When we reached the base of the steps, Cahil handed the horse’s reins to Marrok. “Take him to the stables and then unpack. I’ll meet you in the barracks.”

“Yes, sir,” Marrok said, turning to go.

“Marrok,” I said. “Make sure you give Topaz some milk oats.”

He nodded and moved on.

Cahil squeezed my arm. “How do you know about milk oats?”

I thought fast. “Cahil, I’ve been traveling with you for over a week I’ve helped feed him.” True to a point, but I didn’t think it would be a good idea to tell Cahil that his horse had asked me for some milk oats. And I was certain he didn’t want to know that his own horse called him Peppermint Man.

“You’re lying. Milk oats are a special treat that the Stable Master bakes. He feeds them to the horses, no one else.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but a strident voice interrupted, “Cahil, is something wrong?”

Together we glanced at the woman. She and Leif were descending toward us.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Cahil said.

They stopped a few steps above us.

“Is this her?” the woman asked.

“Yes, First Magician,” Cahil said.

“Are you certain about her allegiance to Ixia?” she asked.

“Yes. She carries an Ixian uniform and has Ixian coins,” Cahil said.

“Her loyalty and longing for Ixia tastes thick like a rancid soup,” Leif said.

The woman stepped closer to me. I looked into her amber eyes. They were shaped like a snow cat’s and were just as lethal. Her gaze expanded, encompassing me and my world disappeared as the ground turned to rippling amber liquid. I began to sink. Something circled my ankles, and then pulled me under the surface. My clothes were stripped away, then my skin, then my muscles. My bones dissolved until there was nothing left but my soul.

Chapter Ten

Something sharp scratched my soul, searching for vulnerable spots. I pushed away the intrusive object and began to build a wall of defense in my mind. This magician would not reach me.

Bricks formed and stacked, but they crumbled at the edges. Holes drilled through as I struggled to stay ahead of First Magician. I poured all my strength into that wall. I patched the holes. I added another wall within the first. But the bricks disintegrated and collapsed.

Damn it! No! I scrambled for a while, but it was just a matter of time. In the end, I let the wall dissolve. But, with a sudden rush of energy, I created a curtain of green-veined marble, cutting her off.

I pressed myself to the smooth stone and held on with all my might. Exhaustion pulled at my mind. In pure desperation, I used the last of my power, calling for help. The marble transformed into a statue of Valek. He looked at me in concern.

“Help,” I said.

He wrapped his strong arms around me, pulling me close to his chest. “Anything, love.”

With nothing left, I clung to him as darkness descended.

I awoke in a narrow room; my head throbbing. Looking up at the ceiling, I realized that I was on a bed. It had been pushed against a wall under an open window. When I moved to sit up, my stiff legs protested. I felt raw and violated as though someone had scrubbed off my skin. My throat blazed with thirst. A pitcher of water sweated on a night table, an empty glass beside it. I poured a large drink and downed the cool liquid in three gulps. Feeling a little better, I examined the room. An armoire stood along the opposite wall with a full-length mirror on the right and a doorway on the left.

Cahil appeared in the doorway. “I thought I heard you.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“First Magician tried to read your mind,” Cahil said. He looked embarrassed. “She was extremely annoyed by your resistance, but she did say you weren’t a spy.”

“Peachy.” Sarcasm rendered my voice sharp. I crossed my arms over my chest. “How did I get here?”

Splotches of red spread on his cheeks. “I carried you.”

I hugged myself. The thought of being touched by him made my skin crawl. “Why did you stay?”

“I wanted to make sure you were all right.”

“Now you’re concerned about me? I find that hard to believe.” I stood on sore legs. They felt as if I had run too many laps, and my lower back ached. “Where am I?”

“In the student’s quarters. Apprentice wing. You’ve been assigned these rooms.”

Cahil retreated into the other room. I followed him into a small sitting area with a large desk, a couch, table and chairs and a marble fireplace. The walls were made of light green marble. My pack rested on the table with my bow.

There was another door. I crossed the room and opened it. Beyond the threshold was a garden courtyard with trees and statues. Through them I could see the setting sun. I stepped outside, glancing around. My rooms were at the end of a long one-story building. No one was in sight.

Cahil joined me outside. “The students will be back at the start of the cooling season.” He pointed to a path. “That leads to the dining hall and classrooms. Want me to give you a tour?”

“No,” I said, going back into the sitting room. I turned around in the doorway. “I want you and your toy soldiers to leave me the hell alone. Now you know I’m not a spy, stay the hell away from me.” I closed the door and locked it, leaving Cahil outside. Just to be safe, I wedged a chair under the doorknob.

I curled up on the bed. The desire to go home racked my body. Home to Valek. To his strength and his love. Just that brief contact with him made me miss him even more. His absence left an emptiness that burned deep inside me.