Dawn Study (Soulfinders #3)(118)

“I’ve heard that before. And it wasn’t true then, either.”

“Is that so?” Owen jerked the door to Valek’s cell open. “It’s not even locked. Go on, then. Escape.”

Unbelievable. Owen had just given him an unexpected gift. Valek strode up to the opening but jerked to a stop just shy of breaking the threshold. While Owen and Tyen delighted in the action, Valek signaled Maren. If she wasn’t on board, Valek was done. Maren, however, didn’t react at all.

“You’re a relic,” Owen said. “Your weakness is well known, and any magician who can erect a null shield can beat you. Considering your immunity served you so well all these years, it’s ironic, isn’t it?”

Valek dropped his shoulders a bit. “I’m well aware of the irony.”

“Good. You have lots to think about before I return to escort you to the pyre.”

Owen turned to leave.

“I do have one question,” Valek said.

The magician paused. “Yes?”

“Any last words?” Valek moved. He stepped through the door, grabbed Owen’s short sword and stabbed it deep into the man’s stomach. Hot blood gushed over his hands, adding to the satisfaction of seeing the shocked expression on Owen’s face.

Maren had a knife on Tyen, but she yelled as the man’s magic slammed her into a wall. She crumpled to the ground in a heap as the weapon clattered to the floor. Tyen gestured, and the knife flew at Valek.

Valek dodged the blade, but soon both daggers were sailing through the air and there wasn’t enough room to maneuver. He put his back against the wall and waited to grab the weapons when they came close, risking a nasty slice. However, once Tyen caught on to his plan, the man just pinned Valek in place with his magic. Shit.

Pulling power, Valek projected into Tyen’s mind. A strong barrier prevented Valek from getting inside.

Tyen stared at him. “Never thought you’d stoop to using blood magic, but that’s the only way to explain your magic.”

Valek didn’t bother to correct him.

“You can’t be as strong or as skilled as I am.” Tyen spun the knives in the air until their tips aimed at Valek’s throat.

“If you stop now, I’ll let you live,” Valek said.

“I’m a dead man regardless. You know that. Least I can do is take you with me.” The blades shot toward Valek.

Desperate, Valek yanked a big chunk of magic. With no time to knit a null shield, he shaped it into a spear and drove it into Tyen’s mental barrier with all his strength. It punched a hole right though, flooding Tyen’s mind with Valek’s magic.

Stop! Valek commanded. Sleep!

The man and knives dropped to the ground. Valek peeled away from the wall. The dungeon reeled under his feet as his muscles turned to goo. Collapsing to his knees, Valek scraped his remaining energy together to fumble underneath the jumpsuit. He clawed the flesh-colored putty away from a set of lock picks. He managed to toss them to Adrik before the world spun around him, sending him into a whirlwind of blackness.

*

Valek woke up in the infirmary. His wrists were cuffed to the metal bars of the bed’s headboard, and his ankles were cuffed to the footboard. He would have laughed at how utterly ridiculous it was to secure him, but he didn’t have the strength to even produce a sound. At least he wasn’t in the dungeon. Small mercies. The next time he woke, Medic Mommy tsked over him. Every single muscle in his body ached, and just the thought of moving sent him back into oblivion.

The third time he roused, he wondered if this was how a newborn felt—unable to do anything but suck liquids. He stopped counting after that. His moments of wakefulness blurred together. Maren’s visit eased his worries for her. She reported that both Tyen and Owen were dead. He wished to know how Tyen had died, but that required too much effort.

Instead, he asked, “Rika?” in a whisper.

Maren frowned. “You need to rest. As near as the medic can tell, you’re suffering from a complete, full-body exhaustion.” She stood to leave. “Was all that about the null shield just a ruse this entire time? If so, it was a pretty damn good one.”

So why did she act so unhappy? Was she upset to be left behind when everyone else had gone to Sitia?

Summoning the strength to talk, he said, “No.”

She huffed as if she didn’t believe him, then strode from the room without answering his question about Rika. Maren didn’t return, and over the next few days, Valek regained some of his vigor. Enough so that he longed to sit up and move around, but Medic Mommy also dodged his questions about why he’d been secured.

When he woke next, the Commander stood at the foot of his bed.

“Interesting scar,” he said, pointing to Valek’s bare chest.

The blanket only covered the bottom half of him. He would worry, but the altered scar was the least of his problems at the moment.

“A wedding present for Yelena,” Valek said.

“Ah, yes. I heard about that. And you’ve a baby on the way, too. Congratulations.”

Nice words, but the tone was flat and...dangerous. “Thank you.”

The Commander pulled a chair over to the bed and sat down. “I should thank you for killing that bastard, Owen.”

“Are you—”

“Yes. I’m in full control.” Fury blazed in his gaze for a moment. “Just when I start thinking that magicians aren’t all corrupt and power-hungry, along comes proof that I’m right not to trust them.”