“Then you’re not looking in the right places.”

And this from someone who was immune to magic’s effects. I’d seen firsthand the Kirakawa ritual, the blood magic, the corruption of power, the Sandseed massacre and the tormented souls. It had to stop.

Valek studied my expression. “Think about what you said to the Commander about magic.”

“I tend to agree with the Commander about how magic corrupts.”

“Then why did you mention to the Commander how magic could harness the power of a blizzard and save his people instead of discussing the possibility of using power as a weapon? If magic corrupts, then why hasn’t it corrupted you? Or Irys? Moon Man? Leif?”

“We haven’t let it corrupt us.”

“Right! You have the choice.”

“But it’s a very tempting choice. Power is addictive. It’s only a matter of time.”

“Oh yes. Sitia has been battling Warpers for ages. Though you wouldn’t know it from all the peace and prosperity hanging around.” Sarcasm dripped from Valek’s words. “Let’s see, how long ago did the magicians use blood magic? I think Moon Man told me two thousand years. Then you’re right! It’s only a matter of time. A matter of two thousand years. I’ll take those odds any day.”

“I never realized how annoying you can be.”

“You know I’m right.”

“I could prove you wrong. I can be corrupt.” It was my turn to leer.

Valek looked over at Janco and the others. They milled about a small fire, trying to appear nonchalant, but I knew they listened to every word.

“Not in front of the children, love. But I’ll hold you to that.”

The night disappeared in a hurry. We finished prepping the wagon and updating our plans to include Valek and Gale.

The others had taken Valek’s return in stride, although Janco made a comment about Valek’s lack of hair. “You ever notice how couples start to look alike?” he asked.

In a deadpan, Valek replied, “Yes. In fact, I was just thinking how much you and Topaz resemble each other. It’s uncanny.”

Ari chuckled at Janco s chagrined expression before saying, “The caravan is leaving soon. What part of the line do we want to be in?”

“Near the back, but not the last wagon,” Valek instructed. “When we’re out of sight of the gatehouse, head to the Keep.”

“Yes, sir.” Ari snapped to attention.

I stared at our small group. Marrok eyed Valek with dislike, but he had assumed the posture of a soldier waiting for orders. Leif chewed on his lip, a nervous habit. Gale’s face was bleached with fear, but she set her mouth into a determined frown. She told me her power was weak compared to a Stormdancer, but she could agitate the wind and kick up enough dust to impair the Daviians’ vision.

“We don’t know what we’ll encounter inside the Keep. Listen for instructions and follow orders even if they don’t make sense,” Valek ordered.

“Yes, sir,” everyone said in unison, including Gale.

Before we could get into position, I handed three of Opal’s glass animals to Leif and the other three to Gale.

“What are these for?” Leif asked.

“Keep one each, but give the rest to Moon Man, Irys, Bain and Dax if they’re still alive.” I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat. “I think I can use the animals to communicate with you when I’m in the fire world.”

Leif peered at me with sad eyes, but I turned away before he could say anything. “Come on, you first.” I gestured to the cart.

Leif, Gale and Valek hid in the three boxes at the bottom of the wagon. We put another empty crate and some genuine goods on top of them. Then I lay down inside the top crate.

When Marrok closed the lid, my heart slammed in my chest in a sudden panic. My throat closed when the rugs were piled on top. The wagon lurched. I wanted out. I felt trapped. The others could get out of their boxes through the hidden panels we had installed on the wagon’s floor. I could not. This wasn’t going to work. The Vermin would figure it out before we could reach the Keep. And then what would happen?

I drew in a few steadying breaths. We would be captured. I would be fed to the Fire Warper just like I wanted. All we would lose was the element of surprise. While helpful, I believed even with it the chances of the others living through the encounter were little to none.

My morose line of thought was not helping my state of mind. So I focused instead on the motion of the wagon. It had been a long and emotionally exhausting night. I fell asleep during the trip to the Citadel.

The sound of an unfamiliar voice roused me from sleep. We had stopped, and I gathered by the voices we were at the Citadel’s north gate. The voices came closer and a person banged on my box. I jumped, clamping my lips against a shout.

“What’s in this one?” a man asked.

“The finest silk sheets woven by the Moon Clan, sir,” the merchant replied. “Perhaps you care to purchase a set? Just feel the fabric and you’ll know your wife will be most anxious to try them out.”

The man laughed. “I’ll not be spending a month’s pay for a night with my wife. That’s why I married her.”

Their laughter trailed away as the guard questioned the merchant on his reasons for entering the Citadel. After what seemed like hours, the wagon began to move. Ari picked up the pace and I guessed we had broken off from the caravan.

When the sounds from the market reached me, the wagon slowed. Ari called out to the stand owners, giving them the sign to prepare to revolt. A network of messengers would fan out to spread the news, then remain in place to deliver the signal for action.