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“Her mother wasn’t a necromancer,” Forrest points out.
“No, but she was known to them. That was the extent of her power—she was practically famous, highly gifted, and what’s one thing necromancers crave more than anything?”
My brother and I answer in unison. “Power.”
“Yes, they wanted to use her power to benefit themselves, to increase their own powers. She wasn’t interested.”
I can’t help but wonder if the necromancers weren’t somehow responsible for her death, but that’s nothing more than a distraction at the moment. All of this can be figured out later once I know Lili is safe. My head swings back and forth as we walk, my eyes constantly scanning for any sign of her, my nostrils flaring as I breathe deeply, hoping for any hint of her in the breeze. Damn it, where could she be? There hasn’t been any signal from elsewhere—one of us is supposed to howl when we find her.
“Why would they want her now?” I ask, speaking more to myself than to them. It’s a rhetorical question, anyway.
Benedict has theories of his own. I guess he’s had enough time to think about this while he was withholding crucial information. “I suppose they imagine she’ll benefit them somehow. They assume that because her mother had such incredible power, she must have inherited it. It’s the only logical answer.”
“And they wouldn’t want to find out for themselves before trying to kidnap her, would they?”
We’re on the verge of entering a healer’s shop when I hold Benedict back. Forrest goes on ahead of us, stepping inside to inquire, leaving me alone to ask what’s been rubbing me raw. “Why didn’t you say anything about this when you were here before? You could have been honest, so we would know what we need to look out for.”
He flings my arm away, snarling. “Don’t you think I know that? You think I haven’t wrestled with this ever since I watched you mark her? I knew where this could lead, that her existence might be revealed. I feared they would find some way to use her, to hurt her.”
My irritation, and fear mount, mixing together. I’m a ticking time bomb waiting to happen. “Why would you keep it from me? It’s my duty to protect her. How am I supposed to do that if I don’t have all the information?” I snap, a growl ripping from my throat.
“How did I know you wouldn’t reject her?” he counters. “Or do you mean to tell me you would have been compelled to mark her had you known of her true lineage?”
“Don’t presume to know what I would do,” I warn with a snarl of my own. “You have no idea.”
Something washes across his face, which suddenly sags. It reminds me of a balloon with half the air drained out. “She’s already gone through so much. You aren’t a father. You don’t understand. Since she had never shown any inclination, any hint of taking after her mother…”
I’m not much in the mood for his explanations, and arguing with him won’t get me anywhere, either. “Anyway, we don’t have much more ground to cover.” Though, at the moment, I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or otherwise. We haven’t found her yet. What are the chances of her having ventured further than this?
“She was here,” Forrest explains when he emerges through the trees. “The healer said it’s been thirty minutes or so.”
My heart jumps in my chest. “She didn’t say anything about a plan to go elsewhere?”
My brother is wise enough not to roll his eyes, but his disappointment in me rings out in his voice. “Wow, I never thought to ask. No, she didn’t say anything about that. She was with Thorne’s daughters, though.”
“She might have gone to his house,” Benedict suggests, and I hope he’s right, but I would think someone would have found her there by now. We would have heard the howl.
“Let’s continue, just in case.” It’s getting late, and the light is fading from the sky. The sense of urgency worsens by the minute. I would know if they had taken her, wouldn’t I? I would be able to feel it. I need to believe that. As we walk quickly across the open space between the edge of town and the older, less established section near the border. Even if she is here, she’s in danger whether she knows it or not. She’s so close to the edge of our territory. I’m sure it wouldn’t even occur to her to be aware and on guard. She’s so damned determined to take care of herself that it could very well lead to her death.
Thorne and the guards he took with him meet up with us along the way. No need to ask if they were successful—if they had been, they wouldn’t still be searching. “She was with your girls,” I tell him once he joins us.
