“Devlen, and I can prove it.”

“An illusion?” Crafty asked. She was the only other magician in the room.

“Blood magic.” Devlen explained about switching souls with Ulrick. “And I brought you a present.”

Grabbing me by the arm, he yanked me to my feet.

“We already know the sand recipe,” Tal said in a dismissive tone. “Ash has been making orbs for weeks and shipping them to us.” He gestured to Namir.

“But she’s the only other person who knows it. Right now the Stormdancers don’t have anyone with that knowledge.” Devlen smiled. “I need her to help me, after that, she’s all yours.”

Sir’s eyes gleamed with sudden understanding as cold calculation caused him to dance with glee. “And she’ll be very useful with a certain stubborn Stormdancer. Especially with this blizzard. He can fill all the orbs for us.”

“It’s too soon,” Tal said. “The full energy of the storm won’t be on us until tomorrow.”

“Then there’s plenty of time to convince him,” Sir said.

“I can help with that,” Devlen said. “I’ll only need a few hours.”

Horror swept through me, crushing my bones into powder. Kade was here. And they planned to use me to make Kade help them.

“Take her in the back,” Sir said. “Next to the Stormdancer. Let them get reacquainted.”

Tal carried a torch and led the way as Devlen pulled me along. I exchanged a glance with Yannis. Wait, I mouthed to him, hoping there would be an opportunity to use him later.

The back ended up being a storeroom. New locks gleamed on the thick door. Inside the room, barrels littered the floor and piles of burlap sacks rested against the walls. A few empty orbs rested on a table. No windows and no fireplace, yet the one stone wall might be the backside of a hearth. I felt a bit of heat when I passed it. The torchlight swung over a net-covered bundle.

“Over here,” Tal said. He pointed to a pair of manacles dangling from long chains attached to the ceiling.

My metal cuffs wouldn’t fit inside, so Devlen removed them. I had a second of relief before my raw wrists were snapped into the manacles. He pocketed the small silver key and surveyed my new predicament. My feet didn’t touch the floor so Devlen moved a few sacks under me until I could stand.

“No sense making you suffer yet,” he said. “Perhaps your friend will be reasonable and you won’t suffer at all.”

Tal had gone over to the bundle and kicked it. “Wake up. We have a surprise for you.”

The net-covered bundle groaned and rolled over. Kade appeared between the netting. I bit my lip to keep from crying out. He had been beaten. Bloody welts and huge purple bruises marked his jaw. His hands and feet were hog-tied behind him.

Tal gestured to me. Kade turned his head and met my gaze. He closed his eyes for a moment as if enduring a wave of pain.

The traitor watched him with a gloating satisfaction. “She’s special to you, isn’t she? You won’t let her get eaten by a snow cat like you did Varun. Will you?”

Kade said nothing. He switched his attention to Devlen—he saw only Ulrick, though. Disappointment and chagrin touched his eyes before he stared at the men with determination.

His stubborn resolve gave me an idea. Why not have him dance for these men? He would be allowed out of the null shield net. Given access to his powers. But I had to make it seem as if I didn’t want him to do it.

I said, “Don’t give in. They won’t kill me.”

Tal moved toward me, raising his fist. Devlen intercepted him. “Your crude methods won’t work.” He rummaged in his pack until he found one of his clamps.

I couldn’t stop my cry of alarm.

“Hold her still.” Devlen instructed Tal where to hold me to immobilize my right leg.

I struggled, not about to make it easy. “Don’t give in,” I yelped when he found the horrid spot and positioned the clamp. “They won’t kill me.”

“There are worse things than death,” Devlen said as he tightened the screw. “We’ll give him a few hours to think it over.”

Once the clamp pressed into my leg, my ability to form coherent words dissolved as my world shrank to a single intolerable sensation—worse than death.

When the pain stopped, I reconnected to the world.

Devlen stood before me. “Good news. Your Stormdancer decided to cooperate. But you’ll have to hang out here for a while. At least until the storm blows over.”

He moved aside to let Shen and Rutz build up a pile of sacks under me. Enough so I could lie down and still be attached to the ceiling.

“The boys are very concerned about your welfare,” Devlen said. “I think they’re hoping you’ll show your gratitude.”

Rutz rubbed against me as he positioned another bag. I jerked away.

“They even offered to help convince the Stormdancer, because they thought my methods too harsh.” Devlen swept his arm out, pointing toward Kade.

Kade had risen to his knees. He was pressed against the net as far as he could go. If it hadn’t been attached to the wall, I guessed he would have been next to me.

“Perhaps they are harsh, but they are effective. No one expected him to give in so easily,” Devlen said. “I have not failed yet.”

The three men left, taking the light with them. After the locking sounds ceased, I lay there and tried to put my thoughts into words. The wind howled through the rafters. My sweat-dampened clothes turned icy on my skin.