Page 64 of Red Marked

“I told her everything you told me.” He looks out at the jungle. “She heard me out. Then she told me Draig could not be involved. Not in moving them, not in hiding them, not in any of it.”

“Why?”

“Because the treaty is barely signed. Because we’ve spent too long rebuilding trust with these people to go behind their backs with this. If that ever came out, that Draig is harboring Mistveil citizens who were declared dead by the Mistveil government…” His voice stays low. “It could undo everything we’ve worked so hard to achieve.”

“They’re in danger.”

“I’m sorry, Flint. I know what it took to get those three out. You’re on your own with the rest of them. There’s nothing that I can do publicly.”

I nod. I’d hoped for a better outcome, but I’m not surprised.

“What are you going to do with the Red female? Have you decided yet?”

I shake my head.

“I can’t just take her to Mistveil and leave her there. What will she do? How will she cope?”

He pulls at the back of his neck with one hand and looks at the jungle, and the muscle along his jaw stands out. He doesn’t like it, but he understands. If the tables were turned, he’d do the same. I know he would.

“Why are they there, Flint?”

I tell him what I know, which isn’t much.

“I agree with Star. The only way to solve this is to find out who buried this all those years ago and expose them. Blow it clean out of the water. It has to happen without the females ever being seen. Without a single one of them standing up in public and putting a target on their family.” His voice has grown animated. “That’s the only way they’ll ever be free to walk off that mountain and go home.”

“I know.”

“But sending her to Mistveil with nothing isn’t going to make that happen.” He shakes his head. “I know she’s resourceful, but…” He spreads his hands.

An idea starts to take shape in my mind.

“Can you get me a fake identity document?”

Magma’s eyes narrow. “What?”

“A document for a Mistveil citizen.” I’m talking fast now. “Something you can’t trace back to Draig or to either of us.”

“What are you planning?”

“Let me run it past Star, and then I’ll let you know, but only if you’re sure you want to be involved.”

“I’m not sure at all, but I’m not going to leave you hanging.” He studies me. A bird starts singing somewhere down the slope.

“Can you help me with the fake ID?”

“For Star?” He lifts his brows, and I nod.

He groans and scrubs a hand over his face.

“I thought so. Yes, I can do it,” he says. “It’ll take a day, maybe two once I have a photograph of her.”

“That won’t be a problem.”

“I’m sure it won’t, since she’s holed up in your apartment.” He frowns. “Oh fuck!” He groans again. “That’s where you’re keeping her, isn’t it?”

“Where else? Yes, that’s where I’m hiding her until I can sneak her out.”

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”