“How bad?”
“Owen Griffith,” Hattie said. “He’d taken in refugees from Cariboo and Azul. His wards were over-burdened, but it happened in the middle of the day when most of his people were evacuating. They brought in the wounded two days ago.”
I turned toward Leo. “Anyone I know?”
He was the world’s worst secret keeper. No matter what he said, I would always see the truth in his eyes. “We heard some of the young ones were taken hostage. Teenagers. They’ll be used as leverage if the packs attack.”
The soup Hattie had heated and insisted that I eat cooled in front of me. I toyed with the spoon, afraid to ask but already knowing by the weight in my heart. Adriel was living at Owen’s settlement. So was Catrina.
“Where were they taken?”
“To her fortress.”
Not as leverage, but as bait to draw the wolves in. The alphas. One alpha, who was also a dread lord.
Leo rearranged the water glass in front of me, making sure it was full. “Mace’s spies reported from inside Amal’s compound. No proof she’s discovered how to strip the wolves from alphas or anyone else.” He eyed me steadily. “Did you get what you needed… wherever you went?”
“Yes.”
“Will it help?”
“If I get there in time.”
“The transports for the wounded already left,” said Hattie, fidgeting with a soup ladle, which she’d been using to refill my bowl every time I took a spoonful.
“A supply convoy leaves in two days.” Leo’s expression hardened. “Alpen men are driving.”
“They’ll be my last resort,” I said through a frozen smile.
The plan developed in my head. One where I’d open a passage like the one I’d opened from outside Pelonie’s wrinkle. The same way I’d created an opening through a solid wall when I’d been training with Laura for Brin’s rescue.
Amal created passages all the time for her abominations. Perhaps I had the same talent. One thing I knew was that waiting two days for a ride with Alpen men wasn’t comforting. Nightmare images swamped me. Images of fighting while I stood by and did nothing.
I had to find a way. Get close to Amal. And yet, no matter how hard I tried, the magic refused to cooperate. No passage opened despite my ranting. The best it would do was fill my closet with winter clothes, heavily knitted wool sweaters and tunics, fur-lined leather trousers that were remarkably flexible. A hoodie that would conceal my face. A clandestine visit to the armory was done during the night and netted me a new bow with more of Mace’s special arrows, the ones tipped with wolfbane, which I added to the silver-tipped arrows left over from my adventure with Pelonie.
When I slipped from the armory, a low-pitched voice froze me in place. “Did you get everything you needed?”
A male stood in the shadows. A Sentinel Falls sentry, although I didn’t remember his name.
“How long were you watching?”
“Since you arrived in Azul. Orders,” he said with a flash of canines. “Dozens of watchers. For whenever you showed up.”
“Mace?” I guessed.
“He has faith in you.”
I readjusted the arrows in the quiver. “And you didn’t?”
“You have our loyalty. Our respect. And our love, Noa Bishop. Your life above ours.”
“No,” I said, and slid the quiver over my shoulder, settled the strap. “Fight for justice. For what brings peace. What will set this crazy world right.”
“Vampires roam through the forest.” Another important reason for his vigilance.
I nodded my gratitude. “I won’t invite them inside.”
“They would not get close enough to knock,” the guard said with a shrug that had me smiling at his swagger. “If you decide to hitch a ride, hide in the back of the last truck in line. We’ll throw a tarpaulin over the crates with blankets hidden beneath. Take food and water, dress warm enough to keep you comfortable. Reluctant allies, the Alpen. Boredom annoys them. It’s a nine-hour drive. You don’t want to be the diversion.”
