“Haven’t lost the knack,” Ronan said with a grin. “Come on, then. We need to pull him inside and go.”

Ashyn stared at him.

“I saw an opportunity,” he said. “Now quickly. Before someone comes.”

Ashyn helped him drag the guard the rest of the way inside. They went out and closed the door.

“That way,” Ronan said, pointing to a building across the way. “I could see from the roof and it’s clear over—”

“Going somewhere, Seeker?”

Barthol rounded the corner, two of his men flanking him. Ashyn wheeled to see two more coming in the other direction. She looked straight ahead, where they’d planned to run.

“Go!” she whispered to Ronan. “They want me.”

Before Ronan could run—or decide not to—one of Barthol’s men had him with a blade at his throat.

“Oh, I think we want him, too, Seeker,” Barthol said. “To keep you in line. Now, tell your cur to stop growling or we’ll give him cause.”

Ashyn laid her hand on Tova’s head, but he stopped even before that. If there’d been a chance of overpowering the men, he’d have attacked already.

“Good girl.” Barthol moved in front of her. “Turn around and go back inside your pretty little cage. I will count to three, and if you are not inside, the boy dies. One . . . two . . .”

She flung the door open, with Tova at her side, both of them stumbling over the body of the unconscious guard. Barthol shoved Ronan in with her, then strode over, lifted the guard by the front of his tunic, and slapped him hard enough that even Ronan winced. The man jerked awake.

“So . . .” Barthol said. “You let the Seeker and her brat boy escape.”

“What?” He looked around wildly and when his gaze settled on Ashyn, she saw accusation there, and felt it, too, even as she told herself she’d done nothing wrong, that they were clearly the victims here.

“They bashed you on the head and escaped.”

“I—”

“Are you going to tell me you let them go? That your conscience would not permit you to hold a Seeker captive?”

“No, of course not. I—”

“The alternative is that you were stupid enough to be fooled by two children. I would suggest, as a warrior, you stay with the first excuse. At least then you’ll die with honor.”

“D-die?” The guard scrambled to his feet.

Ashyn leaped forward. “It was my fault, not his. Please don’t—”

“Silence, Seeker, or your boy dies. Back up three paces, or your boy dies. Do anything to displease me and your boy dies.” He met her gaze with a chilling smile, silver teeth flashing. “Is that clear?”

She backed up. Ronan took her arm and tried to lead her into their quarters.