“—we’ll come and assist you,” I finished for him.

He drew in a breath. I waited for overprotective Valek to frown at me, but instead he amended, “We’ll come. And if it’s bad, then we’ll bring the whole herd with us.”

“Herd?” Gerik asked.

Onora smiled in relief, and the color returned to her face. “He means his family and friends.”

“Our family and friends.” I corrected her. “You and Gerik are now part of the herd.”

Shocked, Onora glanced at Valek. “We are?”

“Yes. The horses have named you Smoke Girl, but I don’t know Gerik’s horse name yet.”

“Thanks.” Another smile, this one with genuine warmth. She then asked Valek for advice on how to make the transition from his leadership to hers go smoothly.

He suggested she rely on Maren for guidance. “She’s had years of experience, and my agents trust her. They’ll trust you, too, once you’ve proven that you can handle difficult situations. Don’t try to be their friend. Ask their opinions, listen to them, but once you’ve decided on a course of action, don’t let them change your mind. Never show them you’re uncertain. Issue orders with confidence, despite how you feel.”

“Is that what you do?” I asked.

“Not at all.”

“Uh-huh.”

He flashed me a grin.

“Anything else?” Onora asked.

Valek sobered. “When you return to Ixia, you’ll have a chance to show everyone what type of leader you’ll be by how you deal with Captain Timmer.”

She stiffened. I didn’t blame her. Timmer had sexually abused her when she’d been a young solider in his unit.

“I thought the Commander...” Onora swiped a hand along her throat.

“He’s waiting to see if you’d like to execute the captain yourself or if you want him publicly hanged. Or...if you wish to spare the man’s life. What you decide will send a message to everyone in Ixia.”

“No pressure,” she muttered.

I grasped her hand. “You’re protecting the citizens of Ixia now. They’re in your care. Keep that in mind, and you’ll do fine.”

She hugged me. Or at least, she tried. Her arms weren’t as long as Valek’s. We laughed.

“Take care of the baby,” Onora said. “If you need some extra protection or a dozen babyguards, just let me know.”

I mock-groaned. “A dozen babyguards? Don’t you start. I get enough of that overprotective nonsense from him.” I jabbed my thumb in Valek’s direction.

She gave me a smug Janco smile. “Too late.”

“Go.” I shooed her out the door.

Gerik shook our hands before following her.

After they left, I glanced at Valek. “What happened with the Commander?”

“I’ll tell you on the way.”

“To where?”

“To fetch Onyx.”

* * *

We set off that afternoon. Valek borrowed a horse from the council’s stables and I rode Kiki, who kept her gait as smooth as possible so I didn’t go into premature labor. During the two-day ride to the farm where Valek had left Onyx, he filled me in on his adventures in Ixia. When he told me about the Commander’s orders to execute him and still proceed with the invasion, I focused on the fact that Valek had survived and was with me. Otherwise, I’d plot a way to punch the Commander. Hard.

But then his next comment about being poisoned with the Harman sap turned my desire to punch the man into wanting to stab him.

“I hid the vial of my blood in Onyx’s saddle,” Valek said. “I’m...surprised that I’m anxious to find it. I never wished for magic, but once it was gone...”

“I understand completely.”

“I know, love. There’s still hope for you, as well.”

However, there was no guarantee for either of us. Valek finished his story, and I mulled over the Commander’s request to free his mother’s soul. “If I can, I’ll help him, but I can’t promise not to punch him afterward.”

Valek chuckled, but then he sobered. “If I do recover my magic, we shouldn’t tell the Commander.”

“He’ll eventually learn about it. Plus, then he won’t bother using the Harman sap on anyone.”

“That’s true. Of course, there’s always the chance he’ll find another way to neutralize magicians.”

“Or someone else might discover a way. There’s always going to be another problem to solve. We’ll just have to tackle it when the time comes.”

“We? I’m retired, love.”

I stared at him. “You’d let someone else solve the problem?”

“I already have. Onora has my job.”

“What about Sitia?”

“I’ll help for now, but Teegan, Reema, Zethan, Zohav, Heli and Fisk are all poised to take over, and I’ll be happy to let them.”

I wasn’t convinced that he could remain uninvolved. But only time would tell.

We retrieved Onyx, and Valek’s vial remained hidden in the saddle. Both of us relaxed. However, we waited until we returned to the Citadel to inject his blood back into his body. If I missed his vein, it would ruin Valek’s only chance to recover his magic.

When we arrived, we headed straight to the infirmary in the Council Hall. To our surprise and relief, Healer Hayes was back and helping at the Hall until the Keep was ready. Hayes instructed Valek to lie down on the bed while he filled a syringe with Valek’s blood.