“Where do you think you’re going?” Onora asked.

“While you check the Council Hall, I’m going to visit Cahil’s headquarters. Maybe he has some information on Valek.”

“No. It’s too dangerous.”

“I’m not asking permission.” No way I’d sit here another minute.

“Cahil might not even be there.”

“Then I’ll find Phelen, see if he’s seen or heard anything.”

“What if Valek shows up before one of us returns? You know he’ll panic when no one’s here.”

“Nice try. We can leave him a ‘be back soon’ note.”

Onora muttered under her breath, but then said, “I’m coming with you.”

Not like I could stop her. “Fine.”

* * *

We looped around the Council Hall just in case Valek had stayed there to watch the traffic.

“Do you want me to go inside?” Onora asked. “See if they’ve caught him?”

I considered. Valek wasn’t easy to catch. “Not yet. If there’s no sign of him, that’ll be plan B.”

Our next stop was Cahil’s headquarters. A shudder rumbled through me when I stepped inside the abandoned warehouse. The time I’d spent here hadn’t been pleasant.

No one guarded the entrance. I followed the dust-free path through the stacks of dirty crates that littered the floor. The place smelled of grease, rusted metal and mold. When we arrived at the top of the stairs that led down to Cahil’s underground offices, we spotted a faint yellow glow. At least one person was here, probably more.

Onora pulled her daggers and slid off her boots before signaling me to follow her down the stairs. I grabbed my switchblade but didn’t trigger the blade.

The light brightened, and the murmur of a distant conversation floated on the air. By the time we reached the bottom, I recognized Hanni’s and Faxon’s voices. Onora eased into the room so quietly, they didn’t hear her.

“...going to be hard keeping silent when—” Hanni jerked to her feet with her sword in hand when I entered. Faxon followed a second after.

Guess I wasn’t as stealthy as Onora. No one moved. They blinked at us for a moment before relaxing.

Hanni sheathed her weapon. “No need to sneak up on us. We’re on the same side.”

Onora shrugged. “Habit.” She scanned the area. The room was filled with desks, and a door in the back led to Cahil’s office. “Are you alone?”

“Yes. I guess you heard about Valek.”

My pulse jumped. “No. What happened?” My tone was sharp and squeaked in panic.

“Then why—”

“What happened?” Must. Not. Shake. Her.

“Master Magician Zitora Cowan detected him near the Council Hall, and they’ve been hunting him all morning.”

I sank into a nearby chair. They didn’t have him. Yet. “Hunting?”

“Yes. General Cahil was summoned to the Hall an hour ago to help with the efforts. Master Zitora can track Valek within a few blocks, so they are setting up an ambush and plan to steer him into it.”

“Where?” Onora asked.

“The messenger said they spotted him on the roof of the third ring.”

Onora glanced at me. “Third ring?”

“It’s one of the business and factory rings that are located around the market,” I said. “Hanni, do you know his position on that ring?” Otherwise, it’d be miles of ground to cover.

“Northeast.”

Still a rather large area, but it was better than nothing. I thanked her. We dashed up the stairs. Onora snagged her boots as we crossed the warehouse.

“The intel’s an hour old,” Onora said, pausing at the door to put on her boots. No need for stealth. Not yet.

“I know, but it’s a place to start.”

When we exited the building, I took a few seconds to get my bearings. Cahil’s headquarters was in the southeast section of the fifth ring. Heading north at a quick pace—not fast enough for me, but if we were seen running, it would draw unwanted attention—we scanned the streets, alleys and rooftops as we cut through to the third ring. Once we reached the northeast section, we slowed, seeking any signs of an ambush. Trying to appear as if I wasn’t frantically searching for my husband, I resisted the urge to yell his name.

At one point, Onora leaned close to me and said, “Have you ever heard the term ‘looking for a snowflake in a blizzard’?”

“No, but there are millions of snowflakes in a blizzard.”

“Exactly.”

“That makes no sense. It’d be easy to find a—”

Onora touched my shoulder. She drew me into a side street. “There are a number of soldiers ahead. Stay here while I go check it out.”

My protest died in my throat. Valek was more important than my ego. I nodded. She left her boots with me and then disappeared. It took all my self-control not to poke my head around the corner to see where she was going.

Instead, I inventoried my weapons just in case I needed them. Then I compared my boots to Onora’s—hers were two sizes bigger. I paced while trying to ignore the various horrible scenarios that threatened to play out in my mind. Counting the buildings on both sides of the narrow street—there were eight—I tried to guess what type of industry went on inside them. One had to be a garment factory, judging by a delivery wagon outside full of bolts of colorful cloth. Although they could also be manufacturing bedding.