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“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
She just shook her head.
“Why am I here?”
“The Master will make it clear when he sees you. But first I must ready you.”
Behind her, Liam lunged for the bars of his cell. “Let her go!” he said. “Take me instead.”
The woman turned her head to look at Liam, but I didn’t let go of her wrists. She pulled against my hands, trying to get a better look. She said something to Liam in a language I didn’t understand.
Liam pushed himself to his knees and blinked at her. Then he said something to her in response. They spoke the same language. She made a wailing moan in response to whatever he’d said to her, and then she dropped her head to her chest. I could feel the sobs shaking her body as I held on to her wrists.
“What did she say?” I said.
“Eve,” Liam said. “Tell me what she looks like.”
The woman looked up. Her wet eyes met mine.
“Golden-blond hair,” I said. “Blue eyes. Do you know her?”
Liam moaned. Then he spoke again in that language.
The woman bit her lip and sobbed again. “Let me go to him,” she said.
I let go of her wrists and she flung herself across the corridor, sliding on her knees to face Liam. She reached for his face and my heart sank. They were speaking rapidly now. I took a few steps back from the bars and started to turn away.
“Eve,” Liam called. “Wait.”
“It’s all right,” I said. I turned and paced to the back of my cell.
“No, you don’t understand,” he called to me.
The woman stood and approached the bars of my cell. “He is my kin,” she said.
My head snapped up. “Kin?”
“Eve,” he said. “She’s going to help you.”
“But I’m not leaving without you. And you’re hurt,” I said. “She should help you.”
“I’ll be fine. Just promise me you’ll listen to her.”
The woman looked nervously over her shoulder down the corridor. “I must go,” she said. “They must not find me here. Stay quiet. I’ll return soon.”
She disappeared down the corridor, and I paced back to get a better look at Liam. His face was swollen on one side, and a bruise darkened his jawline. The blood dripping from his nose had mostly dried, but the front of his shirt was spotted with it.
“How did we get here?” I asked, keeping my voice barely above a whisper. “Do you know where we are?”
“You were captured,” he said. “Don’t you remember?”
“No. I remember shouting and dogs barking, and a horn. I remember hearing your voice calling to me, but I couldn’t see you. I don’t remember anything after that.”
He sighed. “Some men, wild men that come out on the night of the solstice and get a little crazy, grabbed you. I chased them, trying to rescue you.” He grinned. “I guess I made a mess of that.” He ran his fingers over his bruised jaw and brushed away some of the dried blood.
“But what is this place? What do they want?” I sank to the floor and sat facing him.
