Shadow Study. Maria V. Snyder

would depend on the timing, sir.”

      “I see.” Commander Ambrose scanned the parchment.

      Valek suppressed the desire to snatch it from the man’s hand.

      “The incident happened ten days ago. Not enough time for Ben to set up the attack on Yelena.”

      “Unless his buddies planned it and all Ben had to do was show up and hide behind the null shield and wait for her,” Janco said.

      Good point, except the Commander failed to appear impressed.

      “Regardless, we will let the Sitian Council handle the investigation. After all, she was ambushed in Sitia.” The Commander gathered his files.

      “May I send a message to Yelena, warning her about Ben?” Valek asked.

      “She probably already knows, but if you feel it’s necessary, then go ahead.” He stood. “I expect daily reports on your progress regarding the smuggling routes.” The Commander paused. “Valek, stop by my rooms later tonight.”

      “Yes, sir.”

      He nodded and left the war room.

      Valek stared at the door, wondering why the Commander made a point to order him to visit his rooms. It had been their routine since the takeover to touch base before bed. Valek and the Commander had spent many late nights together discussing strategy and talking through problems, seeking solutions.

      Perhaps the Commander thought Valek would skip tonight due to all the work that no doubt piled up while he’d been in Sitia. The stack of reports wasn’t nearly as concerning as Commander Ambrose’s indifference over Ben’s rescue, which was the opposite of Valek’s reaction. Usually they were in sync and the Commander shared all his information. But he hadn’t let Valek see that letter, which made him suspect the Commander had lied or hidden something. Why?

      If Yelena had been assassinated, the relationship between Ixia and Sitia would be affected. Probably not enough to cause a war, but it would further strain an already uneasy truce. While Valek agreed the new smuggling routes needed to be discovered, the impact of black-market goods on Ixia was minor in comparison.

      Perhaps the Commander wished to sever relations with Sitia and he planned to confer with Valek about it tonight.

      “You know, the Commander didn’t specify which messenger you could send to warn Yelena,” Janco said.

      Valek waited.

      “We could deliver that message to her,” Ari said, catching on. “Then hang around and investigate the smuggling operation.”

      “Oh yeah. The best way to discover the new routes is to infiltrate their operations. In fact—” Janco slapped the table. “I still have a few contacts in Fulgor. They might have some leads to the smugglers.”

      Janco had worked undercover as an officer at the Wirral maximum-security prison, which was located in the city of Fulgor in the Moon Clan’s lands.

      “I thought you were looking forward to being in Ixia and away from all that ‘magical muckety-muck,’” Valek quoted.

      Janco pished. “Discovering the smugglers is more important.”

      True. However, rushing off into the unknown never sat well with him. He preferred to gather information, collect data, observe and then infiltrate before making an arrest. Yelena had her magic, and she’d promised to return to the Magician’s Keep after he’d left. No doubt the Masters would inform her of Ben Moon’s status and ensure that she’d be well protected.

      Anger flared for a moment. He should have killed Ben right away. Valek had slipped inside Wirral once before to tie up a few loose ends. And Ben Moon was definitely a loose end. Too bad Ben hadn’t been caught in Ixia like his brother. Owen had attempted to steal the Ice Moon from a diamond mine in Ixia, coercing Yelena to help him by kidnapping Leif. A smart and powerful magician, Owen had almost succeeded, but was outsmarted and executed four years ago. Ben blamed Yelena and, a year later, had tried to cut her throat.

      Valek considered. Despite the Commander’s orders, he didn’t plan to leave it to the Sitian authorities.

      “Before we do anything, I’ll check with my network in Sitia,” Valek said. “One of ours may already have eyes on Ben and his cohorts. Same with the new smuggling routes.”

      “What do you want us to do in the meantime?” Ari asked.

      “Go shopping.”

      “Shopping?” Janco perked up. “I could use a new dagger and a short sword and a set of sais. I’ve been drooling for a pair since Opal—”

      “Not that kind of shopping, you dolt,” Ari said. “He wants us to shop for black-market goods.”

      “Correct. And see if you can...persuade the sellers into revealing their sources.”

      “Yes, sir. We’ll go first thing in the morning.” Ari stood.

      Janco groaned. “What’s wrong with going in the afternoon? We’ll avoid the crowds and I can catch up on my sleep and it’s warmer.”

      Ari ignored his partner and headed for the door.

      Janco trailed after. “I’ve been working undercover for the past two years. It’s hard to rest when you might wake up to a knife at your throat. I should visit my mother. I haven’t seen her in—”

      The door closed on Janco’s prattle. He might be annoying and have a short attention span, but he could be counted on when a situation turned serious. Then he was focused and deadly with his sword.

      Valek sat a moment longer, savoring the quiet. He needed to review the piles of reports that waited for him on his desk so he could prepare for his meeting tonight. The Commander’s stiff manner during supper warned him it wouldn’t be pleasant.

      * * *

      As expected, stacks of files filled every square inch of his desk. Although Maren had kept his office clean of dust while he’d been in Sitia for most of the past year, the room smelled musty and a stuffiness pressed against his skin. Valek wove through the piles of books and heaps of stones that littered the floor, lit the lanterns and candles ringing his desk, opened the window a crack and settled in his chair.

      Maren had been in charge during his absence. Again he wondered what mission she’d been assigned and how long she’d been gone. Perhaps he’d find out tonight. Practical as always, Maren had organized the reports into three categories—general updates, important and action required. Notes written in her loopy handwriting accompanied each one. Handy, it would make it easier, but still time-consuming since the reports from his network of spies had been written in code that had to be deciphered.

      Sneaking into Wirral and helping the Bloodrose Clan win their freedom was more appealing than sifting through all the files. However, years of experience had taught Valek that golden nuggets of information resided within these piles. He’d just have to dig through them one at a time.

      Hours later, a light knocking on his door jolted him from a detailed description of the Hunecker quarry operations in MD-4.

      “Yes?” he called, grasping the handle of his sword with his right hand and palming a dagger with his left.

      A guard entered slowly.

      Smart man.

      “Commander Ambrose has retired for the evening, sir.”

      Valek studied the man’s face, committing the guard’s features to memory. “Thank you...?”

      He straightened. “Sergeant Gerik, sir.”

      “You’re new. How long have you been with the Commander’s security detail?”

      “Three seasons, sir. I was assigned by Adviser Maren.”

      Ah. “Has anyone else been promoted in my absence?”

      “No,