Remembering her earlier comment about possible followers, Valek relaxed his mental shields and drew a small thread of power. He aimed it at the surrounding area, seeking with his magic. Sure enough, he picked up two watchers cloaked in an illusion. Ah, hell.

Even if he still had his immunity, he wouldn’t have picked up on the magic if they kept their distance. Valek needed to be relatively close to a magician to feel its sticky residue. Common knowledge. However, if they knew he was no longer immune, then he needed to rely on his magic more often—something he was reluctant to do. The whole threat of flaming out put a major damper on things. Valek noted the location of the watchers and restored his mental barrier.

“When will they wake up?” Reema asked. She sat cross-legged next to Devlen, clutching his limp hand.

“Depends on how much sleeping potion they ingested.”

“Is there a potion that wakes people up?”

“There is something that prevents the effects of the potion.” He explained about the ambush to rescue Esau and Mara.

“Too bad we don’t have any of that stay-awake medicine,” she said. Reema sounded in need of a hug and reassurance.

Valek sat next to her, and she scooted closer to him. He put his arm around her small shoulders and squeezed. Reema leaned against him.

He thought of the watchers outside. “We might be able to learn more about that.”

“How?”

“You were right. We were followed.”

She jumped to her feet, shaking the wagon. “I knew it!” Then she scrunched up her face. “Did you use your magic?”

“Yup. And I need your help.”

Reema readily agreed to the plan. When she left by the main front entrance, Valek slipped out the back. He kept a light magical touch on the watchers. Otherwise he wouldn’t be able to see them. He didn’t want to risk using the null shields in case one of the men was a magician. They had taken up positions across the street.

As expected, one of them followed Reema, while the other remained in place. Once she and her invisible shadow were gone, Valek circled around. Then he pounced on the watcher who currently resembled a barrel, pressing his knife to the guy’s throat before the man could even draw a weapon. The cuts on Valek’s arm and back flared to life from the effort.

“Quiet now,” Valek whispered into his ear as he guided his captive inside the building, where he slammed his hilt into the man’s temple, knocking him unconscious.

Valek yanked off his cloak, revealing a young man. However, the cloak now blended in with the floor. A mirror illusion must have been woven into the fabric. Interesting. Who had the ability to do that? Rika Bloodgood was in Ixia with Owen. Or was she? He’d encountered two well-crafted illusions in one day.

Valek pushed those thoughts aside for now and wrapped the cloak around his shoulders. Valek hurried outside to take up the watcher’s position. A couple minutes later, Reema returned with a paper bag. She glanced up and down the street as if seeking a tail before entering the building.

Her shadow joined Valek.

“Candy run,” the man said dismissively. “I can’t believe the resistance is using children. They must be desperate. She had no clue I was following her.”

Valek focused on the location of the voice and lunged. The man fell back with an oomph. Sitting on his chest, Valek placed his blade on the man’s neck.

“She knows more than you think. Which is very bad luck for you.” Valek hauled the man to his feet and escorted him into the building.

Reema crouched next to the prone man on the floor, making a pile of his possessions, including an impressive collection of weapons.

“Hey!” Valek’s captive yelled.

She spun toward the noise, wielding a dagger. “Who’s there?”

Valek had forgotten about the cloaks. He yanked the one off his captive and shrugged his own off, as well. Reema relaxed, and Valek noted where her knife disappeared—up her sleeve. Smart.

“Find anything useful?” Valek asked her.

Opening her hand, she showed him a dozen darts. “These, but I don’t know what they’re filled with. They don’t smell familiar.”

“We can ask his friend.”

“I’m not saying a word.” The man clamped his lips together.

“In that case, we might as well let you go,” Valek said.

“Really?”

He gave the man his humorless smile. “No. But you said a word. The first of many.” Valek pricked him with goo-goo juice and hoped it worked.

Within a minute, the man relaxed. At least the Cartel hadn’t found a counter to the goo-goo juice yet. A small victory. Valek sat him down so he didn’t fall over.

“What’s your mission?” he asked.

“Follow you until...” He spread his arms wide as if that explained everything.

“Until what?” he prompted. Dealing with suspects under the influence of goo-goo juice had its challenges. And everyone reacted differently.

“You go to ground.” The man made digging motions with his hands. “Where all the other rats are hiding.”

Ah. No surprise the Cartel wished to learn the location of their headquarters. “And then what?”

“Come home, tell the boss, get a big bonus.” His grin lasted for a moment before he peered around in confusion.

“Are the soldiers in the garrison going to chase us?” he asked.

“Yeah. Make it big, but let the rats slip away.” He leaned forward and put a finger to his lips. “Shh...they don’t know we go, too.”