“I don’t have—”

“Yes, you have friends. Janco may be annoying, but he’d drop everything in a heartbeat to help you. You have me and Gerik—who I suspect cares for you more than he lets on. And the fact Valek hasn’t killed you yet is an encouraging sign.”

She laughed. “To quote Janco, ‘I feel all warm and fuzzy inside.’” Then she sobered. “What am I to do about Timmer?”

“The fire festival is six months away, so you have time to decide. In the meantime, I suggest you visit the captain.” Before she could reply, I said, “And I think going to talk to the young women who Timmer abused after you left is a good idea, as well. Valek has their names. Make sure you get them before we leave.”

Onora gave me a mulish look, but she said, “Yes, sir.”

“Good. I want a report about your progress when I see you again.”

“I heard you’re leaving for Sitia. Does that mean you decided not to become the Commander’s Sitian Adviser?”

Interesting. Valek hadn’t trusted Onora with my real destination. I wondered who else knew besides Ari and Janco. “Yes. That shouldn’t be a surprise.”

“It isn’t.”

We shared a smile. Then I asked, “Have you noticed a change in him since we’ve arrived?”

“Yes. He’s harsher and no longer wishes to hear advice from me or his advisers. And before you ask, the Commander hasn’t confided to me about what Owen is planning.”

“Would you tell us if you knew?” I asked.

“Not if the Commander ordered me to keep quiet.”

“Fair enough. How about if you knew Owen was using magic on him? Would you tell us then?”

“If you can prove that is the case, then I would, to save the Commander.”

“Good to know. Too bad all I know is that Owen is growing those Harman saplings in the guest suite. But I have no idea why.”

“How do you know this?”

I explained about the kitchen staff. “They’re rarely wrong.”

“Would getting a branch of one of those plants help you?”

“Yes, but Valek says it’s too dangerous. They probably surrounded them with a magical barrier that would alert them if someone crosses it.”

“Do you think they’d relax once you are gone?” Onora asked.

“No. Don’t try it. It’s too dangerous. I’ll ask my father about it.”

But Onora’s contemplative expression failed to dissipate. She thanked me for the tea and my time. The guards at the main entrance weren’t pleased that she’d bypassed their security, but she ignored them.

* * *

Valek entered the suite close to noon. He carried a stack of uniforms. When I asked about his meeting with the Commander, he said, “The more I interact with him, the greater my certainty that he’s being influenced.”

“Even though the Commander has a magic detector?”

“What would happen if Owen put a null shield around it?”

Interesting. “It would no longer flash when magic was used, but it would have sparked when he pulled power to create the null shield.”

“In that case, he could just distract the Commander. Owen’s rather quick with those bloody things.” Valek frowned.

“What about the null shields woven into the Commander’s uniforms?” I asked.

“Would that protect his head, as well?”

“Yes.”

“Is the shield skintight?”

“I’m not sure. Leif has been experimenting with them. And that glass magician, Quinn, can attach one to a glass pendant.”

Valek handed me the uniforms, but seemed distracted. “What would happen if Owen touched your skin while you wore protected clothes?”

I considered. “Are you thinking that once Owen’s fingers are past the shield, he could use his magic on a person?”

“Yes. The shield blocks magic, but not physical objects.”

And magic would work inside a null shield bubble as long as the magic wasn’t directed at something outside the bubble’s walls. “He’d have to channel the power through his body and to the ends of his fingertips. Difficult to do, but not impossible. That is if the shield doesn’t go through his hand, but rather flows around it like invisible water.”

“Would Leif know?”

“If he doesn’t, it wouldn’t be hard to find out.”

Tugging his sleeve down, Valek fiddled with the cuff. “Speaking of hands, it was interesting about the illusion Rika tried to trick you with, and how you noticed her fingers didn’t match the rest. Do you think it was the physical contact that negated the magical effects?”

With everything that had happened since then, I’d forgotten about that. “If it did, then I would have been able to see her whole body under the illusion and not just her hand.”

“Unless it’s just the part that is in direct contact with you. Perhaps what’s blocking your magic will block others’, as well.”

Interesting indeed. Could there be a bright side after all? “I can experiment with that when I’m back in Sitia.” I’d love to neutralize the bastard with a touch. Thinking about Owen... “What happens after we deal with the Storm Thieves? Are we going to Sitia?”

Valek’s expression hardened. “If I leave Ixia, it will be an act of treason.”

“You said the Commander is under Owen’s influence.”