“Into that building, quick,” Lochlan said, pointing up ahead to a deserted-looking building. “I’ll answer all your questions, I promise.”
I skidded as I changed direction and bolted into the building, slamming my shoulder against the door so it crashed open. The moment I was inside, I knew this couldn’t be deserted. While the outside had looked rundown, the interior was well lit, and worst of all, there were iron bars on all the windows.
I stopped so abruptly that Lochlan ran straight into me and I was shoved into the room and fell so hard that I nearly ate the rug covering the stone floor. Lochlan fell on top of me.
“Go back,” I huffed, trying to push him off and get up all at once, but the footsteps were too close. My vision narrowed and my blood pressure skyrocketed even higher. I couldn’t think about anything besides escaping.
“They’re too close,” Lochlan breathed. “We can’t run.” He didn’t get off me. I was pinned to the ground and even the walls seemed to be closing in. I gave an almighty shove so Lochlan rolled off, and I scrambled to my feet.
“We could climb out the chimney,” I suggested, running to examine the empty fireplace, but it suddenly seemed impossibly tall with no handholds on the slick, ash-coated interior. A solitary unbarred window shone from fifteen feet high above us. A few discarded crates were stacked crookedly along one wall, but they were old and splintering, hardly sturdy enough to climb on. Maybe if Lochlan gave me a boost…
Lochlan turned slowly, chest rising and falling as he listened. His hair had fallen across his eyes again, and in the dim light it was impossible to tell where he was looking.
“We can’t climb either.”
“Then we’ll have to fight.” I scrambled to draw my knives, wishing I was taller and stronger. There had to be at least six men coming after us who would appear any second. But the sheaths were empty. I had to actually turn and look, wondering if they had somehow fallen out while we’d been running. I looked around. “Where?—”
Lochlan was holding my knives, and he wasn’t offering them back to me. He put them up high on a shelf where I wouldn’t be able to reach them.
All the blood drained from my face. “Lochlan, give them back.”
“No. I need to explain a few things first.”
I was becoming lightheaded from my short, frantic breathing. Everything inside me was screaming at me to run, to fight, to do whatever it took to stay free. Ineededto run.
“Give me my knives,” I ordered, trying to push past him to get at them, but he caught my wrists. Why was he refusing to let me fight? Lochlan cared about me. He would never do anything to hurt me…would he? “What are you doing? They’re coming!”
“I know. This is the Nightsworn’s headquarters.”
“No,” I squeaked. “You…you’re turning me in?”
He didn’t answer right away, which made it all the worse. The silence stretched thin and suffocating, probably only a few heartbeats, but it felt like an eternity. His mouth opened and closed several times before he stuttered, “Jillian, I-I?—”
Then the doors flew open and several of the Nightsworn piled into the room, all with drawn weapons. I gave a shout of alarm, but Lochlan held me fast, arms locked around me.
“There she is!” one of the Nightsworn said, pointing at me. “Good work, Lochlan.”
Lochlan kept his hands firmly around my wrists. “Took you long enough,” he called to the men, who had all come to a haltseveral paces away, each one staring at me like a vulture ready to devour a carcass. “I brought her into custody. The reward money is mine.”
The whine in my brain reached such a pitch that I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hear anything.This can’t be happening, I told myself.It can’t be real.
“Lochlan,” one of the Nightsworn greeted him. “You didn’t report in last night. What happened?”
They knew his name? What did they mean, report in? A cold sense of dread seeped through my bones. He wasn’t just handing me over for reward money.
“I was forestalled by that storm last night, but I spoke to the commander early this morning and everything of importance was submitted in my last report.”
My panic increased. Early this morning…no wonder he’d left me and gone to town. I’d been a fool to think it was just to get me breakfast. He’d been planning to bring me in the whole time. I looked around frantically once more. The Nightsworn insignia was stamped all over the room. I couldn’t catch my breath.
“I thought you were going to check in sooner,” the Nightsworn told Lochlan, whose grip around me didn’t loosen.
“Let me go,” I whispered, tugging once more at his hold. I’d admired his strength before, but now I hated it. I’d never be able to get away, and it would be impossible for me to overpower this many men. I was going to be caged. They would lock me up forever.
He ignored me and continued to address the Nightsworn. “Didn’t my last report arrive? It should’ve come in a couple days ago.”
The leader of the group turned to bark at one of the others. “Check it. Get the interpreter.”
One of the men nodded to his companion who crossed into a side room. I could feel each beat of my thunderous heartthrobbing in my ears, making it almost impossible to hear anything else. I tried to calm my racing thoughts. This didn’t make any sense. Lochlan cared about me. He could’ve turned me in long before now, but he hadn’t. He had gotten me to trust him. He had kissed me. So why was he doing all this now? Sweat broke out on my forehead.
