wind gust blew through the alley, sweeping trash into the air. I pulled my sais and held them in the ready position.
Bloody Lip met my gaze and pushed the man down, turning all his attention to us. “I know you. You’re that student who cost me my job.” His other hand moved and with another snick he brandished a second knife. “You won’t surprise me this time.”
He advanced. Another gust flowed around us. It whistled and slammed into Bloody Lip, but the air around us remained calm. He kept his feet as the litter in the alley shot past. The victim huddled low to the ground.
A banging noise sounded behind me and I turned in time to avoid a couple of barrels rolled by the wind. They hit the edge of a cobblestone and launched into the air, connecting with Bloody Lip. He tumbled to the ground, cursing as a knife skittered out of his hand.
The wind stopped and Bloody Lip crawled to his feet and ran away. Kade helped the victim to stand.
“Thank fate you came along. That man was trying to rob me,” he said. His voice quavered with a shaky indignation.
“Do you want us to escort you to the Citadel guards to report him?” I asked.
He flinched and attempted a smile. “No. No time. I have a delivery to make. Can you accompany me to the store? It’s not far.”
“Sure,” Kade said. He moved aside to let the man lead.
“My name’s Chun. Who do I have the pleasure of thanking for rescuing me?”
We introduced ourselves. Chun chatted about nothing in particular and once again thanked us when we reached his destination.
The storefront was unremarkable, but I recognized the place as belonging to one of the many black market dealers Pazia and I had visited. Chun’s reluctance to talk to the authorities was now understandable. His delivery was probably of black market goods.
We left and headed back toward the Keep. Two blocks away I made the connection.
Stopping in midstride, I said, “Chun entered Bloody Lip’s place.” I explained about Bex and Bloody Lip’s attempt to strong-arm me and Pazia into buying fake diamonds.
“Do you think Chun and he worked together?” Kade asked.
“No. Bloody Lip mentioned getting fired.” I thought it through. “Let’s go back and see where he goes.”
We found a small alcove near the store and waited. My attention tended to wander. The air between me and Kade felt as if a mini thunderstorm brewed within the narrow gap. A sudden desire to grasp Kade’s arm and share his energy swelled in my heart. I stifled it with difficulty.
Chun finally exited after the lamplighters had finished lighting the street. An errant gust had blown the lamp near us out. From Kade’s grin, I knew it wasn’t a coincidence.
Before Chun could move away, the door swung open and a man stuck his head out.
“I forgot about the midseason festival,” he said. “Bring us ten more crystals. The tourists will snatch them up. Everyone loves a bargain.”
They shared a chuckle, and I wondered if the crystals he mentioned were the fake diamonds.
Keeping a half-block distance back from Chun, we followed him to the Citadel’s north gate. He stopped at the public paddock nearby. Each of the Citadel’s entrances had a place where you could stable your horse or store a wagon. A convenience for those who only came for the day. The paddocks were run by the government and every large town in Sitia had one.
Chun hitched a dilapidated wagon to a brown horse. Spokes were missing from the wheels and the broken back gate was tied to the sides with knotted and frayed ropes.
“If he’s selling the fakes, he certainly isn’t putting his money into transportation,” Kade said. “Then again, what better way to avoid robbers on the roads.”
“Zitora didn’t seem as concerned with the fakes, but we should know who is producing them.”
We watched as Chun spurred the horse and drove through the north gate. Once he was out of sight, we questioned the paddock manager.
“Comes in twice a season,” he said, checking a ledger. “Nice guy. I know he’s a member of the Moon Clan because he told me about the troubles they were having with bandits and how he was unhappy with their Councillor.”
“Do you know why he comes?” I asked.
“Deliveries, I think.” The man shrugged. “Must be small because the wagon’s always empty. He pays his bill on time and never leaves anything behind. Wish I could say the same for everyone.”
I thanked him and we left his office.
“I bet he’s supplying the black market with the fake diamonds,” I said. “I wish I could follow the wagon.”
“I can,” Kade said.
“What about Varun?”
“There are sand suppliers in Moon lands.”
“And the lava flakes are shipped down from the Emerald Mountains.”
“Then I can interview the suppliers for clues to Sir’s whereabouts and follow Chun.”
A moment of regret consumed me. I had hoped he would stay a few more days, but it made sense for him to go. “What about your pack?” I asked.
“Keep it for me. I only have a change of clothes and my orb. I can buy what I need on the road.”
Kade rented a horse from the paddock manager. I wrote him a list of sand suppliers in Moon and Cloud Mist lands. To avoid traveling in the Avibian Plains, he would have to come back this way to reach the rest of the clans.
“I should be able to follow Chun. I’ll send word if I learn anything,” Kade said.
“Use the glass messengers. Every large town has a magician with one of them. Just tell him you have an important message for Master Cowan and he should deliver the information right away.”
“I could always threaten him with a hailstorm.” Eagerness laced his tone.
“That could land you in jail.”
“Not for long.”
I laughed at his boast. “Can wind unlock iron bars?”
“No, but metal gets very brittle when it’s cold.”
“And you know this from experience?”
“Let’s just say I have a stormy past.”
I groaned at the pun as he swung up on the horse.
Kade paused before leaving. His playfulness gone. “Be careful.”
“You, too.”
Back at the Keep, I wrapped Kade’s orb in a blanket and
