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"One hundred and fifty, give or take," Dex said. "The south was busy with dragons, and drinking beer, and never got around to it."
"So this might be preemptive?" I suggested.
Dex shrugged. "Possibly."
"Would you know if they planned anything?"
The Keeper hesitated. "I hope so. I'd hate to be caught with my pants down. So to speak." He glanced at Bain and grinned.
"So you think," Kerina pointed her blade toward me, "they either assume she's the Alpha's weapon, or they want her for theirs."
My heart skipped a beat. "Fuck that. I won't be anyone's weapon," I said firmly. No way. Killing Lewis was an accident. Helping Bain kill Gordon was to save his cute little ass. I wasn't going to make a habit of it.
"I'm sure it won't come to that." Dex put a hand on my arm and led me toward the door.
I stopped and looked back at Urla.
"Which is it?" My voice was almost drowned out by the pounding in my own ears.
Urla stared back at me, unblinking.
I jerked my arm out of Dex's grip and stepped deliberately toward Urla. "Which is it?" Fury rose inside me, white hot and raw.
Urla flinched. "I don't know. I only know what I was told. They wanted to know what you could do. That was all."
"How did they know?" Without thinking, I had drawn power from Bain and Dex, maybe from the vanilla scent of Kerina, and picked Urla up by her shoulders.
The shoemaker's legs kicked as I pressed her hard against the wall of the cell.
"I don't know, I swear." Urla's eyes were wide with cold terror. "I swear to Hades, in the name of my ancestors and descendants."
"Descendants?" I echoed. "You don't deserve—"
"Viva!" Bain snapped. "Let her down."
His words hit me like a blow across the face. I let go of every ounce of power and let Urla drop in a heap on the cell floor.
"Oh shit!" I rubbed my forehead. "I didn't mean to…"
"Of course you didn't." Dex put a firm arm around my shoulders and drew me back. He guided me out of the cell, past Kerina, who watched me with undisguised curiosity. "This was very difficult for us all. It got the better of you."
"I shouldn't have let it," I said. I could have killed Urla with a flick of my power, or pounded her body to a pulp against the stone. And for what? Because I was scared of what was nothing more than a guess? An educated guess, but still…
"You raised a good question," Kerina asked. "How did they know?"
"I'd like the answer to that myself," Bain agreed. He closed the cell door, locked it and ordered two of the guards to stand watch outside. "I searched Urla's thoughts, but found nothing she didn't already say."
I looked at him sharply, but said nothing. I understood he wanted to keep his—whatever it was—from scrutiny as much as I did with my abilities. I had fucked that up. If the guards talked, the whole place would know by morning.
Dex ushered the four of us toward the guardroom. He helped me into a chair before he sat in one opposite. He took my hand in both of his and ran his thumb over my fingers as he spoke.
"Who can you think of that knows what you can do?" he asked gently. He gave me a moment to think and reply.
"My mother," I said slowly. "My siblings. My stepfather. A couple of my childhood friends. And you guys." I glanced toward Bain.
"Yes, and us," Dex agreed.
"And anyone you might have told," I said, my tone more accusing than I intended.
