“I drugged the water.” Victory shrugged. “Can you believe something so simple would be their downfall? That the great and powerful Hunters are all locked up, awaiting their fate, simply because they quenched their thirst?” This time the smile did reach her eyes.

“But why?” Twelve whispered.

Victory’s face remained impassive. “An opportunity arose and I took it,” she said. “In the lodge, we are slaves to that ridiculous Pledge; it shackles our every move. I’ve shaken off those ties with the help of Morgren. Now, finally, my skills will earn me the respect I deserve.”

“You had respect,” Twelve said, loathing rising in her. “You’ll be despised for this.” Her eyes swept over the mutilated council house, desperation growing in her. How was she going to get out of this? The ropes cut into her wrists, brutally tight. Victory clearly wasn’t taking any chances with her. If Widge had been there, he would have gnawed through her bonds. She feared for him so intensely that it made her feel shaky.

“You’re thinking too small, Twelve,” Victory sighed, folding her arms and leaning back in her chair. “This is only the beginning. The plans we have . . .” Her eyes scoured Twelve. “No. First, tell me where the Guardian is.”

Twelve’s mind whirled. She pushed away thoughts of Widge and forced herself to concentrate. “The drug wouldn’t have worked on Dog,” she said slowly. “And even a hundred goblins couldn’t get past him.”

Victory nodded, almost seeming to approve. “You’ve always been a bright one. Go on.”

“You had to find a way to get him out of the lodge.” She paused as the enormity of it sank in. “But that would mean the Grim attack, the kidnapping of Seven, it was all just . . .”

“. . . a diversion,” Victory said, her smile wolflike. “To draw away the Guardian. Yes. Well, sort of,” she amended. “If the information I have is to be believed, then Seven also has an extraordinary ability. She may actually be useful.” Victory’s lip curled. “I can’t really believe I’m saying that about such a pathetic failure of a person.”

“But we followed her tracks,” Twelve said, her confusion growing. “We followed them all the way to the Frozen Forest. We . . .” She stopped talking, a terrible thought creeping over her.

She looked at Victory and the Hunter nodded slyly, the corners of her mouth lifting. “I think you have it.”

Seven was kidnapped because they needed to get the Guardian outside the walls. But once that had been accomplished—