And even if I made it back on time, with irrefutable proof, what would Kaci suffer while she waited? She wasn’t in any physical danger—the birds would stand by their word, unless I gave them reason not to—but she was already emotionally fragile. Two days as the prisoner of a hostile foreign species—whose members were practically counting the hours until her execution—would do nothing for her mental health. She’d seen what they’d done to Charlie and Owen, and she had a great imagination. She knew what would happen to her if I didn’t make it.

“No.” My mind was made up.

“What’s that?” a voice asked from my left, but my gaze stayed glued to the old woman.

“I’m not leaving her. Turn us over to Malone.” At least he wouldn’t kill us, and we stood a better chance of getting away from him than from the birds, if only because Malone lived on the ground.

“That is no longer an option. We want true vengeance for Finn, and you are our best hope of finding it. We believe you will do whatever is necessary to keep the child alive. You may stay or go, as you like, but if we have no proof in two days, the child will die.”

Shit, shit, shit!

Wait a minute… “What about a trade? Kai for Kaci. Did you know he was captured?”

Several half-bird faces looked surprised, and several Shifted into human form, apparently just for that ability. But no one looked particularly upset. “The child is not a hostage. Her release is not negotiable.”

“Why not?” I glanced from face to face, truly baffled. “Is his life worth less than Finn’s?”

“Of course not,” said a young man with fully formed wings, then a man whose feathers had begun to gray with age took over.

“But Kai volunteered to fight, and he knew the risks. To die in war is to die with honor. Finn was murdered. His death must be avenged.”

For a moment, I could only stare, clutching Kaci to my side. They were serious. They were not going to let Kaci leave without proof of Malone’s guilt.

As if to underline that fact, a bustle of movement drew my gaze to four of the largest thunderbirds as they moved to block the front door, the only exit I’d yet seen. None of the birds was over five foot two, but they were all powerfully built from the waist up, even without talons and wing-claws.

Kaci was dead, if I couldn’t come through. Or at least come back with reinforcements.

I stood straighter. “How soon can you call a ceasefire?”

“We will dispatch a messenger immediately.”

“In person?” They could not be serious. “Where’s my cell? Somebody give me back my phone.” One arm around Kaci, I glanced around the room until movement drew my attention to a mostly human woman—the only fully dressed person in the room, other than me and Kaci. She was pregnant, and evidently about to pop.