“...never know what hit them.”

“I can’t wait to go home...”

“...enough of this getting-into-position crap, I’m ready for action.”

“...she’s stubborn, that’s for sure.”

“But she’ll be too weak to...”

Hearing the word stubborn, Kerrick lifted the tent’s fabric, peering underneath. A half dozen soldiers sat around a crude wooden table, playing cards and drinking. No sign of Avry. Not letting disappointment slow him down, he moved on to the next tent. And then the third, fourth, and fifth. Nothing.

When time ran out, Kerrick returned to the rendezvous point. Frustrated and sick to his stomach, he hoped one of the others had found her.

The monkeys returned first and just by their expressions, he knew they’d struck out, too. Belen arrived next. His massive shoulders drooped and he shook his head.

After a few tense minutes, Flea joined them. His pale face held tragic news.

“No,” Kerrick whispered, meeting Flea’s gaze.

“I saw her with my own eyes, lying there...” Flea blinked back tears.

“But—”

“Her eyes were open. Even in the dim light, I knew.”

“You can’t—”

“I can, Kerrick. I’m a death magician. I know.”

“No. We’ve been wrong before. Show me.” And when Flea hesitated, he ordered, “Show me right now.”

Flea led them to a small unremarkable tent among a group of them. No guard stood at the entrance and not much activity surrounded the area. Kerrick told the others to wait in the woods. Not caring if anyone heard him, Kerrick headed straight to the tent and flung open the flaps.

Moonlight illuminated Avry’s prone form. She stared at the ceiling with dead eyes. Agony sliced through him. Flea was right.

Chapter Nineteen

CHAPTER 19

The expression on Kerrick’s face as he stared at me matched Flea’s. In his mind, a lifeless body combined with unseeing eyes equaled dead girl. But I was far from dead—just disconnected from my body due to the Death Lily toxin. Although thrilled that nothing had happened to him during his mission to Mom’s, I willed him closer.

Come on, Kerrick! You of all people should know better.

He stepped toward me. Too slow. Come on! My frustration built as he took his sweet time to kneel beside me. Kerrick reached to close my eyes.

The instant he touched my skin, I flowed into him. I’m not dead, I said in his mind.

He jerked back, breaking contact. I popped out, returning to an intangible cloud above my head.

Come on, figure it out. I urged. Time wasn’t a luxury.

The deep lines of grief around his eyes eased as realization sparked. Kerrick cupped my cheek. “Avry?”

Yes. Get out of here. It’s a trap!

Not without you. He scooped me into his arms and stood. My body blended in with the surroundings, matching him. But we’d lost our skin contact and I hovered again. Not good.