“Eat,” he ordered.
Her eyebrows lowered as she looked from himto the next guy. What was this? How did they go from threatening tokill her to wanting to feed her? It could be some trick, but why?She doubted it was worth the effort of poisoning her. They weremuch more likely to torture a prisoner to death.
“It’d be easier to eat if my hands werefree,” she tried.
“No. Eat.”
The smell of meat was making her hungrier.She could refuse, but the only one she’d be hurting would beherself. Eating would refuel her strength. Strength she might needshortly.
In the end, there was really no choice.
Feeling like an idiot she moved her faceforward and took a tiny bite out of the pastry. She chewed andswallowed and then took another one. When neither man actedthreateningly, she allowed herself to relax, just a tiny bit, andapplied herself to eating as fast as possible.
Finished sooner than she would have likedsince her stomach still twisted itself into knots from hunger, shecouldn’t help darting her eyes to the water bag in his hand. Seeingwhere her attention had gone, he held it to her lips until she wasfinished.
Fed and hydrated, Shea sat back andscrutinized the two of them as the second man took up a positionnext to his companion. Neither attempted to question her, lettingthe time pass in silence as they stayed locked in a three waystaring contest.
This was a fine mess she found herself in.She hoped the others were safe and well. Were they being treatedthe same or were they right now faced with less friendlyservice?
It was tempting to let worry consume her overher friends fates, but she couldn’t let that happen. She had tokeep her wits about her and see what she could do about getting outof this situation. Only then would she think about what could bedone for the others.
Several hours later, exhaustion was tuggingat Shea as the adrenaline faded and nothing, good or bad, happened.Her eyes kept wanting to slide shut, and her head jerked up as shefelt herself nodding off. She squirmed in her seat and tried to tapher foot to keep herself awake.
This worked for a bit before the effects ofthe past few days and the sleepless night began taking a toll. Shefell asleep, her head sagging forward and her body slumping in thechair.
After what felt like seconds a forceful handshook her awake.
Startled from the abrupt departure fromslumber, she tried to stand but was brought up short by thebindings on her wrists and ankles.
She squinted up and felt her heart almoststop at the sight of Darius staring down at her with a slight quirkto his lips. Caden flanked him with the cool expression frombefore.
Shea cleared her throat and looked around inconfusion before focusing back on the two men in front of her.She’d have liked to stand or maybe disappear into her chair, butthat was impossible. All she could hope for now was to bluff herway through this and hope Darius didn’t recognize her.
“Glad to see we’re not keeping you from yoursleep,” Darius said as the corners of his eyes crinkledslightly.
Shea shifted in her seat and looked at Caden.How was she supposed to respond to that? Unable to think ofsomething that would be appropriate for the situation, she keptquiet.
“You look familiar,” Darius told her.
Her heart gave a painful thump beforehammering away in her chest at a breakneck pace.
“Uh,” was the only thing she could think tosay.
“I’ve met you before.” He looked at Caden andthen snapped his fingers. “You’re that scout, the one who came upwith the beast board.”
Shea’s mouth was frozen open in astonishmentfor a moment before it snapped shut, and she nodded eagerly. “Oh,yes. That’s how we met.”
“What’s this?” Caden asked.
Darius partially turned and filled him in ontheir previous encounter. “Henry was curious why Dawn’s Riders hadsignificantly fewer field casualties from beasts. During our mostrecent tour of their operations, we came across this strangelooking board covered with paper. Someone had come up with the ideato compile the scouts’ experiences in a central location where theycould compare notes before heading into the wilderness.” He lookedback at Shea. “It was an ingenious idea. Don’t know why we didn’tthink of it before now.”
Shea kept very still, hoping that would bethe only encounter he remembered. Her brown eyes were wary and herbody stiff under his penetrating regard.
“That was your idea, wasn’t it?” Darius askedcasually.
Shea licked her lips and shook her head.“That was all Clark’s doing.”
“But it sprung from something youcreated.”
