Valek studied the nervous youth. Zoel’s average appearance and build helped him to blend in with the other soldiers. The young man’s talent was the ability to make friends with anyone. He’d been a valuable resource, watching the various activities within the base and reporting anything suspicious.

“Why aren’t you in Timmer’s company?” Valek asked.

“Those extra training hours would limit the amount of time I have to perform my duties for you, sir.”

“And in the course of those duties, have you heard anything about the captain?”

“The soldiers don’t like him. He scares them in order to make them work hard.” Zoel shrugged. “He’s harsh and will scream and humiliate a soldier who isn’t keeping up, but I haven’t heard of any physical abuse.”

Valek asked him about Onora and Gerik.

“Gerik wasn’t here long,” Zoel said. “Talented guy. Didn’t cause any trouble. I suspect he’ll advance pretty high in the ranks. I don’t know an Onora. Is she new?”

“No. She would have been here two or three years ago.”

“Doesn’t ring a bell.”

“Thank you, Zoel.”

Zoel nodded and hurried away.

Valek spent the next couple of days observing Timmer’s company. Professional and skilled, they performed their drills with uncanny precision. Impressive. The captain yelled and bullied a bit, but nothing that would cause Valek to be concerned. About to agree with Zoel’s assessment of Timmer, Valek paused as he realized only a few women stood in the ranks. Not that their low numbers was a red flag, but their reaction to the captain when he neared set off Valek’s internal warning bells.

One lady in particular—a tall blonde—flinched and her face set into a mask of fear when Timmer glanced at her. The captain’s sly smile was all Valek needed. Timmer warranted a closer inspection.

That night, Valek sneaked into the base’s record room to peruse a few files. It took a bit of digging, but he located Onora’s file. She had enlisted four years ago at age sixteen. Her instructors praised her skills and she gained a reputation for her lightning-fast attacks. The glowing reviews and comments stopped when she’d transferred to Timmer’s company. After a year of service, she was noted as being absent without leave. Valek didn’t need a good imagination to determine what had caused her to go AWOL.

Nothing in Gerik’s file contradicted what Zoel had reported. In fact, there was a commendation from Gerik’s commanding officer for going above and beyond the call of duty while battling a fire in the barracks. The only thing that caught Valek’s interest was Gerik’s hometown—Silver Falls. The town was also listed for Onora. Interesting.

Valek woke Zoel and sent him to Silver Falls to investigate and see if there was a connection between Onora and Gerik.

“What about my duties here?” Zoel asked.

“Give this to your commanding officer.” Valek handed him a folded piece of parchment. “After you finish in Silver Falls, report back to me at the Commander’s castle.”

“Yes, sir.”

After another day of investigation, Valek learned the blonde’s name, Private Wilona, and her age, eighteen. Instead of living in the women’s barracks, she had her own quarters. Anger simmered in his chest, but Valek needed to confirm his suspicions before he dealt with Timmer.

Valek followed Wilona to her quarters that evening. He knocked on her door. A faint “come in” sounded. Entering, he noticed her expression first—fear mixed with dread—and then how she’d hugged her arms to her chest, her posture rigid.

Not expecting a servant, she jerked in surprise. “Oh.” She blinked as relief softened her pretty face. “Can I help you?” Wilona relaxed her arms, letting them hang by her sides.

“No. But I can help you.”

She braced as if for a blow. “Who are you?”

He suppressed a sigh. What was the point of having an infamous reputation if no one recognized him? Removing his cap, he introduced himself.

“Yeah, right, and I’m the Soulfinder. Who put you up to this? Cewen? You can tell her this isn’t funny. In fact, it’s quite cruel.”

Curious. “It is?”

She balled her fists. “Oh come on! She pays you to pretend to be Valek because I... Oh, never mind. Just tell her to stop. She’s going to make it worse.”

“Cewen’s worried about you.” He guessed.

“Yeah, well. I can handle it. Goodbye.” Wilona made shooing motions.

Valek refused to move. “I disagree. You need my assistance. What time does Captain Timmer visit your room?”

She stepped toward him. “I’m gonna kill her.”

“Cewen is not the one you should be concerned about.” He laced his words with steel and met her gaze. “I’m not pretending, Wilona.”

Whether it was his tone of voice or his expression that convinced her, Valek didn’t care as long as she understood he meant business. A range of emotions from fear, disbelief, hope, to relief and back again flashed on her face.

“I’m sorry Timmer wasn’t brought to my attention sooner,” he said. “A mistake I will rectify tonight.”

She sank onto the edge of her bed. “I should have reported him, but...”

“Men like him use fear to control their victims. You had the strength to confide in your friend. A step in the right direction. Did you think she was goading you into more action by sending a servant to pretend to be me?”