I tried to bite him, but he stayed just out of reach. He lied about Ulrick. I held on to that thought, because to think he told the truth would make me sick.

“I wouldn’t have given you anything, if I’d known it was you,” I said.

“If it makes you feel better, you can lie to yourself, but we both know the truth. Ulrick would have waited for you like a dog ordered to stay. I’m the one who showed initiative. Such a shame you had to be so stubborn about that Stormdancer. I was enjoying myself, playing the boyfriend.” He leered.

I stifled my desire to scream at him, preferring to keep him talking. “How did you get to Ulrick?”

“I trailed him back to his sister’s factory and listened to their little family squabble. She was proud her work passed for diamonds and supports Councillor Moon’s sister. He tried to convince her to switch sides and join Master Jewelrose and Yelena. She hit him on the head with a glass plate and ran.” Devlen stared into the past. “He was dazed and I led him to a small inn just outside of town, pretending to take him to a healer.” He rubbed a spot on his temple. “I did heal the gash on his forehead. Then I showed him what he could do with blood magic. He was hooked.”

I shook my head. “I still don’t believe you.”

He shrugged. “You asked.” His mouth twisted as if he tasted something bad. “Are you going to help me find my mentor? I would like to put all this unpleasantness behind us.”

“No.” It was easy to say. My muscles pulsed with a desire to pound him into a bloody pulp.

He nodded, not surprised by my answer, and positioned the clamps in two new spots, twisting them tight. I lost track of time, of my sanity and my reasons for living.

After the third session, I didn’t need to pretend to give in. At that point I would have done anything. I clung to the fact that it wasn’t a complete submission, because I had planned to tell him all along.

“Icefaren Station.” The words puffed out between my cracked and bleeding lips. My raw throat burned and I longed for a drink. “In Ixia on the ice sheet, but I don’t know where.”

“How interesting. I know where it is. Before the Commander’s takeover, Ixia was divided into provinces. Icefaren province was renamed Military District 1.” His forehead creased as he considered. “I knew we’d have to go into Ixia eventually. Good thing I have a few contacts in the area. Hang out here for a while, I need to fetch some supplies.” He shut and locked the door.

Too exhausted to care, I leaned against the wall. Anything was better than that pain. Anything.

I even fell asleep. Cold air whipped through my clothes, freezing the sweat on my skin. Kade was trapped in a block of ice and I couldn’t get to him. My legs refused to move. I drowned in a snowdrift.

The door banged open, waking me.

Devlen threw a bundle onto the floor and set down a bucket of water and soap. “Clean up and change your clothes.” He unhooked my wrists from the wall. “No trouble. You will do exactly what I tell you. Any deviations and you’ll be punished. I’m bringing a gag and my clamps. Understand?”

I nodded.

“I’m leaving your cuffs on. They fit together. See?” He demonstrated, securing and freeing my wrists.

When he left, I removed my soiled and stained clothes. There was no dignity with pain. I tossed the ruined garments. They landed with a muted clunk.

A bubble of hope pushed up my throat as I dug through my clothes. I had learned my lesson with the robbers and hid weapons on my person. Ulrick…Devlen knew about it and probably searched me. But I found a little nugget of glass inside my pants. Even though it was a spider, it was the most precious item. I didn’t know how I would use it or when. What mattered was I had it.

I washed the grime from my body and dressed in the clean clothes. The black pants sagged around my waist. I used the sash to tighten them, hiding my spider in the folds of the material. Down the long sleeves of the white tunic was a column of black diamond shapes connected end to end. A row of three black diamonds decorated the breast pocket. I wore an Ixian uniform.

The door was unlocked. I joined Devlen in the other room. He stood with my saddlebags and my sais at his feet. Wearing another black and white Ixian uniform, he examined the empty orb.

“Planning to steal magic?” he asked.

“Yes. Give it to me.” I held out a hand.

“Okay. Catch.” He flung the empty sphere across the room.

It shattered against the wall. The sound from the impact cut through me.

“Now, what should I do with this one?” Devlen removed Kade’s orb. Iridescent colors swirled in agitation under his touch.

“Smash it,” I said. The storm’s trapped energy would kill us both.

“Nice try, but I’m not stupid.” He packed it into a large backpack. Another pack rested on the floor next to it. “I’ll sell it. I know a group of Krystal Clan members who are looking for full orbs.”

“Sir’s gang?” When he nodded, I asked, “Why were you with them? What’s their goal?”

“Don’t know. Don’t care. I was just the hired help. They needed a swordsman for a job and I needed money. Hiding out from the Sitian authorities is expensive. If I had known our target was a Master Magician, I wouldn’t have taken the job, but it led me to you so it worked out nicely. Don’t you think?”

“No. I would rather you were still locked up in the Thunder Valley jail.”