“Think,” Zander cautioned. “That tent is heavily guarded. You’ll only get yourself arrested—or killed.”
“I can’t just stand here—”
“Shh!”
Venn closed his mouth, irritated. But he strained his ears and, a moment later, he heard it.
Muffled breathing behind the tent.
Zander tipped his head toward it, then spoke just as loudly as before. “I know you’re upset, but what can be gained?” He motioned for Venn to go, even as he kept talking. “There will be no winning against the Keeper. This camp is too well-run to be easily attacked or dismantled . . .”
Venn crept out of the tent, easing a dagger from his belt as he rounded the canvas side. When he reached the back corner, he peeked around and spotted a man crouched on the ground.
It was a beggar—thebeggar, he realized with a start. The one with missing fingers, who Finn had mistaken as his father when they’d first arrived at the camp.
Too many coincidences.
Venn lunged, tackling the man and throwing a hand over his mouth to stop his cries. He straddled the beggar, and the moment the tip of his dagger touched the man’s throat, he stopped struggling.
“Where are they?” Venn demanded, his tone low and fierce.
Zander came around the tent. “Do you know him?”
“We’ve met,” Venn growled.
The beggar swallowed hard. “Easy, I’ve got no quarrel with you. Neither of us want trouble, do we?”
“Where are they?” Venn asked again, allowing the knifepoint to dig in just a little.
The man paled. “I-I only did as you asked. I heard about that man—David Holm—and I came with the news. The woman and children went right away—”
“They wouldn’t have,” Venn cut in.
“But they did! And the wife was so happy to see her husband—”
“They aren’t married,” Venn snapped. “Vera isn’t his.”
Fates blast it, she washis, and no one was going to keep her away from him.
The man’s eyes widened. “She—but—they—”
“Start making sense,” Venn said darkly, “Or you will lose another finger.”
Panic flared in his gaze. “I’m only trying to survive. You have to understand—the Keeper gave me a choice, and—”
“Where are they?”
Chapter 19
Vera
Vera and the children were led into a room, since the Keeper said they needed a few moments toprepareDavid Holm.
There were no bars in the room, so it didn’t look like a cell, but Vera had no illusions as to what it was.
Rebecca was fussing a little, and Vera rocked her in the sling, her throat dry as she watched the guards close and lock the door.
As soon as they were alone, she twisted to face Finn, who clutched Sarah’s hand. “I need you to pretend I’m your mother. You’ve done it before, but I need you to keep doing it, no matter what happens.” She looked to Sarah. “Can you pretend that, too? Pretend I’m your mother?”
