“Because she caught the bastard’s attention in the worst possible way.” He was right, she realized: She wasn’t being coherent. The moment she’d started talking about Sasha, she’d become emotional. And she couldn’t expect him to help them unless he did understand. Perhaps not even then. She cleared her throat. “She loves horses, and she volunteered to work in the stables at the academy giving lessons to the students and helping to train the horses. She did such a great job that rumors were suddenly spreading among the wealthy horse communities in Morocco and Marrakech just how good she was. You told me once that you knew what a passion Masenak had for his own horses. Do you think that he wouldn’t be aware of what a fine stable St. Eldon possessed? One of the first things he did during the raid was steal all the thoroughbreds and paperwork regarding their pedigrees. Evidently, he didn’t think Boujois, the trainer, was worth keeping, so he killed him immediately.” She paused. “Not only was Sasha a student who might be able to be ransomed, but there were also those intriguing rumors she might prove valuable to him in another way.”

He gave a low whistle. “He wanted to see if she was any better than the trainers in his own stables?”

She nodded. “And now he believes she might be extraordinary. He told her he was going to send her to his stable in the mountains as soon as he finished the negotiations for the other students. But Sasha had already seen what he was doing to those girls and she told him she wouldn’t go anywhere or train any of his horses until he let them go.”

“You’re right, that’s living on the edge. I’m surprised she’s still alive.”