At least it wasn’t one of their clan members. Small comfort. He’d hoped his father would recognize the gardener helping Owen.

Esau spent a total of six days working in the hothouse. On the last day, he shouted for Leif, who’d been grooming Rusalka. Leif raced to join his father. Esau had leaves caught in his hair and dirt stained his forearms, forehead and knees.

“Come see what I found!” Esau grabbed his elbow and tugged him inside the hothouse. “Back here. I almost missed it.”

Leif crouched down to avoid being smacked in the face by a branch. Near the back right corner, Esau pulled him to his hands and knees, and they crawled the rest of the way.

Esau stabbed a finger at a Theobroma tree. “See that?”

“Yes. So?”

His father pointed to what appeared to be a large knot on the lower trunk “Look! This is where another Theobroma tree has been grafted onto this tree.”

“Okay. What’s so special about that?”

Esau huffed. “It means that this second tree doesn’t need as much time to mature as the first one because the roots and trunk are already established.” When Leif failed to produce an appropriate reaction, he continued, “It means that instead of waiting three to five years for the Theobroma tree to mature and produce pods, it will grow pods in just a year.”

Wow. That meant... “And will double the number of trees growing pods?” Leif asked.

“Exactly!”

“Increasing the production of Theobroma is what the Council has asked Bavol to accomplish.”

“Then message Bavol and tell him to come here. He needs to see this!”

And it also implied Owen’s stock of Theobroma may be twice the amount they’d estimated. Had he sent it to the Commander along with the Curare? What if Owen used the grafting to grow Theobroma-resistant Curare? Would they be able to use the Theobroma after they extracted the Curare? Leif asked his father.

“It’s possible, but I won’t know for sure until the trees mature.”

Leif hurried to the farmhouse to contact Irys and ask her to talk to Bavol. Before he reached the porch, a voice called his name. A young messenger stood outside the gate waving a sealed envelope. He thanked the girl and tipped her. The scent of lavender tickled his nose, and the part of him reserved for worrying about his sister relaxed a fraction. He waited until he was inside before ripping it open.

After reading the first sentence, his concern returned, along with fear. Owen was a guest of the Commander, staying at the castle in Ixia. With Yelena! She was supposed to be safe there with Valek. Instead she was in just as much danger as when Owen had captured her.

Leif raced up to his room. He pulled the super messenger from his pack and sat on the edge of his bed. Drawing on the magic inside, he reached for Irys. She allowed him through her defenses right away.

Good timing, Leif. I was just about to contact you. Do you have any news?

Plenty, he said. Leif filled her in on what he’d learned from Yelena. I’m going to Ixia. Send Hale and two other magicians and have them meet me at Yelena’s cabin in the Featherstone lands. Do you know where it is?

Did she ask for help?

No, but neither she nor Valek can defend against Owen, Rika and Tyen.

I’m sorry, Leif, but I can’t spare the magicians. In fact, the Council has ordered you back to the Citadel again. They want your report in person.

But Yelena—

Must be safe, or else she wouldn’t have sent you that message. You need to convince the Council of the danger.

If I return to the Citadel, it will be to gather magicians to travel with me to Ixia. Yelena’s helped so many people, I’m sure I’ll have plenty of volunteers.

Talk to the Council first, and then I’ll help you recruit.

Irys’s desperation shrilled in his mind like an out-of-tune violin.

That bad?

Yes. I need your help.

All right.

Thank you. Did your father discover anything useful?

Leif told her about the various plants Esau had identified. Her reaction to the Theobroma-resistant Curare matched his. And Bavol must come and see this grafting technique.

He can’t leave the Council sessions. Would it be possible to bring your father and the plants to the Citadel?

It’s too cold. The plants will probably die before we arrive. But I’ll ask him.

Please tell him it’s very important.

Now she was scaring him. Leif had known Irys for most of his life, and she’d always been rather unflappable and stoic. Irys, what’s really going on?

I’ll explain everything when you arrive.

A classic dodge. Come on, Irys, it’s me.

How soon can you get here?

If we leave tomorrow, we’ll be there in seven days. But you didn’t answer my question.

Be extra careful on your journey. She paused. We’ve...lost a number of magicians.

Lost? Like they’re missing, or they’re dead?

Both.

Holy snow cats, Irys! Why didn’t you tell me that right away?

The Council doesn’t want to spread panic needlessly.

Well, if there’s a time to be panicking, I think this merits it. Don’t you?

She ignored his sarcasm. Get home as soon as you can.

Yes, sir.

16

YELENA

My lips still burned from Valek’s kiss. The intensity of it seared into my soul like a red-hot iron branding his name right on my heart. The idea of being locked in a tower with him no longer sounded so terrible. If my magic never returned, what else would I do aside from raising our child? I might be content...for about a week.