“I can’t just pop out of here,” he retorted.“I have no idea where any of these tunnels go or what I’d emergeinto. Plus, you shut some of the gates, so I don’t have many placesto roam.”
Lexi shrugged, but as much as she wanted himgone, she was glad he hadn’t decided to find his way out. It couldhave been disastrous, especially if one of those ways entered intothe manor.
“What do you mean you helped save one of mybrothers?” he asked.
She filled him in on what happened with Brokkbut emitted all details about Cole and herself. However, she musthave given something away as his calculating eyes ran inquisitivelyover her.
“And you didn’t tell them I was here?” heasked.
“You’re still here, aren’t you?”
Instead of answering her question, he askedanother. “And how is Cole?”
She somehow, miraculously, managed not toblush as she responded. “Fine. They both returned to the Gloamingtoday, which means I can take you out of here.”
She pulled the cheese from her pocket andtossed it to him. He caught it with ease.
“If you’ll follow me,” she said.
“And what if I decide not to go back outthere?”
“Then that’s your choice, but I’m not comingback here. You can let me lead you out somewhere safe, or you canwander around here until you’re half-starved and desperate. Oncethat happens, you’ll have to take the risk of leaving here andsomeone seeing you.”
“And then they’ll catch you too.”
“I. Don’t. Care,” she enunciated.
It was a bald-faced lie; of course, shecared. They both knew that, but she wasnotgoing to be athis mercy anymore. She’d rather be crisp fried by a dragon thancontinue to live like this.
“I’m not going to keep putting myself at riskby continuing to come down here. Either leave now, or you’re onyour own.”
He bit into the cheese and chewed beforeswallowing. “Lead the way, little human.”
She glowered at him but refused to give himthe satisfaction of telling him off. Turning on her heel, shedidn’t look back at him as she led the way to a door that openedinto a shed on the edge of her property.
The shed housed all sorts of garden tools,fertilizer, and some seeds, but few knew its location as it wastucked within a copse of trees. She had no doubt it would be safeto emerge there.
Climbing the stairs to the door, she slid thebolts locking it free, grasped the handle, and pushed it up. Thescent of dirt and earth enveloped her.
Though she was sure it was safe, she stillpoked her head cautiously out to look around before climbing intothe shadowy interior of the shed. She stepped out of Orin’s waybefore hurrying over to one of the three windows.
Even if someone had their face against theglass, they couldn’t see into the shed. Her father had made sure ofthat with tinted windows.
Still, she approached the glass slowly beforepeaking outside. Nothing moved through the trees, so she went toone of the other windows.
She checked that one before going to the lastwindow. The last window held her attention longer than the others.Through the trees encircling the shed, she could see smoke coilinginsidiously into the air from the remains of the marketplace.
The smoke made her recall the thunderousbooms that shook the earth and the way the dragon destroyed withoutremorse. Screams echoed in her head as that helpless feelingdescended over her again.
She despised feeling so powerless in thisnew, uncertain world. There had to be something she could do to putan end to all the death and senseless violence, but she had no ideawhat.
Orin’s reflection appeared in the glass as hecame to stand behind her. “What happened there?” he inquired.
“The Lord decided there was a traitor in themarketplace.”
“Was there?”
“I don’t think so.”
