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"Grace has been helping us keep an eye on her, and she’s doing a great job," said Paul

"In the ive orders for all the Theronai to track down sgath and kill the the that for days now and it appears to be helping," said Tynan "Time will tell"

Joseph wanted to ask o to Nika to see if she could save him, but he didn’t dare He was the leader of the Theronai His needs had to come last, after those of all his men He promised hio to her

"What about those wounded in the attack?" asked Joseph, hoping to distract hilow for a split second--so brief that Joseph wasn’t even sure he’d seen it "Cain is still unconscious Logan, Alexander and I are doing all we can, but it’s not looking hopeful There are a feounded humans, all of ill recover"

But they’d lost two Rose their son

The weight of that loss hung heavy around Joseph’s heart Dabyr was supposed to be a place of safety and refuge He’d promised all the hu, whichabout How many other oing toand death of those he orn to protect?

"If you need anything, let ave him a formal bow of his head "Of course"

"Now, on to why I’ve brought you all here It’s not good news"

Drake rolled his eyes and scoffed, "When is it?"

Joseph hated speaking the words, but he had no choice "We all believed that our walls were safe, that the Synestryn couldn’t get in unless they ca"

The men shifted uncomfortably Except for Iain, who sat utterly still, his face expressionless

Joseph knew they were all thinking the sa There was no way to keep the huh of theht the war If the walls fell, they’d have to choose which vow to uphold--protect the huate

"The good news is that the wall didn’t fall because it eak, or because the ic embedded in it had failed"

"Then why?" asked Drake

A bitter taste flooded Joseph’s ed the protective stones and created an opening"

Thick, stifling silence filled the rooiven hiured he owed his men at least a few seconds

"Who?" asked Iain, punctuating the question with the hissing ring of steel on steel as he drew his sword

Joseph held up a staying hand "Stand down, Iain We don’t know Yet"

"How did you learn this?" asked Angus The lines on his face deepened with fear He had more to lose here than anyone--both a wife and a child The only Theronai child left to theht nod

Nicholas rose gracefully to his feet "I went over the video surveillance of the attack The breach happened at a point covered by two cameras Both of them had been disabled"

"Are you sure it wasn’t solitch?" asked Paul

"Yes I went back through the video to the point where the ca They were disabled one at a time Whoever did it was visible on soh about our security to keep their face averted"

"Who is it?" asked Iain in a quiet voice

"I can’t tell It’s a e of the back of his head"

"Show lance at Joseph Iain’s sas still out, glea with lethal intent

"Put the blade away, Iain," ordered Joseph

"I’ to kill him," said Iain His voice was cold and steady, just like his dark gaze

"No one is going to kill anyone until we are sure who this is and question them Now put the sword away"

Iain sheathed his sword

Nicholas opened his laptop co around so the rest of the rooe was clear, but there wasn’t o on--just a few flashes of the back of a loved hand

"Anyone recognize him?" asked Nicholas

No one spoke

"Are you sure it’s someone who lives here?" asked Paul "Could it have been an intruder?"

Nicholas shook his head "It’s possible, but I checked all the entries through the front gate for the ten days leading up to the attack and he doesn’t fit any of the people who came in"