It was a fine spring morning when Adesina sat looking out her window, lost in thought. Ravi, who had missed his usual predawn ritual of watching and a.s.sisting Adesina in her training, opened his eyes from a deep sleep.

"Happy birthday, Ma'eve."

Adesina blinked in surprise. It was her seventeenth birthday, and she had completely forgotten. "Thank you, Ravi. Have you been Dreaming?"

He was only a heavy sleeper when he was Dreaming. Ravi stretched and sat up. "Yes."

She still had not been able to Dream without the aid of the strange forest through which they had traveled. She covered the envy she felt by smiling at him teasingly. "Is that how you knew it was my birthday?"

"In a way. I have great reason to remember this day. It was very important to me."

Adesina turned from the window to face him. "Why is that?"

He smiled as if the answer were obvious. "Because you were born."

She was surprised to receive such a reply. "I had no idea that you had been so long aware of my existence."

Ravi raised his brow slightly. "Of course. Your existence completes mine."

The young Shimat frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The Rashad are sometimes born with a task a.s.signed to thema"a role or a purpose they are meant to fulfill. Mine was to be your guardian."

Adesina stared at him, dumbfounded. "You are my guardian?"

A soft laugh burst from Ravi's throat. "Why else do you think I would be following you day in and day out for all of this time?"

She shrugged defensively. "I stopped trying to explain your presence a long time ago."

Amus.e.m.e.nt danced in Ravi's eyes. "I see."

Adesina pushed aside her aggravation to give priority to her curiosity. "So, you were born to be my guardian?"

Ravi inclined his head.

"You had no choice in the matter?"

His expression now became more serious. "There is always a choice. Even in matters that are called *destiny' by some."

She furrowed her brow. "Does that not contradict the very idea of destiny?"

Ravi considered his words for several moments before answering. "Destiny is like a labyrinth. One is given the choice of paths, but once on that path one is required to follow it until a new choice is presented. When I received the Dream that told me of your birth, I had two choices: I could heed the call to fulfill my purpose or I could ignore it. I chose to heed the call and prepare to seek you out, and that choice has set my life on the path I now am obliged to follow."

Adesina thought about this carefully. "Is every life guided by destiny?"

"I do not know. I only know of its hand in my own life."

She leaned forward, fixing her eyes intently on Ravi. "What of my life?"

A smile tugged at the corners of Ravi's mouth. "Why do you think I would have the answer to that question?"

"Because you said that our lives were connected."

"Intertwined," he amended gently.

Adesina nodded impatiently. "If that is the case, then would it not stand to reason that you would have more insight into my life than with others?"

This time his smile would not be repressed. "An interesting observation."

Adesina straightened in her seat triumphantly. "Well?"

Ravi, on the other hand, laid back down. "I suppose it would make sense for your life to be guided as well as mine."

Her expression became troubled. "You said there are always choices, but I do not feel as if I have ever had any. My life feels more like my old ideas of destiny. I trained as a Shimat because I was born in the fortress, and I came to the High City because I was a.s.signed to a purpose here. What kind of choices could I have had?"

Ravi shook his head. "That I cannot tell you. All I can say is that sometimes our choices do not appear to be clear until after they have pa.s.sed. It may be that you look back on your life years from now and see momentous choices of which you were not aware."

An odd expression came over Ravi's face and he went very still. Although she wasn't sure why, Adesina went still as well.

"What is it, Ravi?"

He didn't answer for several moments. "Ma'eveaIaforgive me, but I must leave you for a time. Will you be all right if I go?"

The Shimat rolled her eyes. "I know how to take care of myself, Ravi. But what is wrong? What has happened?"

He shook his head doubtfully. "I am not talking about your physical well being. Something is happening, and I will not leave your side unless I know you will be safe."

Adesina's gaze became intent. "What is happening?"

Ravi hesitated before answering. "I do not know. That is why I must leave you. I have seen something I do not understand, and I must speak with one of my own kind."

"Where would you go to do that?"

Ravi's thoughts seemed to have turned inward. "Ruvim is probably the closest. Even so, it is quite a distancea"

After a few minutes of silence, his golden eyes snapped up to fix themselves on Adesina's face. "Would you promise me to stay here today? Tell Jelana you are ill, and stay in this room."

She was shaking her head before he finished talking. "I am not going to stay inside all day."

His expression became stern. "Now is not a time to be willful. This is very important, Ma'eve. Please promise me."

"What could possibly happen to me in this city? Especially when I am only going to school today?"

She met Ravi's eyes with a glare and folded her arms. He sighed. "Well, then will you promise me that you will do nothing but go to school today?"

Part of her wanted to refuse even that, but the better part of her nature won over her stubbornness. She gave a reluctant nod. "Very well."

Ravi smiled and nudged her hand with his head as a sort of parting gesture. Then, without warning, he disappeared. Adesina was a bit startled by this and quietly called out before she could stop herself.

"Ravi?"

But he was already gone.

Chapter Thirteen: Opportunity.

Jelana's voice drifted up the stairs, calling Adrie and Fia to breakfast. Adesina sighed softly and got up from her chair. She was about to walk out of the room when something outside her window caught her eye.

There was a small bird with a red string tied to its leg. It flew up and landed on her windowsill. Adesina cautiously approached the bird and removed the string. It immediately flew away. The string laid in Adesina's hand, and she looked as if it were a problem she'd rather not face.

It was a prearranged signal between herself and Kendan. It meant that they were to meet as soon as possible. This, of course, would mean breaking her promise to Ravi. She stood conflicted for several minutes, staring at the string in her hand and turning the situation over in her mind. On one hand, she had promised Ravi that she would only go to school today. On the other hand, she had her duties as a Shimat, and Ravi understood her obligations.

Adesina closed her hand into a fist, her mind made up. She gathered her things together and calmly walked down the stairs. Jelana scolded her mildly for keeping breakfast waiting and urged them to hurry so they wouldn't be late. She and Fia were met at the gate by their usual companions, and they walked to school together as they did every other day. Just before they reached the school, however, Adesina turned to Gainor with an expression of panic on her face.

"I left something important at home! I must go back for it."

Both Deasa and Rina looked ready to ask some concerned questions, but Gainor simply laughed at Adrie's absentmindedness and waved a pet.i.te hand.

"Hurry back! I will explain to Master Nabil."

Adesina jogged away without looking back. She slipped along the back streets, away from the prying eyes of the city. She kept her quick pace until she arrived at the small grate in the western wall. A survey of the surrounding area told her that it was safe for her to exit the city through this unnoticed hole in the wall. Adesina crawled through, covered it behind her, and stood with her back against the wall, preparing for the dash to the cover of the forest. It wasn't just a matter of getting to the trees quickly. She had to run unseen by the sentries. She had never yet been caught, but it took all of her focus and skill.

Adesina sat in a crouch with her eyes closed, imagining a swift wind sweeping close to the ground. This was another trick she had learned in the early years of her Shimat training. She was not sure how it worked, but it had never failed her. Adesina imagined that she was one with the wind, that her steps were aided by its strength and speed.

A quick glance told her that there were no guards looking in her direction, so she immediately sprinted towards the forest. Whether it was a trick of her mind or a reality, it seemed to Adesina that she was running even faster and quieter than what her Shimat skills normally allowed.

She was soon safe in the cover of the trees, and paused to catch her breath. She reoriented herself to which direction she needed to go and continued on her way. Adesina walked deeper into the forest until she reached the hidden cave. She studied her surroundings carefully to make sure she wasn't being watched and then entered the cave by crawling on her stomach.

Kendan was waiting for her, seated at the far end of the small cave with a small lantern by his side. He stood as he greeted her with a wide smile. Adesina ignored the irregular rhythm that her heart beat at the sight of him and returned the smile halfheartedly, anxious for Kendan to get down to business.

He handed her a scroll, which she quickly unrolled. Her eyes scanned the words before her and then darted back up to Kendan's grinning face, hardly able to believe what she had read.

"A mission?"

Kendan laughed and threw his arms around her. "Congratulations, Adesina!"

She returned the embrace with a breathless laugh of her own. Her mind wavered between the sensations she experience from the feeling of his arms around her and the elation of having her first a.s.signment. "But you said that it would probably be another year before my standing in the High City was secure enough to risk any sort of mission."

He pulled back just far enough to study her flushed features. "I suppose the Sharifal changed her mind." His expression became more serious. He released the embrace in order to hold her firmly by the shoulders. "You have earned this honor, Adesina, and I am very proud of you."

Kendan's face hovered close to Adesina's, his eyes silently questioning hers. He looked as if he wanted to say something else, but instead he cleared his throat and stepped away. Her heart was pounding so loud she was sure Kendan could hear it. In order to cover the noise, she began talking in a hurried voice.

"Is this all the information I will need?"

She knew the answer before Kendan gave it.

"Yes, of course."

Adesina busied her eyes with the scroll, but soon her preoccupation became genuine.

She was to kidnap a man.

The scroll detailed times and locations of where this man could be found. It gave a rough description of the man's physical appearance, focusing mainly on what the man would be wearing, which was definitely unlike anything worn by everyday citizens of the High City. Adesina frowned and looked up at Kendan. "This is to be executed tomorrow."

He nodded. "I know."

"How does the Sharifal expect me to be successful with so little preparation time?"

Kendan gestured to the scroll. "It does not require very much preparation. You will not be on your own in this mission."

Adesina continued reading. Her instructions were to incapacitate the man as quickly as possible and turn him over to another Shimat. A time for this exchange and location within the High City were also given.

"How are you going to get another Shimat into the High City in order to transport this man out?"

A brief smile crossed Kendan's face. "You are not the only Shimat in the High City."

She stared at him in shock. "What?"

Even when Kendan repeated himself, Adesina couldn't believe her ears. "Who is it?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You know I cannot answer that. This Shimat is very well placed and we cannot risk discovery."

Her eyes narrowed. "If you already have a Shimat in the High City, then why am I there?"

"Every Shimat serves a different purpose. Location is merely a means to that purpose."

The young woman sighed, suddenly feeling weary, unaccustomed to such a flurry of emotion. "So I am to kidnap this man and turn him over to another Shimat?"

Her companion looked disturbed by her tone. "Yes, but please be careful. It may seem simple to you, but this man is highly dangerous. He is a cult leader, and he uses fear, uncertainty and lies to control those around him. Avoid direct contact with him if at all possible."

Adesina smiled at the concern in Kendan's voice. "I will be cautious."

He grabbed her hand to prevent her from leaving. "He is a magic-user, Adesina. And he will use those skills against you if he has a chance."

The smile faded from her face. "Are they really so dangerous?"

A haunted expression flickered in Kendan's eyes. "The forest we pa.s.sed through on the way to the High City, that was the work of magic-users. They plant ideas in your mind, make it difficult to know what is real and what is imagined."

Adesina nodded slowly. "I understand."

She handed the scroll back to Kendan and waited until he burned it. They stood in silence for a few moments, looking at each other in uncertainty. Then, as she started to turn away again, he grabbed her wrist once more and pulled her back to him. This time he wrapped one arm around her waist to press her close, and the other hand grabbed the back of her neck to bring her into a pa.s.sionate kiss. His lips were hot against hers, and her mind spun as she kissed him back.