Not if he didn’t trust her. But I wasn’t going to add fuel to Thea’s anger. “Perhaps he did tell her, and she’s keeping it quiet.”

“I might believe that if she hadn’t sent a whirlwind through their camp.”

That explained the mess. And then it hit me. “Did you tell Jael where I was?”

“No. She thinks you’ve left, too. You’re going to have to explain it to her.”

Lovely. “Look, Thea. I don’t know where Ryne went or why. I’m just as surprised as you. However, I do know he did it for a reason. A very good reason, and I trust him.”

Unconvinced, she said, “Uh-huh. Let’s see how you feel about him when Tohon’s soldiers are sending you a steady stream of injured and dying. Prince Ryne abandoned you, too.”

* * *

Thea’s words didn’t sink in until I reached the infirmary. I stopped in my room to drop off my pack and froze. Flea’s scant belongings were gone. Ryne had taken Flea with him. A memory tugged—Loren relaying a message from Ryne about trusting him regarding Flea.

I sat on the edge of my bed, remembering. Ryne had changed the plans after I’d told him about my theory of Tohon burying his dead. What if he’d returned to his tent and read that book on magicians and learned something horrifying? Had he spooked? He’d certainly acted like it, and Loren mentioned he’d been agitated. Then why didn’t he confide in me? Maybe he didn’t have time or maybe because he knew I wouldn’t break my word to Estrid by leaving. And it was safer for me if I didn’t know.

Quain and Loren had promised to protect me from Tohon. Not that they could, but still...I felt forsaken, despite knowing there had to be a good reason why they had left.

My door flew open. It banged against the wall as a blast of air slammed into me, knocking me down. Jael stormed into my room. The air around me thickened like syrup. It picked me off the floor and held me suspended in midair. My legs dangled.

“Where is he?” Jael demanded.

“I don’t know.”

With a whoosh, I hit the wall hard enough to rattle my teeth.

“Tell me.”

“I don’t—” The air pushed me up until I banged my head on the ceiling. Hard. Pain flashed, dimming my vision.

“Where were you?” she asked.

“Collecting medicinal...herbs.” I gasped. Her power still held me aloft. “Ask Sergeant Saul.”

“You’re lying.”

My air support disappeared, and I plummeted. Crashing to the ground, I rolled until I stopped flat on my back. My wrists burned with agony, and my knees and right hip hurt. Before Jael could pick me up again, I asked, “Why else would I return?”

“A guilty conscience,” she said.

“I’m not a glutton for punishment, Jael. He left me behind. I’m sure he has an excellent reason. I just don’t know it!”

“I do. He’s been scheming with Tohon all this time, feeding him information. It explains how you managed to escape Tohon, cure Ryne and live through the plague. I don’t believe that nonsense that Kerrick’s magic saved you. Tohon, yes. Kerrick doesn’t have that ability.” Jael considered. “Now all I need to decide is if you’re in collusion with them or if you’re a patsy. Tohon can be quite...persuasive when he applies his full power.”

She revealed quite a bit in her comments, but I focused on the problem at hand. I caught movement behind her. Noelle hovered near the door. Great. All I needed was Tohon to complete this little get-together.

“I’m—” A gust swept me toward the ceiling. Fast.

“Jael, stop,” Noelle said.

I hovered in midair as Jael rounded on Noelle.

“The harder you push her, the harder she’ll resist,” Noelle said before Jael could respond. “Besides, she’s a coward. If she knew Prince Ryne was leaving, she would have gone with him.”

Jael hesitated.

“And you should know better than anyone that Ryne and Tohon would never team up,” I said. “Tohon hasn’t forgiven him for what happened when you were in school with him.”

“Boarding school for brats” is how Kerrick had described it. Where Ryne had been crowned king in their final year, Jael broke Kerrick’s heart and Tohon turned into a monster.

Jael set me down hard. Pain shot through my arms as I sat up. My wrists were either broken or sprained. Jael stepped back.

I continued to poke holes in her argument. “You’re also well aware that Kerrick and I can share our magical energies. Or have you forgotten that day you attacked us and we stopped you?” I glanced at Noelle. “I haven’t.” Nor would I forget Noelle had asked Jael to stop hurting me. Progress!

Jael pressed her lips together—a warning sign that I ignored.

“Plus, if Tohon had...claimed me with his life magic, I’d be...well, I wouldn’t be here, that’s for sure.” I shuddered. I’d been a complete mess. His touch had been like an elixir, and each time I’d grown more addicted.

Jael’s gaze turned contemplative. I hoped she remembered those six years. Even though she and Kerrick had been friends with Tohon, she had to have seen the rot below the surface of his mind. As I thought about the stories Belen and Kerrick had told me, I recalled a comment.

“Did Tohon use his magic on you when he attempted to steal you from Kerrick?” I asked her.

She smiled. “The bastard tried and failed. Like you, he needs skin contact to work his magic. I wouldn’t let him near me.” Her grin turned sinister. “As you’ve just learned, air is a powerful force.”