I looked up and saw Logan and Minka flying for Nadine’s window. Then my eyes fell to the front door, which Keegan was blasting open with his shotgun. Okay, Nadine was going to befine.
I was going to suggest we storm the castle, and search for Ardan’s office when a small but noticeable gust of wind slapped against my back. At the same time, Isaac’s head whipped toward me, eyes wide inhorror.
Before I could even think, or turn around, a bare hand clamped around my neck from behind and then I was being pulled. The castle before me blinked out of existence and I was spinning in a black hole. He’d taken me away. Away fromeveryone.
OhGod.
My feet slammed down on a hard surface and suddenly I was inside of some type of barn. My stomach lurched as I tried to get my bearings from the jerky traveling and I looked around. There was hay on the ground but no animals that my quick scan could tell me. The top two windows were open to let in light and fresh air, but otherwise it was a musty, closed-up space with one light swingingoverhead.
Ardan stepped out from behind me, snatched my staff before it dawned on me to use it, and chucked it hard against the far wall, where it crashed and fell to thefloor.
“Her necklace too!” a familiar voicespat.
Truth witch. He stepped out of the shadows and I brought my hand up to shoot purple fire at Ardan before he could take my necklace. But he blinked out of my reach, appearing behind me and ripping my necklace off, tearing the clasp before I could evenmove.
He was fast. Really fast. I was soscrewed.
I fisted my hands at my sides and backed up so that both men were within mysight.
“Where am I?” I asked, trying to keep the panic out of myvoice.
The evil druid grinned, pleased with himself. “About two miles up the road from your little friends, at a farm Iown.”
Relief crashed through me that I wasn’t in China or some far-off place. Two miles. I could fly two miles. Hell, I think I could even make Sophie proud and run twomiles.
‘Sloane!’Logan roared in my head, panic flushing through ourbond.
‘I can’t talk. I need to concentrate. Ardan has me two miles away in some barn on afarm.’
‘I’ll find you,’he promised, and then left me alone to deal with the situation beforeme.
It could take him hours to fly two miles in every direction looking for barns, but I tried to keephope.
Ardan looked annoyed at the truth witch. “Well, let’s do this and be done withit.”
The sorcerer snapped out of his trance and threw his arms forward. Yellow spell bands wrapped around me, pinning my arms to my sides. With a grunt I fell back ungracefully, tucking my chin in so I wouldn’t crack myhead.
The sorcerer took quiet footsteps until he was looming over me, a circular object rolling in hishands.
The Eye.Frick.
“Thanks for leading me to this. It’s helped me learn how to drain yourpowers.”
Double frick.Why was I sostupid?
He looked at Ardan. “Because she killed Steven, I need you to assist me. Get the druid and dragon blades, but put gloves onfirst.”
Ardan nodded, looking greedily at me like he was Minka, and I’d suddenly offered every molar in mymouth.
I tried not to let panic take hold. Being restrained in bands of yellow magic didn’t help, but I fought to think of a way out. Last time I’d blasted out with my magic without my necklace or staff I nearly went into a coma, so I didn’t think that was a good idea. Maybe I could talk my way out ofit.
“I know where more skyborn are! I can lead you to them, just don’t hurt me!” I would never do that of course, but it might buy me time until Logan could gethere.
Ardan suddenly towered over me, two glowing blades in his hands. “Oh, I will find them eventually, but it’s you I wantnow.”
Okay, time to panic. Adrenaline rushed through me as I fought the magical bands, squirming. Every time I tried to wriggle theytightened.
I immediately went limp, not wanting to tighten them further, trying not to let the anxiety takeover.
