“Didn’t I tell you, Ari? She’s come to say goodbye after all. And you were pouting and miserable for days,” Janco said.
Ari just rolled his eyes, and I knew if anyone was miserable it was Janco.
“Or have you decided that you can’t bear to be parted from us and are going to disguise yourself as a soldier and come back to Ixia?” Janco’s smile was hopeful.
“Beating you in a bow fight every day is really tempting, Janco.”
He scoffed. “I know your tricks now. I won’t be so easy to beat.”
“Are you sure you want me to come? I have a tendency to cause trouble.”
“That’s what I’m counting on,” Janco said. “Life has been so dull without you.”
Ari shook his massive head. “We don’t need any more trouble. The diplomatic niceties started falling apart between the Ambassador and the Sitian Council toward the end. Before we left, one of the Councilors had accused the Ambassador of bringing Valek to Sitia to assassinate the Council.”
“Not good,” I said. “The Sitians are constantly worried the Commander will want to take control of their lands. And I would be, too, knowing that Valek possessed the skills to assassinate the Councilors as well as the Master Magicians, creating enough chaos so there is little resistance to an Ixian attack.”
I shook my head, sighing. The Ixians and Sitians viewed the world so differently. They needed someone to help them understand each other. A strange feeling churned in my stomach. Fear? Excitement? Nausea? Perhaps all three; it was hard to tell.
“Speaking of Valek,” Janco said, “I take it he’s well?”
“You know Valek,” I said.
Janco nodded, grinning.
“I’d better talk to the Ambassador.” I slid off Kiki. Before I could move, Ari’s large hand grabbed my arm.
“Just make sure you say goodbye to Janco,” Ari said. “You think he’s annoying when he’s in a good mood; he’s worse when he’s in a bad mood.”
I promised Ari, but as I walked to the Ambassador’s tent, that odd feeling in the pit of my stomach became almost painful. Goodbye seemed so final.
One of the two guards outside the tent ducked inside to announce me. He came out and held the flap for me to enter. Ambassador Signe sat at a canvas table, drinking tea with Valek still dressed as Adviser Ilom. Signe dismissed him and I caught a look and the word “tonight” from Valek before he left the tent.
Bypassing the pleasantries, Signe asked, “Have you decided if you’re going to visit us?”
I took the Commander Ambrose’s order of execution from my pack. My hand trembled slightly and I took a breath to steady my nerves. “With this unfortunate clash of opinions between Ixia and Sitia, I believe you both will need a liaison. A neutral party who knows both countries and can facilitate negotiations, assisting them in understanding each other better.” Meaning I wouldn’t spy for Ixia, but I offered to help. I handed Signe the order. The Commander must decide what to do with it.
And there he stood in Signe’s uniform, studying me with his powerful gold eyes. I blinked several times. The transformation from Signe to Commander Ambrose was so complete that I could only see a faint resemblance to the Ambassador in his face.
The Commander rolled up the execution order and tapped it on his palm as his gaze grew distant. Considering all the options, I thought, he never made a hasty decision.
“A valid point,” he said.
He stood and paced the small area. I saw a bedroll on the floor behind him and a lantern. The tent and table appeared to be his only luxuries.
Commander Ambrose stopped then tore my execution order into small pieces, sprinkling them onto the ground. Turning, he held out his hand to me. “Agreed, Liaison Yelena.”
“Liaison Yelena Zaltana,” I corrected as we shook hands.
We discussed the Commander’s plans for Ixia and how he wanted to expand trade with Sitia. He insisted I finish my magical training before becoming the official liaison. Before I left, I witnessed Ambassador Signe’s return. It was then that I felt, for a brief moment, that two souls resided within one body. That would explain why he had been so successful at keeping his secret.
I mulled over the interesting idea to keep my mind off the startling fact that I was going to return to the Keep. The Ambassador’s retinue finished packing. I told Ari and Janco that I would see them again.
“Next time, your ass is mine,” Janco sang.
“Keep your skills sharp,” Ari ordered.
“It was bad enough having two mothers, now I have two fathers,” I teased.
“Send word if you need us,” Ari said.
“Yes, sir.”
I headed south as the Ixians traveled north. Pulling a thread of magic, I projected my awareness. One of the Sitian spies followed me in hopes that I would meet up with Valek. I sent the man a confusing array of images until he lost all sense of what he was supposed to do.
Remembering Valek’s promise, I didn’t travel too far. I found an empty wooded area between two farms and set up a small campsite. As the sunlight faded, I projected my awareness into the surrounding woods. A few bats began to wake and a couple rabbits crept through the underbrush. All was quiet except for the steady approach of Cahil and his men.
He didn’t try to mask his movements. Bold and cocky, Cahil left his men guarding the edge of the wood while he continued toward me. I sighed, more annoyed than scared, and reached for my bow.