Page 133

No more texts from Ronan.

He said he’d call when he got to Kelley, and I trusted him. We’d made progress. His need to protect me was still at insane levels, but he wasn’t being as rigid about it. I just wish he hadn’t left me here and gone on his own.

It was early, still dark outside, but I was dressed and ready to go at a moment’s notice. I paced my room again, then headed downstairs. What I wanted to do was call Ronan, but I resisted. He’d call when he could.

I headed to the living room, where I paced some more, then moved to the window and looked outside.

The first rays of morning sun had changed the color of the sky. No sign of Ronan or his car. Sighing, I stepped back—

Something moved outside. I got close to the glass again.

Vesa.

Oh goddess.

He stood swaying at the end of the driveway, unable to get through our ward. His shirt was covered in blood, his face a mess. I dashed from the living room, quickly unlocked the door, and rushed out to help him. He stumbled back several steps, almost falling down. I quickly grabbed his bloody shirt, stopping him.

“Quick, we need to get you inside,” I said. There was a deep gash on the side of his head.

He shook his head. “Wanted to m-make sure you were okay.”

“But you’re not. What happened? Who were those guys?”

He took another step back. “I need to g-go. Needed to see you weren’t hurt.”

“Did you lead me into that ambush, Vesa?” Despite the way he looked now, I had to ask.

“N-no, I swear. That wasn’t supposed to happen. There’s been unrest at the colony…” He shook his head. “I never thought…I have to go.” He strode toward his car.

My instincts were all over the place. Something pulled me to follow the male who fathered me, while alarm bells wailed in my head at the same time. I’d seen how close the vines on my arm were this morning. Something needed to happen, and now, or we were going to lose everything. And I was positive Vesa knew something, more than he was letting on. “Wait.”

He kept walking. “I need to go.”

He rounded the car. I followed. “You’re injured. Come inside, let me help you.”

“No, I’m fine—”

“I know you’re keeping something from me.”

The doors in the back of the car opened, and two massive males got out. I hadn’t even seen them, too focused on Vesa. I instantly knew what a huge mistake I’d made leaving the safety of the ward.

I threw up my hand instinctively, trying to do what I had in the forest, to block them, but it didn’t work because I’d overshot my magic yesterday, almost draining myself completely, and because I was still building my magical stamina, hadn’t fully bounced back. I spun to run, but the male closest grabbed my hair and wrenched me back, throwing me down.

“Gag her, quickly. And be careful not to draw blood, it only strengthens her magic.” I tried to will myself to shift, but I didn’t have that kind of control over it, especially not when I was freaking the hell out. Vesa opened the trunk and pulled out a rope, no longer as unsteady as he’d led me to believe, and passed it to the male kneeling on my back.

“Quick, let’s get out of here before someone notices she’s gone,” Vesa said.

One of the males jerked me off the ground, tossed me into the back seat, and got in beside me. Vesa and the other male got in the front.

The engine roared to life, and we sped away.

Vesa pulled out his phone and glanced back at me as he held it to his ear. He looked different, I realized. The fake concern was gone. This was the real Vesa, the calculating look in his eyes as he stared at me, the triumph. “Got her,” he said to someone.

The bat who’d buried me alive, no doubt.

“Yes,” he said, eyes blazing. “I gave you my word. Something you seem to have trouble with. I’ll stick to my end of the bargain as long as you do. If I see any of your warriors before I get to the colony, she’s dead.” Then he disconnected.

I fought against my binds, and all it accomplished was making the ropes tighter.