Night Study - Maria Snyder V.

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into my cup.

      “Janco. He’s determined to annoy you.”

      “He’s succeeded. Many times.” She handed me the tea.

      “He’s looking for a reaction and for attention. You’re like The Madam, unflappable, and that irks him, so he tries hard to...er...flap you.”

      Onora smiled. The first genuine one I’d seen. It reached her gray eyes and transformed her. The carefree expression was a glimpse of the young girl she used to be before her life soured and turned tragic.

      “And ignoring him is the ultimate affront,” she said.

      Ah. She’d figured him out. “Which is why you do it.”

      “Exactly.” She sobered. “And I am an assassin. Being quiet and still for hours is all part of the job.”

      “True.” I sensed there was more, so I took a risk. “Why did you decide to become an assassin?”

      Onora met my gaze. All animation left her face, but uncertainty lurked behind her eyes. I guessed she contemplated what to tell me. The truth or some offhand comment.

      She lowered her voice. “I didn’t want to be afraid anymore.”

      That I understood. “And did it work?”

      “No one can touch me.”

      Not quite an answer. I remembered what Valek had said about her past and how she hadn’t killed her demons yet.

      “Have you faced your fear?”

      She scoffed, “Don’t you mean, have I assassinated the bastard I was afraid of?”

      “No. I know murdering a tormentor doesn’t mean the problem is solved.”

      “Sorry, but I don’t agree. Death is the final solution.”

      “Then you are luckier than me.”

      “Luckier?” Her voice rose in anger.

      “Yes. When I killed Reyad, my problems didn’t disappear with his death. He continued to haunt me.”

      “That’s because you’re the Soulfinder.”

      “I wasn’t then. Then I was a terrified nineteen-year-old, fearing I’d lost my soul and would always be a victim. Those doubts clung to me until I faced it. And I’m still learning that running away from my fears is never a solution.”

      “That’s you. Not me.” She stood up. “I better do a perimeter check.” Onora left the shelter.

      I’d struck a nerve. Interesting.

      Janco crept from a shadow. “She’s a tough clam to pry open. I’ve a feeling, though, once we do, we’ll find a pearl.”

      “Pearls form in oysters.”

      “Oysters, clams...” He waved dismissively. “It’s all seafood. You know what I meant.”

      I did. Yet, I wasn’t as certain about the gem inside the hard exterior.

      Valek and Kiki returned after breakfast. We joined him in the stable. “What’s the buzz?” Janco asked without preamble.

      “No sign of Owen.” Valek swung a leg over and dismounted.

      “Is that good or bad?” Janco asked.

      “You tell me.”

      Janco paused. “Bad. They could be anywhere. What about the local patrols?”

      “They haven’t encountered anything unusual in the last couple of days.”

      Nor had any of the other patrols we’d encountered the past three days. “Maybe Owen hasn’t traveled this far yet,” I said. “That’s a possibility,” Valek agreed. “Are you ready to go?”

      We gathered our supplies and mounted. As we traveled, I considered another explanation for no signs of Owen. Perhaps he had used magic to erase the patrolmen’s memories. Could he erase memories without Loris and Cilly Cloud Mist’s help? I remembered that the three of them had each picked one of us to restructure our memories so we’d forget. Which meant he could. And then it hit me. He’d also mentioned inserting new ones.

      Then why would he be careless enough to let that miner see him and the others? Why not erase the teen’s memories?

      I snagged on an idea. “Holy snow cats!”

      The others slowed their horses and turned to me, waiting.

      I rushed to explain, “That boy, Lewin, said he saw Owen three nights before we talked to him. What if Owen planted that memory and it wasn’t really three nights, but longer? In that case, Owen, Rika and Tyen might have reached the Commander by now.”

      VALEK

      Alarmed, Valek stopped Onyx. The real possibility that Owen and the others had reached the Commander sent an icy pulse through his heart. “Holy snow cats, indeed.”

      “It’s pure conjecture,” Onora said.

      “Based on Yelena’s knowledge of Owen,” Valek said.

      Kiki moved closer to Onyx, and Yelena put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry I didn’t remember about his ability to plant new memories sooner.”

      He covered her hand with his own and squeezed. “Trying to outguess your enemy is all part of the fun, love.”

      “Oh, so that’s what we’ve been doing? Having fun? Who knew?” she teased.

      “Gee, Valek, you ought to show your girl a better time if she doesn’t even know what fun is,” Janco said.

      “All right,” he agreed, getting into the spirit. “Next time, love, I’ll take you along on a raid.”

      “Oh my.” Yelena fanned her face with a hand. “Slow down, handsome, or I might swoon from all the excitement.”

      Even though she smiled, it did nothing to dispel the dark smudges lining her green eyes and her sunken cheeks. She hadn’t been eating or sleeping well. But once they reached the castle, he’d ensure she got plenty of both.

      “The castle, Kiki. As fast as possible. Please,” Yelena said.

      He spurred Onyx, following Kiki. Janco and Onora rode close behind him. On horseback, the trip would take two full days if they stopped to sleep, a day and a half if they didn’t. The decision would be Kiki’s. She understood their desire to hurry while she also knew not to exhaust or injure the horses.

      Kiki stopped for water around midnight, and Valek decided they should get a few hours of sleep. Nothing good would come from them arriving at the castle completely drained and useless.

      “There should be a patrol west of us,” he said to the group. “We can overnight with them. That way we all can sleep.”

      “Hoorah.” Janco pumped his fist.

      Kiki found the patrol an hour after midnight. Their unexpected arrival caused a considerable stir, and Valek had to explain and soothe the nerves of the young lieutenant in charge. Another hour passed before they spread their bedrolls.

      Teetering on the edge of sleep, Valek was roused by Janco’s voice.

      “Just for the record, holy snow cats is my line,” he said. “You need to find your own.”

      “And you had to tell us this now?” Onora grumbled.

      “I thought it was important. I don’t like people stealing my lines.”

      “It’s a compliment, you dolt. Did you ever think of that?”

      “No.”

      “Not quite the boy genius over there.

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