Yet he had soaked the fabric of his tent. I listened as Tohon positioned his troops and dealt with the various problems and questions from his men. Fear simmered in my chest, but a numb sense of inevitability settled over me. Events had been set into motion; I would either get an opportunity to act or not. Ideally, I’d kill Tohon. Worst case... I shied away from that line of thought. As Ryne had once said, positive thoughts led to positive results.

After three nights with little sleep, I dozed in the chair.

“Am I boring you, my dear?” Tohon asked, waking me.

“Has anything happened?” I asked.

“Not yet, which is why we need to leave. But first you need to change.” Tohon grabbed my arm and helped me stand. He gestured to two women waiting nearby. “Don’t touch her skin.”

The ladies towed me behind a screen.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

They ignored me as they removed my cloak and uniform. With a quick no-nonsense efficiency that would have made Mom proud, they dressed me like one of the dead soldiers, complete with metal collar. Instead of my hands clamped behind my back, they secured a wide leather belt around my waist and cuffed my arms to my sides. They wound my hair into a bun and covered it with a knit cap.

When we returned to the main area, Tohon had also changed from his silk tunic and black pants. He, too, resembled one of the dead.

“Ah, there’re our doppelgangers,” Tohon said.

I turned. A woman with long auburn hair pulled into a single braid and green eyes arrived along with a handsome dark-haired man. The woman tied my cloak around her and the guards manacled her hands behind her back. The man stepped behind the screen and returned wearing Tohon’s clothes.

“Nice.” Tohon beamed. “Do you remember the plan?”

Both nodded.

“Very good.” Tohon gestured to the flaps. “Shall we, my dear?”

Not like I had a choice. We ducked outside. The sun hung low in the sky. It was about two hours before dusk. As we strode through the camp, I scanned the soldiers. No one appeared to be settling down for the night. No “catching them with their pants down.” Another group of guards followed us, as did the dead ufas, of course.

“You’re rather quiet. What are you thinking?” Tohon asked.

“The doppelgangers are a smart move.” Unfortunately.

“A compliment? You must be feeling ill, my dear.”

The thought of being bonded to him went way beyond ill into the domain of nauseating, foul, repulsive, and vile. A sarcastic comment died in my throat. No sense upsetting Tohon unduly, and if he believed I was resigned to my fate, then all the better.

We left the guild’s compound and entered the forest. After an hour, I recognized the area. I slowed.

“Something wrong?” Tohon smirked.

“Is that—”