"Anything else?"

"One more interesting item. Brazell said that once he and Mogkan had control of Ixia, they planned to take over Sitia."

The next day the Commander held court with Valek standing at his right side. Brazell was brought before him to face charges. As expected, Brazell was stripped of his rank and sentenced to spend the rest of his life in the Commander's dungeon.

Permitted a few last words, Brazell shouted, "You fools. Your Commander's a deceiver. You've been lied to for years! The Commander's really a woman dressed as a man!"

Silence blanketed the room, but the Commander's neutral expression never faltered. Soon laughter echoed off the stone walls. Brazell was hauled away amid cheers and jeers. Who would believe the ravings of a madman? Obviously, no one.

I thought about their jeers. They laughed not because the idea of a woman in power was so ridiculous, but because Commander Ambrose had a powerful presence. His frank and abrupt dealings were so honest and forthright that the thought of him deceiving anyone was laughable. And due to his beliefs and convictions about himself, even though I knew the truth, I could not think of him in any other way.

Later in the day, I went to visit the orphanage. I found May in the dormitory. This time, happy memories followed me as I walked through the rooms used by the orphans. When she saw me, May bounced off the bed and wrapped herself around me.

"Yelena, I thought I would never see you again," she gushed.

I squeezed her tight. When she pulled back, I smiled to see her crooked skirt and messy ponytail. As I braided her hair, May chattered about what had happened since I had left. Her excitement faded when she talked about Carra. And it was then that I could see how much she had grown.

When I finished her hair, she said, "We're going with you to Sitia!" May spun in a circle, unable to remain still. She waved toward a suitcase on the floor.

"What?"

"That lady from the south told us that she would take us home. To find our families!"

A brief pang clenched my heart. Family had a different meaning to me. Valek, Ari and Janco felt like my family, and even Maren seemed like a grumpy older sister.

"That's wonderful," I said to May, trying to match her enthusiasm.

May stopped her dance for a moment. "There are so few of us left," she said in a sedate voice.

"Valek will make sure Carra and the others are taken good care of."

"Valek! He's so handsome." May laughed, and was so delightful I couldn't resist hugging her again.

Janco, on the other hand, greeted me with a gloomy face when I stopped to say goodbye. Irys, anxious to head south, wanted to be on the road in the morning.

Ari had taken over my role of nurse, and was sitting next to Janco.

"Whatever happened to *Sieges weathered, fight together, friends forever'?" I asked him, quoting his message on my switchblade.

Janco's eyes lit up. "You little fox. Figured it out already, have you?"

I smirked.

"As soon as Janco's better, we're coming south," Ari said.

"And what would you do there?" I asked.

"Work on our tans," Janco said, smiling. "I could use a vacation."

"Protect you," Ari said.

"I don't need protection in the south," I said. "And I seem to remember that not long ago, I bested two of my instructors."

"She's c.o.c.ky already." Janco sighed. "We can't go with her now, she'll be swaggering and boasting and generally obnoxious. It's bad enough I have to deal with that from Ari, I could never handle two."

"Besides," I said, "you'll be bored."

Ari grumped and crossed his ma.s.sive arms, looking sour. "First sign of trouble, you send us a message and we'll be there. You got that?" Ari asked.

"Yes, sir," I said. "Don't worry about me, Ari. I'll be fine. And, I'll be back."

"You'd better," Janco said. "I want a rematch."

But I had spoken too soon about returning. Valek, Irys and I had discussed my future, but the Commander seemed to have other plans. Commander Ambrose called for a formal meeting that evening. With just Valek, Ari and Irys in attendance in Brazell's old office, the Commander agreed to honor the trade treaty, even though it had been enacted under Mogkan's influence. Then he told me my fate.

"Yelena," he began in a formal tone, "you have saved my life and, for that, I thank you. But you have magical abilities that are not tolerated in Ixia. I have no choice but to sign an order for your execution."

Valek placed a warning hand on Ari's shoulder to prevent him from charging the Commander. Ari stayed still, but his outrage was evident in his face. When the Commander held a paper out to Valek, coldness crept along my skin, leaving behind a numb feeling of dread.

Valek didn't move. "Sir, I've always believed that having a magician work for us would be beneficial and could have prevented this particular situation," Valek said. "We can trust her."

"A valid point." The Commander drew back his arm, resting it on the desk. "Even though we trust her, even though she saved my life, I must follow the Code of Behavior. To do otherwise would be a sign of weakness, something I can't afford right now, especially after this business with Mogkan. Plus, the Generals and my advisers will not trust her."

Once again the Commander extended the execution order to Valek. In my frantic mind I heard Irys telling me to flee. She would attempt to slow Valek down. No, I told her. I would see this to the end. I would not run away.

"I won't take it," Valek said in a flat voice. He betrayed no emotion.

"You would disobey a direct order?" the Commander asked.

"No. If I don't take the order, then I won't have to disobey it."

"And if I make it a verbal order?"

"I will obey. But it will be my very last task for you." Valek pulled a knife off his belt.

The ring of steel sounded as Ari unsheathed his sword. "You'll have to get through me first," he said, stepping in front of me. Ari had a better than average chance of beating Valek, but I knew he wouldn't win. And I didn't want him to try.

"No, Ari," I said. I pushed his sword arm down, and stood next to Valek. Our eyes met. I understood that Valek's loyalty to the Commander was without question. His blue eyes held a fierce determination and I knew in my soul that Valek would take his own life after he had taken mine.

The Commander gazed at us with a quiet consideration. I felt time freeze under his scrutiny.

"I've signed the order, per the Code," the Commander finally said. "I will a.s.sign someone else to carry it out. It may take a few days for me to find a suitable person." He looked at me and Irys. A hint that we needed to get on the road as soon as possible. "This order is valid in Ixia only. You're all dismissed."

The office emptied in a hurry. I was giddy with relief as Ari swept me into one of his bear hugs and whooped with joy. But then my heart seized with pain as I realized that I would be parted from Valek so soon after we had joined. After Irys and Ari left to organize the "escape," Valek pulled me aside. We kissed with pa.s.sion and a desperate urgency.

After we drew apart to catch our breaths, I said, "Come with me." It wasn't a plea or a question. It was an invitation.

Valek's blue eyes closed with pain. "I can't."

I turned away, feeling like one of Valek's black statues, but he drew me back.

"Yelena, you need to learn, you need to find your family, you need to spread your wings and see how far you can fly. You don't need me right now, but the Commander needs me."

I clung to Valek. He was right, I didn't need him, but I wanted him to be with me forever.

We left that night. Irys led our ragtag group. Eight girls and two boys from Brazell's orphanage followed Irys through the forest toward the southern border. I took the rearguard position to make sure everyone stayed together, and to make sure no one tailed our group.

We hiked for a few hours until we found a suitable clearing to camp for the night. More than adequate provisions for our journey had been provided by Ari. I smiled, remembering his lecture to me about staying out of trouble. Just like an overprotective brother, he wasn't content until I promised to send him a message if I needed help. I would miss him and Janco dearly.

We set up six small tents in a circle. Irys amazed the children as she set fire to the kindling with a magical flourish. After everyone had gone to sleep, I sat by the fire, stirring the dying embers. Unwilling to join May in our tent, I gazed at the single flame that erupted when I poked at the fire. It danced by itself for an audience of one. I wondered for the hundredth time why Valek hadn't come to say goodbye, fingering my pendant.

I sensed movement. Jumping up, I drew my bow. A shadow detached from a tree. Irys had created a magical barrier around our tents. According to her, the barrier would deflect a person's vision, so all he would see was an empty clearing. The shadow stopped at the edge, unaffected by the magic, and smiled at me. Valek.

He held out a hand. I grasped his cold fingers with both hands as he led me away from the tents and deeper into the forest.

"Why didn't you come before we left?" I asked him when we stopped at the base of a tree. The roots of the ma.s.sive oak had broken through the ground, creating small protective hollows.

"I was busy making sure the Commander would have a hard time locating someone to carry out his orders." Valek grinned with vicious delight. "It's amazing how much work there is cleaning up after Brazell."

I thought about what that cleanup would entail. "Who is tasting the Commander's food?" I asked.

"For now, I am. But I believe Captain Star would make an excellent candidate. Since she knows who all the a.s.sa.s.sins are, I think her help will be invaluable."

It was my turn to smile. Star would do well if she pa.s.sed the training. If.

"Enough talk," Valek said, guiding me down between the roots. "I need to give you a proper send-off."

My last night in Ixia was spent with Valek beneath the tree. The hours till dawn flew by. The rising sun intruded, waking me from a contented doze in Valek's arms, forcing me to face the day that I had to leave him.

Sensing my mood, Valek said, "An execution order hasn't kept us apart before. There are ways to get around it. We will be together."

"Is that an order?"

"No, a promise."

ISBN: 978-1-4592-4826-7.

Also by Maria V. Snyder.

Soulfinders.

POISON STUDY.

MAGIC STUDY.

FIRE STUDY.

And the upcoming.

STORM GLa.s.s.