We continued through the forest as we made our way to Cusi. Enough trees sat between us and the road to obstruct anyone from seeing our movements, but I still spent most of the ride scanning the area for any signs of riders. Sani had returned to regular speed as Patra was still overhead, meaning Omar, his spell also wearing off, would have had time to return to Palla Cahua and gather his fellow Void Wigons.

  As Patra sank into the horizon, we basked under the red glow of Filus. Already, I felt the night growing colder. Soon we would need to set up camp, which meant lighting a fire. Surviving the night without one would be impossible. I rode next to Avina, “Shall we go deeper before setting up camp?”

  She thought for a moment, nodded, then pointed ahead and to the right. “The ground dips up there. If we follow it to its lowest point, we should have plenty of cover for a fire.”

  We veered to the right, following a faint trail into a small valley. The area was perfect for a hidden camp. We dismounted and tied up the horses. Sani volunteered to gather firewood, while the sasquatch and Kiri circled the camp, keeping an eye out for unexpected visitors. If we were to have company, it would be before Filus set. Even Void Wigons needed to protect themselves from the frigid night air.

  Avian and I set up the tents and the fire ring, placing talc stones to absorb heat. Sani joined us with the wood. After starting the fire, the three of us sat on large stones we set close to the ring. The apprentice, tied to a tree behind us, grumbled through his gag as he struggled with his bindings.

  “What kind of wood did you use?” I asked Sani. “It isn’t creating a lot of smoke.”

  Sani nodded. “The trick is not to use anything wet or green. Then allow plenty of space between the logs for air to move.”

  Avian focused on me. “You haven’t set up many camping sites, have you?”

  I shook my head. “I’ve started a lot of fires inside, but few outside.” Turning to Sani, I asked, “What did it feel like being under the slow spell?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Shocking. I had no idea what was happening. In an instant, everyone and everything around me moved faster. The fight was over in the blink of an eye, before I could even finish my single attack.”

  We continued chatting until Filus set. After we moved the apprentice closer to the fire, I put the stones in my tent and prepared to sleep. The others, since they weren’t yaksha, would be fine through the night with light blankets to keep them warm. It amazed me how much cold humans, Fidi, and elves could tolerate.

  As I was about to climb into my tent, I heard footsteps behind me. I swung around, flinching when I saw Avian standing there. Her hood was up, and she stood with her back to the fire, blanketing her face in darkness.

  In a low voice, she said, “I have something for you.”

  From her tone, I couldn’t tell if it was something good or bad. If I hadn’t known her, I’d think she was about to give me a dagger, blade first. What would she want to give me that required her telling me first? I thought back to her whispering to Bedri, an act that seemed strange at the time. “I really need to get some sleep.” Squinting, I tried to see her face, hoping it revealed her intentions. “Can you give it to me when I wake?”

  She shook her head. “Wait here.” She spun around and walked back to her horse, untying something from its saddle.

  I cranked my head, trying to get a better angle in the dim light the small flickering fire provided.

  She turned with the object in her hand, a leather bag large enough to hold the parts for a tent.

  I straightened my head, pretending not to be so determined to figure out what she brought. I wondered if Bedri gave it to her. As a Rasmun, he might have forged a deal with Avian, and whatever is in the bag could be part of the terms.

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  When she returned, she lowered her hood and stared at me for a moment. “You look concerned.” She handed me the bag. “I swiped this from Omar’s horse when nobody was paying attention.”

  I untied the opening and peeked inside, seeing several pieces of wood. “What is it?”

  “A portable crafting table.” She raised the bald ridges above her eyes. “If you’re ever going to learn spellcraft, you’ll need to practice regularly.” She glanced at Filus. “From what I understand, many Nasar Wigons practice their craft during the watch.”

  Her comment surprised me. Most yaksha tended their fires and reheated their stones during the watch. But using that time to craft potions made sense. In the middle of the night, there was less chance someone would happen upon you. But, regardless of why, I didn’t want to take part in their rituals. “I’m a True Blood Wigon. I’ve already strayed from our ways and have no desire to become good at something I shouldn’t be doing.”

  She crossed her arms. “You’re letting what Bedri said get to you. He has the luxury of sticking to his principles without suffering the same consequences you will.”

  “But I don’t want to come back as a...” I pursed my lips together, realizing Fidi had different beliefs. I wasn’t sure to what extent, but figured they wouldn’t believe that being reincarnated as a Fidi was a punishment for not following the True Blood ways. Alternatively, we could come back as a Jotun, Giant, Tysaura, or worse, depending on the severity of the transgressions.

  “Do you think I was born a Fidi because in a previous life, I practiced the Void Wigon ways?”

  I shook my head. “Void Wigons return more often as creatures further down the food chain. If they went too deep into blood magic, they’ll come back as insects.”

  She chuckled.

  “The Fidi don’t believe in such?”

  “We don’t. The magic inside everything around us is available for our use as we see fit.”

  “So, you are Void Wigon?”

  She shook her head. “Unlike them, we don’t believe we are to use magic to dominate the other tribes and take over the realm. We use it to defend ourselves and those we care about. There are no bounds to the magic we can use, as long as we practice the dark arts for defense, not personal gain.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “But you are an assassin.”

  She nodded. “And I don’t use magic when I carry out my duties as a brigand.”

  “So, you are knowledgeable in creating potions.”

  She nodded.

  “Are you offering to teach me?”

  “As a Vidi Wigon, we don’t believe in teaching magic to anyone that isn’t also a Vidi.” She shook her head. “I’d become an enemy to my own people, including Layla.

  I could feel my jaw clenching. “You want me to go against my beliefs, but won’t go against your own?”

  “Not because I believe the creator is going to punish me, but because of consequences I’ll receive in this life. Your people already want you dead. Practicing magic without the permission of the nobles won’t change that.” A smirk formed on her face. “Have you ever wondered if the royals themselves created the True Blood ways to control their people?”

  I shook my head. “I haven’t, and I won’t.” Taking the bag from her, I added, “I’ll have to think about practicing potions. But I’ll take this for now in case I decide to.” But I had already decided. It wasn’t Vidi’s talk about the nobles controlling me with potions that changed my mind, but the idea of Sani and Kiri getting hurt because I refused to learn the craft.

  Avian sat by the fire and stared into the flames, appearing to be deep in thought.

  Before going into my tent, I asked her one final question. “What did you and Bedri whisper about?”

  Without moving her gaze from the flames, she said. “Nothing important.”

  I considered pushing her on the subject, but decided to pursue it another time. Whatever it was, she wasn’t ready to share it. I glanced out of my tent before closing it, watching her watch the fire, and wondered what was on her mind. Was she thinking about her conversation with Bedri, about me practicing magic, or something else altogether? She struck me as the type of Fidi to say what was on her mind without worrying about what others around her thought. What did she decide to hide from us?

  I stirred from my bed as the time for the watch started. When I carried my stones to the fire, Kiri was sitting in front of it. As I placed my stones, I asked, “How are you feeling?”

  “Miserable.” She hugged her knees to her chest. “I’m hoping staying up for a few hours after the human blood wears off will lessen the aftereffects I feel in the morning.”

  “Do you regret it?”

  She locked eyes with me. “Drinking the blood?”

  I nodded.

  She shook her head. “If it helps protect the team, then the headaches and dry mouth in the morning will be well worth it.”

  “Should I learn how to make potions?”

  She shrugged. “I can’t tell you what is right for you.” She raised her eyebrows. “But things would have gone much worse if not for the potions we had.”

  “I guess I have one more question before I go set up this crafting table.” I paused. “Is the sasquatch part of our team now?”

  She nodded.

  “Does he have a name?”

  “Haro.”

  I stood up and warmed myself by the fire before grabbing my new crafting table. I set it up a few feet from Kiri’s seat, close enough to the fire to stave away some of the chilly night air. After pulling what little ingredients I had, I started crafting a healing potion.