Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder Page A

do it now.”
      “No. I want time to play. I have all kinds of games planned for when I have you, my sweet.”
      My body shook with an icy chill of revulsion. Goose bumps covered my skin. It was a sensation I never thought I would feel in the sweltering south.
      “Goel, help take down the tent,” Captain Marrok ordered.
      “Yes, sir.” Goel walked away, glancing back at me with a smirk on his face and a promise in his eyes.
      I let my breath out slowly. This didn’t bode well.
      When the men finished breaking camp, Cahil mounted his horse and we set off through the forest. After several hours, the trees thinned as the trail ascended a hill. At the top of the rise, a vast valley, bisected by a long dirt road, spread out in front of us. Farm fields etched geometric shapes on the left side of the road. An immense plain dominated the landscape on the right side. Across the vibrant valley was another ridge, and I could just make out a white fortress spanning its crest.
      “Is that the Citadel?” I asked Marrok.
      He nodded. “Another half day’s march.” His gray eyes slid to the right as if searching for something.
      I followed his gaze and watched the long grass stalks sway in the breeze. “Daviian Plateau?”
      “No. That’s farther southeast,” Marrok said. “This is the edge of the Avibian Plains. The plain is huge. It takes ten days to cross it.”
      “My cousin mentioned traveling through a plain on the way to the Citadel, but we’re really just skirting it.”
      “Crossing Avibian is a shortcut. Zaltanas will cross, but everyone else avoids contact with the Sandseed Clan who calls the plains home. Taking the forest route is the long way, but it’s safe.”
      I wanted to ask more, but Cahil increased the pace as we descended into the basin. He was either eager to reach the Citadel or anxious to put the plains behind him.
      We passed laborers working in the farm fields, and a caravan of merchants with their horse-drawn wagons loaded with goods. Nothing but the tall grass moved in the plains.
      The Citadel grew massive in appearance as we traveled closer. We stopped only once to water the horse and the men.
      When we reached the towering gates, I was awed by the sheer size of the outer bulwark. Green veins streaked the white marble walls. I ran a hand along them, finding it smooth and cool despite the blistering heat. I had thought it was hot in the forest, but that had been nothing compared to being fully exposed to the searing sun.
      The two guards at the Citadel’s open gates approached Cahil. After a brief conversation, Cahil led us into a courtyard. I squinted in the bright sunlight. The majestic sight before me took a while to sink in. An entire town resided within the Citadel’s outer walls. All the structures were made of the same white marble with veins of green that comprised the outer wall. I had visualized the Citadel as one large building, like the Commander’s castle in Ixia, but this was far beyond anything I could have imagined.
      “Impressed?” Marrok asked.
      I closed my mouth and nodded. Our party began to walk through the streets and I realized the place was deserted. “Where is everyone?” I asked Marrok.
      “The Citadel’s a ghost town during the hot season. The Council is in recess, the Keep is on holiday and only a skeleton crew tends the crops. Everyone who can flees to the cooler climates, and those who are left retreat inside at midafternoon to avoid the sun.”
      I didn’t blame them. My scalp felt as if it were on fire. “How much longer?” I asked.
      “Another hour,” Marrok said. “See those four towers?” He pointed to the east. “That’s the Magician’s Keep.”
      I stared at their height, wondering what dwelled in those lofty chambers.
      We trudged on through the empty streets. The road surface alternated between packed dirt and cobblestones. I spotted dogs, cats and a few chickens