His eyes searched hers, wary and furious all at once.
“I wasn’t going to take you back unless I was sure,” she said, voice trembling. “I knew you must have had a reason. I never believed you were doing it to hurt us, but I had to be certain. I asked you Sebastian before I cast–” She broke off. “You wouldn’t tell me.”
Sebastian held her gaze. He remembered that she’d asked him, she could tell. The fire in him cooled, and something flashed across hisexpression, understanding and then... relief? He hid it so quickly that she couldn’t be sure.
“You weren’t going to take me to the Council?” he asked in disbelief.
“I never wanted to,” she promised. “Never.”
He stepped closer, opening his mouth to speak, then–
“What the hells is going on?”
Henry.
Kara spun around. He stood with a sack of supplies slung over his shoulder, taking in the scene. Sebastian awake, unbound and standing far too close to Kara.
Well, this looks bad.
The sack slipped from his grip, thudding to the ground. “Gods above, Kara. What did you do?”
Kara stepped towards him. “Henry–”
“You untied him?” His voice was rising now. “Are you insane?”
“He’s not going to hurt us,” she said.
“You don’t know that,” Henry snapped. “He could kill you–”
Beside her, Sebastian shifted. Kara didn’t need to look to know his magic had flared again – there was a sudden heat in the air, a crackle of power.
“If I wanted her dead, she’d be dead already,” Sebastian growled.
Kara shot him an exasperated look she hadn’t meant to give.
Not helping, Sebastian.
“You don’t understand, Henry. He’s doing this for Vallenna!”
“What?” Henry asked, incredulous.
“He had a vision,” she blurted out. “He hasn’t betrayed–”
Henry’s laugh was sharp and humourless. “A vision? Kara. He’s Thorne, not Fatàn. Either he’s lying to you, or he’s lost his mind.”
Panic seized her. “No, I saw–”
Henry’s hand sparked ice-white. “Put him under again. Now.”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Kara–”
“I said no.”
She moved without conscious thought.
Kara stepped directly between them, putting her body between Henry and Sebastian.
