Efron shrugged. “Shall we do business, then?”
“As we’ve agreed,” Anika said. “The wolf for your son?”
Efron nodded.
Sabine stumbled forward suddenly, throwing herself at Efron’s feet. “Wait! You promised I could speak!”
The Banes sprang forward, shifting into wolf form. They stalked around Sabine.
Efron’s lips curled back in a sneer as he looked at the trembling girl on her knees in front of him.
I stared at her. What the hell was she doing?
“Please,” she said. “Please.”
“What is this?” Efron spat.
“That girl is useless to us,” Anika said stiffly. “But unlike you, we aren’t monsters. We don’t execute prisoners for no reason and we can’t risk her seeing our operations. She’s a liability.”
Sabine was sobbing and trying to tear out her hair through her bonds. “I didn’t know. I’m so sorry. I made a terrible mistake.”
“How pathetic,” Lumine said. “What a joy that we don’t share your burden of conscience.” She looked at the Banes and raised her hand. I couldn’t breathe, knowing she was about to give the order for them to rip Sabine apart.
“No.” Efron threw her a sharp glance. “This is for me to deal with.”
Lumine sighed, letting her hand fall. “As you wish.”
“Please forgive me, master.” Sabine stared up at him, her face wet with tears. “Show me your favor. Take me back.”
I felt sick, knowing this wasn’t real but unable to understand how it could be part of the Searchers’ plan. Why would Sabine come back to Efron? What good would come of that?
A smile slowly curved Efron’s mouth. “Dear Sabine, why would I open my arms to you? Betrayal cuts like the sharpest knife. Surely you know that.”
“I know,” she pleaded. “I didn’t understand. But I don’t belong with them. I belong with you.” She turned to glare at Anika. “They are fools,” she hissed. “I want to live. Let me come back to the Banes.”
Efron nodded. “You always were a survivor.”
She nodded.
“Dax and Fey would certainly welcome your return,” he continued, lazily trailing his hand through his golden hair. “Particularly since the third in your party proved a poor replacement for you.”
My blood felt colder than the air around us. Oh no.
Lumine smiled cruelly. “I told you she wouldn’t last.”
Efron shrugged.
Sabine wasn’t moving. She kept her eyes on Efron but didn’t speak.
My voice broke the silence. “Cosette?”
The question earned me a knock on the head from Emile that made my ears ring as I hit the snow on all fours.
“Keep your mouth shut, bitch.”
“Such a frail girl. Not much of a wolf either.” Efron shook his head slowly in mock regret. “One day after you’d left, we found her hanging from a tree outside the Bane compound. Only one day.”
His gaze slid over Sabine, his smile razor sharp. She didn’t flinch; instead she murmured, “Cosette was always weak.”
“Indeed.” Efron stretched his hand to Sabine. She took his fingers, letting him pull her up. “Welcome home, my dear.”
“Thank you.” She bowed her head.
“Can we move this along?” Connor suddenly bellowed, shoving Logan to his knees. “This one smells like his own piss.”
Efron glared at him. “If you’ve harmed my son . . .”
“No permanent damage has been done,” Anika said. “I assure you.”
“Give him to us,” Efron said, though he kept his hold on Sabine. “Now.”
“Not before we have the wolf,” Anika replied.
“Emile.” Efron jerked his chin toward Connor.
With a sweep of his arm, Emile lifted me onto my feet and had me stumbling toward the Searchers. At the same time, Connor kicked Logan, who began to scramble through the snow, Connor behind him. We stopped less than a foot apart.
Emile grinned at Connor. “Well, well. I haven’t seen you since a minute before I made meat out of your leader.”
“I won’t forget to show my thanks for that,” Connor said.
“I look forward to it,” Emile said.
Connor grabbed Logan by the shoulders, thrusting the Keeper out in front of him. “Let’s just do this.”
“Happily,” Emile snarled, tightening his grip on my waist. “Sorry we didn’t have more time to chat, Calla.”
I glared at him. “Go to hell.”
Despite my outrage, my heart was pounding as I glanced over my shoulder at Sabine. We couldn’t leave her here. We just couldn’t. Then I was being shoved forward and I saw Logan tumbling past me. I threw Connor a pleading look as Emile let me go.
Connor shouted before I could catch my breath, and in the next moment I was in the Searcher’s arms and we were running through the snow toward the other side of the meadow. Light blazed ahead of us as a portal opened and I heard voices calling my name.
The Banes were already lunging after us, but the Searchers had anticipated Keeper treachery. Crossbows twanged as Connor pulled me into the shimmering doorway with Anika at our side, calling orders even as we ran from the snow-filled meadow. I twisted in his arms, looking for Sabine. Just as the portal’s light poured over me, I met her gaze and thought I saw her smile.
EIGHTEEN
“WE HAVE TO GO BACK!” I shrieked at Connor, who struggled to hold me as Adne closed the door.
“What did they do to you? Have you lost your mind?” Connor shouted as I thrashed against him. “Why the hell would we go back there? And by the way, that’s some thanks for the rescue!”
“You left Sabine!” Tears were running down my cheeks and I couldn’t stop them. I was too angry and too afraid for what would happen to her.
Connor rolled his eyes. “We didn’t leave her.” He shoved me away with a grunt.
“It’s part of the plan, Calla,” Adne said gently.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Connor glared at me.
“The plan?” I forced myself to take a breath, shuddering out my wild emotions.
“Like I said.” Connor laughed. “No confidence in us at all.”
“We needed someone who could watch the Keepers and communicate with the Guardians,” Adne said.
“As we’ve agreed,” Anika said. “The wolf for your son?”
Efron nodded.
Sabine stumbled forward suddenly, throwing herself at Efron’s feet. “Wait! You promised I could speak!”
The Banes sprang forward, shifting into wolf form. They stalked around Sabine.
Efron’s lips curled back in a sneer as he looked at the trembling girl on her knees in front of him.
I stared at her. What the hell was she doing?
“Please,” she said. “Please.”
“What is this?” Efron spat.
“That girl is useless to us,” Anika said stiffly. “But unlike you, we aren’t monsters. We don’t execute prisoners for no reason and we can’t risk her seeing our operations. She’s a liability.”
Sabine was sobbing and trying to tear out her hair through her bonds. “I didn’t know. I’m so sorry. I made a terrible mistake.”
“How pathetic,” Lumine said. “What a joy that we don’t share your burden of conscience.” She looked at the Banes and raised her hand. I couldn’t breathe, knowing she was about to give the order for them to rip Sabine apart.
“No.” Efron threw her a sharp glance. “This is for me to deal with.”
Lumine sighed, letting her hand fall. “As you wish.”
“Please forgive me, master.” Sabine stared up at him, her face wet with tears. “Show me your favor. Take me back.”
I felt sick, knowing this wasn’t real but unable to understand how it could be part of the Searchers’ plan. Why would Sabine come back to Efron? What good would come of that?
A smile slowly curved Efron’s mouth. “Dear Sabine, why would I open my arms to you? Betrayal cuts like the sharpest knife. Surely you know that.”
“I know,” she pleaded. “I didn’t understand. But I don’t belong with them. I belong with you.” She turned to glare at Anika. “They are fools,” she hissed. “I want to live. Let me come back to the Banes.”
Efron nodded. “You always were a survivor.”
She nodded.
“Dax and Fey would certainly welcome your return,” he continued, lazily trailing his hand through his golden hair. “Particularly since the third in your party proved a poor replacement for you.”
My blood felt colder than the air around us. Oh no.
Lumine smiled cruelly. “I told you she wouldn’t last.”
Efron shrugged.
Sabine wasn’t moving. She kept her eyes on Efron but didn’t speak.
My voice broke the silence. “Cosette?”
The question earned me a knock on the head from Emile that made my ears ring as I hit the snow on all fours.
“Keep your mouth shut, bitch.”
“Such a frail girl. Not much of a wolf either.” Efron shook his head slowly in mock regret. “One day after you’d left, we found her hanging from a tree outside the Bane compound. Only one day.”
His gaze slid over Sabine, his smile razor sharp. She didn’t flinch; instead she murmured, “Cosette was always weak.”
“Indeed.” Efron stretched his hand to Sabine. She took his fingers, letting him pull her up. “Welcome home, my dear.”
“Thank you.” She bowed her head.
“Can we move this along?” Connor suddenly bellowed, shoving Logan to his knees. “This one smells like his own piss.”
Efron glared at him. “If you’ve harmed my son . . .”
“No permanent damage has been done,” Anika said. “I assure you.”
“Give him to us,” Efron said, though he kept his hold on Sabine. “Now.”
“Not before we have the wolf,” Anika replied.
“Emile.” Efron jerked his chin toward Connor.
With a sweep of his arm, Emile lifted me onto my feet and had me stumbling toward the Searchers. At the same time, Connor kicked Logan, who began to scramble through the snow, Connor behind him. We stopped less than a foot apart.
Emile grinned at Connor. “Well, well. I haven’t seen you since a minute before I made meat out of your leader.”
“I won’t forget to show my thanks for that,” Connor said.
“I look forward to it,” Emile said.
Connor grabbed Logan by the shoulders, thrusting the Keeper out in front of him. “Let’s just do this.”
“Happily,” Emile snarled, tightening his grip on my waist. “Sorry we didn’t have more time to chat, Calla.”
I glared at him. “Go to hell.”
Despite my outrage, my heart was pounding as I glanced over my shoulder at Sabine. We couldn’t leave her here. We just couldn’t. Then I was being shoved forward and I saw Logan tumbling past me. I threw Connor a pleading look as Emile let me go.
Connor shouted before I could catch my breath, and in the next moment I was in the Searcher’s arms and we were running through the snow toward the other side of the meadow. Light blazed ahead of us as a portal opened and I heard voices calling my name.
The Banes were already lunging after us, but the Searchers had anticipated Keeper treachery. Crossbows twanged as Connor pulled me into the shimmering doorway with Anika at our side, calling orders even as we ran from the snow-filled meadow. I twisted in his arms, looking for Sabine. Just as the portal’s light poured over me, I met her gaze and thought I saw her smile.
EIGHTEEN
“WE HAVE TO GO BACK!” I shrieked at Connor, who struggled to hold me as Adne closed the door.
“What did they do to you? Have you lost your mind?” Connor shouted as I thrashed against him. “Why the hell would we go back there? And by the way, that’s some thanks for the rescue!”
“You left Sabine!” Tears were running down my cheeks and I couldn’t stop them. I was too angry and too afraid for what would happen to her.
Connor rolled his eyes. “We didn’t leave her.” He shoved me away with a grunt.
“It’s part of the plan, Calla,” Adne said gently.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Connor glared at me.
“The plan?” I forced myself to take a breath, shuddering out my wild emotions.
“Like I said.” Connor laughed. “No confidence in us at all.”
“We needed someone who could watch the Keepers and communicate with the Guardians,” Adne said.
