I sighed and headed on in. What was it with guys? They always had to prove how tough they were. Ben had to be practically dying before he’d take a sick day.

Justine was sitting in front of her mirror, doing her makeup. She was wearing a pretty green silk dress and heels. I felt underdressed.

“Beth! Thank goodness you’re here.”

She hurried over to me, looking around with a frightened expression.

“Am I safe here? I just don’t feel safe. I feel like I should run away. Please, can you do something?”

Oh, man.

As much as I hated her yelling at me for kidnapping, I preferred that mood to this one. Now I would have to reassure her, knowing all the while that she would be as scared when I got up to go as she was when I arrived. Maybe it was because she didn’t understand why she was scared, or maybe my reassurances made no sense. After all, there was so much I couldn’t say. Whatever the reason, my efforts to calm her never made much of a difference.

And this terrified, pathetic Justine was so not the woman I knew. Don’t get me wrong — I couldn’t stand the woman I knew. But at least she was a familiar face, a remnant of my old life. Terrified Justine was just another stranger.

The suite had a nice sitting area. We settled down on the loveseat, and I held her hand while I told her how large and well guarded Cordus’s estate was, how Cordus was the most powerful man anywhere nearby, how we were working hard to try and make her even safer.

I really wanted to mention Limu and Eye of the Heavens to see if she reacted, but I obediently stifled the impulse. By some miracle, Cordus hadn’t touched me yet. I was going to do everything possible to keep it that way.

I heard the door open.

“What’s up, Koji?” I said, turning.

“Beth?”

It wasn’t Koji. It was Graham, looking surprised.

“Graham … what are you doing here?”

“The door was unguarded. I was concerned.”

“Oh. Koji did look sick. I bet he had to take a bathroom break.”

Instead of leaving, Graham stood there, awkwardly passing a tennis-ball-sized rock from hand to hand and staring at Justine. He was wearing leather gloves. A bad feeling started to come over me.

“Graham, I think you need to leave. Graham.”

His eyes jerked over to me.

“Stay out of this, Beth.”

He rushed Justine.