She glanced at Trent to see his jaw tightening. “All right. Well, they haven’t really left me a lot of choice, have they?”
Before she could ask him what that meant, Trent had swung the wheel of the car around, sending it bumping and leaping off the road and into the sandy dirt, red, shale-like rock and dense scrub that lined it.
“Uh, is this good for the car?” Zina asked through the rattle of her teeth, clutching her bag to her chest.
“Not even slightly, but we can’t just keep going in a straight line,” Trent said – and Zina had to admit he had a point there. “How long did you say this stuff lasts for?”
“Not long,” Zina said. “Not the amount I gave you, anyway – less than twenty-four hours. And I barely have any left after that.”
Trent pressed his lips together, clearly thinking.
“And after that, you reckon that Bloodhound fella can track us anywhere, right?”
“Almost,” Zina said. “I’ve heard of a couple of times he’s lost the trail, but it’s not a bet I’d take.”
“Right.” Trent nodded, then glanced across at Zina. “Zina, you might not like this, but I don’t think we can take these eggs to Tahnee’s sanctuary anymore.”
Zina instinctively felt a protest rising in her throat –But you said it would be the only place they’d be safe! –but just as quickly she realized Trent was right, as much as she wished he wasn’t.
“The sanctuary is a peaceful place,” Trent said. “It doesn’t have any defenses, any way of keeping out people like Hargreaves. The only thing it has is that its location is relatively secret. I can’t lead Hargreaves straight to it. There’re too many vulnerable shifters there – not to mention that Tahnee has poured her heart and soul into making it a safe place. Including for me and my friends. I can’t repay her by bringing people who’d destroy it straight to her doorstep.”
Zina bit her lip, but she nodded. “I understand.”
Her voice was little more than a hoarse whisper, but she truly did understand what Trent was saying.
Trent glanced at her. “I’m sorry, Zina. I know I said I’d take them there.”
“No, you’re making the right decision. I mean,weare. Because I completely agree with you,” Zina said. She couldn’t makeherdecisions any more people’s problems than she already had. Still, she couldn’t help pulling her bag with the eggs even closer against her chest, closing her eyes and ducking her head down to them.
I’m sorry,she told them silently.But I promise I’ll still do everything I can to protect you.
“We can still protect them ourselves,” Trent said a moment later, as if he’d read her mind. “I won’t let anything happen to them, Zina. I promise. Or to you.”
Almost despite herself, Zina felt warmth flooding into her chest at his words. It was the warmth of complete trust.
“I know you won’t,” she said.
Chapter 9
The sky was darkening rapidly. Zina hadn’t spent that much time in deserts, but she knew that night usually fell quickly in them, and it seemed like this one was no exception, despite being on the other side of the world.
“I’d better pull over soon,” Trent said, glancing out the window. “Usually I’d say we shouldn’t stop, but without my shifter senses, I’m not that keen on the idea of driving at night out here.”
“Probably a good idea,” Zina said, nodding. She’d decided to take Trent’s words that he would have done the same thing as she had if their positions had been reversed at face value – aside from anything else, she didn’t really think there was much else she could do. In their positions, she didn’t think it was a good idea to try to start second-guessing him.
“We should be coming up to somewhere we can camp out in about fifteen, twenty minutes or so, if we are where I think we are,” Trent said. “It’s not luxurious, but it’ll give us a little cover, just for the night. And then we can get going again in the morning.”
Zina nodded. She could still feel terror pulling at her – she couldn’t stop glancing at the sideview mirror as they bumped over the dirt, looking for headlights following behind them. So far, there’d been nothing –But how long will that last?
“So, this Bloodhound guy,” Trent said as he drove. “He can find us anywhere, is that right?”
Zina bit her lip. “Well… I don’t know forsure. Hargreaves keeps the full extent of what he can do pretty close to their chests. For pretty obvious reasons, I guess, but they definitelywantedpeople to think he was infallible. I did think thatifhe could track us, he’d only be able to trackmeand not the eggs.Which is why I’ve been using the serum since I got here – I was hoping by the time it wore off the eggs would be safe and sound with someone else, so if he’d picked up my scent it wouldn’t really matter by then.”
Trent glanced at her sharply. “Except for the fact that thenyou’dbe in Hargreaves’s hands.”
“It was the risk I accepted when I decided to do what I did.” Zina’s fists clenched where they sat on her lap.I didn’t expect anyone to insist on trying to save me, too.“I don’t know how he’s picked up on your trail – if that’s what’s happened, and they didn’t just manage to find us some other way.”
Trent was silent for a long moment. “So. Basically what you’re telling me is that I dyed my hair for nothing. I’m blond now for no reason whatsoever.”
