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Deeper inside the cave Deeper still

The next time Lucien paused, Kane hunched over and dry heaved The warrior didn’t release him--perhaps he knew Kane would have bolted When he finished, he straightened and wiped the moisture from his mouth with the back of his hand

"Just a little farther, I think," Lucien said, and flashed again

"I can make it" Maybe

At last the warrior stopped at the top of a smoky cliff

Kane croaked out, "Here" Patchouli saturated the air, a scent he knew far too well

Still battling the urge to run, he crouched and peered down at a land littered with jagged rocks and black dirt There were trees, but they were gnarled and without any sign of life In the center was the tent Tink hadand flesh-colored--Kane knew the Rainbow Rejects had skinned people to make it

Tink was inside Bound to a post Helpless

Fury overshadowed the worst of his revulsion Thethe best way to "romance" Tink

My Tink No one ro here?" a familiar voice deer He came face-to-face with Williarin Her beautiful face lit with delight "I’ve missed you like crazy"

"Well, I haven’t ht broke out

Normally Kane would have been ah," Lucien said, and the ridiculous fight of the she-cats stopped

"I’ to kill your boys," Kane said And fast He wanted out of this place

"Funny, but I’ the spot beside hiood thing, too, because the Phoenix burned down the king’s gardens, and someone has to face punishment He’s picked your Tinker Hell, because, apparently, she’s to blaent of soldiers after her"

Kane studied the area, plotting the best course of action against the Rainbow Rejects, saying distractedly, "Too bad she belongs to me now, not him" If he climbed down the cliff, he would be easily spotted The Rainbow Rejects would be distracted, would leave their posts to fight him Lucien could flash into the tent, and whisk Tink to safety

"He’s certain you’re tired of your Tink by now He’s expecting a thank-you hug"

That was because, to Tiberius, she had no worth

The et the Fae Where’s White?" he asked If necessary, he would fight her, too

"She helped her brothers ambush me, but at least she came back to doctor me," William said "Therefore, I only put her in time-out"

William had once put a Hunter in tih his orists in an attempt to escape the pain the warrior had unleashed

"By the way," the warrior added "Have you noticed anything unusual about your wedding ring? I’d always heard it had strange powers, but I never wanted to risk ed the distance from the bottom of the cliff to the campfire "So you risked my precious life instead?" If the Rainbow Rejects opted not to fight hiet to Tink before Lucien could flash in and free her

It was a chance he’d have to take

"Uh, yeah," Willia shows me when an enemy is near"

"What?" Electric blues narrowed to tiny slits "Give it back"

Kane ignored hi, "I’ll take care of the Rainbow Rejects Lucien, you’ll take care of Tink"

"What about et to cheer us on" Lucien would never forgive hi happened to his precious

"Hold up," William said "If I know my boys, and I do, they’ve bound your Tinker Hell with special chains Lucien won’t be able to cut her loose, and if he can’t cut her loose, he can’t flash her He’ll need a key"

A complication, but not one that was insurmountable "Do you have a key?"

"I do" Williaed the back of his neck "Get the key and I’ll give you the ring"