“I do, and I need to tell you why.”
“Oh?”
“You remember that fight on the rooftop Cahil mentioned?”
“It was real. I know. Onora told me all about it.”
“I’m surprised she confided in you.”
“Me, too. But she said friends shouldn’t keep secrets from each other.”
“She’s making progress.”
“She is. And so are you.”
“Because I apologized?”
“No. Because you healed your injuries with your magic. You have control of your power. Now you need to learn the extent of your abilities and start using them. We wouldn’t have gotten the drop on you today if you had.”
She had a point. “All right. When we return to the Citadel, I’ll search for a teacher.”
“A Master Magician would be ideal, but since Bain and Irys are occupied, Teegan is the next best choice. And he should be back from the coast by now.”
“He’s fourteen.”
“He has master-level powers and has been training with Irys for a year.”
“He’s fourteen.”
“Valek.” She used that tone. The don’t-be-a-bigger-idiot-than-you’re-being-right-now tone.
He sighed. “All right.”
She rose onto her tiptoes and kissed him. A jolt of desire swept all his other emotions away. He deepened the kiss.
When they broke apart, he said, “Let’s find a more private location.”
Yelena linked her hands behind his neck. “Because of the horses?”
“No. The assassin in the trees.”
She dropped her arms and stepped away. “Is Onora—”
“Not close enough to overhear us, but keeping an eye on us.”
“Why?”
“Like all of your friends, she’s become protective of you. And I suspect she wanted to ensure I apologized properly.”
“Nice of her.”
“Uh-huh. Now give her a wave so I can drag you deeper into the woods and ravish you.”
A gleam shone in her eyes. “Those that say romance is dead haven’t met you.”
“That’s right. They don’t call me Mr. Romance for nothing.” He swept her up in his arms and carried her to a nice spot far away from the campsite. Then he proceeded to follow through on his promise.
* * *
Morning arrived far too soon. Valek and Yelena had returned to the warmth of the fire after he proved his remorse over his behavior. As the group ate breakfast, Yelena reviewed the plan. She and Faxon would be stationed in the treetops, Hanni and Sladen on the ground right before the washout and Valek and Onora down the road far enough to come in behind the wagon once it had stopped. They expected the wagon to be escorted by eight soldiers, including two scouts traveling ahead of the team. The six of them settled into their spots a few hours before the estimated time, just in case.
* * *
Valek had never been on a stakeout with Onora before. Fascinated, he watched as she blended in with the colors of the forest. And it wasn’t due to her clothing. Yes, she wore earth tones, but if he had glanced away and looked back at her position, he would have thought she’d moved to another location. Janco had mentioned this to him before, but Valek had assumed it was just Janco’s tendency to exaggerate.
Had Onora used magic? Without his immunity, he could no longer detect when it was in use, but...
Remembering his conversation with Yelena, Valek lowered his mental shield. The blanket of power pressed down on him. He drew a thin thread and reached for Onora with his senses. Her surface thoughts focused on the ambush. Onora reviewed the plan and listed what could go wrong. For each unexpected contingency, she calculated a way to counter it. Smart.
However, he didn’t detect any magic being used. Either he didn’t have that ability, or she wasn’t using any at this time. Perhaps she used magic to go camouflage and didn’t need any more power to sustain it. He pushed his senses further, stretching them toward Yelena’s location on the limb above the road. She squirmed into a more comfortable position and hoped the ambush would work. Worry for Esau, Mara and Leif occupied her thoughts. No surprise. It didn’t take long for the baby to yank on Valek’s power, draining it.
Valek broke the connection. Drawing another strand of power, he aimed it at the road, seeking the scouts. They would be traveling about fifteen to thirty minutes ahead of the wagon. Their job was to flush out any ambushes or spot trouble before the slower and more vulnerable wagon arrived. Nothing.
Saving his strength for the fight, Valek raised his mental shield, once again blocking the power. He tried to meet Onora’s gaze, but without his magic, she’d disappeared.
“What’s wrong?” the tree asked in her whisper.
“Do you do that on purpose?” he asked.
“Do what?”
He gestured. “Blend in. Disappear.”
“I’m right here. What are you talking about?”
“Your ability to match your surroundings so well that I can’t see you anymore.”
Silence. She probably thought he was insane.
“Look at your hands,” he said.
“They’re hands.”
So she was immune to her own talent. He changed tactics. “You must have realized by this point just how well you can hide.”
“Janco said something about it, but I thought...”
“He was just being Janco, spouting out a plethora of theories, rants and comments, so you have no idea if he’s being silly or serious or if the man’s a genius?”