But captured? She could not imagine Blackmane being captured by anyone, let alone the guard standing before her.

All the muscles in Hodge’s face hardened. ‘You brought a defender inside the walls? Into my home?’

The man shifted his weight. ‘As a prisoner, my lord. He’s locked in the dungeon.’

‘Idiot.’ Hodge ran a hand down his face. ‘Nobody captures a defender that easily. You have been played.’ He headed for the door. ‘Take me to him at once.’

Hopefully Hodge was right and this was part of his plan.

The earl went to leave, then paused, remembering the door could not be locked.

Isabel suppressed her first smile in days. ‘I bet you wish you had waited for me to open it.’

Jaw working, Hodge turned to the guard and said, ‘Lock her in my quarters. Do not leave her alone under any circumstances.’ With that, he marched out into the corridor.

Blackmane knew he did not have a lot of time until Hodge showed up asking questions, and he was not hanging around to answer them. He would have every guard in the castle parked outside his cell within minutes, because he knew exactly what he was up against. For now, Blackmane only had one guard to deal with.

He began to pace the length of the cell, acting nervous and restless while slowly working a small blade from the sleeve of his uniform. He only had one chance to get out. The moment the blade touched the flesh of his palm, he turned and flung it. It slipped easily between the bars, striking the guard in the throat. Ideal, because the only noise the man could make was that of a man suffocating on his own blood. While the man sat dying, Blackmane unbuckled his belt and removed the two prongs from it—the belt had been designed that way specifically for the purpose of picking locks.

He was through the cell door in under a minute, rushing over to the now-dead guard and stripping him of his weapons. With a sword in one hand and a knife in the other, Blackmane ascended the narrow stone steps to the light-filled room at the top. He had the advantage of knowing his way around the castle, including where all the guards were posted. It always helped to pay attention.

The defender moved silently and meticulously through the corridors of the castle, stepping into the shadows whenever he encountered someone. It was better for everyone if he hid rather than left a trail of corpses in his wake.

When he reached Isabel’s quarters, he knew she was not in there because there was no guard posted at the door. In fact, the door sat ajar, and on closer inspection, he realised it had been busted open. His teeth creaked. Where the hell had Hodge taken her? Perhaps with him. That would be the smartest thing to do. Or maybe he had locked her in his quarters.