Ice Study Read online

  Owen eased from the warmth of the fire, leaning back on an elbow. “Have you ever wondered why diamonds can hold magic?”

  “No.”

  “Me either. But my ancestor made it his life’s work. In his laboratory near the Soul Mountains, he experimented with a number of different colors, sizes and cuts of diamonds, measuring the amount of magic each diamond could hold. He discovered that bigger diamonds trap more power.” Owen held up a hand, indicating patience. “Yes, it’s textbook. What’s not well known is that the amount isn’t linear. A diamond twice as big as another doesn’t hold twice as much power, but four times as much. The quantity of magic stored increases exponentially.”

  “Interesting. However the power blanket covers the entire world. In order for one diamond to adsorb that much energy, it would—”

  “Need to weigh approximately 1666 carats,” Owen said. “Roughly the size of the biggest blue diamond ever found. Otherwise known as the Ice Moon.”

  I considered. “Even if it is big enough, a magician still has to draw the magic. No one is strong enough to pull it all.”

  “And therein lies the beauty of the Ice Moon. My great-great-grandfather cut the stone. Ellis aligned the facets in such a way that all a magician has to do is start filling the diamond. After that, the Ice Moon does the rest of the work, until there is no more power left. As I said before, he was a genius.”

  Insane would be my preferred word choice. “But you said there was no danger if they had used the Ice Moon. Ridding the world of magic would be considered a catastrophe.”

  “In the hands of a weaker magician, yes. But Ellis could have stopped the power drain once Stefton had been neutralized.”

  Sounded a bit dodgy to me. “What would have happened to the charged Ice Moon? That’s a ton of magic accessible in one place.”

  “The Master Magicians would have shared it, of course.” Owen acted as if my question offended him.

  I pressed on anyway. “If this is all true, then keeping the Ice Moon in Ixia would be the safest action.”

  “Until the Commander touches it, triggering the draw.”

  “But the Commander doesn’t…” Except the Commander did have magical powers. Well, sort of. It was complicated. And how did Owen know?

  Owen smirked. “Care to try that again?”

  I suppressed the urge to wipe the smug expression off his face by grabbing his soul. But he held both Leif’s and Valek’s lives in his hands. Every day, he showed me an image of them. Every day, my heart twisted with worry, and the chance of outsmarting Owen grew dimmer.

  “How do you know about the Commander?” I asked.

  “I had the pleasure of meeting him when he visited after the Daviian mess. One handshake with him revealed the depth of his souls.”

  His audacity had no limit. “You not only broke protocol, but also the ethical code and plain moral decency by reading his thoughts with your magic!”

  Owen shrugged. “Despite the treaties and your bogus liaison duties, the Commander is an enemy of Sitia and should be treated as such.”

  “That’s not your…” I shut my mouth. Nothing I could say would alter his opinion. Actions would be a better incentive. Unfortunately, until Leif and Valek were safe, my hands were tied.

  I shivered through the night in the cold shelter. Gray clouds obscured the sky, and the scent of damp earth rode the breeze. I cursed under my breath. The cold season would arrive in a few days, along with a storm. We could get either snow or sleet or rain, or a combinations of all three. Yippee. At least the weather matched my mood.

  Owen set a fast pace through MD-4. As expected, a messy mix of precipitation arrived during our fourth day in General Tesso’s Military District. The nasty weather proved to be beneficial for Owen and his men. No one stopped to question us. In fact, we didn’t see a single person for the next two days, and spotted only a few people after the storm passed.

  My anxiety increased with every mile. Valek had seemed confident he would escape, but Owen’s connection with his men indicated that he was still being held prisoner. He looked miserable and pissed off, but he hadn’t tried to signal me again. Which worried me along with the lack of Ixian soldiers over the last few days. I didn’t know what I’d do once we reached the mine if I didn’t have reinforcements.

  Actually, I knew I couldn’t let Owen get his hands on the Ice Moon, but I had been hoping not to sacrifice Valek and Leif in the process.

  When we reached the border of MD-3 ten days after crossing into MD-4, the guards let us through with hardly a glance at our papers. And to make matters worse, I didn’t recognize any of the men on patrol. A small…well, a huge part of me wished to see a familiar face or two.

  No luck. Except for Owen. He was quite pleased with our progress, and we arrived near Mine 3-13 twenty-four days after we had left Sitia.

  The large entrance, or rather the big hole disappearing under the foothills of the Soul Mountains, was guarded. Owen and I watched the two teams of four soldiers as they took turns manning the entrance. We quickly discovered that the mine had been abandoned. No miners pushed wheelbarrows of rocks from the mine. No horses pulled wagons. Only the guards remained, patrolling and living in a small building nearby.

  I wondered why the Commander hadn’t just sealed this entrance. There was a labyrinth of connecting tunnels under the mountains, and I was sure there was more than one way to get to the Ice Moon.

  Owen felt confident that the six of us could handle eight Ixian guards. He wanted to attack during the next shift change. Then I would use my magic to discover the location of the Ice Moon. He didn’t want to wait until his men were well rested, wanting to surprise the guards. He acted as if time was an issue.

  At least he was right about overwhelming the guards. After a short skirmish, we disarmed the eight soldiers. I made a show of reading their minds. However, I had no intention of learning the location of the Ice Moon. I would lead Owen and the others around the shafts until I could pick them off one by one.

  Perhaps then I could use Owen’s glass animal to contact the authorities in Fulgor. Hopefully they could mount a search for Valek and Leif before Owen’s collaborators could kill them.

  Dread pulled at me as I entered the mine. Owen lit a handful of torches, and they illuminated a large cavern with abandoned equipment scattered on the floor and stacked in the corners. He fussed over my slow pace, but in the end, it didn’t matter.

  I continued down the main shaft. In the middle of the next cavern, the Ice Moon sat on top of a squat stalagmite, glittering with a bright blue, brilliant inner fire.

  I stared at the Ice Moon in amazement. There had been no attempt to hide it or protect it, other than the eight guards outside the mine. Would the Commander really be that stupid?

  Owen and his four men fanned out behind me. They drew their swords. I didn’t blame them. This smelled like a trap. Heck, it reeked.

  We waited for the ambush, but nothing happened. They searched all the dark corners, adjoining caverns and tunnels. Nothing. However, they failed to check the ceiling for spiders. I wasn’t about to do anything, magical or otherwise. to tip them off. Besides, the way my luck had been going, there would be nothing up there but real spiders.

  Eventually, Owen laughed. The sound echoed off the black walls. “Your Commander has lost his touch.” He strode to the Ice Moon.

  I couldn’t let him pick it up. Even with the stone walls surrounding us, it would be too dangerous. Moving to follow, I stopped as Owen’s men rushed to get between me and their boss. Their swords aimed at my middle. I reached with my magic to find another barrier, but a null shield protected them. Owen must have trained the men on what to do when we reached the blue diamond.

  Owen’s face glowed with a greedy victory as he peered at the Ice Moon. I yanked a few Curare-filled darts from the lining in the pocket of my cloak—another useful and practical gift from Valek. In one quick motion, I placed a dart in one man’s neck before they caught on.

  “
She’s armed!” one yelled, diving for the floor. The others scattered.

  Before I aimed another, Owen’s magic heated the darts to red-hot in my hand. I dropped them, then attacked with my magic. But he had anticipated my next move and, once again, blocked me with a null shield. The men quickly reformed, and I was back almost where I’d started.

  At least I had managed to disable one. Four more to go. My cloak held a few other weapons, but a knife against one sword never worked out well for me. Three were well beyond my skill set.

  Owen shook his head. “You would sacrifice your bother and heart mate to keep me from obtaining what is rightfully mine?”

  “Obviously.” Frustration and fear twisted tight inside me. “You’ve claimed you want to keep the power blanket safe from the Commander, but I don’t need to read your soul to know you just desire all the world’s magic for yourself.” And would trap millions of peaceful souls. “That I cannot allow.”

  “Too bad you’ve no recourse to stop me,” he said, turning back to the diamond.

  Time for desperate measures. “Come on, Owen. Do you really think obtaining the Ice Moon would be this easy?”

  He paused, but didn’t look at me.

  “You missed a critical defensive position.”

  “Your attempt to delay me is pathetic, Yelena.” He reached to take the Ice Moon.

  “You forgot to check the ceiling for guards. Captain Nytik, attack!”

  As expected, everyone looked up but me. I dove between two of the men. Rolling past the null shield, I raced toward Owen.

  He grabbed the Ice Moon and held it high. “Stop, or I’ll drain the world’s magic.”

  I didn’t hesitate. Launching myself at him, I hit him square in the chest. We slammed to the floor. The Ice Moon flew from his hands. It shattered against the wall, exploding into thousands of blue shards.

  That was…unexpected.

  Owen scrambled to his feet. Shock turned to fury. “That wasn’t the Ice Moon.” He seized my shoulders, digging his fingers into my flesh. “You tricked me.”

  A slow clapping sounded behind him. Owen spun, reaching for his sword.

  “Bravo,” Valek said, still clapping. He wore all black. A rope hung from the ceiling.

  Relief and joy washed through me. I suppressed the desire to crush him in a hug.

  “That was entertaining,” Valek continued. “Although Yelena didn’t trick you. That was the Commander’s doing, a long time ago.”

  Owen opened his mouth to speak, but, in one fluid motion, Valek hit him with a Curare-filled dart. As the drug paralyzed Owen’s muscles, he toppled to the ground and his men bolted from the cavern.

  When Valek didn’t move, I gestured to the exit. “Shouldn’t we—”

  “No. It’ll give Janco something to do. Otherwise he’ll whine that he waited outside all this time and didn’t have any fun.”

  “And Leif?”

  “He’s fine.”

  I wrapped my arms around Valek, squeezing him tight.

  “Easy, love.” He pulled back slightly. “You weren’t worried? You saw my signals. Right?”

  “Uh…I saw your signal that Owen is a liar, but that didn’t help.”

  “And the others? The ones where I warned you that he can lie with his mind.”

  “Uh…”

  “I guess someone needs a refresher course.”

  I snaked my hands under his shirt. “Yes, I definitely need to reacquaint myself.”

  He grinned, but gently disengaged. “Not now. Janco is waiting.”

  “How did he get involved in all this?” I asked as I followed Valek from the mine.

  Valek explained about sending a message to the castle.

  “What now? What about Owen?”

  “He won’t leave Ixia alive.”

  #

  Valek and I stopped at the Commander’s Castle before returning to Sitia to finish our interrupted vacation. The Commander invited us into his war room. I hadn’t been inside the round chamber in ages, and I soaked up the colorful sunlight. The Commander was impeccably dressed in his tailored uniform. More gray streaked his short hair since the last time I’d visited. We sat and chatted about mundane things for a while.

  “Yelena, I wanted to thank you for stopping Owen Moon,” the Commander said.

  “What about the next person who wants to find the diamond?” I asked in concern. “You don’t have the fake one anymore.”

  “I assure you the Ice Moon is in a safe and secure place.”

  I laced my fingers together. “Do you know how dangerous it is?”

  “Yes. I’m well aware of its power. That’s why it’s unreachable. Don’t worry, Yelena. Go and enjoy your time with my Security Chief. We have lots to do when he returns.” The Commander gave Valek a pointed stare before leaving the room.

  Valek jumped to his feet. “I don’t need to be told twice. Let’s go.”

  But I remained sitting.

  “What’s wrong, love?”

  “We’ve encountered so many things that are said to be impossible or unreachable, yet somehow someone always manages the impossible, and I’m sure that, eventually, someone will reach the unreachable.”

  “True.” Valek considered. “These stained glass windows are beautiful. Aren’t they?”

  Confused, I glanced over at the windows in question. “What are you talking about?”

  He gestured to one of them with a sly smile. “The colors are exquisite. Like this brilliant blue. You can see that color in all the panes. Don’t you think it adds a certain depth and power to the pattern?”

  I stood and examined the panes more closely. “Is that—?”

  “Yes. It was cut into pieces and now decorates the Commander’s war room. A fitting end, don’t you think?”

  EPILOGUE – YELENA

  Three Months Later

  The Sitian Council members filed into the great hall for their afternoon session. I’d just returned from Ixia, and Leif and I occupied a bench behind the large, U-shaped conference table that dominated the hall. The three Master Magicians sat along the bend, and the eleven Councilors, one for each Sitian clan, sat on the sides—five on the right and six on the left. A wooden podium faced the U, and behind that, rows of benches for spectators, witnesses, advisers and other citizens.

  Armed soldiers ringed the vast room. Long silk banners representing each clan hung from the ceiling and flowed down three stories to the floor. The white marble walls had slender windows that allowed in the sunlight. Overall, an impressive space.

  First Magician Bain Bloodgood pounded a gavel to start the session. The most powerful magician in Sitia, Bain was also the leader of the Council. A hush fell over the assembled crowd. Bain consulted a parchment with the day’s agenda and called the next item.

  As I waited for my turn, I projected my magic throughout the room. Not dipping into people’s thoughts, I just kept light contact, sensing emotions as I half-listened to the proceedings. I encountered various intensities of anxiety, worry and fear, as well as boredom, amusement, annoyance and curiosity. Then a smoldering anger snagged my full attention.

  Sitting in the front row, a man met my gaze. The anger ignited into full-out hatred and fury. Tall, with black hair and brown eyes, he sat between a woman and an older couple. The elder woman fretted with a handkerchief, and the man stared at nothing, appearing dazed. The family resemblance between the three left no doubt that they were Owen Moon’s parents and younger brother, Ben. They had come to the Citadel to hear my report. Unease stirred in my heart.

  I glanced at the guards, seeking the one who was really a magician in disguise. Since the Daviian Warpers had attempted a coup, all Council meetings had extra security in place. When I found the magician, I tapped on her mental barrier. She opened her mind to me.

  Man in the front row could cause trouble, I said.

  I’ll alert the others. Thanks, she said.

  I signaled Leif as well, warning him. His bruises from the kidnapping had faded, and
, aside from the extra hours of training, he’d put the entire incident behind him.

  After a couple more issues were resolved, my name was called. When I approached the podium, I strengthened my connection to Ben, since he would be behind me. But then it cut off abruptly. Ah. Guess Owen wasn’t the only one with power in his family. I relayed this information to the magician and Leif. My brother stood and inched along the walls, moving closer to me.

  “Liaison Yelena, please tell us the details of your meeting with the Commander regarding Owen Moon’s status,” Bain said.

  “I presented him with your request to extradite Owen to Sitia, so he could stand trial and be judged by the Sitian Council. I explained all the reasons Owen should be returned to Sitia, but the Commander refused your request.” I kept my tone neutral, because at this moment, I wasn’t a Sitian or an Ixian, but a bridge between the two. “The Commander wishes me to remind the Council and the magicians of Sitia that his intolerance of magic in Ixia is not negotiable. He has made it clear that any person with magic captured illegally inside the borders of Ixia will be executed.”

  “What about you?” An angry male voice demanded. “You have magic.”

  I turned. Ben Moon pointed an accusing finger at me.

  “Are you exempt because you’re the assassin’s whore?” Ben asked.

  Gasps erupted and voices murmured. Schooling my expression, I remained calm. Inside, the desire to punch him pushed up my throat.

  Bain hammered his gavel and restored order.

  “When does the Commander plan to execute Owen?” Councilor Moon asked.

  Oh, boy. This wouldn’t be pleasant. “I request a private meeting with Owen’s family before divulging that information.”

  “No,” Ben said. “Tell us now.”

  I met Bain’s gaze. He nodded his approval. Summoning my courage, I walked over to Owen’s family and crouched in front of his parents, so that we were eye level. “I’m so sorry, but the Commander has already executed your son.”