Disclaimer: I am entirely responsible for the sick, twisted plot of this story and a handful of Copper Islanders. Everything else belongs to Tamora Pierce.

A/N: Wow! There were so many responses on the last chapter. The story is forming a very good answer to why Numair didn't realize he was in love with Daine for two more months. We're almost there.

Purple Eyed Cat: The answer to the face question is below.

Narms Britton 44: The tse tse fly thing made me laugh so hard. See, I never would have thought of that. Thanks for the great compliments. And Jon wasn't supposed to know, but the bodies in the castle changed all.

Blackandwhiteroses: The biggest cliffy is still to come, maybe two more chapters from now. It's so huge that I may have to finish the chapter that follows it before uploading either just to avoid getting flamed.

Knightbyday: Thanks! Keep reading

Kit49: You knew? You're paying closer attention than most.

And now….

Chapter 18 – Out of the Frying Pan

Numair opened the jar of healing salve and gently rubbed it on Michael's sores. The boy slept on, no doubt unable to wake due to the high fever. It seemed strange that he did not even know of this boy's existence 36 hours ago, and now the sight of him, nearly broke his heart.

Once he had doctored the wounds, he rewrapped the boy as tightly as he could in the blanket. He then removed his cloak and ripped it in half. The bottom he used as a second blanket for the toddler. The top he ripped into strips and formed them into a rope with multiple knots. Then he used it to strap the baby to his chest. He thought this was better than his back because it would be easier to protect.

He walked the circumference of the room, looking for clues to its position in the castle. The walls were much too thick to hear through, and it was possible that there wasn't an outside wall. This could be a centered cell within a block of dungeons. He finally settled on the wall opposite of the door. If there were guards outside, they would be through the door, so the opposite wall seemed the best gamble for possible escape.

He set five of the powder packs against the base of the wall. Then he pulled a cat's eye agate out of his belt pouch. He had set it up for invisibility so that he could save his Gift for other needs. He held it in his left hand and pulled the jar of living fire that he had spelled before leaving in his right hand. If he had needed his own magic, he would have been in dire straights. He was glad he had thought of this.

He moved to the door and crouched protectively over Michael. Then he threw the jar of living fire at the wall where it shattered and spread. The blast was concussive and easily blew a hole in the back wall. Michael woke and cried loudly. Numair stood, opened his left hand, palm up and flickered from sight. He tried to soothe the little boy so that their position would not be given away. "I'm going to take you to your ma." The boy snuffled and quieted, passing quickly back into a fever sleep.

Crawling cautiously through the hole, he surveyed his surroundings. He was not outside and that was unfortunate, because now he would have to find an exit. Michael snuggled tight to his chest, breathing with a heavy rattle. As he carefully crossed the room, he heard many footsteps and shouts growing closer. He backed against a wall just in time to be out of the path of 11 running guards.

"What the…?" a forward guard exclaimed as he examined the hole. Two of the soldiers entered the cell and began to examine every inch, no doubt looking for the prisoner.

Numair inched along the wall in the direction the guards had come. And just when he thought he would make it out without a fight, a clumsy guard tripped and fell right into him, knocking the stone from his hand.

He saw sword after sword being drawn and began to throw handfuls of fire as quickly as he could form them. He was able to take out most of the soldiers before he heard the sound of reinforcements running down the corridor.

He grabbed three more powder packs from his belt, lit them with Gift and threw them at the far wall. Another concussive burst blew the wall apart. This time Numair had thought to protect Michael's ears. The child shivered but never quite awoke. Diving through the new hole, he found himself at the base of a staircase. He began to ascend two steps at a time.

When he reached the next level he was cut off. Soldiers had arrived at the base of the stair and were coming up after them. Guards from the corridor at the top of the stairs could be heard running toward him, shouting. In desperation he leaned against the wall and used the spell he learned from the Power Codex to pass through walls. He ran through four walls before he found himself outside of the castle.

His Gift was draining fast so he sat down behind some bushes, hoping to rest long enough to recharge a little. That was when he smelled the Stormwings. Twenty of the things moved in fast, flying low, searching. He did not have the blasting power to kill them all and he knew it. He tucked himself tighter to the wall and wrapped his arms around Michael protectively. He could only hope they wouldn't find him. They might widen their search and give him room to maneuver. He could set a regular invisibility spell then, if he could just recharge a little. He would have to try to meditate in this uncomfortable position to recharge faster.

------

Alanna was exhausted. Jon continued to discuss options. And so there they all sat. The midnight watch had been shifted hours ago. The sun would rise soon, and he was still insisting on strategizing. Daine had her head on Onua's shoulder and was looking dazed. Onua had dozed a couple of times, then awakened abruptly after nearly falling from her chair. Thayet was sleeping in a ball in a chair in the corner. Only George and Jon seemed to be still active, both of them pacing back and forth.

Alanna had continued to try Numair hourly without success. She would have to try again soon, although she was beginning to dread the possibility of having to open the blue envelope.

This had not been the plan at all. They were not going to tell Jon. Of course, since the delegates had been killed in his own castle, nothing could keep Jon from being blamed by the Island monarch. Now it seemed stupid to have ever kept it from him at all, but then they couldn't foresee that things were going to play out exactly this way.

Over the hours, they had talked about a dozen ways to try to go to Numair's aid, but no ideas seemed to have merit because they did not know where he was and had no way of finding him. Jon had suggested using a focus on Numair when Daine had pointed out that it wouldn't work and why. They had nothing else that belonged to the boy and they had not heard from Numair in hours.

Unable to sit still any longer without doing something, Alanna decided to try the opal again. The bubble grew in her open palm, surrounding the opal and then she saw him clearly, fast asleep buried in what looked like bushes. Daine stood up abruptly and rushed to Alanna kneeling in front of her open palm, "Numair, thank the Goddess."

His eyes opened and he looked at them groggily in his own opal. "Hello Magelet," he said with a sleepy smile. "Hello Alanna. I have somebody for you all to meet if we ever get out of here."

Suddenly Jon was on his knees too. "You have the baby?"

"Yes I do, but he's very, very sick. If I can get past the stormwings, I'll need to find him a healer. I have never wished so much in my life for healing magic."

"Stormwings?" Jon asked with concern.

"There are about twenty. They are circling and searching. They don't know we're hiding behind some oleander bushes. It's all good though, I had to rest. I'm very low on magic. I had to pull out a lot of my best tricks to get him out of the…" Numair stopped abruptly. Then he cursed. "Sorry, time to fight. We'll talk later." He was gone.

"Damn! He never told us where," Alanna said. She stood and pounded her fists against the wall. "I hate waiting. I want to do something."

There was a knock at the door. Jon answered it. Duke Baird was standing there with Elyra Kelton. "Sorry to interrupt you at this late hour, but she insisted," Baird said.

"I heard you were all still awake. Has there been any word?"

"A moment ago," Daine answered. "Numair found Michael but he's having trouble getting past all the – guards." She looked guilty for the omission but Alanna silently agreed with the decision. It was hard enough to wait on news of her friend. She couldn't imagine the worry that Elyra must feel for the safety of her son. "Don't worry. Numair will sort it out," Daine assured.

Elyra smiled and sat down weakly. Tears began to spill down her cheeks. "Goddess, Numair found him. I've thought – I've feared he was dead all of this time."

"Are you well?" Jon asked more to Duke Baird than to Elyra.

"The Duke wants me to rest more but I was too anxious. And I wanted to ask you for your assistance with something to be completed at first light."

"What do you need?" Jon asked cautiously.

"I need to contact my father. We haven't spoken in a long time. I know some magic but there is a spell to speak by fire and I need to talk to him face to face. I've never learned that one. I haven't much to offer Tortall for the life of my son, but I can get you an ally. I'm sorry that I can't arrange anything with the Copper Isles, but the Yamani Islands will listen to you."

"Who is your father?"

"Emperor Mathhew of D'nau. I am his fourth daughter." There was a sharp intake of breath that seemed to come from all corners of the room.

"How can we have a princess in our midst and not know it?" Jon asked, sitting down hard.

"My father arranged a marriage with a noble in the Copper Isles when I was fourteen because he could not stand to look at me, even masked. We have only spoken twice in twelve years. I can see you are all confused. Perhaps it is time that you saw what one piece of magic I know how to do well." She pulled back her magic to show her real face.

Alanna had never felt so much pity for another human being in all her life. Elyra's true countenance was badly scared and misshapen. The scars on her head were so numerous that even her hair appeared bald in spots. The beauty that she wore as a mask was probably what she should have looked like. Alanna could see all of the same components – the brilliant green eyes, petal pink lips, and copper colored hair. One cheekbone was high in the way that both usually appeared, but the other had obviously been broken and healed badly.

"Like Michael, I was kidnapped when I was small. I don't have much memory of the things that happened to me. I only know that when they got me back I had been injured and enough time had passed that I healed wrong. My mother would weep each time that she looked at me. They taught me to channel my magic to mask my appearance." Soft pink fire enveloped her again and her face returned to the beauty they were used to seeing. "I have stayed out of view of my father and now he owes me. He sent me to those monsters. It cost me my husband and very nearly cost me my son. He will sign a treaty and be the best ally Tortall has ever had!"

Alanna never saw Daine stand and walk over to Elyra until the smaller girl was hugging the taller woman.

-

-

Ahh, but there is much more to come, soon. Numair has to pull off a miracle. Respond please.