An instant later, Athgar vanished…at least in hisaþaswereform. Where he’d been standing, a mouse stood frozen in the straw.
Gisela gaped. “Is that…”
“Athgar. Yes.” Masakage snapped his fingers and the mouse ran off.
Xaydin shook his head. “That makes questioning him more difficult.”
Masakage laughed.
Gisela wasn’t so easily amused. “Anyone have a clue about what happens to his contracts now?”
Xaydin scratched at his cheek. “Good question. Did that nullify them?”
Masakage shrugged. “Why ask me? I have no idea. You’re theaþaswereexpert.”
“Not on this, I’m not.” Xaydin sighed heavily. “Oh well. Maybe he’ll get caught in a trap, and that’ll end them for sure.”
While Gisela understood the sentiment, it did make her a bit wary. Xaydin had no remorse or compassion for what they’d just done. Not that Athgar didn’t deserve it for his betrayal.
Still, it made her uncomfortable. It was too close to the injustice her mother meted out on whims. Having suffered under that cruelty for the whole of her life, she wasn’t keen on dealing it to anyone else.
You’re an assassin. What do you care?
She shouldn’t. And it made no sense for her to care. She was the first to admit that. But at least it allowed her to knowthat she hadn’t lost her soul. While her mother had taken most everything else from her, she hadn’t lost all her humanity.
Grateful for that small mercy, she watched as Xaydin retrieved his saddle. “What’s our plan now?”
He pulled one of Candara’s bottles from his saddlebag, then glanced about. “What should we put this on?”
Masakage created a glowing ball. “How’s this?”
“That’ll work.”
She had no idea what they were planning. Not until Xaydin broke the wax seal on the bottle, then poured the thick green liquid over the glowing ball. That caused it to turn even brighter. Their saddles vanished from their perches and then appeared on their horses.
Gisela shivered at their use of magic. “Isn’t there supposed to be a cost for magical powers?”
“Not this.” He indicated the saddles. “These are parlor tricks.” Xaydin handed her the reins of her horse. “Candara’s potion…is another story. Those are unpredictable. I have no idea what the payment might be.”
“But you’re using it anyway?”
“I’m stupid like that.” Effortlessly, he mounted his horse.
Masakage snorted. “At least my brother knows his fallacies.”
True. It was actually quite refreshing given the dandies she met at court who thought themselves superlative in every way. The idea of being self-deprecating never occurred to them. They were always too busy preening and bragging.
“You’re not like any prince I’ve ever met,” she said as she mounted her own horse.
“You should get out more. Most of the kings and princes I know are decent…enough.”
It was the enough part that concerned her.
And as soon as Masakage was situated on his mount, the ball began to hum. It swam in a circle in the middle of the air between them before it darted out of the stable.
“Hyah!” Xaydin kicked his mount forward, rushing to catch the ball.
She waited for Masakage to go next, then she rode in the rear. Mostly because she didn’t like for anyone to be at her back. This felt safer. Not that she thought they’d do anything. She was becoming more accustomed to them.
