Kyra wondered if she should step back, but her body wouldn’t cooperate. Instead, when she sensed James leaning toward her, she lifted her gaze to meet his. She was dimly aware of the rise and fall of his chest as he moved closer. Then he hesitated, lashes flickering as he looked from her eyes down to her lips. Kyra shivered and closed her eyes.

She heard his sharp intake of breath and felt him move away. When she opened her eyes, James was again turned toward the table, face closed.

“It’s a good plan,” he said, deftly rolling up the map. His voice was cold, businesslike. “I’ll tell the others. We’ll do this tomorrow night.”

Kyra stumbled back. She needed air.

“Is there a problem?” asked James.

“No,” she stammered as she backed out the door. “It’s fine.”

Kyra turned and fled into the hallway, taking in huge breaths as she burst out the door into the summer breeze. Over and over, she replayed Flick’s warnings. James was a trained killer. She shouldn’t trust James. Couldn’t trust him. And she needed to pull herself together before tomorrow’s raid.

As she walked home, her thoughts gradually cleared. With James a half hour behind her, Kyra felt more herself. But even as her confusion faded, she remembered how it felt to stand next to him. Her forearm was still curiously warm. She touched it and wondered how long it would be before the heat faded.

Fifteen

F I F T E E N

In the meantime, Kyra had a job to prepare for. It was one thing to climb the ledges herself, a wholly different challenge to lead others through the grounds. She had gear to check, maps to review, and schedules to memorize. Kyra buried herself in these tasks, going step-by-step through their route and making note of all the places they could hide. For good measure, she sharpened her dagger and replaced the length of rope she used with her grappling hook. It was good to have something to concentrate on, and if James sometimes intruded on her thoughts, she pushed him aside and planned harder.

The next evening, she entered the Palace early. There was a lavish party in the outer compound, and Kyra had to hide periodically from giddy couples out for a walk. Thankfully, drunken voices carried far, and tipsy lovers were not the most observant of people.

The kennels were open air, surrounded by a tall fence. Peering through the slats, she saw fur-covered bodies and heard the occasional snuffle but didn’t see any signs of people. Good, the handlers were gone for the day.