I stretched my awareness out, seeking Irys but only encountering wildlife. Without Irys at the Keep would the First Magician peel away the layers of my mind? Apprehension churned inside my stomach. I would rather face Goel than the unknown. Eventually, though, I slept.

      Dark dreams of Reyad swirled in my mind.

      “Same story, Yelena,” Reyad’s ghost said, laughing and taunting. “No options. No friends. But you have a knife. Again.”

      An image of Reyad wrapped in blood-soaked sheets flashed in my dreams. The killing wound in his neck was the result of my desire to protect myself and the other kidnapped children from torture and mindless slavery.

      “Will you cut another’s throat to save yourself?” he asked. “How about your own?”

      I woke to the sound of crying and realized with horror that my face was wet. Brushing away the tears, I resolved not to let my doubts plague me. Reyad’s ghost might haunt my dreams, but I wouldn’t allow him to haunt my life.

      Morning dawned with the smell of sweet cakes, and I joined the men by the fire for breakfast. After we ate, Cahil’s men packed up the camp. Their mood was light and their banter friendly, so I was caught off guard when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

      Before I could move, the grip tightened, causing pain. I turned my head. Goel stood behind me.

      He dug his fingers deeper into my flesh as he whispered in my ear. “I promised not to hurt you while we traveled to the Citadel. Once there, you’re mine.”

      I rammed my elbow into Goel’s stomach. He grunted. I stepped forward and knocked his hand off my shoulder with my arm as I spun. Facing him, I asked, “Why warn me?”

      He drew in a deep breath and grinned. “Your anticipation will make the hunt more exciting.”

      “Enough talk, Goel. Let’s do it now.”

      “No. I want time to play. I have all kinds of games planned for when I have you, my sweet.”

      My body shook with an icy chill of revulsion. Goose bumps covered my skin. It was a sensation I never thought I would feel in the sweltering south.

      “Goel, help take down the tent,” Captain Marrok ordered.

      “Yes, sir.” Goel walked away, glancing back at me with a smirk on his face and a promise in his eyes.

      I let my breath out slowly. This didn’t bode well.

      When the men finished breaking camp, Cahil mounted his horse and we set off through the forest. After several hours, the trees thinned as the trail ascended a hill. At the top of the rise, a vast valley, bisected by a long dirt road, spread out in front of us. Farm fields etched geometric shapes on the left side of the road. An immense plain dominated the landscape on the right side. Across the vibrant valley was another ridge, and I could just make out a white fortress spanning its crest.

      “Is that the Citadel?” I asked Marrok.

      He nodded. “Another half day’s march.” His gray eyes slid to the right as if searching for something.

      I followed his gaze and watched the long grass stalks sway in the breeze. “Daviian Plateau?”

      “No. That’s farther southeast,” Marrok said. “This is the edge of the Avibian Plains. The plain is huge. It takes ten days to cross it.”

      “My cousin mentioned traveling through a plain on the way to the Citadel, but we’re really just skirting it.”

      “Crossing Avibian is a shortcut. Zaltanas will cross, but everyone else avoids contact with the Sandseed Clan who calls the plains home. Taking the forest route is the long way, but it’s safe.”

      I wanted to ask more, but Cahil increased the pace as we descended into the basin. He was either eager to reach the Citadel or anxious to put the plains behind him.

      We passed laborers working in the farm fields, and a caravan of merchants with their horse-drawn wagons loaded with goods. Nothing but the tall grass moved in the plains.

      The Citadel grew massive in appearance as we traveled closer. We stopped only once to water the horse and the men.

      When we reached the towering gates, I was awed by the sheer size of the outer bulwark. Green veins streaked the white marble walls. I ran a hand along them, finding it smooth and cool despite the blistering heat. I had thought it was hot in the forest, but that had been nothing compared to being fully exposed to the searing sun.

      The two guards at the Citadel’s open gates approached Cahil. After a brief conversation, Cahil led us into a courtyard. I squinted in the bright sunlight. The majestic sight before me took a while to sink in. An entire town resided within the Citadel’s outer walls. All the structures were made of the same white marble with veins of green that comprised the outer wall. I had visualized the Citadel as one large building, like the Commander’s castle in Ixia, but this was far beyond anything I could have imagined.

      “Impressed?” Marrok asked.

      I closed my mouth and nodded. Our party began to walk through the streets and I realized the place was deserted. “Where is everyone?” I asked Marrok.

      “The Citadel’s a ghost town during the hot season. The Council is in recess, the Keep is on holiday and only a skeleton crew tends the crops. Everyone who can flees to the cooler climates, and those who are left retreat inside at mid-afternoon to avoid the sun.”

      I didn’t blame them. My scalp felt as if it were on fire. “How much longer?” I asked.

      “Another hour,” Marrok said. “See those four towers?” He pointed to the east. “That’s the Magician’s Keep.”

      I stared at their height, wondering what dwelled in those lofty chambers.

      We

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