The farmer hefted his box of fruit and turned to leave when the blood suddenly drained from his face. She followed his gaze to a familiar woman standing by a Guild wagon. Sarai blinked at the familiar Guild crest burnt into the wood.Grains Guild.
“Dalvia Am Semni,” the farmer muttered to himself.
Wait, what?Sarai angled for a closer look and gaped upon sighting the pale-haired woman again. Hers was the sort of beauty that historians struggled to put into words. The farmer seemed to believe the same, because he sidled over to the stall behind the Guild wagon and pretended to browse.
“What harm could a few hours of dinner do?” A Guildsman by the wagon grinned up at Dalvia. “I’ll give you a discount on anything.”
Dalvia took a quick step back. “That’s kind of you, but I couldn’t.”
Cold irritation bloomed in the Guildsman’s eyes. “Come now, I don’t bite.” He seized her wrist with a snakelike lunge when she tried to dart away.
“No—no thank you.” Dalvia tried to extricate herself. “I’ll pay the full amount.”
“But you don’t have to,” he cajoled loudly. His colleagues guarding the wagon perked up. “She doesn’t need to deplete all her coin, no?”
Sarai’s nails bit into her palm at the carefully blank gazes of those passing by as the men circled a glassy-eyed Dalvia with easy smiles. Even the farmer whose head she was in seemed fascinated with his feet.Shit, poor thing.
“Never had a Clanlady.” The first man whistled. “Though I warrant you’re better than the Magus Supreme’s mountain girl.”
Sarai glowered.Leave me out of it, asshole.
Dalvia stopped tugging her wrist loose. “You don’t like her?” There was an oddly familiar note to her voice. Something sardonic and pained. “They say that she summoned Lord Death himself to save your Magus Supreme.”
The Guildsman snorted. “Wasn’t there. Didn’t see it. He probably wasn’t injured that badly, but why not add the Elsar to the tale? Gives the murder of the two Tetrarchs a seal of divine approval. Point is that I can Summon you a bigger monster.” He wiggled his eyebrows as the group of magi laughed uproariously.
Rage pulsed in Sarai’s chest. Spotting movement at her shoulder, she blinked at the farmer, still standing there. If he’d been pale before, he was white now.Then, do something, for the gods’ sake!
His jaw slackened, pupils widening in horror. Unnerved, she followed his gaze and found that Dalvia hadn’t been alone. A cloaked man came over to her in what Sarai could only describe as a glide. He inclined his head. “Evening.”
Sarai went stock-still. His voice wasmesmerizing. Icy yet alive with warmth, it slid like silk across her senses. She felt the weight of the word down to her toes even though it hadn’t been directed at her.Gods, Kadrahas competition. She tried to get a better look at the man when he turned to the Guildsmen.
“Strike this place with all you have.”
The order slammed into her, brought her to her knees despite her having no ability at lightning. Clutching her head, she gasped as the words seemed to slap her, demanding her obedience. Above, the group of men paled, sweat pooling on their hairlines and sliding down. Their eyes turned eerily empty. Then, in a graceful coordinated movement, they pricked their thumbs, set their armillas alight, and raised their hands to the sky.
A breath. A second. A spark in the sky.
Lightning slammed into the marketplace. And the street exploded.
Clapping her hands over her ears, she and the farmer dived for the ground as a fiery orange cloud bloomed around them, spreading fast. Embers rained down from splintered stalls, produce and pottery charred black. Screams rose from the crowd caught in the strike’s radius. Others fled the spreading blaze.
Sarai clutched her ringing head.What in havïd just happened?Glancing up, she realized that Dalvia and her companion hadn’t moved a muscle during the explosion.
“Not very powerful, are they,” the hypnotic voice noted. Its owner bent toward the frozen magi. “Now, race out in the pandemonium. You will recall nothing of the past hour. Nothing of me. All you saw was an unfathomable amount of rioting.”
The Grains Guildsmen turned and ran like puppets, motions strained and jerky, eyes still blank.
A magus who can mass persuade others. A Coercer.Sarai recalled Telmar’s description of the magic with dread.Who are these people?
Dalvia quietly examined the red marks the Guildsman had left on her wrist.
“You’ve outdone yourself with this formula, Dalvia.” The cloaked man chucked her under the chin. An edge of amusement underlay his speech. Sardonic.Familiar.“And you make excellent bait. If a group of fools can dothis much damage, Edessa’s best will give us the city itself.” He drew back his hood.
Blood rushed in Sarai’s ears. She rose slowly, staring at the man’s now-uncovered face.
Silver eyes not black. Delicate features unhardened by ruthlessness. But they had the same aquiline nose, the same dark, wavy hair, the perennial glint of amusement as though they’d seen through the world a long time ago and found it a game.
He looked like Kadra.
