The Study of Poisons, page 15
Valek grinned and drew his cloud-kissed dagger. Time to test his new baby out. He loved knife fighting. Something about being close to his opponent, punching and blocking. It was similar to hand-to-hand combat but with an added degree of danger. The sharp blade acted as an extension of his hand. Or hands if anyone picked two blades for the challenge. So far, no one ever had. Pity.
The man had no idea how to fight with a knife. Valek unarmed him in two moves. He glanced around at the crowd and spotted Yelena watching. She stood next to Ari and Janco. And for some reason, he straightened.
He called for one final challenger and a tall woman with long blond hair twisted into a braid, stepped up. She held a bo staff. An unusual weapon. The five-foot-long staff of wood was an inch in diameter and slightly tapered at each end. It wasn’t usually a killing weapon, but rather used to knock an opponent down or unconscious. But it could kill if the wielder knew what they were doing.
Valek picked up one of the bo staffs used for training. He rubbed his hands along the grain, then held it in the ready position in front of his body. The blond attacked with a hard and fast swing toward his temple, he blocked and countered. She ducked and executed a series of strikes to his ribs, each one faster than the last. He kept pace, admiring her skills.
She had what Hedda had claimed were not emotions—determination, persistence, concentration, focus, and drive.
The match lengthened and Valek tested her techniques. She moved the bo with accuracy and power but kept repeating the same attack combinations. And appeared a bit flustered when he mixed up his volleys. When he poured on the speed, she back peddled, holding her bo parallel to the ground—a basic defensive move and not effective. The bo was also too far away from her body when she tried to create more space between them.
Valek swung his bo around in an unconventional move and slammed the tip of it right on the mid-point of hers. The force of the blow cracked her bo in two pieces. Match over.
The soldier stared at her broken bo a moment before conceding the fight. She shook his hand. “Thank you for the opportunity.”
“You have potential, Lieutenant…”
“Maren, sir.”
“Are you hoping to be invited to my corps?”
“No, sir.”
“Looking to become my second, then?”
“No, sir.”
Now she had his full attention. “Then why challenge me?”
“Bragging rights, sir.”
He laughed. “Keep training, put in the work, and you might be the best fighter with the bo staff in Ixia.”
“May I speak frankly, sir?”
“Of course.”
“You have it wrong. It’s not that I might be, but that I will be the best bo fighter in Ixia.”
“I stand corrected.”
Valek’s muscles ached after the seven…nine matches. He was about to return to the castle when he noticed Yelena was still with Ari and Janco. They stood together in the training yard. It didn’t take him long to figure out they were teaching her basic punches and kicks.
Curious, he leaned on the fence and watched. Compared to the two men, she resembled a delicate flower growing between two thick sunflowers. Yet she moved with an athletic grace and obvious strength as her punches into the training bag rocked Janco back on his heels. Of course, she couldn’t move Ari. Not even with her kicks. Valek doubted he could move Ari. A horse might even have a difficult time knocking the man off his solid fighting stance.
When they finished the session, Yelena headed toward the castle. Wishing to talk to her, Valek hurried to catch up.
“See you in the morning,” Janco called, sounding gleeful.
She turned and froze when she saw Valek.
“Your punches are slow,” he said, breaking the sudden awkwardness. He took her hand and ignored the flutter in his chest as he examined her knuckles. They were bruised in the correct places. “At least your technique is good. If you hold weights in your hands while you train, your punches will be much quicker without them.”
“I can continue?” she asked. Her tone was full of disbelief as she stared at him.
Even though Valek and the Commander wished to make her a part of the team, she still considered herself a prisoner. Because a prisoner would never be allowed to learn how to fight. He hoped allowing her to train would help her realize what they were trying to do.
Reluctant to let go of her hand, he said, “I think it’s an excellent idea. How did you get the power twins to agree to teach you?”
“Power twins?”
“Combine Ari’s strength with Janco’s speed, and they would be unbeatable. But, so far, I haven’t had to test my theory since they haven’t tried to fight me together. No one said I couldn’t have more than one second-in-command. You’re not going to give me away, are you?”
“No.”
Valek squeezed her hand and released his grip. “Good. They’re probably the best instructors at the castle. How did you meet them?” he asked, feigning ignorance.
“They were the men who found me in the forest. The Commander promoted them, and I took advantage of their gratitude.” She absently rubbed her hand.
“Opportunistic and underhanded, I love it.” Valek laughed despite worrying that he’d upset her by holding her hand too long.
As they walked toward the castle, he noticed a few hostile glares aimed at Yelena. When they reached the entrance, he stopped. “There’s one problem.”
“What?”
“You shouldn’t train so visibly. Word spreads quickly. If Brazell finds out and makes a fuss, the Commander will order you to stop. And it’ll make the Commander suspicious.” More like paranoid. The man had just agreed to consider Yelena a team member. To find out she was training already…too much too soon.
They entered the castle, and it gave Valek an idea.
“Why don’t you make use of all those empty storerooms in the lower level of the castle? You can still run laps in the morning for exercise,” Valek said, guessing Ari and Janco would include it as part of her training.
Her wince confirmed he’d guessed right. He hid his grin. Not many people enjoyed running, but they appreciated it later when they found they had the stamina to fight an opponent. Or outrun a pursuer.
They walked through the castle in companionable silence. Valek remembered why he’d rushed to catch up to her. “Mentioning Brazell reminds me that I’ve been wanting to ask you about that Criollo that the Commander enjoys. Do you like the taste of it?”
“Yes, it’s an excellent dessert.”
“If you stopped eating it, how would you feel?”
“Well…” She hesitated. No doubt wondering about the strange direction of their conversation.
“Truthfully, I would be disappointed. I look forward to eating a piece every morning,” she said.
That was significant. “Have you ever craved the Criollo?” Valek inquired.
“Like an addiction?”
Impressed she made the connection so fast, he nodded.
“I don’t think so, but…”
“But what?”
“I only eat it once a day. The Commander has a piece after every meal, including his evening snack. Why this sudden concern?” she asked.
“Just a feeling. It might be nothing.” Valek hoped.
They entered the Commander’s office in time for Yelena to taste his dinner.
“Well, Valek, any new promotions?” the Commander asked.
How did he know? Then Valek realized he still wore his training uniform. “No. But Maren shows promise. Unfortunately, she doesn’t want to be in my corps or even be my second. She just wants to beat me.” Valek grinned, delighted by the challenge.
“And can she?” the Commander inquired.
“With time and the proper training. She’s deadly with her bo; it’s just her tactics that need work.”
“Then what do we do with her?”
“Promote her to a general and retire some of those old windbags. We could use some fresh blood in the upper ranks,” Valek said.
“Valek, you never had a good grasp of military structure.”
“Then promote her to lieutenant today, captain tomorrow, major the next day, colonel the day after, and general the day after that.” What he never had a good grasp on was why it took so bloody long for a talented soldier to climb through the ranks.
“I’ll take it under advisement.” The Commander flashed Yelena an annoyed glance. “Anything else?” he asked Valek.
Yelena had finished tasting, Valek grabbed her arm before she could leave. “I’d like to try an experiment. I want Yelena to taste the Criollo every time you do for a week, then the next week I’ll taste it for you. I want to see if anything happens to her when she stops eating the dessert.”
“No.” The Commander raised a hand when Valek started to argue. “I recognize your concern, but I think it’s misplaced.”
“Humor me.”
“We can try your experiment once Rand duplicates the recipe from General Brazell. Acceptable?”
No, but it was progress. “Yes, sir.”
“Good. I want you to join me in a meeting with General Kitvivan. We’re just starting the cooling season, and he’s already worried about snow cats.” The Commander turned. “Yelena, you’re dismissed.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, rushing from the room.
“What the hell was that about, Valek?” The Commander demanded once she was gone.
“I’m just being cautious.”
“You practically accused me of being addicted to Criollo in front of Yelena. It couldn’t wait until tonight?”
“She’s eating it, too. And I thought having another perspective might help. And she might pick up—”
“And you call me paranoid. It’s just a dessert, Valek. I’m experiencing no ill effects. If I do, I’ll stop eating it. Let it go for now.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. The meeting with Kitvivan starts in an hour.”
Valek had just enough time to bathe and change before joining the Commander in the war room. General Kitvivan entered with his retinue. The meeting started, but Valek soon grew bored, and his thoughts turned to the puzzles he needed to solve. He created a mental to-do list.
The Commander’s sharp tone caught his attention. “You will not set traps for the snow cats. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” General Kitvivan said through clenched teeth.
“Just leave them alone and they’ll leave your district alone.”
“But they don’t. They kill a dozen cattle a year.”
“And storms kill another dozen. It’s all part of living near the Northern Ice Pack. If you can’t handle it, then I will assign another to take your place.”
Valek studied the Commander. Normally, he wouldn’t be so…passionate about the snow cats in public. It was well known that the Commander was the only person in Ixia to successfully hunt and kill one of the big wily cats. What wasn’t public knowledge was the Commander’s high regard for the creatures.
“I can handle it,” Kitvivan said tightly.
“Good. Now do you have any real business left to discuss?” the Commander asked in a dangerous tone. One that warned the general not to waste anymore of his time. Kitvivan wisely ended the meeting and made a quick exit.
The Commander caught Valek’s eye. “What?”
“Do you want me to assign an agent to ensure the general doesn’t set traps?” Valek asked.
“You don’t think he’ll follow my orders?” His tone rumbled dangerously.
Valek chose his words with care. “I think MD-1 is far enough from here that word probably won’t get back to us if he sets the traps. Those cats can be a menace in the middle of the cold season when they’re hungry.” And you’re not quite yourself. But Valek was smart enough not to say that aloud.
“All right, assign an agent.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You’re dismissed.”
After he left the war room, Valek rubbed his chest. He had the odd impression that he’d just dodged a lethal blow.
A couple days after the meeting with Kitvivan, Valek received the report from Captain Unice. Her lieutenant had escorted the caravan to a building site. The main structure was still under construction, but there were four completed silos. From the various roasting and sifting equipment on the site, Lieutenant Mell determined that the site would eventually become a “big ass” feed factory and was legitimate.
At the end of the official report was a note from Unice, Please tell me that something, anything about this factory is illegal so I can get Mell to stop saying I told you so in a hundred different and not so subtle ways.
Valek laughed. He’d have liked to oblige her, but he’d have to wait for the report from his corps staking out the path in the Snake Forest to prove the beans and pods were from Sitia. Yelena’s research had yet to find an official designation for them, which almost verified they weren’t grown in Ixia. Even though the Commander claimed they were of southern origin, he required Valek to obtain hard evidence before he could arrest or accuse anyone. And there was a slim chance there could be a section of the forest that had been cultivated to grow them.
He received confirmation about the beans and pods three days later. The report from his field agents stated that the empty wagons from MD-5 had crossed into Sitia through a hidden pathway. And they also spotted another caravan full of those beans, heading east toward MD-5.
Considering that the factory wasn’t even in operation, Valek wondered just how much they needed to begin manufacturing. It sounded as if they were stock piling the beans.
When Valek joined the Commander for a drink that evening, he explained what he’d learned about the beans and pods.
“Should I stop the caravans and see if General Brazell squawks?” Valek asked. He sipped the blackberry brandy carefully. It wasn’t his favorite because it tasted like blackberry poison. Since the near poisoning miss with Yelena, the flavor of the liquor turned his stomach. He set it on the table next to Ambrose’s bowl of Criollo, whose presence had become as routine as their meetings.
“No. Let’s wait.”
“You want to wait?” Valek tried to hide his surprise.
“Isn’t that what you’re always nagging me to do? I thought I’d skip the argument and save time.”
“Except this time, I think we should shut it all down until we know exactly what Brazell’s producing.” They had completely switched roles and Valek didn’t know if he should be amused or concerned.
Ambrose waved away the suggestion. “We don’t even know if Brazell is aware of where the beans are coming from. One of his advisers could be in charge of ordering the ingredients.” He sat up straighter. “Besides, we haven’t confirmed their purpose. Maybe they plan to plant the beans and grow a crop in Ixia. Then it won’t be illegal anymore.” Ambrose gave him a smug smile.
Valek could argue the legality of that last comment, but all the other points were valid. Yet his gut warned it was a bad idea.
“Keep working on the investigation, Valek.”
“Yes, sir.”
Valek needed to decide if he would infiltrate the factory or reassign the two agents already working at Brazell’s manor house. He hadn’t been on a long assignment in a while, and he rather enjoyed the challenge. But the thought of leaving Yelena for an extended time made him physically ill.
He realized he’d been enjoying her company in the evenings far too much. Which was a surprise since it was all rather…domestic. They chatted about their day. Yelena discussed the progress on her research, and she asked him questions about fighting and self-defense. He sought her advice on a few personnel problems and minor investigations. How had that become the highlight of his day? This love stuff was strange.
In the end, he sent a message to the two agents to switch to working undercover in the feed factory. Another two agents were sent to follow the wagons all the way to the very source of the beans and pods. Now it was just a waiting game.
In the meantime, he kept tabs on Yelena’s training, visiting the storeroom where she worked with the power twins and Maren. He highly approved of the addition of the lieutenant. The four of them together would be a formidable team once Yelena’s skills caught up to the rest of them. And Valek fully intended for them all to become a part of his corps. But not in the traditional way. They would stay together and would work directly with him instead of reporting to Kenda. He looked forward to that day.
For the first time, he’d found his team. The Commander kept harping on him to find a second, well, he’d found four seconds. They just didn’t know it yet.
Whenever he observed their training sessions, he tried to stay out of the way. However, he couldn’t resist commenting or making a suggestion or two. And on occasion they’d ask him to spar, which he enjoyed. Very much.
Two days before the beginning of the cooling season, Valek was working in his office when Kenda entered. Sweat soaked her uniform and her hair had spung from its leather tie.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Bit of a commotion at the east gate,” she said. “A young man insisted he needed to see you. He was quite agitated and had fresh blood on his uniform. He tried to muscle past security, but they stopped him. They notified me and it took a bunch of us to subdue him.”
A growing unease swirled in his stomach. “What’s his name?”
“He didn’t say, just kept screaming that Sven sent him to find you.”
Trevar. Valek went cold. There was only one reason for Sven to send his best baiter. His agent was in trouble.
CHAPTER 12
Valek shoved his fear and worry for Sven down deep inside him and stood. “Where is he?” he asked Kenda.
“In one of the holding cells.”
“Let’s go.”
He followed her down to the level right above the dungeon. The half dozen cells in this area were for temporary inmates. It was a place for them to wait until they were either sent to a correctional facility or the Commander’s dungeon.
