I stood in a shadow right next to the jail’s entrance and waited. The fluttering in my stomach distracted me from my loud heartbeat. To pass the time, I thought about Bruns Jewelrose. I didn’t remember crossing paths with him. It sounded like Bruns paid Councilor Jewelrose for information, and Bruns wasn’t a magician. Many rich and powerful men in Sitia believed they should control the use of magic like they controlled other resources.

The clang and snap of metal broke through my thoughts. I sucked in a breath. If two guards entered, success was unlikely. One man stepped down, heading to Kynan’s cell. He left the door open.

Slipping out, I didn’t wait for the inevitable cry of alarm. No one else was in the processing area, which explained why a single guard performed the bed checks. Instead of crossing through the bull pen to the exit, I headed down a hallway and toward the captain’s office. I’d wait for him to arrive and I’d plead my case or I’d threaten to send his soul to the fire world, depending on his response.

His office door was locked. I yanked my lock picks from my pocket and set to work, popping the complex mechanism just as the guard raised the alarm. Dashing inside, I closed and relocked the door. Once my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I spotted a window. Except for the bars, it would have been a perfect escape route. I settled into the captain’s chair and, once again, waited.

Muted shouts and pounding boots sounded through the door. A few times, someone tested the knob, ensuring it remained locked. Not much I could do if they checked the captain’s office. After an hour, exhaustion caught up to me and I crossed my arms, resting them on the desk, then laid my head down.

* * *

An angry male voice boomed, waking me. I straightened. Weak sunlight flooded the room, and streaks of color painted the sky. Keys jangled, metal scraped on metal and the door swung open.

Captain Alden stepped into his office and jerked to a stop. “Yelena! I—”

I put my finger to my lips. “Close the door, please.”

He complied, then turned to me. “I’m very sorry about the assassin. It appears we were overconfident in our ability to keep you safe.”

“He’s a professional. And as you can see, I’m quite capable of handling myself.”

“Yes, I know. But I have orders from the Second Magician.”

“What happens when the next assassin doesn’t fail? How would you explain my death to Second Magician?”

Alden sighed. “This is a no-win situation.”

I stood and offered him the seat. “Then tell the Master Magician I escaped. You know I’m safer on my own.”

Alden wilted. He removed his cape and hung it on the rack before sitting down. “Can you answer a few questions first?”

“As long as you’re willing to reciprocate.”

“All right. What happened last night?”

I filled him in on everything except the part where I climbed the bars. No need to give away all my tricks. Besides, there was always a chance I might need it again.

“Do you know who hired him?”

“No, but he called himself The Mosquito.” I lied for a good reason. No sense alerting Bruns that I was onto him. Kynan shouldn’t remember too much from when he was under the influence of the goo-goo juice.

“How long until he wakes?”

“Curare lasts about a day.”

“Okay. Your turn.”

“I need an update on the investigation into Ben Moon’s whereabouts.”

“There’s not much to tell. We scoured Fulgor, searching every factory, warehouse, empty building, and found nothing. They suspected you purposely misled them into believing he was in Fulgor.”

Which explained some of the hostility from Devlen and the others. “Yet they’d found his hideout.”

“Opal walked through every single alley, seeking magic. She discovered an illusion that hid a door. The place appeared to be occupied, so they set an ambush and that’s where you came in.”

Lucky me. “Did anyone go to Red Oak?”

“No. They concentrated their efforts here. None of Ben’s men have returned to the warehouse since our people have found it, but evidence at the scene suggests Ben and his gang are headed west toward Owl’s Hill. The task force left for Owl’s Hill yesterday.”

Too easy. Ben would never leave real clues. He was probably sending them on a wild-Valmur chase. My gut instinct said Ben was in Red Oak or in a town nearby. No logical reason for it, but I’d learned to trust my instincts.

“Task force?”

“A fancy name for Leif, Hale and Opal.”

So they planned to keep me in protective custody until they returned. Anger burned, but I kept my voice even. “Can you return my effects and escort me from the building?”

“I can’t convince you to stay?” He had a hopeful tone.

“No.”

All activity ceased when Alden and I stepped into the bull pen. He glared at his men and ordered them to fetch my cloak and pack. One guard rushed to comply, and in a matter of minutes, I was free.

First stop, a decent meal. I walked to the Second Chance Inn and feasted on sweet cakes. Then I inquired about renting a horse. Red Oak was too far to travel by foot.

“There’s a stable a few miles north of here called the Clever Fox,” the waitress said. “They lease horses, but they require a pretty hefty deposit.”

That wouldn’t be a problem. No, the biggest problem I foresaw was what I would do if I found Ben in Red Oak. And I couldn’t shake the feeling that Ben and his friends were the least of my worries, but when I focused on it, the memory faded. At least I had a couple of days to think about it. I thanked the waitress and left a big tip.