"Daniel...""Beth. We talked about this already. I'm not letting you go alone.""I just have a bad feeling. This isn't safe. We had to risk our lives going to Pandemonium in the first place because you were in danger. I don't want to lose you after I've just gotten you back.""I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here." Daniel took her hand and placed her palm over his chest. "Do you feel that?"Beth swallowed. Fear still reverberated in her like a struck drum, and the vibrations refused to leave her no matter how she tried to reassure herself. "I feel it. It feels strong. But it's got nothing to do with your heart. What if you really do have convulsions like he said you might? All those symptoms he said might appear -- I can't drag you back all the way there alone!""You won't have to. You won't, Beth. Come here." He held out his arms, and she fell into his embrace.They were in the pass again. The snow had abated but there was no telling when the storm would pick up again; the fierce w

He couldn't miss his last dose. Marten had stressed how important it was to take every single one no matter what, and that if Daniel couldn't finish the treatment then it was better not to start it at all. Too late for that. Beth would get him to down the last one even if she had to pry open his mouth and have him drink it drop by drop.And that was exactly what she had to do. He had yet to say a coherent word since he had fallen into that fevered sleep, and he had fallen further into distant ramblings she could make neither heads nor tails of. His delusions were getting worse. The only thing that seemed to help was talking back to him whenever he mistook her for someone new, so she held his hands tight and played along so he could at least have that peace of mind even if his body continued to rebel.She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. She wanted to run out into the snow and demand that everyone find something to heal him with. Marten couldn't be the only medical professional aro

"It's confirmed," the scout panted, face nearly blue from having sprinted so far in the punishing cold. "They're on their way here. Adrian is escorting them here as he said he would."Anna would have wilted in relief if she weren't so conscious of the presence of her subordinates. She could show no weakness even if her actions until now had already proven she was incapable of acting independently. Appearances were everything in times like this when all that held back wholesale chaos was her wire-thin composure."Good. I'll take them in my tent and brief them here. They'll have questions, but refrain from answering any within earshot of anyone else.""Yes, madam."Madam, not Alpha. For a while, Anna had hoped the Iron Nation army would look to her as a true leader with the absence of her father regardless of her sex. But that had yet to happen. They were polite and respectful and listened to her orders, but there was no inherent trust: she was an interim occupant for a vacant space th

We need to move fast, Daniel reminded her as he held the window open, preparing to receive the unconsciousness prisoners. We're not behind schedule but if we get held up, we'll miss the rendezvous time.Two Silver Nation warriors had come with them until just past the first third of the trek. They were waiting at the point and keeping careful watch, but if Beth and Daniel were late, they were to return to the troops and inform Adrian and Annalise that something had gone wrong. Carrying two unconscious rescues on their backs would slow Beth and Daniel down considerably, so they needed to get a move on. She shook her head. She needed to pull herself together.Too easy, Daniel murmured for the second time as she undid the rope knots with skillful fingers. I'm not seeing anyone still.Good. If we can get out without being seen or getting into a fight, that's all I want.I'll go in and help you.No, keep watch. These knots are easy. They must not have been expecting anyone to come help my

"My two best are experienced enough to know what to do if things go wrong. I trusted them to watch over Beth.""The ones you said you assigned to follow the Gold Nation contingent assigned to Beth? The same ones who were caught by Noah and Anna after they arrived at Tahoe?" William countered. "Face it. With how depleted Silver Nation forces are, especially the Heether pack, you're better off traveling with two of mine instead. They're less likely to be recognized.""You need to keep your men around you. With this, Andrew Troy must be gearing up to do something permanent about this incident. If you accuse him and take this to Union Court--""That won't happen because he knows I would never endanger Beth by threatening him. Not only that, but the Troy pack always had the upper hand in Union Court. If anything, this might only convince the minor packs to side with the Troy pack when they find out the edge he has over me. Over all of us."William was right. Daniel leaned against the windo