Lucenna frowned. “But I glamored him before entering the city. He must have been seen before coming here.”
“He was.” Everyone looked at Dyna at her cool answer. “Galen. The poacher that you allowed to escape. Clearly, he survived and spread the word that we are here.”
Zev’s eyes widened as he exchanged a look with Rawn.
Dyna turned away from them and scowled at the moon outside. She had been right after all. This was what mercy bought. Another obstacle in her way.
“We need to abandon the plan,” Zev said.
She shook her head. “I can’t.”
“We can’t go through with it anymore, Dyna,” Lucenna said sharply. “Going will put us all at risk.”
“They are searching for Rawn. He can remain in hiding until the danger passes. Stay here to glamor him and cloak the area. Meanwhile, I will go. Klyde and Zev can come with me.”
“My lady,” Rawn sighed. “I understand why you wish to go after Tarn, but now may not be the time. Splitting up is never wise against such an opponent.”
“I have to agree, lass,” Klyde said, and she gritted her teeth. “Together, aye, we have a chance of taking him down and commandeering his ship. But meandering in there alone, let alone with half of the manpower, will get someone killed.”
“As I told Von before he left.”
Dyna whipped around to Elon. “What?”
He took a seat beside Sylar. “Von also defected, Maiden. He no longer serves the Master.”
She took a shaky breath, relieved, happy, but worry knotted in her chest. “When?”
“Three months past. He escaped the ship once it left Indigo Bay.”
“And the others?” She eagerly stepped forward. “Yavi, Geon, and Sorren. Did they make it out?”
Last she saw Von he mentioned Dalton had already escaped.
Elon’s expression was answer enough. “No.”
Her heart sank. They were still captive with Tarn. “Tell me where he is.”
“Von is on his way to Kelpway.” There was something in Elon’s tone that Dyna didn’t like, and she had the sudden urge to leave.
“Von must be going back for Yavi,” she said to the others. “We must go. He will surely die if we don’t help him.”
“Youwill die,” Lucenna said, exasperated. “How many times must we tell you,thinkbefore you leap.”
“That is rich coming from you,” Dyna hissed. She stormed out of the door and went outside into the chilly night. Lucenna followed her out. “I will not be lectured by the sorceress who acts first and asks questions second. What happened to not allowing anything to stand in your way?”
“What happened to the compassionate girl who had a kind heart?” Lucenna demanded. “Who thought of others before herself?”
She stopped with her back to her, the center of her chest shaking. “You know what happened to her.”
“Dyna …”
“How much did you change after you were betrayed by all that you knew? What filled the hole in your chest when you lost your mother?” Dyna asked. At the drag of silence, she said, “You do not get to judge me,Lucenna. We both know if you had a chance to right the world by defeating the Archmage, you would take it.”
“Not like this…” Lucenna came to her stand beside her. “Why is going after Tarn so important to you?”
She shook her head up at the sky. “I am tired of others making my decisions. I am tired of always losing and being out of control of my own life. I need to take him down, and take down everyone who has ever hurt me, so they cannot do it again.” Dyna turned to her. “You used to be brave. I idolized you, Lucenna. I aspired tobeyou. To be someone who wasn’t afraid to fight against whoever stood in your way. What changed? Why are you so afraid now?”
“Because of you!” Lucenna exclaimed. “I am afraid foryou. We all are.”
