“Do you think it will work?” he asked.

“It’s worth a shot. How far are we from where Eric and the others were abducted?”

He didn’t want to go back there. It was too dangerous.

“You can’t lock me in a box,” she told him. “We’re out here to do a job. I can’t do it without taking some risks.”

His first thought was that he’d find a way. His second was that she’d read his mind without him forcing her to do so.

“It’s not like you’re all that complicated,” she said. “And if digging around in your skull is what it’s going to take to find my kin, then that’s what I’ll do. Now take me back to the settlement, or I’m going without you.”

“You won’t be able to channel my power if I’m not there by your side.”

She lifted a golden brow. “And you won’t be able to stay away, knowing that place is rife with demons and I’m there, in danger.”

Touché. The woman definitely knew his weakness.

Chapter 29

Eric couldn’t look any of his students in the eye when he was tossed back in the stone room where they were being held.

Treszka had given him a sheet to cover his nudity, but she’d taken away a hell of a lot more. Promised she’d do it again. Soon.

He wasn’t going to think about that now. Hell, he wasn’t going to think about it later, either. It was over. Done. Time to move on.

He tore a strip from the sheet and scrubbed himself with it the best he could, then tore off another and fashioned himself a loincloth.

His feet were bare now, though he couldn’t remember how that had happened. Maybe his shoes had been torn off at the same time as his jeans. Right before—

Nope. Not going there.

“Anything new to report?” he asked the young.

Kayla didn’t even glance his way. Her head was down and she was hugging her knees—not at all like her.

“We’ve been trying to count demons,” said one of the boys, “but they all look the same. There seem to be about twenty in the next room all the time. We can hear and smell more, but we’re not sure how many.”

He tossed the rest of the sheet to the boys and said, “Tear this into strips. The thinner, the better, but not so thin they’ll break easy.”

The boys went to work. Eric crouched beside Kayla, facing the same direction so neither one of them would have to look at the other.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Fine. They took me right back here, like you said.”

“Why are you off by yourself like this?”

Anger flooded her words, making them sound much older than her years. “You let her hurt you.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” he lied. “Do I look hurt?”

She barely flicked a glance his way. “I can smell you, you know. You’re lying to me because you’re ashamed. You didn’t smell like that before she sent me away.”

Eric had no way to explain reality to a seven-year-old. Not without fucking her up irrevocably. “Listen, kid. We all do things for the good of the pack. That’s all I did. I just wish she hadn’t taken my clothes away. That’s why I’m ashamed.”

“You’re lying again, but it’s the good kind.”

“What’s the good kind?”

“The ones for birthdays and not hurting people’s feelings.”

He nodded. “Maybe I am lying a little, but there really is nothing for you to worry about. I’m not hurt. You’re not hurt. And we’re going to fight our way out of here.”

That sparked her interest. She turned to him, her eyes bright with excitement. “We are?”

“I’m done playing by Treszka’s rules. It’s not going to be easy, and it’s dangerous as hell, but I’m not going to stay down here and never see the sun again. You with me?”

She nodded eagerly, making her moonlight-blond tangles bob. “What do you want me to do?”

“Gather up some rocks the size of your fist. We need to make weapons.”

*   *   *

Lyka ignored the carnage as much as she could this time. Seeing her home in this state was almost more than she could stand, but Joseph was nearby, and for some reason that helped.

He kept soothing her through the connection they shared, and, strangely, when she let him, the thin pipeline between them seemed to expand.

She still hadn’t forgiven herself for taking the time to fuck him when her people were in danger, but at least the outcome had been a good one. Besides the mind-blowing orgasms.

Whether it was pleasure or trust or some other magical power his cock possessed, their bond had strengthened. If not for the lack of time they were dealing with, she might have even experimented with taking him for another spin, just to see if her theory was right.

She paced the perimeter of the area where the ground had been disturbed by battle. With every deep breath, another bundle of scents came to her. She blocked out the smells created by the surrounding forest and concentrated on those that didn’t belong. The rancid stench of oily demon fur. The sweet smell of sunshine on children’s skin. Blood of both her kind and Synestryn. Beneath all that was the acrid scent of fear and hunger. Desperation.

Exhaustion bore down on her. Another night had passed and she hadn’t slept nearly as much as she needed to, especially with the strain she’d been putting on her body. The worry over missing children and trying to learn new magic was more than enough to wear out even the toughest girl.

She’d tried to sleep in the truck on the drive here, but every time she closed her eyes, she imagined another horrible fate for the missing young. And Eric. He was as badass as they came, but even he had a breaking point. Her only hope was that the Synestryn had taken prisoners for a reason, rather than simply killing them outright, as they had so many others. Surely if there was a reason to abduct them, they were still alive, right?

“I’m sure they’re fine,” said Joseph, obviously sensing her anxiety.

She still wasn’t used to sharing such a deep connection with anyone, but she had to admit that it was nice to have someone propping her up right now. If not for the thin thread of hope she held on to, she was certain she’d be a complete basket case. Joseph’s nearness and natural optimism helped her cling to that hope a little easier.