She didn’t answer, jabbing at the screen with shaking hands. Putting her phone to her ear, she closed her eyes.
“Please,” she said under her breath. “Please pick up, please, please, please…”
Whoever she was trying to contact, apparently they weren’t at home. Letting out another low moan, Leonie flung her phone down. Still stark naked, she bolted for the door.
“Leonie!” He intercepted her, catching her wrists. “Stop.Talk to me. I’ll help you. But you have to tell me what’s happening.”
“I have to go.” Her golden eyes were wild. “I have to go right now, Shan!”
“All right.” He kept his voice calm. “I’ll come with you. Clean yourself up and get dressed. I’ll let the other senior staff know we’re leaving. Then I’ll take you wherever you need to go.”
“Yes,” Leonie breathed. She grabbed her clothes, retreating to the bathroom. “You can fly us there. But we have to leave straight away. Hurry, Shan!”
He still had no idea what was happening, but that didn’t matter. He yanked on his jeans, claws tearing through the denim in his haste. Not bothering with a shirt or shoes, he dashed out.
Moira’s cabin was closest. He hammered on the door. When it didn’t open straight away, he kicked it in—and immediately had to duck.
Ragvald blinked down at him. “Friend Shan?”
The wyrm was dressed in a simple linen tunic over loose trousers, his hair and beard unbraided. From the rucked-up bedroll at his feet, he must have been sleeping right behind the door.
“You are lucky I recognized you in time, or you would be a head shorter.” Ragvald lowered his ax, though he didn’t make it disappear. “I had thought you’d left the steading. Why are you here?”
“I need to speak with Moira.” He looked past the wyrm. “Right now.”
“Ragvald?” Moira’s sleepy voice floated from the interior of the cabin. Unlike Leonie’s, it was divided into two rooms, separated by a curtain. “What’s happening?”
“Friend Shan is here, Princess,” Ragvald called over his shoulder. “He begs an audience with you.”
“In the middle of the night?” The curtain rustled. Moira peered out, rubbing her eyes. “Shan, what are you doing here? What’s wrong?”
“Leonie,” he said grimly. “She’s insisting we have to leave.”
“What? Why?”
“I don’t know, but she wants to leave straight away. I thought I’d better tell someone.”
“Wait.” Moira hurried out from behind the curtain, knotting the belt of a silk dressing gown. “Ragvald, put that away. Shan, take us to her.”
When he led them into Leonie’s cabin, she was fully dressed, raking her hair back into a hasty ponytail. At the sight of her, Moira drew in a sharp breath.
“By the Sea.” Moira hurried over to her friend. She took Leonie’s face in both hands. “How did this happen?”
Ragvald cleared his throat, politely looking away from the rumpled bed. “Ah, Princess? Perhaps we do not need to know the details.”
Moira ignored this, still studying Leonie’s changed eyes. “I didn’t think this was possible.”
“It shouldn’t be.” Leonie clutched at Moira’s wrists, her expression agonized. “It’s never happened before. Moira, she’s not answering.”
“Stay calm. In all likelihood, she’s just asleep.” Moira held out her hand. “Give me your phone. I’ll call Conleth.”
“Friend Shan?” Ragvald muttered out of the side of his mouth. Despite Moira’s command, the wyrm hadn’t put his ax away. In fact, he now had a second, larger one in his other hand. “Do you know what is occurring?”
Shan watched Leonie pace as Moira murmured into her phone. “I’m beginning to have an idea.”
Moira passed the phone back to Leonie. “Paige says he’s on his way. He won’t be long.”
Sure enough, it was barely three minutes before Conleth strode into the room, out of breath, red hair windswept. Since he didn’t live on site, he must have flown at top speed to get here.
