My conviction to stop using it became stronger the more I learned about magic and how others exploited it.

Valek and I mapped our return to Sitia and planned how to contact Bavol Zaltana.

“I’ll leave Ari and Janco here. They won’t be happy, but security around the Citadel is too tight and we’re better off just going ourselves. Two of my corps have already been caught inside.” Valek sat up with reluctance. “I have some business to attend to. I’ll meet you in my suite later tonight and we can finalize our time schedule. I’ll have your belongings delivered there.”

I should retrieve my pack, but realized I had no desire to see Leif or the others. But I remembered something. “Why did you want Leif to come with us?”

He shook his head. “You wouldn’t have agreed anyway.”

“To what?”

“To letting Leif get caught and using your mental connection to him to find out what’s going on in the Keep. But now you’re mad at him—”

“No. He would be killed. I’m not that angry with him.” Besides, if I used my magic anywhere near the Citadel, all the preparation in the world wouldn’t be able to help me.

“She’s quick and fast, but she can’t get past,” Janco sang as he blocked my rib strikes.

“You need to work on your rhymes. Either that, or I’m getting better.” I faked a temple strike and swept his feet out from under him. Before I could press my advantage, he rolled away and regained his feet.

“You hesitated,” Ari said from the sidelines. “Too busy talking.”

I renewed my attack and Janco countered with ease. We fought in the soldier’s training yard, which had been filled with the sounds of practice until Janco and I started this match. We had attracted quite a crowd.

“Can’t talk and fight. So much for being polite.” Janco spun his bow. His weapon blurred.

I backed up and blocked the flurry of hits, keeping pace with his attack until he changed the rhythm. I missed a connection. The air exploded out of my lungs as Janco landed a solid blow to my solar plexus. I bent over, coughing and gasping for breath.

“Funny,” Janco said. He smoothed his goatee with a hand. “You’re usually not this easy to beat. Have I succeeded in hiding my thoughts?”

Once I regained my composure and straightened, he smiled sweetly at me. The last time we had fought in Sitia, he had found out about my zone of concentration, a semimagical state allowing me to notice my opponent’s intentions when I sparred with them. This time I had tried to fight him without setting my mind into that zone.

“No. You’re still self-centered and overly cocky,” I said.

“They’re fighting words.”

“Do you need more time to rest? Now you’re management, you probably need to expend extra energy moving that paunch.”

He swept his bow toward my legs in response and we engaged in another match. I lost again, but kept challenging him until we were both sweat soaked and exhausted.

“Your fighting improved as the matches went on,” Ari said. “But it wasn’t your best.” He looked at me as if waiting for an explanation.

I shrugged. “I was trying something different.”

“It’s not working. Better go back to your old style.”

“I like her new style.” Janco piped in. “It’s good for my ego.”

Ari frowned and crossed his massive arms over his chest.

“Life or death, Ari, and I’d go back to using all my tricks. Don’t worry.”

He seemed mollified, and I hadn’t lied. When push came to shove, I knew I would fall back on using my magic. Another problem. Magic made me lazy and when I encountered a bad situation, I reached for it without thought. I needed to improve my other skills, because magic wouldn’t help me against the Fire Warper.

I changed the subject and asked my friends about their new jobs. Janco regaled me with the story of their battle against Valek. Every time Ari shook his head, I knew Janco had exaggerated a detail.

“What is it like being second in command of Ixia’s intelligence network?” I asked.

“I don’t like all this sneaking around,” Ari said. “There’s a lot more going on in Ixia than I thought. And there’s so much to do. Valek is the king of delegating.”

“I’m getting to use my lock-picking skills.” Janco grinned. Pure mischievousness danced in his eyes. “And the information we’ve discovered. Did you know General Dinno has—”

“Janco,” Ari warned. “We enjoy the work. It’s just not what we had expected.”

“Nothing is,” I said.

My bones ached with fatigue. I waved goodbye to Ari and Janco and headed toward the baths. Before joining my friends in the training yard, I had retrieved my pack and stashed it in the changing room. After a long soak, I dried and dressed in my adviser’s uniform in preparation for the meeting with Porter. I rationalized I would draw less attention wearing a uniform than my Sitian clothes.

I cut a hole in the pant’s pocket and strapped my switchblade to my right thigh. Not wanting to show up armed with my bow, I felt it prudent to have a knife on me just in case. Braiding my hair into one long braid, I let it hang between my shoulder blades.

Although my stomach grumbled with hunger, Porter had instructed me to come during dinner. His timing made sense, as most of the castle’s inhabitants would be busy either serving dinner or eating it. And Castletown should be relatively quiet.