“The fastest one.”

“There’s a wall.”

“Up or down?”

“Down.”

“I can handle it. Let’s go.”

Another race through the city. More pain and the conviction that his arm was about to rip from his shoulder. The trip blurred into one test of endurance. He kept his gaze trained on Renée’s back, concentrating on the next step.

Shouts pierced his fog. Two more of Fisk’s guild members joined them. Their mouths moved, but it took him a moment to decipher their words. And when he did, they made no sense.

“Slow down. What’s this about sweepers and lamplighters attacking?” he asked.

“They’re the sweepers for Fisk and Yelena’s surveillance team,” Innis explained. “They were running for help. Guess the scouts missed the ambush.”

The word zipped through him. “What ambush?”

“The lamplighters. Or people dressed like the lamplighters. They attacked with...” He swallowed, afraid to continue.

“With what?” Valek kept his fists pressed to his side to keep his hands from grabbing the boy’s shoulder and shaking him.

“Torches.”

Cold dread numbed Valek’s pain. “Where?”

“This way.”

He pulled his daggers and noticed Onora and the others doing the same. They raced after the two sweepers, heading toward the bright spot he’d seen from Penny’s Arch.

Except when they arrived, it was no longer ablaze with light. Instead, the dark area had spread, encompassing the entire street. Valek signaled for everyone to slow down. No sense rushing into another ambush.

They found the scouts first. The two young men had been knocked out, but their pulses were strong. Fisk lay crumpled on his side next to one of the buildings. He was unconscious as well, and had a large, fist-sized burn on his left temple. Blood dripped from a cut on his cheek. Valek suppressed his fury, keeping a firm grip on his magic.

“The lamplighters formed a circle around them and forced them up against the building,” one of the sweepers explained.

“How many of them?” Valek asked.

“At least a dozen.”

Lovely.

“Over here,” Renée called. “I found Lyle and Berk.”

Valek crouched beside them. Peppered with cuts, bruises and burns, the two...boys looked in worse shape than Fisk. But their chests rose and fell with even breaths. “Are they the bodyguards?”

“Yes.”

Incredible.

“They’re good,” Renée said in their defense. “They were just outnumbered.”

“Any sign of Yelena?” he asked the group.

No response.

Onora appeared next to Valek. “A word?”

They moved away from the others. “Did you find something?”

“I’ve an idea of which direction they’re headed.”

“Let’s go.” He stepped past her, but she touched his shoulder and he bit back a scream of pain.

Onora showed him her bloody fingers. “You’re in no condition to go anywhere. I’m surprised you made it this long with the amount of blood you’ve lost.”

Valek growled at her, “I’m fine.”

She stared at him. “Twelve of them. Two of us. Think you can handle six with that shoulder?”

He sighed. “I’m listening.”

“Go back to HQ and take care of your injuries. I’ll discover where they’ve taken Yelena. Then I’ll return, and we can plan a way to get her back. Together.”

She was right. Yet his heart didn’t agree. It slammed against his chest, trying to rally the troops, get the body moving, or else it threatened to break out and go on without him. “What if she doesn’t have the time to wait for us to plan?”

“If they wanted her dead, we would have found her body.”

She was right. But could Valek trust her?

Onora met his gaze, sensing his hesitation. “She’s my friend. My only friend. Ever. I’m not going to let anything happen to her.”

“What about Sergeant Gerik?”

“He’s not my friend. He’s my brother.”

6

LEIF

By the time Leif wrestled control back, Rusalka had taken them far away from the wagon and its precious cargo—Mara and his father. None of the patrol members had chased after him. Leif dismounted and walked Rusalka, letting the horse cool down. He needed to cool his raging thoughts, as well.

Impotent fury burned in his chest over what Mara had done. She’d commanded Rusalka to go home, and the horse hadn’t hesitated. Damn. This was the exact reason why he’d wanted Mara to ride Rusalka. So she’d be safe. But she’d refused, and now she was caught, along with his father. Double damn.

Trying to suppress his fear and anger, Leif considered his next move. The patrol would most likely take them to Fulgor, to either the security headquarters or the garrison. If he could intercept them before they arrived...

No. Too many of them. Plus the soldiers were on horseback, and Leif would need to bring along a couple mounts for Mara and Esau. Doubtful he’d find any extra horses in the middle of nowhere. Leif glanced around at the forest and realized he had no sense of his location. As much as he hated—no, despised—the idea, he’d have to wait until they were taken to a specific place before he could rescue them.

At least he had friends and family in Fulgor. Opal, Mara’s younger sister, wouldn’t hesitate to help him, and neither would her husband, Devlen. Leif checked Rusalka’s legs and gave her water, but his mind was already planning his next move.