Nefri grimly maintained her composure. Right now Santiago needed her calm, cool logic. Inside, however, she was battling a rising tide of fear.
She didn’t know why Gaius would have discovered a sudden interest in Santiago. Or more likely, the spirit that was controlling him.
But she did know that Santiago would do whatever was necessary to rescue the female imp. Including putting himself in danger.
And there wasn’t a damned thing she could do to stop him. “It could be that he discovered we’re hunting him.” Santiago spoke his thoughts out loud, his barely leased fury dropping the temperature in the tiny room to near zero. “He could be hoping to convince me to give up the search in exchange for Tonya.”
“But?” she prompted, hearing the lack of conviction in his voice.
“But it’s not Gaius’s style.” With a sharp movement he was pacing back and forth, his hand instinctively reaching to pull out the Roman dagger he kept tucked in his back pocket. “He can be a hammer when necessary, but he prefers to be subtle. He’s a master of diversion.”
Nefri grimaced. Gaius had certainly managed to deceive her. He’d hidden his true intentions behind his genuine grief to gain access to her clan beyond the Veil.
A knowledge that still burned like acid against her pride. But she wasn’t going to allow his abuse of her trust to blind her to facts.
“Yes, if he is actually still in the position to be master,” she pointed out. “It’s quite possible he’s no longer making the decisions.”
Santiago sent her a grim frown. “That doesn’t make me feel better.”
She shrugged. “It wasn’t supposed to.”
He continued his pacing, his hands clenching and unclenching until he at last came to an abrupt halt directly in front of her. “Nefri.”
“Yes?”
“Tonya is family.”
She reached to place a hand on his arm, able to sense his distress at Tonya’s capture. It was far more than just the anger of an employer. Or a friend.
It was deeper. More personal.
“You rescued her,” she said softly.
He gave a low hiss of shock. “I’m beginning to suspect you truly can read minds.”
“No, but I know you.” Her fingers tightened on his arm. “Styx pulled you from the blood pits and Viper gave you a home. They taught you honor and discipline and that a leader cares for those who are vulnerable.”
He slid the dagger back into his pocket, his eyes dark with painful memories. “It’s not my story to tell, but she ended up on the wrong side of an argument with a tribe of trolls and was sold to a slaver.”
Levet gave a violent flutter of his wings. “Evor?”
The two males shared a rare moment of understanding. “Sí.”
The tiny gargoyle trembled. Nefri had heard rumors that Levet had been held captive by the brutal slaver, along with Viper’s mate, Shay.
“A very bad man,” Levet muttered.
“Very bad,” Santiago agreed. “If Tonya hadn’t been so strong she would never have survived.” His low growl trickled from his throat. “Now she’s being held against her will again. I can’t leave her in the hands of Gaius.”
“Of course not.” Nefri studied his stubborn expression with open concern. “But, Santiago—”
“I know it’s a trap,” he interrupted her cautious words. “I have to go.”
“Gaius will be waiting for you.”
The dark eyes smoldered with a ruthless determination. “There’s nothing I can do to prevent that.”
The fear that she was trying so desperately to control threatened to explode as she glared at him in helpless frustration. “I’m not going to change your mind, am I?”
His touch was tender as he cupped her face in his hands, but he gave a firm shake of his head. “No.”
“Very well.” She met his gaze squarely, her centuries of experience allowing her to transform the fear into stark resolve. What made a clan chief a leader was their ability to control their emotions rather than be controlled by them. “There’s no longer any need to try and sneak up on him.”
Santiago’s expression became guarded. “You have a plan?”
“Not really, but we might as well use my medallion to travel,” she said. “It will save us time.”
He was shaking his head before she even finished speaking. “I can’t pinpoint his exact location.”
“Then we’ll travel north until you can.”
“Nefri . . .”
She pressed her hand to his mouth, her eyes warning that she wasn’t in the mood to listen to his endless list of reasons why she shouldn’t join him.
“Don’t even bother.”
His fingers tightened on her face. “Dammit, Nefri, we’ve agreed this is a trap. It would be beyond stupid for both of us to—”
“Three of us,” Levet abruptly intruded into the conversation.
Santiago’s eyes widened in horror. “Oh, hell no.”
“Yes, the three of us,” Nefri said.