Dawn Study (Soulfinders #3)(54)

“We’re here,” he said.

Reema squirmed from her bag, jumped down and opened the loading bay door. He drove the wagon inside, and they closed and locked the door behind him. Only then did he allow himself to relax.

He expected Reema to be happy. Instead she frowned at the wagon. Her hands fisted on her hips.

“What’s wrong?” he asked her.

“We got away too easy.”

Easy? Not according to his burning cuts. But Valek considered. “No one followed us.”

“Are you sure? I think—”

“I know how to spot a tail.”

“Even one covered by magic?” She rubbed her face with both hands as if suddenly tired. “Ah, I forgot. You’re immune and would see right through an illusion.” Then she shot him a shrewd look. “But you needed my null shield pendant during the rescue. Why?”

Valek admired her intelligence. Her brother might be the next master-level magician, but she was well on her way to master-level spy. Deciding to trust her, he told her about his new abilities, although he knew that she’d be safer if she didn’t know. Plus limiting the amount of people who knew about his magic was a logical strategy, but Leif might have been forced to divulge the information to the Cartel while a prisoner. In that case, all bets were off.

When he finished explaining, she slapped her hand on her thigh. “I thought something was off with you! When we were in the garrison, you didn’t spark, but I didn’t have time to think about it.”

“Spark?”

“Yeah, I see a glow when magic hits a null shield.”

Interesting. “Useful.”

She shrugged. “Only lets me know who is wearing a null shield. It doesn’t really help me.”

“But it might help Teegan or Leif or even me.”

Reema perked up. “Sweet. Do you like having magic, or do you miss your immunity?”

“Right now I prefer the magic, as I was too easy to capture when I was immune.”

“Yeah, I guess my mom has to worry about that, as well.” She sobered and climbed onto the wagon to pull back the burlap bags, uncovering her father and uncle.

Remembering her earlier comment about possible followers, Valek relaxed his mental shields and drew a small thread of power. He aimed it at the surrounding area, seeking with his magic. Sure enough, he picked up two watchers cloaked in an illusion. Ah, hell.

Even if he still had his immunity, he wouldn’t have picked up on the magic if they kept their distance. Valek needed to be relatively close to a magician to feel its sticky residue. Common knowledge. However, if they knew he was no longer immune, then he needed to rely on his magic more often—something he was reluctant to do. The whole threat of flaming out put a major damper on things. Valek noted the location of the watchers and restored his mental barrier.

“When will they wake up?” Reema asked. She sat cross-legged next to Devlen, clutching his limp hand.

“Depends on how much sleeping potion they ingested.”

“Is there a potion that wakes people up?”

“There is something that prevents the effects of the potion.” He explained about the ambush to rescue Esau and Mara.

“Too bad we don’t have any of that stay-awake medicine,” she said. Reema sounded in need of a hug and reassurance.

Valek sat next to her, and she scooted closer to him. He put his arm around her small shoulders and squeezed. Reema leaned against him.

He thought of the watchers outside. “We might be able to learn more about that.”

“How?”

“You were right. We were followed.”

She jumped to her feet, shaking the wagon. “I knew it!” Then she scrunched up her face. “Did you use your magic?”

“Yup. And I need your help.”

Reema readily agreed to the plan. When she left by the main front entrance, Valek slipped out the back. He kept a light magical touch on the watchers. Otherwise he wouldn’t be able to see them. He didn’t want to risk using the null shields in case one of the men was a magician. They had taken up positions across the street.

As expected, one of them followed Reema, while the other remained in place. Once she and her invisible shadow were gone, Valek circled around. Then he pounced on the watcher who currently resembled a barrel, pressing his knife to the guy’s throat before the man could even draw a weapon. The cuts on Valek’s arm and back flared to life from the effort.

“Quiet now,” Valek whispered into his ear as he guided his captive inside the building, where he slammed his hilt into the man’s temple, knocking him unconscious.

Valek yanked off his cloak, revealing a young man. However, the cloak now blended in with the floor. A mirror illusion must have been woven into the fabric. Interesting. Who had the ability to do that? Rika Bloodgood was in Ixia with Owen. Or was she? He’d encountered two well-crafted illusions in one day.

Valek pushed those thoughts aside for now and wrapped the cloak around his shoulders. Valek hurried outside to take up the watcher’s position. A couple minutes later, Reema returned with a paper bag. She glanced up and down the street as if seeking a tail before entering the building.

Her shadow joined Valek.

“Candy run,” the man said dismissively. “I can’t believe the resistance is using children. They must be desperate. She had no clue I was following her.”