Page 35 (1/2)

Helen frowned "I don’t think so"

"Well, she was"

"Do you have any kind of proof?" asked Joseph "If we’re going to gear up for an assault, we need to be using good infored woer explode below the surface of his skin He forced hih he had no idea where he’d found that kind of control The need to h hi presence of Nika in his ht there before you say sonore"

From the doorway, Madoc heard a faint intake of breath He was co there

"No, Madoc Let hio on It would be nice to knohat he really thinks" She was breathing fast Her cheeks were flushed, as if she’d run there Her white hair was tousled from bed, and the imprint of a fold in the pillowcase creased her cheek She came in and stood next to Madoc, and put her hands on her hips

He could feel the hurt radiating out froh to see, but enough that he could feel the stirring of air between thes, Nika," said Joseph, as if talking to a child "Really I just need to knohat’s real here, and what isn’t"

"I’ll be happy to show you, but you’re not going to enjoy it"

She glanced at Madoc, and he knew fro to like what happened next "Catchwhere she collapsed to the ground like someone had yanked the life froround She was lied out of hirew,Nika’s connection again

"I really hate it when she does this," heher in his lap

"Does what?" asked Joseph Then he went still His face went blank His eyes flared wide Sus stepped forward

"Don’t," said Madoc "She’s not going to hurt hi just that"

"If you’d seen Tori, you’d look like that, too She’s co breath and bent double, as if trying not to throw up

Nika’s eyes opened, tears clinging at the corners

The room was utterly silent They looked at Nika with a newfound respect--one bordering on fear If it was that easy for her to slide inside Joseph’sas next, and what Nikaaround

Madoc was certain that he was not the onlyto have to keep a close eye on her here, too If one of the otherto want Nika to find out Not only would she be in danger outside Dabyr, but she would be in danger here, too And there was no way Iain was going to give up the names of the men in the Band He was the only one who kneho they were Madoc wasn’t going to be able to trust any of the unbound oing to do with her? He had no business guarding such a precious gift He was going to fuck up and get her killed And the da he liked to think about

Everyone was still too quiet The silence was growing eerier by the second

Madoc had to clear his throat before he could speak "Do you believe her now, or do you need another display?"

"One was plenty" Joseph pushed hiht, but he was still a little paler than norht? Not some mind trick?"

"It was real," said Nika "If I wasn’t so tired, I could have kept us there long enough for you to talk to her She doesn’t wantin after Tori It’s just a question of hoe’re going to get her out alive How far away is she?"

"We’re not sure Nika and I are working on finding her She put soht shohere she is, but they’re scrambled"

"We’ll have them unscrambled today," said Nika, completely confident

He loved that about her--her absolute faith that he would coh It never failed to awe hi else?" asked Joseph "Any other clues that ht tell us where she is, how many other humans there are with her, or how many of the Synestryn we’ll need to take down to reach her?"

"All I know for sure is that some fuckhead named Zillah has her"

Gilda’s black eyes landed on Madoc,him squirm

She pushed herself to her feet "Did you say Zillah?"

"Yeah Know hius shared a look He reached for her as if wanting to give or receive conored his outstretched hand

"He’s the one who convinced Maura to switch sides and work for him He’s a powerful Synestryn All I really know is that he coht still be with hiave me He looks al like us?" asked Madoc