“Yes, sir.”

“Do you have any other siblings?”

“An older brother.”

“Does he have magic?”

“No, nor do our parents. We’re the only ones.”

Unlikely, but he’d go along with it for now.

* * *

They arrived at the port in Gandrel by midafternoon. Anxious to get on the road, Valek put Endre in charge. “Interrogate everyone and have the pirates processed by the security office in Gandrel. Once all the goods are distributed to the rightful owners, you and Annika are to report to the Castle to be reassigned, since your covers here have been blown.”

“Yes, sir.” Endre gave Valek what Janco would describe as the sad-puppy-dog look.

He suppressed a sigh. “Because you and Annika work so well together, I’ll find a post that needs two agents.” He’d either gotten soft, or it was just the idea of seeing Yelena soon that made him...nice. Bah.

Endre grinned. “Are you leaving now?”

“Yes. I’m taking the magicians to the Castle.”

“Are you going to visit their parents first?”

Annoyed, Valek snapped, “Why would I do that?”

“They believe their children were lost at sea. I’d think it would be a kindness to stop by and let them see their kids for a couple hours.”

A refusal pushed up Valek’s throat, but he swallowed it down. Endre was right. Valek went to collect the twins, who had remained in the Starfish as ordered. Zohav had woken. She leaned against her brother, who had his arm around her shoulders. Good. They could leave right away. He questioned them on the location of their home.

“Our family knows nothing!” Zohav cried. “They have no magic. Leave them alone.”

Her fear of him was growing tedious. “Fine. We won’t visit them, then. Guess you don’t wish to say goodbye.”

“We live up near the northern ice sheet in MD-1,” Zethan said.

Zohav yanked away and glared at her brother.

At least their home was close to the garrison. “Say goodbye to your friends. We’re leaving in ten minutes. I’ll meet you on the dock.” Valek left.

Instead of going to the dock, he stayed on deck, drew his blowpipe and a couple darts from his pocket, and leaned over the rail opposite the pier. Sure enough, the large porthole in the Captain’s quarter’s below swung open, and Zohav glanced out. Magic thickened the air around him. Then the water next to the ship flattened and hardened. Interesting.

Valek watched as Zohav then Zethan climbed from the window and stood on the flat water. Impressive. At their age, that level of control was unheard-of. The Master Magicians were going to be thrilled.

“Where are you going?” Valek asked.

Zohav gasped and clutched Zethan’s arm as he looked up at Valek. The boy’s face creased in chagrin. Valek brandished the blowpipe. “Unless you wish to drown, come up here. Now.”

Zethan said something to Zohav. She shook her head. Valek loaded a dart into the pipe and pressed the weapon to his lips. He aimed for the boy. If he shot her, they’d drown for sure. Zohav noticed the motion. She scowled at Valek. At least it was better than terror.

Then the flat water rose, lifting the siblings to the deck. Valek extended his hand and helped Zohav onto the ship as Zethan hopped down lightly next to her.

“Any more escape attempts, and I will knock both of you unconscious and transport you to the Citadel like two sacks of flour. Understand?”

“Citadel?” Zethan asked.

“Yes. I told Zohav I would escort you both there.”

“He’s lying. He’s going to take us to his Commander so he can publicly execute us.”

This was going to be a long trip. “Let’s go. I want to reach the garrison before dark.”

Valek stayed a step behind the siblings. They glanced at him from time to time, but kept quiet. They didn’t arrive at MD-1’s garrison until well after supper.

Colonel Ransley welcomed him back with a hot meal and an offer to give the siblings their own rooms.

“No, thank you, they stay with me,” Valek said. Then he filled him in on how the Storm Thieves were apprehended, but didn’t mention Zethan’s and Zohav’s magic.

“We haven’t had a problem with pirates in decades,” Ransley said. “No wonder the coastal security forces had a difficult time locating them.”

Exhausted from staying up two nights with little sleep, Valek declined drinks with the Colonel. “We’re leaving early in the morning. Let the stable boys know I’ll need Onyx and another horse saddled and ready to go.”

“Yes, sir.”

In the large guest quarters, Valek dragged one of the four beds over to the door, blocking it. “I’m a very light sleeper,” he warned the twins. “Sounds, movement or magic will wake me.” Valek drew two daggers, one for each hand, and stretched out on the bed. “I’d suggest you get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.”

As he closed his eyes, he wondered if Yelena waited for him at the rendezvous location. Valek calculated how long it would take them to reach it, including the fact that the twins would slow him down. Ten days if he was being optimistic, twelve if he wasn’t.

A whispered argument woke him in the middle of the night.

“...not being nice. You’re putting our family at risk, Zee.”

“Don’t you want to see Mother, Father and Zeb? When we were captured by Jibben, I thought I’d never see any of them again.”