Page 69 of Dark Dragon’s Mate

How did he know that? Only Emon knew, and Mayah. Had Emon told Grange? Terror began to spread cold tentacles through Trish. She couldn’t ask Tristan to lie for her—he’d risk punishment from the council.

They were going to find out everything. She’d be arrested. Put in a cage. Maybe put down. How could she have let this happen? How could Layla have done it?

Did not, Layla said, more forcefully. Told you.

That took Trish aback. Layla always took credit for her kills, for her fights. She was proud, even defiant. Why would she deny it now?

Who the fuck did, then? she asked, not really expecting an answer.

But she got one. For the first time, Layla responded to her.

Do not know. There was a pause. Confused. But we did not do it.

This didn’t make sense. But if they hadn’t done it… Trish tried to think back, to the last thing she remembered. She’d seen Emon in the lab. He’d left for the iron mine. Then she’d… what did she do after that? It was all hazy.

Except… Her hand went to her shoulder. That stinging pain. Under her fingers was a faint indentation, barely discernable.

A nearly-healed puncture. Like from a tranquilizer dart.

She’d been set up.

Grange had set her up.

Things started coming back to her, clicking into place. The feeling of being drugged. The coffee. And now the false accusations. Grange was making it look like Layla was a dangerous killer.

I am. But I did not do this.

Grange had. But why?

She didn’t have time to figure it out. Grange and Noah were almost here. And if Noah took her back to Silverlake, she wouldn’t see Emon again.

She wouldn’t be able to warn him that Grange was the one who had betrayed him. She had to get out of here.

She looked up, seeing a faint spell net stretched along the fencing and over the top of the enclosure. No way over or through the fence. He’d thought of everything.

I dig, Layla said.

There was no time for second-guessing herself. She let the wolf have her body.

Grange and Noah were right at the gate.

“You shouldn’t have just left her out here,” Noah said.

“I had to,” Grange sounded defensive. “I needed you to see it, or I knew you wouldn’t believe me. Don’t worry. She should still be unconscious from the tranq dart I put in her…”

Layla had bounded to the far side of the enclosure and was digging under the fence, using all her shifter speed.

Be stubborn, Noah, she said mentally. Keep arguing.

She was halfway under the fence, paws churning, dirt flying up behind her.

Grange was intoning his counterspell to remove the spell net.

Layla dug harder.

There was a faint ringing sound as the net overhead fizzled out. They were almost through. Dimly, ears muffled in her tunnel of dirt, she could hear the gate squeak open.

She scrabbled as hard as she could, dirt choking her. Just another foot…six inches…