“Can you sense anything?” Micah asked. “Anything at all?”

  Asher clenched his fists. “Someone with strong magic has passed this way recently, but I can’t tell where they’ve gone. There is no clear-cut trail. It’s as if the power has been smeared to hide their location or their path from here. “Have you—”

  “I can’t feel her at all,” Micah admitted, fighting despair. He would find her. He had to.

  “Try again.”

  Closing his eyes, Micah sought her energy. As he called her again, he felt her stir. With barely controlled excitement, he could tell she’d opened her eyes. The damp, dank wall of a cave came into view. She was alive. Relief weakened his knees, and he leaned against the flanks of his horse. He had never been so happy to see granite in his entire life.

  She glanced at Neeve, who lay sleeping near a fire, curled up on the hard ground. He felt Elizabeth’s fear, regret and determination as if it were his own. At the same time, an overwhelming sense of sadness and loss washed over him. He felt her tears, hot on his cheeks. She swiped at her face and whispered his name.

  His heart constricted at the anguish in her voice. If she was so grief-stricken about leaving him, why had she gone in the first place? He felt the sensation of her small, soft hands as she buried her face in them and wept. His heart ached at the intensity of her sorrow.

  Not bothering to wait for Asher, Micah wheeled his horse toward the forest and sped off. Asher would have to catch up. Micah needed to find his mate.

  Cursing the May rains, he rode through the storm-tossed forest and headed for the catacomb of caves that opened up across the river. Cadeyrn raiding parties frequently used the cave system as a base camp when conducting their raids. His hands tightened on the reins. What if Elizabeth and Neeve had stumbled upon those savages? They would have gone from one set of attackers to another. Cold fear chilled his blood.

  He tried to stretch his awareness toward her, but he couldn’t home in on her presence like he’d been able to earlier. Riding as quickly as he was, he couldn’t afford distraction from the slick ground under the horse’s feet and the branches that lashed and tore at his skin.

  When he got his hands on her…

  He couldn’t complete the thought, vacillating between paddling her ass and holding her so tightly her breath became his own. Perhaps he’d do both—as long as he didn’t have to face her broken, lifeless body.

  * * * *

  Elizabeth wiped the tears from her face. She’d heard Micah call her name. He’d woken her from a sound sleep, his voice echoing through her empty soul. Cold and stiff, she stumbled to her feet. Her entire body ached as if she’d slept on uneven rocks, which she supposed she had. She glanced at her friend who still slept peacefully near the fire.

  Gently, Elizabeth stroked Neeve’s brow, checking for fever. Thankfully, she remained cool to the touch. She stirred from sleep and slowly blinked. Elizabeth watched as the memories of the past day flooded back into Neeve’s mind. She gasped and stiffened under Elizabeth’s touch.

  “It’s all right,” she soothed. “We’re safe among friends.”

  Neeve pulled away the layers of blankets and felt for her wound.

  “You healed me,” she croaked, her voice rusty with disuse.

  “I helped,” Elizabeth admitted. Had Neeve been conscious during the healing, and she hadn’t known it?

  Neeve tried to shake her head but winced, stopping the motion. “I can feel your energy—almost like a brand on my skin. Thank you,” she whispered.

  Elizabeth’s eyes filled with tears. She had to tell Neeve—they were running out of time. “We have to separate. Micah is on his way here. I’m sure Asher is with him.”

  Neeve slowly pushed herself from the cave floor. “What? Why?”

  “Micah senses my presence.” Elizabeth swallowed hard. “It doesn’t matter where I go. He’ll find me.”

  “I’m not leaving you,” her friend said forcefully.

  Elizabeth gently pushed Neeve back to the ground. “You have to. Otherwise, we’ll both be dead.”

  Neeve shook her head, her eyes filled with tears.

  Guilt washed over Elizabeth. She’d convinced her friend to leave. It would be her fault if they got caught. When they got caught. Micah wouldn’t cease searching.

  She pulled his cloak from her shoulders and settled it over Neeve’s quivering form then embraced her friend. “I’m so sorry I dragged you into this. You should be back at the temple, safely asleep.”

  “There is no safety there. We were right to leave.” She dragged the heavy cloth from her body and pushed it at Elizabeth. “If we leave now, we can stay ahead of the overlord and Asher.

  Not missing the way Neeve’s voice broke on Asher’s name, Elizabeth shook her head. “It doesn’t matter where I go. Micah will find me. And if he finds me, he’ll find you. And the rest of the women. I can’t be responsible for destroying this place. I won’t let that happen.”

  She raised her hand to stop the protestations she knew were coming. “I should be safe with him for a while. I don’t believe he’ll kill me yet. I’m with child—his heir.”

  She knew she carried a girl, but hopefully, Micah wouldn’t until she could figure out how to escape him permanently.

  Neeve studied her silently then placed her hands on Elizabeth’s still flat belly. A slight smile curved her lips, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “She’ll be strong like her mother.”

  Elizabeth choked back tears at the realization that her friend would likely never see the babe.

  “We could both go back,” the younger woman offered. “I don’t want to leave you to face them alone.”

  “I’ll be fine.” Elizabeth embraced the woman who’d become more than a sister to her in a very short time. “Keep the cloak. You’re going to need it more than I will. Micah will be here, soon.”

  Neeve clung to her, but Elizabeth pulled away.

  “It’s the only way.”

  With tears in her eyes, Neeve nodded and laid back on the blanket.

  Elizabeth raised a cup of cool water to her friend’s lips, and she drank deeply. She lowered her head to the ground and closed her eyes. Elizabeth smoothed Neeve’s hair off her face as Tamara approached.

  “How is she?” the other woman asked.

  “She’s doing well. There’s no fever.”

  Tamara smiled. It was so like Micah’s that Elizabeth felt it in her chest. Tamara motioned for Elizabeth to rise and extended her hand. Elizabeth grasped it and stood.

  “Grandmother wants to speak with you.”

  Silently, she followed Tamara, knowing what Alinore wanted to discuss. Though Micah supposedly had no magical ability, he’d managed to find her every time she’d left, and now, he was on his way here.

  Her stomach twisted, and she knew with certainty that no matter where she went, he’d be able to find her. If he found her, he’d find Neeve and the others. She couldn’t let that happen. These people had risked their lives to help her. She wouldn’t betray them by leading their enemies to their door.

  Her breath caught in her throat. No matter what, Micah and his remaining family members were enemies. With her heart aching, she wished she had the power to heal that great wound, but it was far to deep. The damage was permanent.

  Elizabeth followed Tamara through the hewn rock corridor until it opened into an underground pool. Alinore sat by the water’s edge staring into its glass-like surface.

  Elizabeth turned and hugged Micah’s sister—her friend, she amended. “Thank you for everything,” she murmured.

  Tamara hugged her fiercely in return. When she pulled back, there were tears shimmering in her dark eyes. “Be well.”

  Elizabeth nodded, tears forming in her own eyes. She watched as Tamara walked away. Quietly, Elizabeth approached Alinore and sat down beside her, waiting for her to speak.

  When she didn’t, Elizabeth summoned her courage. “I must leave here. Somehow, Micah senses my presence. Sooner or later, he’ll find me.” She picked at the hem of her dress, waiting for Alinore to respond.

  “I never wanted to hurt the children,” Micah’s grandmother finally murmured, sounding weary. “I tried to take his father’s power, but he was too strong.” Pain slumped the old woman’s shoulders. “So I harmed the next best thing—his son.”

  So much suffering. Elizabeth’s heart ached. It didn’t have to be this way.

  Alinore whirled to face her, eyes sharp. “I couldn’t bring myself to take the child’s power completely. I just blocked it.” She gazed intently at Elizabeth. “You’re freeing his abilities.”

  “But I don’t know how—”

  “It doesn’t matter. You are the catalyst.” Alinore turned away from her and stared over the calm surface of the lake. “Events are unfolding as they must.”

  She pulled a pendant on a chain from the inside of her dress and lifted it over her head settling it around Elizabeth’s neck.

  Elizabeth lifted the ornament in her hand and studied it. A deep green gem set in a heavy silver setting glinted in the low light. She ran her thumb over the oak leaf carved in the stone.

  Alinore smiled kindly at her. “This belonged to my mother. I’d like you to have it.”

  “But…”

  She closed Elizabeth’s hand around the pendant. “It’s yours now.”

  “Thank you. It’s beautiful.” Elizabeth slid the pendant along the long, silver chain. She’d never seen anything so lovely.

  “I should leave now. I don’t want him to find you. Or Neeve,” she added. “Will you be safe?”

  “If you stay with us? No. If you leave? Yes.”

  Nodding, Elizabeth rose and tucked the necklace into her bodice to keep it safe. “Will you take care of Neeve? I fear for her safety if she returns with me.”

  “She will be protected. It is her destiny that she come with us.”

  Were they leaving the caves? Before she could voice her question, Alinore straightened.

  “This is merely a temporary camp for us. We will return to our home soon.”

  Elizabeth grasped her arm. “Aren’t you worried they’ll find you in the meantime?”

  A gentle smile broke the sad lines of her face. “Not the way we travel.”

  Elizabeth wanted to ask what she meant, but Alinore stood, and she knew she’d learned all that the older woman wanted her to know. Elizabeth embraced her.

  As she pulled away, Alinore laid her hand over Elizabeth’s abdomen. “Blessings on you and your daughter.” Withdrawing her hand, she turned Elizabeth toward the back of the cavern and tied a soft cloth over her eyes. “I can’t risk letting anyone search your memories.”

  Elizabeth nodded. She hated the helpless feeling the blindfold engendered, but she would do whatever it took to keep harm from these people. Alinore took her arm and slowly turned her in a circle then urged her forward. With a heavy heart, Elizabeth trudged away from the place she’d felt safest since her mother had died. They moved slowly over the rough terrain, and her trepidation grew with each stumble and misstep.

  Replaying Alinore’s words in her mind, Elizabeth kept pace with the older woman. She cleared her throat. “Earlier, you said events were unfolding as they must. Do you know what the future holds?”

  “Not entirely. The danger you face is great, but you and my…grandson…”

  Tears welled behind Elizabeth’s eyelids at the catch in the woman’s voice.

  “You and my grandson,” Alinore said more strongly, “have a chance at a happiness my daughter never knew. But you will both need to be strong enough to grasp it and hold on.”

  She patted Elizabeth’s arm. “Be wary of Willem. He will not rest until you’re dead—or he is.”

  Elizabeth fought the shiver that threatened as she remembered Jenna’s broken, bruised body. Cold air swirled around her ankles as they reached what must be an entrance to the cave system.

  She knew the moment they reached the open forest. Cold rain lashed at her, soaking her instantly, but it felt so good to be in the open air again. She breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of wet earth and new growth.

  “Seek assistance from your father,” the old woman said, as she led her farther from the opening of the cave.

  “I don’t think he’ll be any help. He seemed very pleased when Micah came to fetch me.”

  “He’s not your father.”

  The world tilted and Elizabeth stumbled. Alinore caught her, hauling her to her feet. Prodding her along, they continued to make their way through the forest.

  “Your mother fell in love with a temple guardian, and they continued to meet long after your mother was married.”

  Elizabeth’s head swam as everything she’d known to be true disintegrated. Had the man who’d raised her known she wasn’t his? Was that the reason he’d been so cold?

  Her eyes stung with unshed tears. No wonder her mother had always seemed sad. Unable to be with the man she loved—forced to live with another. She’d always said her true joys were her daughters. So many things made sense now.

  “Who is my real father?”

  “His name is Banyon.”

  With a sudden chill, Elizabeth remembered the man who’d stared at her at dinner. The one with the sad, familiar gray eyes.

  Alinore halted abruptly. Slowly, she spun Elizabeth in several circles. When she stopped, she hugged Elizabeth tightly. “Be safe. Be brave. Soon, this will all come to an end.”

  Elizabeth nodded, unable to form the words. She lifted her hands to take off the blindfold, but Alinore stopped her. “Count to twenty then remove it.”

  Frustrated by the secrecy but understanding the need for it, she agreed.

  “Follow the river to the east, and he will find you.”

  It almost sounded like a warning. Perhaps it was. Micah was sure to be enraged by her latest escape. At least, her friend had gotten away safely.

  Elizabeth squeezed the woman’s hand. “Please give Neeve my love,” she whispered.

  “You already have.” Elizabeth heard the smile in her voice. “You’ve kept her from death.”

  Keeping her promise, she kept her eyes closed and counted. When she reached the appointed number, she pulled the cloth from her eyes. As expected, there was no sign of Alinore. It was as if she’d dissolved into the trees.

  Inky darkness shrouded the forest. Elizabeth had never felt so alone. Squaring her shoulders, she made her way to the sound of rushing water.

  In the distance, she noticed the dim glow of a small campfire. She doubted Micah would stop to make a fire—which meant that it likely belonged to a Cadeyrn raiding party. So much for following the river.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Predawn light filtered through the branches, and still, Micah searched for Elizabeth. Soaked to the skin, his bones ached with the cold. He glanced at his companion. Asher fared no better. He looked as miserable as Micah felt.

  “Take my horse.” Asher tossed Micah the reins and dismounted. “The sky is lightening. I’m going to search from the air.”

  In the time it took Micah to shake the water from his eyes, Asher transformed into a hawk and took flight. The bird’s shriek shattered the still morning air as it circled back in the direction they’d come from and disappeared from sight.

  Sighing, Micah headed in the opposite direction. They needed to find the women and return to the keep as soon as possible. The gods alone knew what trouble Willem caused in his absence.

  To the west, the snapping of twigs broke the quiet of dawn. Climbing from his horse, he listened as the noise grew nearer. Micah tied the reins of both mounts around a tree and moved toward the sound. As if conjured by his desperation, Elizabeth stumbled into view.

  His chest constricted at the sight of her. Her sodden hair clung to her bruised face and her dress was muddied and torn. She’d never looked more beautiful to him.

  Catching sight of him, she skidded to a stop. She sighed in obvious relief, and a wobbly smile curved her lips as he walked toward her. He half expected her to bolt before he reached her, but instead, she took a few hesitant steps toward him.

  He moved more quickly, needing to hold her. It had been less than two days, but he felt as if he hadn’t touched her for years.

  She opened her mouth to speak, but her words were cut short by an arm across her throat. Two Cadeyrn marauders stepped from the dense copse of trees to Elizabeth’s side.

  “Release her,” Micah commanded.

  “I don’t think so,” her captor growled. He adjusted his hold on her as she struggled. The man locked his arm around her chest and placed his other hand around her throat, effectively immobilizing her. “Leave, or I’ll kill her.”

  Micah’s jaw clenched at the sight of the thief’s filthy hands on his mate. The man would have to die. He reached for his sword, only to remember he’d left it in the scabbard on his mount. How could he have done something so foolish? The gods damn him. The only weapon he carried on his person was his hunting knife. It would have to do. He pulled it from his belt. It was a comforting weight in his hand.

  “You won’t hurt her,” Micah said, praying they wouldn’t call his bluff. “You need our women.”

  “You must want her dead, since you’re still moving,” the man’s companion threatened. The rising sun glinted off the dagger he held to Elizabeth’s neck, and Micah ceased moving.

  “She is my mate,” he said. “Release her, and I’ll allow you to leave this wood alive.”

  “You are in no position to bargain,” the man who held her laughed. “Besides, you should never let a woman like this out of your sight.”

  “She’s ours now,” the other man added.

  Elizabeth communicated silently with her eyes, but Micah had no idea what she tried to convey. Her frustration was as palpable as his own. As soon as the blade drifted slightly from her skin, she slammed the back of her head into the face of the man who held her captive.

  Torn between horror for her safety and the need to act quickly, Micah sprang forward and engaged the man with the weapon. He tried to ignore the gut-wrenching terror at the sounds of struggle coming from his mate. He’d do her no good if he got himself killed trying to rescue her.

 

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