“Why you?” Teegan asked in a tone more curious than combative.

“I’m the oldest. I know Sitia. And I have the most experience.” Heli held up three fingers.

“We just turned seventeen,” Zethan said. “Plus we were all at the Krystal garrison.”

“Heli helped my parents free the Bloodrose clan last year,” Teegan said.

Heli flipped up her pinky as those random comments connected like lightning in her brain. “And I’ve a great idea.”

13

YELENA

The knife pressed against my throat. Frustration eclipsed my fear. The soldiers we’d ambushed had just ambushed us. They’d pretended to be knocked out by the sleeping potion that had coated our weapons and filled our darts.

“Weapons down, now,” the man holding me ordered.

A thin line of pain seared my skin as he emphasized his point.

Valek glanced at Onora, but she’d disappeared. Cahil’s crew looked to Valek for guidance. He held a dart, but the drug hadn’t worked on the soldiers. No time to wonder why.

“Easy,” Valek said. He placed his weapons on the ground with enough flourish to distract the soldiers while he palmed a new set of darts. I hoped those were laced with goo-goo juice, as it appeared nothing else in our arsenal would work. Valek motioned for the others to disarm.

“Let’s be reasonable, gentlemen. What do you want?” Valek asked.

“Let’s not,” the scout behind me said. “Jone and Nusi, secure them.”

The two on the wagon hopped down and reached under the seat for manacles. Jone and Nusi approached Valek first.

Valek waited until they were within striking distance. “Now!” He whirled, kicking the manacles from their hands.

I was yanked sideways so hard, I broke free from the man’s grasp. In a heartbeat, he flew forward and landed on the ground. He didn’t move. Onora appeared next to me and grinned. She drew her knives. Cahil’s crew reclaimed their weapons. I turned, and Kiki’s copper face peered at me through the greenery. Happy to see her, I grabbed my bo staff and joined the fracas.

Well... I tried. Valek fought Jone and Nusi. They had some skill but lacked experience. Valek slid past their defenses and disarmed them in a few moves. Onora also took down two opponents, and Hanni, Faxon and Sladen proved very capable of handling themselves in a fight. Soon they had manacled all eight of them—five men and three women—to eight trees. The scout who had grabbed me still hadn’t regained consciousness.

“What did you hit him with?” Valek asked Onora.

“I didn’t. Kiki kicked him with her back hoof. She has excellent aim. I just tugged Yelena out of the way.”

Remembering the knife, I touched my throat, smearing blood from a shallow slice along my skin.

Valek pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the rest off. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I owe Kiki a few milk oats, though.” I gazed at the prisoners. “Why didn’t the sleeping potion work on you?”

“We’re not telling you,” Jone said.

Valek held up a dart laced with goo-goo juice. “You won’t have a choice.”

Unless they were immune to this drug, as well.

“But first...” Valek strode over to the wagon, and I followed right behind him. He cut Mara and Esau loose, then unlocked their manacles.

Bruises marked both their faces, and raw skin ringed their wrists and ankles. Mara ripped her gag off and collapsed in my arms. Alarmed, I hugged her close as she sobbed into my shoulder. Oh, no. Fear bloomed in my chest, squeezing my heart.

Esau rubbed his hands. Dirt and blood stained his tattered clothing. “Thanks for rescuing us.”

“Are you all right?” Valek asked him.

“Minor stuff. I’ll be fine. Poor Mara had a rougher time of it, though.” Esau glared at the group attached to the trees.

Ice filled my veins. Valek and I exchanged a horrified glance. Was she...? Did they...? I couldn’t even think the word.

Mara straightened, jerking from my embrace. Tears streaked her face. She wiped them away with an angry swipe. “I...” Pulling in a deep breath, she continued, “It was terrifying to be tied up, utterly helpless and at their mercy.” A shudder shook her body.

“Did they...harm you?” Valek asked the question on all our minds.

“No. They threatened to, and their hands...” Another shudder. “But they didn’t rape me.”

We all breathed a huge sigh of relief.

She clutched my arm. “Where’s Leif?”

“We don’t know. We’d hoped he was following you.”

“He’s not. He would have found a way to let me know he was nearby.”

I agreed. “In that case, he’s probably in Fulgor.”

She nodded. “We need to find him.”

“We will, but first I need to interrogate the soldiers,” Valek said.

“I know why they’re immune to the sleeping potion,” Esau said. “Those crossbreed plants...” He waved at the wagon, but only a few dead leaves littered the bed. “They’ve been working on antidotes to sleeping potion, goo-goo juice and a number of poisons. So far, they’ve discovered one for the sleeping potion. And they also have Theobroma-resistant Curare.”

“How close are they to finding an antidote to goo-goo juice?” Valek asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Then let’s see what they know.” Valek pricked them with the drug, waited a few minutes and questioned them. Unfortunately, they were just grunts following orders. Their knowledge was limited. The only useful information we gleaned from them was that all soldiers on patrol or those escorting officers or prisoners would get enough of the sleeping potion antidote for the length of their mission.