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“Paid mercenaries and pirates guarding the prisoners,” Shadow snarled.
Great sorrow burrowed into me. If only I’d known that bitch’s plans sooner, I could have saved my father. Saved Shadow, his family, and his land. Prevented the harm all those shifters had endured.
“Flare and I weren’t kept at the slave camps,” Shadow said to Flare’s contemptuous snort.
“She took all those strong enough to fight,” Flare said, “and dumped us in her shitty military camp to receive training. Fuckers punished us if we refused.”
So the mirror had shown me the truth, only I had thought they were her guards or soldiers, not hunters. I closed my eyes, imagining the kind of abuse they’d receive if they didn’t obey the witch’s commands.
Grimm stole the words brimming in my mind. “The queen is gathering shifters for an army?”
If that came to pass…well, in the words of Flare…we were all fucked.
Grimm stepped forward, forgetting his proximity to danger. “Who does she intend to fight with?”
Shadow and Flare exchanged a glace.
“Don’t know,” said Shadow.
Grimm glanced at Teeny out the corner of his eye. “Where is the training camp located?”
“Tritonia,” Shadow offered.
A shudder coursed through me. The news of the evil witch’s plans reminded me of the ancient war where bloodlines or ruling families were overthrown by the people. Could this situation be repeating itself? After all, she was building an army of shifters, and that only meant destruction and death.
“Listen, dwarf,” Flare growled. The lamps made the gray streaks on his temples glimmer. “We’ve told you enough. Now get us the fuck out of these collars so we can kill the bitch. Then the cub over there can go fuck his sweetheart.”
Shadow’s snarl left the hairs on my neck standing on end.
What a prick.Phantom’s grip on my wrist cut off my circulation. I shot him a look to relax and release me. He leveled my stare, maintaining a protective hold over me. In a way, it reminded me of the torturer. While he’d abused me, he’d repeated over and over that I was his, and I wasn’t going anywhere. I knew Phantom meant well and only wished for my safety. But, crazy as it sounded, he was beginning to make me feel as if I was trapped.
“Shut your mouth,” Phantom said.
“Want me to tear off your other ear, cub?” Flare goaded him.
It wasn’t a fair competition between him and Flare. Phantom was small and young. He didn’t stand a chance in a real fight with a full-grown shifter. Not the dirty way Flare played, anyway, tearing at the younger cat’s ear. The only way Phantom had achieved an advantage over the older panther was by surprising him, knocking him from the tree.
I didn’t want to watch those two brawl again. The chains were not coming off Flare. I didn’t trust him. The way his hunter eyes fixated on me, it was as if he was imagining tearing my throat out, all to get his collar off and be freed by the evil witch. A man who only valued himself was not one to trust.
“There’s something else you should know,” Shadow said.
The dwarves to stopped their departure but did not turn around.
“The collars are enchanted,” Shadow told them. “If Snow comes too close, the magic makes it impossible for us to control our panther side.”
Flipping hell.Just what I needed.
“All the more reason for me to call the blacksmith,” Grimm called out as he departed.
