His voice was still low, vibrating with power, but also coaxing. “What vow do you want in exchange for this information, kitten?”

This was it. Her only chance at helping find her brother and the young.

She pulled in a long breath, giving herself enough air to state her demands without her voice wobbling. “Freedom. I want to be free to leave Dabyr whenever I want, and to go wherever I want. Alone.”

He shook his head. “No. That’s too much to ask of me. You can’t expect me to trade your life, not even for information like this.”

“That’s not what I’m asking. My life is my own. Not yours. You don’t get to trade it for anything.”

“You’re putting me in an impossible position. If I don’t give you freedom, then one of our women goes unclaimed and unprotected. If she dies, so does one of my men, and untold others that a united pair of Theronai could have saved. If I do give you freedom, then you could be hurt or killed, and the peace between our people could crumble, taking countless lives along with it in future battles. How can you stand there asking me to choose from those two outcomes? Just tell me what I want to know so we can save this woman.”

Lyka wasn’t about to fall for it. She wasn’t putting some stranger’s life at stake, but he couldn’t know that. “She doesn’t want to be found. Outing her is a huge betrayal. If not for the lives of our young and my brother being at stake, I wouldn’t even consider telling you who she is. This is a onetime offer. Take it or leave it, before I change my mind.”

Joseph’s jaw clenched with frustration. “If she doesn’t want to be found, then she knows what we’d ask of her. An unwilling woman is of little use. We would need her to bind herself to one of our men in order to save his soul and tap into his power.”

“What if I could promise you that she would come to you willingly?”

“I don’t believe you. You’re grasping at straws now.”

“Am I? I’m willing to tie myself to my word. I’ll give you a binding vow that she will accept the collar of one of your men as long as she gets to choose which one.”

“That doesn’t prevent her from taking years to make her choice.”

“I could make her choose.”

“How?” he asked. “What does this woman owe you that you could be so certain of her cooperation?”

“That’s my business. All you have to do is man up and give me your promise.”

He stood there in silence for several seconds, simply staring at her. “I want proof first.”

She shook her head. “No. My word is all the proof you get.”

“What will your brother Andreas say?”

“If I get out there and find the others? He’ll thank you for letting me go.”

“And if you die while hunting for them?”

“My death is on me. Not you. I’ll leave behind a note making sure he knows that you’re not responsible for my choices.”

“We need that woman, Lyka,” he said.

“I know. And I need my freedom.”

He closed his eyes and shook his head in defeat. “I know I’m going to regret this, but one female Theronai could save a lot of lives. She could save one of my men. I have to know where she is.”

Victory was so close, she could taste it. “Then give me what I want.”

“You swear you can convince her to bind herself to one of my men? Irrevocably?”

She hadn’t even considered any other kind of bond until his comment shed daylight on the option. But that door was closed to her now, and she refused to regret it. If giving up her life as she knew it would save the lives of the people she loved, she had a duty to make whatever vows he demanded of her. “I do so swear.”

“And you swear that if she is compatible with more than one of our men, she will bind herself to one of them immediately, rather than taking months to make up her mind on who she would choose?”

“I do so swear.”

“I don’t know how you can make this happen, but your words bind you to your actions.”

“Only if you give me my freedom and fulfill your end of the bargain.”

He scrubbed a hand over his face. “If you can deliver on your promises, then I free you, Lyka. I give you my word that you can come and go as you please, as long as you do no harm to anyone within these walls.”

The weight of his vow bore down on her, driving her to her knees. Until this moment, she hadn’t taken the time to really consider the consequences of her actions. She knew her word would tie her, forcing her to act, but the sheer magnitude of this promise was almost more than she could stand.

From the corner of her eye, she saw him reach for her. She jerked away out of reflex, even though the life of her secret could be measured in seconds.

He stepped back. Sweat beaded along his hairline, drawing attention to the tiny sparks of silver at his temples. Theronai lived for centuries, barely aging. The fact that he had even a few gray hairs was proof of just how much stress his leadership role put on him.

For some reason, the urge to ease his burden bubbled within her, making itself known.

Strange.

Joseph shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ve done what you asked. Now tell me. Where can I find her?”

Lyka thought about refusing him for about two seconds before the magic of her vow drove her to act. She had no choice now. The compulsion to fulfill her end of the bargain was irresistible.

She pulled up her long sleeve to reveal the ring-shaped birthmark on her forearm—the one that marked her as a Theronai. “I’m right here.”

Chapter 9

Eric Phelan woke in a cold, dark room. His head throbbed, sending wave after wave of dizziness washing over him. He tried to sit up, but even the thought of moving that much made him queasy.

A small, chilly hand was wrapped around one of his thick fingers. He cracked one eye open enough to see his surroundings.

Rock walls carved by time arched overhead. The ground beneath him was cold and uneven.

A cave.

Several Slayer children were gathered near him, piled together like puppies for warmth. He could smell their fear and exhaustion, along with the stench of hundreds of Synestryn demons nearby.

Kayla tightened her grip around his finger. She was seven, with moonlight-blond hair, huge brown eyes and the heart of a warrior. Of all the young he taught, she had the most promise.