Had he noticed Tribe Nicabar’s interest in me? Karielle had and wondered at it. And perhaps he had also questioned my role in helping Annora on the night of the drugging.
“I can now see why you thought you might be able to take on the raiders without me,” he said. “In fact, you find me completely humbled. I can see that while I envisioned myself as a noble savior, I am in fact a mere bystander.”
His eyes gently mocked me, but I was still too bemused at the situation to take offense.
“Is that why you jumped into the boat?” I asked. “To save us?”
He inclined his head. “I had clearly arrived not a second too soon, and there was nothing to be done but seize the moment. It seemed a marginally better option than letting you leave without me.” His gaze turned on the twins, his eyes thoughtful.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
He shrugged. “I like you, Cadence. But I’m not doing this for you.”
I nodded, struck by the expression in his eyes. Was he coming to protect the twins, or was it someone else who had inspired his impulsive inclusion in our rescue attempt?
I drew a deep breath. “The rogue Calistan protections that have been causing so much trouble are made up of tainted power—twisted and warped power that has somehow been let loose to run amok. I can sense it in the water of the river, and I’m going to use it to pull us all the way into Calista where I’m hoping I can then track it back to the raiders. Given the prevalence of tainted magic in the two rivers, I believe it must be congregating in Lake Aterra, and I believe the raiders must also be there, given how much use they’re making of it.”
“That is a much more solid plan than I thought you had when I leaped into this boat,” Evermund said.
“Where’s your faith?” Zeke muttered with a grin, but the expression dropped away. “Cadie left out the part where connecting with tainted power makes her seriously ill.”
“I witnessed that for myself.” Evermund weighed me with his eyes. “If that happens every time, then we’re not doing that again. You looked like you were about to die. We’ll have to find another way to rescue Airlie.”
“I agree,” Zeke said fervently.
“You’re really not going to stop us?” Nikolas gave Evermund a contemptuous look. “Aren’t you the responsible one?”
“Oh, let it go, Nik!” Gia snapped. She turned to the rest of us. “Nik is just sour because he talked to Drake at the ball. Apparently our little play during the Tour hasn’t worked. The Triumvirate still haven’t softened to the idea of Nik as our future king.”
“Gia!” Nikolas hissed, looking as if he wanted to throw her overboard.
She flicked her hair. “Relax. I’m sure Zeke and Evermund have already guessed exactly what’s been going on.” She gave them both a knowing look, and neither of them disputed the charge.
“But it’s not any of our fault,” she continued, looking back at her brother. “So I won’t have you taking your bad mood out on us.” She looked at me. “Nik might pretend he’s being dragged along against his will, but he’s got his own reasons for coming.”
Nikolas glared at her but didn’t protest again, perhaps realizing his sister was too annoyed with him to be silenced.
“I know you too well not to understand exactly what’s happening.” She poked him in the chest. “You’re once again convinced that the issue is your affinity, and you were just looking for a chance to prove how strong you can be despite being a plants mage. And then this opportunity fell into your lap—with the added bonus that you’re on a mission to recover someone of value to the Triumvirate.” She shook her head. “It’s not going to serve your purpose—they’re all going to be furious with us, whether we succeed or not—but don’t pretend you’re only coming for me.”
“What does it matter if we put ourselves in danger?” Nikolas asked bitterly. “You’re not sticking around no matter what, and they don’t want me. We might as well both get ourselves killed as not.”
“Your parents hardly feel that way,” I said, filled with belated alarm. “What are they going to think when they realize the two of you have just disappeared?”
Caught up in the heat of the moment, I clearly hadn’t thought this through enough.
“I’m fairly sure a few people got a good look at us back there in front of the manor,” Nikolas said. “So we hardly vanished into the air. And besides, I left a note.”
“Oh well done, Nik!” Gia cried, patting him on the shoulder, her good humor with him apparently restored. “That was excellent thinking, given they can’t do anything about it.” Her mouth twisted. “They will be angry when we get back, though.” She looked across at Evermund. “With you, too.”
“Whatever do you mean?” he asked with a lurking smile. “I’m merely doing my duty to the crown by protecting the two of you.”
“All the way into Calista?” Zeke asked dryly.
“Of course.” Evermund gave him an innocent look. “We were swept up by the raiders’ power. What else could I do?”
“Unbelievable,” Gia muttered. “You’ll probably get away with it, too. You always did get away with everything.”
Evermund shrugged. “I didn’t get chosen by the Triumvirate as the youngest ever Royal Mage by not being my own man. I can handle your father.”
Nikolas, who had been gazing over the side of the boat with increasing concern, looked up and interrupted. “We aren’t really caught up in this tainted power without any direction, are we?” He sounded alarmed.
“Tainted power isn’t like normal power.” I cleared my throat. “Normal power doesn’t do anything at all unless directed. The leftover pieces just sort of…hang there.”
“Leftover pieces?” Gia sounded fascinated.
“That’s what power mages use. Everyone else’s leftovers.”
“Not always leftover,” Evermund said. “Sometimes mages are still using it when the power mages snatch it away.”
His words were true. I had done that myself, and it was clearly one of the parts of a power mage’s ability that the other kingdoms considered dangerous. But it wasn’t relevant to the issue at hand.
“Tainted power is different. It’s active—like we saw on the Viridian—although without sense or purpose. And it’s all connected, somehow. That’s the only reason it’s still carrying us along without any more input from me. I just had to connect us in and then start the momentum.”
“That’s convenient,” Nikolas said.
“Is it?” I frowned. “It probably means it would all need to be removed at once to do any good, and I don’t think any mage could ever be strong enough to deal with it all at once.”
“Then it’s a good thing we’re trying to rescue Airlie, not free Calista,” Evermund said, his eyes holding a warning.
I bit the inside of my cheek but nodded.
Even traveling at such a fast pace, it took time to move so far up the river. We took turns sleeping, curled awkwardly on the bench seats of the small boat, and always leaving at least two people awake in case of trouble.