“Makai continued north. He’s gone for your mother.” The way Gage breaks the news, so cautious and tempered, turns my stomach sour.
He must be joking. “We can’t let him go for her alone.”
“He’ll be fine.” Stormy pats my back, ever the optimist. “He’s the only one of us who can enter the castle undetected.”
The invisibility thing. Right. Even so, “He’s injured. So what if he can get in? How’s he supposed to get them both out? I don’t suppose my mom can become invisible as well?”
Only Ky’s head shakes, confirming my fear. At least he’s honest. Why does everyone else keep treating me like a crystal vase, about to break with the lightest flick?
“It’s a three-day journey back to the Haven.” Gage wastes no time, acting as if our discussion is finished. “I’d like to at least be out of Shadow Territory before nightfall.”
“We can’t go on without them.” I thrust a hand in what I think is the castle’s direction. “What if they get hurt?” I don’t care what Ky said. Mom’s in danger. No one is going to convince me otherwise.
Gage hands his lantern to Kuna, kneels, scoops up some of the sandpaper earth, and rubs it between his palms. “Makai would die before he’d let something happen to your mother. Isn’t that right, Joshua?”
He nods.
How comforting. Not.
“Listen.” Gage stands, unsheathing his snakeskin-handled dagger and flipping it once, twice in his hand. “I understand, really. But your mother and Makai forfeited their well-being for yours. Don’t lose sight of the bigger picture. Allow us to take you to the Haven. Then you have my word, on my honor as a Guardian, if Makai has not returned with your mother in tow by then I will put together a rescue operation. Lead it myself.” He sheathes his weapon.
“It could be too late by then!”
A murder of crows startles, flapping their wings and taking flight from a patch of tall weeds.
Gage’s expression hardens. “I don’t wish to discuss this further.”
I press my lips, widening my eyes at Joshua.
He avoids my gaze. Is he just going to stand there? “I’m not taking one step farther away from my mom and Makai.”
Gage exhales. He steps closer, glares down at me. “You have no intention of coming willingly?”
“Careful now.”
It’s fine, Mom. I’ve got this. “No.”
“Then you leave me no alternative.” He lists his head. “Kyaphus, how would you like a chance to earn my trust?”
“Depends.” Ky has resumed lounging against the tree, fingers laced behind his head. “What do you want?”
“Eliyana is refusing to cooperate.” Gage’s words are for Ky, but his unblinking glower belongs to me alone.
I glare right back. Does he think a staring contest will scare me into submission?
“Yeah.” Ky laughs, a hollow sound. “I got that.”
“Let’s see you put your Calling to good use for a change.”
“You can’t be serious,” Ky scoffs. “How is paralyzing her now any different from what Crowe had me do?”
“So you won’t use your Calling on her? Even if it would earn my full and complete confidence?”
“What makes you think that’s something I want?”
“Very well.” Gage withdraws a section of coiled rope from his cargo pocket, then confiscates my flashlight and places it in Stormy’s palm. Next he takes me by the shoulder and spins my back toward him. Finally he binds my wrists, not too tightly, just enough so I can’t pull free. Loose or not, the rough threads chafe.
“Is that really necessary?” Ky, not Joshua, comes to my defense. Again. He moves toward me, as if he’s going to do something about it, but Kuna blocks his path.
“Yes.” Joshua? He can’t be supporting this. He’s supposed to be on my side.
Tears burn, and I gaze at my blurred boots. These guys are no better than Jasyn. Why would Joshua do this? It’s out of character.
Or maybe it’s not. Maybe New York was his act and this is who he is in real life. I stare at him, silently begging him for help. Pleading with him to show me who he really is.
For the briefest moment a grieved look flashes across his expression. His mouth turns down, his hands clench. Then he seizes the extra flashlight from Stormy and . . .
Walks. Away.
Coward.
“I’m sorry.” Gage turns me to face him again. It’s obvious he’s trying to be as gentle as possible. Doesn’t matter. “It’s for your own good. We can’t have another mishap like we did at sea.” He shoots a glare toward Ky. “Keep an eye on him, Kuna. I couldn’t care less if his alibis check out. I still don’t trust him.” Gage strides in the opposite direction, no hesitancy in his gait. Gentle or not, this is wrong. And I’m betting he knows it too.
Stormy links her arm through mine, carrying her lantern like a handbag on the other. Just what I need, a personal babysitter. “Come on. I’ve been dying for some girl time. These lugs can be such a drag.” How can she act like we’re friends, as if I don’t have my hands tied behind my back?
As she leads me I peek at Joshua. He and Gage are already twenty paces ahead, skulls bent together. Are they talking about me? About Ky taking Joshua’s place? I stifle a groan as Stormy relays the past couple of days in detail, leaving no hashtag or topic unturned. How surprised they were to run into Commander Archer and Lieutenant David. How they had no idea what Jasyn had planned for me. Would he kill me? Use me to bait the rebels?
I nod along, trying to keep up.
Preacher takes position as the loner, behind Joshua and Gage but in front of us girls. Ky and Kuna compose the caboose of our little train. I glance over my shoulder. Ky’s two-tone eyes fix on mine. His shoulder lifts, and the corner of his lips quirk. “Sorry,” he mouths.
I break eye contact swiftly. We’re not friends. He may have helped me, but he abandoned Mom. If I knew she wouldn’t be with us, I never would’ve left the castle.
We near where the crows gathered. I breathe through my mouth. A rotting animal carcass lies half eaten beneath thorny, berryless brambles. The body is mangled and shrouded by shadows. I can’t tell what it used to be. A deer? A horse? A mythical creature I’ve yet to encounter? Stormy just chatters on. Either she’s too self-focused to notice the roadkill, or she’s turning a blind eye—and nose.
The rope twists into my skin as I adjust my wrists. That’ll leave a mark.
We amble through the woods, and I try to focus on her words. She’s saying something about how much she hates sleeping on the ground, about . . . I can’t help it. Joshua’s right there, completely ignoring me, behaving as if the last three years never happened. Like we haven’t spent time together nearly every day, growing close and, for me, falling in love. How can he let them do this to me?
I’m a fool. He cares about one thing and one thing alone—his oh-so-precious duty.
I’ve never resented my birthmark more.
SEVENTEEN
Who You Are
And then Preacher landed right in a huge pile of manure.” Stormy laughs. The other night it was impossible not to be infected by her contagious trill, but after hours on end—the sound is a dying smoke detector. Beep. Beep. Beeeeep . . .
I don’t bother faking amusement. I’m a captive now. No need to pretend I’m anything more to her than a means to an end.
“Hey, are you okay?” For the first time in miles, she actually takes a breath.