Celina’s eyes flicked to him, meeting his focused gaze.
Captain Darrett chuckled darkly. “Yes, I’m sure our more heavy-handed guards would be happy to have someone new under their control. The others are all too young and scared to cause serious trouble, but you’re certainly not. You’ve proven that already.”
Dizziness overtook her in a rush and her heartbeat pounded in her temples as she absorbed everything he’d said. A red collar would give her little protection, regardless of how aggressively she behaved.
“Use of the magic-blocking drug is determined separately,” the lieutenant added.
Her magic and the accompanying wall of fire flared at the mention of the horrid drug. Biting into her lip to keep from crying out, she waited for the ribbons of scalding heat to ebb.
She really needed to find out more about that drug, but at least she wouldn’t need a red collar to do it. There had never been mention of such a thing before. Even if the military knew and wanted it kept secret, the children were apt to talk.
The painful flare faded, and she released her lip, panting and shaking as she drew in air again. The drug didn’t just block magic; it attacked it viciously.
Reaching out, Captain Darrett ran his thumb over the bite to remove the blood and wiped it clean on a cloth Devryn handed him. “By all means, challenge me. I have no qualms about dosing you again. If you’re damaged, I’m sure we’ll still be able to hand you over to the lab for testing of the drug. Based on your reaction, it seems they still have some research to do, for adults at least.”
The words swirled through her still foggy brain. Some of the kids had reported being threatened with being sold as lab rats instead of laborers or slaves to other realms. They’d assumed labs referred to other research, not specifically on magic. Somehow, she needed a sample of that drug to take back. If a magic-blocking drug was being developed, they needed to learn how to combat it.
The captain leaned back and watched her thoughtfully. “You’re not a warrior. Neither was your companion, for all that he would have made a decent adversary. So why are you here? A personal mission? I’ve already warned my men to expect company, but I’d like to know why.”
Breathing still erratic, she shook her head in answer, watching him warily. She wasn’t giving up any information if she could help it. Light footsteps sped into the room, and a small girl trotted up to them. Wide eyes flicked to Celina and the captain before she slowed to a stop in front of Devryn, who frowned at her.
“What are you doing here, Opal?” he asked.
The girl held two collars up for his inspection. Red and black, as requested.
“Alric sent these with you instead of coming back himself?”
The girl nodded quickly, chewing the side of her lower lip.
“I see.” A muscle in his jaw ticked as he shook his head.
Up close, Celina was able to see that the little girl was naturally tiny, not quite as undernourished as they had assumed from Rodric’s report. Dark circles under her eyes deepened the appearance of poor health. The blue collar dwarfed her tiny neck as she tipped her head to stare at Celina in curiosity. Thankfully, the light hadn’t dimmed from her eyes, and she didn’t give off the vacant hopelessness that some of the children arrived with at the Refugee Center.
Gratitude made Celina release the breath she’d been holding and relax her shoulders a fraction. She smiled gently at Opal to let her know she was a friend.
The captain shifted slightly, his aggressive energy shifting with him to encompass Opal as well as Celina as he turned in his seat. The girl stiffened, stumbling back until she pressed into Devryn’s leg. He placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her, stilling her movement.
“You’re very protective,” the captain said, giving Celina a speculative look. “It is an admirable, but stupid trait. I wonder how far we can push you in the name of protection. We have a number of children here—a red, two oranges, two yellows, and this little blue one. Something for you to think about.”
The weight of his speculation was a heavy burden on her heart. What would she do if he used the children as leverage to gain her cooperation? Celina’s gaze flicked to the little girl.
Opal stood perfectly still, not flinching from the menacingly quiet tone. The only indication of her fear was how tightly she clutched the colored ropes in her hands. Anxious brown eyes met Celina’s before quickly dropping.
The captain turned his attention to the little girl. “This is Celina, she’s going to be with us for a while. What collar do you think we should give her?” The girl looked at Celina, the bands, and back to the captain. “The red one?” He reached out and tugged on the red collar, but the girl hung on to it, her small body trembling as she shook her head. “No? She put up quite a fight and made me chase her. I should give her to Jack and let him handle her.”
Celina flinched and inhaled, drawing the captain’s attention.
A cruel smile twitched on his lips. “See, now that is interesting. You reacted to Jack’s name. How would you know that, hmm? He wasn’t in town with us. He was here, reacquainting himself with one of our more difficult charges. You’re right to worry. He’s one of our most violent soldiers.”
He stared Celina down, and she fought her instinctive response to struggle against her bonds. “You’ve been spying on us, and that means you’re here to cause trouble. Perhaps we should take some preventative steps.”
The energy in the room escalated dangerously, causing Celina’s breath to stutter and her pulse to thud painfully in her veins. Unable to resist the impulse, she tugged on her bonds, to no avail.
“Give me the collars and go back to the stable, Opal,” Devryn said quietly. His voice held a tension not present earlier in the conversation.
Opal’s worried eyes flicked to Celina and then up to his. He squeezed her shoulder and took the collars from her.
“Now, Opal,” Devryn ordered, nudging her toward the door.
