It was then she knew it for a fact.

While she’d searched everywhere she could think of, Kere had been with her the whole time. Right here. So close that all she had to do was come into the room and find him. But the worst part of all, her own people had brutalized him and, by her ignorant silence, she’d condoned it.

What have I done?

She’d been so worried about finding Kere that she hadn’t even thought about the prince they’d held for months. For that matter, she’d stupidly thought they had already released him.

Why didn’t I check? Why?

Because I was too busy looking for him everywhere else…

Before she could say another word, the door behind her burst open. Smoke filled the room, choking her with a bitter stench.

She reached for her blaster, then froze as three targeting lasers hovered over her heart, letting her know exactly what they’d take out if she moved.

Slowly, she held her hands up so that they wouldn’t mistake her intentions.

Through the hazy smoke, three Sentella members stormed inside. And there was no mistaking the anger that was plainly evident in the way they carried themselves.

Dressed in matching black battlesuits and helmets that obscured any identifying features, the shortest one grabbed her by the arm and hauled her away from Kere, then slammed her into the wall so hard, she saw stars. The next tallest Sentella member pulled his helmet off.

He had short blue-black hair and dark eyes rimmed with black eyeliner. Eyes that filled with tears when he saw the condition the prince was in. “Darling? Oh my God… what have they done to my baby?”

Darling blinked as he heard a familiar male voice. One that was thickly accented, yet lyrical and refined.

At first he thought he was dreaming… until he saw the last face he’d ever expected to see again.

Maris.

Tears fell down Maris’s cheeks. He lifted his wrist to speak to the others through the link in his cuff. “We’ve got him, and he’s alive. But he’s hurt really badly. I need Syn here immediately. Tell him to run.” Tenderly, Maris cupped his face in his hands. “What, in the name of the gods, did they do to you, sweetie?”

What hadn’t they done to him?

Darling stared at his best friend in total disbelief. Are you real?

But he still couldn’t speak past the painful ball under his tongue.

A distorted Andarion curse rang out from the man who stood behind Maris as he came closer to inspect Darling’s condition.

Hauk. Even with the voice distortion that cloaked Hauk’s real identity, Darling would know that giant hulking form anywhere.

Or was it someone else? Darling wasn’t sure if he could trust his blurry eyesight any longer.

It wasn’t until Nykyrian, Caillen, Nero, and Syn entered the room that he finally believed this was real and not another delusion.

Even though they were swathed from head to foot by their black uniforms, he knew who they were. He’d fought beside them for too many years not to recognize the way they moved and stood.